flood

Mansoon meant flooded mohalla [society] with lots and lots of water. We would store food for a month in advance, some of our neighbors would shift in our house because water had gone to their houses. My hometown in north Bihar will transform into an island with no connection with the rest of Indian. It would last for 60-90 days every year. Rivers like Koshi, Bagmati, and Ganga would be overflooded apart from many seasonal rivers like Lakahndei, Boodhi Gandak.

Some elders make temporary boats joining banana trunks. There were a handful of houses and many empty lands. All those get converted to mini lakes. No cricket for the next 4-5 months. My school will announce a holiday with no opening date.

At one time, we saw corpses of animals, humans floating in the water. Our neighbors told us that a dam in Nepal got over flooded and got collapsed. It created havoc, killing many apart from making millions other homeless. Every year flood has taken away more life and done the worst destruction imagined.

The colorful sharbat mug made of glass will become mine for keeping fish catch. There were a few colorful fishes that we would catch with our hands. We would feed the fish some boiled rice.

Fast forward now, highways and dams have gotten constructed. Floods inside the city are a thing of the past. We stay connected throughout the year from the rest of the country.

Darr

Darr darr ke ze liya aye zindgi humne tumhe. Har Waqt ziye darr ki parchai mae. Aisa kya hua hame zo zindgi parchai se bann gaye dar ke kale kambal odhe.

Hum khud ke hua karte the kabhi, mast the, madmast the apni chaal aur dhun mae.

Kya hua zindgi ko hamare, kaise laga ye grahan jo hamne darr darr ke zina suru kar diya?

Ek he to Zindgi hai, darree bhala hum kyun kisi se? Ye darr darr ke bhi kya zina hua bhala? Hum insaan hai ji, bakreed ki qurabani wale bher thore he?

Apni Zindgi ko ko zisne jina suru kar diya, samjho darr se duuur ho gaya wo.

Kaise Zina hai tumhe ye Zindgi? Darr darr ke, ya bekhauu: mann bana lo, aur zindgi ko zina suru karo.

Aakhir kuch waqt ki he to hai ye zindgi, darr darr ke bhi kya zina bhala?

actions

Our actions define who we are. It is the path for our destiny.

It is easy to complain about all the bad things encircled around us in life. It is easy to complain about how bad our work is. It is easy to complain about how complicated or misaligned we are in a relationship.

In short, complaining is easy. Once in a while, The truth is, we will get drunk, smoke for a few hours, and feel lost. Once in senses, again same life: hating cribbing about everything and blaming others.

What about taking life in your own hand and working ass off and changing the course of life: breaking away from the relationship or switching the job?

Isn’t our life too short to waste on cribbing instead of dying trying? Why are we wasting money on therapy sessions or expecting friends to listen to daily cribbings?

Creative destruction

Capitalism thrives on Creative destruction. A concept shared by Schumpeter, an economist.

According to Schumpeter, the “gale of creative destruction” describes the “process of industrial mutation that continuously revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one” [source] 

If we look back, see the history, we have many examples in front of us. From telegraph replaced by telephone. To black and white films replaced via color pictures. 

Our habit of not changing or not letting go of our cash cow for innovating in newer emerging technology killed Kodak, Blackberry, BlockBuster to name a few. 

self

Be it Socrates or Bhagwad Gita or Japanese Ikigai: all had a core teaching of finding within. In short, knowing: who am I?

The gurukul system was known for holistic teaching. From early on, a child was taught to self enquire: try, fail, learn, and once out of education, make their life. Your life becomes virtues you acquire.

With the advancement in technology, our new generation has a suite of options to pick from and make their life. I see kids in 18-20 years figured out everything in their life, sharing all their wisdom on social media. It pleasantly surprises me. Access to technology has empowered them at such an early age.

I also have friends in their mid 30’s after having kids, an established business, family talking about a void in life, and not being satisfied.

Finding self, Ikigai is more of a self-journey. It can only happen from within. It means trying all the journeys, paths, readings, and mentors. The purpose of our life hangs on our actions and, externals have a limited role in it.

Star Trek mentions: “Where No Man Has Gone Before”; essentially, that is what it is. We have to push ourselves into knowing ourselves, finding peace with our solitude, and making acquainted with who we are. We cannot fool ourself, but constantly evolve and continue that search. The journey of life is painful and, finding purpose can make it less miserable.

Kissa

Apni Zindgi ka kissa likh rahe hai,
Apne zindgi ke panno pe, kismat ki sayahi se.

Dawaat ka rang bhi mausam ke zaise badal zata hai, hum jab madmast hai tab alag aur jab gam me dube hai tab lag.

Kabhi lagta hai ki kuch likh rahe hai, kabhi bas dhabba sa chor dete hai.

Hum us madaari ke dur se bandhe he to hai, ziye za rahe hai uske isharee pe.

Madari ke hawale hai zindgi likh rahe hai kissa apni zindgi ka.

Kai baar aanshuoo ke rang ko bhi nichod dena padta hai, tab zake, kabhi koi kissa pura likha zata hai.

Freedom

Freedom is a double-edged sword. It comes with its own challenges. In the eyes of society, you are an outcast and, for actions, you are responsible.

The sooner we realize that the consequences of our decisions and actions will be on us, the easier becomes our journey.

In short, freedom comes with a lot of responsibility.

Privilege

I have been interacting with founder friends regularly. Most of them are working hard to sail on their journey. Some of them are seasoned and, some are out in the fundraising market. Their observation says privilege has switched sides. I am not sure if it is permanent or temporary.

An incident a founder shared a few days back where a marquee fund’s associate dropped a few times their alma mater, some Ivy League. In reply, the founder asked how many startups they have built. The call got over politely. He stopped the further conversation with the fund.

With all the money floating around in the ecosystem, the privilege has switched sides. Now founders are deciding whom to take money. As a founder, this is a perfect time for building a startup.

For a VC fund and the team, just dropping a pedigree will not win them a deal. One has to work extra hard and show them their worth for it.

Auto

Ramana lost his wife during 2nd wave of COVID19. There is a void; he cannot fill. He was under severe depression and, at times, thought of ending his life. He consoles himself that he did everything by his means, from running to a hospital to bribing for a hospital bed or paying an inflated price to oxygen cylinders to taking immediate cash by depositing gold.

Ramana’s daughter, Mala, lives in England with her family and a 10-year-old child. She could not attend her mother’s last rites due to lockdown. She has been persuading her father to move with them. But Ramana being a free bird, likes living on his terms, essentially freedom.

I was sitting with Ramana and smoking bidi near Basawangudi Bull Temple while appreciating the beauty of garland-laden newly purchased auto. He told me that I had to wait till 9:30 am to join him on the maiden ride. The priest has not come yet for puja.

I asked Ramana, what was the need for driving an auto, he could relax, read and be with himself on which Ramana interrupted saying, he has no plans of dying in boredom and loneliness. He likes talking, mingling with the crowd, and eating at the old shops. Ramana’s daughter Mala wanted to buy him a car, but Ramana wanted an auto. It requires less maintenance and is more mobile.

I could see his eyes being numb and, he confessed educating her daughter was the best decision of his life. He is not worried about his survival. His end meets are taken care of by Mala. This auto-driving is to keep him active.

I had a customer meeting at 9, so I left wishing Ramana good luck. I am hopeful of riding on his auto someday and continue our conversation.

Auroville

I remember visiting Auroville in 2012. My friend Igor was heading their internal IT infrastructure there. It was Open Source Technology that made us friends. I had a great couple of days stay there. Most of the time was learning their technology implementation and evening picking some beer and talking. I have not been a follower of any ideology, sect since early childhood. I feel we are all part of this vast universe where our significance hardly matters.

I was too high in my spirits to care about Utopia or social experiment or commune at that time. I do remember seeing Matraimandir while entering the premises. In my early 20’s, philosophy or spirituality was miles away from me. It was more about figuring out and fighting with my hormones to keep me sane.  

Last week I picked up “Better to have Gone” by Akash Kapur.

  1. It talks about the foundation of Auroville. How things changed after the founder  Mirra Alfassa (known as “the Mother”) died. 
  2. The worship, faith of a couple on “the Mother”; resulted in their death.
  3. The stakeholder’s infighting. Who should run and control Auroville?
  4. It also talks about the CIA running a secret LSD experiment in the early days. 
  5. The plight of youngsters. The newborns and missing parents. 

I don’t know the author personally. I understand his writing comes from the research, meetings, and his wife. They have grown up at Auroville those days. Also, I am no judge for giving readers a rating on it. I liked reading the book. The way events are explained, how true or false are they: I don’t know. 

From my limited knowledge, every cult, sect, Utopia requires a guru, die-hard followers who think they will find purpose in their life following the guru, and lots of money. Was or Is Auroville any different? I don’t know. 

Someone on a thread below has added their take. Feel free to check it.