Going at a speed of 120 km per hour on some highway in North America. All I could hear was the speeding road underneath. Everything else seemed to move in slow motion. The roads were relatively empty and I had the car on cruise control. The habitual changing of lanes etc… had become second nature with no deliberate thinking required.
It was summer time and the dead trees were back to life and full. So innocent! As if there was never a winter that took their beauty away! As if nothing happened. The sight was a darling. The dark green trees and the grey road darkened by a recent shower. The eyes were focused on the horizon. There was another hour of driving to go.
“What’s the point?” Marjini said switching places with Chandovati and moving to a softer cloud. Her eye lashes were heavy and she could barely focus.
“Well, that’s what people in my area of service have been doing for centuries and therefore it is necessary to follow those traditions so that future generations know about them.” Kshiti continued defending her point.
“That’s exactly my point. Do they really need to pass on these traditions to future generations? I think humans are blessed with a brain and they should use their own rather than their brains of some past generation.” said Marjini in her usual calm and heavy tone.
By this time Ramya was pouring madira for the rest of her guests. Each one was wearing a different variety of beautiful light, white gown. The air was cool and breezy. The clouds were perfectly white and soft against the blue sky. They moved involuntarily into a circle to accommodate the conversation of the guests. It was difficult to distinguish between the flowing white gowns and moving clouds.
Kshobhini entered with her usual boisterous self and big smile on her face. She added, “You know something, Rama has been wondering, whether humans should continue celebrating his return from Ayodhya. He feels it was too long ago and doesn’t see the significance of it anymore.”
Kshiti seemed offended by this statement. She could not get used to the idea of letting go of the traditions. Someone must have seen something good in them, at some point, she thought.
“People who started these rituals, were as human as the people following them now. There is no reason to believe they were wiser than humans today.” Ramya added.
Marjini had emptied a few glasses of madira by now and added to the conversation, “What’s the point? There has been tremendous relocation of humans across the globe. Therefore the rituals are losing their geographical context. Using mango leaves for pooja in Canada is ridiculous. Mango trees don’t grow in Canada!”
"For example: Indra has always been fond of Canada and goes there all year round, even during freezing temperatures. Canada does not get the rainy month of Shravan, which seems to be significant only in India, because of the high dependency on rain.” Kshobhini seemed to know what everyone in the heavens was upto.
“But other religions follow their customs and traditions why shouldn't the Hindus?” Kshiti continued her defence.
Marjini had a silly, drunk smile on her face and said, “well, I hope people are more intelligent than that.”
“The historic and legendary stories teach people lessons of life. They tell them right from wrong.” Kshiti insisted.
Chandovati who had been quiet all this while said, “When we started the human race, we programmed them to tell right from wrong. They probably need some reinforcement, of these in-built values and this can be achieved through a lot of things today. Like books, music, internet, movies etc... They are not solely dependent on the old texts and stories anymore. Reciting things from a language, that is not in everyday use is silly and should be gracefully discarded. Sanskars only happen when you not only understand but relate to what is being said.”
There has to be something common. A common element, a common principle that can be followed anywhere you live on earth. Simply a philosophy may be. Or a thought that would guide us through life rather than bind us to rituals. A thought that would set us free from the bonds of culture and tradition and thoughtlessly applied scientific reasoning.
The road kept hushing below. The car and I had become the same object. The sun rested for a short while behind a cloud, creating a fascinating glow around it. I was occupied by it.
My heart felt full. Full and wet with something unknown. My eyes welled up for reasons beyond my understanding.
I was touched by something that was beyond language. Beyond religion. Beyond culture. Beyond anything tangible.
I drove rest of the way, eyes wet and all. Yet smiling.
Happy.
Inexplicable happiness.
It was summer time and the dead trees were back to life and full. So innocent! As if there was never a winter that took their beauty away! As if nothing happened. The sight was a darling. The dark green trees and the grey road darkened by a recent shower. The eyes were focused on the horizon. There was another hour of driving to go.
“What’s the point?” Marjini said switching places with Chandovati and moving to a softer cloud. Her eye lashes were heavy and she could barely focus.
“Well, that’s what people in my area of service have been doing for centuries and therefore it is necessary to follow those traditions so that future generations know about them.” Kshiti continued defending her point.
“That’s exactly my point. Do they really need to pass on these traditions to future generations? I think humans are blessed with a brain and they should use their own rather than their brains of some past generation.” said Marjini in her usual calm and heavy tone.By this time Ramya was pouring madira for the rest of her guests. Each one was wearing a different variety of beautiful light, white gown. The air was cool and breezy. The clouds were perfectly white and soft against the blue sky. They moved involuntarily into a circle to accommodate the conversation of the guests. It was difficult to distinguish between the flowing white gowns and moving clouds.
Kshobhini entered with her usual boisterous self and big smile on her face. She added, “You know something, Rama has been wondering, whether humans should continue celebrating his return from Ayodhya. He feels it was too long ago and doesn’t see the significance of it anymore.”
Kshiti seemed offended by this statement. She could not get used to the idea of letting go of the traditions. Someone must have seen something good in them, at some point, she thought.
“People who started these rituals, were as human as the people following them now. There is no reason to believe they were wiser than humans today.” Ramya added.
Marjini had emptied a few glasses of madira by now and added to the conversation, “What’s the point? There has been tremendous relocation of humans across the globe. Therefore the rituals are losing their geographical context. Using mango leaves for pooja in Canada is ridiculous. Mango trees don’t grow in Canada!”
"For example: Indra has always been fond of Canada and goes there all year round, even during freezing temperatures. Canada does not get the rainy month of Shravan, which seems to be significant only in India, because of the high dependency on rain.” Kshobhini seemed to know what everyone in the heavens was upto.
“But other religions follow their customs and traditions why shouldn't the Hindus?” Kshiti continued her defence.
Marjini had a silly, drunk smile on her face and said, “well, I hope people are more intelligent than that.”
“The historic and legendary stories teach people lessons of life. They tell them right from wrong.” Kshiti insisted.
Chandovati who had been quiet all this while said, “When we started the human race, we programmed them to tell right from wrong. They probably need some reinforcement, of these in-built values and this can be achieved through a lot of things today. Like books, music, internet, movies etc... They are not solely dependent on the old texts and stories anymore. Reciting things from a language, that is not in everyday use is silly and should be gracefully discarded. Sanskars only happen when you not only understand but relate to what is being said.”
There has to be something common. A common element, a common principle that can be followed anywhere you live on earth. Simply a philosophy may be. Or a thought that would guide us through life rather than bind us to rituals. A thought that would set us free from the bonds of culture and tradition and thoughtlessly applied scientific reasoning.
The road kept hushing below. The car and I had become the same object. The sun rested for a short while behind a cloud, creating a fascinating glow around it. I was occupied by it.
My heart felt full. Full and wet with something unknown. My eyes welled up for reasons beyond my understanding.
I was touched by something that was beyond language. Beyond religion. Beyond culture. Beyond anything tangible.
I drove rest of the way, eyes wet and all. Yet smiling.
Happy.
Inexplicable happiness.
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