Dass

 Today is my sister's birthday. Today is also Janmashtami. Lord Krishna's birth day. In the north, they are busy making human pyramids trying to break the dahi-handa (a vessel filled with curd) which is one of the rituals of the festival. The pandemic has created a phobia but the devotees are adamant on celebrating.

 A couple of days ago (It's more like four days ago) I went out of my home. Travelling first 140 kilometres away. I missed my train but never told anyone. I took a bus instead and reached anyway and later took a flight out finishing all the procedures and had a face shield on in the flight. Some had a protective coat minus the face shield. On the return flight I decided not to wear the face shield. It had been very uncomfortable the first time. Back in our home state I stayed back at the friend's house. It was very homely. We had a few drinks and talked into the night. With good friends, that is the thing. It is therapeutic and  healing. It's just what you need. I slept well and in the morning woke a tad late but still it was just 8 AM. But  I felt at home. It was a night rather a few days and nights I lived as myself. With no worries, no thoughts but me myself and my friend. And now back home I am etching this here because it is lesson for all.  Take a break. Meet a...

I posted this a year ago and it was originally discovered by me in 2014. The good part is I still believe in this wise and humane thought...Thank you, Hill. If one is truly great, one will love all humankind! If one is truly great, one will love all humankind! One will love the good and bad amongst all humanity. The good will be loved with pride, admiration and joy. The bad will be loved with pity and sorry, for one will know - if truly great -  that both good and bad qualities of people are often but the results of circumstances over which they have, because of their ignorance, little control.  To be truly great, one will be compassionate, sympathetic and tolerant. When compelled to pass judgement upon others, one will temper justice with tender mercy, throwing oneself always on the side of the weak, the uninformed and the poverty-stricken. Thus one will not only go the extra mile in a true spirit of fellowship, but will also go willingly and graciously. And if the second mil...

 If I could start with an emoji for this piece it would be the one of the faces with its hand on its forehead showing exasperation. That is the reader might say, "Oh noooo!" That's because one has had enough of the commandments. While interestingly there was a piece on the net about whether this is present in the holy books, the truth of the matter is that it is here only for prosaic and literary value. By the way for those who are not familiar with the commandments, it includes some human ones like - you shall not kill, you shall not steal among others.  Jesus gave the 11th commandment which is relevant and that is - love one another as you would love yourself." Paraphrased. But I think the 12th commandment, which is my own, and I think it is is essential for all humans. Forgive all, forgive forever. Yup Jesus said it too. In an oblique manner. Seven times seventy. Or always. There is no other way. Forgive forever. That way you rise above everything else.   

 On July 15, two days ago, my brother had is 58th birthday. On the same day by evening my cousin brother who is fondly called Kumar by all who knew him, but was actually named 'Amalnadan',  passed away after a long illness. He was the closest cousin I had. He stayed in the house where we sent a couple of yours, 5/85, Paper Town. Now the house will recede into memories as his widowed wife will depart from there. Memories. The house and him. Him teaching me to ride the bike. Him, as the human, who stayed on in a house that  saw his birth and death. No more. I remember him fondly.

I am a believer in the big bang theory. For those who are not familiar, it is assumed that the universe was formed by a big bang theory some 13.8 billions years ago. It might just have been our solar system because there are other galaxies, stars and planets that are billions of light years from here. However, scientists who believe in the big bang theory also believe it took only two elements - Hydrogen and Helium to give rise to the universe. But the Universe has trillions of stars, planets and sundry elements that exist and continue to be formed. Where, pray tell me, did the matter come from? After all, if we believe that energy is matter, these things have to come from somewhere. Damn...    

 I realise now (at 56) a very interesting fact: In youth, you are expected to make mistakes; In old age you are expected to be wise... In other words, no matter how many or how grievous  the mistakes you make (unless you do time or it leaves a permanent blemish) when you are young, you can forgive yourself and others because you did not know better. But when age has caught up with you, you know better, so you cannot be forgiven.... But as we get older we do make mistakes which are not age restrictive but if we make the same mistakes again we deserve our punishment. So youth, live it on, you've got the youth-pass.

Damn, is it me or does everyone who is aging feel like this. I feel the past 35 odd years in my life has passed by me in a jiffy, as if I was in a drunken daze or haze and time laughingly fleeted by. (I am 56 by the way) Really, I feel that youth was wasted on me as I lived it away, in pursuit of life's inane offerings. I did live my life but... I feel so much wiser and relaxed now. I love every minute of today. Now. I am older. I will be older and every day I get better. I told one of my friends that I am a better version of myself and anyone would be lucky to have me, now. As a youth, a young guy, I was unbearable: full of me, myself and I was the smartest guy around. How stupid. I have realised that I am pretty much ordinary. I know less and less of everything. I don't know life, but I am getting to know myself. 

 The first time I wrote it seems not to be so much as cheat codes... or does it? But here it is - The only constant in life is time, everything else isn't. You have to rise above your human instincts - primarily emotions - yet be humane in everything possible and you will feel like you have got better of life. While I can dedicate hundreds of pages on the topic, it is left to you to process this and apply it. Just one clue... I know everybody is in need of money. Everybody. Period. So money is important. I say that you need to set limits and you will be richer than the richest man on the earth. There is a saying about this -  To be rich you need to earn (or be born into) or you can cut down your needs and not need money, thereby becoming the richest person ever!

  There are four classes of people in India:   1.        The Base Line: With a majority of Indians who are survivors and are looking only for their daily needs. 2.        The Secondary Line: These are the second largest group who can manage their daily needs but look to securing the future. 3.        The Third Line: These are well-off with finances and can also look to a comfortable financial life The Fourth Line: The ultra rich and who have the resources to get the best in life. This is something I wrote for a client but it applies to everyone. A data scientist like Dominic Porres, my last nephew, might be able to make more sense of it. The FMCG and other sectors, Pharma for one,  can aim for all. The financial sector, education and some others would aim for the second an third. Luxury brands can aim for the third and fourth.

 It is  a simple enough to process. Your life may not be all rosy. You might be subject the vagaries of life that can be family, friends, work, health, money and some other things that worry all humans. Yet, even as desperate and hopeless your life seems, somewhere, someone would be willing to live our life. So take it easy on your life. It is not as bad as you think it is.

 We are always, welcoming to happiness and pleasure. Always. And we live every second of it. Which is why it passes away so rapidly. We are never open to pain. Sorrow. Grief. And we wish to get away from  it. But it sticks on. Like a second skin.  Pleasure passes, pain persists. You know what to do...

 You got it right. For a guy who lived for the moment age has taught me that patience is wisdom.

 I feel like I am cheating life. Or death. Take your pick. One, because I write this as my message to all those who care enough to read this after I am gone. Yup, I mean finito, death or the end of the person that's me. Frankly I had everything ready in my mind - what I wanted to say, but now I am blank. Like I will be when I am dead. Let me try anyway - try to rummage in my mind on what I wanted to say... For one - Don't U dare cry because I am dead: Laugh, chuckle, smile, for I have lived. No regrets there I lived. Sorry for hurting some of U. (why should I be capitals and U in small?) Happy to have reached or crossed the 50's still sane though it took three more years... nah four when nirvana hit me softly. Life is this much only and nothing more. Money matters but not so much that it makes your life revolve around it. Nothing matters. Life does. Living does. Living for others... That is the cheat code. Don't worry.  If you have a problem solve it. Don't think ab...