Culture Cumpolsion

So we called the worldly priest,
So he said the worldly rules,
So we’re all scared in west and east,
So he showed us our roots.

They were standing all around him crying,
They said adieu to their loved bride,
They traded money among holy chanting,
They followed the way of their tribe.

The crowd gathered below the throne,
The crowd heeded the way for living,
The crowd bowed and lent the charity loan,
The crowd earned points to meet heaven’s king.

She moved off her meditation mat,
She picked the phone to gossip the way,
She talked away for hours on rants,
She’s but good for meditating in a parrot’s fray.

The herd gathers to enforce the tribe’s way,
The herd lives killing merry of new paths,
The herd is the core of the culture’s tray,
The herd makes us safe in the savannah grass.

I think like a lonely child learning my ways,
I make attempts to mend with the dualities,
I think of making truce with the culture’s grays,
I think if this is culture then I’ll live off its frailties.

Our Biggest Hero

Spreading the shine across the land,
Making the liars dance without any band.

He is the warrior making evil tame,
Yes he is our biggest hero packed in small frame.

He started off fighting for the motherland,
God picked him safe and blessed with the magic wand.

“You’ve a role in the world to lead a change,
To beat darkness and make the evil wane.”

After the experience he read book by a great mind,
Learned to live by making life’s simple rhymes.

Spent a life of detachment and spreading renaissance,
Learned way of courage and not the path of chance.

Slowly became one who cuts the net of maya,
Living humbly with nothing owning his kaya.

“They say he is richest who can disown all,
Against such souls all the mayas fall.
For things you buy with glad eyes are lame,
They own you while you lose the important games.”

He is the victor making the corrupt sweat in cooled offices,
Causing the liars to lie more and call him names.

Our stories confirm the state of Kansa and Ravana,
When the end came they thought more of Krsna and Rama.

I see the history repeating itself on this land,
The evil shall go down to make honesty a trend.

This may not come now but take more time,
But you’ve shown us the way in the dark mine.

Greed, arrogance, and power form an evil trio,
For helping us conquer these makes you our biggest hero.

Simple-Things Lullaby

A lullaby for the jaded heart,

Soothing dew drops after fight with darts.

As I lay tired on the bed of cotton grass,

Simple things of childhood are past.

Remembering misty words on a monsoon glass,

Play in moment after being scolded in class.

The words seen this moment fading the next,

Close eyes like a child to forget the rest.

Misty mountains to hide my mushy toys,

Hidden in corners safe from decoys.

Lock the pet butterfly in your compass,

Boast of it and make friends fuss.

Dreaming dragons and fairy wands,

Life is sweet with such a simple stance.

Telegram the memoirs and get them back,

Call them urgent for the dreamy rack.

Call the simple things back for night,

Heavy eyelids and a smile are alright.

Mighty tiring the daily chores,

Wake up soon at the fairy’s door.

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Photo-credits: Urvi Jain and Meet Jain, two lovable neighborhood kiddies. They were playing with my iPad and came out with these. Love those kids.

For You

I stand by the sidewalk and stare at the faces,

Tired, battered, jaded going through the paces.

Wondering what’s the chaos about the street,

Jumbled queries and my mind meet.

What’s so shiny to make things positive,

What’s special for all as a great derivative?

What’s it that all don’t see and make doldrums,

It’s for them but they just don’t fathom?

A tipping point makes noises and I hear,

Breaking blocks of doubts and fear.

An inner voice makes an emblem for me,

Showing the way that’s there and we can’t see.

“The sun shines for you and lets you see,

The rain falls for you and makes you free.

The dew shines for you and not the grass blade,

The waves dance around for you and not the sand.

The power cuts to light up the candle romance,

TV’s breaking with news just for a smiling glance.

There is evil around to make your good value precious,

Those in need of help make you feel gracious.

Elderly are irate to help you prep your encore,

Kids are making noise to show how you were before.

There are jams of human and motor to cast a puzzle,

Practice the art of finding way in labyrinth of trouble.

In whichever form life paints the picture,

It’s for you to adhere to the happy scripture.”

Numbness creeps over the thoughts as I write,

It’s so simple and difficult to beat the pessimist might.

As I walk the streets and life I’ll remember,

Positivity is the key and light of holy ember.

Use pilgrimage, penance, or meditate for the true,

Don’t forget love and see the beauty made just for you.

The Wall

Hey wall, let me a way through,
No matter how I try I can’t break you,
I see injustice and try to take a stand,
But the firmness of world-wall won’t let it bend.

Hey wall, I try to peep through,
I give my best as the trick bricks dry my will’s dew,
I teach rationale and humanity to the herd,
The herd-wall gives old rants making me a nerd.

Hey wall, drop the bricks for letting more charity,
Help me through the miser-bricks to be less saving and tricky,
I attempt drawing my pockets to give all,
Though my wittiness won’t let an extra dime fall.

Hey wall, let me see a glimpse of my heart,
Somewhere in the chore-bricks it needs an electric start,
My dreams have settled somewhere in the chores,
I lead a cuby-walled life in immoral stores.

Hey wall, I just stopped seeing you,
Living with the herd is poisoning me to be untrue,
More are the wrongs I see everywhere,
Just give me a way through for my heart longs to be there.

Hey wall, you are there all around,
Among the herd and it’s people you’re far and stout,
Blocking the right that all see,
Fearing them off neighbors, not letting them be free.

Hey wall, I shall gain strength,
One moment of truth to break your strength,
A day shall come to be free,
It may be living or a soul roaming free.

RATIONALE – We all think of doing good, the right way. However, I believe there is a wall that stops us from following the right path. These verses are an attempt at explaining the dilemmas that the WALL poses in our lives.

Being a Hero

Everyone likes to watch heroes in movies or books to stand for their conviction, struggle against the popular opinions, and whack the bad guys after a grave emotional and physical struggle. Interestingly, the plot shows them as isolated beings with very few friends or relatives. And, even those who are shown to be with them; leave our immortal heroes as the story progresses. The stories show that the heroes have lost it all due to their stubbornness and rigidness for their belief. Those who happen to leave the protagonists say that the dude is just not flexible enough to survive in the world, there is no point being so rigid, we all must step down a bit, the world will not let you survive this way, the world and its people will kill you, etc.

Well, it’s true. That’s the way things operate around us. However, such situations also present you with an opportunity to be a hero for yourself. Forget the popularity that the book or movie heroes gain. Such scenarios give you a chance to be a hero for self.

Conversely, most succumb to the want to move forward in life – be it buying a new car, apartment, or an office promotion. You may not need a new car, apartment, or a promotion, but will want it for being the hero of your family, friends, or office. This is crap-heroism. Such intentions and behavior stoops you below others’ belt.  For instance, you may despise a person for most things, but will lick their _______ for small gains and popularity. In the process, you sell your – ‘self’.

You may live in the glory of a screen or a book hero, but trade your opportunity to be a hero with others for small gains. The tradeoff has become the norm, wherein a person against it is despised and fought by the crap-heroes collectively.

The path is challenging, but if you aim for it, slowly and steadily you may find your own way of being a hero. The key is not giving up – mid way. You may not get a promotion or an award, but if you are true to your work, you will be happy within. Rather than pursuing happiness, follow the process and the inner happiness will be achieved. Rather than the tradeoff involving your ‘self’, live with what you have and have achieved honestly – the results of being a hero for self.

Inspired from Ayn Rand’s philosophy.

Being Nice

A post that I wrote was published on Authspot — Click the following link to read it:

Being Nice

Thanks for reading.

Lokesh

Sin-grimage

Hey son, come here, it’s your destiny,

Take a plunge to set yourself free.

Drop some treasure off the pocket,

As I bribe the gods for your fate.

Throw the polyethylene in the holy Ganges,

Plastic is more palpable than your sins and pays my wages.

Hey son, come here, I’ll show you the way,

Waiting in the line is sinners’ game and affray.

Don’t follow their trail full of waiting and pain,

Donate a 100 bucks and you’ll board a fast train.

The God’s station will arrive in no time,

And the altar will feel like an aged wine.

Hey son, wait a minute, it’s your place,

The shrine is home to the right race.

You’ve got the riches blessed by the highers,

Share some for invaluable time with non-whiners.

Sit and talk with the gods more than the others,

The others will be pushed through the structure for its brothers.

Hey son, listen to me, this is to set things right,

You’ve the planetary ingredients that make me fright.

It just needs some garnishing with divine chants,

Donate the holy as I help you overcome the ill rants.

Repeat my verses and you’ll be the king,

Never needed to work and damsels around your wings.

Hey son, one more minute, your loved shrine is breaking,

Do something for its glory and stand tall.

I’ll put your name on the wall of the the holy structure,

And it will make the smiles on our faces appear wider.

You are the blessed believer succumbing to our rule,

Flowered will be your life without any gruel.

Hey brother, hey sister, I’ve some words, pay heed,

Pilgrimage is not the greatest deed.

A religious business that trades the economy of emotions,

Defying the detachment and moral rules that lived once.

Pilgrimage is a process of daily life,

The visited shrines reflect sin-grimage of the managing tribe.

A Small, Private Universe

You are just one among the trillions nomading this planet. Your achievements, successes, failures, or those embarrassing moments that you have are confined to either yourself or a small universe that you have built around you. A universe where people whom you love or know – live. It is your private universe, one that matters to you, it is where you drain your energies and it’s the place that charges your batteries.

You are oblivious to the many other private universes just as others are oblivious to yours. You harp, lie, work, cheat, struggle, fight, and give your best in everything to safeguard this small universe. You’ve built this universe with every small experience in your life. The individuals that reside in your den are those who matter to you. They are your world and the rest are people with whom you collide on busy streets and stations. Your universe’s opinion and energies make you happy, sad, angry, or highly motivated. You don’t give a darn to the world outside just as it doesn’t give a darn to you.

I believe in living for your own universe. Just as people in your universe are the world to you, you mean a world to them. Make a universe as true and loving you can. Filter out race, religion, community, caste, and dialect as the selection criteria. Make your world as good as possible. Keep truth, wisdom, and love as its key and only ingredients. Be true irrespective of the situation.

As long as you live – politicians will be corrupt, bureaucrats will seek bribe, media will not tell the truth, marketing will drive your needs, prices will rise, wars will break, and you will doubt everything. If at any time, you feel that the world is cruel and there is no point being good, just think of the line – Thanks to your goodness, there is something more good in the world.

It is your goodness that drives happiness and truth in your universe. It is your truthfulness that motivates others around you to stay good and believe in truth, love, and honesty. Expand the domain of your universe. Spread love and goodness as long as you live. Goodness in your small universe is not negligible in the world. It matters a lot. The goodness has the potential to lead to a chain reaction of love and harmony.

Fictional Gods

Religion is the masterpiece of the art of animal training, for it trains people as to how they shall think.~ Arthur Schopenhauer

I have wondered this for some time, now — Could various religions be work of art by various artists scattered across time and geography? For just as every area has its staple diet, it also has stapled religious practices. Each religion is also practiced with local customs that have shaped over centuries and have been influenced by local geography. For example, in some Indian states, Bramhins have been traditionally vegetarian. However, as you travel north to Jammu and Kashmir or to the coastal state of Goa, Bramhins consume meat. So, which Bramhinical way of life is the best? Abstaining from meat or enjoying what’s available in plenty and is necessary to survive?

I can’t answer in words better than Michel Eyquem de Montaigne‘s:

Every man calls barbarous anything he is not accustomed to; we have no other criterion of truth or right-reason than the example and form of the opinions and customs of our own country. There we always find the perfect religion, the perfect polity, the most developed and perfect way of doing anything!

Each religion has originated from one place and then spread across geography. It has been a slow process. The spread has taken centuries, but highly motivated individuals have wandered the earth, undergone hardships, given their life, worked as slaves, and have endured hate with a smile with a hope that they are doing the right thing for the human race.

I often wonder as Gods, across the world, have been drawn, sculpted, designed, and formed by artists, how much of their thoughts on how a particular god looks influence their art? I bet their own imagination shapes the outcome.

So, for every religion, across time, several individuals must have thought of the way the unseen, and yet the all-pervading ruler, appears. It is those individuals who would have determined what is right and wrong in the eyes of the almighty. Next, they would have garnered followers by their astute story-telling skills and making others believe — theirs is the best way to live.

For me, if god exists, then there is just one god who has been customized by human fictional imagination. If you want a demonstration of the way we cook up information, play a game of Chinese Whispers with 10 individuals. The first phrase spoken to start the game looses accuracy at the fourth or fifth whisper. So, just imagine the accuracy of religious teachings across centuries!

In the present day and age, it’s more important to love each other than to kill or fight in the name of religion, language, region, or custom. It is difficult as we can’t avoid fighting even for entities like Football teams!

No matter how you have been raised, you must believe – one is all and all is one. I once heard a great speaker say — We don’t choose a religion, we are born in it.

So, love all and hate none.

I believe in Spinoza’s God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings. ~ Albert Einstein

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident. ~ Arthur Schopenhauer