Buddha

‘If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him’ – Zen quote.
Like all Zen quotes it is open to varied interpretation. A simple reading would suggest resisting charlatans who claim they are enlightened… It could suggest exposing and challenging the fake teacher... It could insist that reverence leads to the illusion of learning… there are other insights too!

It is pertinent to note that Buddha refers to the one who is enlightened. Siddhartha Gautama was a Buddha who propagated an interaction with the self to introspect, question and search for answers. On enlightenment, one becomes a Buddha!

In order to see the Buddha, you have to BE the Buddha. If you aren't enlightened, you can't really see the light. Once you become the Buddha, you can let him go. Once you ‘meet him on the road’ then you have no more to learn from ‘him’.

Holding on to learning becomes a dependency like that of a crutch. No learning is meant to be held onto. It is meant to provide an experience for where you are at in the moment. In a different situation and different context, the same learning will not be valid. It will lead to a new meaning, and a new experience.

Learning is a stepping stone to the next level of understanding. Holding onto learning keeps one in the same place. One must unlearn and move on to move ahead. Enlightenment from learning (Buddha) is necessary but we have to progress to further learning by transcending restrictive reverence!

Learn from Buddha to become like him
Next unlearn and step beyond his rim!

~ Pravin Sabnis

Converse

Pedro noticed a few grey strands in the mane of his teacher. Immediately, he reached out to pull one of them. He was reprimanded, ‘plucking grey hairs make more grow back.’ Nevertheless, Pedro pulled out a few strands of hair.

His teacher was furious, ‘How dare you? Do you want my hair to turn white?’ Pedro calmly replied, ‘I plucked your black hair to make more of them grow!’

We learnt in school that the converse of a theorem happens when the conclusion and hypothesis of a theorem are switched. For example, if you have a general theorem that says ''if this, then that'', then the converse theorem would say ''if that, then this''.

While all converses may not be true, we need to examine our belief statements for being true as theories as well as their converse. When we scrutinise our beliefs and values, they must match up for consistency for the premise as well as the conclusion.

So often, so many of us flaunt hypothesis that are found wanting when seen in the converse. In social media as well as social transactions, we must ponder whether the validity of our premise stands the converse of the conclusion.

Our beliefs must pass the test of reverse
Premise must be confirmed in converse!

~ Pravin Sabnis

Unnamed

The 2008 Hindi movie, ‘A Wednesday’ depicts a retired police commissioner narrating a sequence of events that unfolded on a particular Wednesday. An unnamed man calls to inform that he has placed explosives at different crowded spots in the city. To ensure that they do not explode, he asks for the release of four arrested terrorists.

But when the terrorists are taken to his stated location, they are blown by a bomb. The unnamed man has avenged the terrorist attack that killed innocents. His task done, he destroys all his gadgets and leaves to run into the commissioner who has identified him on the basis of a face sketch and by hacking his location.

The film ends with the voiceover of the commissioner saying that the man told him his real name but he does not wish to reveal it since doing so would give away the man's religion. And it would change the context of the intent of the man’s actions.

Disclosing the identity of rape victim remains a grey area. Even when protected by an Indian Penal Code, the media and those on social media err on the side of caution. For three years, the identity of the girl everyone referred to as Nirbhaya or the fearless one was legally ‘concealed’ even though her name was thrown up careless persons.

In today’s times of the information boom, prejudiced posturing is dependent on ‘name’. The response depends not on humane values of justice but on the context of the names of the aggressors as well as the victims. It changes depending whether the ‘name’ is one from ‘among us’ or the ‘others’.

Some of us wear tinted glasses. Our response is based on the ‘name’. We must not allow our prejudice to jaundice our perception. The act of a criminal or the plight of a victim has to be seen for what it is, not for their name. Names are just incidental labels. It is the criminal or the casualty that must be responded to aptly. Unnamed!

The unnamed eventually ensure a factual tale
Sans prejudice setting us off on a wrong sail!

~ Pravin Sabnis

Unnatural

During a discussion on trekking in Goa, the talk moved to littering by irresponsible visitors at nature spots. Someone mentioned how a child had cuts on the soles of his feet, when they ventured bare-footed into a forest-stream that had broken beer bottles in its bed.

While all agreed with the growing nuisance by insensitive tourists, I asked, ‘why were the children allowed to enter the water body and that too with bare feet?’ Somebody said it was natural to do so. I insisted that it was unnatural and an irresponsible act!

It is natural to be mesmerised by Mother Nature. However it is unnatural to step out of line. Beautiful butterflies are maimed by the ones who want to hold it in their hands. On the other hand, expert swimmers have died trying to save the over enthusiastic persons who walked into seemingly safe water bodies.

Nature is to be appreciated but we cannot take it for granted. We cannot cross the line of nature. So often, so many of us choose the unnatural. We involve in actions that are contrary to the ordinary course of nature. True nature lovers will appreciate the sights and sounds from a distance as they do not want to disturb or encroach.

We find many signs of caution around us… Do not pluck the flowers. Do not feed the animals. Do not touch the paintings. Do not swim in these waters. Do not bathe in the waterfall. Do not litter. Do not disturb. Indeed it is unnatural to ignore the message to not cross the line! In fact, we must heed the caution sign even in its absence!

It is natural to look but unnatural to touch
Respect the line; heed the caution notch!

~ Pravin Sabnis

Hiccups

‘Hichki’ (hiccup) is a Hindi film about a teacher (played by Rani Mukherji) with the incurable Tourette syndrome – a neurobehavioural disorder that varies from person to person. The condition may manifest as blinking, jerking of head, arm or shoulder, scrunching of face along with vocal tics like involuntary barking or repeating words. 

Despite being qualified, the teacher is not getting hired due to her recurring loud ‘hiccups’. Eventually, she gets an assignment to teach a class of combative underprivileged students who are angry at being put down by others in the school. Their ire is a hiccup that prevents them from realising their potential and purpose.

An adaptation of Brad Cohen’s book, ‘Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had’, the movie is about living with disability as well as dealing with indignity and denial of equal opportunity. It is about learning to cope with hiccups as well as learning to live with the hiccups that cannot be coped with.

The lesson is applicable to all of us. We have to identify our hiccups and cope with them. And if they cannot be controlled, we have to accept them and move ahead with them. In either situation, we must recognise the hiccup and don ownership by taking it head on. And that is not possible; we must choose to take it along.

Nevertheless the courage to do so will come from empathy for those who suffer from mild or severe hiccups. The acceptance of Autism, Tourette and other developmental disorders; coupled with eliminating negative stigma will facilitate the triumph over such hiccups. Indeed, it will script create success stories in society as well as in self!

Accept the ailment: take it head-on or take it along
Every Hiccup can be turned into a success song!

~ Pravin Sabnis