A few thoughts, with an early morning coffee. And I can see what you will probably say - get more sleep :-). For sure, I should.And while typing this, my thoughts are already influenced by what the reader will say. As Heisenberg said, certain pairs of physical properties cannot be simultaneously known (and I add done) to precision. One influences the other.
Getting back to the point. There are two paths to life. One is the obvious path most of us follow. The path to glory or success, and let me, patronizingly or
diligently, call it self glory. This is the easier path of the two. Although we all know how hard it is for us.You have to have talent, ability to work hard
and luck to be successful, in the conventional way. The second path is less obvious and even more so, for those who are well on course in the first path.
Heisenberg strikes again. Capturing thoughts into words has already started eroding the effect of the thought. Let me persist.
The second path can be called glorifying life itself, or in other words, glorifying the one who created life. The intention here is not to get into the
debate of Big Bang, atheism, scientific evidence, evolution, etc. At the end of the day, we all have our own belief systems. And much as we demonstrate how
firm they are, they change overnight or in a course of a few years. For me personally, over years, I have switched from an innocent believer to a cool
atheist in college to a frustrated hater of all belief systems to this self proclaimed believer now. I pray, it will last this time around. All I will say
is, tough situations test your belief, one way or another.
Among us, there are some who are blessed with the right talents and support to make it big (conventionally) in life. And boy, are some of them good? When you
see a Federer forehand, or an Obama speech, or Lance Armstrong beating cancer to the finishing line, you feel that you have lived to see something. You will
also see that ambitious businessman or politician, taking the wrong routes (conventionally) and striking it rich. We may have criticized the guy, while he
was on his route, but may still praise him once he becomes a force to reckon. Again, not trying to be judgemental here. Rest assured, I am no better than
anybody else.
But at the crux of this piece, lies an opinion, that the 'not so obvious' need not be as hidden as it is today, as the 'obvious'. The emphasis on success
places a smoke screen on folks, who are not successful conventionally but are succeeding in the second path. It is an inherent choice, partly pre-determined
when we were born and partly a choice, and mostly deep within, which we probably are never even aware of. For the second group, the ones who struggle on a
regular basis or the ones going through a temporary bad and tough phase, you still are glorifying something. The blind man who finds his way through the
street is certainly glorifying something. He glorifies the subtle and sublime purpose of life. He reduces his negative balance with the father. He gains more
credit with the one who sent him here. This could be another way of saying that if you suffer today, you will inherit heaven. Or it could be about the urge
to walk the path that you have been shown without worrying about the result. It is, also, more so about the 'why should I' or 'why me' and 'what have I done
to deserve this'.
Life is as much a school as it is a competition. Each day is a course. Some courses are simple, obvious and conventional. Some are tough, hard to understand,
and almost impossible to pass. As much as I consider it a lowly thought, it may be worth equating life to how a father sents his kids to a school. He knows
schooling is tough and would much rather have them near him all the time. But he still has to let go. His kids need to be at the school and have to go
through the grind. There are even times when he has to give them that bitter medicine or injection to cure that persistent virus. His kids probably cannot
see beyond the chocolates or playground. They may see another kid having an ice cream and scream at the top of the voice for that. But the father may not buy
that. He may insist on the kid continuing with his broccoli and spinach. The father's judgement is better than the kid's. And the heavenly father's judgement
is better than all ours.
If you felt as if you have just finished listening through the Sunday sermon, I am sincerely sorry :-). I am not a big fan of that either. And after this, I am back to square one, none the wiser.
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