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| Dr Chandra Mohan Bhandari |
by Chandra Mohan bhandari
The long cultural journey of mankind has been a mix of the best and the
worst of human traits with innumerable shades in between. From wilderness to
civilisation and modernisation it has been a long saga of an animal fighting
for survival, the fight enhanced further by his thinking mind; his long nomadic
past was followed by a settled life with agrarian revolution, modulated by the industrial
and the information waves. The bloody struggles for survival and beyond – for power, glory and greed, notwithstanding
– there emerged islands here and there – islands of sanity, of understanding that
had the vision to transcend narrow concerns and barriers. This essay is about some
of these isles and an effort to seek a connecting link between them. This
exercise is about one such linkage, it is by no means comprehensive. The task
is difficult and full of uncertainties yet we must hold on to the ray of hope. On this and many such efforts may depend the
future trajectory of the cultural journey if mankind survives its follies?
Keywords:
Trails – Himalayan, Appalachian, transcendental, Upanishadic, Bhagwad Gita, American
transcendental movement, superposition, hiking trails, dual trails,
transpersonal, Ashoka, scientific findings and transcendence, theory of
evolution, quantum theory, role and importance of road not taken.
1
Nomadic man lived on this planet
much longer than his dwelling in modern cities which, to some, seems something akin
to a human zoo [1]. The long journey of biological evolution and relatively
short ‘cultural trail’ brought forth a species that is ‘us the humans’. With a
not-too-strong physical frame coupled with not-too-balanced psychic architecture
the future of the species and, to some extent, the entire living world seem
uncertain. It is that uncertainty which is the hunting ground for thinkers and
writers, else there would be little left for them to dwell upon. The present
essay is concerned with some of these issues along with a diffuse attempt to speculate
what an understanding human mind could achieve thus far, and what small possible
role it may play in choosing possible future pathways.
With mind’s eye I can visualise
innumerable trails that highlight the cultural journey of which a particular one
draws my attention. This trail passes through mighty Himalayas starting
somewhere around Hindukush and extends up to entire range that stretches along
the southern boundary of the Tibetan plateau. It has been a unique
trail, from Hindu Kush in the Western Himalayas to the Indus valley and further
eastward to the Gangetic plains. Historians have described the migration of
Aryans to the region of Indus Valley that saw emergence of a unique
civilization. Over the time it acquired sufficient maturity to delve deeper
into existential queries, including those pertaining to states of mind. An
important aspect of this civilization was the fact that military expeditions
and conquests were not their major concern. A period of relative stability and
peace ushered in an era of understanding and awareness of the human condition
which poured out in the form of poetic expressions. These poetic outpourings,
related to deepest of queries pertaining to life and mind were at times exquisite
and elegant. Just look at the first verse of Ishopanishad [2]:
The Lord is the
supreme Reality.
Rejoice in him through
renunciation,
Covet nothing.
Three to five thousand years ago someone appreciating, even in principle,
the notion of ‘rejoicing through
renunciation’ was worth noticing. The verse essentially refers to a ‘state of mind that rejoices in
renunciation’. Such a state of mind may be more dominant and visible in
some but most humans do feel, to varying degrees, its presence especially in
moments of deep reflection. One could not express in these terms without an
exercise in ‘home cosmography’[3].
The layers deep inside the psyche keep drifting creating different patterns somewhat
like geological formations. Like tectonic plates, deeper psychic layers move in
ways often raising complex formations hard to grasp. Mind of a person corresponds
to different states of being [2[r1] ], but there comes a
state when the separate individual exists no more. That state of being (transcending
the self), is the common denominator of all thoughtful minds, and growing
concern to men of vision in all ages. Here we witness glimpses of first
recorded accounts of transcendental concern. Glimpses of individual and
isolated experiences of transcendence have always been present in all
traditions. Any supposedly spiritual experience would remain incomplete without
this. However, under favourable conditions an experience beyond individual could
form a chain in space and time defining an era; this kind of situation is of
primary concern here.
The thoughtful mind tries to communicate the experience knowing well
that the picture may be incomplete. How could one interpret otherwise the words
from Brihadaranyak Upanishad:
You are what your deep, driving desire is.
The pertinent next question is: what is after all our
deep, driving desire. For individuals the answers may differ, and they should.
However, talking of the state of being [2] when separate individual exists no
more there does appear something of a common denominator - unanalyzable,
unexplainable, somewhat fuzzy – yet very
much present. It is noteworthy that these exquisite poetic presentations do not
mention an author which indicates an emphasis on transcendental concerns. The
vision in Vedic and Upanishadic presentations is close to being empirical and
therefore somewhat close to the scientific without asking you to believe in
this or that. While speculating the creation of the universe the Nasadiya Sutra
in Rig-Veda shows this in abundance. It simply states empirical understanding
with balanced imaginative skill avoiding dogma of any kind. It was by all means
a sound beginning, but as it happened very often in the history of cultures,
the same tempo could not continue for long. This essay primarily deals with the
emergence of deeper human concerns during Upanishadic era and tries to seek a trail
linking them to some of the modern world events.
It is interesting to discover the details that help in
making of a trail. Trails of different kind have defined the cultures all over
the world. Walking along a trail one is likely to look for its deeper meanings
and fathom its depth and variety [4]. The trailblazers having done their part
of the work the pathways are maintained, modified and improved by those who
understand and appreciate the basic nuances of the process of trail’s
evolution. And in the end it is the everyday user who derives from the trail a
meaning for himself and tries to get connected to other purposeful pathways in
his long journey.
It must be noted that individual transcendental
experience had never been rare or uncommon, but only occasionally it became
part of a chain, embracing a group and that too for a considerable time
interval. It did present glimpses of becoming a reality during 400 BC - 200 AD ( rough estimate). Buddha could be
seen as a part of the chain in whose efforts the Upanishadic experience found
its culmination and saw some degree of refinement, simplification and
straightforwardness which was a historical necessity. Setting aside the
undesirable and the trivial, the central point in these developments revolved
around the issue of enlightenment, focusing primarily upon the things of
central concern to life. The important point that emerged was the understanding
that the goal could be achieved by anyone without the necessity to look for a
divine intervention. Quoting Buddha:” No one saves us but ourselves, no
one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.” It has been part of a long tradition of mature
and rational thinking right from “rejoice in renunciation” and “you are
what your deep driving desire is” to “we ourselves must walk the
path”. Glancing the entire thought pattern during this era one never
has the feeling of lack of space, within and without.
When we study and write down our impressions on a
theme we do so with a conscious effort. What results in is a coherent and comprehensible
picture of the theme at hand. However, in real life scenario, happenings are
neither coherent, nor comprehensible. They seem to make sense only from a
distance in time and space. That somewhat precipitated or crystallised essence comes
to us as an idealised picture. What we have been focusing upon did not
represent an average situation, it was the crystallization of some of the
wisest thoughts. With that understanding one has to proceed ahead in
speculating the futuristic trends anticipating only partial success.
What after all could be deep driving
desire of humans that may be an averaged out version of the whole? And that is
going to be a challenge if an answer does exist. Under normal conditions each
individual on an average would take himself (herself) at the focus. Understandably
the driving desire for most would be to seek fortune and power, or stating it
another way - comfort and happiness. But
then this has always been the need and expectation of our autonomous selves,
and history has often been guided by these considerations. The one lesson we
can learn from history is to seek a common denominator of all individual concerns,
and to ‘look for the good of the whole’. I am of the opinion that democratic
norms, even though full of many shortcomings, in some indirect way represent an
outcome of the same desire. And in a more generalised form the concern
could relate to the good of the planet earth and its inhabitants. This
understanding may partly be due also to our increased awareness of ecological
concerns during recent decades, and an understanding that we all are on the
same boat, and in the longer run it would pay to consider the ‘whole’ which is
much bigger than the sum of its parts. It’s a tall order and the working of
complex human mind provides little indication of all that happening in any
foreseeable future. But hoping against all hope is also a feature of human mind
and, howsoever small the probability, we have every reason to catch and hold on
to the fine thread of optimism.
2
Yet Another
Trail
There is no simple way to take a
comprehensive view of the entire cultural journey; we may take one particular
aspect at a time and having already defined our primary concern we shall try to
focus on a possible linkage of events in
different space-time. The other end of the trail of our concern takes us to
north eastern United States. The Hudson valley in the state of New York presents
a panoramic view of the river flanked on both sides by forests and hills of
varying heights. The space out there finds an echo within. It is this craving for space (and its
quality) within that I am compelled to express myself in these pages.
Hudson valley provides an ideal setting for
hikers of all categories. The guide book can help you to take a quick decision about
the possible spots depending on the effort you are willing to put in. One of
the moderate hikes could be the 900 feet summit on the eastern side to the hill
top known as Anthony’s Nose which is clearly visible from across the river. The
guide book also mentioned a segment of the Appalachian Trail that could be
easily followed to reach the summit without much confusion [5]. Appalachian Trail
(AT) is one of the longest trails extending from the north eastern state of
Maine to Springer Mountain, in Georgia, covering a distance of about 2100
miles. It has gained much popularity during recent years due to the efforts of
several voluntary organisations and clubs whose effort has been laudable in
creating and maintaining trails. Different segments of the trail are constantly
used by hikers of all categories [6]. There are dozens who have covered the
entire distance, a few of them doing it alone covering the distance in five to
six months’ time. For a modest day-long hike one may take a segment of
Appalachian Trail from the Bear Mountain area, part of which is along the
bridge across the river. After crossing over to the east side of the river a
walk of around two miles takes you to a spot where the trail leaves the main
road and enters the forest. After ascending nearly the full height of the ridge
which is about 700 feet from the base, the Appalachian Trail turns left on way
to north and you have to take another connecting trail to reach Anthony’s Nose. The trail that turns northward is a segment of Appalachian Trail
and important in the present context, it leads to the area through New England
and extends up to Maine.
It is this region of United States
that initiated many a new ideas relevant for the modern world. Much of the new
world order is linked to this part of the globe just as much of the ancient
world draws our attention invariably to the trails around and across the Himalayan
region. In spite of a troubled history of military expeditions, wars, acts of
cruelty and injustice the region witnessed an era of stability culminating in emergence
of a unique movement that tried to
transcend the human concerns of completely self-centred commitments. The
intellectual environment that grew during early and middle decades of the
nineteenth century gained sufficient maturity to delve deeper into existential
queries much like the scenario in the region of the Himalayas in an earlier era.
This was yet another serious effort with
capacity to enlarge human vision – an effort to understand human situation in
the modern context. Much happened here with the visionaries sharing their views
– Thoreau, Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Melville, Hawthorne and others. I could
see with my mind’s eye some of the ancient trails in the Himalayas getting
extended onto the modern pathways close to the Appalachian Trail. In some of
the writings during this period [3, 7] that linkage with the Himalayan Trails
is clearly discernible. The American Transcendental Movement [8] around two
centuries back clearly displays that linkage with Indian Transcendental
experience in an earlier time frame. Quoting Dale Riepe [9] “There has
been a continuous concern for Indian thought in the United States since
Emerson’s early years.” It is worth noticing that the emergence of
linkage in transcendental concerns in the West and the East had to await the
emergence of American Transcendentalism (AT) in the region close to the
Appalachian Trail. The happenings in the area known as New England could not
possibly emerge in England for obvious regions; England’s mental space was
largely occupied with imperial pride which was not the case with that of New
England. The linkage took roots and strengthened gradually even though
geopolitical events during this era had pushed the Eastern trail into mist of
uncertainty. However, AT movement was sufficiently energetic to see through the
mist; Gandhi like some others was well aware of these linkages, and while
planning his role in the freedom struggle he re-defined his experiment on
‘Satyagraha’ motivated by Thoreau’s ideas. The chain of thought in space-time
seemed to have completed one full cycle.
3
Connecting Trails
The two trails in different
space-time configurations seeking to enhance man’s vision is worth noticing.
And this is important in spite of everything that seems opposed to this – wars,
acts of injustice, crime, exploitation and all kind of corrupt practices. Amidst
all the noise and confusion of geo-political events unfolding it is necessary
not to lose our focus on such trails which may often get hazy and muddled. The
same people who practiced slavery few centuries back opposed it and tried to
uphold the norms of justice and equality. Deeper human concerns grew side by side with
the narrow self-interests and to some extent this trend seems intrinsic to
human psychic architecture. And in the East too in an earlier era enlightened
minds, whose effort transcended narrow domains of individual concerns with eyes
focused on universal values, could not be instrumental in supporting just cause
and fair treatment to all fellow beings.
‘Reality never makes sense, it is
the fiction that makes sense.’ Aldous Huxley’s words signify the difference
between the happenings out there and those within the thinking mind trying to
make sense of the apparent senseless mumbo-jumbo. And in spite of all odds this
has to be done, it is a historical necessity and we must not fail ourselves.
The reality as we envisage for the coming world must first be seen as a virtual
reality in our mind’s website.
The high points of the two trails
although separated in space-time seemed quite close; to quote from Thoreau: [3]
Direct your eye right inward, and you’ll find a
thousand regions in your mind
Yet
undiscovered. Travel them, and be expert in home-cosmography.
My
mind is wandering
around the northern end of the Appalachian Trail re-entering the area in
Concord where Thoreau spent a brief but fruitful time of his life, transcending
geographical, cultural and temporal domains of existence taking the route to
freedom through renunciation. It was a freedom as envisaged by philosophers and
men of vision in all cultures. The freedom from mental constructs, from
captivity of patterns, from prejudices took him to the East again. In his own
words:
“Thus it appears that the sweltering
inhabitants of Charleston and New Orleans, of Madras and Bombay and Calcutta,
drink at my well. In the morning I bath my intellect in the stupendous and
cosmogonal philosophy of BhagwatGita……………………….”
Without
trying to analyse the statement it is easy to feel the linkage of the Himalayan
and Appalachian Trails and judge the transcendence implicit in the words. That
kind of transcendence is at the very roots of the extended vision for the mankind,
and in a more advanced form for all life.
The words
of Gita were supposedly uttered by Lord Krishna in the great battlefield where
two warring sides were face to face. Krishna spoke to Arjuna exhorting him to
take up arms and be ready to fight as that was his duty, he was fighting
against injustice, prejudice and selfishness. Gandhi and several others have
written their own commentaries on Gita. According to his views the real battle might
or might not have been fought historically; that part was not of our concern in
the present context. The important point that emerged was a realization that the battle
of Mahabharata was constantly being fought within all of us, that the
characters of the epic were nothing but various facets and inclinations of our
own psyche. Each of us is a ‘superposition’ of many- in- one in different
proportions and various characters of the epic represent all shades.
That kind
of battle each of us has to fight everyday every moment. The need of taking
care of our own physical existence is part of our autonomous self. However, in
moments of deep thought we do experience the transpersonal domain and try to
transcend our narrow interests. The final battle is to be fought within
ourselves where our transcendental concerns are locked in a tussle with our own
self-interests, biases and prejudices. And this is true for individuals as also
clans, societies and nations.
4
Future Trajectory
The best possible step in speculating possible future
trajectory in the cultural journey would be to continue transcending artificial
barriers seeking a rational linkage between trails.
“The
pure water of the Walden is mingled with the sacred water of Ganges.” (Thoreau)
The
hermit of Walden could find that linkage strengthening and enriching it further
in his own way fighting the battle
within and without; and so did the Mahatma
who was motivated and inspired by Thoreau. As for the battle in the epic most of us keep
fighting all our lives.
Hiking
along Dual Trails
Hiking
along dual trails – inner and outer – brings about a refreshing experience, and
must be encouraged at all possible levels. Hiking along regions out there and also
within one discovers and re-discovers the meaning of being and one’s role in
it. In a recent version of such a dual journey Robert Pirsig [10] offers
glimpses of a unique mind. In his book with an uncommon title (Zen and the Art
of Motorcycle Maintenance) he deals with certain contemporary and ancient
queries alternately and takes the reader along an inner trail to search meaning
of being and its quality. In his own interesting style he takes the reader
frequently to the East and more often to Greece where some basic philosophic
queries were put under scrutiny.
Travel along the paths known historically has
always been interesting. Just consider the path from Egypt
to Jerusalem
Such dual explorations[10, 11] must continue, and we
must encourage and appreciate dual explorations of various kind. We must allow the
continuous mixing of waters of Walden and Ganga, and connect the trails in the
Hudson and the Himalayas. This mixing
has a symbolic context too. Much of the present day world has been shaped in
the West finding its peak in the developments along the Hudson and the Appalachian
Trail. Much of the ancient wisdom has flourished in the region of the
Himalayas. The two civilizations – the ancient and the modern, that define the
two major trends of human mind --are to be brought together to shape the future
trajectory for the mankind. The two trails often merge with each other making
it one, and at times run parallel, indicating a degree of complementarity.
Having
said this it must be acknowledged that there are several other pathways created
in different regions of the world and at different times; efforts must continue
to seek linkages between them. This essay is about one of the many possible
linkages of pathways that may be needed to build bridges for the future of the
mankind, and the planet.
The
world events proceed in ways that are complex and seldom predictable. The same
can be said of the human mind and its working. Thinkers and philosophers may
not agree on one particular issue, and even if they do there is little in their
hands to change the course of history. The best they can do is to keep the
flame burning and wait for men at the helm of affairs do the needful when the
time comes. And this is certainly more likely to happen in a democratic set up
in spite of its innumerable shortcomings. The coming decades may see a more
solid manifestation of trails merging on different platforms and somewhat
different context than we started with. The geopolitical compulsions may see a new
emerging linkage between the two nations ( India and United States) which have,
in spite of many differences, some vital points in common. Besides democratic
values another common meeting ground is: an acceptance of plurality which is
not very common even in many liberal and advanced societies. Another point
which may be of help is the past experience of intellectuals (beyond individuals) to search new and fresh
ideas transcending set patterns and patterned thought. The two nations representing
the most populous and the most powerful democracies could possibly join hands and
take lead not in terms of conventional alliance but with an emphasis on
choosing a future for mankind. They have much in common and much of whatever
seems different seems complementary. That this is not totally unlikely seems
justified from the following.
Emperor with a Difference
More than two thousand years ago Emperor Ashoka
ruled (268 -232 BCE) almost the entire Indian subcontinent. The kingdom of
Kalinga was not subservient to him and he fought a bloody battle to subjugate
it. After the war he visited the battlefield and saw the destruction and misery
with his own eyes and was moved beyond words. He vowed never to gain supremacy
through territorial conquests. He became a Buddhist and made sincere effort for
promoting the Dhamma. His efforts [12, 13] were partly responsible for
spreading message of Buddha to South-East Asia and China. At that moment of
time he was in a position to enlarge his empire by conventional means but he
chose otherwise. In an indirect way the scenario after the second World-War and
the American role could be seen in the light of Ashokan experience. No one could possibly tell the shape of things
to emerge with any degree of confidence but there does appear a small chance of
managing the world affairs with minimal use of force. Will it be a tall order to expect that
a joining of efforts by two democracies could see a modern and modified version
of Ashokan legacy? If this happens even partially this particular chapter that had
a beginning in India could find an ending in the West akin to but in reverse
order to what was envisaged by Arnold Toynbee [14].
The two nations are by no means the only deserving
candidates for the purpose outlined, they just need to take the lead. This geopolitical
scenario is one of the many possible trajectories, and may need designing
skills of mature thinkers and responsible politicians of all nations with an
aim to keep it well on track.
5
The
Transpersonal Domain of Psyche
Let us talk of
Wilber’s spectrum psychology which is an essence of so many doctrines and
concepts learnt over a vast span of time in the long cultural journey.
According to Ken Wilber [15, 16] the entire psychic activity of an individual
is composed of three basic domains which he refers to as (a) the ego level, (b)
the biosocial level, and (c ) the
existential level. The ego level refers to that domain of psyche which
primarily deals with the self, its survival and other aspects. The second level
deals with a person’s relationships with the family, friends and the larger
social network. The two levels (ego level and biosocial level ) to a large
extent determine and define a personality in early stages of a person. With
growing age the third level, the existential level, gradually manifests itself.
This level refers to several existential problems and conflicts, such as
life-death dualism, pleasure-pain, love-hatred and similar conflicting
situations. In a grown up person the three levels may define almost the entire
psychic activity. Most of our lives are dominated by these three levels. The
conflicts pertaining to the existential problems along with others often disturb
us keeping us entangled in the web of life and living.
These existential and other problems do not
find a satisfactory resolution for most of us, and they can only be tackled by transcending
the self, focussing on the things beyond. Wilber incorporates into the psychic
activity yet another domain which he refers to as the transpersonal level. Here
he gets the clue from age old traditions and experiences of wise men from all
traditions. The problems of psyche can be partly resolved only when we try to
transcend our own selves. This, according to age-old traditions, is the best
answer to the problems of existential nature, and seeking cultural trails
pertaining to this theme has been the primary concern in the present essay. The
working of human mind is often based on patterns [17] which make its job easy;
however, the patterns could put barriers in free and unbiased thinking.
Effective use of patterns without being obstructed by them as and when required
is certainly essential in any step towards transpersonal.
The Scientific
Connection
Around four
centuries back modern science made its appearance; at times this was marked by
a cultural bias. Initial concerns were focused on energy, power and
inter-convertibility of different energy forms. However, this was not merely a
one way traffic; culture too got influenced by science. Ideas and concepts keep
crossing the walls of the compartments where they are initiated and this kind
of cross-border influence leads to new dimensions in human thought. Two
among scientific theories are of great importance for understanding the world
as also the human condition – the Theory of Evolution (TE) and The Quantum
Theory (QT). TE reminds man in no uncertain terms of his lowly origin (“Man
with all his qualities still bears in his bodily frame the indelible marks of
his lowly origin” –Charles Darwin); QT explains the world events at the
microscopic level where the first one (evolutionary process) seems to operate (micro-biology).
Both are uniquely placed to focus upon the human condition and are also unique
for conflict resolution, as and when that is required. The cultural
trajectory of man could not remain uninfluenced by these scientific
developments. TE connects all living being and QT, as we shall see, connects different
possibilities such as the road taken and those not taken, and the relationship
between them. It is interesting to see that the two important
scientific theories have peculiar transcendental features.
It is
interesting to note that Darwin could have been motivated in his work on
evolution by the general atmosphere and trend in his family[18, 19]. He had started with the assumption that all mankind was
essentially one. The family of Darwin was among the enlightened ones with a
liberal outlook. Slavery was being vehemently criticized and in some cases had
already been banned by law.
It is easy
to understand and appreciate the transcendental overtones in the theory of
evolution as it not only connects various species but outlines a common origin for
all. When we transcend our own narrow selves and consider the world beyond it
is difficult not to think of the entire
living world. Our ecological concern too could find a place in the wider
definition of the transpersonal [20].
Not easy to
simplify QT has many features which are not incomprehensible to a layman
provided you avoid the mathematical terminology which is truly its backbone. The
two striking concepts that differentiate QT [21, 22] with other known theories
are (a) superposition and (b) entanglement; this essay will confine itself to
the first one. To travel from A to B there are two routes available to me –
along path 1 and path 2. I cannot take both paths simultaneously but a micro
object like an electron can. It may be so because at that level there is a
wave-particle dualism and a wave can be part here, part there. However when we
try to make a measurement to find the path taken, the electron (whole of it) is
found only along one path. For larger material objects this kind of situation is
not valid. However, for microscopic objects this gives a good description of
reality; at the level of thought too it is possible to take two or more routes
simultaneously.
In a
beautiful experiment[23] a beam of particles is split into two and each of them
takes a different path. Finally they are allowed to meet again causing an
interference which when analysed shows outcomes which are correct quantum
theoretically but incomprehensible as per common sense. The particle seems to
take only one of the two paths but in the final outcome the other path (not travelled) also makes its presence felt. The outcome of such a quantum interference
experiment provides a glimpse of the importance of the route not taken along
with the route actually taken. This is about hard scientific facts. Taking
a diversion we may seek correspondence with our thought processes especially at
the transpersonal level. The route not taken is akin in my thought about the
person which I am not, yet in my actions at some stage the other person gets a
role to play. In between the road frequently taken and those not taken
one may get a glimpse of a road less frequently taken, and that too may make a
difference in the final outcome.
Two roads diverged in a
wood, and I—
I took the one less
traveled by,
And that has made all
the difference.
-
Robert
Frost
An Unusual Trail [24]
Hiking along the Appalachian Trail
That overlooks the Hudson at a distance,
Mountain ranges along the valley
Witness the river embrace the ocean.
Looking back I find
A turbulent history of the region,
I wonder at the changing scenario
An effort to seek a new paradigm
Transcending all barriers
I wonder at the changing scenario
An effort to seek a new paradigm
Transcending all barriers
Of race, nationality, space and time.
Then I begin to move
Along new emerging pathways
Covering the dual canvas
Often connecting the trails.
Three thousand years back
I find myself along the Himalayan Trail
On way to Indus and Gangetic plains
That marked an era in passage of time
An experiment delving deep into mind
Encoded in poetic outpourings of unusual kind.
Next I move on a trail along the Hudson
Another experiment in modern version
A liberal outlook, justice and freedom,
A new defining era of enlightened mind.
The two trails in different space and time
Merge sometime, often running parallel too
From the Himalayan to the Appalachian
Streams of reason come to a confluence
A new signature on the canvas of mind.
Standing on the summit heading North
I wait for fresh breath and look back
The miles I have covered
Then I look forward and assess
Miles to cover before I find
The confluence –
The origin of Himplachian Trail,
Invisible, yet slowly taking shape
In deep recesses of every thoughtful mind.
Along new emerging pathways
Covering the dual canvas
Often connecting the trails.
Three thousand years back
I find myself along the Himalayan Trail
On way to Indus and Gangetic plains
That marked an era in passage of time
An experiment delving deep into mind
Encoded in poetic outpourings of unusual kind.
Next I move on a trail along the Hudson
Another experiment in modern version
A liberal outlook, justice and freedom,
A new defining era of enlightened mind.
The two trails in different space and time
Merge sometime, often running parallel too
From the Himalayan to the Appalachian
Streams of reason come to a confluence
A new signature on the canvas of mind.
Standing on the summit heading North
I wait for fresh breath and look back
The miles I have covered
Then I look forward and assess
Miles to cover before I find
The confluence –
The origin of Himplachian Trail,
Invisible, yet slowly taking shape
In deep recesses of every thoughtful mind.
.
References:
[1] Desmond Morris, The Human Zoo, Triad,
Panther Books, 1979.
[2] Eknath Easwaran (Introduced and
Translated ), The Upanishads, Nilgiri Press, Blue Mountain
Centre of Meditation, CA, USA.
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[22] Alastair
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