Should?

From places to places

We go

Do we move in space

Or stay still in time

Or be mere spectators

Of a starry sea

In an endless ocean

Of limitless depth

We are just but

You and me

In expanses of the dimensions

We never knew

Should we have been

Never, ever, or

Forever?

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Three and a bit more.

"Life has come a full circle". You and I might have heard this statement at some point in time. Why a circle? Why not a square? Or a triangle? It could have been any other shape, but we choose circle.

A circle represents so much more than one would care to venture. Look around, and observe...it's everywhere. A circle gives a sense of totality, completeness, and universalism. It has no beginning, nor an ending, like eternity. Everything is equal and uniform. It represents true perfection, timelessness, life force, and much more.

How does a clock move? What about yin and yang? How about the Yuga wheels and zodiacs? These are the more commonly observable parameters. There's much more about this magical shape (and extensions of it, like a sphere). We can go on discussing about how it means almost everything in the universe, in divinity, spirituality, and in cosmic references. However, let's hold on to it for now.

The next thing to brood over is how do we define a circle, or a more interesting question, what defines a circle? Of course, we all know the definition of circle from school... but what defines it!? Though it's obvious, and we have studied it, many of us choose not to be bothered by it. Well, that is a "bliss"ful situation. (Congratulations, if you understood the reference.)

The beauty of the answer lies in its elegance. Think about it. We perceive a circle to be a circle by the entity that demarcates it in space. Its circumference. We define a circle as an equidistant set of points (Let us call these equidistant points as the exterior points) from a center point. We call that distance, from the center to the exterior points, as the radius.  If we consider the journey from one exterior point to another exterior point, through the center, that makes twice the radius. I agree, it might seem, I am stating the obvious. But, one should thrive in exploring the obvious. It just gives much more meaning to our beings, our existence.

Our journey of self-exploration, from one aspect of us to another, by understanding our innermost strengths or our center/core (our spiritual existence) seems symbolically equivalent with twice-the-radius. And what demarcates us, or what gives us a sense of physical existence is similar, in some sense, to circumference.

If we divide the circumference by twice-the-radius (no matter what circle we are choosing, big or small), what do we get? Pi. Yes, its that simple, and that simplicity is beautiful and perfect in every sense of the word. Pi defines a circle. What defines us? After having defined the two basic components of our being, our physical existence and our journey to understand the spiritual existence, it is quite perceptible.  That makes pi so much more magical, for me at least.

How do we traverse a circle? Using pi, of course. Once around the circle of unity is a complete rotation (2*pi). So, that justifies the saying "life has come a full circle". If we relate the circle of unity as one aspect of our multidimensional life, and if we could explore it in a complete sense, in a wholesome enriching way, we could say that we achieved a complete rotation. (I would prefer not to dilute it further by explaining something which would be so much more beautiful by experiencing and understanding by perception.) In every true sense then, life indeed has come a full circle.

*** * **** * ***** ********* ** ****** ***** *** ***** 

P.S. Even the very symbol of pi is interesting. Did you know the idea of the symbol is based on the meandering ratio of rivers? 

Copyright © 2021 One Life To Live. All Rights Reserved

Perspective

I sometimes feel quite amazed at how an alteration in just a few parameters in perspective changes the vista by a huge fringe. I have apprehended it several times that life can shift altogether just by changing your perspective. But every time I realize this, it seems new always. That makes perspective a strange and riveting factor. What makes it more intriguing is that it never reveals itself entirely. Moreover, you never know how they diverge with the parameters.

I remember, as a child I used to ruminate over this thing a lot. I pondered why and how it happens that my feelings and inferences of an event are different from that of others. I later realized how powerful perspective as an entity is. When the unknown author said, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”, may be he/she didn't mean just beauty after all. May be that had something in concern with perspective as well!

Each person perceives things differently. Everybody has a different perspective towards something or the other- say life, dreams or the world and what not. Why even consider the variance from person to person, it varies with time and transforms within the same individuals as well. A person viewing an event at some time can view it in a completely different light at some other time. Strange, but true. It happens all the time, in and around us. We seldom notice it, and if ever we do, we take it as the play of time or sometimes even may attribute it to the changes in our thinking levels. Let us try and give it another well deserved thought.

I agree, time is a very strong factor and, I daresay, the strongest of all. I also agree to the concept of varying thinking levels and thought processes and I myself am an ardent believer of that. But are these really the sole parameters that allow us to perceive things differently. If it is, then why are there certain things about which we feel the same and perceive them in the same way we used to do some time back in the past? Some things never change. Rather, we never allow them to change and if ever they do, we do not accept that. We keep inferring them in the same way and continue feeling the same about them. Does not time play its part here then?

So, it’s not just time; some silent catalytic force is there in action as well- something that defines perspective, something that allows us to implement and perceive from what we observe. It may sound as if I am describing ‘thought’, but let’s think more on the sub layers that lie deep and beyond the levels of the thought world; something that is so sub-atomic and sub cosmic that it becomes difficult to apprehend when we think about it, yet so super-atomic that it makes its presence felt everywhere, every moment.

I do not know, how to name or depict the entity that is the prime factor of all our interpretations, perceptions and sometimes prejudices. For, if I try to do so, that will be a sheer contradiction. I prefer feeling it, knowing that it’s there and just realizing that it is defining my thoughts every moment. I am content with how beautifully and magnificently it plays its part. I am glad and exultant to feel that it makes us feel and realize how lovely and sundry this earth is.

The world of perspective, defining such glorious moments, is in itself a mystery yet the way it gives multiple elucidations is quite endearing. It’s not just about seeing the two ends of the extremes; it involves seeing, understanding and realizing the numerous points and options that might lie in between. Seeing life’s each aspect, living each miniscule part of it and experiencing its multiple nuances is simply more than one could possibly ask for. Moreover, the realization that life harnesses each of its epic moments from this beautiful and amazing creation is what matters the most. After all, it’s just One Life To Live!!

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Heading Backwards

That day left me with a big question. Yes, I could perhaps never forget that day. In reality, in everybody’s life, many incidents occur which turn out to be the milestones and compels to think over the matter and this changes the way of thinking, in some cases. And to say it aloud, many such incidents have also materialized in my life. But that day something unexpected happened,…something that changed my thoughts and the way I perceived things. I actually never thought that I would take the thing into account and would actually think over it.

Well, that was a Friday. So, that Friday morning, I went to a nearby temple. I went walking. In my way to the temple, I was deeply immersed in my thoughts and was completely in ‘My World’…..my world of strange imaginations, absurd experimentation, weird thoughts, thoughts out of the world,…blah blah blah…..well nobody understands that. So, when I was in a Minerva of my out of the world thoughts, I was disturbed by something. I looked behind and it was a small girl who was asking for alms. She didn’t seem a beggar (I may be pardoned if I am being offensive), I mean she looked good, neatly dressed. I got irritated by her way of asking for alms. She kept on pleading. I strictly denied and shoo-ed her away by telling that I don’t have any change. “Oh God! These little brats…I tell you! They are so irritating. Why are they like this? Whatever!” I didn’t want to go off-mood. So, I ignored everything and went to the temple.

I prayed, did my puja and sat for sometimes in the temple steps. Sitting in the temple steps after offering prayers is considered to be auspicious. Again I harked myself into my world... continuing from where I left…..before the puja. Everything was so serene around there…so calm….just perfect for my thoughts. And I was enjoying all that was happening….I just didn’t want to come out of it. But I had to. I heard someone crying. Perhaps it was a small kid. As I hovered my eyes around the place, I saw a small boy who was sitting by the road side tree and crying very pitifully….as if he has seen a dreadful dream about some ghostly world or may be some kind of demon or something. I also noticed that every person present over there was looking at the boy who disturbed the tranquility of the area by his loud cries. It then became an issue. I mean, discussions started about the boy…. “Oh! Why is he crying so loud?”, “Why is he sitting by the road?”, “Where’s his mother?”,”How could she be so irresponsible?”, “When is he going to stop the nuisance?”, “Why don’t someone just go and stop him or console him?” …were some of the questions that were asked abruptly and meaninglessly. Some ‘kind-hearted’ persons over there said, “perhaps the kid is hungry”, “He is a cute kid. Oh why is he crying?”

The child was still crying. It has been two-three minutes now. The discussion has almost stopped. Perhaps the people over there had attuned themselves to the ‘noise’. Everybody now seemed indifferent. I was still looking at the boy and I don’t know what I was thinking. I was just looking at the boy. A sudden feat urged me to go and console the boy and ask him about his parents and all. But I didn’t. I was perhaps too lazy to care for my urge. I then thought, “if ever I go there and ask him, will he be able to answer me. C’mon he is so small. He is perhaps only two or three”. So, I stopped myself. Then, I saw somebody who was holding the boy in lap. Oh, she is the same girl who was asking me for alms. Why is she near that boy? She was feeding the boy with something that she had perhaps fetched from the nearby food stall. My urge now forced me to go there and ask the girl about the boy. I mean how does she know the boy? Is she related to him? So, finally I went to the girl and asked her,“Who is he?”

She replied, seeming very busy, “My brother”.

“What are both of you doing here?” “Where’s your mother?”

I asked her some more questions and from her answers what I deciphered: They used to live in a nearby village with their family; a joint family with parents, uncle-aunt and two cousins. All was well until the day when they had a major fight in their family; the kids don’t know why. After few days, their parents died because of a fire fury in their village with many other people. As they didn’t want to breed on somebody else's mercy, they both came here and now the girl is trying to earn a livelihood for herself and her brother.

I couldn’t understand what to do, how to reply. I took a glance at my watch and realized that I was getting late. So, abruptly I gave her the ‘Prasad’ and a ten rupee note and hurried away from there. Was I supposed to do that? I couldn’t understand what was I supposed to do then. I was void at that moment, perhaps. I mean, what I did? Was the ten rupee note enough? I mean no, not the money. Even if I would have given them a hundred rupee note or something, was it still enough. Was that the only thing I could have done? Something….something was needed on my side, something that should have been done to ‘actually rehabilitate’ them. But what is that something? Does there exist a proper answer to this question? Is there nothing that could have been done? If anybody adopts them….c’mon who would have done that? The people in the temple seemed such apathetic jerks. I myself was one of them. However, I would request anybody, reading this, to answer ourselves one question –“where are we actually heading?” This is 21st century and in this ultra fast era of super technologies, we are technologically moving forward, at a very fast pace. But at the same time, coming to our very own source of existence (source of we being ‘HUMANS’), are we actually heading forward or else…… Just think We don’t just care about anybody in the earth other than ourselves… oh not also our own selves…. We don’t care about our own selves, forget others. Great!!! We are turning into heartless demons or should I say ‘very intelligent HUMANOIDS’. You don’t want to be one….Right? 

JUST GIVE IT A THOUGHT.

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‘I Am A Servant’

“I believe that God has planted in every heart the desire to live in freedom… We need to use power to help people-for we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power and it is to serve people.”

-George W Bush

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