I am not a spiritualist. not even a ritualist doing my nithyakramas regularloy or visiting temples frequently. Just an ordinary story writer, I am, living a normal family life with my children, grand children, roaming the world if they finance me and if my health permits or sit below a tree or walk through the woods and rice fields of my native land, that rich Kerala, again if my legs cooperate, humming a Thyagaraja or a Swathy Thirunaal or Deedkshithar, for my and my self satisfaction and not for others’ certificate.. In fact, my own people have said ,that I am more tolerable when I keep quite..
But the problem is I can’t keep quite; I can’t shut my eyes and say,’ Rama, Rama’ or ‘ Krishna, Krishna’ though that was what I have been advised to do, for my age. I can’t keep my eyes shut and sit in a corner. I look at the trees, the hills and meadows, the squirrels and monkeys roaming over there, the deer looking at me from its bush, wondering who this fellow is, when I go for a walk in the evening through the highways of Baltimore or Florida or at the innocent cows through the lanes of Kasi or Kalpathy. I run along with the river in Ottappalam or stare at the Ganges with awe at Utharakasi or Gangotri . I talk to the guys sitting near or far to me in a sleeper class, force him to talk to me, may be a panda from Benares or a chettiar from Madurai, or an young girl bubbling with enthusiasm or a depressed soul sitting alone in a corner worrying how to feed her children, the next day. That has helped me to live so long. That has helped me to live happily. And I have lived long enough and damn care if I am showed the gate tomorrow.
And, and— I read our Upanishads, that invaluable record of our ancestors, who roamed in the forest , alone, wearing practically nothing, in the hot , in the cold, among the animals, enjoying the raising and falling sun, enjoying the waxing and waning moon, enjoying the twinkling stars and silent or roaring clouds.
If all the books are lost tomorrow, pray that doesn’t happen and if we are left with a single upanishad , we are safe, our culture is safe..
I am not a preacher or a councellor but sugggest that you read our upansihads and understand their meaning. You won’t regret.
Ocala, Florida
Nov 1, 2012