Where the laws of reason dont apply !!!!

At the end of a really long day,  I was surfing the channels on my TV, watched a few scenes from 'A Beautiful Mind'.  The experience was one that can only be felt.  My next hop was to watching 'Rock On!!!' in 5.1, the mood suddenly changed. The great music and the gentle stroryline was a touch of fresh breath at the end of a long tiring day. Right through the movie, my mood was  following the pulse of the movie. Just then it crossed my mind that what I was going through the couple of hours is actually what been going on in my head all these years. 

There are days when life tries to upset you as much as possible, but we are unmoved. We take everything in our stride and remain happy. There are days when even a mosquito bite ticks triggers anger, a joke turns out to a quarrel and nothing seem to cheer you up. Just when all appears lost, an unexpected call or a supporting hand tends to erase the bad mood. We end up doing bungee jumps, parasailing and even crazier stuff. But when it comes to talking to a girl or propose, all the macho courage goes to dust. :) We love chocolates one day, but feel averse to it another. The chocolate haven't changed, nor have we. Its just the state of the mind.  The past memories haunt our actions. Some days we get up with a lot of hope, on others we just get up feeling terrible. Nothing around's actually changed. But its just that we feel different each day and each moment.

Well, you can decode a cipher or even understand the Higgs Boson. But no laws of nature apply to the mind. The mind is unique. Its a labyrinth, a puzzle and an non reasonable mess. Its not possible to reason out every feeling that creeps up in the head. Scholars, scientists and great intellectuals have tried over the years, but none of them have been able to come up with an equation that solves the mystery of the mind. There are only theories on what could be. 

Then comes the next question, how does one deal with the countless thoughts that run amok within the head? I found my  answer  in this insightful conversation from the movie - "A Beautiful Mind"

"Well, you know. "
"Are they gone? "
"No, they're not gone. "
"And maybe they never will be. "
"But I've gotten used to ignoring them...and I think as a result they've kind of given up on me. "
"You think that's what it's like...with all our dreams and our nightmares, Martin? "
"You've got to keep feeding them for them to stay alive?"
"John, they- haunt you, though."
"They're my past, Martin. Everybody's haunted by their past."

Hanuman's Curse

My childhood was replete with hundreds of stories from Hindu Mythology that  I read in the Amar Chitra Kata Comics, Bhagavatham, and the ones which the elders had narrated. Though I dont remember the exact versions of the stories that I'd heard over the years, a lot of these narrations are still very much remanent in the head.

When I was doing some soul searching today, I suddenly remembered the fascinating story of Hanuman. The story goes something like this.

Hanuman has always been considered as the strongest, most intelligent and one of the wisest demi-gods in Hindu Mythology. But sometime during his playful childhood days, Hanuman caused a lot of havoc among the sages who lived in the forests due to his mischief. 

One fine day, the sages grew tired of Hanuman and pronounced a curse - ”O Hanuman! you will forget all those powers and boons that have been bestowed upon you.  You will regain your vigour and vitality only when some one eulogises your greatness and glory.” 

The anathema made Hanuman staid and tranquil. Hence, Hanuman would never know how powerful and strong he was. Others would have to explain to him his strength.  Only then would he be realizing it.

Rama, Hanuman, Angad, Jambhavan(The Bear) and the Vanara Sena (Monkey Army) find out from Sampati (The Vulture) that Sita could be taken to Lanka. Looking at the roaring sea ahead of them, all of them turn pessimistic on how to cross over to Lanka to find out about Sita's wherabouts. Hanuman is among the most pessimistic of them all. 

Just when all seem lost, Jambhavan comes up to Hanuman and praises him - ”No other living creature has your strength, wisdom and radiance. -Why are you sitting quiet, not knowing yourself.? You can certainly jump over the ocean.” 

That's the moment, the Curse was lifted. Hanuman being reminded of his own powers, is overwhelmed with enthusiasm. As Jambhavan and the rest of the folks around him start reminding him about his powress, he starts growing in size. Finally, he takes a gigantic form and leaps across the ocean in search of Sita.

This story from the Ramayan is one of those anectodes that's usually told to kids as inspiration. While it may be inspirational to most, its metaphorical in many ways.

Each one of us have nearly unlimited potential, the events of the past, shape the minds in such a way that like Hanuman's curse, we forget what we actually are capable of. When all seem lost, during a moment of reckoning, all that's needed are some wise words of inspiration from a friend or a close aide to remind each one of us of the glorious past and how much we are capable of. 

These words could be a rebuke or kind words of wisdom. The goal is ultimately to remind you of who you actually are and what you are capable of!!!!