Tough times

The suffering of ordinary people from the abominable bomb blasts is heartrending. I am so utterly saddened by this cruel act that I cannot even bring myself to respond to the speculations on the identity of the perpetrators. The need of the hour is to help the victims and render them support in rebuilding their lives. It is also equally important to prevent further atrocities. If reiterating that Muslims do not support this violence helps in doing that, I readily do so.

A fine balance

As a law, exotic flowers do not bloom frequently. The two extremes of exquisite beauty and morbid ugliness exist in nature but do not manifest as often as the unremarkable but pleasing jasmine or lily. The ubiquitous jasmine makes up by its consistency and quality what it lacks in colorfulness. Though every flower has its place, it is the unimaginative jasmine that we seek for daily usage. Thus in nature, the mundane edges out the unfamiliar with its usefulness, relevance, reliability, and comforting flavor.

Religion like any facet of nature ranges from the sublime to the subversive. Some ideas uplift man, some hold man hostage by its heartless inflexibility. These opposing ideologies add to the diversity of human thought but again as in nature only the middle path can carry the majority. It is the straight path of faith, righteousness, kindness, love, honesty, responsibility, and duty. It lies at the heart of every human idea worth its salt. This is the essence of every religion that has ever existed.

The passionate construction of a clueless child will be washed away by the relentless sea. Without structure or order, a stable house cannot be built. On the other hand a dreary windowless edifice built with precision cannot house breathing, loving, vibrant people whose spirit will be killed by its macabre rigidity. A feeling of largesse, abundant light, fresh air-these timeless factors-contribute to the making of a good house.

If this is the case with building a home, how much more important are subtle eternal qualities of freedom and love when fashioning a human being? Rituals, rules, duties, and responsibilities are essential cornerstones but without love, kindness, friendship, and honesty to enrich them, man will suffocate and languish in a prison of his own making. The converse is also perfectly true. Good intention executed without proper guidelines or a definite purpose is akin to an elegant catamaran decked with flowers adrift at sea.

How can we attain this fine balance? Where will we draw the line? What criteria will define right and wrong? For a believer, religion provides these answers effectively. Within each religion, apart from the universal message of belief and righteousness that is common to every religion, there are laws that are specific to a time, place, and people. In the course of human evolution, revelations have addressed unique needs as well as eternal ones. (When exclusive solutions are stretched into sweeping generalizations, they wear thin. This is the cause for all religious conflicts.)

Now what about the atheist? Is individual human thought capable of making an adequate delineation? Will human laws be sufficient to tackle the intricacies of the human mind? Will it rein in his baser instincts, inspire noble thoughts? After all, the finest of thoughts have all emanated from religious personalities. Can the atheist shun them all? Or will he accept them but not the origin?

I recently read that the dinosaurs were wiped out at the exact moment of their evolutionary surge. If we accept the idea of chance to explain the existence of the universe, how come the right choice always is made at the right instance with such exacting accuracy every single time in nature? What explains the complexities and the intrigues? Why did so many wise men insist on the same wisdom over the span of centuries and millennia spread all over the globe? Just a human tendency to believe in something bigger than him? An elaborate hoax? Or an eternal truth which sagacious men at varying times have by divine munificence discovered again and again and tried compassionately to simplify in order to convey it to the masses? What seems more probable? You tell me.

When fish do not fly

An important part of life is to know when to leave people alone. Sometimes things are best left undisturbed. For example an encroachment into the lives of endangered tribes brings in its wake death and destruction to them as they lack the immunity to survive the diseases that accompany it. There are nomadic tribes who are not accustomed to a roof over their head. Providing them with modern housing and schooling might seem a rational solution but such a drastic departure from their set norms will spell disaster for them. Thus what is perfectly normal for one person might prove the nemesis for another. (The US is realizing this as its attempt to stuff democracy down Iraq’s throat backfires.) This lack of uniformity in nature is what makes the world so special.

Our individual lives are a microcosm of the larger contradictions that pervade the material universe. People often build perfectly blissful relationships unaware of the idiosyncrasies of their partners or precariousness of some situation. For an outsider this might seem like a fool’s paradise and could lead to a great temptation to interfere and inform but such a seemingly wise step will upset the fragile balance that preserves the harmony of that unique union. The earlier we realize that our ideas of happiness need not meet that of others, the sooner will we stop committing mischief.

Every person faces predicaments in life. On closer examination, we will realize that the severity of one person’s trouble is directly proportional to the capacity of that person to solve it. As people are unique, so will also be the problems that they have to endure. Another interesting factor in life is that even if more difficulties lurk beneath the more obvious ones, most people do not identify these until they have become capable of resolving them. This is a defense mechanism that protects them. Intruding into their lives and explaining to them the extent of the problems that surround them before they have the ability to tackle them would thus be a form of cruelty.

Any meaningful transformation requires patience and opportunity. Only self-driven changes endure. Indigenous solutions can delve into depths that extraneous ones cannot fathom. Forced remedies shock, impede, and finally wither away. Evolution is an essential component of life but only when time is right will things fall into place.

The story of the three vases

Once upon a time, there were three extraordinarily beautiful vases with equally exquisite lids. They were immaculate. Having fashioned them out of one of the best moulds, their maker entrusted them with the responsibility of collecting potable rainwater. He also reminded them to call him if they needed help.

Vase #1 staved off mud and grime keeping himself clean. He waited patiently for the day the rains would come but secretly he was convinced that he would not be fit for such a noble task as collecting water. He was always cautious and fearful but being proud never asked for any help. However, he was unable to collect any water. Soon he even started to wonder whether his maker had lied to him and if such an entity as rain ever existed.

Vase #2 on the other hand could not resist any content. He imbibed dust and dirt, rolled down a step or two and even broke his lid. When it rained, the water that was collected took on a brackish hue. He was very much troubled by the impurity of the water and complained constantly about the fetid rain.

Vase #3 was very humble. He tried as best as he could to keep himself neat. He remembered his maker’s words and asked for his help to remove the lid. To his astonishment, he found that it was raining all the time and how pristine the water was! Finally the sun came up and having fulfilled his duties, the vase shone with contentment and was a source of joy to all who came up to him to satisfy their thirst.

Thus ends the story of the three vases. All of us go through life hoping for peace and happiness like the elusive rainwater that the vases yearned for.

Some people like vase #1 are righteous and rigid, approaching religion with a ritualistic fervor but they never surrender to God wholeheartedly because of their pride or ego. They consider themselves self-sufficient. They remain blind to their deficiencies and instead of asking for the Almighty’s help to remove the lid that veils his grace, they lose heart and never find the joy of life. Thus as grace flows freely like the ever-pouring rain all around them, their resistance to surrender makes them unsuitable to receive it.

Another group of people like vase #2 indulges themselves freely in every desire. They pollute everything they touch and even the best of gifts will for them become a horrible burden. They go through life cribbing about the unfairness of life and will never perceive that their own unhealthy views alone distort the unflawed landscape.

A few are like vase #3, the grateful ones who submit to the will of God. They are aware of their faults and strive incessantly to purify themselves but they also know that God alone with his abundant grace can bring about true transformation. With humility and devotion they serve and obey God. They have joy in all that they do having been blessed with true vision and becoming a fount of ecstasy to all that come to them.

The question is which vase would you like to be?

The importance of extracurricular reading

Books have always served as a second parent to me, offering an escape into its fantasies, revealing a world that distracts, instructs, and enthralls. In silent moments wrapped in the warmth of words, I have discovered love, kindness, and wisdom beyond the realm of daily existence. Without moving an inch, I have been swept away to faraway lands and mingled with creatures both real and imaginary. With the passage of time, the passion for books has only grown stronger and it enchants me to drink from its eclectic, sometimes even esoteric fount. Thus it is my deep desire that the simple pleasures of reading is made available to everyone.

Hence it saddens me deeply to note that the current system of education in India does not succeed in inculcating a healthy appetite for books in children. Of course, the advent of TV, video, and computer games has ensnared the attention of children but I still feel that if there is an honest effort at school to plant the seed of reading, monitor its progress, and emphasize its importance in the form of grades and other incentives, a lifesaving skill can be fostered. Parental nudging alone, from my own experience, does not bear fruit as children already weighed down by the extensive syllabus and its nuances tend to view all books with trepidation. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that schools find a competitive way to work it into the curriculum in the form of book reports or other innovative methods so that adequate time is available to our kids to pursue the joy of reading books of their own choice.

Responsibility

Thought, speech, action—the three pillars of life—are responsibilities to be undertaken with great deliberation. People in positions of authority need to exercise these tools in a noble manner that encourages unity and peace. This seldom is the case and often, powerful men leave a blazing trail of violence behind them owing to their incendiary remarks, foolish demeanour, and muddled thoughts. The politicians in Jammu and Kashmir have played their vitriolic games vitiating an already virulent atmosphere.

Human beings are a crude mixture of good and bad qualities. It is always best to concentrate on decent behaviour and hope for positive reinforcement though murkier details are often more exciting and hence easily publicized. Thus the mass media holds great potential for promoting welfare or mischief depending on the nature of their priorities.

Violence breeds more violence. Mahatma Gandhi realized that perfectly when he fought British colonialism with Ahimsa. Truth, justice, patience, forgiveness and all virtues alone can overcome the endless spiral of hatred and war. When we fight with what is best, even our enemy will incline towards peace. These are not just lofty ideals to remain enshrined in the Quran or any other such religious books. It is pragmatic to adopt it sincerely in our daily lives if we are to succeed as a nation. Only peace can bring prosperity and progress to the beleaguered territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

All that is black is not foul

As someone once said, change can either challenge or threaten us. A casual glance at a busy street in Kochi today reveals an eclectic crowd with khimar-clad women dominating the scene. Barely three decades ago, this exotic attire was a rarity. This visible transformation is but a harbinger of a deeper evolution.

Quran was a distant but deeply revered symbol of Islam then. Today it is widely read and understood.

Viewed superficially, these changes appear to represent a deepening diversion of Muslims of India from an earlier more local form of Islam. Therefore it is viewed with suspicion and as a distancing of Muslims from Indian culture and traditions. What essentially is the truth behind the scenes?

It is very important to acknowledge that the diversity of Indian Muslims is such that all cannot be painted in a single brush stroke. I am primarily taking a closer look at those who appear to be very conservative on the outside (wearing khimar, etc.) but there are hordes of Muslims who do not wear their religious identity on their sleeve but still adhere loyally to its tenets. There are also many who shun it completely and are Muslim only in name. The reason I am examining the former class of Muslims is because they are easily the clearest targets of Islamophobia and are viewed with suspicion and denigrated even by other Muslims.

(It is the fear of the unknown that primarily evokes this response. Then there is the inherent human affliction of believing in the superiority of our own beliefs and looking down upon anything seemingly alien. The fact that both the conservative and liberal camps are very aggressive in promoting their brand of belief does not help either. But I am digressing …)

The war in the Middle East (Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan), the destruction of the Babri Masjid, Srebrenica, the Gujarat riots have all significantly altered the outlook of the Indian Muslim. There is bitterness and fear. Nevertheless, it is a clear understanding of Islam that has led to a complete rejection of terrorism and prevents many an ignorant victimized Muslim from succumbing to its temptations. The newfound grasp of the meanings of Quran has only led to Islam in India becoming a more vibrant, rich, and living religion compared to an earlier mindless ritualism and ignorance.

Now, Muslim women armed with this knowledge are educated, tech-savvy, and aware of their rights. They reject dowry and demand their mehr (money paid by the bridegroom). They reach out to the poor and uneducated and strive to uplift them.

Muslims fulfill their civic duties and wholeheartedly respect, cherish, and celebrate this country that has given them their freedom and opportunities. It is the duty of every Indian citizen to work towards the betterment of our nation but for a Muslim it also becomes a religious duty. Now is that bad?