बस एक सोच

Reading about communal violence in India, at times kids ask who is right and who is wrong. I try to tell that it should not be a "Who" but a "What" question. 2 lines to just state that thought

ना हिंदु बुरा है ना मुसलमान बुरा है, 

बुरा जिसका ईमान वही इंसान बुरा है |

ना हिंदु अच्छा है ना मुसलमान अच्छा है,  

है भला  जो इंसान, वही इंसान अच्छा है |

Grand Canyon

Look around, the vast expanse of beauty will surely take your breath away and make you ask, HOW?

The theories by geologist are certainly there but none of them seem to be acceptable to mind. Philosopher, or the logical, or romantic or whichever way one defines oneself, they all come to one conclusion that theories do not justify the scenery and its creation.

That is Grand Canyon for you.

This was my 2nd time here, and I was even more awed and more mesmerized than the 1^st time. Hundreds of miles of stretch and thousands of feet depth and the turquoise blue river that seems to crawl through the canyon like a snake. But it is not crawling, it is gushing at top speed and roaring while it does the same. 

I agree with the Natives; who have called this place home for centuries; that all this is sacred. Also, I can’t argue against the theory that this can be the birthplace of life as we see. The energy that this place emits. The open arms invitation that it extends to everyone, welcoming to embrace all in a loving warm hug. You soak in the beauty. You be a part of it. You feel the connection, a connection that is way older than you or maybe even older than the human race. The nationality, the race, the language and many such things that we commonly tag ourselves with seem to lose significance.

Now some theories I heard

The sudden impact talks about two tectonic plates colliding and the force generated was so strong that it raised the whole area (thousands square miles) by  many thousand feet. And a canyon cut through.

The multi-million-year concept talks about the river painstakingly chiseling it down for more than 70 million years.

Then there is 2 rivers theory that talk about a possible ancient river flowing in opposite direction from the one that flows now. And the flood theory and the volcanic eruption theories.

But what do you accept? What do you believe? None of that syncs in as all of that is way beyond our reach of knowledge and strength. We, humans, being creatures of logic want more proof, want documentation, want a precise reason and not opposing theories. So, it leaves us wanting. I felt humbled by the vastness and my own existence in relation to that. I am sure I was not the only one in feeling that way.

Anyhow I did feel that whatever science tells, it all started with a creator who wanted to create something unique. With a hammer and chisel, chipping the rock. Slowly and deliberately. Shaping the formations, exposing the layers from the rock. Making curves and edges. Delivering some harder and forceful blows followed by many calculated soft hammerings. Inch by inch. Rock by rock. Stone by stone. Creating the landscape. And then one day millions of years later, the master creator stopped, kept the hammer and chisel away and walked. You may find somewhere the Hammer and Chisel; if you are committed to find. The work was done. It was complete. Actually, it had always been complete and the chisel and hammer could have stopped carving the rock any time. 

The creator then said, "you who will come one day may ask for documented proof. And I am giving you that. Not a scientific journal but a canvas with a million stories of its creation. You may ask and argue. Or you may just observe and witness and find your own theory, your own story. I want you to know, your story is right. As right as that of your friend. However different those two may be. Just carry your story with you. Sit around bonfire in the night and share your stories. Sing and dance and laugh. Speak and sing in different languages and still know that everyone understands."

"Live, that is what the canyon tells you. You will always feel small till you compare. But read my hammer strikes and you will know; you don't have to compare. You are a part of the vastness. You are one with the Canyon and the river below. You have been created with same pain and toil as the Canyon. Ask me because I did that too. Some of you name that effort as evolution. And evolution it is. So, go blessed and return some day to read more stories in these rocks. More stories to live and share and sing about."

I just shared my story with you. My theory, what I saw and decoded. Logical or philosophical or romantic or just insane, I don't know. I leave it to you to decide. But one day let us go back and explore more. Explore the next chapter of the stories, as I've told some of you, "I believe best stories are those that don't want to end"

Note: The Pictures above are taken by me, some in 2005 when I went to Grand Canyon for the 1st time and some in 2020, during my 2nd visit.

Welcome Twenty 20

2020 is officially here. And keeping the tradition (and my promise) I am going to recap the year that just ended. 

But first let me start by noting the significance of 2020. Especially with my South Asian roots, the term 2020 became a synonym of fun and excitement since the 1^st cricket world cup was played in year 2007, 1^st for the shortest version of the game. The T-20 or Twenty 20.

Now a quick flashback. 2019 had been a year of promises and fulfillment in many respects. 

However, unlike 2 years before 2019, the year went with lesser events. In a way a good thing, but at the same time, it had been so busy that reflecting and memorizing any events could not have been easy. “When moving at top speed, you miss the view around the road” that can sum up 2019 for me.

When 2019 started, I made a list of things. My to-do list at work and at home. But with each breath I took in 2019; a few days were gone. The time flew so fast that before I could even count the tasks on my list, the year turned. 

I was looking back, and realized, while keeping some promises with my world; I had missed on some self-promises made at the dawn of 2019. While some were okay to not fulfill, others made me pay for missing.

The best part, I think I made some new friends in 2019 and met some old ones. If you read my posts, you may remember the college reunion, I attended in July 2019. And another one that I didn't write about was meeting another friend after almost 25 years and realizing that for last 5 years we have been living less than 10 miles apart. 'Mental note; never get too busy that you forget to check with friends regularly.'

 

2019 also took me to Paris, 1st trip to Europe with the family during spring break. I am sure all four of us built some lifetime memories. 

And since the year had been busy at work, so tried to steal some time with family and meet the old friend, "Mickey Mouse" in his home in Orlando in the last week of the year. Reinforcing the belief that however difficult the situations might be, but a few days of uninterrupted family time makes things amazing. Like Mr. Walt Disney had said “A man should never neglect his family for business”  And I promise to not forget that it all started with a mouse (very potent teaching if one wants to learn)

As you can see not too many mention-able items in 2019, but hopefully 2020 will have many amazing stories to share. 

2020 as I said before, means fun and excitement guaranteed. Also, this year is extra special for another reason. Which I will speak of somewhere mid of the year. 

I will open door to 2020 with revived promises from last year with some added flavor -

·         ~Work for living and laugh to live (and live to laugh)

·        ~Stay always dependable (home or office); and show people around that they can count on you

·         ~Make more friends; and strengthen the bonds with old ones

     ~Value family; and continue supporting each other

·         ~Burn more than consumed (calories and stress); And celebrate the process

·         ~Write regularly; Really this time

·         ~Never give up on a chance to see the rising Sun; And find reasons to get the chance

·         ~Never miss a chance to share a story with the kids: and find reasons to tell the story

    ~Give back to Nature; after giving thanks 

·        ~Laugh – No reason needed

·         ~Pray – Life is the reason to pray

·         ~Celebrate – is the reason to be alive

·         ~Stay grateful – Always

And I am grateful to be back in twenties 😊

2020 here we are, let us make it memorable

अनंसीखे

I was talking to a friend lately, don’t think I could help, but tried to pen his dilemma in a few words. You know who you are my friend and you know you can change it, good luck to you and for all others read the lines below and say a prayer for my friend…

किसी दिन मिलो तो पूछेंगे, कैसे बिताई ऐसी वाली?

हसरत की तो क्या कमाया? इज़्ज़त उल्टा और गवा ली | 

खुद जब ख़ुदमुख़्तार रहे हो,

तो क्यूँ इतने झुक कर चलते हो?

लोग समझते हैं कमज़ोरी, यह आदत तुम्हारी अच्छाई वाली 

सोचो क्या सिखाओगे, जब खुद सीख़ के भी अनंसीखे हो?

मुस्काते हो, झूठे लगते हो, हँसी तुम्हारी नकली वाली 

क्यों कहने से इतना डरते हो?

क्या  खो जाने की फ़िक्र करते हो?

ग़र टूटे वह डोर थी कच्ची, कभी न थी भरोसे वाली | 

फिर एक बार सोच तो लो, क्यों जीते हो ऐसी वाली?

चैन लापता, होश भी ग़ुम, नींद ऊपर से और गवा ली 

मिलो तो सही  तब तो पूछें, कैसे बिताई ऐसी वाली?

Oh! by the way this should not be my new year post…will post something soon to welcome the turn of the year

अनकहे

An ode to the unsaid .....

अनकहे 

कुछ अनकहे लफ्ज़ जो होठों पे आते रुक जाते हैं 

कुछ अधूरे अरमां दिल में दबे हुए, बस वही सो जाते हैं 

वह सपने जो नींद उड़ा दिया करते थे कभी 

वो भी अनजानों  की तरह अब मिलने को कतराते हैं 

कुछ हवा बदल गयी शायद. या समां बदल गया है 

दुनिया नहीं है पहले सी , यह जहाँ बदल गया है 

वक्त चल रहा हमेशा पर अब रफ़्तार बढ़ गयी 

बस हम बदल नहीं सके, साथ चल नहीं सके 

न मंज़िले वही रही और रास्ता बदल गया 

वो लफ्ज़ बोल भी दो तो, अब कौन है जो सुन रहा है?

 वो "अपने सा बेकार" यार था जो कभी , 

अब वो भी अपनी मसरूफ़ियत है बुन  रहा है 

सपने ग़र आ भी जाये तो, आ के सहम से जाते हैं 

जब अपनी ताबीर की न कोई वजह पाते हैं 

और 

कुछ अनकहे लफ्ज़ जो होठों पे आते रुक जाते हैं 

कुछ अधूरे अरमां दिल में दबे हुए, वही सो जाते हैं 

वह सपने जो नींद उड़ा दिया करते थे कभी 

वो भी अनजानों  की तरह अब मिलने को कतराते हैं 

AQI and We

AQI, I had never heard this term while growing up because my ancestors gave us cleaner air when we were kids. Over years the need for comfort and monitory profit took over and started eclipsing the basic commonsense area. Eventually our generation grew into adults and expedited the process of clouding the commonsense in the name of “development”. And now, few decades later the term AQI became a commonplace term. Air Quality Index; AQI. AQI is not a measure of the quality of air, it is rather the new measure of how material success is kept above the basic need to live. Or in stronger words, it is the measure of total lack of commonsense.

We are so engrossed in our smart devices that we all fulfill our civic duty by forwarding the “grave future” videos showing Air being so toxic that kids may have to live in bubble wraps. We look at the screen in scare and say, this is coming in future, never do we lift our head above the phone screen and look outside the window. Because if we did we will know that the view didn't show the future, it showed the present. Only difference is that since we didn’t look outside so we did not bubble wrap our kids. And they are exposed to toxins worse than the kind concentration camps during World War-II were infamous for. Worse; as the World war-II gas chambers of Nazi era were controlled facilities causing immediate death with in the chambers. Now the gas chambers are spread over large cities with a promise of slow and painful death over time.

I know I am not talking of where I live these days, I am in a better area where an AQI stays around 50 most days or lesser (unlike my friends from New Delhi who live between 500 and 990 kind numbers). 

Sky Line drive (Google Maps)

This weekend I went to the hills with my family to  witness very beautiful fall colors and amazing fall beauty. Other amazing thing to experience there was the air quality. With the flowing river and a million trees the Air in that area is as pure as it can get. But then I understood my mistake, I was driving a car running on fossil fuel and spewing smoke from its exhaust. Agreed one car may not produce enough smoke to cause lasting harm. But the Sun was bright and air was cool that day. That combination had invited many like me. Just before I could enter the beautiful Skyline drive, there was a line of vehicles, a few hundred ahead of me and the line continued to grow behind me as well.

My Wife and I decided to exercise some restraint and not follow the line (and cause more damage, by being one of a few hundred cars driving at a slow speed through those beautiful valleys).We can come some day when the cars are not as many and we can drive at a decent speed thus staying in the valley for shorter time (and spewing lesser smoke into those trees). The colors might not be at their peak, but we will enjoy still.

We just drove past the line and then Nature, like a caring mother, invited us to a beautiful site off the road just 15 minutes away. There was almost no traffic there. We parked our car spent time basking in the beauty of sun filtering through the changing colors of the trees. Beauty of the bend of the river through the valley and the soothing sound of water that was cleansing and giving life at the same time. I was awestruck with the immaculate beauty of nature. I could feel the freshness of pristine air filling my lungs. And deep inside I was ashamed knowing that we (Humans) are responsible for turning this earth from a paradise to hell in the name of development. I apologize to you Mother Earth for myself and fellow humans, and hope good sense prevails. May the greed and the race to decline in the name of development stops. May we humans prove worthy of receiving the tremendous beauty and love and life that you offer.

Meanwhile to my friends in Delhi, India and other so-called big Cities; wake up guys; do your part. Don’t do it for the neighbors or the city or the name, just do it for yourself and your kids. You all at least owe them that much. We all owe a lot to mother earth. High time we wake up.

Good AQI is less than 50 – Don’t forget.

May our children have clean air to breathe always!!!

राम और रावण (re-post)

Note: Originally I wrote and  posted this in 2013, I was reading this today, and felt that I and many I know can still use the message I tried to give myself with this.....

"एक राम दशरथ का बेटा, एक राम घट-घट में लेटा।"
यह कविता प्रयास है उस घट में लेटे राम को समर्पित जिसे हमारे विचार और आचरण बनाते हैं

Ram and Ravan, the most famous characters from hindu mythology. Both opposite of each other. But both have so many similarities. I think it was not the birth or the character that made Ram whom we all worship and Ravan who is despised by generations.Rather it was the choice of actions and the life they lived that decided who gets what status in the eyes of generations to come.Many a times i see we are at that crossroad in our mind where the action we chose will define our life ahead.The poem below is a humble attempt to keep the mind focused while making the choice of action. Please read and comment.


मर्यादा पुरषोत्तम राम और
हठधर्मी मायावी रावण
दोनों ही हर मन के भीतर
लड़ रहे युद्ध निरंतर

राम भक्त शिव भोले के
शंभू का उपासक रावण भी
राम शौर्य की मूरत तो
वीरता का धारक  रावण  भी

राम का त्याग अनुकरणीय तो
रावण का तप भी दृष्टांत योग्य
भरत, लक्ष्मण का बंधुत्व उल्लेखनीय  तो
कुम्भकरण का भ्रत्रिप्रेम भी दृष्टांत योग्य

बस दंभ अगर न करता तो
रावण भी राम सा हो सकता था
जो सीता को न हरता तो
रावण भी राम सा हो सकता था

शिव के वर को पा कर जो
मन में अहम् न आने देता
श्रूप्नखा का सत्य जानता
न स्वयं को छल जाने देता

धीरज से अगला पग धरता
बात से स्तिथि को हल जो करता
तो न राज्य  और कुटुंब गवाता
तो न अपमानित हो मृत्यु पाता

संयम मन में हो तो राम है
निरंकुश दंभ रावण समान है
मन मर्यादा में रहे तो पुरुषोतम
मर्यादा टूटे मन में तो रावण