This is not a love story!

The End of An Affair (1999)

It is not so much about an affair but rather about believing in God. This 1999 version is a remake of the 1955 version starring Deborah Kerr and Van Johnson; based on a bestseller of 1951 novel by Graham Greene. 

Set in WW2 London, a writer starts a steamy affair with the wife of a bored civil servant. Their affair comes to an abrupt end when the room they occupy is shelled. The wife ends the affair for no reason, in the writer's eyes. The writer goes off to war and returns a year later when the war is over.

The writer meets the civil servant husband, who is in a dilemma. He suspects that his wife is cheating on him. He is in two minds trying to hire a private investigator to snoop on his wife. The writer sees the  PI on his behalf. Actually, the writer is also curious about the new lover.

A bumbling PI comes to the scene. He mistakenly assumes that the wife's meeting with a priest is a romantic meeting. Next, the writer's catchup with the wife is thought to be a lover's rendezvous. He also flicked her diary for the writer's reference. That finally explains the whole turn of events between the writer and the wife and why they went their separate ways. 

From then on, it all talks about God, divinity, death and funeral. The wife is diagnosed with a terminal illness. The writer and the husband co-share her terminal care. The priest, who tries to give his input for the soul, is just shut off. 

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Who / What is God?

Kadavul Irukindran

from the movie 'Ananthi Jothi' (1963)


It seems that poet Kannadasan started off as an atheist. With time, through his voracious readings and research for his songs, he claimed to be an avid practitioner of Sanathana Dharma (Eternal Duty) or Hinduism in his later years. Many of his later compositions brilliantly express the entity we assume to be God - the Force that puts order to things around us, the seen and the invisible, the heard and the silent, the felt and the void.

Here, Mahakavi Kannadasan, in a 1963 composition, tries to explore the meaning of God, which carries different visions to different people, from an external force that oversees every move to an internal mechanism so intricate that it does its own checks and balances.

You say He is not there because you cannot see Him. When you float but cannot see the air, you are hovering upon. When you close all your senses to the external stimuli, is the something you feel is God?

In the crypts of darkness of the night, you awaken. It is pitch dark, but you can make a composite picture of the person before you. There is something beyond what you see.

The melodious sound of music transcends the listeners to an elevated level. The right pluck excites the right heartstrings of life. You dictate the musical notes, but can you see the shape of the music that raises you?

Nobody knows what the other person's heart feels. We cannot read the writings in one's heart, but our gut gives a feeling about it.

Buddha may have deceased, but his guidance remains. The knowledge, the path to life, is that divine? Has truth and charity become unfashionable? After reading about how karma hits back and history repeats, should we be stressing ourselves but let nature take its course?

At a time when justice seems unattainable,  and public display of resentment seems futile, when justice is unamenable to the law and whip, let the long arm of Time shall take charge. Time would not hesitate to save the day, slowly but surely! Hence, Time must be God. Is this rhetoric to pacify a crying baby, or is it the secret of life?

This song appears in the MGR-starred 1963 movie 'Anantha Jothi' (Glorious Light) when MGR, a schoolmaster, is running from the law after being falsely accused of murder. Just as he is about to give up hope on proving his innocence, his inner consciousness reassures him there is God. His idea of God gives him the confidence to stand steadfast and persevere to clear his name and marry his beau at the end of the day. 

The nuances of the lyrics will surely carry a veiled reference to specific people close to Kanadasan, as narrated by late musician MSV. Many of his messages are cryptic. Just like the song in Paava Mannippu (1961), where a Hindu child adopted by a Muslim family and grows up as a Muslim belts out a devotional song during Prophet Mohammad's birthday. The exciting feature of the song, which was revealed much later after his death, is that every verse of the song ended with words that rhymed with the suffix 'Om'. Kannadasan was quoted to have said that one cannot take the Hinduness out of anyone born a Hindu. Subconsciously, he still thinks as a Hindu. 

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Make or break!

Gauri

There it was, another family celebration and another tête-à-tête with my favourite uncle. Whilst the rest were immersed in their revelry, we were pretty engaged in our own private discourse - with him looking for someone to impart his 85-year old life experiences, and I, just listening and sometimes trying to tease more out of him. This time around, we discussed the role of the significant other in the family, among many things. This post is what transpired out of that.

They say that behind every man's success, there is a woman. Many are quick to quip that behind their every fall, there is another, the other woman. Women have the uncanny ability to create as well as to destroy.

With the biological assets that they are endowed with, they can create, nurture and sustain life with their tenacity and ever-embracing progestogenic demeanour, like a mother hen, able to hide her chicklings under my wings away from the prancing eagle. And they will protect their little ones with the last scratch of their claw from hissing predator snake.

Mahishasura Mardini.

They can choose what they want. They can be Gauri, the epitome of peace and happiness comparable to the bosom of a mother, the all-embracing embodiment of calmness and purity, depicted by the all-white attire and an equally composed vehicle, the saintly cow. As Gauri, she plays the role of peacemaker, a rock of hope and anchor to hold an institution steady to traverse the uncertainties of life.

When the situation warrants, she needs to assume the role of Mahishasura Mardini, the slayer of the buffalo demon, Mahishasura, who, with the boon of indestructibility, terrorised the Universe. She took this fiercest form of Durga, with the Trident of Siva, to bring equilibrium to the system.

It may appear that the illustrative embodiment of shakti, female power, can act unilaterally with no control without the need for its counterpart, the male energy, Shiva. Not really. Harmony is achieved with the inclusion of both powers. Notice that Shiva's representation appears in both Gauri and Durga form of the female divinity - Trident, to protect and attack. Unbridled power, it seems, is also counterproductive.

Kaali

Remember the instance of Kaali, intoxicated with the taste of blood and energy of invincibility, she was on a rampage. Only Shiva could pacify her. His prostration in her path subdued her. In embarrassment, she let her tongue out, more of an admission of mistake rather than an intimidating posture. This tongue-letting image is often depicted as that of fearsome Kaali. In reality, it is not.

It takes two to tango. Both parties have to nimble and agile to produce an eye-soothing display of this Spanish light-spirited variety of flamenco.

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This is not a drill

© Juan Rumimpunu

People, mainly the theistic type, are in a dilemma now. They are currently undergoing a test of faith. On the one hand, they feel they should not have been subjected through such a trial. Whoever had heard of Man-created laws preventing believers from performing their daily mandatory salutations of the Divine Forces? Furthermore, at this time of calamity, if they cannot turn for Divine help, where else can they turn to?

But wait...

Why did the Divine Forces 'send' such a test to us? Does he not love us so much? After all the cajoling over the generations, and the importance that humankind had accorded to the celestial forces these times, why are we continuously put to the test? Is it some kind of Divine Mirth for the amusement of the Maker and a testbed to gauge our devotion? Why do they feel that this time around, when the fear of COVID-19, the first place to be emptied are the places of worship? How can they be hotbeds for infection?

Are they justified is asking, "My Lord, why hast thou forsaken me?" Has God ditched his followers stricken with COVID-19 by shutting down religious centres with no prayer meetings? Social distancing seems to be the only panacea for all this ill. Perhaps He is telling us that blind faith does not work. Above all intelligence and cognitive power would make us stronger as a race.

Perhaps the answer would be, "I am here just for your solace. I cannot possibly change the trajectory of the Universe just because of your cajoling of me in prayers. Imagine the catastrophe that could cause to the others. I have other requests too, you know!"

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Intelligent Designer or Pure Chance?

They are both from the rodent family but people's perception of both these furry animals are worlds apart. One receives awe of cuteness when seen roaming around the garden whilst the other received shrieks of panic.

One has a fluffy springy tail whilst the other has a slim tapering tail. Both had their bodies evolve over generations to suit the environment they live and their need to survive. The squirrel's furry tail may aid in the balance as it jumps from branch to branch. The tapered rat tail helps escape through tight fissures.


The bushy tail of the squirrel has its own added coincidental benefits. Being around flowering plants, the hairs on the tail aid in pollination.

Certain internal traits could have evolved over time as and when the environment demanded. Other incidental features, like the fuzzy tail, performs accidental purpose to the survival of other species. Who decides on this? Is there a higher power who plays the role of an intelligent designer who, for the kick of it, in a single brush decide to paint creations as He likes?

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Flash of miracle or just a natural phenomenon!

It all started with a digital election glitch in a locale in Brussels in 2003. The officials realised that an unpopular local candidate secured more than the vote she should. The number 4096 struck a chord with the IT personnel but passed it off as teething problems of digital voting. That is the number of votes that the computers accidentally added to her tally.

A further assessment suggested that 4096 is 2 to the power of 12 (2¹²). As input into the computers is in multiples of 2 (2⁰, 2¹, 2²....2¹¹,2¹²...), somehow the part (bit) which controlled (2¹²) got lit. Hence, this flip caused the addition of 4096 to the tally. 

Now, the challenge was to ascertain where the surge to this flip came about. Investigators were soon made aware of similar unexplainable occurrences in the airline and automobile industries. There were instances where autopilot settings had to see re-set as it had gone berserk. There was even a plane that suddenly plunged into the ocean. Aircraft, as they were up in the sky, are exposed to cosmic rays. That was thought to have caused computer malfunctions, and necessary preventive measures were put in place.

When Toyota car owners were braking for their lives as computerisation started setting in into their cars at the turn of the century. Faulty electronics perpetuated by single bit flip caused by cosmic rays was suggested as a possible cause for the sudden unintended acceleration of vehicles. Toyota settled out of court and improved its computer system. They started more inputs to control a particular function.

Scientists extrapolated that these rogue 'rays' which arise from the Sun or possibly outside the Solar system (supernovas) were the aetiology for these glitches. These energy-carrying galactic cosmic rays have the capacity to work miracles. With more and more minute components in our digital devices, more puzzling events may soon become the norm. 

Now, just a thought. Since everyone believes the beginning of life heralds the handiwork of the entity of 'God' as some know it or 'Big Bang' as others refer to it and everything that happens as the effect of this, Biggs-Boson particle and all, are these cosmic rays akin to the miracle of 'God'? Are the rays like angels, djinns, daemons or fairies that are sent as messengers to Earth to save or create mayhem? Are these fragments of energy from the beginning of time arriving at sporadic intervals pure 'divine interventions' as they are the closest to what we call as 'The Maker'?

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Just a job or a calling?

You are made to believe that the way to do it is divine. That, the effort that you put in your work is like serving God. That, you are performing the Almighty's job on Earth. You do not have to display your piety for others to see. All you have to do is to serve, everything else will take care of itself. You follow suit. 

Then you realise that life cannot be all work. The people that you thought you have been sacrificing all your life for suddenly turn their back against you. They start hurling accusations of this and that. That you had been shortchanging them; that that is your job - your only job is to serve them. You, on the other hand, thought they would be eternally grateful to you for you had sacrificed everything for them in the course of your vocation. You thought yours was a calling. It, apparently, was not. It was just another job. You are just another spoke in the machinery of society that moves it forward.

The tale that the people before you told were just to ensure that everyone kept their gab shut and did as they were told. You were the clown cajoled to maintain equilibrium while those in the realm of power did what they did best- flaunt their power. You were suckered into believing that you were doing something right, something noble, something indispensable but... the wrong answer.

Yama's scribe who keeps the record of peoples'

karma. © Devdutt Pattanaik

You had worked like your life depended on it, now you have to work as that is the only work you know. And any remote chance to clear your name depended on it as the pressures of seeking legal representation mounts together with their bills. Your future, your honour, your own self-esteem, removing your name of alleged negligence all rest on it. 

Yours, they say, is just a job. Just like everybody else, you are given a job. But, your duties are not a 9 to 5 pushing buttons or envelopes kind of work. You cannot just wash your hands come punch-out time. In fact, you do not clock out. You are beyond all that and more. 

Hence the dilemma...

You convince yourself that Chitragupta and St Peters are taking the tally.

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It is in the tuning?

Yet another perspective of trying to understand the secrets of life. Perhaps there might be another way to tap wisdom from the Intellect around us.

www.scienceandnonduality.com

The vessel to concentrate energies. 

The location, on a particular grid, 

in relation to the Earth's magnetic powers 

coupled with the specific placing of 

deities on certain metals to act as 

conductors and linked to the chanting 

of 'mantras' attempt to open the gateway 

for a seamless flow of knowledge of the 

Agent Intellect.

Imagine a shortwave radio or a ham radio. In order to receive transmissions, it needs to be set at a specific frequency for unhampered communications. Their whole function is determined by the ability to pick up signals by setting the dial at a particular station and for the antenna to absorb the waves. The devices in the radio turn them into audible sounds.

Many times, we run out of ideas. We seem to have hit a brick wall; thought blocks, muddled brains, whatever you call it. Suddenly, the Muse showers Her Grace and ideas just keep on flowing. How often a good nights' sleep clears the mind and makes you see everything in a different light. In the same vein how Ramanujam plucked formulas out of thin air as and when Goddess Namagiri whispered them to him.

This is yet another explanation for the existence of many deities amongst us. One divinity for one specific reason. It controls one particular trait of living. For someone whose immediate priority is to gain knowledge in academia and the arts may need to attune his thought frequencies to that of Sarasvati. To acquire wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi is invoked. For bravery and physical strength, Durga or Shakthi is summoned. The hymns and mantras recited are probably towards this end - to create an unimpeded channel for our brainwaves to be set at the required wavelength.

That must be the reason for all the rituals and meditative practices. The unearthly early morning rituals with the repeated chanting of verses in monotonous and hypnotic tones must all be towards this end - to set the internal antenna to the frequency we want to receive. Some receive it with ease, others struggle and yet some who miss the elephant in the room (pun unintended).

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The Eye in the Sky knows?

Using the smartphone app Waze is pretty much like using our senses to manoeuvre ourselves through the journey of life.
Getting from Point A to Point B has never been easier. Whether you are new to an area or need to go somewhere in fastest possible time, Waze comes to our rescue. So, we would like to think. And we pacify ourselves that it must be the shortest route or the speediest one. Is it really? Sometimes, we cannot wonder but ask ourselves, are we actually taking the best route?

More often than not, on our return journey, we had been made to realise that there is indeed a more convenient route than the one we had used earlier. But then, who is to know how it would have been if we had indeed taken the other path? Is it a question of the grass being greener on the other side or a case of sour grapes just to pacify ourselves?

The situation is pretty much the same when we are told early in life how life should be lived. We are told to follow certain rituals and rules so as not to upset the status quo. We are told that tranquillity must prevail, the boat must not be rocked and that elders before us have paved the way. We should not be a smart alec to scientifically argue and rationalise certain seemingly paganistic practices.

We are informed that every gesture, symbol and material had its scientific basis that we are just too naive to comprehend. In time, we would see clearly when the haze was gone. 

Now, after what seems like aeons later, we are still groping in the dark. Just like the users of Waze, should we just accept that the eye in the sky that oversees what we cannot see about the traffic situation is right beyond any shadow of a doubt? Or should we still be a sceptic that the technology is not infallible and knowledge always need to evolve and be renewed? Or should we just take it like Pascal, the real Mathematician who took the question of belief in God in the spirit of probability? Being wrong in the divine sense means punitive actions for eternity, which is a mighty long time. He, therefore, decided to be a believer as it made more mathematical sense to be one than not!