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Life-biology, Geography Or History?

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by HariLakhera, Nov 24, 2019.

  1. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    LIFE- A BIOLOGY, GEOGRAPHY OR HISTORY ???

    Whenever I read or listen to this song penned by Nida Fazli, I am reminded of those childhood days when daydreaming was the norm- when I grow up, I will become this or that, live here or there, do this or that, not knowing what lies in store for me. On sober times, it was all getting educated, finding a good job, starting a family, fulfilling the obligations and finally retire and fade away. On fantasy waves, becoming a great writer, an actor or just a vagabond with a backpack. But then comes a time when we have to reflect and look back and agree what the poet has to say:

    अपनीमर्ज़ीसेकहाँकेहैंकिधरकेहमहैं, रुख़हवाओंकाजिधरकाहै, उधरकेहमहैं।

    (We have no choice wherefrom we came and where shall we go, depending on the direction of the wind, we will go where it takes us)

    वक्तकेसाथहैमिट्टीकासफ़रसदियोंसे, किसकोमालूम, कहाँकेहैं, किधरकेहमहैं।

    (Time and dust has the companionship for centuries, Who knows from where we came, where shall we go)

    Forget about dreams, do we get to travel the path of our choice? Barring a few, none. Mr. Kamath wanted to become a classical singer. He ended up in the despatch department of a manufacturing unit always surrounded by the noise created by the hammers inserting the iron nails into the wooden boxes. The sound was musical though not with a set pattern. He, however, kept his hopes alive by attending the classical music concerts and wiring critiques. Not bad.

    Mr. Gopal wanted to become a painter. He ended up as a steward in a five-star hotel, artistically arranging the forks and knives in his spare time.

    Mr. Shamim wanted to travel places and finally settle in the land of opportunities called the USA but landed up finding a job in a Mica mining unit in Jhumritlaya, Bihar and finally settled there only to be buried there six feet under.

    Hundreds and hundreds of job seekers travel to different places and countries for making it big, earn good money and finally settle to their place and the land of birth. Most end up settling there only and buried or cremated in a foreign land. Their generations do not even know or care where they originated from.

    I am not sure whether life is biology or geography or history. Whether it belongs to the parentage or the place of birth or history before or thereafter. It's a play, we the actors assigned limited roles. On the stage, we might meet some actor, equally bewildered but ready to mingle and play his or her part. In the end, this too will end.

    लायीहयातआये, कजालेचलीचले, अपनीख़ुशीसेआये, नअपनीख़ुशीगये।

    (Brought by life, death will take away,Either way, there was no choice)

    Sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim 'Zauk'

    Enjoy the day. Tomorrow may not be ours. In the end, it is neither biology nor geography nor a history. It is just a Play- curtains up, curtains down.
     
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  2. Rihana

    Rihana Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Hari ji, deep thoughts. I wonder if they are a late Saturday night philosophy-wala-life-perspective coming to mind in the U.S. or an early Sunday morning aalochan in the motherland. : )

    I separated the Hindi lines so spaces between words make them easier to read.
    अपनी मर्ज़ी से कहाँ के हैं किधर के हम हैं, रुख़ हवाओं का जिधर का है, उधर के हमहैं।
    ---
    लायी हयात, आये, क़ज़ा ले चली, चले, अपनी ख़ुशी न आये, न अपनी ख़ुशी चले।

    I played apni marzi ke kahan by Jagjit Singh, and the next ghazal in the autoplay was din kuchh aise guzaarataa hai koyi, jaise ehasaan utaarataa hai koyi. By my back of the envelop calculation, as long as the majority of the days are not lived like one is paying off an obligation, life is beautiful, zindagi rocks.
     
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  3. Amulet

    Amulet IL Hall of Fame

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    Rihana.... talking of childhood songs, and the philosophy of what matters in life, here is something from a firangi:facepalm::

     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2019
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  4. Amulet

    Amulet IL Hall of Fame

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    Yet Some characters in that play believe they are part of an improv' theater, and see where they could inject some ronak-shonak.

    A sad-character in "As You Like It" says: [Source: As You Like It, William Shakespeare.]
    All the world's a stage,
    And all the men and women merely players;
    They have their exits and their entrances,
    And one man in his time plays many parts,
    His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
    Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
    Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
    And shining morning face, creeping like snail
    Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
    Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
    Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
    Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
    Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
    Seeking the bubble reputation
    Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
    In fair round belly with good capon lined,
    With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
    Full of wise saws and modern instances;
    And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
    Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
    With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
    His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
    For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
    Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
    And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
    That ends this strange eventful history,
    Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
    Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
    One can see/choose whatever part in the play one wants, subject to how karma deals the kards in our hand.
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2019
  5. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Hari Sir,

    A very contemplative message through this thread. As we see, life becomes that. If we look it as a challenge, it becomes one and if we look at it as opportunity, it becomes one.

    Our passions are stronger and there is no way to resist it. If we don’t realize them, we need to come back to do it. At the same time, if we don't have the attitude to accept things we don't control, we run into trouble in remaining calm and happy.

    If the movie that runs at the end is satisfying, we have done well. It is a life-long effort to make the movie interesting.
     
    Last edited: Nov 24, 2019
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  6. shyamala1234

    shyamala1234 Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Hariji,
    Yes , everything is unpredictable and things take their own course and we too accept. Do we have an alternative? No. But that does not stop us from dreaming. A few, very few realise their dreams and make them work. They are role models which motivate us to dream. Whether we succeed or not is a completely different matter.
    Syamala
     
  7. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    First of all thank you for rearranging the hindi lines and your valued feed back. I really appreciate it. I am happy that you too like Jagjit Singh.

    As for late Saturday Night philosophy I can say every day has a sun set and that too in the west. The idea is to stay philosophical 24/7 because that is the only way to understand life.

    मय से गरज निशात है कि सरू सियाह को,

    बस इक गुना बेख़ुदी दिन रात चाहिये।

    (Please translate for me as I am so poor in it. Roughly it means means my soul is intoxicated 24/7)
    As for Sunday morning Alochan, I guess I am with Ghalib on this.

    Na tha kuchch to KHuda tha, kuchch na hota to KHuda hota

    Duboya mujhko hone ne, na hota maiN to kya hota
    (means as nothing, I was God, as not being nothing I was still God,
    The whole problem started after my being something)
    I was born to a set of parents, not my choice but I was lucky-biology, I was born at a place and then lived at places including USA where I am now and don't know what next-Geography and the years I have lived so far-history - who am I and who I will be?
    Regards.
     
  8. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Injecting rounak sounak will depend on the whims of the director of the play. An actor is a director's toy. However, it is also true that it is the actor who gets most of the credit.
    The cards of our karma are dealt by the script writer cum director cum producer. We are kathputli in His hands though we do not stop telling I did that I did this.
     
  9. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Dear Viswa,
    I guess the secret lies in living with the present and enjoying it even if it is not of our choice.
     
  10. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    Do we have an alternative? No. I guess why look for an alternative, why not flow with the tide? Make the best of the situation.
     

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