Reflective Index

“The mirror never lies”, so it is believed. It reflects what is positioned in front of it. But suppose somebody artificially created something and then placed it in front of the mirror, what is the end result? The true reflection or the desired reflection of artificiality?

Many times we all are at cross roads. Cross roads compel us to be decisive no matter we like it or not. We have to decide. But is decision making such an easy process? There are enumerable factors to be considered, the pros and cons, subjectivity, objectivity, emotions, relations, near and dear ones, the not so near and dear ones, its overall impact …..Here one is pushed into thinking why one is where one really is.

Self reflection automatically comes into play. We start looking for answers to several perturbing questions. In the process of finding answers we encounter more never explored questions pertaining to our life. Its like opening a Pandora's Box. You are searching for something and you get your hands on something else which you had forgotten ever existed. This leads to a travail of other questions. In the hunt we actually forget what we had started to search at first place. So is this complex web….

The beneficial outcome of this is we realise that what we are today is a culmination of various activities we performed in this play of life. Various roles we delivered, some successfully others lamentingly bad. Some with utmost sincerity others with farce. Some that gave happiness to others and others that gave perpetual pain and sorrow. In the drama of things other characters too had  similar roles and impact on us. Those we thought were ours disappointed us to the hilt and those we thought had no place in our lives gave us peace beyond words.

Why do we fail to perceive people as they are good as good and bad as bad? Why do we fail to give importance to those who are here to play important roles in our lives and ignore those who will only give pain? Has this been done intentionally by the Director of this play? Why do we have to learn lessons the hard way? Why is the script open ended?

The answer probably is that that is the beauty of life. It is here that lies the mystery, curiosity and urge to lead our lives. Only outlines are provided we have a choice to fabricate a circle, square, cube ,rectangle, triangle etc out of these lines. We create squares expecting the outcome to be a circle and this trial and tribulation continues through out the journey. It is only through wrong creations that we realise what corrective measures to be taken to get the outcome of our expectations. But hold, the Director also intervenes several times and throws pleasant surprises at us. A gentle breeze that blows through our hair on a sweaty summer noon, the warm sunbeam on our shivering skin, the cool refreshing rain drops on a wounded soul, friendly smiles to a broken heart and helping hands when there was none.

Reflection is the antidote for all sufferings. We must reflect on our lives as often as we can. This self reflection helps us to have a flash back of this journey. We conclude what we did and what we should have done. This helps us to elevate ourselves to a higher plane. It acts as a guard for our future course. We may not be able to be in complete control of life but definitely we can make amends. We can make an effort not to repeat the same kind of mistakes. Whatever we do make sure that in the end the scenes put together make a story worth telling!

The Muddle of Life

The Muddle of Life

The thirst for knowledge they say is unquenchable.This thirst makes you feel like a traveller stranded in a desert….Desert which is surrounded by oceans of books, literature and texts.You may ignore this thirst for sometime but it is difficult to never realise it at all….And once you realise it, it makes you restless.You feel so ignorant, so uneducated, so helpless.The search for knowledge makes you feel like a wanderer who is on the path to destiny without knowing what the destiny is, where it lies.The path to knowledge gives so much satisfaction..You feel one with the universe, one with its every particle created by the Almighty….You realise that you are a mere speck in the vast galaxy, a mere iota…..

In our ignorance we create illusions about ourselves. “We are scholars in our field”, there cannot be bigger  mirage than this. We are so engrossed in our daily struggle for existence our family, our work, our friends that we forget why we are here. To complete the circle of life, very definitely yes. But in our struggle lets not forget to discover and explore our selves. We may say that the fight for survival leaves no room for anything else. But is that really so? Is that all this life has to offer to us?

The answer is NO! life throws a lot of things at us and we pick and choose our own gifts. During our entire journey from infant to child to teenager to adult we keep accumulating what we should infact be releasing. The pains, sorrows, grudges, loneliness, deceit, cheatings, wounds are all gathered by us and kept within us in safe custody. We refuse to let go………

And when we are so piled up as individuals can the universe be at peace. No, definitely not. We then complain that there is so much violence and bloodshed in the world. Nothing seems to be at peace…but how is this possible? We all are the particles that complete the Universe. When the parts are not in harmony how can the whole be at peace?

Peace and serenity can be ushered in by raising our selves to a higher level of consciousness. Forgetting all the past experiences and aiming for what we want, treading on the path to self realisation. The first step in all probability is the path of knowledge. The Higher Powers have intentionally created a void in our souls and sent us here. Our utmost objective should be to fill that void with something that is meant for it. And if we put a sincere effort to ask ourselves what it is, the answer no doubt is Knowledge………….

The Hearty Heady conversations

We all have had those perplexing moments when the Heart says one thing and the Head says just another. The body seems to be like a State where the Head and Heart are at Civil war with each other. But war it is and in either case the State consequently suffers. Where does it all begin and end? Yes, I mean the civil war.

When a Child sees a Chocolate:

Head: No Baby, you cant have this! You have already gulped in a dozen. Mamma wont agree to this.

Heart: Go on…its just a chocolate….one more will do no harm and then no one is watching. So quick!

And the innocent child gives in to the temptation. Looks left and right, unwraps the chocolate and in a jiffy the chocolate is done. Aah!

When a Teenager sees a beautiful Damsel:

Head: No Teens, you cant look at her like this! She is your best friend’s girl. He wont agree to this.

Heart: Go on….its just a harmless glance…one more will do no harm and then no one is watching.And yes, you know how innocent your friend is.So quick!

And the servile teenager gives in to the temptation. Looks left and right, focuses better and in a jiffy the complete body X-Ray is done. Aah!

When a Twenty something sees a Bottle of liquor:

Head: No, Tweens, you cant have this! You have already quenched two pegs. Your parents wont agree to this.

Heart: Go on…its just a drink….one more will do no harm and then parents are not home. They will never know. Your friends are all on the binge. And yes, your buddy will drive you home back safely. So quick!

And the spirited tween gives in to temptation. Looks left and right, slurps the watery tongue and in a jiffy the peg is done. Aah!

When a Thirty something sees a friend’s Merc:

Head: No, Man, you cant be spitting inside the car! You have gutkha in your mouth. Your friend wont agree to this.

Heart: Go on…its just a spit…one will do no harm and then no ones watching. It can be cleaned easily. And then you wont open the window glasses and let the polluted air in. So quick!

And the concerned  friend gives in to temptation. Looks left and right, thooooooooo and in a jiffy the spit is done.Aah!

When a Forty something texts an independent woman employee:

Head: No, Bloke, you cant be texting her! You have a wife, two kids. Even SHE wont agree to this.

Heart: Go on…its just a simple text…one will do no harm and then no one is watching. You can always delete it. And yes you are not cheating, it’s a friendly text. So quick!

And the friendly Boss gives in to temptation. Looks left and right, Presses Send….and in a jiffy the text is done. Aah!

When a Fifty something sees a Child’s future:

Head: No, Man you have to save for the education of your child. She wants to pursue higher studies abroad. You cant buy an expensive i-phone for yourself. This money will go for the policy.

Heart: No, you cant buy i-phone. You want to fulfill your child’s dreams. Policy is important and then your Nokia is doing just fine!

And the caring Parent gives in to temptation. Looks left and right. Leaves the shop when no Sales person is watching. And in a jiffy the policy premium is done.Aah!

When a Sixty something sees a Child married:

Head: No, my child will definitely take care of me with my Bahu. They understand how much I have done for them.

Heart: Definitely yes, He is my son. He will love me even more now since I am retired. He knows I need him more now.

 And the emotional Father gives in to temptation. Looks left and right.Leaves his own house for the son’s only to be sent back soon by the Obedient Son and Bahu. And in a jiffy the tears are done. Aah!

When a Seventy something sees grand children:

Head: No, old man, they are better than even you. They sure are a genius. They love you and will  come for the Diwali Vacations.

Heart: Very Sure yes, they are my grand children. They love home food, crackers, the roses in my garden and the big lawn. They will come.

And the teary eyed grand father gives in to temptation. Looks left and right. Leaves for the market and on the way gets a call that no one is coming. They are going to Disney World instead. And in a jiffy the tears and emotions are done.Aah!

When Eighty something sees loneliness:

Head: No, old haggard, they will not come. They are busy. Office, children, home, malls…who has the time.

Heart: Very sure, no they will not come. They love their friends, Movies, Foreign trips. Who has time for you worthless skeleton!

And the empty mind and empty heart give in to temptation. Look left and right. Leave for the heavens. And in a jiffy the soul is done. Aah!