Conflicts

Ongoing conflicts have no ends these days...they never get resolved.
One gets used to conflict news bytes and conflicting news...
Maybe conflict means good business for all...for arms sellers and buyers, negotiaters, politicians, investors, media...everyone thrives on them.
So what if innocents die in the crossfire?
In this world of inflation and sensex what is the cost of one human life?
How many get killed in one single day all over the world in such conflict zones?
YES, ofcourse life must go on...killings must go on...
All for a unknown cause...

Letting go

Sometimes it is important to let go
Without saying elaborate good byes
Everyone moves on
Life goes on
Whatever one holds on with force
slips away or gets distorted
Is never ever familiar again
Sometimes it is important to forget
Without a lingering glance
Whatever that is rightfully yours
does return...does it?

Being Happy

Being happy is the most sought after state
It is almost as if Earth rotates just to be happy...
There seems to be no other purpose in life than to seek happiness...
The only difference is some seek happiness for themselves
while some seek it for others...
Happiness eludes some while it resides unknowingly in some people...
No chalked out investment plans can buy it
nor can one sell it to others...
But the poorest of the poor flaunt it in on their faces
and they become the most sold pictures in the world!!

Out of tune

I seem to be out of tune these days...
It all started when I became more and more out of tune with nature...
People crowd in my thoughts and useless routine imprison my days...
I want to clear up everything and soak in the colour of the sunset
but I see a plane glide away...a mobile ringing somewhere...
Factory bellowing smoke...they all come in the way...
Mind is almost hurrying the sun to go away...
Racing thoughts ruin the moment
I don't know when I'll clear up my mind and watch a clear sunset
and notice birds returning home...
I am out of tune with Nature or
rather the Nature is out of tune with me...
I envy the singing bird while no song come to my mind!

Carlos Castenda quotes

People hardly ever realize that we can cut anything from our lives, any time, just like that. For example, smoking and drinking are nothing. Nothing at all if we want to drop them. Only one thing is indispensable for anything we do; the spirit. One can't do without the spirit.
* * *
Only as a warrior can one survive the path of knowledge, because the art of a warrior is to balance the terror of being a man with the wonder of being a man.
* * *

Nothing is gained by forcing an issue. If you want to survive you must be crystal clear and deadly sure of yourself. Only one thing is indispensable for anything we do; the spirit. One can't do without the spirit.
* * *

Life

Why all the arrogance?
Why all the atrocities?
Why all the wars?
and the killings?
Any way your life is as limited as mine
We will all change form
either become the earth beneath
or the atoms floating around.

Life is a long chain
It'll go on even if we remove the links
or twist it
It'll unwind and shove us into our graves
and dance at the new dawn
Why make efforts to put full stops
Anyway your life is as limited as mine

Unknown faces

I owe this life to three unknown faces...
Rather three hands which pulled me while I was on the brink of an abyss...
Three accidents which I survived
I owe this life to those unknown strong hands full of life...
Everytime I turned around to thank I saw life spinning around me
and backs turning in a matter of fact way...
I owe this life to the three unknown people...
Hope their tribe increases...
a tribe of rare souls who save lives in a casual
matter of fact way...

A moment

From the sky i can see
i am just a moment
passing by

On earth a moment
lasting a life time
and from the stars above
not even fraction second long

From the sky i can see
i am just a moment
passing by

On earth it is seems
a never ending struggle
and from the stars above
i am yet to be born
their light hasn't touched me yet

On earth i drag my tired feet
across latitudes and longitudes
and from far stars it is unnoticed
movements

From the sky i can see
i am just a moment
passing by

In my little son i shall
be immortal
but for the life on this earth
and the infinite above
i may not even be a moment
passing by

From the sky i can see
i am just a movement
marching along with the
life on the earth

My life is a moment
passing by

Alzheimer

She smiles

She sits smiling in a corner
with erasing memories
Memories sliping away
She tries marking a face
She smiles anyway

A warrior she has been
all wars forgotten
wins and losses erased
with no gameplan for a change
She smiles

She sits smiling in a corner
She forgets her previous moments
But seems to imitate
imitate her childhood maybe
She throws tantrums and
She smiles

A mother she has been
all duties and responsibilities fading
she becomes her own grand-daughter
Confused
repeating herself
She smiles

Warrior may be not
but brave she is
defying death
her immediate adversary
She smiles

Land of herds

In spite of all insanity India is quite popular in the world and has always been…even before the 60 years of freedom…why else did India had to suffer and survive so many invasions and war? Why has it been a possible source of sustenance and hence attracted visitors and invaders from far flung land?
It has been the land of natural abundant resources and riches. It had potential to feed and sustain far flung countries. And what made the task easy?
Our typical Indian character. Multitudes can become slave to a single thought.
That thought can be anything…it can be God or serving British empire or slaving for freedom struggle…or working ungrudgingly in some MNC’s…or being a political party worker or a part of fanatic group or any herd. We need to belong…be a part of the larger herd. No need to see where the shepherd leads us…as long as there is enough leisure and grass to eat we can climb mountains as well and even jump down if the shepherd wants us to…
Now if our leaders want us to become fat salaried, Mall hopping, stress and amusement driven, well dressed multitudes, why not? That’s the only nation-building role available…lets all party tonight. And if the World-Leaders want our leaders to open our markets and industries or sign nuclear deals or make our back yards royal dumping ground of the excess or systematically eliminate our natural village and farming centered way of life…why not?
Lets all party tonight… There are herds of nations at another level and our nation too has to belong somewhere…
Those who can’t trek all the way and join the party…can jolly well get stressed or go insane or kill themselves or be ready to be called nerds instead of herds.

No. No. We aren’t all that dumb. This is the land of intellectuals as well. Not all want to party. Some herds head for protest march and demolishing and deconstructing.
In the name of nation-building and asserting…my herd is my comfort zone…

Do I ignore corruption? Do I work with all sincerity and honesty? Do I like the work I do?
Do I ignore mental well-being of my family?
Did I ignore my neighbor’s distressed scream?
Do I ignore the appalling living conditions forced on us?
and many more questions...

We know at all levels, be it individual or national we need to be logical and committed to resolving conflicts…we need to ask:
What is the exact problem that needs to be addressed? Are we really here with a solution or we are the part of the problem?
Are we at all interested in the solution? And so on and so forth…
But…
No time to stop and think,
I have to be with my herd or else I’ll be lost…

Schizophrenia at 60

Patient: India
Case History: Independent identity for 60 years
Has forever suffered from delusions of idealisms.
Recent symptoms:
International fashion week was held world wide while its cotton farmers are killing themselves for petty debts (peanuts compared to the crores spent on cotton clothes and their presentation and advertising and event management at the Fashion week).
Dual international identity: Growing IT country and growing international investment opportunities and excellent market growth versus extremely poor rural and urban infrastructure and 90 percent of population has no buying power.
Malnourished and starving multitudes in the land of surplus food.
A political party opposes SEZ ‘s in the states while being in opposition and pushes SEZ’s by all means in the state where it rules.
Eternal identity: Mother India Ground reality: Girl children are killed mercilessly.
Icon of modern Gandhian thought for youth is convicted for carrying arms.
Hospitals are breeding ground of diseases and criminals.
Great expressions of freedom: Spitting, pissing in open, abusing, expletives, beating up, eveteasing, molesting, never protesting or helping victims.
Biggest contradictions: Children show maturity of grown ups and adults are invariably the problem children seeking attention and creating problems.

Drifting Clouds

Drifting clouds
moving cotton across the blue
making shapes
giving joys
amazed little boy's eyes
Drifting eyes
moving thoughts across the mind
making notes
marking memories