C O N C E N T R A T E !
[Even if you consider me a prude, I'll excuse you.]
A couple of days ago, while returning home from work (in the company bus), I happened to speak to a like-minded friend. Mostly my conversations with him tend to be on worlds other than ours. He is certainly more devout than I am, and so we talk about God(s), religion, history and (what we assume to be) philosophy.
The discussion that day too was on some such topic - I forget exactly which. Someone was passing by us to reach the front of the bus and get down. Honestly, she was a good-looking girl - the type that people would long to ogle at after a tiring(?) day's work. Suddenly my friend remarked in a hushed voice, "You know, she's a stallion!" Man, we were discussing God, and here was this animal comparison!
I wasn't shocked, because such comments are dime-a-dozen between buddies - and I'm no saint. Nor could I turn so prudish suddenly as to suggest that the comment was an affront on that woman's honour. But it was disturbing to note that a steady flow of thoughts, whatever be its purpose, was diverted because man decided to indulge in one of his oldest pastimes.
In the R.K. Narayan classic Mr. Sampath - The Publisher of Malgudi, Mr. Srinivas sits down to write the editorial for the forthcoming issue of his magazine. He ponders for long on what to write. He then catches some verses from some Upanishad and then commences his piece on those lines. He translates those verses to read, "The devil is always lurking around the corner, waiting for us to lose our concentration..."
Indeed, there can be so many reasons for diversion, but whatever it be, diversion is a crime, a sin. Concentration is veritably the most important of all the virtues. It is the cornerstone of anything worthwhile in this world. When directed properly, there is no miracle that it cannot perform!
P.S.: Apologies to my friend. And to the girl too. By the way, what's her name? :)
The discussion that day too was on some such topic - I forget exactly which. Someone was passing by us to reach the front of the bus and get down. Honestly, she was a good-looking girl - the type that people would long to ogle at after a tiring(?) day's work. Suddenly my friend remarked in a hushed voice, "You know, she's a stallion!" Man, we were discussing God, and here was this animal comparison!
I wasn't shocked, because such comments are dime-a-dozen between buddies - and I'm no saint. Nor could I turn so prudish suddenly as to suggest that the comment was an affront on that woman's honour. But it was disturbing to note that a steady flow of thoughts, whatever be its purpose, was diverted because man decided to indulge in one of his oldest pastimes.
In the R.K. Narayan classic Mr. Sampath - The Publisher of Malgudi, Mr. Srinivas sits down to write the editorial for the forthcoming issue of his magazine. He ponders for long on what to write. He then catches some verses from some Upanishad and then commences his piece on those lines. He translates those verses to read, "The devil is always lurking around the corner, waiting for us to lose our concentration..."
Indeed, there can be so many reasons for diversion, but whatever it be, diversion is a crime, a sin. Concentration is veritably the most important of all the virtues. It is the cornerstone of anything worthwhile in this world. When directed properly, there is no miracle that it cannot perform!
P.S.: Apologies to my friend. And to the girl too. By the way, what's her name? :)
posted by Vijay Krishna Narayanan | 7/31/2005 08:58:00 AM
4 Comments:
Tch Tch... do not be so hard on ordinary mortals man !
i can picture an "ambi"yesque VK frowning to his mom: naatila pommanattigalukku madhippe kodukka maatengirama... kidding! ;))so did u show ur anniyan face to ur friend? and do i know that guy?
That was a crude comment on the girl, though I don't know abt her.
@ KG: nice imagination. And you don't know him
@ Fathima: maybe the word I've provided as the equivalent is crude (an inspiration from The Terminal). the actual word used was in Tamil; very guessable.
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