My mission

To jog-bicycle around the world, climb the mountains, swim the seas and soar the skies. Since they are not remotely possible, I settled for a daily dose of spiritual triathlon -- jogging, cycling and meditation -- necessarily in that order. My idea of a spiritual triathlon is 10 miles of jogging and 10 miles of cycling followed by an hour of meditation. I sincerely feel that not less than a spiritual marathon can tame the mind and mould it the way you want it to. So go ahead and have fun taking a dekko at my spiritual athleticism. But don't forget to drop in a word or two on how you feel about my blog and my way of life. Your advice is always valuable to go that extra length to the Garden of Eden

Food for cycling thought

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."

Sunday, July 15, 2007

MARRIAGE AND LOVE ARE ANTITHETICAL CONCEPTS, BOTH OF THEM CAN'T CO-EXIST AS THE SPACE IS TOO SMALL

Mary Jane, the very good friend of a wealthy broker, opened the door cheerfully one day, and then quickly attempted to close it when she discovered the person on the threshold to be her lover's wife.
The wife leaned against the door and said, "Oh, let me in, dear. I don't intend to make a scene, just came to have a small friendly conversation."
With considerable nervousness, Mary Jane let her enter, then said cautiously, "What do you want?"
"Nothing much," said the wife, looking about, "I just want the answer to one question: Tell me, dear, just between the two of us, what do you see in that dumb jerk?"

Groucho Marx, the yesteryear Hollywood comedian, puts it succinctly: Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution? Ask anyone who is married and the first thing they would say, whether it is man or woman, is that marriage sucks. Then why is it that the society goes ga ga about it? Because they are scared that the unmarried person may eye their spouses, and it is this insecurity that keeps the concept of marriage afloat in the world. Not because of any enduring bond of love. In fact, marriage and love are two antithetical concepts. Where one exists, the other can't. Because the space is too small for two divergent concepts to co-exist. When one enters, the other finds an automatic outlet and disappears.

Marriage not only sucks, it is also a sickening institution. Even a mental institution is a far safer place to be than in a married household. It is so stifling that the wife waits for an opportunity to make a mistake, and if he doesn't, she gives him one so that he slips and she can take him to task. Similarly, the husband waits for an excuse to pounce on his wife to settle scores. What a charade?

Reams and reams of paper have been wasted to explain the glorious significance of a happy family. Not just that. Hundreds of films have been made to explain the importance of a close-knit family. But, everything comes to nought. And marriages continue to fall like nine pins. And that too with the rapidity of a supersonic jet. For the simple reason, marriage is not meant to be. It is a utopian concept that can be possible only in a highly evolved society -- where the man is not concerned about what his wife is doing, or a wife is least bothered whom the husband is flirting with. Because it comes from the knowledge that it is the natural order of things.

Went on a long bike ride today into the interiors of the city and got deliberately lost so that it would take a good deal of time to get out. That way my mind wouldn't be able to keep track of the number of miles I've logged on and feel proud of it. Besides, there is a thrill in getting lost. You not only get to see the inner city's beauty, which you don't get to see otherwise, but the very feeling that you are lost gets your adrenaline pumping making your journey a wonderful experience.

Also, have been doing some amazing breathing meditation, the one that is propounded by Osho, called the dynamic meditation. It is equivalent to biking 20 miles and the energy that it generates keeps me active the whole day. So, keep biking and keep breathing, because breath is life and life is breath, and all the secrets of the world are revealed to the person who can concentrate on his breath.

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