THE EVERYDAYNESS OF LIFE

 (A few thoughts to rattle the brain)

We slog about matters which are peripheral to the immediacy of our everydayness, while remaining indifferent to the aspects of existence which are closest to us. Unfortunately the never ending race of life, clouds our priorities and shackles us to the mundane of average everydayness.

German philosopher Martin Heidegger opines that off and on the realization of boredom and anxiety of our regimented life, challenges our attitudes of insularity and alienation and directs us back to the reality of being-with-others as authentic beings. This is how we wake up to life and recognize the significance of our praxis in the context of larger interests of society.

To be really alive means to pause and listen to the call of conscience. Besides knowledge and understanding of the small world of our affinities, we require wisdom to plan and act collectively for its good. It does not imply mindless conformity but astute march towards the birth of new ideas and their execution. However we’ve to be wary as our preference or inclinations in the micro world will converge with the macro world at some point.

With this premise, it’s not gainsaying to assert that the criminality sprouting in our midst has its seeds in the callousness and gross irresponsibility proliferating at the micro world of the family. In the everydayness of life what type of nurturing created these inhuman monsters?

In the small community where I reside, a gentleman was robbed of his valuables, a woman’s chain snatched and houses burgled and no headway in the investigations. Unpunished, the antisocial elements get emboldened and graduate to heinous crimes over a period of time. The inept and corrupt policing with little sense of duty and members of civil society snoozing in their comfort zones, disinclined to do their bit to help the police( for whatever reason) is the abject reality of our daily existence. The plight of the law abiding citizens can well be imagined? This is the scene which stares us in the face everyday.
Another menace which affects every one of us is the unchecked population of stray dogs. They move about defiantly in groups scaring the passersby. Killing and mauling of children is a grim reminder of the gravity of the situation. The problem has been highlighted in every possible way but the authorities have readymade answers to pass the buck. If a citizen out of desperation tries to adopt a practical method, I’m sure he’d be behind bars in no time. Such are our laws!

Waiting for the dawn when our administrative machinery overcomes the decision/action paralysis and comes out with concrete proposals to end the absymal malaise.

Most of us take refuge in the narrow confines of our backyards, forgetting our professional as well as social duties. Like frogs in the well. Our deadpan graceless living is comparable to that of a stone which can neither think nor act on its own.

These are the questions worth mulling over, though never taken up seriously.

According to great thinkers, to rise above the average -ness of our lives entail circumspection and reflection. There has to be spells of stimulus and creativity to balance the drudgery of the temporality of our being. Hence the quest for finding some meaning must go on for the sake of our sanity. Though, the struggle is individual specific but essential to keep our spirits braced and brain healthily stressed.

For French writer Albert Camus, ‘It’s life that matters, the pure ability to be part of the universe.’ His philosophical creation “The Myth of Sisyphus” brings out the dichotomy between the absurdity of our lives and the tragic reality of our helplessness to do anything about it. In fact every thinking being has to wage an inner battle constantly to transcend the irrationality of our existence to carry on the given journey which per se is as good as a farce.

Philosophers maintain that the certainty of death is a great awakening for the observant, steering him towards generous and genuine living. Though nobody desires to die yet the consciousness of the inevitability of death liberates us from the bondage to the material part of life. It alerts us about the value of the short time at our disposal and goads us to pursue good ‘Karma.’

Religious practices are the most potent stress busters which man has invented for his mental and physical wellness. Everywhere in the world people seek peace of mind and solace in the protective folds of their faith. The feeling that there is some universal power looking after us empowers us to face the frustrations, disappointments and miseries of our day to day life boldly. Religion no doubt is a great force, an equalizer and a stabilizing factor for the overworked nerves.

Above all, to make the odyssey of life palatable, the importance of good health can’t be over emphasized. For this a regular exercise regimen must be incorporated in our daily schedule. For, exercise is a great medicine!

Images: courtesy Internet   Pl. leave a comment.

FLOWER POWER

Friends, I took these flower images (bloomimg in my house)with my cell phone and felt like writing a few lines in verse for a change. Here is my take:

Rainbow hued beauteous glowing muse,

Minds not the floating woes,or cynical greys.
With childlike smile of endearing ease,

Doles bliss, wins hearts all the ways.

Its dignified purity holds head high;

Its nods and winks, alluringly unfold.

Springs favorite child entrances and smiles,

And waits for the moment not foretold.

It entwines joy in the petals of a garland

It spins grief in the ring of a wreath

It craves not for the spoils purloined,

It worries not and joyfully breathes.

Folks this is how I winnow the flower;

And attire it with words with my pen’s power.

MINDFULNESS

(A genuine effort at sharing my mindscape)

The intriguing concept of Mindfulness (concentrated application of mind) tends to chime newer semantics in a brain attuned to philosophical leanings. For the ones participating in the laborious exercise of writing, this term holds special signification. For the activity of penning the world view through the prism of your vision is no handiwork of an idle mind. Writing endeavour, requires rigorous discipline, training and taming of the ever restless mind.

Desires, jealousies, flawed ambitions, regrets, self doubts, guilt pricks are all enemies of the mind, which have to be reigned in, through painstakingly cultivating the practice of meditation and reading inspiring literary works. Clarity of thought in pursuance of any purposeful goal in life comes via concentrated focus and strong faith in one’s capacity to persevere. According to American psychoanalyst Erich Fromm, faith also entails courage to take risks to uphold one’s convictions.

Interestingly and ironically a typical mind has two faces. One has positive bearings. Being aware, it threatens, nags, pushes and shoves and succeeds in impelling you to take the first step. Thus enabled you overcome the tenacious hold of the procrastinating mind. The other face usually enslaves itself to those deadly mood swings and lame excuses; refuses to be reasonable and opts to suffer. Not for long, though! Eventually indolence gives way to sagacity.

A writer’s mind, however, repeatedly experiences intellectual churning and creative turbulence, finding quietude only through the act of articulation of the strife within. That being his life blood, his ultimate concern. Many articles about the various aspects of the writing skills have flooded the internet, but none helps, unless you apply total devotion and singleness of purpose to the writing craft. Tough isn’t it?
This is what is called MINDFULNESS.

Artists of the written word cultivate exemplary will power to pursue an activity which is pleasurable and soul searching. Every finished product squeezes the essence of your being and leaves you limp, empty but relieved temporarily. When the next surge of inspiration invades your brainwaves you are back to square one. Isn’t it that even the greatest writers are seized with intense tense moments till the completion of their work? The strength of their concentration and passion is enviable.

The present critique owes its inspiration to a discourse which I perused in the journal ‘SPAN’ (January/February 2002) titled: 'The Elusive Art of ‘MINDFULNESS’ by Charles Johnson. Referring to Buddhist philosophy he talks ‘about the relationship between self and work.’ He emphasizes, citing personal experiences that concentration is not only fundamental to practice meditation but also is the basic prerequisite for doing any worldly activity well. Only in a state of single minded absorption, one’s consciousness can conquer the restricting policing of the mind and come up with a palette of newer dimensions regarding any subject of intellectual exploration. According to him all tasks pleasant or otherwise are best achieved if the doer exercises the art of mindfulness- the total attention to every nuance of the job at hand and being so wedded to the task as to thwart any interfering and selfish nudges of the ‘monkey mind.’

Taking this concept in the context of a much larger canvas of our country, we perceive casual, half hearted approach, unforgiving indifference and gross irresponsibility at all levels of our body politic as well as in the social arena. We citizens have become sleeping partners regarding our commitment to community  projects. Why don’t we give our undivided attention to the problems which we can certainly resolve if there is will to do so? We lead our cynical lives without taking any initiatives for larger societal good. We look the other way like a pigeon that closes his eyes when it sees a cat, thinking that the cat won’t eat it and loses his life.

This apart, we pander to hopelessly patient and non –reactive culture even in outrageous situations. Our better sense has gone wool gathering. We believe in fatalistic Karma which bricks us in dormancy and status quo? Aren’t we aware of the increasing criminality in our midst with no solutions in sight? Are there any whole hearted or synergic efforts planned to ameliorate the seething dissatisfaction around us. Our collective aberrations would cost us dearly.

Let's (especially those who are at the helm of affairs of our country) give as little as ten minutes to meditation daily and be conscious of the rise and fall of breath. The insularity of the mind will disappear. It will set our priorities right as performers of public and private duties.

Guru Gobind Singh has said in Adi Granth, “Mann jite, jag jeet.” (If you conquer the mind, you will conquer the world.)

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Friends, let's start a conversation on the topic.

NATURE'S WONDERMENT KEEPS CALLING

the lovely foursome at the side wall

To explore the simple manifestations of natural phenomenon is an interest which keeps me braced up, even in extreme unpleasant situations. I don’t have to go anywhere to savour and see it unfold itself, as it envelops my environs abundantly. For days, I felt the nudging vibrations stirred by the intoxicating beauty of the spring.

But the inspiration to pen it down descended upon me suddenly one morning, when a throbbing pain in the aftermath of dental extractions woke me up quite early. Instead of popping a pain killer in my mouth, I stepped out into the fragrantly welcoming, fresh and gentle breeze of the morning. I sat myself in a chair in the backyard, cupping my cheeks in both hands to pacify the mercilessly tempered gum tissue.
 Soon I became conscious of an uncanny deafening cacophony of sounds emanating from the vicinity. It sounded like a blend of so many songsters’ shrill voices participating in a routine chorus. In the stillness of the morning the sounds were distinctly pronounced. I could not see the birds but their presence was palpable enough, some where near,  perhaps on the many trees growing in my neighbourhood. I listened to it numbly and temporarily the pitch of their voices drowned my pain. For a few precious moments, I felt being a part of their ecstasy After they had finished their exciting concert, which certainly was an expression of their unadulterated joy in the sparkle of a new day, bearing endless possibilities of hitting some generous grub infested piece of land. And then, up they flew twittering, squeaking and shrieking in twos and threes flapping their wings in unison on their specific missions. My reverie was broken, but not before the unique soulful experience had sunk in. Slowly I noticed the surreal presence of the moon adding a mysterious halo to the ambience.
Friends, this deeply personal narrative is not meant to be ‘how to attain….’type of post? However, it subsumes that forgetting the despair and despondency of our times, such an experience endorses the affirmation of the goodness of life. Of course it happens once in awhile but leaves a long lasting positive imprint. I think creative people anywhere in the universe repeatedly receive inspiring sensations because of their keen sensibilities.
Since the spring has opened its doors for its treasures to be visually feasted, there is an overwhelming sense of an aura of blessings floating around. Nature’s bliss is here to be enjoyed freely and limitlessly. It is satisfied if we simply overcome our indifference, behold it lightheartedly and allow it to melt all our anxieties in its outstretched arms.
Dare I complain, when riot of incomparable canvas of colours, flutter magnificently around me. Our own house is privileged to have the blooming red lily at the side wall of the driveway, setting the area on fire especially at midday. Large triangular shaped flowers, spring out in twos and threes from a single bud. I amply convey to them my speechless wonder at their blazing sheen many a time during the day. In fact lily is all over our place. It is a hardy bulbous plant and withstands even the summer neglect.
Marigold blossoms in hues of lemon, yellow and deep golden skirt my backyard lawn where hordes of nectar sucking insects hover around in the company of buzzing honey bees.




first flower with a honey bee settling inside.



My loyal cactus is all budded up. To spring a lovely surprise, two buds opened up displaying delicate mauve flowers. Isn’t it nature’s marvel that such a thorny entity flowers so enchantingly?

Can one ever predict nature’s many moods? For example, though we’re not very far from reaching the threshold of summer and spring is already at its peak, my Neem is still shedding leaves and gusts of wind dislodge masses of them to glide down like swarm of locusts, leaving a sheet of dry brownish leaves on the ground. That is what constitutes nature’s mystery and its unique individuality.

It never fails to surprise us with its spontaneity. Recently I became aware of the melodious coo coo of the cuckoo though its’ usual time to visit us is always around monsoons. Perhaps it couldn’t but accept the invite of the spring to sing its praises in its musical notes. Or the cool and crisp weather was too much to resist.

In my neighborhood yards, bottle brush trees are loaded with red, brush shaped flowers. There is profuse flowering on the rose bushes. There are so many other varieties blooming simultaneously in pots and yards. A short walk around the area is all that is needed to respond to the winking and swinging flora, to ignite one's sagging spirits with hope and enthusiasm.

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Have you liked the post?  Do share your thoughts.



"BRAVE NEW WORLD"

Being in the throes of a painful dental experience I remained sadly absent from the blogosphere. But my mental state refused to bow down in spite of the intense unease. I thought of introducing you to:

Aldous Huxley’s BRAVE NEW WORLD a sc. fic. which has held an intriguing sway over my mind ever since my university days. To drown the disgusting pain of wisdom tooth extraction, I got hold of my old paperback edition of the novel, glanced through the pages, reminisced and went on to scribble a few impressions to share them with you.

BRAVE NEW WORLD published (1932) is a bizarre as well as a sinister delineation of a political system, which in all likelihood can come true within our milieu, if certain disconcerting tendencies proliferating around us remain unheeded. Huxley intended it as a prophetic warning against the changing world view which he sensed gaining ground in the western world, which if not controlled on time, could lead to extinction of the type of human race in which we move today.

It is a negative utopia according to its author and represents the ultimate in scientific and technological progression. However, the inspiration for imagining such a nightmarish fictional discourse has its seeds in the contemporary issues of the 20th century
Huxley sets his novel in 2040 AD in London and depicts a hedonistic welfare state whose sole aim is maintaining social stability through complete elimination of the possibility of misery, pain, despondency and religiosity: the causes of social turbulences.
The hugely powerful narrative of the so called welfare state is peopled by impassive puppets programmed by the state administrative machinery. The absorbing but questionable world order which he portrays, blends elements of satire and caricature with a subtext of veiled but prickly joviality. The syntax and semantics are uniquely original and represent the tour de force of human intellect and vibrant imagination.
He envisages a society where emotions are a taboo, thinking is a disease, private life is extinct and promiscuity is a norm. In the new world, emotions stand controlled through behavioural conditioning. Thinking ability is non existent, successfully stunted by reducing vocabulary to a few hundred words and by abolishing nuances of meaning altogether, e.g. opposite of good is ungood. The life of these emotionless people is governed by a few ingeniously designed slogans, which are ingrained into their systems through conditioning and reinforced permanently through sleep teaching methods from birth itself. The slogans actually constitute the tenets of the world order of BRAVE NEW WORLD.
The polarities of our existence which provide meaning to our life have been dealt with by ensuring an eternally happy state. There are no desires because every desire is met before the longing for it surfaces. Life is totally predictable, static and struggle free. If by any freak chance some slight irritant is experienced, there is the harmless remedy of ‘soma’ which can transport one on a sleep holiday minus a hangover. Frequently the new worldians are heard saying “one cubic centimeter cures ten gloomy sentiments.”
In the new centralized totalitarian system the miracle of nature’s wonderful creation and its variety is replaced by cloned hierarchical classes of people representing Alphas, betas, Gammas etc., who are slaves to their instinctual conditioning. Through a technologically perfected method of Eugenics and emotional engineering, it is ensured that there are no round pegs in square holes. Children are not born but are made in test tubes in special hatcheries and brought up in infant nurseries, strictly according to the needs of the system. All classes of people are happy and don’t desire or aspire to be different from what they are. There is no competition, no jealousies and no chance of joblessness as only the specific numbers of people needed are created by the state. State sponsored propaganda is imbibed into the mental physiology of the infants through repeated chanting of rhythmically rhymed statements by a mechanism under their pillows.
The institution of marriage and family has been done away with. The words: parent, father and mother arouse embarrassing reactions. Preference for one man or one woman is regarded as a sexual abnormality and attributed to some slight error in the decanting process. And also it endangers the core of their stabilizing process which survives on the subsumed principle of instant gratification and uninhibited free sex. Sexuality has degenerated into mere entertainment imprinted via the slogan “everybody is for every one else.” Sex is regarded as an activity like any other activity and loses all privacy and romance.
Huxley was disturbed about the promiscuity which he witnessed in the West reaching alarming proportions, where divorce had become a norm rather than exception.
In BNW “My Ford” the father of assembly line mass production has taken the place of My God. To keep the wheels of economy moving the experts in the field are ever busy in creating artificial demands and desires for excessive consumption. For example the craze for buying for its own sake is fed and generated through innovative methods and subtext of subtle conditioning through shrewdly designed graphics.(Don’t you think it is happening around us already? “Buy one get one free” and other sales gimmicks around festivals make the people splurge on items which are not needed at all and pushed under beds and forgotten because there is no space in the almirah.)
In the new world there is surfeit of goods at all times and the question of mending or repairing any thing doesn’t arise. The slogan which the BNW coined to promote excessive spending is “Ending is better than mending.” And funnily worded “less stitches more riches.” The Mall culture which is spreading its tentacles around us is a symptom of mindless buying sprees growing by the day.

The narrative above stirs familiar vibrations in our midst. It is time to reflect perhaps.

By way of an alternative and contrast, Huxley incorporates a subplot whose protagonist ‘John the savage’ is a sort of mouthpiece of the author, but I’m not going to explore that and leave it to the curiosity of those who may read the book to seek it.

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Your thoughts are welcome!

IS THERE "TIME TO STAND AND STARE?"

 A goodwill gesture from a friend of, sending some images of grandeur, propelled me to share them with my blog friends, some of whom are connoisseurs in the art of capturing the manifold avatars of our daily life, of  flora and fauna, of hills and landscape manifesting the miracles of the universe in all its magnificence. Here is a peacock in all its splendor of hues and gloriously blazing flight.

The grace and majesty.

The perfect bodily contours against the pure blue skyline.

The rare shot with all its glory

Freedom of expression

Your valued comments are a source of support,always.

ARE WE GRATEFUL ENOUGH?

The other day I was reading a Harvard Medical School Newsletter (to which I subscribe) that underlined and promoted positive orientation and expression of gratitude as mediums to attract ripples of bliss to flow into you. And this inspired me to mull it over.

The follow-on existential exercise led to some observations realized lately. It is said you can’t chase happiness, however, you can facilitate the spontaneity of its surge towards you. Inevitably, the question arises, how? The answer to this intriguing query is simple. Just by being positive and grateful for what you are blessed with and by giving a little bit of your love and care to others who need it the most.

Let me begin with some home truths which remain derailed mentally and hence hardly ever thought of.

For example our relationship with our parents which we take for granted. Do we ever pause to reflect, how lucky we had been in having unconditional love and support of our parents, in the crucial years of our growing up? The umpteen number of occasions, when we escaped falling prey to unsound circumstances, because of their timely advice. The discipline which they inculcated in us, prepared us to face failure and success with fortitude and learn lessons. 

Because of their training in perseverance, we were able to weather many a storm in our lives unflinchingly. And the way they imbibed in us, recounting their life’s experiences, how faith in oneself and doing good are stepping stones to a purposeful and happy life. How time and again they ingrained in us the spirit of hope in adversity and assurance in misery that nothing is permanent.

The invaluable lesson to be tolerant in our reactions to life’s unpleasant occurrences, passed on to us through their good sense, instilled in us confidence and courage. Their resilience in the face of setbacks, got stamped as permanent images in our minds. Their bucking us up in our lows, strengthened our resolves to be dauntless and not to fall back into brooding and inaction.

How generous and undemanding our parents  had been and are!  Let us express our gratitude through acts of care and concern for their well being and earn happiness through their reservoir of blessings. Their twilight years will be filled with physical and emotional wellness. Smiles and laughter will replace pouts and ruffled looks.

Have we ever pondered over the role of our siblings in shaping our lives? How they used to make light of our capriciousness and indulged us in many ways. How there were sessions of mutual comforting, during stresses and strains of younger days. How playing and fighting enlivened our days together. Let us reignite that old camaraderie for healthier interaction amongst us.

In the hustle bustle of life, we’ve forgotten our colleagues and friends who stood by us in soothing professional complexities by giving their perspective to ease tensions. Let them be back to grace our consciousness.

 Apart from the above let us count our blessings and give thanks:

To God, for bestowing upon us the ability to love, to think, to reason and differentiate between good and evil.

To nature’s bounties of vast lands, seas and hills.  

To the cycle of seasons exhibited in untold variety. 

To flora and fauna for allowing us to spin in their luxurious lap.

To our spouses for blessed moments of togetherness, support and some precious leisure hours, to relive those beautiful memories nostalgically.

To all precious emotions promoting relatedness with the world in which we live. Thereby defeating self sabotage and isolation.

To our vulnerabilities to keep us grounded away from hubris.

To those who lend us a hand in everyday chores. 

To those who consider us capable enough to facilitate them in fulfilling their dreams.  

This and much more we will have to do to kindle a spark within us to break free from self woven cocoons and pour joyfulness around. 

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Friends it'll give me pleasure to know your thoughts on the subject.