Mohana story

Rajanna persuaded  Mohana to consider this tour package. He said ‘you must enjoy your life, don’t worry about the expenses, it is once in a lifetime experience - consider and thank me later’. 

Mohana was worried for his savings, more importantly what would his wife and son feel about it? Mohana and his wife aren’t too old to travel but the son growing an adult with a handful of demands was a big concern. Mohana’s wife was always invisible but present throughout his ups and downs. 

 Mohana was concerned about approval of his leaves at the office if the plan is considered. He was a bit anxious because, the leave granting authority is not in great terms with him. He also discovered a reasonable solution. 

He thought maybe Rajanna can help. Rajanna and the leave granting higher authority belong to same community and that if he intervenes there are better chances. He thought of insisting Rajanna to pursue his leave request, after all this was his idea !

Its been long since anyone in their family travelled anywhere and with persistent efforts Mohana finally considered this plan and awaited to share this proposal with his family. 

Mohana informed the proposal and assumed consent of his family.

Mohana and Rajanna had known each other from a long time. They both are working at a small yet significant Government office with their tables lined up against a running wall. Everyday thousands of people visit them seeking relief from the burdens of either excess, confused or no documentation. 

Mohana was quite excited to meet his friend to share his consideration of the tour. He reached his office at the usual hour 11.30 am. Looked around the hanging pictures of gods and goddesses along with legendary heroes, prayed them all for a smooth and happy tour, waited for Rajanna. An hour passed by and Rajanna showed up trying to manoeuvre  through the crowd filled inside and outside this tiny office like any other day.  

Mohana rose from his table wanting to reach out to Rajanna’s desk. A guy pierced through the crowd with a letter in hand paused asked Mohana ‘Sir, I wanted to show you this’. Mohana browsed through quickly and replied ‘ this is not done here, you may go to 3rd floor’. The guy replied ‘ I went there and they sent me here’. ‘Then go to 8th floor’  said Mohana. 

Another old man was blocking his way now, ‘you’re file isn’t signed yet, come tomorrow’  cried Mohana. The old man turned his back and walked away, within no time he called the old man and said ‘Come next week or after 15 days’, the old man continued walking. 

A lady with her teenage kid crossed Mohana’s path and stopped him. He said ‘you’re file will take a month due to upcoming festivals, come later’. Before he reached Rajanna’s desk one more obstructed with a hand and without looking at the fellow Mohana said ‘come by evening’. Finally with all the hurdles passed he greeted Rajanna and shared his consent for the exciting tour ahead but with few concerns. 

Rajanna was happy to hear the news and assured Mohana not to worry. He also agreed to help obtain leaves. Rajanna said ‘ I told you, its good for you. You and I, all of us need a little relaxation. Look at this pigeon hole and look at this people who think you and I can make or break their lives, listening to their complaints and cries everyday. Do you think anyone care about us? We need to snatch what we deserve or else you’ll be a victim of relentless service’! Mohana nodded sincerely and took Rajanna for a cup of coffee to discuss the itinerary of the tour.  

Now, it was all approved and sanctioned. The much exciting tour is just a month away, Mohana and his wife can’t stop discussing about the itinerary and shopping plans with their peers. However nothing discussed between the husband and wife. While Mohana’s son quietly observing that his parents are little hesitant about the entire plan. 

Mohana and his wife are now ready to travel an asian country very popular  for the kind of advancement and progress made in every sector over a short time. The couple have already heard and read so many special things about the country and its people. 

Moderate preparations were made and the travel began. The fear of flying in an aeroplane settled as they reached the destination. They wanted to rest so badly, had no clue what they are eating, rushed to hotel and slept whole evening followed by the night. 

Morning was fresh and promised a great day ahead. They visited Museums, Heritage and historical sites, gift shops and markets, lakes and many other tourist attractions. Although they fell short of time to absorb the culture and lifestyle of people. But they had it covered by a guide. The guide was a great help in a non English speaking country, however the  Mohana alone had working knowledge of English. The guide was kind enough to make the couple understand with simple and clear language with modest expressions. The Husband and wife were thrilled to have spent their life savings on a memorable yet thought provoking experience of a life time. 

The couple enquired everything they noticed and got worthy answers from their tour guide. The Guide was a proud local, happily receiving the questions. He explained at length, how the nation was built by each and every citizen young and old, owing to their determination to create a better place for themselves and for the coming generations. He narrated stories from local inspirations to national heroes. He continued to narrate the incidents which inspired people, infused strong willingness to change for better with love for nation and its system. 

He also emphasised on people assuming responsibilities with affection rather than ignore or complain about it. People of his nation are believers in the present and NOW matters to them the most. Mohana was all ears for this particular conversation, it interested him that people don’t complain the authorities and blame everyone else but try and find resolve on their own. Any necessary work delayed, postponed or ignored will be considered ‘anti national’ quoted the guide. Anti National? a heavy and unfair label thought Mohana. 

The guide, appeared obsessed with nation building, felt Mohana’s wife however Mohana had a strange interest about everything that’s been informed by the guide. The common man assuming responsibilities of civic works when needed and keeping their surroundings hygienic and tidy impressed him immensely. He thought it would be amazing if happens in India- ‘How many complaints do we receive at our office everyday? How many can we address? Can’t people resolve at least some of them on their own?’ 

The term ‘Anti National’ recurred in Mohana’s head throughout the tour. 

The couple collected souvenirs and returned back safely home. The family, relatives, friends and neighbours were excited to hear stories about their travel experience. 

Mohana enthusiastic, returned to work at 10.00 am. The watchman and sweepers welcomed and greeted him. Mohana, beaming with proud to have travelled abroad and gained valuable knowledge among his social connections. Mohana couldn’t control his enthusiasm sharing his experience with fellow workers, more so with Rajanna than anyone. 

Rajanna said ‘ I told you so, its once in a lifetime experience and worthy’. Mohana couldn’t thank him more. 

Mohana found a new interest in everything he did so was his wife, she cooked delicious food and greeted everyone gleefully. 

A month passed by, one afternoon, Mohana in his office having enjoyed the lunch cooked by his wife, snoozing with content on his desk. He was probably transcended to another country, someone called his name repeatedly. He would answer but the call wouldn’t stop, he had to open his eyes. 

Its the old man. Mohana collected himself and thought ‘oh this old man is real and alive!’ ‘What do you want?’ Asked Mohana. The old man as usual had an approval request for a sanction. Mohana thought ‘people build nations, go moon, dive deep into the ocean, unearth gems and rare minerals, invent new technologies but these ones are rotten forever complaining everyday. 

‘Your document needs to be signed, come tomorrow and don’t come early morning, check by evening’ said Mohana. The old man turned back and walked away. 

Rajanna was watching this from his desk, with a grin on his face asked Mohana ‘what my friend dreaming another country? Mohana blushed. 

The Master

 How deep one can go down the ocean of self? How much are we aware about its depth? to be with oneself in silence and enjoy the company. Sounds scary, discomforting and enjoyable to different individuals at the same time. 

Self is undoubtedly the greatest healing mechanism for all the pain induced by the world on an individual. The survival game is not the same anymore. The game is consistently extending beyond the norms of food, water and shelter. This disabled faculty of self healing, today is largely unaddressed and ignored. There are healers of course, but none can heal, sleep or eat for another. The healers can only inspire you into the process of healing initiated by the self but with a cost. 

Have we come across people, who find it hard to move on from their pain? well, all of us are in one way or the other carry our pains and live with it than get rid off for good. External wounds are treated with over the counter medications but inner wounds remain buried deep within, sometimes passed on to generations. The mind and body are not immortals but  pain seems like immortals by the impact they have on us. 

Sometimes I wonder if unnecessary curiosity of scientific pursuits have made us incapable of self healing, losing all our innate capacities and depend on laboratory proven medications. Are we becoming more fragile and insecure than ever? are we descending the graph of evolution? are we systematically conspired for this descent by our own kind? are we covering all this up with power of science and technology, pretending that we are more powerful than ever? is science, a shield to cover our tender and fragile being? We mostly seek external mechanism over internal! although inspite of excessive external assistance we never fully recover. 

The past experiences of trauma, failure, loss or deceit never allows us to move on. Why do we hang onto them despite of its devastating impact on our mind and body? Today we care about our Diet, Water, Sleep and what not but why don't we care about the self healing capacity that we own? Instead we take precautionary measures that include pretentious behaviour, diplomacy and social health to refrain from any potential damage to our emotions. We even look forward to only productive social interactions. We seek only those that benefit us including familial arrangements and romantic relationships. 

We have inscribed a pattern to seek only benefits for our well being and nothing else. The self should be the only beneficiary of the fruits of world is our primary destination. Despite, the ‘Self’ being primary interest in our extended game of survival quest, we continue to lose the mechanism of healing emotional pain. We have not honed our ability to heal ourselves. The worst alternative we found today against pain is our ego, which counter attacks and tries to annul the pain only to aggravate and to satiate through small evil victory guised as healing. 

The greatest faculty evolved in men is memory. What seemed like a boon to mankind, memory has turned into a bane today. Emotional pain develops into a parasite feeding on memory and eats away the potential life of ours. As we age, these parasites constitute our lives larger than ourselves.

 

We believed 'Time' as a great healer, but we are also aware that Time erases the pain temporarily. Any trigger to revoke our memory resurfaces the pain and rekindles its existence. We try to bury them again with many distractions. Science and religion assists us in doing so. 

We have forced ourselves not to be emotional but practical. We have reinforced the same through our industrial lives everyday. We are convinced that our extended game of survival doesn't entertain emotions, however we try pretending with masks. 

The new survival game is played with an absurd and abstract old entity called Money.  We chase, we please, we change everything to get it and as much, beyond our limitations. It is a number but none can count and say that's enough! There's no number infinite enough when it comes to money! The greed has taken over and become the decorum of today's life. The one who's happy with himself surely is out of his mind!

None can be happy nor allowed to be happy today. Never say never enough! Money is never happy with anyone, constantly demanding more effort and dedication through all means irrespective of ethics or morality. Once you are exhausted, Money leaves you in no time. There's a constant demand to keep working for it everyday eradicating the humanness, an out of context truth!

We stopped engaging in many physical activities that was physiologically necessary for us if not psychologically as well. Boastful advancement of science snatched away our physical health and replaced them with medications. There are medications for everything. 

We stopped engaging in activities which were capable to heal our emotional pains. Religion and Science again stepped forward to provide us spiritual healing and related laboratory invented medicines to overcome this pain, only to bury the hurtful pain but never  fully recover from it. 

We do not believe of a life that can be lived without these emotional baggage carried to our graves. We blame ourselves for our incapacity to be as pure as possible!

Who would believe if it is said that Religion and Science are two faces of the same coin? 

If a machine was designed to have only feelings? emotions? opinions? wouldn't have been absurd? Of course they are created for a Master who have all of them. 

We humans create machineries that replace us, in other words we want someone to carry out the same functions as we do but in different capacities. We can anticipate a void with the time and energy we possess once the machineries replace us for we have not thought of an answer. Perhaps, we would have achieved the same if not better capacity, if we had continued to work without unnecessary exploitation of curiosity. 

Who cares about how machineries feel? who listens to their cries and laughter? who considered their opinions? The master has deft ears and blind eyes for his slaves. 

A machine is designed and destined for action only when it is injected energy or called upon to perform? 

Sounds familiar? Yes. Religion advocates the same! 

To nullify emotions and work relentlessly for the Master. Consider yourself unworthy of opinions and complaints or even slightest emotions. You may seek his help but are you pure enough to reach out to him? The answer is NO. at least not at present. 

Religion and Science are two industries that run parallel to our lives, always keeping us in the middle. We are the workers and consumers at the same time working for the benefit of our Master. We do not even know how our Master is benefitted from our hard labour! 

No industry favours mankind unconditionally, so is religion and science. If they were to help our lives they would unconditionally support. They are always at service but at an expense of your hard labour and unfettered commitment. If both were for humanity, they would have benefitted us irrespective of Nationality, Gender and Race. 

Science or Religion couldn't erase the boundaries, couldn't unify men, bring peace and harmony, worse couldn't even fulfil our basic needs like food, water and fresh air even after so many centuries!  If they have to, it comes with a heavy load on your pocket inspite of all the labour you carried through your entire life for the Master.

Science claims evidence and research whereas Religion claims faith and belief even to the extent of self surrender. Science and Religion expect and demand unconditional support from its slaves but never reciprocate the same. 

Our lives navigate between what we believe as evidences, facts and what we experience as unknown. All known becomes arena of Science whereas all unknown becomes domain of Religion.  These two industries run parallel with the same agenda to assist mankind for a significant cost and also depend on them unconditionally during a lifetime. We are muscled by their capacity to oscillate between these industries, never to escape and free. 

Remember you are working for the Master, both visible, invisible; known and unknown.