Thus spoke Zarathustra

Pench - A Travelogue of Sorts

2011-11-24T00:28:00.000-08:00

Getting into Pench was far easier than what we thought, considering most of us had never heard about this place. An overnight train from CST (Nagpur Doronto), a stopover at Veeraswamy's in Nagpur for breakfast, the airport to pick up a friend, and we were on our way to Pench. Well I also should have mentioned the resort had sent a cab along to meet us at the station, which did help logistics a lot. Oh yes, while waiting for our friend to arrive, we drove through the entire Santra Market without securing even the smallest of citruses, but did manage to get musambis in Sita Buldi while shopping for Saris. So much for sampling their oranges.

An uneventful drive, complicated by stopping to pick up alcohol (just in case) just inside the Maharashtra border. It was only much later I realised that alcohol is so much cheaper in MP. Telephone lines flanking the road were sprinkled with the occasional Blue Jay and Drongo, birds that we eventually saw in more detail at the national park. Well, we reached Tiger n Woods, the resort in Pench , at around 1330. And the manager looks questioningly at us, and after we establish credentials, says we're not booked, but he can manage to give us one room, and no Safaris. Needless to say, with two thug like, red-blooded men in our group, the Manager was in for hell. So while we two fine specimens of aggression and forcefulness sipped meekly on our complimetary orange juice, the sweet and charm of the ladies magically morphed into a frightening tirade against the Manager, his resort, and the resorts owners and anyone else. Such was their insistence (we had the right after all), that the manager agreed to give us two rooms on stilts alongside each other . He also organised a safari for us, and managed to see we had lunch as well. After the initial unpleasantness, the rest of our stay in the resort went off without a hitch. It was actually a fantastic experience, with the staff being absolutely charming, but never fawning, and efficient, short of being intrusive. Turns out (and please note, for those traveling there) that the parent company had only recently acquired this resort and needless to say, communication lines weren't exactly functioning well.

Now each Safari vehicle accomodates six medium sized people, so we had to share our vehicle with another couple. A young couple, both so-called Army brats as we found out later, were wonderful company and fit right in to our group. An equal mix of humour with a passion for seeing wildlife, we spent the entire afternoon and evening prowling around the reserve slowly getting excited about the occasional chital to finally turning away in disgust after the hundredth or so. We did see a number of birds though, a host of langur, peafowl as well as some sambar. So with some success, we turned back to the resort. After a quiet evening sipping wine in the machan situated there, we helped ourself to a fantastic dinner, before setting out of the resort for a short walk. An earthern pathway connects the resort to the main road that leads to the reserve. In the moonlight, and quiet, it was hard to not believe that the occasional big cat might slip across the border of the reserve and land up in our path. A note to prospective travelers who are like to indulge in these nocturnal forays - do not read Corbett before arriving! Didn't get to see the stars as they were a few clouds, but got to hear the distinct accusatory cry (did did did did-you-do-it) of the red-wattled lapwing across the nearby fields.

The next morning began with more promise. Of course it actually began with a hot bath followed by a chill shower and a cup of tea. We headed through the park gates at around 6AM. After about half an hour in the jeep ducking past vast giant wood spider webs, the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road, and the guide points to - pug marks!!! Then we hear alarm calls of chital and langur. The vehicle traveled up and down the trails following the calls, and after a while most of us were pretty sure that they were creating the drama and anticipation of seeing a tiger. So as we were getting quite blase about the calls, we heard a low guttural growl... and then again, moving away.

It's hard to describe what I felt, for the growl, though pitched low, was deep and the sound was for lack of a better word- powerful. Thinking that was the closest we were going to get to a tiger, we went to a camping spot, to get a pre-packed breakfast.

It was there the guide told us that the rangers had found a tigress and cubs with a day old kill. The vehicles trooped into the jungle, and from there we had to get down and take the rangers' elephant a short way into the jungle. This was the part where a majority of us were uncomfortable with the whole experiece, as though the elephant is the largest asiatic land mammal, when you consider it has to carry a total of five people on it's back, you start questioning your motives. Fortunately for us, and unfortunately so for the poor elephant we cast moral compunctions aside in our haste to see the tigress. So it's probably just as well that it took only a five minute ride on elephantback to get to the clearing where the tigers were. We barely caught a glimpse of the cubs, as they were well hidden in the dense shrubbery. However the elephant turned a bit and there stretched out in a clearing - was the tigress. Though resting and digesting half a Sambar (in our excitement at seeing a tiger, we neglected to see the kill), she still looked magnificent, beautiful and absolutely robust.

For the four of us, this was our first wild tiger, and the sight was awesome. The rest of the safari seemed inconsequential, although we managed to get pictures of Jackal, sambar and even a crested sepent eagle.

Returning to the resort flush with the success of having shot (so to say) a tiger, the manager (who, after the initial hiccup, went out of his way ensuring we had a good stay), reminds me of my request/demand to see snakes one way or the other. He' s organised a trip of sorts where the four of us accompanied a ranger as he set out to release a number of snakes he had caught in the neighboring villages and resorts. Other than three very large and beautiful rat snakes, he unloaded cobras, a krait, and much to my delight two beautifully marked (and thankfully torpid) Russell's vipers. Renewing my acquantaince with the rat snake, we handled them for some time before we released them as well.

As luck would have it, or i believe karma - working to balance the fantastic luck we had - the vehicle tire developed a flat. It took about an hour to fix, During which time we prowled a bund that bordered a lake. A bunch of small kingfishers, too fast and distant to be adequately captured by our cameras, ducked in and out of the lake as they went about their business. We saw a great cormorant in the lake as well and were rewarded by the sight of it taking off, it's wings laboriously beating to pull that heavy body out of the water. Seeing the ripples, we were struck by how they looked like the splashes of skipped stones, and with the great maturity and restraint that comes with being in the third decade of existence, set about attempting to duplicate that phenomenon with stones grubbed from around the shore. Soon enough, the tire was fixed and then we were off, back to the resort, time enough to grab a quick bite of lunch before we caught the cab back to the airport.

This time, a stopover at Haldiram's to pick up a ton of orange flavoured sweets, in a way making up for all those fresh oranges we missed, and an uneventful flight back home.

Blue

2009-08-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

Blue is the colour of love... the colour of skies, the ocean.

And like the skies, blue swirls in pale airy shades to somber velvet tones that both define freedom. A lifting of shackles and a sense of soaring towards the infinite, towards an eternal love.

Of love and the oceans, the surface is multifaceted - sometimes still, sometimes raging in liquid fury. However, in every state, an immense depth dwells in majestic slumber, a depth of strength and silence.

Silent Valley

2009-04-27T23:40:00.000-07:00

Made a trip to silent valley more than a year ago, thought it about time to set my thoughts down...

Having resolved to let nothing stop me in making a trip to Silent Valley, it was rather silly of me not to have booked the necessary tickets. After calling up a number of travel agents, pleading with and cajoling them, I finally managed to secure an overnight train to Palakkad. Reaching Palakkad station at 05:45, I proceeded to get a bus to Mannarkad. Mannarkad is a small town, smaller than Palakkad, and it wasn’t too difficult to find the bus to take me to Mukkali. An hour later, after a short climb, I reached the town of Mukkali. ‘Town’ is a rather generous term to apply to the place, the centre consisting of a convenience store, a bus stop and two eateries. The setting was idyllic though, and I sat down in one of the shops for a smoke and a cup of tea.

Refreshed, I set off to find the Forest office. Half a kilometer down one of the roads, was the forest office. Arrangements had already been made, and I was booked into the forest guest house. The Officials there looked upon me with a mixture of consternation and pity, for here I was earnestly pouring my heart out on how I wanted to see the wildlife of this place. Deciding I was harmless after all they told me not to have much hope of seeing anything on the trail. I discovered that I would be allowed only to the place called Sairandhiri, where the forest office is, along with a 60m high Machan. The place was also a mile to the river, and was frequented by tour groups. However having come all this way, I was determined to make it work. I secured the necessary permission to enter the reserve and was assigned a guide. Hiring a jeep from the nearby town centre, we set off along the path to Sairandhiri. On the way In a mixture of Tamil and broken Malayalam, I managed to communicate to the driver and guide that I was really keen on catching a glimpse of a number of creatures, including the Lion-tailed macaque and King cobra. They were still inclined to treat me as a regular camera touting tourist, until I yelled for the jeep to stop, and shot of in pursuit of a rat snake I espied on the corner of the road. Though I missed it, it established my intent with these two. From that moment on, we set out at a snails pace, constantly scanning the surroundings for signs of wildlife.

As we moved further down the track we came upon lumps of steaming elephant dung. From the state of the shrubbery on either side of the road, it was clear that the elephants preferred cross-country trekking to traversing a perfectly good path. However, we did not see elephants, only coming across signs of their passage. A wagtail on the road suddenly flew up from almost beneath the wheels of the jeep… and flew 15 feet down the road awaiting the jeep. As we lumbered nearer, it took off, and repeated this game of ‘chicken’ for about 5 minutes or so, until evidently bored, flew off into the shrubbery.

A little further, the guide, now standing at the back of the jeep, suddenly called a halt, and there in the trees off the road, I saw a solitary male macaque. Singularly impressive with his mane, he glared at us for disturbing his repose, and moved further into the trees, apparently to sulk. Thanks to an above average zoom on my Nikon D80, and a high resolution, I was able to foil his dastardly attempt at depriving me of a picture. As the trip progressed, I came to realize that he was the most cooperative of the lot. Nilgiri Langurs crashed into the undergrowth as soon as we espied them. The Malabar giant squirrels were no help either, issuing warning ‘chucks’ to all within hearing range before ducking into the densest foliage at hand.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, and we reached Sairandhiri only to find the Machan swarming with college students on tour. Exposure to the wild seemed to bring out the beasts in them, and the welkin was split with mindless howls and shrieks. Virtually giving up on catching sight of any animals with the ability to hear, I rushed off to the river before the troupe could follow me, in the vain attempt of finding at least snakes and other aurally challenged forms of wildlife. I had no trouble finding leeches though; they were only too willing to make acquaintance with me. As we reached the river, squeals and shouts informed me of the presence of another lot of college students, dunking each other with water from the river. Giving up all hope of seeing anything larger or less ubiquitous than a leech, my guide and I went a little further upstream where we had a quick lunch, stowing away the plastic, of course. It was beautiful though, and I managed to get some nice shots of the river Kunthi, or kunthipuzha, as she is locally known.

The clouds begin to gather in force, and rather than get the equipment wet, I decided we head back for the day. Hearing about my antics from the guide, the forest officials were a lot more sympathetic to my cause, and assigned one of the foresters to be my guide for the next day. They also advised we take another route, one not usually shown to tourists, for which I was immensely grateful.

Up at the break of dawn the next morning, I wandered around the guest house grounds. A river flows right behind the guest house, and I sat here for about half an hour watching the kingfishers dive into the river. As soon as the office opened, I was ready and set to go. This time the forester accompanied me in the jeep. We took the jeep about a quarter of the way through the trail, the clouds settling into the valley, and a light rain misting the windshield. There, on the side of the path was a rough trail heading right into the valley. The guide informed the driver to pick us up from another point further up the path within a couple of hours, and we were set for the trek.

I got my equipment and with a borrowed umbrella, set out along my guide. Dousing my shoes and feet liberally with salt, paying close attention to the part where shoe met skin, we headed out into the leech infested path. The trail was quite beautiful, and we within ten minutes we came across a river. Walking to a fordable point, I removed my shoes and was quite literally disgusted with what I saw. My shoes were crawling with leeches. A few had already latched onto my calves. Dousing them with salt, I removed my shoes, and there, half a dozen leeches inside my shoes, slowly bloating on my sanguineous offerings. At that moment I lost all revulsion, and couldn’t care less. With that behind me, I was able to appreciate the trail a lot better. The sunlight barely reached the forest floor, filtered by the leafy boughs higher up. As we passed we saw Nilgiri Langurs, and the occasional squirrel. Numerous frogs crossed our path. I stopped at virtually every tree bole, raking the leaves around the base in search of shield tail snakes. The only thing I saw was a very large millipede, over 20 cms long. The path was not too steep, but years of doing nothing but sitting in office were taking a toll on my reserves, and I had to pause every time we cleared a modest incline. The river cut across our path on two more occasions, and I began to see the wisdom in wearing flip-flops as my guide was. It also made spotting and eliminating leeches a faster process.

Finally made it to the end of the trail, and then into the jeep. I eased my aching bitten feet into the vehicle and smoked a quick beedi as we set off back to town. The trip was an eye-opener in many ways. I realized how ill-equipped I was, physically, for even a simple trek as this. I also realized that there were better ways to spend weekends than clubbing or watching TV. Even more importantly the trip served to remind me where my heart lay… In the welcoming embrace of everything Nature has to offer.

Thought and Mind

2008-06-24T01:43:00.000-07:00

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Now playing: Incubus - Stellar
via FoxyTunes

Our brain is an awesome machine. We pay lip service to how important it is, but do we really appreciate that the way it is now, is a product of 1 million, 3 billion, or 13.4 billion years of evolution (the varying timeframes a factor of perspective – the human brain, life on earth, or time as we know it.)? Finely tuned mechanisms that enable the organism to move and function at speeds faster that the average response time to a stimulus, gives us the ability to extrapolate data, project it into the future, and literally think ahead.

It makes one question the notion of sentience, of whether we are truly aware. In point of fact, we cannot even conceive infinity, or the nature of infinity. Gaps in our knowledge, so easily exploited by pseudo-sciences such as creationism or intelligent design, stem from the brain’s inability to process a form of thought that supersedes probability, and cause-effect linear timelines. To deal with a concept like infinity, our thoughts currently seek refuge in ‘why’ and other trite nonsense. Scientists grapple manfully with the structure of the universe, shredding it into so-called ‘multiverses’, twisting it into toroids, or folding it in on itself. All the while we seem to be missing the answers. Our brains might not yet be able to deal with these concepts with the existing thought processes. Our rationalisms and basic thought structures seem to adopt the predominantly western thought processes.

Dogma, blind adherence to faith, and a misplaced sense of privilege have led to a dilution of Hinduism (I shall forgo the term ‘eastern mysticism’ here as it is too vague and altogether inaccurate). But here, and in elements of the Sermon on the Mount, one can see a point of view that is Human-centric, recognizing in our make-up a limitation, and paradoxically, the essence of Human genius. In my world-view, I see the specific Gods as detail, substance to flesh out ideas which reverberate with the cosmos. I think Spirit, or Atman, a term that plays on a perceived intelligence behind thoughts. And I say these reading only translations of the original texts.

But in all that, we must be aware that above all, our brains are machines, and thoughts, spawned from the brain are not signs of intelligence

Looking within

2008-05-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

As for me, I grew up in an atmosphere that allowed me to question dogma in all forms. A transition from an absolute belief in God, and the sanctity of religion to the all-encompassing warmth of spirituality marked the initial phase of youth’s quest for immortality. The final shift to atheism was not out of choice; I believe it sprang out of a greater and wider understanding. Never having succumbed to any kind of conditioning, my mind was receptive to a variety of ideas, encompassing various aspects of science and spirituality. This led to a phase of emptiness, for without being aware, the conditioning of society around me had instilled a concrete pillar of faith within my psyche, now crumbled to dust with the awesome might of reason. Haphazard ideas born of delving into nihilistic texts only served to increase the void I now felt within. Overcoming the initial despair of the ideas of being and non-being was possible once again by bringing in rational thought into the process.

I love my thoughts. They are the vehicle that lets me span galaxies in seconds; I can touch infinity, always recoiling in awe and something akin to dread at what I glimpse, I can also believe in spirits of the Earth existing in parallel realities to ours; all this while maintaining a firm atheistic outlook, without finding any conflict in my mind. There’s so much beauty in life, that seeking solace in an afterlife or searching for a repository for our thoughts (I haven’t found the ‘thinker’, so as an imperfect spiritualist, I shall continue with the use of ‘thoughts’ rather than ‘soul’) seems a terrible waste of time. While the limits of our perception most definitely affect our perception of reality, it gives us enough to appreciate beauty in all forms – a smile, the rain, birdsong, and as humans are a subjective lot, in my case some contemporary music as well. We’re equipped beautifully to live, to reason and most importantly, to love.

Songs of creation

2008-04-02T03:55:00.000-07:00

Wistfulness, beauty and love, cool rainy summer afternoons,

Tears, fulfillment, a mind at rest, liquid thoughts of awareness

Bubbling to the surface with the music, the notes play

Around my mind, comforting warmth swirling in aural tones

Painting a landscape of sound that meshes seamlessly

With Images of mist and rain swathing a verdant mountainside,

And with the scents of the hills borne on a cool and crisp wind.

My mind creates the place, a rift which I step into,

By pulling at the curtain of thought and conditioning.

The essence of reality brought into question.

Souls light

2008-03-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Billions of minds, aware of the spark of awareness conscious of the veils,

She hasn’t heard the silver tones of seeing everything, yet

With her eyes to the stars, the wind raising her hair in enchanted trails,

She yearns for the magic long denied to her, shackled in chains of sorrow,

Hearing the call of heaven on the wind, through the skies, on to the morrow.

The purple haze deepening to a more somber black, the vault above blurs.

And like beacons on the shore for lost mariners of souls infinity, the stars

Frame the feathery wisps of midnight black that move as if the air

Were ocean currents softly encompassing the strands of hair.

Eyes of shining keenness capturing the beauty of eternity above

Reflecting the quest within, a search for the soul, a search for love

The dark of eternity captured within a mind unaware, yet equally vast.

The chorus of voices reach her ears, flooding her awareness past

Any point of return, she clings on to her faith and finds

The rock of her life, her beliefs, no longer binds

Her to herself, set free to reach beyond the end of the universe,

Or the depths of her soul, both unfathomable, for hers

Is a mind unique, an ocean contending to deal with rigid lands.

Speaking to pebbles with diluted waves, moulding the sands.

To love is to hate

2008-03-28T00:15:00.000-07:00

Right was Wilde when he wrote that we destroy the ones we love. To love someone, you betray your innermost dreams to them. Among close friends this knowledge of inner aspirations exists as well. This blithe trust is sacred; for it can easily be manipulated to destroy a person.

When their deepest faults or indeed, a perception of their faults are rendered back to them, just so lightly seasoned with facts unwittingly provided, the bond of trust can be torn apart. With this destruction of trust, coldness is fostered, stemming from the hurt of betrayal.

A reticent person, after slowly opening up to someone with a like mind, is hurt the most by such wanton misplacement of trust. Why then do we end up hurting the ones we love? Is it a fear of rejection, or a fear of the future, the unknown? One will never know.

Water

2008-02-13T05:58:00.001-08:00

If there’s ever been proof of a higher cosmic consciousness, it’s the fact that water exists. Creator, sustainer, cleanser, and destroyer. Water molecules have even been detected in the atmospheres of some of the cooler stars. The hypothetical Oort cloud is home to billions of icy comets, some of which have been credited with seeding our planet with water in the early stages of its evolution.

Sublime in almost all its perceivable forms, it transcends all when it takes the form of rain. And rainfall is so beautiful.

Disjointed Thought

2007-09-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

I'm quite stupefied with the outpourings of hate and resentment in the U.S. towards Iran's premier's planned visit to Ground Zero. Most of the americans see this as a kind of insult, vile at worst, hypocritical to say the least. The common thread of reasoning is that Iran is a state-sponsor of terrorism, and the tragedy of 9/11 was a terrorist act of apalling proportions. Both true, one from a U.S. perspective alone, and the other on an entirely human scale.

Just to get some facts right. 9/11 was perpetrated by Saudis, who by and large belong to the Sunni sect of Islam. The language of universal brotherhood and peace that is prevalent in Islam has been horribly skewed into an unrecognizable diatribe of hate and disharmony. Iran, whose population is predominantly Shia, is a supporter of hezbollah. Nowthe irony is evident. Hezbollah see themselves as freedom fighters as do the palestinian group Hamas. But History and the public perception of truth is written only by the victors.

Gone are the days of Martin Luther and Mahatma Gandhi. As a civilization we are regressing to the dark ages, relying only on stregth, completely dismissive of peace. I expect, before the the next elections, we'll have the american population whipped into a frenzy, crying to bring the terrorists who caused 9/11 (this time possibly Iran, much like one commentator, stating it was 'payback time' when America decided to illegally invade Iraq) to book.

Democracy is dead. It's a corporate hegemony that runs most goverments. The meek cannot inherit the Earth...

These pleasures Melancholy give, And I with thee will choose to Live

2007-06-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

Lay back on the grass, not really caring that it was mildly damp, a result of the early morning mist. It's wonderful to see the play of light from under a tree's branches in summer, when sunlight gamely seeks to disperse the ubiquitous clouds. The dappled grass at the foot of the tree like a rippling cloth woven out of light. Birdsong, so splendid and clear, it almost pains me to use 'melodious' to describe it, but i've never been good at painting aural cues. And the breeze carrying with it scents, hanging on after the confused spring.

It may be a sign of madness, but the need for dialogue manifests itself in the form of me having a conversation with the trees, but that wears off, not for a lack of response, but for my seeming impatience. The trees may have given answer to previous questions, it's just that i move on to the next in a mere ten minutes. The need for dialogue rears it's ugly head and prompts more questions running a cicuitous path through my mind. Answering myself s redundant but i do it nevertheless.

A large grey cloud replaces the wispy pretenders and now the gloom is here to stay. As always the dark has the effect of bringing with it a kind of melancholy that doesn't deprive, but enriches. I may go as far as to say it is a joyous melancholy. An obvious oxymoron, and you might as well dispense with the 'oxy' you say. However, this isn't an inability to express, it's an emotion beyond language. Refer Milton's Il Penseroso and you might get my drift.

It's in these moments when i'm well and truly connected with life, mortality becomes an abstract concept. The walls and windows of habitation amplify that dreadful thought in a most frightening manner. And yet i persist to live most of my life inside, working in a job whose very nature wars with the paths my mind travels. It's strange what expedience forces onto us.

Nietschze revisited

2007-05-26T15:14:00.000-07:00

We've come so far, yet we have no idea where we come from. The universe moves on in a scale incomprehensible to us. Our lives are of such inconsequence and yet are so much more. We can cry and we can love, we can pity and nurture. But it is the very nature of lives, short and intransient, that make the world such a chaotic place. Our derived intelligence has been falsely routed, channeled to violence and degradation, until the very faculty that enables thought seeks to suppress it for fear of realising something much much vaster than the candle that is the sum of our existence. To truly awaken we need to rid ourselves of fear, and that is possible only through understanding, but there again, people fear to think while they respect fear. In this contrary mess, we need to rise above, and rediscover the superman.

Infininty in the moment

2007-03-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

The stars will fail, the universe will fold
Consciousness lost, histories untold
Seek not the divine nor soul's salvation
These are the spawn of thought's delusion

Hearken to the moment, within ourselves
Where dormant awareness resides
Brush past the clouds of miasmic thought
Reach the awareness... that is aware.

The trouble with obdurate bigoted governments

2007-01-12T03:08:00.000-08:00

Spokeswoman for the white house says Bush's condemnation of what she called "Iran's meddlesomeness" was an important signal to the region.

"Surely the United States is not the one being threatening, We are not the ones being meddlesome and troublesome in Iraq."

I understand that the average american is uninformed and slighlty unaware of global events, but a spokeswoman...

We look, but we do not see

2006-10-17T03:15:00.000-07:00

"North Korea cannot endanger the world and then expect other nations to conduct business as usual in arms or missile parts," as well as "It cannot destabilize the international system and then expect to exploit elaborate financial networks built for peaceful commerce."

Condoleeza Rice, in her message to Pyongyang. How can someone talk about arms and missile parts, and in the very next breath, mention "financial networks for peaceful commerce"? Commerce has always been peaceful. However the goods being traded are weapons of destruction. War has always benefitted the US, ever since it made it's presence felt in the global economy. Billions spent on defense... ironic, when being the world's largest superpower - they must worry about defense. Washington cannot countenance the fact that Pyongyang, and Iran, have agendas and governments radically different from theirs. Take a look at all the other nuclear-enabled lickspittles who literally jump when the US frowns. Though not a fan of the Iranian and North Korean regimes, i can appreciate the stance they have taken.

On reflection, US' economic might and stockpiles have lent exceedingly to their voice as a Nation. This hegemony of sorts will impose incompatible structures on economies incapable of supporting the US economic model. While this will in the short term feed US growth and balance possible recessions, it will leave the other nations reeling from unforeseen problems. The bursting bubble will wash clean off the US, and inundate nations in a flood of insurmountable growth barriers.

A recent move by Washington, giving US overriding powers in Space, is a precedent to monopolize the next frontier. Like the colonizers pushed west, driving the Natives out, US now has found virgin territory it can expand to. When and how will this end. Will we be a host of lesser nations governed by this one country?

Deus wept

2006-09-12T01:02:00.000-07:00

The problem with unconditional focus can be clearly illustrated with the current crises all over the middle east as well as the misguided condecension of a paranoid race.

The superpower that is America has reached the brink of world domination in matters economic and military (some would say its military prowess feeds the economy), through a shrewd campaign of advertising and subtle psychological programming, with it's citizens under a mistaken racial version of "four legs good, two legs better". Polls conducted in the US have no relevance in my opinion as the citizens of that great nation are as sheep, trusting in the hands of the shepherd. This biblical connotation serves it's purpose as it symbolizes a nation that bows to a religion which has transformed the teachings of a pacifist to a guilt infested moral code.

A false impression of racial superiority based on economic prowess has led a vast majority of Americas people to parrot the media, which has told them literally how to live. The media potrayal of scientists and thinkers as abitrary weirdos characterized by wild hair and glasses, provides an insight into the mentality of an average American. To them, thinking, thought, free will are only concepts and true understanding is often confused with an acceptance of the easier path.

The tragedy of all this is we have other nations aping just about every aspect of this superpower, dragging their people down into an intellectual quagmire. Some Nations accept all these as vital ingredients of change, and i agree, we cannot isolate ourselves. However there is no intelligent application of progressive thinking in our lives, and this can destroy what we stand for. A classic case of such blind application, is seen in the rise of militant islam, and a shocking acceptance of some horribly convoluted precepts incorporated into mainstream law.

"Kill the Kafir" sounds barbaric enough and a reason for America to worry about it's people and Nation. Militant groups have fallen right into the hands of the manipulative US regime in following this line verbatim. The US can now safely say that the Koran preaches a version of non-tolerance which cannot be accepted. The line between militant Islam and Islam as we know it will gradually cease to exist, and this plays right into the hands of America. The Prophet, in his wisdom, understood clearly that there could be no realization of God if one lacked belief. To kill the unbeliever, was to destroy all your doubts. How did it ever come to this? The Hudood law on rape is shockingly barbaric. If a woman who has been raped cannot produce four male witnesses to testify for her, then she is liable to be tried for adultery, and stoned to death if guilty.

Americans might smirk knowingly at this point as i have just proved how barbarous some of the so-called Islamic laws are. I say, with their uncalled-for role as moderators of peaceglobally, America should have attacked and destroyed the nations that uphold such laws. Why Iraq? Let the dictator deal with insurgents who threaten the stability of his nation in whichever way he chooses. Why not wage a real war on terror, and make the lives of women worldwide peaceful. Iraq was chosen to undermine the dependency Iran generated as an oil supplier. Wary of Iran's potential might, the US chose to invade a nation which they knew had no WMD capabilities, on the trumped up charges of links to the al-Qaida.

There is one thing every Nation on the face of this Earth has to know. War and destruction do not forge peace, they sow the seeds for future hatred... on both sides.

Be aware, learn for yourself. Read the news from a dozen different sources, and think about it. A broadening of perception coupled with thought can end all this ruin. The saddest part is that it's so easily possible, yet we call for blood. Think, do we deserve peace?

Words

2006-03-24T00:56:00.000-08:00

Words are by far the most potent weapon civilization has endowed the human race with. Like all weapons words can be the instrument of creation and destruction. Creation seems to be out of context, but bear with me while I establish this truth. A spoken word can bring into existence something, which is intangible. Hate. Is the word a definition of the emotion or is it a label. The compartmentalization of this panoply of thought, emotion, restricts our spiritual and emotional development. Sure, words inspire, move us to grief, awe, sympathy and even love. But like all other illusory aspects of the universe, words conceal more than they reveal. The ultimate truth is found within our minds. Not thoughts brought about by ruminations, but rather by the lack of thought. And this is the truth. Keats knew what he was talking about with his much plagiarized and oft quoted;

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,
That is all you know on Earth, and all you need to know”

However, like all the paths to higher stations, there is no shortcut. Through words, we have to reach the Word. I do not refer to the Christian term; this is applicable throughout all religions of the world. Once we understand the beauty of a language, only then can we appreciate the tremendous silence it’s lack creates in ourselves.
Writers know this, and use it well. Sometimes a pause, a break conveys to the audience far more than a detailed description. People who write for the sake of writing are well on the way to achieving a higher level of realization.

Sunday Afternoon

2006-03-24T00:33:00.000-08:00

Sunday afternoon, and the rain falls down on the city. As far as the eye can see, the landscape is muted by a shimmering veil. The sun for all its glory in the heavens, cannot compete with the might of storm clouds on Earth, and hence hides from our sight. The skies, prematurely twilit, span the firmament, and the restless seas darken in sympathy.
This is not a day for sorrow, though. Nor is it a joyous day. It’s as if the weight of the clouds above strip the world of all illusion, a symbolic cleansing of Maya. Low levels of visibility open our eyes to greater truths. An emotion, which has not been captured in any Lexicon, springs up. An emotion where profound joy co-exists with immense sorrow.
When the eyes, of their own volition fill up with tears as if the rain were coursing new paths within us. Where joy, without the exuberance inherent in it’s most prevalent form, fills the soul with cleansing light.
I cannot worry about death on a day like this. It’s as if our subconscious is awakened to a higher state where base issues of mortality, so real to us; are of absolutely no consequence.I’m not asking for immortality, I just want infinity.

Readings

2006-03-23T23:48:00.000-08:00

I just tried to do a tealeaf reading from the dregs of my cup in office. ‘Twas a most unfortunate thing to do, as I had forgotten how popular teabags were. So the future was well, not exactly dreadful, it was nothing. I’m going to try to read the stars now. No luck there, the damn sun keeps getting in the way. So I deviate from the occult and head to the scientifically accepted precepts of quantum functions and mathematical models. I plot the lines of my life and… well, discovered exactly what is meant by infinity. The teacup is suddenly looking a lot more attractive. And the sun is a star too…

But no, focus is what is required. And with that clarity that called the focus into being, comes a revelation we are not equipped to handle. The truth in its nonhuman entirety is hidden from us, but the glimpse of the ultimate reality that is afforded to us in those lucid, contemplative moments, frightens the thoughtful into voyages of fear and hopelessness. I think it’s time I switched to coffee…

Morrigan

2006-03-23T23:26:00.000-08:00

Morrigan, or the Morrigu as she is known is a Celtic deity closely associated with war... and death. she appears a lot in early Irish mythology, where her capricious nature is evident in her treatment of that brave, yet highly unimaginative hero Cuchulain. My tribute to her......

Ebon wings across the skies, tunics bloodied and torn,

The stones at the ford lament the dead

Noble hearts lost, nations shall mourn

(Unnecessarily); as brave hearts are led

Through the gates that bar mortal woes.

A crow wings back to yet another gate

That is, and isn’t, Faerie’s own doors.

Embrace the Sun

2006-03-23T05:23:00.000-08:00

There's nothing more beautiful than the sun shining bright and warm after months of gloom, dampened weather and spirits. An interesting parallel can be drawn from this.

Earlier, I would wish for the rain to come in full force and would revel in the first cloudburst of the season. I would be glad for the rain, turning into a happier person. The sunshine and heat that was such a bother, was forgotten in the waking dream of the monsoon. Cool winds bringing a hint of moisture in them. White clouds scudding across the skies, fleeing from the might of the awesome storm clouds that loomed on the horizons. The rains would begin, thunder pealing overhead. Incandescent bolts of lightning blinding in the gray murk.

This was the time when the creatures of faerie that resided in my imagination had a world to live in. The rain brought with it magic that was elemental and mystical. Unicorns could be glimpsed through the mists of morning. The skies, gray black and veiled with rain, would become the home of Dragons and the Phoenix. And at night goblins and werewolves kept vigil.

I would sit and watch the rain for hours, alone with my thoughts. The murmur of water on the pane consistent as a mantra. Tears would course down my cheeks in sympathy with the rain. "Tears, idle tears, I know not from whence they arise..." I never understood that line earlier. As I got older that changed. Well it was magical, and I was very young. My mind had the curiosity and the imagination gifted to the young. Life didn't cease. The moment was everything. Tomorrow was as far away as another 10 years. My mind was free to dream and was never weighed down by mortality.

Now, where I seek joy, I find melancholy. Where I yearned for the rain and dark, I now pray for the Sun. The warmth and the brightness feed my body, and cast a numbing pall of light over my thoughts. Blanketed by the warmth (often heat), and surrounded by light, the graves seem distant and far ahead. However, none of this has helped. Corporeal chains shackle the mind and force it towards the realization of an existence without apparent meaning, an end to awareness.

The choice is up to me... Live a life all else would construe as escapism of the worst kind, or seek the sun and the song of life, and follow the ignorant delusions of the many

What you will

2006-03-23T04:56:00.000-08:00

Oceans heave, lured by the waning orb
That casts evanescent threads on the fleece
Of darkling clouds, gathered above

The woven winds rein the skies,
Weeps sweet tears from heaven’s eyes
Eyes that span dew decked hills

She walks the mist, a vision in white
The stars shine ‘pon our trysts at night

‘Tis here we live when I’m alive
Here I remain, though I must die

Perceptions

2006-03-23T04:39:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder how it is that we are able to comprehend our insignificance in the order of the universe? Our lives, our cultures, our wars, human endeavours, all pale into insignificance when one perceives the absolute enormity, in the four dimensions that we comprehend; of the universe. What does it care of a small planet, when our lives are of no consequence to the progress of time. And on a scale beyond us, a quantum clock ticks, the universe moves in a cycle, ever receding, cooling, a dying universe. A death of such a vast entity is worthy of enormous sorrow. Space is a cold forlorn place. Stars and Galaxies are threaded rather loosely through the weft of nothingness. What happens when stars die, when galaxies burn out, when the last spark in this universe is extinguished? Is this a death of any meaning? Think on it. Was all this just a whim of a primordial power, a one creator, or is it just quantum physics acting out its course? Let me riddle you with clichés aplenty. The universe was in existence 14 billion years ago. What existed before? Nothing? The answers are locked in our minds. And they will stay locked because the truth is not something we are equipped to deal with. If the universe were just an experiment or a random coincidental event, does that preclude the possibility of our realm being the only thing ever, or does our sciences and laws apply only to our universe? That there are laws that apply to realms so far beyond us. That our order of thought is limited. If the universe as we know it were just a component of a grander scheme of things, and we were to know that, have we found god? What happens when a mortal passes away? W ell if the spiritualists speak true and the essence of our souls survive, then is that the ultimate knowledge? What good will harboured souls be in a dying universe. If we were to exist beyond death, we will live beyond the stars, where absolutely nothing will have meaning to us. Horizons, receding ever into the infinite. Are they a function of perspective, dimensions or do they parallel singularities. A point where the space-time matrix does not exist as we know it, where all possible quantum laws break down. All the singularities exist at the same time. A black hole near on some far distant galaxy would therefore be the black hole anywhere else. There is no time, space or light in a black hole. Are all these points in the universe the same? Would this fold the fabric of time and space in ways, which are imperceptible to us? Horizons stretch to what apparently is a thin single dimension. This would be a function of perception much as the laws of science perceive a black hole. This concept would help us especially when dealing with vast dimensions of the universe. Conversely it would appear that a singularity would remain unreachable forever to us. The fold of space-time would forever keep it at an infinite distance from us. This is where linear thought would fail, and a literal quantum leap of faith must be taken.

Nietzsche

2006-01-24T18:41:00.000-08:00

"Man is something that must be overcome". Thus spoke Zarathustra