I was chatting with a friend the other day, while she was munching on frozen parathas (that's not technically true. It was not frozen at the time of consumption.. भावनाओं को समझ लो :P). I amicably expressed my solidarity with her erstwhile pursuit by wishing she enjoy the parathas. I am very much in favor of the concept of the paratha, and have on various occasions, indulged in its consumption myself, achieving much joy on most such occasions.
It then occurred to me, that if I were chatting with a friend going on a drive, I would not wish him/her enjoy the fuel! Of course, in the case of the drive, the "fuel" is the paratha of the vehicle, not the person. The person has entered the deal for the joy of the ride. The person's paratha is the bellowing wind in their hair (unless they're bald :( ); the fresh new landscapes they encounter; the fascinating new people they meet; the exciting new activities they partake in; and of course, the novel culinary delights they get to gorge on (more parathas ;) :P ). The fuel is an essential facilitator for this wondrous pursuit. The vehicle itself, is an irremovable core necessity. We love and respect the vehicle with all our heart. We treat it like family. We take care of it. We wash it regularly. We ensure the engine's health is good. We regularly change the break oil. We regularly tighten the odd bolt here and there. In return, the vehicle does the magical task of converting the stored chemical energy in the fuel into kinetic energy for us, and takes us places!
What is the paratha? Isn't it but fuel for our body? Are we our body or is our body our vehicle? Where are we driving to? What's the various sensory inputs we encounter? Are they nothing but fuel? Can the "body" really feel joy? What is the "joy" that we derive from eating the paratha? What is the "joy" that we get from looking at a beautiful sight? What is the "joy" that we get from a fragrant odour? What is the "joy" that we get from a soft pleasing touch? What indeed, is the "joy" we get from a mellifluous voice? Are they just the fuel, break oil, tires etc for our vehicle? Or is this really something different?
Is it appropriate to take the beauty out of everything that gives us pleasure in life and dismiss their indulgence as immature distractions? Maybe we can find a way to see the magic in the processes of the vehicle too. We don't really need to form an unhealthy attachment with the car wiper to love it for its existence and to take care of it most effectively. If we lose the wiper, we can still see the larger picture and find a way to go ahead on our pleasant journey. Because it is ultimately the driver who is capable of, and is responsible for the manifestation of the experience of the joy, that is, indeed, the ultimate ideal!
It then occurred to me, that if I were chatting with a friend going on a drive, I would not wish him/her enjoy the fuel! Of course, in the case of the drive, the "fuel" is the paratha of the vehicle, not the person. The person has entered the deal for the joy of the ride. The person's paratha is the bellowing wind in their hair (unless they're bald :( ); the fresh new landscapes they encounter; the fascinating new people they meet; the exciting new activities they partake in; and of course, the novel culinary delights they get to gorge on (more parathas ;) :P ). The fuel is an essential facilitator for this wondrous pursuit. The vehicle itself, is an irremovable core necessity. We love and respect the vehicle with all our heart. We treat it like family. We take care of it. We wash it regularly. We ensure the engine's health is good. We regularly change the break oil. We regularly tighten the odd bolt here and there. In return, the vehicle does the magical task of converting the stored chemical energy in the fuel into kinetic energy for us, and takes us places!
What is the paratha? Isn't it but fuel for our body? Are we our body or is our body our vehicle? Where are we driving to? What's the various sensory inputs we encounter? Are they nothing but fuel? Can the "body" really feel joy? What is the "joy" that we derive from eating the paratha? What is the "joy" that we get from looking at a beautiful sight? What is the "joy" that we get from a fragrant odour? What is the "joy" that we get from a soft pleasing touch? What indeed, is the "joy" we get from a mellifluous voice? Are they just the fuel, break oil, tires etc for our vehicle? Or is this really something different?
Is it appropriate to take the beauty out of everything that gives us pleasure in life and dismiss their indulgence as immature distractions? Maybe we can find a way to see the magic in the processes of the vehicle too. We don't really need to form an unhealthy attachment with the car wiper to love it for its existence and to take care of it most effectively. If we lose the wiper, we can still see the larger picture and find a way to go ahead on our pleasant journey. Because it is ultimately the driver who is capable of, and is responsible for the manifestation of the experience of the joy, that is, indeed, the ultimate ideal!
