The Jihad of a Humanist

Re: dost-mittar, #23

That Chowk is populated with very ordinary and mediocrity is the norm is not news to me. I`m glad that you have ``most important ideas``, and apparently one of the few writers at Chowk with the most. Everyone thinks his/her ideas are most important. However, what I`m questioning is the selection criteria at Chowk.


Re: tahmed, #24

Get a grip. Your post, contrary to what you are trying to be, is not only not-funny, it`s way below average. Now, close that garage door and stay inside before you make a further fool of yourself.

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TAhmed:

``The rest of us can only read your posts in Shock and Awe. ``

:) You kill me, man!! Waisey, when I joined Chowk, I thought you were an old man. I guess coz you were always so polite and considerate and would admonish anyone else who was not. (remember the running feud between me and Ali#1) But now I think you are probably in your 40s.

I am pro-Khalistan. As a matter of fact it is my core beleif that the only way to save Paksitan from Hindu religious nuts who are currently ruling the country, Pitribhumi freaks, and akhand bharat nutcases is to create a vibrant, self-sufficient, and Paksitan friendly Khalistan in Indian Punjab and Chandigar etc. In near future when the great war will break out between Iran and others, Indian oppressed Kashmir will definitely be annexed by Paksitan. The creation of Khalistan will close any corridor to the Kashmir in future. Also a strong Khalistan will provide the necessary strategic depth to Paksitan.

The hijacking and destruction of INdian airliner was a great tragedy and the way the Indians and Indian government pursued to bring the perpetrators of this tragedy to justice in Canada, is commendable. However, they should have persued to bring to justice the perpetrators of genoocide of Sikhs in `80 with the same fervor as well, but instead all those genocidal maniacs were given special amnesty from the government last year. This is the stuff Khalistans are made of.

Farzana:

Could you let me know the name of Hindi poet who wrote these beautiful lines:

``Madhuban khushboo deta hai, sagar saawan deta hai
Jeena uska jeena hai, jo auron ko jeevan deta hai...

Suraj na ban paaye tau banke deepak jalta chal
Phool miley ya angaarey sach ki raah pe chalta chal
Pyaar dilon ko deta hai, ashkon ko daaman deta hai
Jeena uska jeena hai jo auron ko jeevan deta hai.``

From Silicon Valley, I`m launching a campaign for South Asian Bone Marrow / Stem - Cell donor data bank for ``donate stem-cells donate life``. I would like to use this appropriate poem.

Thank you.
ANIL KAPURIA

godot #21 to dost mittar, ``Unlike for me, you have tons of Chowkies who sympathize with you.``

Worry not, Oh Noble Godot. Here is one Chowkie (not weighing tons though) who sympathizes with you. It must be so upsetting to have to associates will all of us mediocrites on chowk. Man, I am so mediocre I keep running into glass panes thinking I can go through them. In fact I am so mediocre when someone knocks at the door, I knock back in response. If the person knocks again, I knock back again. One day I became so mediocre that I started knocking at the front door from the inside even when no one was knocking outside. My wife asked me why I was knocking on the front door from the inside, I said I was trying to get it to open.
Another time I became so mediocre, I opened used the automatic garage door opener and almost fainted - the car was gone! I told this to my wife, and she said that I would find the car in the garage as soon as I drove it into the garage and stepped out of it. Man, did I feel like a mediocrity that time (this is true in fact).

Anywhere, it is an honor to have a brilliant individual like you on chowk. The rest of us can only read your posts in Shock and Awe.

godot#21
Chowk`s stated motto is a place where ideas and identities intersect. I think that you would agree that not everyone with an idea will have superior literary skills (if one does, it will, of course, be `sone pe suhaaga`). Some of the most important ideas and discussions take place in academic journals and most of the articles there would never get published if they insisted upon a high level of literary skills. What is important, however, is that the idea or ideas are presented and discussed in a clear, cogent and comprehsible manner.

‘Sooraj na ban paye to ban ke Deepak chalta chal”..It is my favorite song too …
And then these so many ‘deepaks’ together can make a big ‘sooraj’ hand in hand. Because we all can’t be ‘Sankurathris’ and yet we all can do our little bit…

Another nice one:

Jyot se jyot jalate chalo
Prem ki Ganga bahate chalo
Raah mein aaye jo deen-dukhi
Sab ko galey se lagate chalo

Jiska na koi sangi saathi
Ishwar hai rakhwala
Jo nirdhan hai jo nirbal hai
Woh hai Prabhu ka pyara
Pyar ke moti lutate chalo...
prem ki ganga bahate chalo

Asha tooti, mamta roothi
Chhoot gaya hai kinara
Band karo mat dwar daya ka
De do kuch to sahara
Deep daya ka jalate chalo...

Chaaya hai chaaron or andhera
Bhatak gayi hai dishayein
Maanav ban baitha daanav
Kisko vyatha(dukh) sunaayen
Dharti ko swarg banate chalo.....

Re: dost-mittar, #18

As evident from the Front Page, quality writings are the last thing on Chowk editors’ minds. You keep writing. Why should you be an exception?

Btw, in no way, shape or form, my article on hate has any similarities to yours. And I don’t hate “you”. But, again, some people will resort to such tactics when cornered to gain sympathy. You shouldn’t worry about that. Unlike for me, you have tons of Chowkies who sympathize with you. And a lot of Chowkies will defend mediocrity tooth and nail. Keep writing.

I agree with godot#3.

Why do we have to wait until certain cataclysmic event shakes our foundations? And there are as many stories in which a person, disillusioned by such events, directs his/her ire towards God. Although fictional, the character of Mel Gibson in ``Signs`` -- until Divinity intervenes again to make him belief again, which was nothing but a crock of shit. I`m sure there are real life instances of similar vein too.

The only good thing about this write-up was it`s brevity.

Cheers.

Thank you all who read and commented on this piece.
godot:
If I remember correctly, you once wrote an article on how you dealt with your hatred for a particular chowkie. This article deals with a similar topic.
As regards your hatred for this bad writer, I will leave it to you to find your own way of coping with it.

godot #3

``What`s the point of this absurd article? That one should become charitable and nice only if some great tragedy strikes him? ``

personal tragedy does focus your attention on what is important in life

Re: Farzana, #11, and my post #12

Farzana, I misunderstood the song you quoted and hence my “fake” response to it. The “fakeness” I was implying in my post has to do with fawning. Anyway, I liked the song and believe in it just as you do. But I do speak my mind...only sometimes...can’t help it!

A pleasure to read! Thank you.

dostmitter
short and gentle :) this reminded me of something i red last night which struck me as important; its somewhat relevent here too:

from warriorofthelight.com

The tragedy

Here I continue to reproduce excerpts from conversations with my master, from 1982 to 1986)

- Why is there so much tragedy and misery in the world?
- Tragedy and misery are different things, and very lengthy subjects. Which would you like to talk about first?
- At the moment, about tragedy. Why does man suffer?
- Read the Bible and you will find the following: ``that which is good, comes from You, my Lord. That which is evil, also comes from You, my Lord. Therefore what is there to fear?``
- Nevertheless, we do suffer.
- Certainly. But take this into consideration: of every ten problems we have, nine are created by our own selves - through guilt, self-punishment, self-pity. However, from time to time a great obstacle appears in our path, which was put there by God, and which is there for a reason. The reason is: to give us the opportunity to change everything, to move forwards.
``What is tragedy? A radical change in our lives, always linked to the same principle: loss. Suffering is always the result of a loss, either someone or something - such as health, beauty, or one`s financial conditions.
When faced with a loss, it is no use trying to recover what has gone. On the other hand, a great space has been opened up in your life - there it lies, empty, waiting to be filled with something new. At the moment of one`s loss, contradictory as this might seem, one is being given a large slice of freedom.
``But most men, when faced with tragedy, fill this space with pain and bitterness. They never think there may be other ways of facing the inevitable.``
- For example?
- Firstly, by learning the great lesson of wise men: patience, the certainty that everything - both good and bad - is provisional in this life. Secondly, using this sudden change of course to risk new things in daily life, to do things you always dreamed of.
- This is clear regarding material things. But what about someone`s death?
- We have spoken much about death, and you know that for the one who passes on, it does not exist - that person is enjoying the delights of a radical transformation. The sensation of death only exists for the one left here. Every dear person, upon departing, becomes our protector - after going through a period of longing, we should be joyful, since we are better protected. In the same way, one day we will be on the other side, protecting the people we love down here.
- And those we hate...
- Exactly as you imagine. They remain tied to us through the feeling of bitterness. That is why Jesus said: ``before going to the temple, go back and forgive your brother.`` One must be forever washing one`s soul with the water of forgiveness.
- But going back to tragedy...
- There is something which is impossible to measure: the intensity of pain. We know a person is suffering because they tell us, but we cannot evaluate exactly how much. We often try to compare someone`s attitude upon being faced by a tragedy, and we end up judging them to be stronger or weaker than they really are. Do not compare random pain with nothing; only the one suffering can know what he or she is going through.
``Therefore, when inevitable tragedy appears, we must remember these three things: to make the most of the freedom of loss, not to judge the pain, and to learn the art of patience. It will destroy 9/10 of that which you are, but the 1/10 which remains will make you an infinitely stronger person. ``