Poetic musings on the pain of separation..

"What is this world? Thy school, O misery!

Our only lesson is to learn to suffer."

- Young

       We all have gone through it. If not yet, we shall go through it. It is the pain of separation. Like when parents can't stand the sight of each other,  like when two best friends can't get along and have to break up, like the love dwindling down in a long standing relationship, like having to shift from a cherished workspace or many more instances of such. They do occur around us everyday. Maybe moments of pain like these were what inspired Mary Robinson to pen her much acclaimed poem 'Life', in which she ponders -

.....

What are all thy boasted treasures,

Tender sorrows, transient pleasures?

Anxious hopes, and jealous fears,

Laughing hours and mourning years.

.....

What of tedious life remains?

Keen regrets and cureless pains;

.....

        The unavoidable break ups in relationships, owing to realization, ego clashes, change of priorities, idealism, lack of flexibility, too much of practicality, possessiveness... What not! Though there still exists mutual respect and love, circumstances force us to quit deep rooted intimacies at times. The turmoil we face during those moments can only be felt rather than described. Sahir Ludhianvi's immortal poem "Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabi ban jaaye hum donon" echoes those emotions in the most eloquent way. 

Chalo ek baar phir se, ajnabi ban jaayen hum donon.

Naa main tum-se koi ummeed rakkhoon dil-nawazi ki,

Naa tum meri taraf dekho galat-andaaz nazaron se,

Naa mere dil ki dhadkan ladkhadaye meri baaton mein,

Naa zaahir ho tumhari kash-ma-kash ka raaz nazaron se.

Chalo ek baar phir se, ajnabi ban jaayen hum donon.

Tumhe bhi koi uljhan rokati hai, pesh-kadami se,

Mujhe bhi log kehte hain, ki yeh jalwe paraye hain

Mere humraah bhi ruswaaiyan hain mere maazi ki

Tumhare saath bhi guzari hui raaton ke saayen hain.

Chalo ek baar phir se, ajnabi ban jaayen hum donon.

Taarruf rog ho jaaye to usko bhoolna behtar,

Taaluq bojh ban jaaye to usko todna achcha.

Woh afsaana jise anjaam tak laana na ho mumqin

Use ek khoobsoorat mod dekar chhodna achcha.

Chalo ek baar phir se, ajnabi ban jaayen hum donon...

(An independent attempt of mine at translating it only on the literal front, because I believe it requires a genius of immense caliber to translate the emotional beauty and lyricism of Sahir Ludhianvi's poetry to English   -

Come on, Let us be strangers once again.

Neither shall I expect any favours from you,

Nor shall you stare disapprovingly at me.

Neither shall my heartbeat tremble in my words,

Nor shall be revealed the secret of your conflicts in a sight.

Come on, Let us be strangers once again.

You too are obstructed from stepping ahead,

I too am told to be faking expressions.

My company is also kept by the disgraces of my past,

Haunting you too are the nights that have passed by.

Come on, Let us be strangers once again.

Better forget when acquaintance degrades,

Better break away when relationship burdens.

That adventure of affection which can't be brought to a destination

Is better abandoned at a beautiful turn en route.

Come on, Let us be strangers once again.)

           While Ludhianvi's poem talks of walking out of any relation wound by acquaintance, Gibran's lines form 'The Broken Wings' expresses the pain of loss, when he talks of his love who lies dead in a tomb -

"Oh, comrades of my youth! I appeal to you in 

the names of those virgins whom your hearts

have loved, to lay a wreath of flowers on the

forsaken tomb of my beloved, for the flowers you

lay on Selma's tomb are like falling drops of dew

from the eyes of dawn on the leaves of a 

withering rose."

          Learned men have practiced and preached to perceive the dualities of life with equanimity. But maybe for mortals like us equanimity evolves only after we undergo suffering. For suffering is supposed to be a purifying and perfecting process! Learning through experiences, maybe we too shall arrive at 'enjoying suffering'! Until then let the pain flow out and poets be born..

"Our sweetest songs are those which tell us of our saddest thoughts. - Shelly"

Twist in the tale: All emotions subside with time. As time transcends pain diminishes, but the poem is treasured. This is what keeps my unabashed love for poetry alive.

"Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened!

                                                           - Gabriel Garcia Marquez" 

A pick of Zen Stories - 1

  

"Our life is a gleam which comes and is gone

      As springtime offers blossoms to fade in the fall

 Earthly flourish and decline, O friends, do not fear at all.

 They are but a drop of dew on the grass of morn!"

                                                                      Van-Hanh

1. Enlightenment

  

 A student once asked his teacher,

 "Master, what is enlightenment?"

 The master replied,

"When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep."

2. Delicious 

         One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice. Trembling, the man looked down where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him.

        As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine. Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!

3. It will pass.

    A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!" "It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly.
   A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!'
    "It will pass,"
     The teacher replied matter-of-factly.

4. Why?

    A Zen Teacher saw five of his students return from the market,riding their bicycles. When they had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, “Why are you riding your bicycles?”

    The first student replied, “The bicycle is carrying this sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!”

   The teacher praised the student, saying, “You are a smart boy. When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over, as I do.”

   The second student replied, “I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path.”

    The teacher commended the student, “Your eyes are open and you see the world.”

    The third student replied, “When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant, nam myoho renge kyo.”

   The teacher gave praise to the third student, “Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel.”

    The fourth student answered, “Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all beings.”

    The teacher was pleased and said, “You are riding on the golden path of non-harming.”

    The fifth student replied, “I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.”

    The teacher went and sat at the feet of the fifth student, and said, “I am your disciple.”

5. Maybe

     Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.

        “Maybe,” the farmer replied.

     The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.

       “Maybe,” replied the old man.

       The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

      “Maybe,” answered the farmer.

      The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

     “Maybe,” said the farmer.

6. Is That So?

      The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.

    A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.

    This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment she named Hakuin.

     In great anger the parents went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.

   After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbors and everything else the little one needed.

    A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth - that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fish market.

    The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back again.

    Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"

7. Carrying her!

       Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk accross because of a puddle of water. The elder of the two monks went up to her, lifted her and left her on the other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.

    In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman ?"

     The elder monk answered "Yes, brother".

    Then the younger monk asks again, "But then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside ?"

    The elder monk smiled at him and replied "I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her."

8. Do you realize?

         During the civil wars in feudal Japan, an invading army would quickly sweep into a town and take control. In one particular village, everyone fled just before the army arrived - everyone except the Zen master.

       Curious about this old fellow, the general went to the temple to see for himself what kind of man this master was.

    When he wasn't treated with the deference and submissiveness to which he was accustomed, the general burst into anger.

      "You fool," he shouted as he reached for his sword, "don't you realize you are standing before a man who could run you through without blinking an eye!"

       But despite the threat, the master seemed unmoved.

     "And do you realize," the master replied calmly, "that you are standing before a man who can be run through without blinking an eye?"

9. Inferior

      A samurai, came to see a Zen Master one day. The samurai was very famous, but looking at the beauty of the Master and the Grace of the moment, he suddenly felt inferior.

      He said to the Master, “Why am I feeling inferior? Just a moment ago everything was okay. As I entered your court suddenly I felt inferior. I have never felt like that before. I have faced death many times, and I have never felt any fear — why am I now feeling frightened?”

      The Master said, “Wait. When everyone else has gone, I will answer. ”

      People continued the whole day to come and see the Master, and the samurai was getting more and more tired waiting. By evening the room was empty, and the samurai said, “Now, can you answer me?”

      The Master said, “Come outside.”

     It was a full moon night, the moon was just rising on the horizen. And he said, “Look at these trees. This tree is high in the sky and this small one beside it. They both have existed beside my window for years, and there has never been any problem. The smaller tree has never said to the big tree, ‘Why do I feel inferior before you?’ This tree is small, and that tree is big — why have I never heard a whisper of it?”

      The samurai said, “Because they can’t compare.”

      The Master replied, “Then you need not ask me. You know the answer.”

10. Mother's advice

         Jiun, a Shogun master, was a well-known Sanskrit scholar of the Tokugawa era. When he was young he used to deliver lectures to his brother students. His mother heard about this and wrote him a letter: “Son, I do not think you became a devotee of the Buddha because you desired to turn into a walking dictionary for others. There is no end to information and commentation, glory and honor. I wish you would stop this lecture business. Shut yourself up in a little temple in a remote part of the mountain. Devote your time to meditation and in this way attain true realization."




More stories: A pick of Zen Stories - 2

Madness & the drizzle..

  "Second again? You should have got first at least this time," Dad was visibly unhappy. "You understand the competition in today's world right? I am not asking you to run in the rat race, but you had the ability. Imagine how great an achievement it would be to have been conferred first rank in Engineering. Your Principal too said the same."

      I was in no mood to either explain or argue. The fragrance just before it rains is scintillating. I left the door ajar and stood by it experiencing the beauty of the fragrance. He continued as I kept nodding in agreement.

     "A professional degree eases life. The better you score, the better are your chances of settling down early in your life. Pick an institute of repute and enroll for your masters this year. Life is short, don't spoil the precious moments."

     He was right. Life is short and I was least interested in spoiling it this way. I wanted to jump on to the cycle and take a ride in the superb weather. Wow, the thought itself was pumping up my spirits!

Moments before it rains, 

An enchantment therein lies,

As the beauty of heavens,

Descends into the land of mortals!

     

 A mesmerizing stage was set on earth for the rain drops to dance.

      Mom arrived, half drenched. Fetching a towel, she ordered - "Run! Get the chillies before they get dampened. I have spread them to dry on the terrace." I was half way up the staircase before she reminded me to take a bowl to bring down the chillies. Sensing the urgency, Dad sent the bowl with the milkman. His hands still had drops of fresh milk on them. He had just milked the cows. He sported a cheerful smile on his face.

     He lent a helping hand as I hurriedly filled the bowl with chillies. "My daughter passed intermediate. Results came yesterday, second class." I felt the pride in his voice and smiled back. "Mother has promised to get a new dress stitched for her. Will join her to typewriting class in these holidays." My supposedly intelligent brain was wondering, - 'They still have typewriting classes in this age of smart palmtops & touch screens!! Madness personified.' As we finished collecting the chillies and were descending downstairs, he extended me an invitation - "Your mother is coming our home to wish my girl. You too accompany her and wish the little girl. You are a huge source of inspiration to my daughter." I reluctantly nodded. 

    The first drops of rain. So sweet is the sensation when they come down. I was getting lost in the drizzle, when Dad interrupted - "Did the milkman say anything? The mad fellow seems very happy since morning."

    Before I could reply, mom murmured - "Maybe madness is the difference between being happy and unhappy."

Pequino Milagro..

Picture credit:http://community.pencils.com    

    She was just about eight years old. Too cute to describe her innocence in words. My exposure to Latin phrases came handy, I whispered to Mom, "Look, she is 'pequino milagro!' (the little miracle)". Mom smiled and her reply hit me hard - "She is the girl." As Mom took the girl in her arms, I was failing to muster the courage to look into her eyes. When I managed to pull off a smile, the girl effortlessly smiled back.

     "How are you?" I questioned.

     "Passed my exams", she was visibly enthusiastic. "2nd rank in class, will go with new bag to 2nd standard when school reopens." How cheerful, I wondered.

     Forcing a smile, I repeated, "How are you?"

     She was looking at her mom from the corner of her eyes. Turning back to me, with more confidence this time, she put a naughty smile and asked "You have a chocolate?"

     I did not have one. I was cursing myself for ignoring when Mom had asked me to buy one en route. Before I could overcome the guilt and say a no, she escaped from mom's arms and ran out to catch the kitten which was sneaking out of the house.

    Tears were making their way out, though the girl's mother refused to let the tears roll on to her cheeks. The girl's uncle, my mom's eldest cousin, was probably talking to himself though he addressed me - "I always felt life has been unfair to me. Your mom, aunt and uncles all got settled well in their lives. We all grew up together and shared the joy of childhood. But I ended up as a failure. I cursed life for not blessing me with miracles, until the little miracle walked into our family in the form of this little girl. Now that I have realized life is beautiful despite failures, what about the loss we all await?"

     She was a hope of sunshine in that typical Indian lower middle class joint family of our villages. She was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia a couple of months ago. The doctor was harsh when he termed it 'blood cancer', leukemia might have sounded better to the family. No medication had any improvement. The family was counting these days.

     The pain of a smile was bizarre to me. I was fighting a loosing battle to put up a smile when she rushed in. She was eager when she asked, "You come to the college, which is next to my school?" I nodded. "So after school reopens, I will wait at your college for the chocolate" she quipped.

      I am afraid to go to the college. Chocolates haunt me. Now I refuse to describe anything in Latin. 'Pequino Milagro' was a miracle too big to come into my life..

Invincible..

Give me freedom, give me fire, give me reason, take me higher
See the champions, take the field now, you define us, make us feel proud
In the streets are, heads are lifting , as we lose our inhibition,
Celebration its around us, every nation, all around us...

     These lines from K'naan's FIFA World Cup 2010 theme song reminds me of the spirit in every sport's lover who yearns to watch his favorite team/player take stance and fight the battle against themselves.

         

           It was a similar feeling for thousands of tennis fans, when a once upon a time invincible Roger Federer took on Tsonga at the Wimbeldon last week. For our generation who have grown up watching Federer romance the grass court, dance to the mystic tunes of the game in a lyrical beauty, its a poetic pleasure to watch his game. 'Ali' Tsonga managed to create 'the upset' of the Wimbeldon. Was the cherished castle haunting the champion? There have been great souls for whom victory and defeat do not make a difference, but is it false that 'nothing succeeds like success.'?

          By the time I could understand the beauty of watching Tennis, 'Pistol' Pete was no more invincible. The harsh reality of mortality was catching up the undisputed champion. Those were the days of the climax of one of the game's greatest duel 'Sampras and Agassi'(Of course, for a lot of us 'Federer and Nadal' have been the greatest duel). My elder cousin would lament watching his idol go down again and I wondered if the defeat of a player would have so much of emotional resonance in a fan. Time never leaves any question unanswered! Almost a decade later I experience the turmoil.

        A couple of days later Nirmal Shekar wrote - " When that someone else is a genius such as Sampras or Federer, the moment of a rare defeat has a powerful emotional resonance. We begin to question the very idea of invincibility. We begin to realise how short the shelf life of sporting greatness can be and how cruel the scenes can appear to be when the owner of seemingly magical powers is stripped of them in a matter of hours."

     

      Memories of the Ind vs Aus 5th ODI at Hyderabad where India was chasing a mammoth 350 and lost despite a legendary 175(141 balls) from Sachin Tendulkar, haunt me as I write this. From crickblog - "Perhaps the Indian team was paying a tribute to Sachin Tendulkar by reminding him of the days when everything rested on his shoulders, and the end of Tendulkar’s stay at the crease meant the end of the match as far as India were concerned. For India, the equation was simple. For India to win, Tendulkar needed to stay till the very end. It may seem like demanding too much of a man who batted nearly right through the innings." To a million of us, Tendulkar resonates with our own dreams of victory. Our ideas & thoughts of the Utopia, sometimes do find a representation in those moments of sporting excellence. The visual brilliance and the spark of a sense of accomplishment(though it might be momentary) speaks volumes to those in pursuit of the unknown resonance deep down their hearts.

       Sport is a powerful entity. Reminds me of Harsha Bhogle's comment, "What makes these men in their thirties jump and dance in joy like children?"(I am unable to recall the exact words, but I believe the essence was the same.) A friend of mine once said - "The best way to get introduced to a person is to play a game of any sport with him." The only permanence in the glory of the world is transience. But if there exist exceptions which are invincible, the beauty of sport is surely one among them.

Singin forever young, singin songs underneath that sun

Lets rejoice in the beautiful game.

And together at the end of the day.

      

ಅಲೆಮಾರಿಯೊಂದಿಗಿನ ಅಲೆದಾಟ : ಭಾಗ -೧

          'ಕರ್ವಾಲೊ', ನನಗೆ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರನ್ನು ಪರಿಚಯಿಸಿದ ಕೃತಿ, ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದ ಹುಚ್ಚು ಹಿಡಿಸಿದ ಕೃತಿ, ಹುಡುಕಾಟದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಹೇಳತೀರದ ಒಲವು ಬೆಳೆಸಿದ ಕೃತಿ. ಆ ಪರಿಚಯದಂದಿನಿಂದ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ ನನಗೆ ಸಿಹಿ ಕಜ್ಜಾಯ. ಈ ಬ್ಲಾಗಿನ ಶೀರ್ಷಿಕೆಗೂ ಅವರ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿನ ಹುಡುಕುವ ಪ್ರಕ್ರಿಯೆಯೇ ಸ್ಪೂರ್ತಿ ಎಂದರೆ ಅತಿಶಯೋಕ್ತಿ ಆಗಲಾರದು. ಸಾಹಿತಿ, ಕೃಷಿಕ,  ಛಾಯಾಗ್ರಾಹಕ, ಪ್ರಕೃತಿ ಪ್ರೇಮಿ, ಪಕ್ಷಿ ವೀಕ್ಷಕ - ಹೀಗೆ ಹಲವು ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ಸ್ಥರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದು ಇಲ್ಲದಹಾಗೆ, ಸರಳ ಜೀವನ ಹಾಗು ನೇರ ನುಡಿಯಿಂದ ಹಲವು ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರ ಹೃನ್ಮನಗಳ ಚೇತನವಾದವರು ತೆಜಸ್ವಿರವರು.

        ಅವರ ನೆನಪಿನಲ್ಲಿ, ಅವರದ್ದೇ ಶೈಲಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳುವುದಾದರೆ, 'ನನಗೆ ತೋಚಿದ್ದನ್ನು, ತೋಚಿದಂತೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆಯುವೆ'. ಶ್ರೀಮತಿ ರಾಜೇಶ್ವರಿ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರ 'ನನ್ನ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ' ಕೃತಿಯನ್ನು ನಾನಿನ್ನು ಓದಿಲ್ಲ. ಓದಿ, ಅವರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು  ಬರೆಯಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಆಶಯವಿರುವುದರಿಂದ ಈ ಲೇಖನವನ್ನು ಭಾಗ ೧ ಎಂದು ಕರೆದಿರುವೆ.

      ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರು ಕುರಿತು ಎಲ್ಲೋ ಓದಿದ್ದು -

" ಒಂದಿಷ್ಟು ಹಸಿರಿಗೆ
ಒಂದಿಷ್ಟು ಹಕ್ಕಿಗೆ
ನಮ್ಮೊಳಗೆ ಜಾಗ ಕೊಟ್ಟರೆ
ನಮಗೆ ತಿಳಿಯದಂತೆ
ಆ ಭಾವಚಿತ್ರ ಸೆರೆಹಿಡಿಯಲು
ತೇಜಸ್ವಿ ಬಂದೇ ಬರುತ್ತಾರೆ "

         ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರ ಜೀವನ ತತ್ವವು ಅವರ ಬರವಣಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ವ್ಯಕ್ತವಾದಂತೆ - "ನಾನು ಅವತಾರ ಪುರುಷನಲ್ಲ. ಕೊನೆಗೆ  ಕೈಬೀಸಿ ಮಂತ್ರ ಭಸ್ಮ ತರಿಸುವ ಪವಾಡ ಪುರುಷನೂ ಅಲ್ಲ. ಕೇವಲ ಕಾಮ ಕ್ರೋಧಾದಿ ಅರಿಷಡ್ವರ್ಗಗಳಿಂದ ಪರಿವ್ರುತನಾದ,  ಪಂಚೇಂದ್ರಿಯಗಳಿಗೆ ಬದ್ಧನಾದ ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯ ಮಾನವ. ಇಂದ್ರಿಯಾತೀತವೂ ಅಗಮ್ಯವೂ ಆದ ಯಾವ ದರ್ಶನವಾಗಲಿ ಅನುಭವವಾಗಲಿ ಆಗಿಲ್ಲ. ಆಗುವುದೆಂಬ ನಂಬಿಕೆಯೂ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಆದಕಾರಣ ನಾನು ಮೃತ್ಯುವನ್ನು ಜೀವನಾನುಭವದ ಸರ್ವೋಚ್ಚ ಪರಿಮಾಣವೆಂದು ಕರೆವುದು. ನಮ್ಮ ಸರ್ವಾದರ್ಶಗಳೂ ಸರ್ವ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಯೂ ಸಾವಿನ ಪರಿಮಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ."

        'ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿವಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತ ಮತ್ತು ಯಮಳ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ' ಕೃತಿಯಲ್ಲಿನ ಈ ಅರ್ಪಣೆ ಅವರ ಬಗೆಗಿನ ಹಲವು ವಿಷಯಗಳನ್ನು  ತೆರೆದಿಡುತ್ತದೆ - "ಈ ವಿಚಾರ ತರಂಗವನ್ನು, ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರತಿಗಾಮಿತ್ವವನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಸಹಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು, ಸುತ್ತಮುತ್ತಿನ ಅಸಹನ, ಅಸಹಿಷ್ಣು, ವೈಷ್ಯಮ್ಯದ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲೂ, ನನಗೆ ವಿಶಾಲ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಯ ಲಿಬರಲ್ ವಾತಾವರಣವನ್ನು ಕಲ್ಪಿಸಿಕೊಟ್ಟಿರುವ ಪೂಜ್ಯ ತಂದೆಯವರಿಗೂ, ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ವಿವೇಕಿಗಳಿಗೂ, ವಿಚಾರವಂತರಿಗೂ ಅರ್ಪಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ."

        ನನ್ನ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯದಲ್ಲಿ ' ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿವಿಶಿಷ್ಟ ಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತ '(೧೯೬೪) ಲೇಖನವು ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರ ಪ್ರಖರ ಲೇಖನಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು. ಅವರು ನಂಬಿದ್ದ ಸಮಾಜ ಹಾಗು ಜೀವನದ ಪರಿಕಲ್ಪನೆ ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣಸಿಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಲೇಖನದ ಮುನ್ನುಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರು ಉಲ್ಲೇಖಿಸಿರುವ ಸಾಲುಗಳು ಇಂತಿವೆ -

        “The last end of the state is not to dominate men, nor to resrtain them by fear; rather it is to free each man from fear that he may live and act with full security and without injuiry to himself or his neighbor. The end of the state, I repeat, is not to make rational beings into brute beasts and machines. - Spinoza”

        'The tragedy of Hamlet'ನಲ್ಲಿ ಹ್ಯಾಮ್ಲೆಟ್ ನುಡಿವ "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." ಎಂಬ ಮಾತಿಗೂ 'ಕರ್ವಾಲೊ' ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕರ್ವಾಲೊ ನುಡಿವ "ತಪ್ಪು ಸರಿ ಹೇಗೆ ಹೇಳ್ತೀರಿ. ನಮಗೆ ಈ ಕ್ಷಣ, ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಹೀಗನ್ನಿಸಿದೆ. ಜೀವ ವಿಕಾಸಕ್ಕೆ ಎಲ್ಲಿದೆ ಕೊನೆ!" ಎಂಬ ಮಾತಿಗೂ ಅದೆಷ್ಟು ಸಾಮ್ಯ. ಜೀವನವು ನಾವು ಗ್ರಹಿಸಿದ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಎಂಬ ನಿತ್ಯ ಸತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಅದ್ಬುತವಾಗಿ ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಕೊಡುತ್ತಾರೆ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರು.

       ಇತ್ತೀಚ್ಚೆಗೆ ಕಂಡುಬರುತ್ತಿರುವ ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ಬೆಳವಣಿಗೆಯ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿನ ಕೃಷಿ ಭೂಮಿಯ ಒತ್ತುವರಿಕೆ ಕಂಡಾಗ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರು ೧೯೯೧ರಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆದ ಈ ಸಾಲುಗಳು ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಸಮಂಜಸವಾಗಿವೆ ಎಂದು ಅನಿಸದಿರದು -

     "ನಾವಿನ್ನು ಗಾಂಧೀಜಿಯವರ ಸ್ವರಾಜ್ಯ, ವಿಕೇಂದ್ರೀಕರಣ, ಸರಳಜೀವನ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿಗಳ ಹಂಬಲದಲ್ಲೇ ಇದ್ದೇವೆ. ಗ್ಯಾಟ್ ಒಪ್ಪಂದದ ದೂರಗಾಮೀ ಪರಿಣಾಮಗಳನ್ನು ಅವಲೋಕಿಸಿದರೆ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯತೆ, ದೇಶಪ್ರೇಮ ಇತ್ಯಾದಿಗಳ ಅರ್ಥ ಅಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ಜಾಗತೀಕರಣದತ್ತ ಧಾವಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ನಾಗರೀಕತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಾವಲಂಬನೆ ಆರ್ಥಿಕ ಅಪರಾಧದಂತೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತದೆ. ದಿನವೂ ನೂರಾರು ವಸ್ತುಗಳನ್ನು ಉತ್ಪಾದಿಸಿ ಜಾಹಿರಾತುಗಳ ಮುಖಾಂತರ ಪ್ರಚೋದಿಸುತ್ತಿರುವ ಆಧುನಿಕ ಕೈಗಾರಿಕೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಸರಳ ಜೀವನ ಸೋಂಕು ರೋಗದಂತೆ ಭಯಾನಕವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣುತ್ತದೆ.

    ನಾನೇನು ನಿರಾಶಾವಾದಿಯಲ್ಲ. ಆದರೆ ಸುಳ್ಳು ಮಾಹಿತಿಗಳಿಂದ, ಪೊಳ್ಳು ಆಶಾವಾದಗಳಿಂದ ಆಗಲೇ ಸಾಕಷ್ಟು ಜರ್ಜ್ಜರಿತರಾಗಿರುವ ರೈತ ಸಮುದಾಯವನ್ನು ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು ಮರೀಚಿಕೆಗಳ  ಬೆನ್ನು ಹತ್ತುವಂತೆ  ಪ್ರಚೋದಿಸುವುದು ತಪ್ಪು. ಕೃಷಿ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ ಇಂದು ಭಯಂಕರ ವಿರೋಧಾಭಾಸಗಳ, ಗೊಂದಲಗಳ ಅಲ್ಲೋಲಕಲ್ಲೋಲಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿಕೊಂಡಿದೆ."

     ಸಾಹಿತಿಗೆ ಎಂದೂ ಭಾಷೆ ಹಾಗು ಭೌಗೋಳಿಕ ಎಲ್ಲೆಗಳು ಅನ್ವಯಿಸವು. ಎಲ್ಲೆಗಳ ಆಚೆಗಿನ ವಿಸ್ಮಯ ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಸ್ತವದ ತಳಹದಿ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳದೆ ಲೇಖಕ ತನ್ನ ಕರ್ಮಭೂಮಿಯನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟಿಕೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಅಂತಹ ಕಾರ್ಯಪರತೆ ಕಂಡುಬರುವುದು ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರ ಈ ಸಾಲುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ - "ಘಾರ್ಸಿಯನ 'One Hundred years of Solitude' ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಆಕಸ್ಮಿಕವಾಗಿ  ಸಿಕ್ಕಾಗ ಓದುತ್ತಾ ಅನೇಕ ವಿಧಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮಧುಮಗಳಿಗೂ ಅದಕ್ಕೂ ಇರುವ ಸಾಮ್ಯ ನೋಡಿ ನಾನು ಬೆಚ್ಚಿ ಬಿದ್ದೆ. ಅಣ್ಣ ಅವನನ್ನು ಓದುವುದಿರಲಿ ಹೆಸರನ್ನೂ ಕೇಳಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಘಾರ್ಸಿಯನ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಓದಿದನಂತರ ನಾನು ಆಗಿನ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯಿಕ ಸಂದರ್ಭವನ್ನು ಜಾಗತಿಕ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅರ್ಥ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸಿದೆ."

   ಎಂದೂ ಪೂರ್ವಾಗ್ರಹ ಪೀಡಿತರಾಗದೆ, ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಗೆಯ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಮುಕ್ತ ಮನಸ್ಸಿನಿಂದ ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸುವ ಹಿರಿತನ ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರದ್ದು. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ ಎಂಬಂತಿವೆ ಡೇವಿಡ್ ಹರ್ಬರ್ಟ್ ಲಾರೆನ್ಸ್ ಕುರಿತು ತೆಜಸ್ವಿರವರು ಬರೆದ ಮಾತುಗಳು - " ಲಾರೆನ್ಸ್ ಈ ಶತಮಾನದ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ದಾರ್ಶನಿಕರಲ್ಲೊಬ್ಬ. ಆತನ ಲೇಡಿಚಾಟರ್ಲಿ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯನ್ನು ಸರ್ಕಾರ ಮುಟ್ಟುಗೋಲು ಹಾಕಿದಾಗ ಈ ಅತಿಶ್ರೇಷ್ಟ ಚಿಂತಕನಿಗೆ ದೊರೆತದ್ದು ಕುಖ್ಯಾತಿ. ಈ ಯಾಂತ್ರಿಕ ಜಗತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವನವನ್ನು ಜೀವನವನ್ನಾಗೇ ಉಳಿಸಲು, ಸೌಂದರ್ಯದ; ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಶಕ್ತಿಯಾದ ಕಾಮದಸ್ಥಾನ, ಮಹತ್ವಗಳನ್ನು ತಿಳಿಸಲು ಹೆಣಗಿದ ಮಹಾನ್ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಲಾರೆನ್ಸ್. ಆತನ ಜೀವನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯ ಆಸ್ಥೆ; ಕಾಮದ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯ ಆಸ್ಥೆ; ಹಾಗು ಭಗವಂತನ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯ ಆಸ್ಥೆ ಈ ಮೂರು ಒಂದೇ ಮೂಲದಿಂದ ಉದ್ಭವವಾದಂಥವು. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಈತನ ಕಾಮದ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯ ಆಸ್ಥೆಯನು ನಾವು ಇಂದ್ರಿಯಸುಖಲೋಲುಪತೆ ಎಂದೋ, ಕಾಮತಮಸ್ಸು ಎಂದೋ ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡರೆ ಆತನಿಗೆ ಅಪಚಾರ ಮಾಡಿದಂತೆ ಹಾಗು ಆ ಮೂಲಕ ನಮ್ಮ ಆತ್ಮಕ್ಕೆ ಅಪಚಾರ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಂತೆ."

    'ಲಿಂಗ ಬಂದ' ಕಥಯಿಂದ ಶುರುವಾದ ಇವರ ಪ್ರಯೋಗಶೀಲ ಕಥೆಗಳು ಸೃಷ್ಟಿಸಿದ ಕೌತುಕ ಲೋಕವೇ ನಮ್ಮ ಮುಂದಿದೆ. ಕನ್ನಡ ಸಾರಸ್ವತ ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದಿಗೂ ಒಗಟಿನಂತಿರುವ ಅವರ 'ಮಾಯಾಮೃಗ' ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಮರೆಯಲಾದೀತೆ? ದೆವ್ವದ  ಅಸ್ತಿತ್ವ ಅಲ್ಲಗೆಳೆಯಲೊರಟ ಇಬ್ಬರು ವಿಚಾರವಾದಿ ಗೆಳೆಯರ ಈ ಕಥೆ ಒಂದು ಗಹನವಾದ ತಾತ್ವಿಕ ಸಂಧಿಗ್ದ ಮಂಡಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಕಥೆಯ ಕುರಿತು ಕೆ.ವಿ.ಅಕ್ಷರ ರವರ ಈ ಮಾತುಗಳು ಉಲ್ಲೇಖಾರ್ಹ - "ದೆವ್ವವು ಇಲ್ಲವೆಂದು ಸಾಬೀತು ಮಾಡುವ ಕ್ರಿಯೆಯೇ ಪರೋಕ್ಷವಾಗಿ ದೆವ್ವವನ್ನು ಸೃಷ್ಟಿ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆಯಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬುದು ಈ ಕಥೆಯ ಹಿಂದಿರುವ ವಿಸ್ಮಯವಿಶೇಷ."      

      ತೇಜಸ್ವಿಯವರು ಇಹಲೋಕ ತ್ಯಜಿಸಿದಾಗ ಓದಿದ್ದು -

          "ಗಿಡ ಮರ ಹಕ್ಕಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವವಿತ್ತ

            ಮನುಷ್ಯಾಕಾರ ಇಲ್ಲಿಯವರೆಗೆ

            ನಮ್ಮ ಜೊತೆ ಜೊತೆಗೇ ಇದ್ದು 

            ಮನುಷ್ಯಾವತಾರವೆಂದರೇನೆಂದು

            ಪಾಠ ಕಲಿಸಿದ ಅವಧಿ ಮುಗಿದಿದೆ."

"The road is always better than the inn. - Cervantes."