Deconstruction/Reconstruction

By Abhijit Dey

Sitting beside a gyrating group

Rambling on about the secrets of life,

Shocked to see the path being known by everyone-in theory at least,

Everyone knowing how to be enlightened

The reality of which may be light years at end,

Made me realize that I do not want to be one of them.

Often sitting beside best of friends,

Passing the night in spiritual talk,

With a glass of whisky or beer by my side,

Feeling saintly after the talk, or taking pride

In the manner we spent our time.

Don't judge the whisky or the wine,

Listen to us talk; about reaching the divine.

Paying heed only to speech, no action,

Engaging in so called meaningful conversation;

It feels like a glorious waste of time after careful consideration.

But at that time, I relished those talks.

Being the biggest hypocrite of them all,

My life- a mess, Advice- to all the rest. 

Filled with a thousand problems but no work done.

Hundreds of things to change but inaction to the very bone.

Now the poet will try to show to you

How the mind plays tricks with you

Don't you know what problems bother you?

Don't you know what will make a better 'You'?

Don't you know the answer to all your problems is 'You'?

Don't you know the value of 'You'?

Why then do you feel the need?

Of asking others to pave the way you tread?

Why do you forage a number, a talisman, a ring or a bead?

It's because you truly dread

The work you have to put in

It's very easy to talk and make it seem like actually doing something for yourself

While, in reality, you are only postponing your progress for another day.

That will never come.

It's very easy to look for answers

Of questions that are already solved

What you are searching for are tips and tricks

Or shortcuts to happiness, wealth or enlightenment- you pick

The poet does not say that those things don't bear fruit,

The poet is not so arrogant as to dismiss their worth

Or so skeptical as to disown God

Or so cynical as to disavow.

Or so ungrateful as to reject.

But, If only a ring can bring you wealth

A bead, happiness and well being

A talisman, peace and comfort 

A man with 220 volts of electricity can make you enlightened

If everyone brings you everything you desire

What are YOU going to do for YOURSELF, my friend?

What is Your purpose? What is Your end?

What is Your path? 

What is Your name? (Why should I care, then?)

The only reason we keep searching answers outside

Is because we are scared of the inside.

Because it takes an enormous amount of hard work

To change even one thing about yourself

And to hold on to that

It's very easy to converse hours

Engaging in jibon-talk (jibon is life in Assamese)

But what do you get from that?

If theory is all you seek, just read five books and listen to eleven lectures

CONGRATULATIONS, now you can pretend to be wise and mature.

Keep rambling about ‘moksha’, ‘ida’, ‘pingala’, ‘shushumna’

Or start your speech with the ‘Manipuraka’

Going all the way to ‘Sahasra’ of the ‘Brahmarandhra’.

Or babble about ‘Moolanks’ and start boycotting black, 

I am number 1 and you are number 2

For wealth wear a stone that is blue

Wear white to come off as pure and right.

Though that white is blacker than the blackest night.

Ah! Now you have people's attention.

Now you are capable of giving advice.

Now people will come to listen to you.

Ask you about your journey which began five lifetimes ago.

But where, in the process, is the quality of life?

Don't worry, no one knows,

And maybe, no one cares.

If we are already impressed with the voice and the content

Why would you set a parameter for something else?

If you think that mere conversation will change the quality of your life

It's just like a husband who thinks of winning an argument with his wife.

Well, jokes apart, try to drive out a bad habit

Or try to read daily, or try to be fit,

Or be a helpful person or watch the things you eat.

Trust me, it takes ‘life’ to better your life

And even more than that to keep that intact.

But your answer maybe, is in the success.

Or it lies hidden somewhere in the process.

Our Gods are not just mere orators,

Action has always been more important than words.

Even Arjuna’s path to enlightenment was not only conversation 

Though it was with God himself.

It was not possible untill he lifted his bow

And killed his ‘greatest enemy’ with his ‘greatest arrow’. (Not Talking about Karna here)

The poet has nothing against the spiritual groups

Or people who engage in glorious time-waste 

Thinking about how productive the time is spent 

When you stop your usual chit-chat, mirth and laughter for things seemingly more important.

But trust me, it only seems like we benefit from these,

When in reality you can never understand things you haven't perceived.

How can you describe a smell that I haven't smelt?

Or a taste I haven't felt?

Hence the poet has now stopped talking about spirituality

As he now wishes to show it through his life,

He knows his limitations, he is ready for war

Only through actions can he get far.

So the poet has stopped talking, preaching and certainly, advising,

As the world is already filled with the most hypocrite people,

But, at the present, no bigger than I.

It's very sad to see a culture of seekers

Turn into a nation of irrational believers.

Hence, 

Somewhere in seeking God;

We have somehow become members of cults

Humanity is imploding, Religion is a frightening tumult.

And God,

God is NOWHERE to be found!

By Abhijit Dey