Perumal, prasadham, poi

A breezy, beautiful evening in the garden of The Sk-ool. Master Sk and Mura-Lee are sitting on the low hanging branches of a hundred year old banyan tree watching the golden rays of the dying sun filtering through the foliage. Mura-Lee lets out a sigh and says

"Perumal koil... perumal koil thaan. Enna prasaadham! Enna dharisanam! Chancey illa."

Sk: "Can't agree more. Particularly about the dharisanam, given his huge fan base."

M: "Btw, inniku romba specialaa irunthuthu. Krishnar bday pola. Wish panna neraya per vanthurunthaanga. Semma treat vera. Aaanaa oru vishayam puriala. Avar vaalkaila unmai sonnatha vida poi thaan jaasthi sollittu irunthaar. Eppdi ippdi oru dubaakkur aasaamiya saami nu othukkaraanga?"

Sk: "Simple and straight. Just answer this question. When do you think you need to be creative? When you are telling the truth or lying?"

M: "Hmmm... lying obviously."

Sk: "So, basically lying is about creativity. How well you can lie depends on how much creative you are. And by their definition, God is the ultimate creator. Right? So, the more you lie, the more you are creative and by implication, the more godly you are."

M: "What!!! Becoming a God is so easy as lying, is it?"

Sk: "Who said lying is easy? You got to be skilled enough to make others believe and at the same time, not fall for your own lies. And the latter part is pretty much tricky one you see. You got to be really really careful here. Illa you might trick yourself into believing in your genius and end up doing a Sathyam or Dasavatharam."

M: "Poi sonnaa thaan saamiyaaga mudiyumaa. Athunaala thaan Shivan petha pulla, kattuna pondaatti kittayae avlo poi sollirukkaar?"

Sk: "Exactly."

M: "But, poi sonnaa ummaachi kanna kuthidum nu solraangalae? Poi sonna vaai ku bojanam kedaikkaathu nu solraangalae?"

Sk: "Pinna? Competition jaasthiyaana paavam avanga enna pannuvaanga? Ithellaam game theory. Avangala maathiri ellaarum poi solla aarambichuttaa aprom avanga business eppdi odum, buvvaa ku enna pannuvaanga? Athaan poi sonnaa, saappaadu kedaikkaathu nu establish pannittaanga."

M: "Appa oru vela avanga solrathu poi thaan nu therinjuruchunaa, aprom ellaarum koil ku poratha niruthittaa?"

Sk: "Athukku thaan kailaasam, vaigundam nu sollittu market pannirukkaangalae. Nee pannrathukku yethaa mathiri 2-tier AC illa Sleeper kedaikkum, illa gumbaloda unreserved la thaan finalaa poganum nu sollittaa aprom namma makkal seat reserve pannrathukkaaga eppdi irunthaalum varuvaanga la? Aanaa mostly waiting list illa RAC la thaan odittu irukkum, seat confirm panna maattaanga. Confirm pannitaa business gaali aagidum la."

M: "Aanaa, Ramanujar thaan ellaathukkum vaigundathukku porathukku season ticket kuduthuttaare."

Sk: "Ennathu?"

M: "Athaan Thirukottiyur la koil suvar mela yeri ninnu "Om Namo Narayanaya" nu Vaigundathukku travel passcode kuduthaare."

Sk: "Oh, athuvaa... but on a serious note, what do you think about it? Did he do the right thing or not?"

M: "I think he must have been too compassionate to tell that to public despite his guru's warnings. What's your take?"

Sk: "I would say he must have been a big fool to have done that."

M: "Why?"

Sk: "Religion is about transformation and there is no magic to it."

M: "Then what about so many mantras? You mean there is no meaning in that?"

Sk: "Exactly. But in the sense that they by themselves mean nothing. To define, "உணர்ந்த ஒரு சொல் - மந்திரம்." There is no magic in it. It will help only at the Tipping Point. It will work only when the travel has already been done and when the traveler is on the brink."

M: "But, then any word would do. Right?"

Sk: "Bingo. Any word can do the trick. Om. Dum. Sk. Rajni. Anything is fine, if and only if he is at the tipping point."

M: "So this is what Osho means when he says "drop" it?"

Sk: "Could be."

M: "Aanaa, neenga avara vida periyaa gnaani naa!!!"

Sk: "Nejammaavaaa solra??!!!!"

M: "Hahahaa, haiyo haiyo EKSI. I just tried to be Godly, Master!"

Sk: "@@#$@!$!@$#!@$#!@$%@!%!@%"

Tailpiece
Here is another post on Lies and what we stand to lose by not lying.

Why are you still carrying the girl?

One day, Master SK and his disciple Saw-Raw were on their way to The SK-ool, after trying to impart some intelligence to the idiots of nearby village. As usual, the unstoppable Saw-Raw continues to strain his brain and pose “tough” questions.

“Vara vara, neenga overaa kadalai podreenga. Yen enna maathiri content-oda ponnunga kooda pesa maattengareenga?”

Pinna content-oda pesi unna maathiri Raw-Saw mathiri mokka poda solriyaa? Idam, porul, yeval paathu thaan content-oda pesanum. Un kitta naan eppavavathu content-oda pesirukkanaa sollu. Annaikku oru naal, ji-Know oru Confucius-oda quote sonna. Do you remember?

“Ethu?”

Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. So that is exactly why I don’t talk with content most often. Moreover, if you talk with content to them, they will think that they are also, as intelligent as, if not more than, you. And obviously you know that no one is as intelligent as you. So why give them even a slim chance to think so? So don’t talk content, talk crap just like you do with me.

“Aprom, ponnunga enna muttaalunnu nenaikka arambichaanganna, how will I be able get a gal?”

Hahaha, Don’t worry Saw-Raw. Ponnungalukku theriyum nu solara aambalaingala vida theriyaathu nu solra aambalaingala thaan pudikkum. You know why? They feel insecure with intelligent guys, because these guys make them realize their lack of it. Ithukku innum vilakkam venumna namma SK-ool la rettai piravinga irukkaanga illa. Vela vetti illaama anga anga kuli thondi copper thedaraen, gold thedaren nu velayaadittu iruppaangale. Avanga kitta kelu.

“You mean, naa(n)-Veen and shoe-Boo?”

Yeh, right. Athulayum naa(n)-Veen has a lot more expertise and experience in this Matter. He knows more than 64 arts.

Meanwhile, they come across a stream and it seemed the water level had risen after they crossed it the day before on their way to the village. And the small, dilapidated wooden bridge that used to stand there had been washed away.

“Thala, anga paarunga. Shriyavayum, Asinayum sethu panna mathiri oru statue nikkuthu.”

Irunthuttu poguthu. Namakkenna atha pathi. Namma velaya pathuttu polaam vaa.

“Cha, enna manushan neenga. Paavam antha ponnu, stream-a cross panna mudiyaama thavichittu nikkuthu. Naan poi help panna poren. Neenga vanthaalum sari, varalannaalum sari.”

As Saw-Raw approaches the Shriya-Asin Club-edit remix, she briskly walks to the Master and starts talking.

“Hi Master. I can’t cross the stream without getting wet completely. Ungala paathaa romba nallavar maathiri theriyuthu. Can you please carry me across the stream?”

Being the kindest human being that he is, Master SK agrees after thinking for a few minutes. Saw-Raw rummages through his backpack to find anything sharp. Meanwhile, the Master lifts the gal on his shoulders and carries her across the stream. She thanks him and leaves. Saw-Raw crosses the stream and joins his Master. So unexpected of Saw-Raw, he keeps silence and walks behind the Master till they reach the gates of The SK-ool. He stops the Master.

“Neenga pannathu konjam kooda sari illa. Yen antha ponnukku help panneenga. How can you claim to be a “Master” after you have touched a gal?”

“Saw-Raw, I left the gal right there on the banks of the stream. Why are you still carrying her in your head?”

The SK-ool

One fine, breezy evening. Bhagwan Sk is busy preparing for his exam. His prime disciple Saw-Raw walks in with others - yew-Sha, ma-Haa, gaya-Tree, ji-Know.


Saw-Raw, yew-Sha, ma-Haa, gaya-Tree and ji-Know: (in chorus) "Pranaam Bhagwan!"

Great to see you all. So what brings you all here to The SK-ool?


Saw-Raw: We would like to get some gyan on your Kids??? post. You say having kids is choice one has to make based on 'evolved thinking'? Don't you think procreation is man's nature? In what way is the 'evolved thinking' better?

What is nature? It is one of the most abused and misunderstood word. A weaver bird builds its nest. Would you agree if i call it natural?

Saw-Raw: yeah.

Then, in the same way, man building skyscrapers is also natural - part of evolution. Man, through a process of intelligent learning over generations and generations, has acquired skills and intelligence to do what he does. So intelligence is part of nature just like sex is. How do you say it is unnatural to question the need for procreation? The decision to have kids is contingent upon a lot of reasons - some obvious, some not so obvious. But everything happens for a reason. All I am asking you to do is to question the reasons behind whatever you do. Be it falling in love or having kids.

Saw-Raw: But if you have read Kant, you would realize that there is no point in thinking. Every thought framework is too limited in its ability to deal with reality. All reason is farce.

All frameworks are essentially limited as they are abstractions of reality. Agreed. But that doesn't take away the need to think and form frameworks. That a tool is less effective to deal with something doesn't mean that there is no need for tools. In fact, it calls for a more intense, intelligent search to make the tool more effective or invent a new tool. Absolute is an illusion - shaped by the tools you have.

yew-Sha: But how can you make preposterous statements such as kids are extensions of your egos. How can you call it "The Truth"? Why do want to hurt the sentiments of people who have kids? How can you say it is out of boredom and lack of passion? People have kids as a sign of their love for each other.

Ego is the basic identity of an individual. Your whole world is defined based on "I". Take out the "I", your whole world disappears! So how can you do anything or even exist without ego. Ego is there, however subtle and invisible it is. Mind you, we are talking about the normal humans and not talking about the "ego-less" ones like Buddha.

yew-Sha: Ego and greediness are two different things. Naan, enadhu-nu solradhu ego. Enaku, enakkaga-nu solradhu possessiveness.

Again yew-Sha, you are looking at the symptoms. You are looking at leaves and branches of a tree forgetting the root and the seed. Don't you see that the root of all that possessiveness is the ego - the "I"? All our "happiness" comes out of the gratification of our egos. Happiness or sadness can be reduced/increased if we think about it.

Saw-Raw: But everything is in pairs in nature. Day-night, male-female, yin-yang. So why would I need to short circuit one? I can enjoy my "sadness" as I enjoy my "happiness". That's what even Osho says.

I think you probably misunderstood what he said. Osho said do anything; but do it with awareness. It is very important to understand a basic difference here. It is also essential to remember your ego/identity essentially is a result of a mishmash of selectively filtered thoughts of others about you. Now, unlike the other examples you quoted like day-night, which exist outside you, happiness and sadness are created inside you. To be precise, created by your mind/ego. Duality is of the mind.

I am concerned with reducing "sadness" through thinking about it. Why? It might seem like short-circuiting as my dear Saw-Raw said. But understand, happiness is a physiological high and intelligence seldom works there. So by exercising intelligence on "sadness", you gradually build your awareness. And slowly, the fire of awareness makes you realize the futility of the mind and the happiness/sadness dichotomy resulting from it. And you start walking towards nirvana.

Saw-Raw: Nirvana? Kool!! Sounds exciting!!

Saw-Raw, adangu!!!


Just remember dear disciples, Truth is not a compromise.

And Ego is good! Enough for today.

Saw-Raw, yew-Sha, ma-Haa, gaya-Tree and ji-Know: (in chorus) "Unga gnyanathukku oru ellaiyae illa."


Sk smiles.