A New Dawn

 

There is only one thing worse than a man, who undergoes a personal tragedy. Something perhaps which is soul crushing; trying and seeming to weigh against the freedom of the spirit. That one thing is; if the man survives and then chooses not to learn from his hardship undone upon him.

There is this sense among us all implanted; well if you consider it – its humanities learning mechanism- this race’s true non-sense. I believe that we are true creatures of laziness or inertia of some sort. There are some who actually learn from tragedies among the vast lot of us; all of whom at one point or the other do face personal hazards/tragedies/disappointments- These wilful few make a change in their perceptions/feelings/thoughts/being/life itself to accept and learn from pain, but these few who actually change due to a tragedy- if they care to notice- their hard earned wisdom, takes place when there is this despair looming or past. What I truly fail to understand (for myself) is that why do I not choose to learn anything worthwhile during my mundane daily existence. Its good right? If I am not being shattered, or crushed by some opposition- than that state is verily good. But I think of it not worthy of not teaching me anything. No wisdom to be gained without pain? That's truly a morbid thought, and if that is the truth; then I am afraid humanity is god’s (or whatever’s) sadistic creation without compare.

Maybe humans took the ideation that wisdom cannot be learnt the easy way too seriously. If we care to change, then we could acknowledge all the things which make our lives glorious each and every day and learn (wisdom) from all that touches us even if it doesn’t bring about tragedy or pain along with it. I do look forward to a new dawn

Peace

Introduction To Avadhuta Gita

 

There are many writers of lore; who wrote treatise after another about metaphysical reality yet at the end never forgot (some fucking how) to sign off with their own name(s), there is Sant Kabir/the revered Kalidasa/Tulsidasa/Tukaram and so so many more from India itself… they wrote about being god and being the servant of the divine; yet somehow at the end or even in middle of quatrains never forgot to mention their all important names.

There is nothing wrong with this, but for someone who is trying to share his holy mystical experience, ego is the first thing to banish; not promote, and I a sure each one of the so many scholars and saints had their reasons to do self promotion but at the cost of spreading enlightened thought? That seems ridiculous.

There was Michael Angelo on the other hand (a gifted spirit indeed), who almost never put across his name on any of his creations (I believe excluding one piece). And similarly there was the author(s) of the famed and mystical and little known- Avadhuta Gita.

The Avadhuta is the free one; the innocent one. Similar to a plant or any other life form with little or no ego connection- its there to sustain life on day to day basis; but within this life is something more. Its unified singular present power/consciousness. This is an avadhuta. Completely free from the snares which make ignorance up. This small book containing chapter after chapter of quatrains are full of esoteric and powerful natural knowledge or experience displayed.

The entire ‘book’ or chapters are elucidations on metaphysical unified consciousness, and how anything intermediate is not required. The concept remains that as we all strive in ignorance trying to acquire the original state (perhaps the womb state to many rationalists); the illusion is at the end just illusory, and why paying attention to it only vivifies it. So the avadhuta gita just negates it. It says over and over- no need to pray? who's there to pray to… no need to devote and sacrifice and commit. To whom and what is this done and by whom or what. Its a very profound state indeed.

Couple of the quatrains/couplets go like this:

The mind indeed is of the form of space.
The mind indeed is Omni faced.
The mind is the past.
The mind is all.
But in reality there is no mind

Thus you are One. Why then do you not understand -
that you are the unchangeable One, equally perceived in all?
O mighty One, how can you, who are ever-shining, unrestricted,
think of day and night?

Union and separation exist in regard neither to you nor to me.
There is no you, no me, nor is there this universe.
All is verily the Self alone.

Union and separation exist in regard neither to you nor to me.
There is no you, no me, nor is there this universe.
All is verily the Self alone.

- As you can see; the author understands that even the “act of meditation” is rooted in ignorance. When there is but one, who will try to meditate on the other. Meditation is all that is.

Know all instruments of perception to be
like ethereal space. Know all of perception to be
like ethereal space. Know this pure one as neither bound
nor free. I am the nectar of knowledge,
homogenous existence, like the sky

To those interested, a fairly decent english translation is found on this page: (I picked the above quatrains from there)

http://www.messagefrommasters.com/Ebooks/Spiritual-Books/Dattareya-Avadhuta-Gita-trans-by-Hari-Prasad.pdf

Its indeed revelling to see that there are those, who were born in non-duality and died in it as well. Its indeed comforting to endure the world, an illusion with the heart beating completely free- like an avaduta without any false misery

Peace

<Mad as a Hatter> with <Hg>

 

Mercury is a metal, the god of communication and a mysterious element held paramount in both eastern and western alchemy. I have been fascinated by the material since I have known of it.

Needless to say that mercury is highly toxic, over the ages people have used mercury in many day to day uses; there are cases where it was used in the making of hats- which caused mental and physical disorientation to the people; giving rise to the famous saying ‘Mad as a Hatter’ used in Alice in wonderland (for the mad hatter). The god mercury is named after the element because of its swift moving nature. Mercury is very difficult to be contained, its a poor conductor of heat and moderate of electricity.

In Indian tantra/alchemy; mercury is called the semen of shiva. This is the most important element in this spiritual tradition. I possess a special shiva-lingam made on the inside of mercury (called a parad lingam); mercury though toxic is given the status of providing cure for all illness and even enlightenment; in the ayur-veda texts.

Mercury in Indian history is supposed to cure not only all disease but help in the inner transformation-alchemy and give eternal youth! Indian alchemy (called Rasayana- this itself means the way/path to mercury!) states that to try to attune to the ultimate cosmic power- the body and mind must be kept strong and stable- and for this the element remains Mercury.

Mercury has been traditionally used in minute quantities (Indians knew like most other races about the toxic properties of this element) to drink in water; to keep with food, and to make shiva-lingams which saints used to keep close/in touch with the body. Many saints keep these lingams permanently inside the palates of their mouths, in deep contemplation for decades all together.

Yet why is mercury revered so much? I really don’t have a clue for this but there are some special properties to this metal:

1) In tantra *and perhaps even older parts of rk-veda, mercury is seen as an agent to immortality. or eternal youth, it has fallen from “heavens” during the love making act of shiva-shakti. The mercury has to be purified through mantra and dhyana. This is the true alchemical feat; to convert it to remove pollution and grant life.

2) Alchemists (eastern and western) are amazed by mercury’s combining properties with other elements so easily; and all of them (chinese, european and indian) alchemists arrive at the conclusion that mercury possesses unknown powers which can be used to transmute-base metals to gold and also impure to pure (whatever may be the subject)

3) To my understanding, mercury has both material and psychic properties. It has long been speculated (though without evidence) that mercury use was rampant in the flying of “flying vehicles-vimanas” in ancient India, mercury was the fuel for the flight so as to say. apart from this mercury is very close in atomic weight to gold. Its use was hence understandable to create the philosophers stone.

I really don’t know what makes mercury so special. The fact that its so rare in nature itself or the fact that its liquid and yet so dense. or perhaps its the special physio-chemical properties (expansion with temperature and conductivity etc) which makes it unique or just maybe its something which we as normally cannot comprehend. The energy level and its rejuvenating properties (though so poisonous) must be looked upon with seriousness by rational communities (its not a coincidence that cultures across the world have chosen mercury as the god’s element)

Peace

NOW?HERE

 

Enlightenment is here and now!

Do you choose? Do you choose to enlighten? When? and How?

I can help; so can you. Enlighten yourself; There is no need for proof.

The answer does not exist. The Field and the knower are the same.

There is no label. The game no longer the same. When you choose.

Do you choose? To enlighten. Seeking is oh so futile and the resistance weak. Enlighten; Here and Now. No time remains to be bleak.

The questions cease; The mist clears. The path winds back; to the one who remains ever here.

There is no thunder; no chorus for your mighty empire. It crumbles from where it was made. The feeble mind, and the thoughts it churns as if in a mire.

There is no recourse other than the one which is present (here). There is no solution to death but death as it is.

Do you still choose? To enlighten yourself. To understand and acquiesce all in transitory pleasure and pain. So when will you strike.. A thousand years or a decade? It makes no difference for once you are born.. you are to fade.

I do choose. To be now and here. To be free and clear. To be one and none. To be the divine will done.

Peace  

-Monet’s Tulips of holland (Pristine!)

Extended Theatrics

I could have been damn good at theatre. Not only did I have the penchant for acting, but I also have (still) a kick ass memory for remembering queues and line. I have been in couple of drama/theatre when I was in school. My favourite was the one which took over 2 years of preparation. This was whilst I was studying in HK, in Delia School of Canada (yea, mostly Canadian and Chinese expats). Our then drama teacher (a really wonderful empathetic soul) called Mr. Michael Blaney, was our instructor/guide/leader/mentor/friend and everything else in between during this time.

I guess most of us involved in the drama were of the same age (mostly 7th and 8th graders!). There was a brief audition (which I could pass with flying colors- hell the drama was in English and I can speak at least that language), followed by months and months and months of regular daily hourly practice. Mr. Blaney wanted us to feel and become the characters, and unfortunately for me this meant the greatest headache of all.

I played the character of an old Chinese man (can you believe that) who keeps rambling about the virtues of his age while condemning the vices of what he saw in front of him (of his grand kids-and friends and what not). The entire play revolved around 3 generations, myself (the oldest of the lot), the parents (played by some of my good friends) and the ‘dudes’ and ‘dudettes’ who didn't give a rats ass in the name of rebellion. The story was common day and didn’t differ much from perhaps everyday reality. The peer pressure, and the angst. The parents demands and the generation gap and of course the loony old man in the corner with his ramblings (fuck!)

So, I had the most lines to remember; cause after every act(parents or grand children-did not matter with whom the previous act ended with).. I had to go off the hook and ramble on for 5-10 odd minutes with great theatrical expressions about the pain I was experiencing even watching the youngsters and their failed attempts to live. Damn; there were months on end when we practiced the play top to bottom day in and out to get to the point where it was absolutely fluent in every persons head.

We arranged for a presentation at school on its annual day, and the play went better than planned. It was fabulous (to the best of my memory it lasted around 45 minutes odd- and mind you out of which 20 odd minutes was my own fucking rambling). We got rave reviews from our school teachers and Mr. Blaney was top of the pops (he had been recruited that year itself for teaching drama and being a class-room resident teacher- he was assuredly one of the most genuine people/teachers I have ever encountered). The cast too got a good clap and well deserved and it was onwards for some careless fun (without the daily practice routine).

This too did not last though, soon enough everyone of us was called by Mr. Blaney to undergo a verbal contract that we would again be able to put forth a show; all of us agreed of course, and we realized that we were to act in front of a public audience (not our school or any other), in one of HK’s kick ass theatre competing with other English language schools from HK/Mainland region. We undertook the damned task of picking up where we left off; taking off the rustic expressions and tones with the former refined states to which we had soared in the previous months. This time the training was more gruelling, cause we could not afford any mistakes at any cost.

The judgement day arrived, and we were given a spacious resting and changing room (my make up took quite some time- turning me into fairy white Chinese man with white hair, and a little paunch and what not!), and all of us were onto the stage once more. This was the first time I was in front of such a huge audience (perhaps over 1000 or 1500 people) who had paid money to see us in action. We were one of the few dramatics that evening; there were also some dance and stage shows and some other stuff which schools had come up with (we were told that other schools though English medium had not the endurance to make a proper formal play and I dont blame them, it took us nearly half a year of rigorous journey to complete the play to the sort of end we would have liked. All of us were polished and became almost the characters we were portraying, I say almost cause we were still adolescents at that time, and perhaps we hadn’t developed advanced skills (though to tooth my own horn, I did receive the best actor award and also accolades from my teacher personally- he told and confided that I did have the stuff to become a good actor later in my life!- something which i cherish and relish till date)

Theatre is fun to see, but yes; to evoke emotion (not from the crowd only) but firstly from yourself- there is a lot and I mean LOT of effort to be put in. Its something which we do everyday; the only difference is; we actually think that our day to day life is not a drama and that the world is not a stage.

Peace and love

Flesh & The Power It Holds

 

I am a vegetarian by choice. I was by birth too; but during trying times; I don’t mind having flesh/meat to survive. But that’s about how far I can take it. For me, killing to eat does not form a very appetizing thought. I would not want to take another beings life to eat. And if I do so, I realize and accept that someday it will happen to me in one which way or the other.

There are many non-vegetarians (carnivores) who think that eating meat and nothing else will satisfy them, and yes they are right. For I realize (unfortunately a vegan’s realization) that flesh/skin/meat holds raw power. Raw power which ingested and digested adds to the power of the individual. Yes, Yes the power in the form of carbs and fat, but also conscious power- the power which transforms individual tendencies (prakriya) and thought processes. To the best of my understanding- “You are what You Eat” and yes when you digest animals- you inherit their base animalistic tendencies too- which are well what most humans do too- eat, kill more, eat more, and rage till sleep overtakes them.

Well, what I wanted to know of the non-vegetarian ‘race’ amongst us is; why do they stop at eating other animals? Why do they not think of (if not actually implement) eating other human beings too?  What?? its disgusting? Acts of cannibalism in this day and age? Why would anyone do that?

For one; Human meat *those who have tried it (I have not!)* is professed to be the best tasting meat; and also when it comes to the internal organs- all animals have similar tasting organs- so the liver/breast of a chicken would be just as delicious as of a humans (roasted well enough of course). LOL

But I am sure, this thought never crosses a gung-ho meat eater, who is out to kill anything that moves. Why is cannibalism so out of fashion? In reality, its not uncommon amongst many of the surviving/extinct tribes of the world and over 2000 species of animals across the globe actively engage in it for various purposes ranging from sexual to infanticide to of course requirements of food. Cannibalism to my reasoning has only been shunned because it poses a direct threat to human life itself. Otherwise there is no moral fallout to the concept of eating meat right? Does the source really matter, especially when the meat is the best one available?? I really would like to know (from the horse’s mouth- the meat tearing flesh eating people of the world)

Now, did you know that modern human beings actually ate up their ancestors- yes people of the pre-Neolithic age (hunter gatherers) were actively consumed by the modern day farmer counterparts- during times of drought and crop failure. There are innumerable examples of such scenarios from everywhere around the world… so what makes YOU stop eating another human being? (This is a proven fact that many times over across the world- tribes and warring groups ate the dead of the antagonists to show/prove their superiority, cultural and otherwise- but this is direct correlation with what I understand, flesh has the power- occult/spiritual/causal which can make one person ‘stronger’ than another- and hence its so addictive to so many carnivores in the world)

You would (if you could) think about it; and perhaps come to the conclusion that the fact that you would not be able to do something which you feel against- as killing someone else for your food- this would bring about the empathy/sympathy that you too might be in such conditions to be eaten- and would hence pose as a deterrent. You could feel the other person has a family; someone who cares for them, hell they are just like you… how could you do something horrendous to someone like that….? or maybe you would come to the “naive” and shit faced conclusion that humans are more important than other life forms- they are smarter/stronger or some fuck up and hence deserve to be here, while others are expendable (and I really PITY such crude logic when it comes to the fore in humans)

And yes, then I would believe that you are a hypocrite. The most abundant (over a billion useless people in this wretched land itself!) and freshest meat in the world off the back of human being and you aren’t willing to take a bite? What type of macho meat eater would you be? You are a coward; eating something packed and roasted in a plastic- not knowing whether that life had something in common to you or ever caring to know in the first place. How could you kill something/someone who you had affection towards? Who you could sympathize with… and yes you might not sympathize to a chicken wailing or a cow crying before its slaughter. But then why such steep narrow moral standards when it comes to human beings- who are little or no better than these animals (most often worse than them- never minding their own natural business). At least the animals were not hypocrites. They ate whatever they could. Without a blind sightedness which humans are consumed with.

Next time you abhor something like cannibalism; you must take a look to the human condition (including your own), at least wild cannibals are true to their state of meat eating- (and cannibals give up other meat BECAUSE again its proclaimed that human meat is the best/most powerful of all); unlike you connoisseurs of fine dining who like some dead rotting flesh to be served to you; which you are not strong or willing enough to kill; which you are not strong or willing enough to atone (its sacrifice); yet are willing to devour down incessantly like some sort of ignorant fool; who does not understand the power of flesh; yet is addicted to it like a maggot.

(PS: I find that most non-vegetarians have never even witnessed the cruel death of something they are going to consume with relish. Perhaps they should, it might bring some perspective to the actions their stomach inspire!)

and I do not favour the death of anything/anyone for sheer consumption by another.

Peace

The Night Life @ Kaup

 

Sorry, but the title is a bit misleading for us city folk. We think of night life as decking ourselves up; driving through the weekend traffic and heading out to a dingy room with discourteous barkeepers and waiters and dancing through smoke and sweat; seeing some shiny disco balls and perhaps getting felt up as the highlight of the night!

But @ Kaup; its always something else. This is one of the more famous beaches close to udupi/manipal on the south western coast of India (state of Karnataka). For decades, students from manipal colleges have been visiting this beach for freaking and having some open air fun. And I must admit I have been no exception.

Kaup (pronounced ka-pu); is a clean stretch with no tourist nonsense (until the time I was there), couple of shops which keep the usual eatables and drinkables (toddy from close by village is a must!) for the student population. And oh I forgot to mention the beautiful scenic lighthouse which exists (now over 100 years old!). The lighthouse is a sight to see at night (not too tall, but the perfect structure for the place).. the single light pouring through darkness; a beam cutting into the night (so it always seems to me). It also divides the beach into almost two equal halves. The best thing is, that you can climb it up with a ticket till evening to see the awesome view 360 degrees abound. There is the mighty blue ocean on one side, and the endless green on the other. Its a beautiful sight to see from the elevation! (I have had the good fortune of seeing the rain clouds approaching and almost blowing me off the lighthouse, its extremely soul quenching!)

Well, I will tell you about the very first time I went to kaup with my friends (I guess they were- Alap, Sandeep Patel, Roop, Joy, Arvind Patravali). We took a bus from udupi and within half and hour reached to the town kaup, from there its a 20 odd minute walk into the village area. We cut through just in time while keeping our sights on the beautiful sunset, This was our first time, and we did not know our exact bearings.. and took casual time to explore the countryside (it was the first time for all of us looking at the real clean beautiful Indian countryside).

By the time we could hear waves close by, it had become dark and fast. The night was clear (and no moon in sight), and LO! within a period of minutes the entire scenery became dimly illuminated- No; not from any artificial lamp/light or the moon. It were the STARS! above us, around us. enveloping us.. I had never had the pleasure of seeing such a skyline of space ever before (and I have seen clear skies outside cities).

This was one of the very rare instances which I got to see (this being the very first) the beautiful akasha ganga- our own galaxy- milky way! It was too much, we all could see the thick necklace- the beautiful band of stars which formed the part of our own galaxy! We all must have heard about it, cause we concluded it to be this, but wow; I cant remember anything as precious ever which my eyes had witnessed. I remember all of us walking looking up and not in front to the beautiful empty virgin beach (most students retreat this place too by evening- especially couples lol). We spent umpteen time over there, idling and gazing at the stars- jewels adorning the neck of the infinite sky and space. It was imprinted in my brain. It was something which I could never forget (being the city bum that I am).

The place is magical in its own right; for at kaup (and many other places in and around manipal itself)- where there were at that time no neon lights to spoil the night sky- were the perfect sights to lay down on the grass or sand, look up without any concentration to see the most and i do mean MOST amount of varied colourful and out of the world (literally) shooting stars/meteors. It is truly a sight to see, almost every other second a brilliant streak through the night sky… and all through the night! I tell you, I have never been so bored of making magical wishes one after the other!

The roaring beaches at night, the beautiful un matched pristine night sky with stars and starlight, the shooting stars interspersed between these eternal twinkles of the night and you feel thoroughly blessed to be a part of nature; Yea this is when a decently smart person can understand (like I did), that to be part of nature is this life’s work enough; I don’t have to go and be gung-ho and change nothing, Everything is perfect the way it is! The way it should and must be.

Peace