Watched Raavanan yesterday. Give Santosh Sivan four trees and some rain and he is happy as a child, you can see.

No, seriously, forget about the movie review, but the central idea is something that seems to be doing the buzz everywhere, and that idea is that:

History is written by those who won. The heroes of any story, the "good, the virtuous and the valiant", are the ones who got to be that way by no other merit than victory, who were alive to tell the story. Nobody heard from the loser.

Another movie that also carries this theme is Unthinkable, starring Samuel L Jackson. That movie asks questions - What is torture? Does it limit itself to a person's body and mind? And how much is permissible? How far would you go to get information from a terrorist, if it would save many, many lives in your country?

Dogmatic perception of good and evil, and heroes and villains, is what drives every affiliation by birth (culminating in patriotism, think about it.)

A story that introduces the hero as unquestionably good, and the villain as evil without inquiry into motive or personal history, is a simple story for the simple minded. And religion and our own family history is replete with such stories, that we've learned to accept unquestioningly.

A glorious exception is the mahabharatha - with constantly changing perspectives, where every character is complete and complex, like in reality, where the virtuous show villainy and the villainous have a heart and a story. Where God is often devilish, and everyone, in the end, is blandly, achingly human.

Another german poem for fall.

CATEGORY 5 GLOOMY POETRY ALERT!

Fall approaches again, and i return to dark poetry. And who can beat the Germans when it comes to bleak, killjoy literature?

Here is a translation i did several years ago of a poem by Bertolt Brecht. I remember reading this sitting on a footstool in the library at Max Mueller Bhavan, Pune. I had to take it to my room and try translating it. The translation is rather loose and not literal, I was attempting to capture the mood of stoicism and indifference that I found striking in this poem. Read and comment!


Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956): Von der Freundlichkeit der Welt (On the friendliness of the world)

Upon this earth, all cold and wild,
You arrived shivering, as naked child.
You lay freezing in fate’s lap
Until a midwife gave u a wrap.

There was no cheering, nor even a smile,
You weren’t expected all this while.
Here on earth, you meant the same
Till someone took you by hand and gave you a name.

It is not quite the world's fault though.
Who stopped you from ending the show?
Most people will be quite unmoved
though some will hate to see you go.

From this earth, all cold and wild
You’ll go bedecked in ash, all meek and mild
Yet most of you will have learned to love and trust,
On the day they give you two fistfuls of dust.

___________
ORIGINAL:
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956): Von der Freundlichkeit der Welt

Auf die Erde voller kaltem Wind
Kamt ihr alle als ein nacktes Kind,
Frierend lagt ihr ohne aller Hab,
Als ein Weib euch eine Windel gab.

Keiner schrie euch, ihr wart nicht begehrt
und man holte euch nicht im Gefährt
Hier auf Erden wart ihr vielleicht gleich.
Als ein Mann euch einst nahm an der Hand.

Und die Welt, die ist euch gar nichts schuld:
Keiner hält euch, wenn ihr gehen wollt.
Vielen, Kinder, wart ihr vielleicht gleich
Viele aber weinten über euch.

Von der Erde voller kaltem Wind
Geht ihr all bedeckt mit Schorf und Grind.
Fast ein jeder hat die Welt geliebt,
Wenn man ihm zwei Hände Erde gibt.

________________________________

Think about this excellent example of fine rhetoric:

"Is God willing to prevent Evil, but unable?"
- "Then he is not omnipotent"

"Is God able, but unwilling?"
- "then he is malevolent."

"Is God both willing and able?"
- "then whence cometh Evil?"

"Is he neither willing nor able?"
- "Then why call him GOD?"

- Epicurus (circa 375 BCE)

I wish we still had the classical style of education, where rhetoric is a compulsory part of the curriculum. Whatever our opinions, we would have learned to construct our arguments infinitely better than we do now.

How to become a nun - especially if you dont want to.

This post is really a confession - a revealing of a deeply private desire that I've never dared speak of, not to anyone, ever. I've obsessed over it, looked for books on the subject, and once the internet arrived, have constantly looked for information about it, even though I feel it is inappropriate for me to do so. Ok, get your mind out of the gutter.

I have constantly wondered about becoming a nun.

Before you brush that off as a harmless, if misguided, obsession, consider this - for it is a lot more alarming than you think.

I despise authority, don't like rules, have a problem with teamwork, cannot work well with women, and to cap it all, am not religious.

In fact, I have a marked distaste for organized religion. Moreover, I don't exactly have stout belief even in the very existence of god. Even when I sit down in private, lay pretensions and perceived "coolnesses" aside, breathe deeply, and ask myself in all honesty about faith, I draw a big blank.

Yet, since early childhood, I've greatly enjoyed all things spiritual, have participated in temple visits and poojas with nothing but glee, all the while carrying nothing less than unflinching devotion to what can only be described as atheist dogma.

It is not that I am slave to reason either. I have no trouble relating to karmic theories, soul journeys, auras, energies, vibrations, telepathy, ghosts, djinns and ectoplasm. These seem OK, but God, hm.. sounds like a stretch.
Speak to me of spirits, and you'll find an absorbed listener. Speak to me however, of god, and you will be riled and ridiculed.

Which brings me to my second point - one major roadblock in my path to god is, interestingly, his gender. You see, I hate to sound sexist - I am not one, and my closest friends are men, but I don't work well with male power figures. I am not feminist either, but it is this whole Alpha-Omega personality thing, stuff for an entirely different post. So, to begin with, if I have to believe in him, at a very minimum, he will have to be a she. An indulgent mother figure, not too skinny, if possible.

A male, especially the type that I'll be required to pledge allegiance to if I am to become a nun - a cantankerous old patriarch prone to fits of jealousy and righteous rage, who will not hesitate to toss you into hellfire for the slightest of altercations? No, thank you, I think I'll pass.

If you are wondering whether I pray, sure I do. Of course. Who doesn't. Strictly on a need-only basis, though.

Now, coming back to the monastic life. Since my earliest years, or at least ever since I heard about monks and such, I've been wanting to be one. However, given my compatibility issues with the convent, I've toyed with the idea of becoming a buddhist nun - but it doesn't do it for me. Totally lacks the umph. Moreover, orange is just not my color.

And if I did take my vows, I still wouldn't want to be a "sister" - a community worker scrubbing hospital floors, no sir. I would want the cloistered life - seclusion, big old stone buildings, kitchen gardens, silence...

I can see that it is really the serenity of the cloister that attracts me - I am fascinated with the occupations that monks indulge in to keep themselves busy - home baked bread, oil presses, keeping honeybees, making jams and preserves... There is something about the calming routines of the cloister that enchants me.

Hm... all said and done, there seems to be no immediate danger of me ending up bald in a habit. At least not as long as they continue to make sangrias and oh, sleep number beds.

Herbsttag (Autumn day)

A post after a long long time.

Feeling very quiet lately, that happens to me around change of seasons. In keeping with the mood of the moment, here's my (hopefully not too loose) translation of a lovely, lovely poem by Reiner Mairia Rilke. The original follows the English translation.

Autumn day.

Lord, it is time. Summer was very long.
Lay your shadow upon the sundials
and over the meadows turn the winds loose.

Command the last fruits to turn firm and fine.
Give them two more sunny southern days,
goad them on to fullness and chase
the last sweetnesses into the laden vine.

He who is still homeless, shall not begin to build now.
He who is still lonely, so he shall long remain,
sleepless, reading, writing long letters
and pacing up and down the alleys below,
restless and wandering, as the leaves start to blow.

____________________________________________________________

(ORIGINAL - Reiner Maria Rilke)

Herbsttag

Herr: es ist Zeit. Der Sommer war sehr groß.
Leg deinen Schatten auf die Sonnenuhren,
und auf den Fluren laß die Winde los.

Befiel den letzten Früchten voll zu sein;
gib ihnen noch zwei südlichere Tage,
dränge sie zur Vollendung hin und jage
die letzte Süße in den schweren Wein.

Wer jetzt kein Haus hat, baut sich keines mehr.
Wer jetzt allein ist, wird Es lange bleiben,
wird wachen, lesen, lange Briefe schreiben
und wird in den Alleen hin und her
unruhig wandern, wenn die Blätter treiben.

Childfree by choice? post 3

Hi,

most reactions so far have been pro-childfree lifestyle, I was beginning to wonder if that was all we were going to get. Now that we have at least 2 comments favoring having children, I'd like to post my reactions as well. By the way, let us continue to bear in mind that this is an entirely subjective issue outside the purview of rights and wrongs – we are discussing the reasons we see in our own life for children, or not.

To begin with, I am beginning to wonder if we are becoming cynics. Could our attitudes in this matter be a reflection of our loss of hope for the future? Like Anush says, on what basis do we assume that our elders did not lead as full or even fuller lives that we do now? Could it be that children ensure that we stay interested in life, invested in the future, and are likely to be more mindful of world affairs, because we've bought into the future, and are interested in seeing the world continue to be a good place for our future generations?

One comment about the Taitreya Upanished is certainly a pointer in the same direction, but I cannot help but think about the fact that our elders have also preached breaking free from the bonds that we create for ourselves by investing in other human beings – in fact, some of India's most exalted thinkers have preached as well as practiced even utter renunciation from the ties of the family, thereby freeing oneself for larger social, if not spiritual causes.

Which brings me to the second thought – Anush, I should point out that none of the pro-childfree comments here state material reasons for their choice. Still, as Anush suggests, could it be an obsession with materialism that pushes us towards seeking a life where there is little or no demand on our time, energy, and mainly, our resources? I do know for a fact that my parents were much more willing to go without material luxuries for the sake of the family than I can claim to.

That being said, is wanting to be child-free automatically indicate materialist ambitions? While it does seem that it is a certain degree of selfishness (unwillingness to compromise on lifestyle, etc) that holds many of us back from having children, I am not sure that the attitude logically points to a selfish attitude and lifestyle. For one, my parents have a highly compassionate and charitable nature that sadly, could never be put to much use. Every time there is an opportunity to give of their limited resources or their time, their first and automatic concern has been as to how this would affect the time and resources that they have for their children. I wonder if, in fact, being invested in a family makes you relatively more selfish, from a social perspective.

A childfree couple has both more time and material resources to give to social causes – in fact, I've met childfree couples well into their middle age who are highly socially active. Wouldn't this also lead to a sense of purpose and fulfillment? Moreover, there can be little or no expectation of receiving anything in return when you volunteer your time and money for a social cause, whereas, when we give all that we have to a child, I am not sure how many of us have the maturity to not expect anything back, not even gratitude, or even general cause for pride.

Personally, while the prospect of a child somewhere in the future is indeed attractive at an emotional level, and while I am convinced that like everyone here, if I did have a child, i would love it to bits, I am only all-too aware of the reality that once I do have a child, I have no option but to be an ardent convert into religion of the enthusiastic parent, and that there is no backing out of a parenting situation, once one finds oneself in it. After all, if there is one thing that requires absolute and everlasting ideological commitment, childrearing has to be that thing. At least as of now, I am frankly intimidated by the finality of it.

For those of us who do not yet have children, this is the only chance we probably have to give it a fair thought – after having considered these issues, if we still find compelling reasons to have a child, I expect that will make the childrearing experience that much more rewarding.

Childfree by choice? comments as of Aug.13th

Anonymous said...

If you take the emotion out of it, it certainly seems a no-brainer.
The duration of the responsibility, and the sheer number of things that can be sources of problems should, at the least, provide food for thought.
And even if one is prepared to take it on, the question "What for?" looms large. For emotional kicks?
Karthic.


August 9, 2007 7:19 AM
MPK said...

Men and women are like other living creatures, they bring children into the world with little or no thought about the matter and then they suffer and toil as best as they can to rear them.

Men and women think that it is necessary to have children. It is not. It is their animal nature and social custom, rather than reason, which makes them believe that this is a necessity.

I belive that the first half of our lives is ruined by our parents, and the second half by our children and hence its best to Child Free

August 9, 2007 12:32 PM
sandy said...

oooh, MPK, I do not know who you are, but some pretty strong sentiment there!! Do you think children actually RUIN our lives? They often have an uncanny knack for making a nuisance of themselves, but why would you feel so strongly about it? Do post more.


August 9, 2007 1:12 PM
Anonymous said...

I think one of the first lessons we were ever taught is to follow the previous generation. Be it anything - from language to thinking patterns. To a great extent that is necessary for our social existence. If you think about it, creating a new generation is considered more of a social responsibility than an individual’s choice. At a macro level by creating a child one actually contributes to the larger species by preventing it from being extinct.

But looking at it from an individual’s point – I think most of us live by setting some meaningless milestones for ourselves. I would call it life patterns – many of which are just blindly inherited from our previous generations. We take it for granted and never think if it is actually required for the individual self. Again moment that life pattern is violated the society rates you as a failure. Hence we follow these life patterns to get acceptance in the larger society. This is true even in the case of marriage.

I remember this lady telling me that her life is empty without kids. She struggles to balance time between her job and daily chores. But the main motive for all what she does, always revolves around her kids. She never does what she actually wishes to do, for the fear of not giving enough time for her boys. And now it has reached a state where she does not have any other hobbies or interests in her life. When we were talking about this, one question was formulating in my mind. So finally what would happen to her when the kids go their way? I have seen that happening to my own my mother. She has spent all her life and energy around me. Now my circumstances force me to be away from her. The result – she feels lonely and gets into these emotional trips! But one thing is also true. If she had decided to live her life without a kid, I would not have existed to write this today ;-)

The thought of I having a kid is not exciting enough at least with my current mindset. May be if all what I said is true I bet my own opinion will change in future for sure. And who knows I may end up having more than one also 
I would rather be diplomatic - I would decide it in a later stage in my life when I would be more mature and stable with my ability to decide.

By the way why should I be even discussing this – I am still to figure out if marriage is needed. Cant imagine thinking of a child even before being married :D! The society will butcher me off

August 10, 2007 5:07 AM
Anonymous said...

children are the best reminder that we're still apes
August 10, 2007 5:45 AM

anush said...

I have a few friends who are well established in whatever things that they have been doing. They have all come back to one common thing - a home which reminds them only of their material laurels.

To all of them i spin out my grandma's life story. She lived to be 90. She had half a dozen children and a dozen grand children. I have seen nobody live a full life like her.At 90 she was pleased and contended with herself taking things in her stride and died a natural death reveling in the grandeur that she had brought to her life.

Someone had mentioned before in this blog that we follow blindly what our previous generations had to offer. If they taught us how to live, if they taught us happiness, and you thank them for what you are today. Then there would be no doubt that they have shown you an easiest way to fill your life.
August 12, 2007 9:51 PM