Just Passing Through...

https://borderlessjournal.com/2025/10/14/just-passing-through/

During my early days of cycling, as I trained during the early hours before dawn, my greatest fear was not the darkness. Beyond fearing fear itself, the next thing that frightened me was the possibility of a head-to-head encounter with a pack of stray dogs that throng the country roads leading up to Genting Peres, the border between the districts of Hulu Langat in Selangor and Jelebu in Negeri Sembilan. ...

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A minute's pleasure, a burden to Mother Nature?

Nature does not give favours. It just spins on its wheel as the Universe goes on moving forward and expanding outwards. It does not care for the weak, the rich or the powerful. It whitewashed the nation in one swing, denuding the land and flattening enormous erections.

A pup is born in a freak accident of Nature, combined with the estrus cycle of an ovulating bitch and the mating season. It is not a season of joy but a mere duty ingrained in the female canines to care for the pup. The Nature that brought the puppy is playing its tricks again. Nature unleashes its vigour yet again. At every level, elements strike him. The pup grows because of and despite the forces of Nature. In a way, Nature is strengthening and preparing the dog as it meets the hurdles that will befall it in its future. The weaklings will be cancelled. Its presence would not be missed or recorded in the annals of dog history. Sometimes you wonder what the purpose of all these is? The same force that creates also destroys. All these strengthening of species for what; a breed of super dogs?

You should ponder the next time you see a neglected puppy by the roadside. Should you go out and save the poor soul from the elements or let it go through the process of Nature that it was supposed to go through? 

One minute's pleasure, a burden to Mother Nature? Where does karma come into the picture?

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Swipe at the self-chosen one!

Sadgati (The Deliverance, Hindi; 1981)


This 50 minute made for TV film is an intense depiction of the evil that Man do to each other in the name of pseudo-religious social classification. To ensure sufficient labour force to ensure continuity of duties in a community, society had created the caste system. To give legitimacy to this inhumane treatment of others, people of power had invoked the name of God to instil the fear to others at large.

It is good that this archaic practice is no longer the norm in modern Indian societies or at least is done subtly. Preferential treatment comes in other forms.

Sadgati is a classic Ray presentation with all the trademark of excellent storytelling and superb acting. I almost did recognise the main actor until his puckered face and nose gave it away, Om Puri. The late Smita Patel gave a short but impressionable role as his wife.

Dukhi (Om Puri) is a lowly village tanner who is just recovering from a viral fever. In spite of his incapacitation, he has to meet the village priest (whom he addresses as Maharaj -Supreme King) to get an auspicious time for his barely-of-age (easily just 12!) daughter for marriage.
With offerings of freshly cut grass for the priest's cows, he heads to the Brahmin household. He waits unceremoniously in the backyard while the priest completes his daily prayers. In a humbled manner, Dukhi invites him to his humble abode where his wife had prepared the ceremonial offerings and alms for him to officiate.

Reluctant to reciprocate, the priest orders Dukhi to finish some menial works around his household for him. The tanner, in spite of his hunger and being in convalescence state, obliges. He cleans the compound, packs the husk in sacks to transfer to the cowshed. Just when he thought that his job was over, Dukhi is asked to chop a log with a blunt axe.


While all these are going on, Maharaj prays, reads, conduct classes to teach the good word of the Lord, eats his lunch and even has a siesta.
A fellow man from the low caste watches the whole spectacle.
In fatigue, Dukhi snoozes off just to be lambasted by Maharaj. In agony, Dukhi continues his work with renewed vigour and frustration at his fate that he just drops dead!
As the corpse seemed to be lying on the path of Brahmins and their daily divine duties, there was an urgent need to move the body.

None of the workers, after hearing the inhumane treatment by the priest, wants to handle the remains as they fear that the Police may involve them. Given the Hobson's choice, Maharaj himself ties a rope around a rope around the Dukhi's ankle to drag him all the way back to his house. He was too 'superior' and 'clean' to touch the remains of a low caste man would work with the hide of dead animals.
In the next scene, normalcy is restored as Maharaj sprinkles holy water at the site where Dukhi died. And life goes on...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jSwVwv_xwSM

https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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A touching story

A Stray Hero from Hisyam on Vimeo.