musings 126

There are only two ways of existence..

maybe we can simply shut off our minds,, be it through yoga or with the help of drugs, dope or hooch..

Or we can live normally..

the normal life exposes us to the pleasing things outside and the not so pleasing things too.

And we are programmed normally by our Maker to respond to such situations genuinely.. laugh where you feel like laughing and cry where you feel like crying..

It is not of great benefit if we suppress any of our emotions..

I do not say we should succumb to macabre temptations..

I do not say we should kill, injure, loot, shout at others and be unfair..

We have to be normal and natural where we can be like that.. without much stress..

If we see Shastras of Hinduism, or for that matter any literature and tenets of any religion, we will find that the society, and the religion provides for enjoyment and also for grieving or mourning..

Even the heros and Gods made it merry when everything pointed to happiness and plenty.

And every hero cried and openlly acknowledges mental agony when there was reason to do so

In Valmiki Ramayanam, the grief of Rama when he comes to know of the departure of Dasaratha, His grief on loss of Sita.. all are described very genuinely..

Kalidasa immortalized the grief of Rati.. the wife of Kamadeva.. after her lovely husband perished to the fire of the third eye of Shankara.. Rativilaapam.. in Kumarasambhavam is a classic..

We see such situations in Kadambhari of Bhana Batta..

The western literatue also abounds in such situations..

And when Sita was reported as safe in Lanka by Hanuman, the monkeys in his company celebrated the happiness by drinking and evan causing damage to the Madhuvanam protected with ambitiously and with great care by their king Sugriva,,

Even now the reading of Madhuvana Bhangam appearing in the Sundarakandam of Valmikirmayanam is considered a very pious act which would bring great happiness to all..

The best way seems to be to live without masks.. Of course civilization often puts fetters on that spontaneity..

But let us wear umbrella only when it rains..

and once in a while we can afford even to dance in a street when the heavens are pouring cats and dogs..