Some days back i was traveling to Bombay for work. Over the weekend had not been able to check mails so just browsed though them on my notebook, followed up with people i was to meet on cell. My co-passenger sitting right next to me looked like a curious nut. It seemed he was traveling alone and had no belongings was quite intrusive and wanted to have a look at most of the gadgets i used and how they worked.
The Bus Stopped halfway at he food joint, i was stomach crunching hungry, had to get down. Not sure about him i asked him if he was getting down. And he said you go ahead and i will go later. TING TRING, i though either he was out of his mind and was conversing as if we are together or had some fishy ideas in mind. As i went to one of the food joints to buy my breakfast, the stories of laptops been stolen flashed in my mind.
Worried enough, I rush packed my breakfast instead of savoring it over the open space admiring the mist covered mountains, i am back to the bus. I place my packed food on the seat and first thing, i check for the laptop, its all there. As i was sitting there i had already imagined him not to return to the seat, if he had got into the bus with a 'motive'.
After a while done with the breakfast the bus guys gave call and most return back to their seats. This curious old women siting in front of me request to wait for someone. Later i discover that the two people seating in front of me and my co-passenger are all traveling together.
Done with few extra naps and refreshed with coffee, i look forward to out journey through the mountains. One of the most beautiful times in Western Ghats. and then the conversation starts ... with where are you form , where are you going, ....
He tells me that this is his first time to Bombay, he looks like a 30ish man from outskirts of Pune villages, yet to be included in the corporation limit. To stop him from getting too personal we talk about the politics around extension of corporation boundaries. I still keep it short. I am with my hands folded due to the chill in the bus.
He keeps looking at my hand, making me wonder, slowly his curiosity makes him literally bend down to have a look at my wrist and i realize he is curious about my watch. He asks, is it real :).I ask him his reason for curiosity and he says the name of the make 'fastrack' keeps shifting. Quite a Joker i think, i explain him how it works and why it moves.
I am by now smiling to myself thinking that someone who i imagained as a thief, is actually just a curious joker with the child still alive in him. Till he surprises me again.
After inquiring about my purpose of visit he mentions that he is taking mother of his friend to Bomaby to a trust to request for financial cover of operation for her son. He explains me in his most innosent manner the disfunctioning of heart valve and how did his friend discover it. How he feels responsible in a way and what he has done to bring some relief in the stressed sitution. How he really wishes things work out in bombay. Till our conversation is interupted by a phone call.
It is someone from his village wanting to know his wareabouts. The caller does not believe that this fellow is on his way to bombay. Shy enough of what he want to say - he tell the caller- hey its expected in a FRIENDSHIP to do so much.
With a few more conversation we end the journey and i wish him the best, i thik what a soul, and this is my wish for him, hope his visit to bombay helped him and his friend.
I guess travelling by public transport has not yet lost all its charm, i look forward to my next journey....
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
In search of spirituality
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Don't know how to start. also the title seems so not me, like not on my website, not my image. :)
have been an Atheist most of my conscious life. Never found much meaning in Religion, caste. Very early in life or may be not too early by today's times, i guess should be around 12ish, got introduced to Marx and youth movements etc. Some how the rebel in me found a base, a reference, a logic, a reasoning. Yes! but too bad as everything else seemed so wrong that it took me closer and closer to Atheism. I now believe that there was a time in my life when i had become a Fanatic Atheist.
Though this had a parallel of cultural exploration, something i love, celebrate and cherish, Cultures of world. But from my life experiences it has been mostly the diversity that India has to offer. it has been a seamless journey. Unfortunately, not so really, but often it is so intertwined with religion that, often to define and understand culture it often becomes impossible to keep it separate from religion.
This love for culture and my need for celebration took me closer to religion. I kept myself away from it, as mostly i saw both caste and religion as sources of division and labeling of people and often came in way of relating with people as people.
As i journied to rational living, i could understand peoples' need for religion. Actually my interaction with Tribal communities and their evolution of totems and their deities with symbols from nature, made this exploration more interesting. In many tribal communities they often worship tiger, snake or any such thing or a stone which is depiction of an 'unknown' image and often they worship it to keep 'that' spirit happy and to soothe themselves that that spirit will not harm them in any which way. This experience made a major dent in the way i looked at religion and took away Fanaticism out of Atheism.
Since then the cultural exploration has had many more facets to it and the journey has been more beautiful. Quite content with the newer exploration. Till the ghost of uncertainty bites me. Many of whom i have been talking look at faith differently and i have sneak peeked into their experiences, though i guess never talked about it with all.
Though at my end these uncertainties have brought in a new need in my life. Need for peace, clam, stillness. So wanted some association for that calm, have been thinking, God, religion, NAh! not me. I might do it for a need but, would never be true to it in my heart i know, then why even do it. Then tried looking for something more secular, non glamorous or stylish and real. Just like me:). Though not much success at that, hack and hack all the cells of my brain till finally
Tan a tan, a bright idea took me to my home library and actually as i was looking for something bright and rebellious. Some reason to celebrate and guess what i got, wisdom along. What really has taken my fancy is to Journey with Nelson Mandela's Long walk to freedom.
In this new journey, i am choosing to explore his journey to freedom and my journey to peace. Though one of his statements which has stuck in my mind for now is ....Often towards the end the oppressor decides the means of engagement (Scary!).
Don't know how to start. also the title seems so not me, like not on my website, not my image. :)
have been an Atheist most of my conscious life. Never found much meaning in Religion, caste. Very early in life or may be not too early by today's times, i guess should be around 12ish, got introduced to Marx and youth movements etc. Some how the rebel in me found a base, a reference, a logic, a reasoning. Yes! but too bad as everything else seemed so wrong that it took me closer and closer to Atheism. I now believe that there was a time in my life when i had become a Fanatic Atheist.
Though this had a parallel of cultural exploration, something i love, celebrate and cherish, Cultures of world. But from my life experiences it has been mostly the diversity that India has to offer. it has been a seamless journey. Unfortunately, not so really, but often it is so intertwined with religion that, often to define and understand culture it often becomes impossible to keep it separate from religion.
This love for culture and my need for celebration took me closer to religion. I kept myself away from it, as mostly i saw both caste and religion as sources of division and labeling of people and often came in way of relating with people as people.
As i journied to rational living, i could understand peoples' need for religion. Actually my interaction with Tribal communities and their evolution of totems and their deities with symbols from nature, made this exploration more interesting. In many tribal communities they often worship tiger, snake or any such thing or a stone which is depiction of an 'unknown' image and often they worship it to keep 'that' spirit happy and to soothe themselves that that spirit will not harm them in any which way. This experience made a major dent in the way i looked at religion and took away Fanaticism out of Atheism.
Since then the cultural exploration has had many more facets to it and the journey has been more beautiful. Quite content with the newer exploration. Till the ghost of uncertainty bites me. Many of whom i have been talking look at faith differently and i have sneak peeked into their experiences, though i guess never talked about it with all.
Though at my end these uncertainties have brought in a new need in my life. Need for peace, clam, stillness. So wanted some association for that calm, have been thinking, God, religion, NAh! not me. I might do it for a need but, would never be true to it in my heart i know, then why even do it. Then tried looking for something more secular, non glamorous or stylish and real. Just like me:). Though not much success at that, hack and hack all the cells of my brain till finally
Tan a tan, a bright idea took me to my home library and actually as i was looking for something bright and rebellious. Some reason to celebrate and guess what i got, wisdom along. What really has taken my fancy is to Journey with Nelson Mandela's Long walk to freedom.
In this new journey, i am choosing to explore his journey to freedom and my journey to peace. Though one of his statements which has stuck in my mind for now is ....Often towards the end the oppressor decides the means of engagement (Scary!).
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