Awareness

Silence is the language of the soul. We are so caught up in our harried daily lives that mental stillness is a concept that completely eludes us. A prelude to it is the ability to be aware of ourselves. Most of the time, we are unaware of what our bodies and minds are up to. We stagger through life in a drunken stupor completely devoid of any understanding of how and why we think, move, and act.

For a brief period while we are learning a new activity, we become aware of our bodies, thoughts and actions. There is great joy then. During this period, we are masters of our bodies and minds. We appreciate the feeling of being alive. Once our interest fades however we too fade away into a haze putting ourselves in a sort of autopilot. While such a system is perfectly capable of functioning, it lacks joy or zest for life. We do not pay attention to the details. Memory fades. Days float by and if we are asked of their content we are bewildered by our inability to recollect. We cannot remember because we were not aware. Do we want to live our lives like this?

Some people respond to this situation by changing their line of work often so that at least during that brief window of learning before the new work is mastered, they possess the joy of life. This is also the reason that most people start off any task brilliantly but as time goes on mediocrity again becomes the norm as awareness is lost and the cycle is repeated. Others who are incapable of changing their jobs try to change their wives or houses or bring in any new activity that can serve to hold their attention. A few others will always cruise through life unaware and are labeled depressed. In fact depression has in our century reached endemic proportions.

All these are quick fixes as they do not get to the root of the problem which is unawareness. It is like trying to blame the scenery for the poor view when the binoculars are damaged. Once a good pair of lens is put in, the beauty of the scenery can be captured. Similarly when we become aware and learn to hold our awareness, even mundane activities can thrill us and life becomes blessed. Continued awareness will eventually give us the power to choose the content of our thoughts and the state of our minds. We can even steer our minds to complete rest and in those moments of clarity and stillness enjoy the music of the soul.

Time for a facelift

The inevitable happened. Berlusconi won with a majority. So face-lift is in, lifting up the faces of the downtrodden is out. Viva Riches! Out goes any opportunity for any real change.

Meanwhile, I had a good weekend where I finally got to see the outside world after my surgery. One of Zak’s uncles who works in Uganda was here and it got me thinking about Uganda and Africa in general. Zak’s uncle was quite taken with the natural beauty and resources that Uganda is blessed with. He said that people could walk quite safely late into the night provided they offered no resistance if they were mugged. There seemed to be less hypocrisy there. Nobody pretended that there was no poverty, crime or corruption. The robbers performed their duties without too much aggression and the government officials actually did their work promptly after taking their bribes.

I was momentarily taken aback by his laissez faire attitude but come to think about it, the same issues plague my own country but the veil of hypocrisy is so impenetrable that all appears hunky-dory. Farmers die in debt-ridden agony and majority of the people live in collapsible huts while we, the great middle class shuts its eyes to the mayhem and either export our kids to any of the developed countries where we hope they will have opportunities that we never had or have them join IT companies where their souls are sold for huge salaries. The rich becomes richer at the expense of the poorest of the poor who have neither the education nor the wherewithal to further their cause. The educated middle class who could have been the keepers of our nation’s conscience is trapped in mindless gossips about Bollywood or the latest reality shows. Always the same refrain, “where is the time?” when serious issues are brought up or “Can one person really make any difference?”

From what I have read, I do not think that any country in the world remains immune to such complacence, decadence or hypocrisy. We have left our countries in the hands of the worst amidst us. Where are the great leaders who can bring out the best in us, the desire to serve, sacrifice, and obliterate ourselves in the betterment of our fellow beings?

Fitna

I recently watched a video on YouTube called Fitna by Geert Wilders, a Dutch parliamentarian. It was forwarded to me by one of my friends.

The video consists of readings of the Koran interspersed with violent images of terrorism and the point that the author wants to convey is that the ‘objectionable material’ that he quotes from the Koran should be deleted from it. He wants to make a direct link between violence and the core teachings of Islam. He also exhorts ‘others’ to defend their ‘freedom.’

As the Koran has taught me that all people are entitled to their opinions and judgment is better left to God, I do not judge him and I accept his right to have his own views.

I have been reading pages from the Koran daily for years now, more than a decade, and as of yet I have not found anything that incites spite or hatred or violence. If anything, it has only encouraged me to read other scriptures like Bible, Upanishads, Vedas, etc. and enhanced my respect for Jesus, Moses, Rama, Krishna, (peace be upon them) etc.

The Holy Koran was revealed to the prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and it was written down and compiled under his supervision during his own lifetime. It is the cornerstone of Islam and contains wisdom, guidance, warnings, and glad tidings. It is a call to worship one God and lead a life of righteousness. It is the one book that even power-hungry Mullahs or unscrupulous opponents have not been able to corrupt. If given a chance, the wolves will rush in to circumvent matters to suit their desires.

As was the case with most prophets, when Prophet Mohammed started preaching his message, there was wide-spread opposition. He had to suffer much humiliation and torture in the hands of the nonbelievers and there were attempts on his life but he always bore them with patience and never lost his temper. It was when the believers were forced out of their homes and had to fear for their lives that they were exhorted by Almighty God through the Koran to defend themselves.

Now we come to the verses that are read in the video -

1. Sura 8 verse 60 – It deals with those who betray after entering into an agreement of peace and break it often so Almighty God says that it is better to throw the covenant back at them and fight on equal terms. It is immediately followed by verse 61 which of course Mr. Wilders does not quote viz – “But if the enemy inclines towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in God: for He is One that heareth and knoweth (all things).”

2. S4 v56 –– This verse which Mr. Wilders wants to insinuate is a call for violence is actually only a description of the condition of people in hell. It is followed by description of the condition of people in heaven – “garden with rivers flowing …” which he does not quote.

3. S47 v4 –– This is a verse (Chapter is called Mohammed) addressed to the prophet advising him on how to behave during a war waged by those who hinder men from the path of God. Followed by “Thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens.”
“And We shall try you until We test those among you who strive their utmost and persevere in patience; and We shall try your reported (mettle).”

The point is that it is possible to make at any juncture a similar video about any religious or nonreligious doctrine. This is not because any ideology is at fault. It is because there will always be people amidst us who are willing to resort to violence either for power or other reasons and they like to parade their ideologies as the reason for their own weaknesses. Fortunately those who really live by their ideologies and lead peaceful lives far outnumber them.

So Muslim brothers if you are reading this, please do not waste your time protesting against the video, just lead your normal lives in accordance with the Koran and show the world the beauty of Islam through your humble and peaceful lives.

Time to zip up?

On Thursdays, I like to kick back with ‘Scrubs,’ one of my favorite TV shows and drown in its delightfully nonsensical episodes. One of the lady doctors was having a hard time getting her ideas across to her male peers as they were not taking her seriously. So what she did was cover her diving cleavage to make sure that their attention was riveted on her and not her embellishments and actually that did the trick. Seriously gals, modesty turned out to be an empowering experience for her.

What I gather from this is that women all over the world want to be treated with respect and decency. Most women just want the opportunity to earn their livelihood without being disparaged, molested, taunted or teased. Our tight blouses and mini skirts are not getting us where we want to be. Sure in an ideal world it would be nice to walk around the way you want to without being discriminated upon but coming down to earth, we have to take the route that works best.

In reality, men can afford to reveal more than women without appearing to be immodest but if we look around us we will notice that men walk around in layers of clothing. Most men do not expose more than what a burqa-clad woman does but we do not go around calling a man’s attire oppressive. In fact, they seem to be quite comfortable in it. Men want to get what they want by focusing on their strengths. They do not want to be exploited. They are not throwing in any freebees.

As soon as a woman covers up, she is labeled oppressed and has to be liberated by throwing away the shawls and unbuttoning the shirts. I would say that when a woman dresses enticingly the only benefactor is a man. Is that the kind of empowerment we want?