Silver bird in all her grandeur
stood silently beaming in delight
As you came, sauntered in and
ensconced gracefully inside
The engines roared and plane lifted up
with feathery light
You smiled through window in an infinite
happiness oblivion to my plight
Time stood still as I watched
you lost into a singular dot
leaving nothing but solitude by my side
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Editorial Roundups
Bedraggled sheaf of newspaper welcomed me. Right under the frond, the unkempt pages were floating on the little puddle made by the morning rain. It indeed was exasperating to know that despite my several earnest pleading the delivery boy recidivated to his ineluctable wont and threw the newspaper with total disregard of where it might land. Just like the Mars Polar Lander my newspaper was also air borne without any proper telemetric guidance and ended with inevitable splash. Comparing the morning paper with Mars Lander may be too farfetched, but the consolation is at least I knew it isn’t lost.
Stooping down, I put the morning groceries into the side and proceeded to salvage the copy. The front page was lying prone to the surface which itself was reflecting the soothing sunlight in the form of variegated spectrum. I remembered the wave-optics lecture of the high-school where we were told Interference due to Reflection was cause for this. In simpler words wavelength emanating from one point source is nullified by another coherent point source with 180 degree phase shift in effect accentuating one of the seven colors that falls under visible spectrum. Tilting my head side by side the color itself came to life showing disparity among their distribution, reinforcing the idea of the ubiquity of transience. Under their motley spell perceptibility of my cones on the retina too fluctuated. And this discrepant information channeled through my optic nerve, stimulated the cerebral cortex in producing sense of vertigo. Gentle sway of the wind brought me back and assuaged my irritation.
Torpidly I picked up the paper. The front page was completely wallowed in the mud. Like thick glue the pages were sticking together. Carefully I tried to purge the silt way. Despite my scrupulous endeavor I could not help but watch it abrade. Like cookie that crumbles because of moisture, it also made a rent and finally yielded into plethora of parings. The front page and few following pages with daily tidings were lost. There was no way to dovetail them back it was a foregone conclusion. Any attempt to do so would violate second law of thermodynamics.
Grabbing the dross of editorial page I headed to my room. Nobody was up yet. I reclined on the couch and triggered the clicker. The TV screen, because of the latency required for the instigation of Thermionic emission inside the picture tube, remained blank for few seconds. Apparently violating the notion light travels fastest, the sound came first followed by vision. The sound was very incoherent and slowly the blurring screen explained the reason behind it. The ESPN after broadcasting Masters was now playing the clips of Extreme Sports. One guy on rollerblade was trying to mimic Evil Knievel and was performing katabatic leap from sloping inclined planes. The shear thrill of adventure flashed on his face. Without caring whether he made perfect 10 or splash like my newspaper did, I flicked the channel.
The screen then beamed with gorgeous, blue eyed blonde Daria Werbowi. With her sultry looks she was strutting around the ramp of some designer along with passel of super models. As old Seinfeld joke goes, thanks to FTV even fashion unconscious person like me have become able appreciate the talent of conjuring up all these beautiful girls in one single place. Many have certain misgivings regarding the broadcasting of this particular channel. They say it is too scurrilous for our tradition. They say it is destroying the very foundation of our culture. Like termites it is eating away every thing that we hold dear. Watching it amounts to reprobation of highest degree. But in today’s postmodernist world who can resist the temptation of deconstructing the moral premises in the name of progress. This is the debate with no clear winner and my own personal attempt to syncretize both views have fallen hard and fallen flat. I personally think that like every thing nothing is immutable. We have to adapt with changing times and if we don’t the stream of river that we called time may dump us to some unmarked shore and we may be lost too oblivion. So there is no room for intransigence, somehow our culture and tradition has to be resilient enough to subsume modern progress and the excess baggage that comes along. “Reconciliation is the key”. The idea came as epiphany to my head.
My eyes shifted from TV to the vestige of pages that were once part of great morning paper. Involuntarily my fingers kept pressing on the remote and thus bringing wide array of sound bites and flickers on the screen. The sound bites varied from usual kitsch of Hindi movie songs, screeches of Meerkats, solemnity of Yoga, Led Zepplines lead guitar, Anderson Cooper’s reporting, Indian Cricket team’s analysis, Pedantic news from Nepal TV and of course Teletubbies saying oh-oh. Everything together brought forth the amalgam of pastiche and cultivated into intermittent “Boum” like sound something like which had echoed inside Mrs. Moores head in Passage to India. Well sounds bites were trying to reconcile but before they could I turn down the volume.
Cursory glance on the editorial page skimmed through articles pertaining the politics and economic upheaval of Nepal. There were few articles on Nepali tinsel town and Friday night parties in the capital. Disinterestedly, I descried the article by new and upcoming Nepali novelist Snajeeb Uprety. His new novel “Ghanchakar” is in vogue right now though I haven’t read it yet. He was continuing his series of articles on “Post-Modernism” and its impact on Nepal. Postmodernism has recently been buzz word among erudite in Kathmandu. In every few days there are essays and testimonials propping up in every newspapers and magazines regarding the subject. Scholars are arguing whether we should embrace Postmodernism or not. For me this discussion seems extremely irrelevant, as in 21st century we are still arguing on some ridiculous topic. We human beings have fascination of categorizing every thing and this penchant is the cause for dividing human epoch into various parts. Post-modernism means anything goes isn’t it so why do we have to categorize? Can’t we let things as they are and appreciate the beauty of it? But this assertion of nonchalance towards categorization is of course Ipse Dixitism. It cannot be achieved.
Personally, having been living in the country with resources of pre-modern world and ideology of post modern world I myself have been vacillating to reconcile where I stand. From dawn to dusk I am being bombarded with images of outside world from MTV to Aljazeera , Facebook to Instant Messaging and hapless condition of my own country, like long queues for fuel, street protest and portending unrest. I feel like the modern day Theseus in Vector Pelvin’s Helmet of Horror, lost in labyrinth of modern preoccupation, trying to figure out where Minotaur dwells, slay him and make out some meaning. Alas it seems I am turning into the ‘victimary thinking’ of Post Modernism and no meaning but nihilism appears in sight. Only if there is God to guide my way. But what if God is dead like spoken by Zarathustra. But my own spiritual healing contradicts that. What if god is not dead what if he doesn’t want to be discovered? Another bolt of epiphany and reconciliation again appeared in the offing. Realizing something cannot be answered makes you humble and essence beauty lies within it. Again isn’t that called Performatism which is progeny of post-modernism itself? I have had it with these new schools of thoughts. Without prolonging further disquisitions on my mind I threw the paper away didn’t even bothered to read the whole article.
I leapt up from couch and repaired to window, the sun was shinning, it was around 8:30 in the morning. The water droplets were disappearing by attaining enough enthalpy for vaporization. And line from Pippa Passes came to me -“God’s in his heaven, All’s right with the world”. This positive line was really reconciliatory.
Stooping down, I put the morning groceries into the side and proceeded to salvage the copy. The front page was lying prone to the surface which itself was reflecting the soothing sunlight in the form of variegated spectrum. I remembered the wave-optics lecture of the high-school where we were told Interference due to Reflection was cause for this. In simpler words wavelength emanating from one point source is nullified by another coherent point source with 180 degree phase shift in effect accentuating one of the seven colors that falls under visible spectrum. Tilting my head side by side the color itself came to life showing disparity among their distribution, reinforcing the idea of the ubiquity of transience. Under their motley spell perceptibility of my cones on the retina too fluctuated. And this discrepant information channeled through my optic nerve, stimulated the cerebral cortex in producing sense of vertigo. Gentle sway of the wind brought me back and assuaged my irritation.
Torpidly I picked up the paper. The front page was completely wallowed in the mud. Like thick glue the pages were sticking together. Carefully I tried to purge the silt way. Despite my scrupulous endeavor I could not help but watch it abrade. Like cookie that crumbles because of moisture, it also made a rent and finally yielded into plethora of parings. The front page and few following pages with daily tidings were lost. There was no way to dovetail them back it was a foregone conclusion. Any attempt to do so would violate second law of thermodynamics.
Grabbing the dross of editorial page I headed to my room. Nobody was up yet. I reclined on the couch and triggered the clicker. The TV screen, because of the latency required for the instigation of Thermionic emission inside the picture tube, remained blank for few seconds. Apparently violating the notion light travels fastest, the sound came first followed by vision. The sound was very incoherent and slowly the blurring screen explained the reason behind it. The ESPN after broadcasting Masters was now playing the clips of Extreme Sports. One guy on rollerblade was trying to mimic Evil Knievel and was performing katabatic leap from sloping inclined planes. The shear thrill of adventure flashed on his face. Without caring whether he made perfect 10 or splash like my newspaper did, I flicked the channel.
The screen then beamed with gorgeous, blue eyed blonde Daria Werbowi. With her sultry looks she was strutting around the ramp of some designer along with passel of super models. As old Seinfeld joke goes, thanks to FTV even fashion unconscious person like me have become able appreciate the talent of conjuring up all these beautiful girls in one single place. Many have certain misgivings regarding the broadcasting of this particular channel. They say it is too scurrilous for our tradition. They say it is destroying the very foundation of our culture. Like termites it is eating away every thing that we hold dear. Watching it amounts to reprobation of highest degree. But in today’s postmodernist world who can resist the temptation of deconstructing the moral premises in the name of progress. This is the debate with no clear winner and my own personal attempt to syncretize both views have fallen hard and fallen flat. I personally think that like every thing nothing is immutable. We have to adapt with changing times and if we don’t the stream of river that we called time may dump us to some unmarked shore and we may be lost too oblivion. So there is no room for intransigence, somehow our culture and tradition has to be resilient enough to subsume modern progress and the excess baggage that comes along. “Reconciliation is the key”. The idea came as epiphany to my head.
My eyes shifted from TV to the vestige of pages that were once part of great morning paper. Involuntarily my fingers kept pressing on the remote and thus bringing wide array of sound bites and flickers on the screen. The sound bites varied from usual kitsch of Hindi movie songs, screeches of Meerkats, solemnity of Yoga, Led Zepplines lead guitar, Anderson Cooper’s reporting, Indian Cricket team’s analysis, Pedantic news from Nepal TV and of course Teletubbies saying oh-oh. Everything together brought forth the amalgam of pastiche and cultivated into intermittent “Boum” like sound something like which had echoed inside Mrs. Moores head in Passage to India. Well sounds bites were trying to reconcile but before they could I turn down the volume.
Cursory glance on the editorial page skimmed through articles pertaining the politics and economic upheaval of Nepal. There were few articles on Nepali tinsel town and Friday night parties in the capital. Disinterestedly, I descried the article by new and upcoming Nepali novelist Snajeeb Uprety. His new novel “Ghanchakar” is in vogue right now though I haven’t read it yet. He was continuing his series of articles on “Post-Modernism” and its impact on Nepal. Postmodernism has recently been buzz word among erudite in Kathmandu. In every few days there are essays and testimonials propping up in every newspapers and magazines regarding the subject. Scholars are arguing whether we should embrace Postmodernism or not. For me this discussion seems extremely irrelevant, as in 21st century we are still arguing on some ridiculous topic. We human beings have fascination of categorizing every thing and this penchant is the cause for dividing human epoch into various parts. Post-modernism means anything goes isn’t it so why do we have to categorize? Can’t we let things as they are and appreciate the beauty of it? But this assertion of nonchalance towards categorization is of course Ipse Dixitism. It cannot be achieved.
Personally, having been living in the country with resources of pre-modern world and ideology of post modern world I myself have been vacillating to reconcile where I stand. From dawn to dusk I am being bombarded with images of outside world from MTV to Aljazeera , Facebook to Instant Messaging and hapless condition of my own country, like long queues for fuel, street protest and portending unrest. I feel like the modern day Theseus in Vector Pelvin’s Helmet of Horror, lost in labyrinth of modern preoccupation, trying to figure out where Minotaur dwells, slay him and make out some meaning. Alas it seems I am turning into the ‘victimary thinking’ of Post Modernism and no meaning but nihilism appears in sight. Only if there is God to guide my way. But what if God is dead like spoken by Zarathustra. But my own spiritual healing contradicts that. What if god is not dead what if he doesn’t want to be discovered? Another bolt of epiphany and reconciliation again appeared in the offing. Realizing something cannot be answered makes you humble and essence beauty lies within it. Again isn’t that called Performatism which is progeny of post-modernism itself? I have had it with these new schools of thoughts. Without prolonging further disquisitions on my mind I threw the paper away didn’t even bothered to read the whole article.
I leapt up from couch and repaired to window, the sun was shinning, it was around 8:30 in the morning. The water droplets were disappearing by attaining enough enthalpy for vaporization. And line from Pippa Passes came to me -“God’s in his heaven, All’s right with the world”. This positive line was really reconciliatory.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Spiritual Healing
Jingling of bells, chants of mantras, fluttering of doves the entire semblance in the temple was exquisitely spiritual. Few scattered beggars were roaming here and there begging few pennies from the visitors. I say visitors not pilgrims as their face just showed that their visit to temple was mere perfunctory. Some women were dragging there disinterested children along with them, some were flogging them to bow down and pray. Children with boredom and fear seemed to obey everything. Their looks reminded me of famous Letterman kid during the American election 2004 campaign who had attended the President Bush’s speech during the wee hours and couldn’t help himself from not yawning in front of TV. I had later seen his interview in Hannity and Colmes and the kid was saying he was just tired. Who could blame him and who could blame the others? This is how children are made acquainted with god.
My first experience with God was also similar. I used to accompany my mother to temples she visited. Instead of anticipation of meeting with God, my reason for visiting temple was driven more by the temptation of all the sweets that were to be given to me as a Prasad. I remember holding to the cord of her purse and scurrying around the temple trying to keep up with her pace. Temples were strewn with the meditating Jogis whose long beard and dark eyes made me afraid. Despite the fear I was willing to take their blessing which they whole heartedly gave after I put few pennies in their palm. It is amazing these god men who have left Sansara for the spiritual wakening; all of sudden with the weight of few coins yielded to the gravity of the temptation. I remember once seeing a Jogi, around the Durbar Square area, who actually used to take pictures with the tourist in return of few dollars. His exotic mystic look must be fascinating to the western world.
In fact the occidental realm always seems to be at awe with the eastern mythology. Best instance is the so called Hippies of Flower Generation which according to my father flocked Kathmandu Valley during the disenchantment age of Vietnam War. He used to tell me the deluge of motley harlequin that used stroll around chanting Hare Krishna Hare Ram and smoking pot in the name of spiritual healing. Though they claim their action to be driven as a rebellion outburst I personally consider it to be childish proclivity towards unknown. With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight I think they were less driven by spirituality and more by Imp of Perverse. Their genteel spirituality was escapism rather than act of rebellion.
As I was pondering, my entrance was broken with flocks of pigeons that rained over my head and suddenly levitated towards the roof of temple. Like sinusoidal wave they rose and fell making series of crest and trough. The usual suspect behind their action was a bird feeder. He was an old man who appeared to dwell inside the temple premise and as usual he was throwing the rice grain into the courtyard. Movement of his hands and wave made by birds very much resembled an orchestra. He was maestro and birds were music of Philharmonic. As birds began to feed on the grains, the image vividly reminded me of news few days back regarding global food crisis. It was shown on CNN that few kids in South India were trying to collect grains of rice spilled from silo. So poignant. As more and more lands are being cleared for growing sugarcanes for producing ethanol as bio-fuels, rice has become rare commodity. Besides drought in Australia and rising middle class in China and India whose demand for protein supplement has caused cereals to be fed to livestock instead to people has made matter even worst. Robert Zoellick, chief of World Bank has already said global food crisis can push 100 million or so population towards the poverty. Rush Limbaugh has already blamed Al Gore and his harem for their high handed answer towards the fight against Global Warming as an entire cause. Being an outsider of the debate, for me both Global Warming and Global Food Crisis looms like Scylla and Charybdis. I just hope mankind has wit of Ulysses to fight this insidious danger. If we cannot come up with answer sooner then it will be a cogent cause for another act of rebellion which ironically unlike the popular cliché -“Rebel without cause” will have legitimacy.
Serendipity! A rebel’s face flashed in front of my eye. Just like the description of Big Brother in ‘1984’, a face donning a heavy black mustache and masculine ruggedness in background of red with dark deep eye stared at me. The stare that can take you to the abyss of Hades was of none other than legendary communist guerrilla Che Guevara. The T-shirts that was being manufactured in China which depicted his image was in vogue in the capital city of late. And one of the visitors in the temple was wearing it which is an irony in itself as the entire communist doctrine is dead against the merchandising, fashion and religion. Che Guevara must be turning in his grave right now as it is the blatant example of tu quoque. For me personally it is disgrace. Not because I have any sympathy for the Che Guevara or his likes but the fact that in today’s context rebellion has been misguided. Before act for rebellion was for some profound cause and being labeled a rebel was hard thing. Now it is so easy to be rebel, say anything against neo-conservatism, Bush doctrine, capitalism and feudalism and you are rebel. Just like that line from Coldplay’s song- “I will buy a gun and start a war if you say something worth fighting for.” But being a rebel doesn’t always mean killing people and destroying property. Gautam Buddha was a rebel. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Dr. King all were bona fide rebel. But when talk shifts to rebellion the popular image is shaped by that of Col. Aurelliano of ‘100 years in solitude”. Roster of rebellion is bedecked with likes of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and worst Osama Bin Laden whom many like to lionize some even deify. Some how the advocates of peace don’t seem to have right qualification to be in folk lore of rebellion instead it is filled with criminals.
The guy in red stooped his head and bowed to the god seated in the middle. Che Guevara was plastered in back of the shirt and therefore his face was in leeway from that of god. Incense was burning and worshiping people with vermillion in their hand hummed like bees. I myself bowed to feet of lord and prayed. Being the believer I always visited the temple in the morning. It has become a part of my morning walk routine. However, I have become kind of dying breed of late as God is being displaced from our everyday life. People are questioning God and his existence. Rebels like Richard Dawkins and other influential thinkers of our time has constantly attacked god in recent days. Besides, because of the bad examples set by Church with their inquisition; Mosques with their subdued voice against Jihadist who wants to hold great religion of Islam in hostage; Temples with their insistence of cast system; non-believer has enough fuel to make god crest fallen.
For me the argument for and against God has always been fascinating one and I have always taken the safer side that is God’s side. Non-believer pose the theory of evolution as the greatest evidence against god, but with vantage point of being Hindu that teaches universe being created and recreated several times over many Manbantarams, I don’t have any dilemma in embracing both. Being student of science, I agree that evolution and Neo-Darwinism best explains how we came to this god forsaken planet. But only doubt I have on evolution is why does it contradicts Law of Entropy- the most fundamental law of Physics which says universe ambles towards disorderliness. But evolution is about orderliness isn’t it? I have always asked this question to my friends who consider themselves as a disciple of Science and they haven’t yet come up with cogent answer. Besides, recently a new research on crustacean planktons – Facetotectans has brought some tremors in the evolutionary science. These planktons in larval form are more developed than in adult form where they are just a blob of little mass. So who says science has been settled.
Therefore nowadays whenever an argument props up regarding the god and his existence I have stopped saying he resides in my heart. I have also stopped taking refuge to statement made by Khalil Gibran in his masterpiece Prophet that say- “instead of god dwelling in my heart , it is I who dwell in heart of god”. In lieu I say I believe in God because Science doesn’t have all the answer and the day science is settled perhaps may be I will change my mind. But till then let’s give God a chance. This ratiocination has become a spiritual healing to my ambivalent and contradictory brain.
As I was musing I put on my shoe turned back, tolled the bell and came out of the door. God Bless me! The milk being sold in front of the temple door just ran out. Again like yesterday I won’t be having any milk tea. This fact just frazzled my nerve and with fray look I made my return back from morning walk that began with alacrity of muscles. Now the celerity in my legs disappeared and with portend of my sisters plausible wrath I headed home. I needed all the spiritual healing available.
My first experience with God was also similar. I used to accompany my mother to temples she visited. Instead of anticipation of meeting with God, my reason for visiting temple was driven more by the temptation of all the sweets that were to be given to me as a Prasad. I remember holding to the cord of her purse and scurrying around the temple trying to keep up with her pace. Temples were strewn with the meditating Jogis whose long beard and dark eyes made me afraid. Despite the fear I was willing to take their blessing which they whole heartedly gave after I put few pennies in their palm. It is amazing these god men who have left Sansara for the spiritual wakening; all of sudden with the weight of few coins yielded to the gravity of the temptation. I remember once seeing a Jogi, around the Durbar Square area, who actually used to take pictures with the tourist in return of few dollars. His exotic mystic look must be fascinating to the western world.
In fact the occidental realm always seems to be at awe with the eastern mythology. Best instance is the so called Hippies of Flower Generation which according to my father flocked Kathmandu Valley during the disenchantment age of Vietnam War. He used to tell me the deluge of motley harlequin that used stroll around chanting Hare Krishna Hare Ram and smoking pot in the name of spiritual healing. Though they claim their action to be driven as a rebellion outburst I personally consider it to be childish proclivity towards unknown. With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight I think they were less driven by spirituality and more by Imp of Perverse. Their genteel spirituality was escapism rather than act of rebellion.
As I was pondering, my entrance was broken with flocks of pigeons that rained over my head and suddenly levitated towards the roof of temple. Like sinusoidal wave they rose and fell making series of crest and trough. The usual suspect behind their action was a bird feeder. He was an old man who appeared to dwell inside the temple premise and as usual he was throwing the rice grain into the courtyard. Movement of his hands and wave made by birds very much resembled an orchestra. He was maestro and birds were music of Philharmonic. As birds began to feed on the grains, the image vividly reminded me of news few days back regarding global food crisis. It was shown on CNN that few kids in South India were trying to collect grains of rice spilled from silo. So poignant. As more and more lands are being cleared for growing sugarcanes for producing ethanol as bio-fuels, rice has become rare commodity. Besides drought in Australia and rising middle class in China and India whose demand for protein supplement has caused cereals to be fed to livestock instead to people has made matter even worst. Robert Zoellick, chief of World Bank has already said global food crisis can push 100 million or so population towards the poverty. Rush Limbaugh has already blamed Al Gore and his harem for their high handed answer towards the fight against Global Warming as an entire cause. Being an outsider of the debate, for me both Global Warming and Global Food Crisis looms like Scylla and Charybdis. I just hope mankind has wit of Ulysses to fight this insidious danger. If we cannot come up with answer sooner then it will be a cogent cause for another act of rebellion which ironically unlike the popular cliché -“Rebel without cause” will have legitimacy.
Serendipity! A rebel’s face flashed in front of my eye. Just like the description of Big Brother in ‘1984’, a face donning a heavy black mustache and masculine ruggedness in background of red with dark deep eye stared at me. The stare that can take you to the abyss of Hades was of none other than legendary communist guerrilla Che Guevara. The T-shirts that was being manufactured in China which depicted his image was in vogue in the capital city of late. And one of the visitors in the temple was wearing it which is an irony in itself as the entire communist doctrine is dead against the merchandising, fashion and religion. Che Guevara must be turning in his grave right now as it is the blatant example of tu quoque. For me personally it is disgrace. Not because I have any sympathy for the Che Guevara or his likes but the fact that in today’s context rebellion has been misguided. Before act for rebellion was for some profound cause and being labeled a rebel was hard thing. Now it is so easy to be rebel, say anything against neo-conservatism, Bush doctrine, capitalism and feudalism and you are rebel. Just like that line from Coldplay’s song- “I will buy a gun and start a war if you say something worth fighting for.” But being a rebel doesn’t always mean killing people and destroying property. Gautam Buddha was a rebel. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Dr. King all were bona fide rebel. But when talk shifts to rebellion the popular image is shaped by that of Col. Aurelliano of ‘100 years in solitude”. Roster of rebellion is bedecked with likes of Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and worst Osama Bin Laden whom many like to lionize some even deify. Some how the advocates of peace don’t seem to have right qualification to be in folk lore of rebellion instead it is filled with criminals.
The guy in red stooped his head and bowed to the god seated in the middle. Che Guevara was plastered in back of the shirt and therefore his face was in leeway from that of god. Incense was burning and worshiping people with vermillion in their hand hummed like bees. I myself bowed to feet of lord and prayed. Being the believer I always visited the temple in the morning. It has become a part of my morning walk routine. However, I have become kind of dying breed of late as God is being displaced from our everyday life. People are questioning God and his existence. Rebels like Richard Dawkins and other influential thinkers of our time has constantly attacked god in recent days. Besides, because of the bad examples set by Church with their inquisition; Mosques with their subdued voice against Jihadist who wants to hold great religion of Islam in hostage; Temples with their insistence of cast system; non-believer has enough fuel to make god crest fallen.
For me the argument for and against God has always been fascinating one and I have always taken the safer side that is God’s side. Non-believer pose the theory of evolution as the greatest evidence against god, but with vantage point of being Hindu that teaches universe being created and recreated several times over many Manbantarams, I don’t have any dilemma in embracing both. Being student of science, I agree that evolution and Neo-Darwinism best explains how we came to this god forsaken planet. But only doubt I have on evolution is why does it contradicts Law of Entropy- the most fundamental law of Physics which says universe ambles towards disorderliness. But evolution is about orderliness isn’t it? I have always asked this question to my friends who consider themselves as a disciple of Science and they haven’t yet come up with cogent answer. Besides, recently a new research on crustacean planktons – Facetotectans has brought some tremors in the evolutionary science. These planktons in larval form are more developed than in adult form where they are just a blob of little mass. So who says science has been settled.
Therefore nowadays whenever an argument props up regarding the god and his existence I have stopped saying he resides in my heart. I have also stopped taking refuge to statement made by Khalil Gibran in his masterpiece Prophet that say- “instead of god dwelling in my heart , it is I who dwell in heart of god”. In lieu I say I believe in God because Science doesn’t have all the answer and the day science is settled perhaps may be I will change my mind. But till then let’s give God a chance. This ratiocination has become a spiritual healing to my ambivalent and contradictory brain.
As I was musing I put on my shoe turned back, tolled the bell and came out of the door. God Bless me! The milk being sold in front of the temple door just ran out. Again like yesterday I won’t be having any milk tea. This fact just frazzled my nerve and with fray look I made my return back from morning walk that began with alacrity of muscles. Now the celerity in my legs disappeared and with portend of my sisters plausible wrath I headed home. I needed all the spiritual healing available.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Lighthouse
Lighthouse is emblem of hope
Showing the path to weary travellers
Bringing respite to their lugubrious soul
Lighthouse is emblem of love
Removing every lurking insidiousness
Providing relief to heart full of dole
Lighthouse is emblem of grace
Austere yet beautiful giving rapture
and resplendent even in weather so cold
I haven't been to or seen any light houses
But still you are my lighthouse
Showing the path to weary travellers
Bringing respite to their lugubrious soul
Lighthouse is emblem of love
Removing every lurking insidiousness
Providing relief to heart full of dole
Lighthouse is emblem of grace
Austere yet beautiful giving rapture
and resplendent even in weather so cold
I haven't been to or seen any light houses
But still you are my lighthouse
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Missed Oppertunity
I went to temple
door was closed
I tried to meet her
she was gone
I dreamt of heaven
but, god was no where to be found
door was closed
I tried to meet her
she was gone
I dreamt of heaven
but, god was no where to be found
spring
Far away in the valley
Below the rounded hill
A lonesome spring
rise, pause and fall
As time stands still
Beyond the mist
chirping the silence
the music of lonesome spring
as it rise, pause and fall
strikes loud within
the galingale
like a heart beat
lonesome spring
rise, pause and fall
carefree to the careless world
Below the rounded hill
A lonesome spring
rise, pause and fall
As time stands still
Beyond the mist
chirping the silence
the music of lonesome spring
as it rise, pause and fall
strikes loud within
the galingale
like a heart beat
lonesome spring
rise, pause and fall
carefree to the careless world
Friday, November 2, 2007
Heroism
Strolling in grass is good for health and refreshing to mind. But none of enthusiasm was seen on the face of Tiger. His face was full of despair which finally gave away to insouciance and thus a prelude to inevitable. A thump of fist in air and the green jacket adorned the so called “just a normal guy “-Zach Johnson. Masters came to an end. To the astonishment of pundits the result was different. Watching them putting aside their predilection and taking refuge to the old adage “Golf is amazing” was simply pertinent. Golf is amazing but its rule is indeed difficult. I remember during my childhood I used to think that the main aim of the golfer is actually finding the ball inside the hole. Because every time I watched Gillette World Sports the golfer would be seen picking the ball from inside the putt and with exuberance showing the ball he found to the audience. “There is no milk!” my sister yelled from kitchen. I was supposed to fetch it but got caught on commotion of final round of Masters.
Acquiescently I turned off television. The clock struck eight in the morning. The rain had abated and I was late for my morning walk as well. I looked around for my socks and they were no where to be seen. For me socks and their disappearance is the greatest mystery in life. Few weeks ago, journal Nature postulated new studies regarding evanescent positrons and its use for generating the energy using annihilation with their counterpart’s electrons. Similarly, Stephan Hawkins in his new book Theory of Everything predicted possibility of existence of virtual particles that will result in upwelling of real matter from within black hole making it less black. But these recondite lore of physicists appeared less abstruse than the reason behind disappearing socks in my room. Every time I buy a new pair to my utmost exasperation one of the pair of socks seems to vanish into thin air. Sometimes I wondered if there are any leprechauns hiding under my bed. But I am thousands of miles away from Belfast. Even if leprechauns really existed how they would travel across Europe, crossing English Channel, Ural Mountains, Pamir knot, Hindu-Kush and come to Kathmandu. Or will they hide inside one of those compressed chamber in the Boeing. Or do they have some teleporting device to transfer them like those shown in Captain Kirk’s ship. Even if they did reach my bedroom with some mystical powers what’s the use of my socks in their exchequer. Them being culpable for disappearance of my socks was simply non sequitur.
Annoyingly I looked under the bed and found a rolled up torn pair in a corner. Removing the dust moulds stuck in fabric I hurriedly put them on and head for the road. The chilliness in air brought about alacrity in muscles. In the corner of street a cat purred and a dog chased after him. The briskness of their action was enjoyable. A little ahead I descried a girl looking bit puzzled and standing in the middle of the road. She was fraught and was glancing in all directions. “Is it a cat?” I asked. She blushed and said yes. My surmise was correct. “Where did he cross?” I asked. Without saying anything her hand raised and fore finger pointed to me few yards ahead. “Are you in hurry?” She nodded. I have to disagree with Edmund Bruke that the “Superstition is religion of feeble mind” but her anguish did reflected the inveterate fear that superstition has engraved in our hearts. No matter how much progress we make and how urbane we become we still cannot emancipate from our deep rooted beliefs. Pretending as some kind of hero I walked across the spot where cat crossed the street. I didn’t look back but I knew the girl appreciated my gesture. Suddenly I felt magnanimous. But feeling of heroism was ridiculous. I told myself to snap out of this idiocy and be less sententious.
After walking few more minutes, I contrived to take a long way than my usual route. Few shops were just opened. Some of the vendors were seen sweeping in front of their store. An amazingly their action were so singular as if all of them were trained in same sweeping school. But the disheartening thing was they all cleared the rubbish in front of their door steps and dumped into open road. Their dereliction was indeed appalling. Though government has time and again passed regulations to chastise the people who desecrate public spaces with filth and refuse, as usual no one abide by it. People say that laws are meant to be broken that’s why there is law in the first place. To me not being student of law it is just one of those esoteric subjects that few can actually divulge. To me lawyers, attorneys, solicitors are people who deserves reverence, as they are the only one who has perused the law book and can interpret its meaning. Funny thing is law is the only thing besides art, invented by human being which is subject to different interpretation. But interpretation of law has deeper consequences than art. Interpretation of art can only produce degree of appreciation. On the other hand law can vent various emotional outflows ranging from exuberance to lamentation. It can suddenly change ones expectation and also can put someone in fetters for some innocuous action. From time of Hamurabi in Babylonean period when there were laws like “tooth for tooth” to today’s politically correct law that advocates the rights of seasoned criminal to have fair trial, judiciary system has certainly evolved.
A sound of “thief” ran on the air. Someone broke the law again. In the corner of street below the electricity pole few people including what appeared as a policeman seemed to be kicking a guy with all their might. The alleged person was a ragged individual with dirty hair and squalid clothing. I repaired to the spot. Everyone was shouting and swearing. ”Lynch him!”- A guy in flannel shirt with no collar roared. A little kid with torn shorts was grabbing the thief in his ankle. Street dogs were howling and barking. With the commotion it was hard to discern what crime the individual actually committed. I asked a middle age woman with crooked nose the reason and she told me in mildly curious and mildly indifferent tone that the culprit stole the pressure cooker form a nearby eatery near the junkyard. The eatery was itself a dingy place, where low income worker from junkyard usually hanged out. From what I learnt the ruffian used to collect the plastics and for some reason he committed larceny. The policeman who I usually see every day on the corner of street was yelling at top of his voice. His eyes were fiery. He threatened the guy and grabbed him by the muffler in an attempt to choke him. The owner of the eatery, a swarthy and muscular guy was looking very ecstatic by the proceedings. He was entreating the policeman to hit the thief harder and was dubbing him a hero. The thief on the other hand was covering his bloodied nose with his hand with contrite look in his eyes. He appeared worn out. I really felt sorry for the guy. I couldn’t even imagine his disparity. He didn’t look like some professional thief, he was just a common man trying to make his ends meet, caught of in circumstances. But there was no mercy. A police van arrived and the thief was thrown into it. The constable appeared very much pleased at his effort and every one was cheering him. I wondered if the real criminals, those who have high political influence, ever get that kind of treatment. Those who call themselves people’s leader and who rob them ever get to the clutches of law. I doubt.
After the van left, the policeman was piggybacked by the entire crowd and was escorted into the eatery for fine morning breakfast that it was to offer. “Tea in the house”- the owner shouted with applause from the crowd. It was time for celebration. He was indeed hero of day, far outshining my heroism when I passed the street crossed by the cat and no less heroism than that of Zach Johnson.
Acquiescently I turned off television. The clock struck eight in the morning. The rain had abated and I was late for my morning walk as well. I looked around for my socks and they were no where to be seen. For me socks and their disappearance is the greatest mystery in life. Few weeks ago, journal Nature postulated new studies regarding evanescent positrons and its use for generating the energy using annihilation with their counterpart’s electrons. Similarly, Stephan Hawkins in his new book Theory of Everything predicted possibility of existence of virtual particles that will result in upwelling of real matter from within black hole making it less black. But these recondite lore of physicists appeared less abstruse than the reason behind disappearing socks in my room. Every time I buy a new pair to my utmost exasperation one of the pair of socks seems to vanish into thin air. Sometimes I wondered if there are any leprechauns hiding under my bed. But I am thousands of miles away from Belfast. Even if leprechauns really existed how they would travel across Europe, crossing English Channel, Ural Mountains, Pamir knot, Hindu-Kush and come to Kathmandu. Or will they hide inside one of those compressed chamber in the Boeing. Or do they have some teleporting device to transfer them like those shown in Captain Kirk’s ship. Even if they did reach my bedroom with some mystical powers what’s the use of my socks in their exchequer. Them being culpable for disappearance of my socks was simply non sequitur.
Annoyingly I looked under the bed and found a rolled up torn pair in a corner. Removing the dust moulds stuck in fabric I hurriedly put them on and head for the road. The chilliness in air brought about alacrity in muscles. In the corner of street a cat purred and a dog chased after him. The briskness of their action was enjoyable. A little ahead I descried a girl looking bit puzzled and standing in the middle of the road. She was fraught and was glancing in all directions. “Is it a cat?” I asked. She blushed and said yes. My surmise was correct. “Where did he cross?” I asked. Without saying anything her hand raised and fore finger pointed to me few yards ahead. “Are you in hurry?” She nodded. I have to disagree with Edmund Bruke that the “Superstition is religion of feeble mind” but her anguish did reflected the inveterate fear that superstition has engraved in our hearts. No matter how much progress we make and how urbane we become we still cannot emancipate from our deep rooted beliefs. Pretending as some kind of hero I walked across the spot where cat crossed the street. I didn’t look back but I knew the girl appreciated my gesture. Suddenly I felt magnanimous. But feeling of heroism was ridiculous. I told myself to snap out of this idiocy and be less sententious.
After walking few more minutes, I contrived to take a long way than my usual route. Few shops were just opened. Some of the vendors were seen sweeping in front of their store. An amazingly their action were so singular as if all of them were trained in same sweeping school. But the disheartening thing was they all cleared the rubbish in front of their door steps and dumped into open road. Their dereliction was indeed appalling. Though government has time and again passed regulations to chastise the people who desecrate public spaces with filth and refuse, as usual no one abide by it. People say that laws are meant to be broken that’s why there is law in the first place. To me not being student of law it is just one of those esoteric subjects that few can actually divulge. To me lawyers, attorneys, solicitors are people who deserves reverence, as they are the only one who has perused the law book and can interpret its meaning. Funny thing is law is the only thing besides art, invented by human being which is subject to different interpretation. But interpretation of law has deeper consequences than art. Interpretation of art can only produce degree of appreciation. On the other hand law can vent various emotional outflows ranging from exuberance to lamentation. It can suddenly change ones expectation and also can put someone in fetters for some innocuous action. From time of Hamurabi in Babylonean period when there were laws like “tooth for tooth” to today’s politically correct law that advocates the rights of seasoned criminal to have fair trial, judiciary system has certainly evolved.
A sound of “thief” ran on the air. Someone broke the law again. In the corner of street below the electricity pole few people including what appeared as a policeman seemed to be kicking a guy with all their might. The alleged person was a ragged individual with dirty hair and squalid clothing. I repaired to the spot. Everyone was shouting and swearing. ”Lynch him!”- A guy in flannel shirt with no collar roared. A little kid with torn shorts was grabbing the thief in his ankle. Street dogs were howling and barking. With the commotion it was hard to discern what crime the individual actually committed. I asked a middle age woman with crooked nose the reason and she told me in mildly curious and mildly indifferent tone that the culprit stole the pressure cooker form a nearby eatery near the junkyard. The eatery was itself a dingy place, where low income worker from junkyard usually hanged out. From what I learnt the ruffian used to collect the plastics and for some reason he committed larceny. The policeman who I usually see every day on the corner of street was yelling at top of his voice. His eyes were fiery. He threatened the guy and grabbed him by the muffler in an attempt to choke him. The owner of the eatery, a swarthy and muscular guy was looking very ecstatic by the proceedings. He was entreating the policeman to hit the thief harder and was dubbing him a hero. The thief on the other hand was covering his bloodied nose with his hand with contrite look in his eyes. He appeared worn out. I really felt sorry for the guy. I couldn’t even imagine his disparity. He didn’t look like some professional thief, he was just a common man trying to make his ends meet, caught of in circumstances. But there was no mercy. A police van arrived and the thief was thrown into it. The constable appeared very much pleased at his effort and every one was cheering him. I wondered if the real criminals, those who have high political influence, ever get that kind of treatment. Those who call themselves people’s leader and who rob them ever get to the clutches of law. I doubt.
After the van left, the policeman was piggybacked by the entire crowd and was escorted into the eatery for fine morning breakfast that it was to offer. “Tea in the house”- the owner shouted with applause from the crowd. It was time for celebration. He was indeed hero of day, far outshining my heroism when I passed the street crossed by the cat and no less heroism than that of Zach Johnson.
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