Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The little prince

“And at night you will look up at the stars. Where I live everything is so small that I cannot show you where my star is to be found. It is better, like that. My star will just be one of the stars, for you. And so you will love to watch all the stars in the heavens. . . they will all be your friends. And, besides,
I am going to make you a present. . .

“…That is my present. Just that. It will be as it was when we drank the
water. . .”

“All men have the stars,” he answered, “but they are not the same things for different people. For some, who are travelers, the stars are guides. For others they are no more than little lights in the sky. For others, who are scholars, they are problems. For my businessman they were wealth. But all these stars are silent. You– you alone– will have the stars as no one else has them–”

“In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night. . . you– only you– will have stars that can laugh!” And he laughed again.

“And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows) you will be content that you have known me. You will always be my friend. You will want to laugh with me. And you will sometimes open your window, so, for that pleasure. . . and your friends will be properly astonished to see you laughing as you look up at the sky! Then you will say to them, ‘Yes, the stars always make me laugh!’ And they will think you are crazy. It will be a very shabby trick that I shall have played on you. . . ”

“It will be as if, in place of the stars, I had given you a great number of little bells that knew how to laugh. . . ”

~ The little prince

BB gave me this book 5 years ago. I kept it, took it with me while I was away…but never read it. That’s all right,…this was the perfect time to read it.

There is a little prince in all of us, somewhere, fallen from the stars…one that knows the way back to his rose…Its just that all the ‘matters of consequence’ keep us away from him. I recommend this book to all grown ups; might help us see what’s truly essential…things that are indivisible to the eye…

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

What will it be?

পেছনে কেউ নেই, সামনেও নেই কেউ।
প্রবীণরা যে পথটি সাফ করেছিলেন বন্ধ হয়েছে সেটি।
এবং অন্য যে পথ, সকলের পথ,
প্রশস্ত আর সরল, যায়নি কোথাও।
একলা আমি - খুঁযে ফিরি আমার পথ।

~ ধর্মকির্তী

“No one behind, no one up front.
The path cleared by elders is no more.
And the other way, followed by all,
Wide and clear, goes nowhere.
Alone I, keep searching for mine.”

~ Dharmakirti


Some say that in walking a way, it may not be necessary to know where it goes; it is the walk that matters. It, however, could be worthwhile to know where its been…to know if its at all my way…So, I’m trying to look back…trying to know my roots…with the help of a Mexican poet,…In light of India

Birth, Fornication, Death…
…Creation, Original sin, Salvation…
….Life, Karma, Nirvana…

What will it be?

The shackles and of Karma and its consequences,
Or the thoughtful, lonely quest for Nirvana?

An answer could be found in the conversations between Arjun, the mythical hero and Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu…Not sure if it’s the answer for you, but an answer no less…

Arjun, the fierce Pandav warrior was tormented by doubts and confusion before a battle. His friend and spiritual mentor Krishna told him to do his heroic duty, which would mean shedding the blood of his kinsmen. Arjun was surprised because it was Krishna himself who on previous occasions had told him that the impassive path of wisdom, which leads to freedom (Nirvana) is higher than the path of worldly duties, - Karma, which gives way to delusions.

Krishna explained that even though the previous is true, there are some Karma that can also free the soul. These are the deeds done impassively, keeping the self indifferent. He said, “I have completed these three worlds and have nothing to gain from these (the worlds have already been created, sustained and ended…for the timeless gods)…yet I partake in these activities…”. So, it is possible to achieve Karmaless Karma...doing for the sake of doing…not doing them for gain or consequence.

Arjun understood. On the battlefield he watched himself, detached from himself…he knew that neither the one doing, or the one watching, is him,…although they both are…him…He is Arjun but again not Arjun…but a nameless entity who is in everything.