When we can create everlasting beauty?
Why do we recall the bad
When we could be thinking of all things good?
Why do we draw more borders
When we can be pleasantly inclusive?
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Disconnect
Why do we use-n-throw
When we can create everlasting beauty?
Why do we recall the bad
When we could be thinking of all things good?
When we can create everlasting beauty?
Why do we recall the bad
When we could be thinking of all things good?
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Do I know what suffering is?
A bit.
I've seen a lot of people suffering around me, they lack three meals a day, a roof, independence, a decent education and dreams. Things that are precious and vitally important for me. But for me, they are a given, and therefore I can take them for granted.
I have seen a lot of suffering from afar. And some up close. Very close.
But yes, I've only seen it around me.
A very tiny bit.
Personally, I have just had my 2 months of deprivation of excesses, when I was a poor graduate student who wasn't funded*. This, is not even suffering.
No.
I know nothing about what suffering is.
Some will say. And I will agree sometimes.
But at other times I can't help but ask myself some questions and lean towards disagreement. Does one have to experience something to know what it is? What is empathy all about then? Can I not feel what another human feels, when I keep my eyes open and my emotions alive?
Yet another question for which I have no answer.
* I had to write this down to show that tremendous difference that I see between the experiences. Even though, placing this in a post about suffering could in itself be construed as an insult to every person who has ever endured the kinds of things I can only start to mention, it is not intended to be so.
I've seen a lot of people suffering around me, they lack three meals a day, a roof, independence, a decent education and dreams. Things that are precious and vitally important for me. But for me, they are a given, and therefore I can take them for granted.
I have seen a lot of suffering from afar. And some up close. Very close.
But yes, I've only seen it around me.
A very tiny bit.
Personally, I have just had my 2 months of deprivation of excesses, when I was a poor graduate student who wasn't funded*. This, is not even suffering.
No.
I know nothing about what suffering is.
Some will say. And I will agree sometimes.
But at other times I can't help but ask myself some questions and lean towards disagreement. Does one have to experience something to know what it is? What is empathy all about then? Can I not feel what another human feels, when I keep my eyes open and my emotions alive?
Yet another question for which I have no answer.
* I had to write this down to show that tremendous difference that I see between the experiences. Even though, placing this in a post about suffering could in itself be construed as an insult to every person who has ever endured the kinds of things I can only start to mention, it is not intended to be so.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Can it ever be the same again???
Why do I think so much about the past when the future has so many things to offer?
Why do I find myself wanting to get back the things that I enjoyed so much in the past?
Will I ever get to see my friends the way they used to be?
Can I get back to the way I was?
The answer, clearly, is stupidity for the first two and a NO for the rest.
And yet, the mind refuses to let go...
Why do I find myself wanting to get back the things that I enjoyed so much in the past?
Will I ever get to see my friends the way they used to be?
Can I get back to the way I was?
The answer, clearly, is stupidity for the first two and a NO for the rest.
And yet, the mind refuses to let go...
Friday, November 20, 2009
And one more
In the mood for my favourite lines today... So, here is another one
தேடிச்சோறு நிதம் தின்று
பல சின்னஞ்சிறு கதைகள் பேசி
மனம் வாட துன்பம் மிக உழன்று
பிறர் வாட பல செயல்கள் செய்து
நரை கூடி கிழப்பருவம் எய்தி
கொடுங்கூற்றுக்கிரையாகி மாயும்
பல வேடிக்கை மனிதரை போல
நானும் வீழ்வேனென்று நினைத்தாயோ
-பாரதி
And I attempted a translation of this verse. Did I really think I could translate Bharathi?! No! But I thought I would give it a sincere try. And it was hard indeed! So with due apologies, in my own space, will live my translation of these powerful lines.
Like these amusing people,
Who seek their daily rice and dose of rumor;
Are hurtful and themselves suffer;
Age and grey doing nothing but
And then fall prey
To spiteful words spoken of them
After passing their length of time,
Did you imagine that I too would fail?
தேடிச்சோறு நிதம் தின்று
பல சின்னஞ்சிறு கதைகள் பேசி
மனம் வாட துன்பம் மிக உழன்று
பிறர் வாட பல செயல்கள் செய்து
நரை கூடி கிழப்பருவம் எய்தி
கொடுங்கூற்றுக்கிரையாகி மாயும்
பல வேடிக்கை மனிதரை போல
நானும் வீழ்வேனென்று நினைத்தாயோ
-பாரதி
And I attempted a translation of this verse. Did I really think I could translate Bharathi?! No! But I thought I would give it a sincere try. And it was hard indeed! So with due apologies, in my own space, will live my translation of these powerful lines.
Like these amusing people,
Who seek their daily rice and dose of rumor;
Are hurtful and themselves suffer;
Age and grey doing nothing but
And then fall prey
To spiteful words spoken of them
After passing their length of time,
Did you imagine that I too would fail?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Childhood
I met some Oliver Twists during my first visit to the richest continent on the planet. Though these children may never share the fortunate fairy-tale climax that he had.
October 14th. After the first half of the conference. We were in the train station and were waiting to buy tickets. A one-way ticket to my hostel from the university was 1.50 euros. Three little kids, not more than 10 years old, came and stood all around me, very close to me. They had unused tickets in their hand and were trying to get me to buy those instead of from the slot machines. Suspicious, I told them that I didn't want their tickets.
Two of the children got closer to me and to the slot machine that I was trying to operate. I selected the option of buying one ticket and put in the money for it. The money came out instead of a ticket. Now why would that happen?! I decided to try again. I selected the single ticket option and put in the money again. I noticed the kid who was to my left stealthily press the cancel button that he had positioned himself against. The kid on the right, by then, had his tiny hands in the tiny slot where the money would come out. The money did fall out in a bit and he took it all and they both scurried away. My friend who was also trying to buy tickets caught one of them by hand. The other dropped the coins he had and they all made an escape. All in a few seconds. Training and practice were evident. The boldness was startling.
When you are 10 years old, you don't want to do things that are bad. Or rather, even if you want to, you don't want to be caught by anyone doing those bad things. Drinking honey from a bottle and then filling it up with enough water to make things look untouched makes kids, kids.
These children, had none of that innocence. They did what they did openly and daringly. There was none of the subtleties of Fagin's methods. They were stealing. Another persons property. But what did that even mean to them? Did they have anything they called their own, for the meaning of ownership to be revealed to them? Were they raised by parents who taught them that it was bad to steal what was not yours? But did they know what "yours" meant? They probably knew what "not yours" meant though. Wasn't that everything there was? Did they have parents who taught them things and were kind enough to be listened to? Did they have parents?
In India, I would expect things to be worse, but I have not seen children stealing so openly and brazenly. It was a shocking experience. Clearly, things are wrong everywhere.
I do not know where we are headed. Does anybody?
October 14th. After the first half of the conference. We were in the train station and were waiting to buy tickets. A one-way ticket to my hostel from the university was 1.50 euros. Three little kids, not more than 10 years old, came and stood all around me, very close to me. They had unused tickets in their hand and were trying to get me to buy those instead of from the slot machines. Suspicious, I told them that I didn't want their tickets.
Two of the children got closer to me and to the slot machine that I was trying to operate. I selected the option of buying one ticket and put in the money for it. The money came out instead of a ticket. Now why would that happen?! I decided to try again. I selected the single ticket option and put in the money again. I noticed the kid who was to my left stealthily press the cancel button that he had positioned himself against. The kid on the right, by then, had his tiny hands in the tiny slot where the money would come out. The money did fall out in a bit and he took it all and they both scurried away. My friend who was also trying to buy tickets caught one of them by hand. The other dropped the coins he had and they all made an escape. All in a few seconds. Training and practice were evident. The boldness was startling.
When you are 10 years old, you don't want to do things that are bad. Or rather, even if you want to, you don't want to be caught by anyone doing those bad things. Drinking honey from a bottle and then filling it up with enough water to make things look untouched makes kids, kids.
These children, had none of that innocence. They did what they did openly and daringly. There was none of the subtleties of Fagin's methods. They were stealing. Another persons property. But what did that even mean to them? Did they have anything they called their own, for the meaning of ownership to be revealed to them? Were they raised by parents who taught them that it was bad to steal what was not yours? But did they know what "yours" meant? They probably knew what "not yours" meant though. Wasn't that everything there was? Did they have parents who taught them things and were kind enough to be listened to? Did they have parents?
In India, I would expect things to be worse, but I have not seen children stealing so openly and brazenly. It was a shocking experience. Clearly, things are wrong everywhere.
I do not know where we are headed. Does anybody?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Food
Something that so many people go without each night. The lack of which causes so many deaths each year. The primary reason why we labour. I cannot accept food being wasted. No justification can be valid.
I do not eat meat. I can never bring myself to kill my own meat. I cannot enjoy eating something that had to be killed. I have been offered/ coaxed/ forced plenty of times, but I have never knowingly eaten any meat.
Then I dished onto my plate some meat entrée the other day. Unknowingly. A friend told me just in time that it contained meat. I threw the plate away and started over with a new one.
What followed was guilt. Anytime that I saw food for the next few days. Did I do the right thing? I had thrown away what is food for so many.
What are my morals? Is an objective analysis of ones morality ever possible? If it is ones own, is any analysis possible? Can all ones actions be truly morale even only within ones own definitions of morality?
I do not eat meat. I can never bring myself to kill my own meat. I cannot enjoy eating something that had to be killed. I have been offered/ coaxed/ forced plenty of times, but I have never knowingly eaten any meat.
Then I dished onto my plate some meat entrée the other day. Unknowingly. A friend told me just in time that it contained meat. I threw the plate away and started over with a new one.
What followed was guilt. Anytime that I saw food for the next few days. Did I do the right thing? I had thrown away what is food for so many.
What are my morals? Is an objective analysis of ones morality ever possible? If it is ones own, is any analysis possible? Can all ones actions be truly morale even only within ones own definitions of morality?
Monday, September 21, 2009
On shadows and then some
While walking home some days ago, some cars tried to trample my shadow. But it was my shadow that always won! Yet, it could lose. If it were on the wrong side of me...
Philosophizing this bit of physics, I inferred what the Mahabharatha says, characterizing Karna as it does. "Be on the right side. And you will win."
If only all things were that simple all the time. Or at the very least some of the times?
By the way, what is right? And what is loss? Does loss lead to sadness? And what is happiness?
Philosophizing this bit of physics, I inferred what the Mahabharatha says, characterizing Karna as it does. "Be on the right side. And you will win."
If only all things were that simple all the time. Or at the very least some of the times?
By the way, what is right? And what is loss? Does loss lead to sadness? And what is happiness?
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
What a decision makes
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.
Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.
- The Scottish Himalayan Expedition by
William Hutchinson Murray quoting Goethe
How many people in this world give up their dreams for senseless reasons? How many people never realise that magic is for them to create? How many never dare?
Far too many.
Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.
- The Scottish Himalayan Expedition by
William Hutchinson Murray quoting Goethe
How many people in this world give up their dreams for senseless reasons? How many people never realise that magic is for them to create? How many never dare?
Far too many.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tolerance
What is tolerance? The most unimaginative beginning would be to pull words from the dictionary.
From Dictionary.com, Tolerance is "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry"
That is clear and mostly unambiguous. And yet, we are unable to tolerate even small behavioral differences even though we want to belong in this shrinking world. Is the human race capable of living together as a peaceful, coherent structure? Or will there forever be chaos? Isn't the global village about being together as a people as one community? Can we ever get to that stage where we look at a random person from this planet and say s/he is a potential friend? Without thinking about race, color, religion?
Will there ever be light?
From Dictionary.com, Tolerance is "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry"
That is clear and mostly unambiguous. And yet, we are unable to tolerate even small behavioral differences even though we want to belong in this shrinking world. Is the human race capable of living together as a peaceful, coherent structure? Or will there forever be chaos? Isn't the global village about being together as a people as one community? Can we ever get to that stage where we look at a random person from this planet and say s/he is a potential friend? Without thinking about race, color, religion?
Will there ever be light?
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