A life in reverse!

Cheeniya · Jul 4, 2012

My dear syamala
T.S.Eliot and W.H.Auden are my all time favourite poets. I have now lost all that passion for poetry as my life gets more and more prosaic. Still I do make an occasional foray into poetry. Humour is one thing that I continue to love fiercely. Any writer or speaker who can lace his work with humour is sure to strike an instant rapport with his audience. So much so, even the speakers on spiritual subjects often digress into humorous anecdotes to sustain the interest in their audience!

An eminent psychologist once said that we all cried when mourning the death of a friend or relative partly out of fear that death might strike us one day and partly out of relief that it was someone else this time! Dignity in death is a rare trait and that is indicative of immense strength of character. When I wrote about transit of Venus, I had mentioned that none of us would be around when it occurred in the next century. That's all the time we are given on this earth. But does that thought chasten us?
Sri

shyamala1234 · Jul 4, 2012

Dear Sri,

Very true. Humour can create rapport with anyone immediately. But I think humour is very difficult to write....in my view than poetry or drama. It should be of the right balance...can anyone write like Wodehouse? I don't think so.
Even Swamijis at Ramakrishna Math where I go sometimes to listen discourses, they create a rapport with audience with humourous anecdotes.......but the problem is, after coming back home we remember only those anecdotes and not the real subject!

Syamala

rgsrinivasan · Aug 14, 2012

One of the best, Cheeniya Sir. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Took me to that day when I was completely overwhelmed by my friend's answer to a question. Let me try posting that in my way here.

"If you are ever given a chance
To relive just one moment of your life,
Which event could it be perchance?"
I asked many men I met in my life.

Some quoted the day of their marriage,
Some reminisced their achievements
I couldn't find a pattern with age,
Each quoted their sense of fullfilment.

It was all so magnificent to hear
And they enjoyed reminiscing too.
Having a big burden that we bear,
Its good to recollect nice things a few.

Then I heard from one of my friends
Who had been away for a while.
His answer was so good that it sent
Me floating high for a while.

"Given a chance I'll straight away pick
The day I was born, in order to give
That joy again to my mom who's stuck
With sorrow most of the time she lived".

What is so special with that response was that he grew up in another place [fostered to one of their distant relatives, soon after birth, because they were so poor and he was not the first or last child] and knew about his mom very late. -rgs

Cheeniya · Aug 14, 2012

My dear rgs
Thank you for this beautiful poetic FB. It is my honest opinion that you should have posted this as a new thread in the Poetry Section. The concluding stanza is simply beautiful. This reminds me of the song that Vaali wrote for the film 'Mannan' tuned soulfully by Ilayaraja and sung touchingly by Yesudoss. This song never fails to bring tears to my eyes. The following lines in particular are heart wrenching:
"Eeraindhu maadhangal karuvodu enai thaangi
nee patta perum paadu arivennamma
Eerezhu jenmangal eduthalum uzhaithalum
unakingu nan patta kadan theeruma?"

Sri

HariLakhera · Dec 9, 2024

Cheeniya said: ↑

A Life in Reverse

George Constanza: "The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? DEATH! What's that, a bonus?!? I think the life cycle is all backwards."

In the beginning there was just fire.
Agni Mee`le.
The opening words of Rig Veda ring in my ears as I lie there surrounded by flames like a salamander. The leaping tongues of flame caress my astral body imparting life to it. As I show signs of life, the flames recede from my body. I just lie there staring at the starry sky through my myopic eyes. The eerie darkness around me does not scare me. Slowly the dawn paints the tops of the massive trees in gold and the stars recede.

I hear footsteps and turning around see a group of men advancing towards me. They surround me and look at me with joy. Four of them pick me up gently and transfer my fragile frame to a waiting van. The drive seems interminable and I feel relieved when it finally stops in front of a massive house. I am picked up from the van and taken in. I am struck by a huge portrait of myself swathed in garlands in the hall. On seeing me being taken in, someone removes all the garlands off my portrait.

Someone brings an old lady, a few years younger to me, to my side and she holds my hands with tears in her eyes. I feel strongly drawn to her and give her a weak but reassuring smile. I see people all around me looking very solemn but as inscrutable as Mona Lisa’s smile.

Days pass on and I feel much stronger now. I am able to get out of my bed and take a stroll around the garden. As I stretch myself in the lawn, the cook comes out bearing a tray containing a decanter, ice cubes and other paraphernalia. I make myself a drink and savour its heavenly flavour before sipping it. The old lady joins me and we spend the next hour or so discussing the people living with us. I can see that she is not very happy with the things going on in the house and I advise her to take things easy. I refuse to get involved in any controversy and my attitude irks the old lady.

Years fly. I look strong enough for a man of sixty and as the chauffeur opens the door of my limousine, someone behind me remarks that I hardly look the kind of person who will be retiring that day. I feel happy to hear such compliments. I feel an assortment of feelings, this being my last day in office. I know I am the numero uno but that knowledge does not mitigate my apprehensions. The drive to the office is smooth and as my limousine pulls up at the vast portico, a liveried attendant rushes and opens the door for me. The last day in the office turns out to be smooth.

Years fly. I find my office life becoming more and more interesting and challenging as I move from the position of numero uno to positions of responsibility. The assignments demand more acumen than when I was the Chief of the Company and the distractions grow larger than life. The thought that my lady in the house would be struggling with the kids at home does not act as a deterrent to my escapades though at times it does leave me with a feeling of guilt. I realize that the arrogance of youth is at its peak at around thirty. My insensitivity to others’ feelings truly amazes me but I let myself go.

Years fly. The lady of the house returns to her parents to spend the rest of her life. I am out of my profession and looking forward to the best period of my life. Thanks to the enormous influence of my father, I find myself in the best college in town. My pranks, at times bordering on the insane, are tolerated by people with great difficulty being the son of a celebrity. The protective atmosphere does take the sheen out of the fun I am having and I envy the chaps with no background indulging in daredevilry. I find myself attracted to them and our motley group soon becomes the most feared one in the college.

Years fly. I can not say I like very much my teacher with his prominent religious mark on his forehead and the grey tuft. I fear him a lot. He has a terrific back swing to his slap and the receiver is sure to hear the ringing tone in his head for at least a month thereafter. He wants us to learn our lessons exactly as he teaches them. Ho does not permit any parallel thinking nor does he like to be questioned. My parents are happy with my obedience which they attribute to the influence of my feared teacher.

Years fly. I refuse to get out of my mother’s hip even when she is working. I treat her like my beast of burden. So does my father. It is truly amazing that she seems to enjoy it all. Even when I keep to myself, she pulls me to herself or takes me on her hips. And I keep thinking she considers me a nuisance but here she is enjoying every bit of it. I find myself more and more reliant on my mother for everything. I can’t even eat without her help. She bathes me, feeds me, dresses me up like a doll and puts me to sleep.
I sleep and sleep until I lose track of time. My abode becomes smaller and smaller till it shrinks to the size of my mother’s womb. My limbs shrink too. I become tinier and tinier. I become a tiny ball of flesh now becoming a microscopic speck and find myself floating in a vast sea with millions of similar specks. I hear a big explosion, like the Big Bang, an unprecedented orgasmic upheaval and I lose all sense of time and space.
Click to expand...

Dear Shri Cheeniya,
Thanks for suggesting this post. So revealing and fascinating at the same time. Life must be going in reverse, who knows?

Cheeniya said: ↑

A Life in Reverse

George Constanza: "The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? DEATH! What's that, a bonus?!? I think the life cycle is all backwards."

In the beginning there was just fire.
Agni Mee`le.
The opening words of Rig Veda ring in my ears as I lie there surrounded by flames like a salamander. The leaping tongues of flame caress my astral body imparting life to it. As I show signs of life, the flames recede from my body. I just lie there staring at the starry sky through my myopic eyes. The eerie darkness around me does not scare me. Slowly the dawn paints the tops of the massive trees in gold and the stars recede.

I hear footsteps and turning around see a group of men advancing towards me. They surround me and look at me with joy. Four of them pick me up gently and transfer my fragile frame to a waiting van. The drive seems interminable and I feel relieved when it finally stops in front of a massive house. I am picked up from the van and taken in. I am struck by a huge portrait of myself swathed in garlands in the hall. On seeing me being taken in, someone removes all the garlands off my portrait.

Someone brings an old lady, a few years younger to me, to my side and she holds my hands with tears in her eyes. I feel strongly drawn to her and give her a weak but reassuring smile. I see people all around me looking very solemn but as inscrutable as Mona Lisa’s smile.

Days pass on and I feel much stronger now. I am able to get out of my bed and take a stroll around the garden. As I stretch myself in the lawn, the cook comes out bearing a tray containing a decanter, ice cubes and other paraphernalia. I make myself a drink and savour its heavenly flavour before sipping it. The old lady joins me and we spend the next hour or so discussing the people living with us. I can see that she is not very happy with the things going on in the house and I advise her to take things easy. I refuse to get involved in any controversy and my attitude irks the old lady.

Years fly. I look strong enough for a man of sixty and as the chauffeur opens the door of my limousine, someone behind me remarks that I hardly look the kind of person who will be retiring that day. I feel happy to hear such compliments. I feel an assortment of feelings, this being my last day in office. I know I am the numero uno but that knowledge does not mitigate my apprehensions. The drive to the office is smooth and as my limousine pulls up at the vast portico, a liveried attendant rushes and opens the door for me. The last day in the office turns out to be smooth.

Years fly. I find my office life becoming more and more interesting and challenging as I move from the position of numero uno to positions of responsibility. The assignments demand more acumen than when I was the Chief of the Company and the distractions grow larger than life. The thought that my lady in the house would be struggling with the kids at home does not act as a deterrent to my escapades though at times it does leave me with a feeling of guilt. I realize that the arrogance of youth is at its peak at around thirty. My insensitivity to others’ feelings truly amazes me but I let myself go.

Years fly. The lady of the house returns to her parents to spend the rest of her life. I am out of my profession and looking forward to the best period of my life. Thanks to the enormous influence of my father, I find myself in the best college in town. My pranks, at times bordering on the insane, are tolerated by people with great difficulty being the son of a celebrity. The protective atmosphere does take the sheen out of the fun I am having and I envy the chaps with no background indulging in daredevilry. I find myself attracted to them and our motley group soon becomes the most feared one in the college.

Years fly. I can not say I like very much my teacher with his prominent religious mark on his forehead and the grey tuft. I fear him a lot. He has a terrific back swing to his slap and the receiver is sure to hear the ringing tone in his head for at least a month thereafter. He wants us to learn our lessons exactly as he teaches them. Ho does not permit any parallel thinking nor does he like to be questioned. My parents are happy with my obedience which they attribute to the influence of my feared teacher.

Years fly. I refuse to get out of my mother’s hip even when she is working. I treat her like my beast of burden. So does my father. It is truly amazing that she seems to enjoy it all. Even when I keep to myself, she pulls me to herself or takes me on her hips. And I keep thinking she considers me a nuisance but here she is enjoying every bit of it. I find myself more and more reliant on my mother for everything. I can’t even eat without her help. She bathes me, feeds me, dresses me up like a doll and puts me to sleep.
I sleep and sleep until I lose track of time. My abode becomes smaller and smaller till it shrinks to the size of my mother’s womb. My limbs shrink too. I become tinier and tinier. I become a tiny ball of flesh now becoming a microscopic speck and find myself floating in a vast sea with millions of similar specks. I hear a big explosion, like the Big Bang, an unprecedented orgasmic upheaval and I lose all sense of time and space.
Click to expand...

r a read.

HariLakhera · Dec 9, 2024

Cheeniya said: ↑

A Life in Reverse

George Constanza: "The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? DEATH! What's that, a bonus?!? I think the life cycle is all backwards."

In the beginning there was just fire.
Agni Mee`le.
The opening words of Rig Veda ring in my ears as I lie there surrounded by flames like a salamander. The leaping tongues of flame caress my astral body imparting life to it. As I show signs of life, the flames recede from my body. I just lie there staring at the starry sky through my myopic eyes. The eerie darkness around me does not scare me. Slowly the dawn paints the tops of the massive trees in gold and the stars recede.

I hear footsteps and turning around see a group of men advancing towards me. They surround me and look at me with joy. Four of them pick me up gently and transfer my fragile frame to a waiting van. The drive seems interminable and I feel relieved when it finally stops in front of a massive house. I am picked up from the van and taken in. I am struck by a huge portrait of myself swathed in garlands in the hall. On seeing me being taken in, someone removes all the garlands off my portrait.

Someone brings an old lady, a few years younger to me, to my side and she holds my hands with tears in her eyes. I feel strongly drawn to her and give her a weak but reassuring smile. I see people all around me looking very solemn but as inscrutable as Mona Lisa’s smile.

Days pass on and I feel much stronger now. I am able to get out of my bed and take a stroll around the garden. As I stretch myself in the lawn, the cook comes out bearing a tray containing a decanter, ice cubes and other paraphernalia. I make myself a drink and savour its heavenly flavour before sipping it. The old lady joins me and we spend the next hour or so discussing the people living with us. I can see that she is not very happy with the things going on in the house and I advise her to take things easy. I refuse to get involved in any controversy and my attitude irks the old lady.

Years fly. I look strong enough for a man of sixty and as the chauffeur opens the door of my limousine, someone behind me remarks that I hardly look the kind of person who will be retiring that day. I feel happy to hear such compliments. I feel an assortment of feelings, this being my last day in office. I know I am the numero uno but that knowledge does not mitigate my apprehensions. The drive to the office is smooth and as my limousine pulls up at the vast portico, a liveried attendant rushes and opens the door for me. The last day in the office turns out to be smooth.

Years fly. I find my office life becoming more and more interesting and challenging as I move from the position of numero uno to positions of responsibility. The assignments demand more acumen than when I was the Chief of the Company and the distractions grow larger than life. The thought that my lady in the house would be struggling with the kids at home does not act as a deterrent to my escapades though at times it does leave me with a feeling of guilt. I realize that the arrogance of youth is at its peak at around thirty. My insensitivity to others’ feelings truly amazes me but I let myself go.

Years fly. The lady of the house returns to her parents to spend the rest of her life. I am out of my profession and looking forward to the best period of my life. Thanks to the enormous influence of my father, I find myself in the best college in town. My pranks, at times bordering on the insane, are tolerated by people with great difficulty being the son of a celebrity. The protective atmosphere does take the sheen out of the fun I am having and I envy the chaps with no background indulging in daredevilry. I find myself attracted to them and our motley group soon becomes the most feared one in the college.

Years fly. I can not say I like very much my teacher with his prominent religious mark on his forehead and the grey tuft. I fear him a lot. He has a terrific back swing to his slap and the receiver is sure to hear the ringing tone in his head for at least a month thereafter. He wants us to learn our lessons exactly as he teaches them. Ho does not permit any parallel thinking nor does he like to be questioned. My parents are happy with my obedience which they attribute to the influence of my feared teacher.

Years fly. I refuse to get out of my mother’s hip even when she is working. I treat her like my beast of burden. So does my father. It is truly amazing that she seems to enjoy it all. Even when I keep to myself, she pulls me to herself or takes me on her hips. And I keep thinking she considers me a nuisance but here she is enjoying every bit of it. I find myself more and more reliant on my mother for everything. I can’t even eat without her help. She bathes me, feeds me, dresses me up like a doll and puts me to sleep.
I sleep and sleep until I lose track of time. My abode becomes smaller and smaller till it shrinks to the size of my mother’s womb. My limbs shrink too. I become tinier and tinier. I become a tiny ball of flesh now becoming a microscopic speck and find myself floating in a vast sea with millions of similar specks. I hear a big explosion, like the Big Bang, an unprecedented orgasmic upheaval and I lose all sense of time and space.
Click to expand...

Dear Shri Cheeniya,
Thanks for suggesting this post. So revealing and fascinating at the same time. Life must be going in reverse, who knows? May be next time.

Cheeniya said: ↑

A Life in Reverse

George Constanza: "The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? DEATH! What's that, a bonus?!? I think the life cycle is all backwards."

In the beginning there was just fire.
Agni Mee`le.
The opening words of Rig Veda ring in my ears as I lie there surrounded by flames like a salamander. The leaping tongues of flame caress my astral body imparting life to it. As I show signs of life, the flames recede from my body. I just lie there staring at the starry sky through my myopic eyes. The eerie darkness around me does not scare me. Slowly the dawn paints the tops of the massive trees in gold and the stars recede.

I hear footsteps and turning around see a group of men advancing towards me. They surround me and look at me with joy. Four of them pick me up gently and transfer my fragile frame to a waiting van. The drive seems interminable and I feel relieved when it finally stops in front of a massive house. I am picked up from the van and taken in. I am struck by a huge portrait of myself swathed in garlands in the hall. On seeing me being taken in, someone removes all the garlands off my portrait.

Someone brings an old lady, a few years younger to me, to my side and she holds my hands with tears in her eyes. I feel strongly drawn to her and give her a weak but reassuring smile. I see people all around me looking very solemn but as inscrutable as Mona Lisa’s smile.

Days pass on and I feel much stronger now. I am able to get out of my bed and take a stroll around the garden. As I stretch myself in the lawn, the cook comes out bearing a tray containing a decanter, ice cubes and other paraphernalia. I make myself a drink and savour its heavenly flavour before sipping it. The old lady joins me and we spend the next hour or so discussing the people living with us. I can see that she is not very happy with the things going on in the house and I advise her to take things easy. I refuse to get involved in any controversy and my attitude irks the old lady.

Years fly. I look strong enough for a man of sixty and as the chauffeur opens the door of my limousine, someone behind me remarks that I hardly look the kind of person who will be retiring that day. I feel happy to hear such compliments. I feel an assortment of feelings, this being my last day in office. I know I am the numero uno but that knowledge does not mitigate my apprehensions. The drive to the office is smooth and as my limousine pulls up at the vast portico, a liveried attendant rushes and opens the door for me. The last day in the office turns out to be smooth.

Years fly. I find my office life becoming more and more interesting and challenging as I move from the position of numero uno to positions of responsibility. The assignments demand more acumen than when I was the Chief of the Company and the distractions grow larger than life. The thought that my lady in the house would be struggling with the kids at home does not act as a deterrent to my escapades though at times it does leave me with a feeling of guilt. I realize that the arrogance of youth is at its peak at around thirty. My insensitivity to others’ feelings truly amazes me but I let myself go.

Years fly. The lady of the house returns to her parents to spend the rest of her life. I am out of my profession and looking forward to the best period of my life. Thanks to the enormous influence of my father, I find myself in the best college in town. My pranks, at times bordering on the insane, are tolerated by people with great difficulty being the son of a celebrity. The protective atmosphere does take the sheen out of the fun I am having and I envy the chaps with no background indulging in daredevilry. I find myself attracted to them and our motley group soon becomes the most feared one in the college.

Years fly. I can not say I like very much my teacher with his prominent religious mark on his forehead and the grey tuft. I fear him a lot. He has a terrific back swing to his slap and the receiver is sure to hear the ringing tone in his head for at least a month thereafter. He wants us to learn our lessons exactly as he teaches them. Ho does not permit any parallel thinking nor does he like to be questioned. My parents are happy with my obedience which they attribute to the influence of my feared teacher.

Years fly. I refuse to get out of my mother’s hip even when she is working. I treat her like my beast of burden. So does my father. It is truly amazing that she seems to enjoy it all. Even when I keep to myself, she pulls me to herself or takes me on her hips. And I keep thinking she considers me a nuisance but here she is enjoying every bit of it. I find myself more and more reliant on my mother for everything. I can’t even eat without her help. She bathes me, feeds me, dresses me up like a doll and puts me to sleep.
I sleep and sleep until I lose track of time. My abode becomes smaller and smaller till it shrinks to the size of my mother’s womb. My limbs shrink too. I become tinier and tinier. I become a tiny ball of flesh now becoming a microscopic speck and find myself floating in a vast sea with millions of similar specks. I hear a big explosion, like the Big Bang, an unprecedented orgasmic upheaval and I lose all sense of time and space.
Click to expand...

r a read.

Viswamitra · Dec 12, 2024

Dear Cheeniya Sir,

I can't believe I responded to this thread of yours 12 years ago when I was only 58 years old. Whether I became wiser than my earlier response or not, I have become older. Review that happens in our mind's eye is a gift that happens to all of us when we get ready to leave this beautiful planet. That opportunity is to drop out all our regrets and guilt through self-forgiveness and also work towards the mindset those who are close to us will continue to live peacefully without us as the one who provided for us also will provide for those who are continuing the journey. Acceptance takes time if we don't understand why death is inevitable as death occurs only to our body which is transient and unreal as taught by Adi Sankara. Lord Krishna taught his friend Arjuna that we all were always there as we come and go many times. The death happens only to this body and Atma is indestrctible. Our only goal is to remove the encryption that we have in every life and liberate our Atma from the cycle of birth and death.

In Sanskrit movie about Adi Sankara, Adi Sankara had two friends who always traveled with him wherever he went. One is known as Mrythinjaya and another is Jnana. Symbolically, Mrythinjaya always stayed away from Adi Sankara when he meditated. Finally, when Mrythinjaya asks Adi Sankara whether he can hug Adi Sankara, he asks his other friend Jnana whether he would always stay with him. When he nodded yes, then, he tells his friend Mrythinjaya to embrace him at the age of 32. It is a symbolic representation that the best way to conquer the fear of death is to attain Jnana.

Even though I couldn't write as eloquently as you write, I wrote a thread about our journey in a thread.

Journey

I never picked up that subject again as some of the young ILites got scared after reading this snippet.

One way I prepare myself is by volunteering in the Hospice every week. As you know, most patients admitted here are facing end of life situation and we see so many patients pass away every week. I would like to train my mind that it happens to everyone. In the play "Enge Brahmanan?" play directed by Cho Ramasamy, I remember the words uttered by a wise young man who decided to follow the Ashrama life prescribed in Veda when he was born to a CEO of a company and the words he said to someone in death bed that we are only shedding what has become obselete.

kaluputti · Dec 13, 2024

Viswamitra said: ↑

Dear Cheeniya Sir,

In Sanskrit movie about Adi Sankara, Adi Sankara had two friends who always traveled with him wherever he went. One is known as Mrythinjaya and another is Jnana. Symbolically, Mrythinjaya always stayed away from Adi Sankara when he meditated. Finally, when Mrythinjaya asks Adi Sankara whether he can hug Adi Sankara, he asks his other friend Jnana whether he would always stay with him. When he nodded yes, then, he tells his friend Mrythinjaya to embrace him at the age of 32. It is a symbolic representation that the best way to conquer the fear of death is to attain Jnana.
.
Click to expand...

True _/\_.

Cheeniya · Dec 13, 2024

@Viswamitra
We have heard of many saints who attained Jeeva Samadhi. The end of Swami Vivekananda was also at the age of late thirties.

On 4 July 1902 (the day of his death), Vivekananda awoke early, went to the monastery at Belur Math and meditated for three hours. He taught Shukla-Yajur-Veda, Sanskrit grammar and the philosophy of yoga to pupils, later discussing with colleagues a planned Vedic college in the Ramakrishna Math. At 7:00 pm Vivekananda went to his room, asking not to be disturbed; he died at 9:20 p.m. while meditating. According to his disciples, Vivekananda attained mahasamādhi; the rupture of a blood vessel in his brain was reported as a possible cause of death. His disciples believed that the rupture was due to his brahmarandhra (an opening in the crown of his head) being pierced when he attained mahasamādhi. Vivekananda fulfilled his prophecy that he would not live forty years.
(Sourced from Wikipedia)