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So?!!!

Discussion in 'Cheeniya's Senile Ramblings' started by Cheeniya, Sep 4, 2007.

  1. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    These words of Malathijagan in my thread ‘The teasing girl’,
    “May be, I guess you had nothing up your mind when you clicked on the 'New Thread' and this is was what you could think of! Even if you scribble some nonsensical meaningless words, we will get some meaning out of it!”
    had me thinking! At once it enabled me to remove my thinking cap, a tattered one that I had been wearing for a pretty long time! But as I thought of it more, I could realize the stature that a writer or a speaker could reach if he had been tenaciously pursuing his job for a pretty long time. The readers of his would reach a stage eventually when they would read his mind so clearly that he might not even have to say what he wanted to say! That is indeed a great development. Such an intense rapport between him and his fans takes a big burden off his mind! Let us take this further and let me share with you my thoughts on this!!

    It is unbelievable but true that tens of thousands of words of commentary have been written on just the two opening words of Rig-Veda, ‘Agni Meele`’. It only goes to prove that eloquence does not mean making everlasting speeches and conversation. On the contrary, long speeches and endless conversations may fail to convey even a fraction of what we want to say, that is if at all we have anything to say, and what we have in mind. It is, therefore, no exaggeration to say that ‘brevity is the soul of wit’. Many people think that it is a gift to be able to make long speeches at the drop of a hat. They marvel endlessly at those who can speak extempore on any subject for hours together. But do they really remain focussed on the chosen subject? We fail to notice it being under the narcotic spell of their pedagogic words. At the end of it, try to recollect what was he really trying to say and you will not recollect any.

    Blessed are those who can rivet your attention with the briefest of statements, like Agni Meele. One of my fellow members at a Rotary meeting took me by surprise when he greeted me with a ‘So?’ sometime back. For once I found myself tongue-tied by the sheer intellectual pressure of this terse one-word sentence. So! What do you say in reply when a person opens the conversation with a ‘So’? It is the beginning and the end. It stimulates meditation. It is both introspective and extrospective. When he addressed me thus, I became introspective. So what am I doing here, I asked myself. Do I deserve to be in a place hollowed by the presence of great visionaries who had adorned this forum before me? Am I making the forum stronger by my presence? Questions, questions and questions. All stimulated by a single ‘So!’

    In Sanskrit, there is a process of initiating self-inquiry called ‘Kah: Kim’ In effect, it is asking ‘Then what?’ Asking this question repeatedly is believed to take you to the very root of a matter and is recommended as an effective introspective tool. Like Ramana’s famous ‘Who am I?’ You will kindly observe that all these thought provoking statements are very short sentences and not longwinded speeches. In fact, in ancient schools of learning, great lessons were learnt from meditative questions and not from long lectures.

    The person who started the conversation with a ‘So!’ in a world of endless chattering, was such an intellectually inspiring conversationalist. It is quite sometime since he said to me ‘So!’ and I am yet to stop thinking about it. My mind has travelled millions of miles in this interlude of time but is yet to find a convincing answer to this question. I am not prepared to dismiss his ‘So!’ with a ‘So what!’

    I must find the answer and trust me, I will.
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2007
    sindmani, kelly1966 and mikku like this.
  2. Shanvy

    Shanvy IL Hall of Fame

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    Hi sri,

    Looks like you are thinking inwards..self analyzing..so when you find the answer to the so..let me know...
     
  3. Vysan

    Vysan Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Sri

    I agree that short few words or lines will have an impact than a big lecture or discourse....

    So..... :confused: ..

    Will Wait....

    Veda
     
  4. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Shanthi
    Introspection can only lead to further introspection and not an Answer. The Universe within is far bigger than the One we see externally. We may succeed oneday in resolving the mystery of the Universe outside but I doubt very much if we can even touch the fringe of what is within
    Sri
     
  5. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Veda
    Unuttered words convey more than a few words. The Guru of all Gurus , Lord Dakshinamoorthy, conveys through His Chinmudra a lot more than a human mind can ever comprehend.
    Sri
     
  6. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sri,
    So?!!!!
    You have proved to us that a simple F B can lead to an endless chain of thoughts in your mind !

    So?!!!
    Your thinking cap is tattered - I am sure a "product" from inside your head, is slightly leaking out.
    Make sure first, it is in tact inside your head.

    So?!!!
    I am reminded of the famous one word of Late Kamaraj, often quoted "pakkalam". He was a king-maker with perhaps brevity in words as his forte.

    "So?!!!
    Tell me, what is all the latest news?" - perhaps, this is what your friend had in mind, when he started with So.
    But you went into introspection & he lost interest in conversation with a contemplative friend.

    Isn't it difficult very often to utter the single word "No" when we don't want to do something, lest it is considered an act of defiance ?

    Well, on the contrary the word "Yes" has such power ! Saying yes is a sign of power, confidence, knowledge and giving.It is always easy to say "No." But it takes someone with real power to say "Yes".

    You have ended
    I am not prepared to dismiss his ‘So!’ with a ‘So what!’
    My vedanta teacher says that learning vedanta must help us develop an unperturbed attitude in life, that we must never say "What??!!", but learn to say "So, what!"

    So, you sent me into introspection, Sri ! So, what??!!

    Love,
    Chithra.
     
    2 people like this.
  7. Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

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    "So so" ! In a strange way, the 'so' doubled is used in the collaguial German language! Those twin 'so so' conveys varied meanings depending on the context ! Never paused to think about the power of this word 'so' . And here you go again Cheeniya sir, prodding our minds on a less trodden path.
    "the narcotic spell of their pedagogic words"....Oh wow, that is some description there! You sure wield your words to the maximum effect:smile:
    Whatever Malathijagan may have said, it is indeed a pleasure for people like me when you jot down your thoughts as they occur to you. Nevermind if you had no idea about them ahead.
    Keep them coming, we are not tired and that's all I want to say...so so:smile:

    L, Kamla
     
  8. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Chithra
    Kamaraj never said Paakkalam but Aagattum Paakkalam. That way he kept his options open and many of his admirers stressed that his 'paakkalam' was tantamount to saying yes but his long history proved otherwise!
    You say that saying yes is a sign of power but in the modern world, saying no is considered a sign of power. The slogan today is 'You have the right to say NO!'
    Most of the gullible people (ilichavayans) who can not say NO and keep saying YES to everything plunge into a bottomless pit ultimately. More importantly, ladies should have the courage to say no.
    'So what' similarly is considered a sign of defiance and not introspection or self enquiry. If a possible threat is pointed out in a proposed course of action and it meets with a terse 'So what' it is considered a sign of haughty defiance.
    Possiblly your Vedantha Teacher would have meant kah: kim by his So what!
    Sri
     
  9. Cheeniya

    Cheeniya Super Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Ah Kamla
    The ever motivating, the ever supporting genial friend!
    So so is here too as an expression of disinterest. How was the cinema last night? and if the answer is So, so, it would mean 'Not so good'! Some people say 'Oru tharam paakkalam' which also means So, so.

    I am only keeping up my commitment of senile rambling in my writings. Sometimes I even think aloud through my writings and needless to say that while doing so, I bank heavily on the indulgence of ILites towards me!

    Thanks a lot Kamla for your encouraging word. You are the Abou Ben Adam of my indulgent list!
    Sri
     
  10. Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

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    So so :redface: Nice....But to be known as an Adam..even if it is Abu Ben:rolleyes:

    L, Kamla !!
     

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