Melodious Melancholy

One of the most difficult questions to answer  is the description of your state of mind . Increasing binary logics around us in technology have forced us to think that way that there is a "Happy " state or there is a "Not so Happy State" . Different adjectives and superlative degrees may change the expression but we generally tend to chase a state of continuous happiness . Is there one such state which exists ?  I often ask myself . There is none. For a long time, I have believed that life is a mirror image of nature . By Nature , I don't mean just trees, clouds and rivers , I mean the universe . It moves in a sinusoidal and circular motion . A particular day has a few good hours and a few bad hours ("Rahu Kalam" or the Yin and Yan , you could say ), same is the case with weeks , months and years . Life in retrospect is always a selective narrative. That's why biographies look so good. But we all live with this constant dichotomy. Do we continuously battle what's not even a battle to fight ?

Today I will write about three pertinent thoughts of last 10 weeks . About atheism ,  "The Intense " people and finally about Mirza (of Mirza Sahiba love story ) and why he always be my favorite character .

The Title of today's post refers to the video below , which needs no introduction .  It is a 16-minute clip from Jagjit Singh's live show , recorded a few months before his death , he sings "ek pyaar ka nagma hai " , "tumko dekha to yeh khyaal aaya "  and "Hothon se choo lo tum". When melancholy is so melodious , it is as god as bliss .  

Atheists are as lost as believers :

Over the last 28 years , I have percolated  my understanding of religion, spirituality, divine and the almighty into one  simple thought .The thought is that there are levels or floors in spiritual evolution . First is , about things that you can feel and  see . Things like  material goods exist on this floor . These things occupy 80% of our life , all rules and laws are about these tangible things . If you have a house or money  and someone steals it , there is  a law in every country on how that should be addressed . On the second floor, however,  exists what can be felt but not seen . Using the same example , there are very few laws governing bliss and non-physical hurt . On the top floor is , what can't be felt and what can't be seen . As one evolves , it keeps going up the stairs . The first level is open to all , second has opened to people who have been persuasive and is also a bit of  a "trend" these days . The third level is often rubbished as "non-existent" by atheists . I believe there always, has been  a third level , which has always existed . 

I’m not being defensive about my beliefs. At the same time, I don’t go about questioning others’ beliefs.One’s illusion  cannot be better than another’s. Some people take their illusions so seriously that they confuse this with profound intellect . 

In my conviction , I am no one but my thoughts . Your persona is your collective conviction :  If in the next few hours , I decide to become  a Buddhist monk, will I concede to divine contemplation or if i decide to turn Christian , will that change my definition of Right and wrong ?  I often wonder that books have been in circulation for less than 300 years, then how is that religion are so "book driven " and how many of these holy scriptures have been impacted by misinterpretation  of hear say. 

Truth be told , most "religions" were started by "someone" . Look back at Buddhism , Sikhism , Christianity , Islam as examples, their "founders " were born to parents who believed in "another " religion . That technically means all the "founders" at some point denounced the doctrine they were brought up in and became "seekers" . To me, atheists are people , who have concluded that there is nothing to "seek" as answers and/or nothing to "follow" however there is micro-minority of people who consider themselves as seekers . When you say "When I’ve not found answers, I’ve found credible explanations of why an answer may not exist" you are tilting towards being a seeker ? 

Religions as we now today are a mutilated form of practice,  which has misconstrued a "seeker's " Travelogue . The seeker left behind a travelogue of his experiences and it wasn't a guide to how I will be named, whether I will be buried , cremated or thrown into the tower of silence . None of that was specified . (Barring the exception of a few where even dress codes are considered a path to salvation ) . God has been reduced to a dummy master accountant of religious compliance who awards "mileage " points on how we live and therefore decide whether kids will pass exams , or we will be saved from a clogged artery or not . Your resistance to "fairy tale " is your resistance to the mutilated form . That said , The "seeker" never left behind a follower Target or a blue book for followers . People "follow" religion because of "Fear" of unknown and fear of the master accountant ...

People feel safe in crowds ,  people want to stay part of the crowd because  they are wary of people who want to seek a different path, a huge risk. Such "seekers" are people who will come across as intimidating because it's possible they bust your fragile myths , those myths at times are reasons to live . Resistance is natural . I recently wrote a post wherein I mentioned that I find Milk to be as cruel as meat and in fact milk consumers are causing more hurt to farm animals . I lost a few friends and readers because of that post ....It's ok to lose friends over matters of values and conviction ...

Spirituality is an experience as individual as an orgasm. Someone else orgasms can't be your pinnacle . Same way , this individual pursuit can't be commoditized .

Atheists hence are in denial , but seeking the third level has always been an indefatigable human pursuit . Religion isn't magic , neither is God .

There is a couplet, Nida Fazli wrote ... 

कोई जन्नत का तलबगार है तो कोई ग़म से परेशान है.....
ज़रूरते सजदा करवाती हैं, यहाँ इबादत कौन करता है..... 

The "Intense" People : 

On Saturday, Sep 17 , just before I was to sleep and  was plugging  my phone to charge , I received a WhatsApp message titled "Micchāmi Dukkaḍaṃ" . I became curious about this concept in Jainism (which, btw , is  a term,  I didn't know up till  last year , I always thought Jains are as much Hindus ) . I read about it and it fundamentally means we should introspect and forgive people , who hurt us and seek forgiveness from people who we think , we had hurt, intentionally or unintentionally  . The concept was interesting to study . It kept me up for the most part of that night . I have never believed in  forgiveness .  There is  a Pashto saying "Topak zama qanoon de, aw qanoon zama pa las ke" . It means ,  Gun is my law and law is in my hands. To me Gun doesn't mean just a firearm in this saying  , it means your ability to fight back . As long as you have the ability to fight back and respond , you must . That said , In the morning , I did forward that message to a few people . My conclusion on this , Just because I have the ammunition, doesn't mean, I will fight every battle which comes my way . Some battles aren't worth my time and effort. As you evolve in the "intensity in life" , You will realize that some battles and some people, just  need benign negligence . This doesn't mean they are wrong , or I look down on them . It means that we aren't at the  same level of "intensity" . The Intensity here refers to the depth of their value system , their convictions , their belief systems and their intellectual and emotional pursuits .

हवाओं का मौसम चल रहा है , हिम्मत का चराग़ लेकिन जल रहा है
नए किरदार आते जाते रहते हैं , अपने असूलों का खज़ाना चल रहा है

Remember Mirza always gets killed .

I bought a second-hand book from the pavement Book market In Darya Ganj in 1990 ,  on a Sunday morning. Since then , I have been a fan of  a Mirza's character as  a lover , as a human . Mirza Sahiban isn't Heer Ranjha . Mirza is killed by Sahiba's brothers because , in the nick of time, Sahiban breaks all the arrows that Mirza was carrying to defend himself . Sahiban had to choose between her beloved and her brothers , she chose her brothers . I feel Mirza Sahiba is  the most underrated love story of all times  , the strength of Mirza's character still doesn't come out as prominently , he knew death was imminent , yet he still chose to elope with Sahiba. He spent his life and ultimately died for his trust and conviction . Trust always gets killed and so does Mirza . Truth in your intent matters .

The movie adaption this year,  written by Gulzar,  is another masterpiece. 

Some treasurable lines  , which didn't get noticed .

ओ कन लंबे खुर पतले , ओ दुम पक्की दी स्याह , ओ पक्की तान डरन फ़रिश्ते , मिरज़े  तों  डरे खुदा!!

The First line is  description is about Mirza's horse , long ears and thin yet strong feet and a thick black tail.
The Second line is about his determination , that even angels and Gods are  scared of Mirza's determination .

फ़ा पायी ना इश्क़ दा , ऐ रस्सी लमी मिर्जया, ओ साहिबां तें ना लबनी , तू फेर न जमीं मिर्जया !!

Although the rope is long , don't be hanged by enemies of love . You won't  find Sahiba ever , just don't bother being born again .

Love is a verb ,  un-diminishing , indefatigable and unremitting .

Today's video ....The Melodious Melancholy .