Wanderings Windows & White Paper

the mirage He was so thirsty. On the desert, over the ever changing sea of sand, through the pathless path, he had been walking for long. He was so thirsty. He walked and walked to quench the thirst under the infinite blue roof over the brown sandy vastness. He was so thirsty. In that endless barren wilderness, totally deserted, completely exhausted he treaded forward to quench the thirst with drained off steps. A distant hazy sight of a desert green encircled by an aura brought a sigh of relief to him. He walked closer to that oasis, approached the well at the center, which was reflecting a slice of blue sky in its depth. But there was neither pitcher nor rope to draw the water from the depths to quench the flaming thirst. He sat almost unconscious there by the well leaning on the wall. There appeared a desert girl into that well-scene with the necessary accessories. She not only made drink but also bathed him with the cold water of the depths. Later he slept there for a day and a night. He woke up in the morning to find no trace of the well, pitcher, rope, pulley, girl or the desire to quench the thirst. All had turned into a mirage; nothing but his thirst in disguise. Only he, he alone was left behind and beyond. the train robbery Through the windows seeker and his train journey had slowly walked into the scene and thus unfolded the following, ‘the train robbery’. Seeker from seaside village after renouncing his relating links, fragrance of the ocean and even his name decided to go to the northern part of the land in search of hidden light on the magnificent snow clad mountains with a white bag packed with two pairs of extra dress, two books which had taught him about dispassion and discrimination, the necessary costumes for the role of a seeker and a water pot. Along with sunrise, seeker with timid steps on the tarred road walked towards the railway station. The tapping noise of the wooden sandals reverberated as the sound of his immature dispassion. The reserved ticket for the snow-clad mountain town was peeping from the pocket among the currency notes kept carelessly for traveling. First day slipped away, with the moving of external scenes through the window pane. In the night, out of overwhelming happiness due to the act of renunciation that he had executed, seeker glided into deep sleep comfortably on the upper berth. Morning came, with the announcement of the robbery of seeker’s baggage containing dress, books and writing pad. Second day passed by with the observance of internal changing scenes. Up to midnight seeker kept himself awake due to fear of getting robbed again, but after a while sleep padded in and took him in its lap. Second morning sun came with the news that seeker’s upper robe along with a few of currency leaves and the ticket had been robbed. Third day also moved by with a chill breeze from the northern snow clad mountain range. In the night, neither of happiness nor fear of robbery, but with an indifference seeker slept well. Last morning came with the panoramic view of sunrise from the mountain range, dipping the snow clad grandeurs in molten reddish gold. Seeker found the water pot and noisy sandals had been robbed. Train at last came to a final pause on platforms of the mountain town where all have to get down after a series of robberies, with a long sigh. Seeker from the seaside town got down the train, robbed of all his belongings, squeezed empty to the core, completely naked as a child, a new born one, moved out of the station through the crowd-swelled streets and gently drifted towards the mountains. Now also he travels around, amidst the mob rushed streets with the same ease just as in the mountain woods, alone, transparent and absorbed. at home I was not at home when he had come for me, all the way down; Just to soak me in love!! I was with friends, in a holy day celebration; When he had come for me, all the way down!! He had come down To delight me with a tight hug; A heavenly song in backdrop, as the boundless compassion!! I was not in me away, lost somewhere, when he had come for me all the way down!! Experts from the epilogue, by Maa Amritanandamayee Sri Shankara’s masterpiece metaphor, rope & snake, has been used effectively by the author as the key to each story with a creative twist, the ladder to recognize the self. Snake, rope, and & denote the three states waking, dream and deep sleep by negating which the self effulgent I is realized. One has to pass through the circle of three states; deep sleep, dream and waking, in order to find the centre of the circle; the Immortal Eternal centre. Using the modern day parallels and coining of words and oxymoron the author explains the inexplicable almost perfectly. He sometimes intentionally uses the unusual syntax, creates an original and new rhythm. The usage of crude words invokes an ironic feeling and sarcasm. Each story starts from nowhere and grows into a full blown picture and takes a pause; leaving a soothing fragrance within the reader. Almost all stories start without a subject, helping the reader to lucidly relate and identify with the wanderer. In the endless enfolding of life, I met the wanderer- Bodha Chaitanya, in Gangotri while I was pursuing my ascetic life in a mountain cave. In my few interactions with him, I found that he had a strange openness to see things as they are and life’s constant interpretation free from expectation and boundaries, with the only desire to have a lonely ride within. ……. He came to the Himalayas, Uttarkashi living in the ascetic community pursuing his inward journey. He frequently walked out, at the drop of a hat, with a note ‘I am for the road’. He talked openly about his fresh experiences; there was an inner silence and mystery in him when he related the experiences of the realms that lie beyond the shores of the ego. …… Those lonely walks within, by the solitude river banks, lofty mountain peaks, the sand dunes, brought home to him, life’s moving panorama and purpose. The simplest and most ordinary day to day experience when seen with the right vision elevated his soul, which later got translated into short stories, each one taking the reader for walk within, closely understanding the profound reality of life, and reaching the oasis of unalloyed joy. …... …... His message is clear, unless the core of ones being is rooted in something Immortal, there can be no ultimate value in one’s life, since in the end all will be swallowed up in universal death- Ash it is.