Angel of Darkness

At the side of our main gate, I noticed a group of people crowding and watching something. Next to them stood a Matador vehicle, and it did not take me long to understand that someone had died in the family – the Muslim family which had made the footpath just at the side of our gate for the past 25 years or more. Death, the familiar guest at all families, does not spare any one, high or low, rich or poor, men or women. But this is perhaps the most uninvited guest we have ever known on earth; there is hardly anyone we have known, who willingly and joyfully welcomes Death. This is the season of Lent, and so it is appropriate to think about death, not only as Jesus triumphing over death, but how we carry our death in our bodies and minds. In fact, a serious contemplation on our deaths can serve to energise us to live more fully and joyfully.

Tony D’Mello in his famous book, Sadhana, a way to God, presents to us a meditation on our own death bodies. See and smell it, as it decays, infested with worms, and becomes earth. This is what we all are; perishable… we carry on our bodies the label “Perishable”, but unfortunately very few behave as if we are perishable; we are happy to think that we will live forever, and there will be no end to our life on earth. If only we consider our life on earth with a limited time and space continuum, then we will spend most of our energy to make the best use of the time to be happy and leave joyful memories. In such cases, death cannot come as a threat, but as a welcome guest, who comes to take us to give wage for our labor; is that not something that we should be happy and proud about?

We are drowned in sorrow and agony when someone dear to us depart this earth, and sometimes it is hard to accept this reality; such was the case with my sister, when her husband died all too suddenly, unannounced, and at a moment when she wanted him more. Her life was devastated when she knew that she has to fight with life (with the additional burden of carrying cancer in her body) all alone, helping her daughter find fulfillment in life. My brother in law was not the only breadwinner, because my sister was able to earn a living as a teacher, but what was more important for my sister was that her husband had turned a new leaf and was going to care for her. Death came one fine morning and took him all too soon, and neither she nor her daughter, nor any of our family members were ever prepared for it.

It may be easy to preach about death, and how we should welcome it with outstretched arms; but it is a different kind of reality when it does approach us. When we hear about the brutal killing of several men and women, or the accidents and mishaps which kills hundreds of people each day, we are not so much moved; but when it happens to one of our familiar persons, we are shaken, and find it hard to accept. Unfortunately no one teaches us the secret of embracing death with open arms, and except for a few brave sages and saintly persons, all of us find it a challenge to think about death, especially as it approaches us gingerly. This is one reality that perhaps the human race will never be able to undo, just as we have very little control over births. We are just pawns in the hands of creation and nature.

We are told that in death we enter into a different kind of reality, which cannot be compared with the earthly reality. The Bhagavad Gita talks about the nature of the soul in Chapter 2, when it leaves the perishable body, because it is something that knows no end. No one who has experienced it has ever returned to tell us how it is to face death; but one thing is for sure, whether we fear or not, whether we are happy or not, death will come to us at its own time and lead us home. We may say a thousand things in philosophical terms to explain how wonderful it is to welcome death, but it is a different reality in concrete, especially when the human bondage is thicker than blood. We look at the death of Jesus as a different kind of reality, where he subdues death and reigns victorious, and when we die, we too share in his glory, which is a new kind of identity and home address that we all can be truly proud of.

Called to Reconcile

Lent is a season of grace, and I found that I had not prepared anything special for this lent, as a way of sharing an insight or two with the people I am committed to share the spiritual insights. So as I gave a thought to what I would like to do during this lent, so that I could share the same with some others. Coincidentally, the theme that had been ringing in my mind for the past couple of days, as I kept turning the pages of The Shack, was on reconciliation. Perhaps this is one of the most important and significant graces that we could seek from God during the season of Lent. To be reconciled and to reconcile! That is it. It might sound quite simplistic, though the implications of this phrase is far reaching and can turn our life topsy-turvy, if only we allow ourselves to be touched and shaped by the power that is within and without.

I said this is one of the most significant graces we could seek during the lent; one would understand why I said, if we recall to mind one of the two formulations the priest utters as he applies ash on the forehead, Repent (which can be paraphrased as ‘Be reconciled’) and believe in the Gospel. It is an occasion for us to turn to God. But some years ago, the 35 General Congregation of the Jesuits talked about the four-fold reconciliation, which I found quite meaningful : Reconciliation with one self, with the neighbors, with the earth and then with God. This is a wonderful chain of relationship which we need to settle, and for that we need to begin with ourselves. Let me briefly present what the four-fold relationship is calling us to, and how we could respond with greater amount of generosity and openness during the lent.

When we talk about reconciliation, most often we tend to look at our relationship with others, as if we are perfectly in peace with ourselves. If we find it hard to be reconciled with our neighbors (and subsequently with the earth and with God), it is probably because we are not in peace with our own selves; there may be several unreconciled aspects, unredeemed casualties, and unmitigated bargains. There are persons who might have hated their bodies after a bitter childhood experience, and the bitterness might be preventing them from being their true selves. I would like to see myself in the place of Lazar, after Jesus resuscitating my life, and I emerging out of the tomb, and I hear Jesus telling me, unbind him and let him go free! This is a difficult and painful task, to free ourselves from all the false security and hope, and take a leap in faith. The quality of our mission as agents of God’s reconciliation depends on the quality of our reconciliation with our own selves.

Reconciliation with our neighbors is the second level, and it obviously is based on the first level, and here we look at others not as separate entities, but as extension of our own selves. If I have great love and appreciation for my own self, then that would also impel me to have the same kind of appreciation and love for my neighbors. In the novel, The Shack, it takes quite a bit of trouble on the part of the Holy Trinity to help Mack be reconciled with the people who had ill-treated him (his father at his childhood) and the man who had caused cruelty to his daughter Missy. One way how we could enter into reconciling with our neighbors is by climbing down from the seats of judgment that we feel comfortable with. When we look at others as weak and fragile human beings, just like our own selves, then it might not be impossible to forgive others and relink the cycle of relationship with them.

The third layer of reconciliation is a notion which is of late in origin; it is only since the past ten to fifteen years that we have begun to look at this area of our need to be reconciled. No human person can claim innocence of what is happening in the world around. Morally each one of us is responsible for the plundering and decimation of the earth and her resources. We have shamelessly defaced the earth, and are already facing the dire consequences of our stupid actions. We need to remember that each and every action of ours has a repercussion on the face of the earth. Reconciling with the earth invites us to honor the responsibility that God had given to the human beings as the custodian of the earth and not to plunder her resources as if she were an object to be used and abused. St Ignatius of Loyola taught us to find the footprints of God in each and every atom of the earth, and Gerard Manly Hopkins found the earth “charged” with God’s presence. It is time that we take a close look at our relationship with the earth, and cement the union if we had caused division.

The fourth layer obviously is oriented towards our reconciliation with God, the master of the universe; this would be possible only when we have reconciled with other three lower levels. No wonder Jesus told his disciples to place their offerings at the altar and first go and be reconciled with those who might have had a grudge against them. The wonder of this level is that if we had been faithful to be reconciled with our broken selves, our errand neighbors and the bruised earth, then God will take the first step to reach us. Did not St Augustine remind us that God is closer to us than we are to him? How do we know that we are reconciled with God, and that God had taken us close to his heart? If we experience certain amount of peace and tranquility deep within us, then these are the signs that God has reconciled us to himself. In fact, this is the only stage where we do not need to do anything to be reconciled with God, because here God takes the first step to be reconciled with us (cf. 2 Cor 5:18).

The four stages complete the full “circle of relationship” that Young talks about in The Shack, and the fourth stage takes us back to the first level, where we are authentic to our own identity as the true children of God, and enables us to look at the other as extensions of ourselves, and to find the footprints of God in nature, and recognizing him as our ultimate yearning and thirst, the one for whom our heart longs for. It is time to make the circle complete by looking into ourselves and making amends.

Harmony with Nature

One of the best illustrations of harmony can be observed in nature; as one walks along a garden with plenty of trees, shrubs, creepers and water bodies, it would become too obvious that there is place in the garden for all sorts of plants, not only what the human beings consider as good and useful, but also the so-called useless grass, creepers and plants. Everything have their own “private” space, and others do not trespass, and even if they do, there is no noise made about this. That is the law of nature; in mother nature’s bosom, every one has got a place; but when it comes to a human family, the world we live in, can we say the same?

The most poisonous snakes live in perfect harmony with the most harmless of reptiles; a snake may not with full consciousness bite another creature, unless it comes in the way of the snake. In nature’s kingdom each one respects the others, and there is perfect understanding between them. That is why there is so much for the human beings to learn from nature. If only we the human persons being to imitate the natural world around us, life could be so very different and beautiful. But it is a matter of great concern as to who would explain to the human persons, how to restrict to one’s private space and respect the space of others.

Look at a pond or a water-body, either river or a sea; there is place for all sorts of creatures there in, and all of them live in perfect harmony. It is natural law which permits sometimes the weaker animals to become prey to the strong one’s, however due to this, there can never be a situation that the weaker species may become extinct over the years. Nature takes care of preserving even the weaker species, and protects them from the strong predators. There is something for us to learn from the world of the water-bodies, and they can enlighten and brighten our lives.

There is also a place for parasites in the natural world, where these creepers and plants depend solely on the stronger plants for their very survival, and that is not considered as something that is exploitative. It is only right and proper for a strong plant to hold the weaker one and support them for meaningful survival. We may think that there are so many anomalies in the natural world, where there is provision for subduing of the weak by the strong, and the survival of the fittest, but at the same time there is enough room for the weak and the fragile to grow stronger and bolder.

Nature has most of the solutions to the problems that the human world confronts, and we shall be able to understand the logic of why nature does something which might look so stupid, only if we are able to see the consequences. There is a different kind of logic operative in the way how nature handles the natural world; however it would be wrong to think that the natural world also follows the human world. It is time therefore for the human beings to cast their own notions of the world outside of them, and learn a meaningful lesson from nature; for the human beings will have no better teachers than nature herself!

Glimpse of Eden

Who would not like a serene and secure atmosphere of Dhyan Ashram, with plenty of trees, gardens, and water bodies! It is like taking a glimpse of what the Garden of Eden could have been, before the serpent tricked the first parents. The air is cool and the atmosphere is pleasant. There is a silence, which the trees and plants, frantically try to preserve and pass on to everyone who drops in here. It is rightly a place of Dhyan, of meditation, and though our purpose in coming here today is nothing to do with meditation, but we see several men and women who are steeped in meditation.

To forget the self and to be immersed in the thought of the creator or his/her (could we not think of the creator as a feminine force!) creation, or to enter into the inner recesses of oneself and listen to the murmurs of the life-spirit, or to the whispers of the soul! We are too frightened of taking time off, to enter into the self; the most enjoyable trip that is ever possible is to dive into the inner self, because that is where miracles await us, where flowers wait for us to bloom, where birds await us to start their singing. But the world has kept us tied to itself that we find impossible to break free.

I see the men and women of all ages lost in their worlds of prayer and meditation; it is impossible for me to fathom their minds and hearts, but looking at their faces, one thing is sure that their minds are not preoccupied with the material world that we are so busy with; they are probably thinking of a reality which is far removed from the worldly reality we live at each moment of our lives. But to take time out and be by ourselves is what can give us the psychic energy and stamina to go ahead with life, in spite of all the odds which attempt to make our lives miserable.

It is impossible to enter into our inner selves, from within our familiar surroundings; we are interrupted and disturbed at every now and then, that we cannot concentrate on our journey inwards. There are telephones, mobile phones, television, children, friends drop in just to say hello, the familiar songs being played at the neighborhood… these all can become distractions when we make a sincere effort to dive deep into our selves. But a quiet and serene atmosphere such as this can become helpful to plunge into ourselves boldly and courageously.

Besides helping us to dive into the deeper recesses of our own selves, nature has the ability to soothe our wounded selves, and balm our pains and worries. There is no greater companion to us than nature, with all their colors and charm, scent and radiance. If only we know how to appreciate and communicate with nature, then we may spend hours and hours in her company. It does not require great artistic sense to appreciate nature in all her glory, just a sense of wonder can take us a long way in being true companions to nature all around us. But here we are in a privileged place to behold one of the best forms of nature, and I spend a few moments to silently commune with her!

Ignatian Insights 2 : Exercises

The spiritual master Ignatius of Loyola begins his handbook for retreat directors called the Spiritual Exercises with an introductory note, explaining the word ‘spiritual exercises’: “By the term Spiritual Exercises we mean every method of examination fo conscience, meditation, contemplation, vocal or mental prayer and other spiritual activities, …” (SpEx 1:2). To look at the spiritual activities as ‘exercises’ was a novel idea that Ignatius introduced in the spiritual sphere. One would not think of the term used in the spiritual sphere, because we would like to take it for granted that the matters relating to our spiritual life is determined by God.

Ignatius further explains the word ‘exercise’ : “For, just as taking a walk, traveling on foot, and running are physical exercises, so is the name spiritual exercises given to any means of preparing and disposing our soul to rid itself of all its disordered affections and then, after their removal, of seeking and finding God’s will in the ordering of our life for the salvation of our soul” (SpEx 1:3-4). Ignatius summarises the whole book in this one sentence, and gives the gist in a nutshell, but in order to understand what he really means by the spiritual exercises, we will have to dissect this sentence and cull out the salient features.

First of all, just as our bodies require exercises to keep them fit, so also our spirits require exercises to keep them ablaze with love and happiness. Thus this exercises demand something from us, which will contribute to the overall wellbeing of our selves. However these are not the kind of exercises which put a strain on the body or the soul, but are simple tools to look at what we are, who we are, and how our existence on earth is related to others and to God… We shall constantly move from ourselves to our neighbours and ultimately to God. It is only through these kind of exercises that we will be able to bring peace and harmony within the soul.

Secondly, anyone who thinks that s/he will be able to come closer to himself/herself, to nature, to neighbours and to God would be only cheating, because it is only through a disciplined life that we can reach out to others. This implies that the exercises need to be done constantly, and not once in a while; therefore certain amount of regularity in the exercises is desirable, and if not the prayers or other pieties, one is recommended to do at least the examination of consciousness twice a day, since that is the review of life for that day, which will tell us where we are going.

Thirdly, it would be arrogant on our part to think that only the exercises recommended by Ignatius of Loyola can really take us to our inner selves, to our neighbours and to God; there are several ways to achieve this goal, and all the ways maybe equally good. It does not much matter which way we are choosing, provided we are sure to reach the goal without much difficulty. Contemplating the life of Christ can give us the much needed inner boost and strength to face the world courageously, but we can as well reach God through Yoga, especially karma yoga and bhakti yoga. We need to discern which way will take us to God in a surer way, that is where Ignatius begins his exercises.

Showers of Blessing

It is quite interesting to observe how it rains in some places and not in some other; a few minutes before we began our journey, the sky was dark, and we were sure it would pour quite heavily. Therefore we preponed our journey, so that we might not be caught by the rain. But some half an hour later, the rain was nowhere to be seen. As we got out of the city, we came across dry ground, and not a drop of water was there. Where has the rain gone, and why did it not rain here? I was asking myself. How is it nature is so insensitive to the suffering and pain of the people? We cannot force the rain to come down on a particular place and not another. Maybe that is a grace in disguise.

Fortunately rain is something that one cannot make claim over, and no one can hoard it in the godowns, storerooms and warehouses. Luckily rain cannot be bought and sold in the open market; it is not yet a commodity which can be auctioned, and handed over to the highest bidder. Is it not something beautiful that some of the most beautiful things on earth are beyond the reach and control of the human beings – the rain, the shine, the moonlight, the movement of the winds and pressures, the movement of the sun and the moon, the growth of plants, the inner dynamics of the human body and mind. Thank God, no one can put a copyright to the monsoon rains.

Though much of the natural resources had been at the disposal of humanity, God had not given control over these resources, which are far more significant and noteworthy, than the minerals, water, and the natural resources, such as the flora and fauna. I cannot imagine what the situation on earth would be if someone had a copyright over rain and the air we breathe, and we would have been paying through our nose to even to breathe and to get wet in the first rains of the season. Now we know that God is a wise person, who knew that if the human beings were to have control over these, they would have made a mess of them, and therefore he decided not to let them mess with his great gifts.

The many attempts of scientists and technicians to bring down artificial rain have met with utter failure; human beings have learned that there are at least a few things in the universe, where they do not have the last word, and have to turn to the great power. Sometimes it may appear that the poor peasants and farmers get far too little rain than the people who are responsible for desertification and deforestation; but if we look at the phenomenon carefully, we would realize that it is not the case always. There might be rare exceptions, but by and large, nature is far more generous to the poor than to those who can afford to go without it.

Rain has been one of the signs of God’s blessing from time immemorial, and even today simple people consider it a special blessing of God, and without his mercy, we may not have rain for months and even years. This is one of the prerogatives of God, and we can get it only from him, and there is no shortcut to receiving this gift. The first drops of rain are considered to contain the sweetness of the heavens, and they are believed to contain healing power – scientifically, the first rains contain minerals which have the capacity to bring healing and wholeness to persons. Today I pray for this rain to the Lord of the rains, to shower his blessings on the people who yearn for it.

Missing the Bus

Missing the bus in our country, or in any of the Asian countries for that matter, is nothing to be amused at, because when the buses do not ply on time, how can the commuters be blamed for missing the bus. If that is the case with buses, there are things in life where we human beings do miss the bus, even when the buses ply as scheduled. Probably that is the reason why nothing seems to happen in the lives of the ninety nine per cent of the population. It is only the odd one per cent of the people who find life so very amusing, that they are ready to do anything for the humanity, for the universe, for nature, and for themselves. These are the people who see a ray of light, when all the others see only the dark clouds.

This man from Australia is one such man, who for fifteen months had not earned or spent even a penny, I realize that he is one among the one per cent, and I felt happy to read about what made the difference in the life of this fifty plus man. He had a promising career in an organic farm, and he states that a chance viewing of the movie “Gandhi” made him to rethink about his life. He had said that one saying of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi had pushed him to think twice about the quality of his life : if you want to transform the world, transform yourself. He had realized that it was money which was the center of all evil, and if he would be able to annihilate the getting and spending money, he might be able to enter into happiness.

It was interesting to read his account on how he was slowly realizing his dream of living a life without bound by money, and his life brought him to closer proximity with nature, and he had begun to feel the beauty and bounty of nature. Towards the end of his short presentation about what he was all about, he asserts that what can make us truly happy is not money, but relationships, friends, and he got many after he began his experiment with truth. What gives me joy is to realize that there are so many persons in the world around us who are careful not to miss the bus; even if they miss it, they make sure to catch it before it speeds up. These are not merely trend-setters, who dare to dream for the world, for humanity, for nature, and for the universe.

Each one of us goes through a moment in life, which can be termed as a peak experience; but most often these moments may be shrouded by our own personal problems, bias, prejudices, sorrows and agonies. These moments of “realization” do not last for too long; if one does not take note of them, they may just pass by, and it may never come back. If we are alert and prompt, we may be able to allow ourselves to be recharged by the powerful currents flowing from this experience. Most of the great people of the world down the centuries have all gone through these peak moments and had benefited from them, and thanks to these experiences, we are still sane and safe. Their legacy is the spotlight showing light to our generation.

It is such a wonderful thing to even imagine what would happen if every individual in the world were to be a person who had undergone this peak experience; in that case, everyone would have been a Buddha, the enlightened one. In that case, there may be no evil in the world, no killing, no greed, no avarice, no jealousy. Life would be so very different. Unfortunately those who miss the bus may remain stranded all through their lives, and today I only wish each one of us makes an attempt to be awake when such moments of enlightenment dawn upon us, and be drowned by the magical streams; when we come up to the shore, then we may be different persons, with a new vision and a new mission. Life will be so very colorful then!

Exterminating Extreme Exclusivists

I am frightened of relating to persons who are overly possessive, persons who wish to possess me exclusively. I see a danger in relating to this kind of people, because they would expect me to sell my personal freedom and liberty to them, and wish me to be tied down to them, and do their bidding. Such persons invariably would wish me to do whatever they want me to do, and as soon as refuse to do, or ignore their pleas, or do what I would very much wish to do, then their entire world crumbles, and they may find it hard to accept that the other party has "ditched" them.

History has shown that all the people who were overly attached to their partners, very soon ended up separate; that is the law of life. The Latin proverb sums it all : corruption optima pessima (any good in excess is bad). Attachment is good, and it is a sign of commitment and endurance, but when it goes beyond all limits, it becomes sour. We can take examples for this from nature. What happens when sugar water is kept for long; it becomes sour, and so are relationships. What may be of great help is to keep safe distance (on the road we are reminded by every other vehicle to keep the distance).

Overly possessive persons are preoccupied with guarding their partners, lest they should seek greener pastures; and if ever the partner were to find a better company and partner, and give signs of terminating the relationship, then the possessive partner would go all extent to exterminate the enemy, and reclaim his partner for him/herself. But that is not going to take place in a peaceful atmosphere; there may be bloodshed, if it is required, and any amount of crime and justification may be called in, to show that they were made for each other, and they cannot be separated for whatever reason!

One of my friends, who was so attached to me, and loved me so much that she could not think of getting married to another person. Whenever I started the topic that she should be settled in life, so that her mother would be able to concentrate on brining up her younger sister and brother; but she would not listen to me. But how can I ever think of another person in my life? This used to be her regular answer! To make the long story short, today she is happily married with two children (and she had managed to be absolutely cut off contacting me for the past 13 years)! When the extreme exclusivist shell breaks, the persons begin to see reality as it is, and not as they imagined it to be. It may occur through a shocking experience, or a sudden jerk in life, or even an accident.

In any growing relationship (and I believe all relationship are bound to either come to a standstill or continue to grow), it is absolutely necessary for the partners to pause at every stage and look at where they are heading. Any vehicle that goes at full speed is heading for trouble; sometimes it is necessary to put the brake and make sure that they are alright, so that when there is a need, you don’t realize that the brakes have worn out. This occasional brakes (either through exercising small doses of ‘self-control’ or through abstinence) may make the relationship enduring, instead of leading it to crash after an excited drive. Ultimately this enduring relationship may benefit both the partners, helping them to find greater joy and peace in being ‘related’!

Passion with Com-passion

In the entertainment world, which is dominated by commercial films and videos, a film of this sort is rare and rather unheard of! I am not talking about the films of the sort which Indian film doyen Satyajit Ray made, which ran empty halls in the city, while acclaimed all over the world. I am talking about Bommalattam (Doll's play), a full-length feature film in Tamil made by the famous film director Bharati Raja! It is not that I am fond of the films of Bharati Raja, who always had a social issue to present in his films, but as I sat to relax in front of the television, I found something very different in this film, very different from the usual soap-operas and the tear-jerkers!

The fact that Nana Patekar, whom I consider as a serious actor, happened to act in a Tamil feature film meant that it was not going to be yet another love story! The theme looked so very complicated, but after the denoument, one realizes that the plot has been weaved in such a way that the story was hanging together, and one could vibrate with the hero fighting a fierce battle against a society which only knows how to condemn the vulnerable! The director had handled the characters in the film not only with the usual passion, but more with com-passion, and that made this film a very different sort for me!

I consider myself a person who has limited, selective memory! In certain cases, my memory is shart, though I cannot claim it is photographic, but fairly good; but when it comes to storylines, novels, and even blogs, I have a bad memory! Sometimes when I go back to some of my old writings, I feel amazed and ask myself if I had done it! I might have read a novel some years ago, but when I read it again, without realizing that I had read it earlier, I can vaguely remember some isolated characters, but not the story. I feel terrible when many of my friends can remember the storyline of a novel or a film they had read/seen many years ago. I even envy them.

In all walks of life today, the slogan is 'passion', and if there is one life-force which is keeping the present world alive, it is the passion of a handful of people, igniting the lives of others. Passion in life, passion in workplace, passion in relationships, and passion in being. What perhaps the today's world lacks is com-passion! I am not talking about charity or gift or obligatory social commitment corporate houses are expected to fulfil, in order to get the tax exemption! Compassion goes beyond all scales and measurements, and one gets countless number of opportunities to show one's compassion today: it would be wrong to consider that only the human beings demand our compassion, the plants and beasts, the earth and the universe - all are in need of human compassion.

Compassion also demands that we throw away our law-books in order to uphold humanity, or life in one form or other. If the law of the land becomes the most important criteria for judging people (and I would not belittle the importance of the law of the land in any way), then we would be forced to throttle true justice, which goes beyond laws and regulations. The Doll's Play fortunately upholds such a kind of compassionate justice, which can change the face of the world sooner than we think! Every human person is invited to become agents of compassion, and the day when even a toddler looks at the plants and beasts, other toddlers with compassion, then we can see a thousand suns and moons rising around us!

Befriending Nature

Come, let’s be friends! That is the theme of the three day youth Assembly of the National Council of Churches in India, organized here in Kolkata, and I had a taste of the some 700 youth gathered from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and different parts of the country. The youth are initiated to befriend God, nature and humanity, and I thought it was a wonderful way of presenting the theme, nature sandwiched between God and humanity, and in fact that is how things came to be, if we take the Bible seriously, or if Charles Darwin were true. Science believes that humanity came much after the birth of the universe and nature, and today it is humanity which is on the warhead to destroy the universe! It is a matter of concern for all of us.

I am not much worried what these 700 odd youth, equal number of men and women, from all over the country and even beyond the borders would achieve in these few days they are together to think aloud. In fact, they may go home with tabula rasa, their minds as blank as they started this workshop, and there would be nothing to be surprised about it. But if every youth today begins to open his/her eyes to see the kind of world we have made, and the kind of world we are giving birth to, then things will be in a better shape when it is time for us to bid farewell to this universe. But I already feel we are unable to give a clean earth to our children, and we are fully responsible for the world as it is today.

In this regard, we should be doing something in black and white instead of talking too much about it. [In fact, I have begun to write about it after doing some work in this regard, and so my writing about it may be taken seriously]. If every human person, be s/he is in a village or city, begins to do just one small act in order to conserve and nurture the earth, the wounds we had inflicted on her will soon be healed, and we may then be able to see the morning sun rise, listen to the song of the bird at our doorstep, find friendly insects and butterflies entering into our drawing rooms freely, doves and parrots would visit us each day to claim their due share of ration!

We all want to do great things, which can change the situation in a huge way, and if we wait for such an opportunity, then we may be too late. Let me write what I had done in the past few days. When I had gone for the New Year celebrations to a village, my friends offered me four saplings of a particular variety of chili, which is known for its pungency. After bringing it home, I had prepared two flowerpots with enough mud, and planted the plants, two each in two pots, and have been pouring water each day. I had raised the pots, so that the sun’s rays may bathe them each day. And after pouring water, I go close to the plants and whisper something nice into their ears, and I believe they are so happy to hear my voice.

But yesterday as I was pouring water to the chili plants, it occurred to me that there is another flowerpot close-by with ‘useless’ grass growing in it beside a tall plant! I had been watering the chili plants and the two Aloe Vera plant and not to others. I thought for a while: I take care of the chili plants because after a few months they will yield chili which I may use in the cooking, but what will I do with the grass? Then, if the chili plants and the aloe vera have the right to live and get attention from me, does not the grass too have the right to live? Should it also not have the privilege of being talked to with love? Does the grass not as important and significant and even precious as any other so-called useful plants? How can I differentiate between the plants, when they all live together?

Return to Nature

Technology of medicine has improved so much today that it is very difficult to find a 'normal' person. Even the people who go to the doctor, come home with a host of ailments, which they had never thought of! What is so tragic is that being so very healthy and normal is also considered a major ailment, if not wholly physical, but psychological. There are tests for every imaginable thing, and it is so very easy for the doctors to prescribe half a dozen tests, in order to decipher what could have gone wrong; but gone are the days when the physicians would hold the hand of the patients and would be able to diagnose the disease. But that age seems to have gone.

Unfortunately health care has become a thriving business, where every vulnerable person is a serious casualty; the innocent and illiterate are the most vulnerable groups, who could be taken for a royal ride for the greedy physicians. It is no wonder that many senior people do not like to visit physicians, because of the fear that they would find some ailment or other, and prescribe tests and medicine, which may run into a thousand rupees. I wonder what sort of medicine my grand parents resorted to, and they all lived happily without running to the physicicans to extend their life span.

My maternal grand mother lived beyond 80 years, and I was not sure if she suffered from any major sickness; she never went to get her eyes checked, though after she reached the age of 70, her eye sight weakened, and still she was happy with the poor eye sight, and died so. But today we are forced to make regular medical checkups with physicians from a relatively young age. I tend to believe that this is an epoch of ailments, and according to medical fraternity, there is not a single normal person, and they are included in the list. But the way health care technology is forging ahead that it is bound to wreck the weak and the otherwise healthy.

I had been having slight pain on my left shoulder for quite sometime now, and when I consulted an orthopaedic, he asked me to take an X-ray of the shoulder, and do two blood tests, including one on the sugar. He said that he would be able to decipher what could be the possible problem with my shoulder, only after seeing the X-ray and the blood reports. The consultation fees (rupees 300 for about 5 minutes), and the other tests have cost a lot, and when I go to him again to show the reports, he would again charge me for consultation. I wonder what a poor man or woman would do in such a situation? How many people in today's world can afford such a kind of treatment?

Country medicine is an art which is neglected and forgotten; herbal medicine has long been considered a superstition, and physicians with high-flown degrees do not consider the herbal medicine as a healthy and positive practice. But it is time that we go back to our traditional medical practices; we need to get our grand parents who knew how to find an affordable and even free of cost medicare facilities, which can keep us hale and hearty for many years. There is nothing missing in nature's bounty, which cannot bring healing to any kind of disease or ailment, even if it is the worst kind of diseases the humanity has encountered. All that we need to do is to return to nature, and she will not let us down, for sure!

Plateful of Flowers

When someone is sick and is admitted into a nursing home or hospital, it is customary for friends and neighbors, to carry a “Get well soon” card with a bouquet of flowers. As I am recuperating from a bout of influenza, I received a bouquet of flowers, a plateful of e-flowers. Nature’s pure gift, unalloyed, groomed by rain and shine, and a little bit of human care! It is not only a feast to the eyes, but it also brings the best of nature to our doorsteps. The seasonal flowers seldom fail, even if the monsoon rains fail. They follow nature’s pre-designated cycle, and come what may, they are there with their beauty and fragrance.

The rain-soaked flowers sitting leisurely on the plate, holding each other making the best circle of friendship that can ever be imagined or re-created, is a sight that can transport us to an altogether different realm, if only we are look into the blossoms. Unity in diversity is what they uphold, by mingling with flowers of different shades, all adding to the cosmic rhythm, that the universe is still safe and secure. But don’t jump too much into their short-span of life; it is human beings who evaluate the quality of our lives by the number of years we have lived, not so for nature.

Is it not a wonderful thing to contemplate how nature has a different kind of life-guide than the human beings? The birds and insects, trees and shrubs all of them have a million stories to tell the human beings, if only we have the ears to listen to them. Today we listen to what these blossoms staring at me tell, or wish to tell at this moment! We don’t need to keep our ears to listen to them, but keep the doors of our hearts ajar, so that their words may enter into us, and transform the way we look at life at large. Once they touch us, we may look at nature with different eyes.

I am fascinated by the instance in the Bhagavad Gita, where Arjuna pleads with Lord Krishna that he might receive His cosmic vision. Krishna chides Arjuna saying that with human eyes he cannot behold his eternal, celestial beauty, and so He offers his disciple a third eye, with which he would be able to have the cosmic vision of the Lord. That is what we all need today, to look at the footprints of the maker in all that is around us; then even a blade of grass, or a still, stationary tree may have a message for us, what they are and what we are.

It is time for me to pass this plate on, so that the joy of beholding their beauty may not stop with me, but become contagious, very much like the swine flu, the H1N1 virus, so that after a few years, or decades or even centuries, we may have a humanity which is in close contact with nature and her bounty. On that day, there will not be a plateful of flowers, but only nature gathering plateful of human beings around her chest, treasuring them as if they were her very own. Is that not what many religions call Paradise!

When nature winked

The calm and serene nature is a welcome relief to people who know only life within the four walls of their houses; when the trees and plants are bathed time and again, washing away all the pollute and dirt that human ingenuity has dumped on them, it is a joyful sight. It is like a mother bathing her child, washing her gently and carefully, wiping her out with a towel… what greater care can nature show on the flora and fauna that humanity never learned to respect and appreciate!

It is still drizzling and I know it is time for me to pack up my things and return home, to the four walled room, which has managed to hide the glories of nature from my eyes. When I wake up in the morning, I don’t see the sun, and when I lie down on bed at night, the moon does not sneak into my room. The singing of the birds do not reach my ears; all that I hear in the morning is the honking of the vehicles, which can throttle the sweet scented melodies of the birds. But what use grumbling about these, for I can do nothing, except get out of them to be in close proximity with nature.

What a lovely sensation would one get, when the gentle drops of rain fall on to our skin; even the most spectacular artificial fountains and water falls, cannot recreate this effect. But I would like to find who had discovered or invented the concept of an umbrella, to prevent the water drops falling on to me! What if I get drenched? Some are so very frightened of getting wet in the rain; and sometimes I long to get fully drenched in the rain, and when it is done, rush to wipe myself out, so that I don’t catch cold or get fever. But it is a wonderful experience to occasionally let the rain waters wash me.

As I walked gazing at the plants and trees, listening to the gentle fall of the drops of rain on to the already saturated earth, I wondered why the lightning and thunder? Then it suddenly occurred to me that lightning is just the winking of nature on the stern-looking humanity. When men and women on the earth are too serious and do not bother her, then she has to awaken us by thundering, just to give us a jolt, to say, wake up and look at me! But do we take note of her, when she is just in front of our eyes?

Nature has mechanisms which are magical for human mind and spirit, but very few really care to submit themselves into her hands, to be charged and changed. The earth scent after the rains is heavenly, and one may have to experience it, to get a feel of what it really means. I know it clears my chocked throat, clears my lungs and charges my heart and soul. Nature is the free charger of energy, which no Horlicks or Bornvita can ever give so freely. But sadly only the people who have the eyes of faith can find her charm and be enticed by her lovely make!

Mute Witnesses of Human Malady

It suddenly occurred to me what the so-called inanimate beings which surround us would tell us if they had the gift of speech; what they would do, were they given the capacity to think. If only the walls were able to speak, then the humanity would be on the road. To the great advantage of humanity, we have placed around us mute witnesses, who can only see and hear and not speak. The amount of filth and rot that we carpet each day is known only to these things which see each of our movements. And we can rest in peace that they will never charge us, pull us up, or retaliate for all the evil we had done.

The cold-blooded murder that a person might have committed, making sure that no other human being on earth witnessed it. If the walls, furniture, books, bed, were to bear witness in the court, the world would be very different. They would have been able to prove beyond all doubt that there is no worse creature on earth than the human beings, and no better creature on earth than the very humanity. Unfortunately the earth is people with the good and the bad, and the only authentic and sincere creatures who can ever separate the ripe from the rotten ones are these.

I were God, then at least on an experiment, I would have given the gift of speech to these inanimate beings, at least for an hour. It might be too much of a time to really destroy humanity, so I might consider reducing the time to ten minutes. But imagine if all the bricks were to bear witness to what humanity has done to the universe, then their anger can burn the earth, and turn it to a hell. But then, evil may be destroyed for ever.

The most noble people sometimes are called the mad, the insane. These are often the people, who can speak to the so-called inanimate beings with the same ease and confidence that they are capable of communicating with the rational human beings. But we the ‘ordinary’ persons cannot accept such people as belonging to our category. Perhaps there is greater truth in being insane than humanly sane. When an insane person speaks to the clouds, to rocks and stones, to cows and buffaloes, do they not soar to a higher level than of humanity?

It would be a great blessing of God, if we are given the faculty to be blind to see the cruelty done to humanity, to nature and to the universe, to be deaf to the curses and insults humanity heaps on one another, to be insensitive to the culture of violence and torture that mindless men and women inflict of the innocent and the voiceless, to be out of my head to forget what is happening around me, so that the human pollution does not take away the spontaneity and innocence I entered the world with. In other words, I too wish to be turned into another mute witness to the maladies of the universe, and yet not touched by them.

Miracle at your doorstep

The rain-soaked earth had a unique fragrance, which perhaps no perfume-maker can fake; nature has the copyright, and no one can tamper it. Thank God for it; the Americans may still be trying to fake it, or claim it (as they do, even for the things which have not been discovered or invented!). One needs to feel the earth, the soil still holding grains of rain, as if they were all too full with the sap of nector. The trees stood dripping drops of water, as if the small children after bath were standing with water dripping, waiting for their mother to wipe them. Nature had her own arrangement. Gentle breeze wiped the trees and hugged them gently, warmly.

The nocturnal creatures were in full form; the bats moved about frantically smelling the earth, sitting on the cold tree branches, and still wondering what magic has cast a spell on the earth that they were unable to realize it is the same earth they had known before. There was a silence in the midst of the traffic noise; one has to wade through the noise and din of the neighborhood, the fan, and even one’s own heart-beat. The silence can be heard so loudly that all other sounds may fail to compete with it.

No, dark clouds had decided to stay by in order to let the earth has its thirst quenched. The sun had let the childish pranks of the clouds take their turn, as he stood by looking tenderly at the earth he had been giving light for several millennia. The mighty sun stood helpless as the dark clouds showed their back to him, with tattoo marks, No Entry Zone! The momentary passing clouds dared to challenge the mighty sun!

It is not easy to feel the pain and agony of Mother Earth, as rain drops fall on to her lap, varying their pace and intensity, like the ayurvedic therapy with oil that fall on the forehead of persons drop by drop. But the earth stood still. Human beings have covered her body with a layer of impenetrable substance, cement and mortar, and the waters flowed lazily to the drains, but Mother Earth stood still thirsty. Luckily there were pores, through which she could try to wet her tongue. But it would take centuries for her to really quench her thirst.

One of the greatest miracles of nature is the rains; one needs a thousand eyes to behold the rains lashing on arrogant men and women, playing hide-n-seek with pavement dwellers, chase hopelessly those who had no umbrellas, drop heavily on the bald-headed, snap the little clothes that the women carefully wrapped around, give yet another chance for the lovers to get wet. You do not need to pay to witness this great miracle; all you need to is open the windows and doors, and you have a life-changing experience awaiting you.

When Nature Spread Carpets...

All around I see a white carpet of snow, carefully strewn on plants, housetops, on top of every conceivable object on the lanes and by-lanes of this vast city. It is a treat to one’s eyes, and as I walked along the streets, with hedgerows piled with snow, I stretch out my hand to touch them, and they immediately slip from my hands, as if playing hide-n-seek with me. Unadulterated white powder generously strewn, no human mechanism may be able to reproduce such artistry, such delicate work of love. But alas, there is hardly anyone to even take note of this wondrous miracle! Gifts of nature abound all around us, every day, and every hour and every minute, and we need a thousand eyes to behold her beauty, not out there, but here and now.

The greatest miracle-worker, nature, does not measure and give to the world; her gifts are always in unlimited measure, like a true lover showering all that he has on his beloved. He does not calculate and measure when it comes to self-offering. Nature gives all that she has, and the best gift that she could give to the world is herself, and is there anyone to receive them? As I walked along a park with lovely carpet of snow all around, so soft and so gentle, at times I felt indignant to put my foot on them! Oh, how can I be so cruel to stamp this lovely gift of nature? I would like to take this gift in both my hands and give it a gentle kiss! Oh no! I am too old to do that! I should be a little child to do that, and no one would frown at me; they would think that it was part of my childish play. But now, I have to be careful as to what others will think, how they would regard me if I were to do that. I cannot be entirely what I am as I behold nature; I have to be heartless and emotionless before her bounty.

Nature’s great gift lying in vain, unregarded, uncared, and the vast part with trees around, I can find hardly anyone. A gift is often exchanged only between people who care for each other; we do not give gifts to someone we do not like. Nature showers her gifts on us only out of her boundless love for us, and even if we do not treasure her gifts, is it not proper that we at least receive them with dignity and honor? What we can give her in return is a big question, we cannot enter into, but is it not human to treat her with love for giving to her gifts we surely do not deserve? The only people who really recognize this gift are children; I could see three children while walking along the road, play with snow, throwing it on one another. She becomes the object of joy and happiness among people, and probably that is the reason why she came down from heaven. Is it not true then that when she is down, the temperature is kept under control? How can we be so blind to take note of her in our midst?

If the weather is cloudy for days on end, then we look forward to the sun, and are very happy when he turns up (though science would warn us that it is not he who turns up, but that we who turn ourselves to him!), and we get out of our heated rooms, to be bathed in the natural stream of warmth and life. But when the sun light is too much in abundance, we hardly take note of him, and the gifts of nature that come in large measure become a routine object, like the church bell chiming each day at the appointed time, or the train passing by with a loud horn at a particular hour each day! Unfortunately we have so many things to keep us busy the whole day long, that even some of the most beautiful events and incidents of life become routine exercises, and we can care very less. There may be a year, when we may not find snow spreading a lovely white carpet all around our city, and then we may complain to nature what made her turn to us harshly, for denying the lovely gift!

Today I would like to pause for a while to reflect about the different gifts of nature that come to me unannounced, unprepared! They come to me so casually without much pomp that I don’t pay attention to them, and they may even escape my notice, and I may miss them forever. Today I go through my mind’s eye and enlist all such gifts that come to me freely – the air I breathe, the water I drink, the sunlight and the moonlight at day and night respectively, the cool breeze that soothe my drooping spirit, and enliven my heart, the blue sky that takes me beyond the horizon, the birds of the air and the flowers, plants, even a little grass has tidings of joy and happiness for me! They all make the world and my life beautiful, if I really care for them. Today I fold my hands in sincere reverence and love for nature, for her unconditional love for humanity! I do not dare to promise her that hence forth I will take her seriously, and accept her gifts with open arms; if I do that, then I will have to regret for making such a promise I cannot keep. I plead with her to bear with me when I am blind to her beauty, deaf to her music, senseless to her soothing sensations, tasteless to savor her sweetness, and give me the grace to accept her whole-heartedly into myself and be immersed by her love beyond all measure! (Brussels)

Sheethoshna Sukhadukheshu…

It was 3.45 p.m. As I stood at the corner of the street where I stayed, an electronic display board read the current temperature of the place : -3 Celsius. Earlier during breakfast, I was told that in the morning hours, the mercury dipped to -10, and in the Southern areas it further dipped to -16. As I dared to have a firsthand look at the city streets of Brussels, I was welcomed by a white carpet of snow, which had rained yesterday. I was a wonderful sight for the eyes, but not to the inhabitants for whom it was far from a beautiful sight. The consolation is that when it snowed, the temperature will not dip as low as it had done this time. So seeing the snow fall is better than seeing the mercury dip further and further. But then life has not come to a standstill. I can see through the window of my room, which stands beside the street, rows of cars beautifully draped with white sheets of snow. All that I can see is an aerial wire jutting out of the white sheet.

Nature knows how to dress up the earth, and beneath the beauty that she spreads, there stands a little thorn to remind us that we are not the masters of our situations all together. Nature holds the key to the wellbeing of humanity, and all our attempts to fight nature may ultimately prove to be a false dream, and we may be the greatest losers in the battle. While spending three fierce winters in Delhi some years ago, I had told my friends that I would not mind cold winters as against the scorching heat of summer. Our city had been fortunate not to hit the extremes; while the winter is moderate, the summer does not scorch us to the extreme altogether. But I would like to think of the people who are forced to get accustomed to extremities of nature, for no fault of their own. The worst of winter and summer is something we have very little control over; however our bodies are adept to adjust according to the surrounding conditions.

The title of this blog has been taken from chapter 9 of Bhagavad Gita, which talks about who is dear to the Lord: after saying that s/he is the one who is the same in happiness or sadness, in thought and in eagerness, in good and bad, in cold and in warmth, and in contempt and in praise. It is not that easy to remain the same in differing situations and circumstances. As human beings, we are pushed to prefer one to another, and that is ingrained in ourselves, and have very little that we can actually do. We cannot ask someone to remain dead to varying situations and it happens without much effort from our side. Then what does the Gita say about the indifference that we need to possess in order to become his dear. Is it at all possible?

What is difficult for us need not be utterly impossible, but often in life, we take it for granted that what is difficult is not desirable. We have also seen that what is difficult at the time of action is deemed one of the most important and enjoyable thing at the end of the action. Therefore it is obvious that we often go by the sensations and physical feelings, rather than entering into the true self of the personhood. What we considered at the enjoyable thing can turn out to be our nightmare. To keep ourselves abreast to what nature may offer us is an art in itself, and most of us are novices in this area. It is very few people who achieve this art. And the people who have managed to keep themselves not to be easily swayed by what the body may conceive as good or bad, are the people who enjoy the benefits and blessings of nature.

Today I present myself in the presence of God and look into myself to find the areas where I am already prejudiced as to persons, events, incidents, ideas, principles and opinions. The start point of my journey to reach true indifference that the Gita talks about is truly the recognition of the blocks my mind and body put before my spirit. Once I clear these, then I may be in a better position to receive whatever may come my way. To put it in a figurative way, for the person who is prepared to receive the blessings of nature or God, everything may be alike, cold or heat, pleasure or pain. I would like to enter into the great mystery which says that reality as it is in the true sense neutral, and it is the human mind which makes the difference. It is the colored glasses that I wear which can make me believe that one is better than the other, but in fact, one may be as good as the other. I would like to prepare my heart and mind to receive reality as it comes to me without putting any conditions! (Brussels)

Covered by a Crystal Carpet!

All around I see a white carpet of snow, carefully strewn on plants, housetops, on top of every conceivable object on the lanes and by-lanes of this vast city. It is a treat to one’s eyes, and as I walked along the streets, with hedgerows piled with snow, I stretch out my hand to touch them, and they immediately slip from my hands, as if playing hide-n-seek with me. Unadulterated white powder generously strewn, no human mechanism may be able to reproduce such artistry, such delicate work of love. But alas, there is hardly anyone to even take note of this wondrous miracle! Gifts of nature abound all around us, every day, and every hour and every minute, and we need a thousand eyes to behold her beauty, not out there, but here and now.

The greatest miracle-worker, nature, does not measure and give to the world; her gifts are always in unlimited measure, like a true lover showering all that he has on his beloved. He does not calculate and measure when it comes to self-offering. Nature gives all that she has, and the best gift that she could give to the world is herself, and is there anyone to receive them? As I walked along a park with lovely carpet of snow all around, so soft and so gentle, at times I felt indignant to put my foot on them! Oh, how can I be so cruel to stamp this lovely gift of nature? Fine crystal grains spread all around, shining in the soft warm rays of the sun. I would like to take this gift in both my hands and give it a gentle kiss! Oh no! I am too old to do that! I should be a little child to do that, and no one would frown at me; they would think that it was part of my childish play. But now, I have to be careful as to what others will think, how they would regard me if I were to do that. I cannot be entirely what I am as I behold nature; I have to be heartless and emotionless before her bounty.

Nature’s great gift lying in vain, unregarded, uncared, and the vast part with trees around, I can find hardly anyone. A gift is often exchanged only between people who care for each other; we do not give gifts to someone we do not like. Nature showers her gifts on us only out of her boundless love for us, and even if we do not treasure her gifts, is it not proper that we at least receive them with dignity and honor? What we can give her in return is a big question, we cannot enter into, but is it not human to treat her with love for giving to her gifts we surely do not deserve? The only people who really recognize this gift are children; I could see three children while walking along the road, play with snow, throwing it on one another. She becomes the object of joy and happiness among people, and probably that is the reason why she came down from heaven. Is it not true then that when she is down, the temperature is kept under control? How can we be so blind to take note of her in our midst?

If the weather is cloudy for days on end, then we look forward to the sun, and are very happy when he turns up (though science would warn us that it is not he who turns up, but that we who turn ourselves to him!), and we get out of our heated rooms, to be bathed in the natural stream of warmth and life. But when the sun light is too much in abundance, we hardly take note of him, and the gifts of nature that come in large measure become a routine object, like the church bell chiming each day at the appointed time, or the train passing by with a loud horn at a particular hour each day! Unfortunately we have so many things to keep us busy the whole day long, that even some of the most beautiful events and incidents of life become routine exercises, and we can care very less. There may be a year, when we may not find snow spreading a lovely white carpet all around our city, and then we may complain to nature what made her turn to us harshly, for denying the lovely gift!

Today I would like to pause for a while to reflect about the different gifts of nature that come to me unannounced, unprepared! They come to me so casually without much pomp that I don’t pay attention to them, and they may even escape my notice, and I may miss them forever. Today I go through my mind’s eye and enlist all such gifts that come to me freely – the air I breathe, the water I drink, the sunlight and the moonlight at day and night respectively, the cool breeze that soothe my drooping spirit, and enliven my heart, the blue sky that takes me beyond the horizon, the birds of the air and the flowers, plants, even a little grass has tidings of joy and happiness for me! They all make the world and my life beautiful, if I really care for them. Today I fold my hands in sincere reverence and love for nature, for her unconditional love for humanity! I do not dare to promise her that hence forth I will take her seriously, and accept her gifts with open arms; if I do that, then I will have to regret for making such a promise I cannot keep. I plead with her to bear with me when I am blind to her beauty, deaf to her music, senseless to her soothing sensations, tasteless to savor her sweetness, and give me the grace to accept her whole-heartedly into myself and be immersed by her love beyond all measure! (Brussels)

Defreezing Depression

When on e of my closest friends sent an SMS to me saying she had been feeling lonely and was undergoing certain kind of depression, I shuddered and shivered. This are two words that I would not like to hear from my friends (not that there are no other word making my blood to clot – cancer, my sister had gone through the pain of it, and heart-attack, my sister losing her husband due to it, are quite foreboding even today)! If only we realize the causes of depression and loneliness, and what they could lead one to, we cannot take such feelings lightly. At some time or other, even the most joyous of people experience such fleeting moments and depending on how they handle such feelings, they may get out of them, or move from bad to worse.

Believe it or not, loneliness is the patrimony of the modern generation. Time has become the most expensive commodity in the business world, and human relations the biggest casualty. There are more and more objects of pleasure entering our malls and supermarkets to keep us on our toes 24x7. Keep our toes, did I say? Precisely! We find it hard to sleep for a few hours continuously – cat’s nap is what keep many business people and high-class people going, though their life-span is shortened considerably due to negligence of their health. Each one in the world is slowly turned into a microcosm of himself, herself, with no one to give company. What we are left with are a few electronic and digital gadgets, who have replaced our grandmas and grandpas, even papas and mamas. Relating to machines is quite different from persons. Feeling lonely is the by-product of market economy: and this is a problem that needs to be nibbed already at the bud.

If we have to do a survey of the number of persons going through acute to chronic depression these days, we would be shocked to know that the number is alarmingly high, and is always on the rise. There are more and more cases of suicides among the affluent and the so-called high-classes in society. What makes them resort to such cowardly acts of ending their lives? For one thing, they often feel they are left alone to face the endless row of problems and complex situations beyond their capacity. They lose all hope in their friends and neighbors, and the world becomes a bitter reality they can hardly bear. They feel they would be happier to end their lives – by whatever means! But are there alternative ways by which they can help themselves and look at life with a different vision?

Of course there are ways and means of overcoming the feelings of loneliness and depression. No one on earth is so unfortunate not to have even a single person in the universe with whom he/she does not have a very close relationship. It is not necessarily that husbands will always have their wives as their closest confidantes, and the opposite may also be true. As soon as a fleeting feeling of loneliness and depression surfaces, we need to call such people and pour ourselves out. Keeping such feelings within may be dangerous and it may even lead to undesirable consequences. Secondly to keep oneself busy with the kind of things one is fond of; the idea is not give any scope to be idle, for it is an idle mind which plots against life. Thirdly, watch comics and humorous films on the television or video, and laugh with the characters, and this will ease things out a little. Make sure to stack a few top humorous comedies of Charlie Chaplain and Laurel & Hardy in your cupboard.

If you don’t have people with whom you could confide, don’t worry; just walk into a nearby garden and speak to the trees and grass, flowers and leaves. Pour yourself to them, and you may listen to their thin voice, and you will realize that they are indeed good friends. Or look at a bird sitting on a branch of a tree and strike a conversation with it, and it may have a sweet message of friendship for you. Or speak to the clouds, or the Sun, the moon… every created reality around you. Probably it will not take you too long to realize that you are no longer alone in this vast universe, all are there with you, by your side. If you realize this, then you will also feel that you have the wellsprings of life running from your heart, and you had not paid your attention to it so far! Now is the wake up call to fall back on these wellsprings of life!