Can Photographs speak?

Viswamitra · Jan 25, 2015

Can photographs speak? Yes they do. I was staring at the photograph I had taken in Pisa, Italy of the leaning tower. This reminiscence was a pleasant experience that brought me back what was going through my mind when I saw this leaning tower for the first time. First of all, its ability to withstand the pressure of gravity for this long. Second, the construction of this bell tower began in 12[SUP]th[/SUP] century and spread over two or three centuries. The tower is 183.27 feet tall and has approximately 296 steps. The leaning of this tower started even when it was built either due to poor foundation or soft soil on one side of the tower. Until the restoration work done from 1990 to 2001, the tower had 5.5 degrees tilt and now it is reduced to 3.99 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is 3.9 meters (12 feet 10 inches) away from where it should be if it was built with strong foundation. The tower’s weight is estimated to be 14,500 metric tons.

My son and I were the only one who decided to explore this leaning tower and my wife was smart enough to decide to go for pampering in the parlors located in the cruise ship knowing that this trip involves a lot of walking. My son ran up the stairs until he reached the top of the tower. Being a BP patient myself, I took my own time and reached approximately 250 steps but could not make it to the top. The steps became narrower as I went up the stairs and I could feel the angle that made me feel very dizzy. I stopped at that point to help another woman who fainted and decided to stay with her until her family returned from the top of the tower. After they took control of the situation, I decided to walk down rather than climbing it further.

When my son enjoyed the top of the tower view and I came down and took a lot of photographs of this leaning tower and my thoughts were circling around the purpose of life. None of us are picture perfect to conduct our own life in the comfort zone that we would like to stay on. We all come to this world with an intention to be perfect like the intention of the builder of this leaning tower. Our experiences and circumstances make us become who we appear to be for people around us. If every one of us are perfect to the core, we would be living in a golden age. Apparently, despite our shortcomings, how we conduct our life to become a person who could handle our trials and tribulations and stand tall like this leaning tower makes the difference. There are thousands of perfectly constructed bell towers around the world but none of them get the attention this leaning tower gets. It is the tower's acceptance of its shortcomings and still function as a bell tower that draws the attention of so many people around the world. This tower stands tall in front of the Cathedral and probably the only tower that was built over a period of 199 years.

It does not matter how long it takes us to finish the purpose why we came into existence but we have to keep trying to do what we came here to do. As we go up the steps to perfect ourselves, the steps become narrower and difficult to climb but we should not give up. The challenge is not about reaching the heights but how we sustain ourselves when we get to that height. One could throw the weight around feeling proud of the accomplishments or decide to remain humble. Similarly, one could get shattered by the shortcomings and lose the sight of the entire life ahead of us or accept the shortcoming and move forward to achieve great heights.

Everyone can’t achieve the perfection of Great Pyramid of Giza or Hanging Gardens of Babylon or the Temple of Artemis or for that matter any of the seven ancient wonders of the world. One can be a leaning bell tower and still achieve its purpose with all the shortcomings, if one has the wherewithal and will power to fulfill one’s mission. It does not make sense to feel emotionally charged with our shortcomings but it makes sense to overcome that and stay focus on what we came to do. If you like to look at the narrow steps of leaning tower or the tower itself, please see my Avatar or the photograph attached. Just like this tower, I continue to thrive with all my shortcomings.

jayasala42 · Jan 25, 2015

Dear Viswa,
Your introspection on the Pisa Leaning Tower is indeed superb.Yes, we have our own strengths and weaknesses.
For achieving success, we rely more on our weaknesses. The realization of our weakness is essentially an inner strength that gives a pucca assessment and it need not be construed as a demotivation.
Your snippet brings to my mind memories of Ashta Vakra, the great who was born with 8 constrictions in his body. He, as a foetus within his mother's womb pointed out the defects in the recitation of his knowledgible father.The father got angry and cursed the child to be born with defects ( 8constrictions ) in his body.
It is this Ashta vakra who challenged all pundits in King Janaka's Court.
When his father was about to be defeated by the proud pundits of the time, Ashta vakra entered the court.On seeing the crooked form of Ashta vakra everybody laughed.
Without any hesitation, Ashta vakra asked the king to send away the skin and hide merchants and the butchers from the court hall. All were puzzled. He said that only a leather merchant is bothered about the skin of animals for business purposes and the butcher is worried about the flesh.
The pundits who could not realise the inner strength of a person can nothing but be traders and butchers.

It is said that Janaks prostrated before him and sought his instructions to obtain true wisdom.
The upadesa given by Ashta vakra is known as Ashta Vakra Samhita or Ashta vakra Gita.
While Bhagavat Gita has commentaries by Sankara, Ramanuja, Vallabhacharya and others , Ashta Vakra Samhita is less popular and no one could add or remove any word or give any other interpretation to his work.

Bhagavatgita Gita is viewed as Gnana by Sankara, bhakthi by Ramanuja, Action by Tilak and sathyam by Gandhi.

Neither veda, upanishad ,nor any vedantha literature can excel ashta vakra samhita in purity and content.Unlike Bhagavat Gita it can be approached by only bya person who is prepared to lose himself ( forefeit'I" or ahankara)

It is stated that Janaka obtained Atma gnana only after listening to ashta vakra. But many feel that only Janaka, a great Viveki and Gnani could go near Ashtavakra samhita.
We had visted the leaning tower of Pisa in 2007, which brought to my mind the great Ashta vakra.
Viswa,
Your wonderful interpretation on old photographs has kindled my memories to my college days and classes on 'history of sanskrit literature' wherein we were more often asked to compare Bhagavat Gita and Ashta Vakra Gita ( samhita).
I don't know whether my observations correctly fit into your snippet .I just shared what I thought.

Jayasala 42

Akanksha1982 · Jan 25, 2015

Very nice narration of your experience. I have heard a lot about the tower and would like to see it. I think they don't allow people to go upstairs anymore.

You, Sir, are like Kamalji. Kamalji searches for humor in everything and you search for the life learning in everything. I read your snippets as an avid student and ponder over it. Thanks for your sharing.

GoogleGlass · Jan 25, 2015

Nice one V'

Having withstood the fall the tower is leaning to fame by sustaining, lets also sustain the heights reached and lean towards satisfaction, fulfilling the cause of birth to the extent possible.

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Jan 25, 2015

Dear Viswa,
Photographs do kindle memories which in turn bring back the precious moments of our life vividly.
I admire you for connecting everything with situations in life and using it as a learning curve.
PS

Viswamitra · Jan 25, 2015

Dear Smt. Jayasala,

Your observation is right on target. My humble pranams to you for mentioning Ashta Vakra Gita in your response here. I am not as learned as you are and I have not formally learned Sanskrit at all. However, I have to admit to you that I was so excited when your first response talked about Ashta Vakra Gita because when I wrote this post, it crossed my mind.

My knowledge about Ashta Vakra Gita is based on the teachings of the great Teachers of India. ‘Ashtavakra Gita’ is one of the advaitic masterpieces. Without mincing matters it comes out with the advaitic truth, the whole truth and nothing but advaita which is the Truth. This book embodies Ashtavakra’s teaching to King Janaka which vouched him Self-Knowledge between the time he placed one foot upon the stirrup of his horse and lifted himself to place the other foot on the other stirrup.
Bhagavan Ramana said, ‘Because Brahma Jnana is not something external, which is somewhere faraway where you can go and get it, you cannot say that it will take so long or so short a time to attain it. It is always with you. . . . All that is necessary is to surrender yourself completely to the Guru, to surrender your notion of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ ….”

I understand Bhagavan Ramakrishna persuaded young Narendra to read Ashta Vakra Gita which had a stupendous impact on the young devotee who later flowered into Swami Vivekananda, the doughty Advaithic evangelist.

You have actually motivated me to read the interpretation of Ashta Vakra Gita personally written by Bhagavan Ramana in his own handwriting in Sanskrit and translated into Tamil by Sri Viswanatha Swami or English version translated by Swami Nitya Swarupananda, John Richards, Hari Prasad Sastri.

I am glad my post brought some wonderful memories of your reading Sanskrit literature. Sometimes, I feel I have wasted my entire life without learning Sanskrit which appears to have the highest knowledge in the world. I still wonder whether it is someone like King Janaka who has the capacity to assimilate something like Ashta Vakra Gita or it is the Ashta Vakra Gita made King Janaka the wisest King ruling at that time.

Viswa

Viswamitra · Jan 25, 2015

Dear Akanksha,

Thank you for your visit to this post and for your kind words. You are such a great writer in your own rights and I am truly humbled to hear from you that you read my snippet as an avid student. Honestly, I am one of the greatest fans among many here in IL after reading your "The Great Betrayal" and "Via Dolorosa". This morning I read your another post "Obama-Modi Submit" and laughed to my hearts content. I will respond to it soon.

To be candid with you, it is writers like you who makes this IL a very interesting place to visit and make the members glued to the site.

Viswa

Viswamitra · Jan 25, 2015

Dear GG,

Thank you for your response. I keep admiring your ability to be brief summarizing the whole content of my post into two lines. That is an art and you excel in it. As we get older, I became a painful narrator who likes to elaborate by nature and I have to learn brevity from you.

Well said, GG.

Viswa

Viswamitra · Jan 25, 2015

Dear Smt. Srinivasan:

Thank you for your wonderful feedback. All great saints always taught us that we continue to be students for life. Every experience teaches us something always. Every visit to IL has made me richer in knowledge through reading so many wonderful posts here. There are so many wonderful young writers here and I keep admiring every day. At the same time, I can't forget how much I learned from your blogs well-written over many years.

Viswa

stillwaters · Jan 26, 2015

Dear viswa sir , as usual an inspirational snippet.
It's true our focus should be always on our goal and not on the obstacles in the path. The wish to achieve our goal diminishes the toil of crossing the obstacles .