Intelligence is the ability to deal with a broad range of abstractions.

A Moment Gone

The moment is gone,
Left is eternity
And beautiful memories.

Doors are forever open,
The Museum is complete,
Full of dancing shadows
And their painted wings.

Dry tears come tumbling down,
Drenched in painful bliss.
Down the mosaic path,
Into the abyss,
The moment is gone,
But forever exists.

The Anatomy of Wrong

What is right and wrong? Who defines it? Is it absolute (universal) or relative i.e. changing with community, culture, time, etc?

Where do the notions of right and wrong come from? They may come from one’s own conscience or from the society at large. The feeling that comes from the conscience is basically based on one’s moral values which are once again determined by the society, or are they?!

Let us look at the following examples:
The sacrificing of animals to appease the gods was prevalent to a large degree in the past. It was considered as one of the top notch forms of prayer. Now the sacrificing of animals is deemed to be wrong.
Earlier Sati was deemed to be a sacred Hindu ceremony with the wife willingly jumping into the fire at her husband’s cremation. Now it is deemed to be wrong.
Vegetarians say killing any animal to eat it is wrong.
There is still a huge debate going on as to whether stem cell research is ethical or not. Different societies have different views on the morality of abortion. Some societies consider pre-marital sexual relations to be wrong.
There are countless examples between communities in the present whose views differ greatly on whether certain practices are right or wrong. There are also countless examples which show that practices that were considered right in a community/religion in the past are now recognized as being wrong. So why does this concept of right and wrong differ greatly over time and culture?
Now let me put this question to you: If you are stuck on an island, all the edible food has been consumed and the only option left for survival is to kill and eat your colleagues, then is it right to kill the person next to you or is it right to knowingly let yourself starve to death. Similarly, is it right to kill a man in self defense (note that killing in self defense doesn’t carry any penalty according to the judicial system)?

Now we have come to the point where we are more inclined to say that an act can’t be deemed right or wrong without looking at the intention behind the act. Also, people’s views on whether an act is right or wrong may differ from community to community and may change over time.

So what exactly is universal about right and wrong in this dynamic and ever changing world? It is the intention behind an action that makes it wrong. Any act done with the intention of harming the other person (pure malice) is wrong. Evil intent is wrong. There is no society in this world that doesn’t consider acts spurred by such intentions to be wrong. Thus, right and wrong changes with how a specific person looks at the situation (thus the debate on whether some stuff is ethical or not). Furthermore, as we get more information, our perception of right and wrong may change (changes of perception over time).

Now let us look at a complete anarchy without any law and order. No laws have been laid down and nobody is ever officially punished. There is no semblance of a civilized society. In such a situation, do right and wrong exist (do they hold any meaning whatsoever)? If so, then who defines and upholds them? Is it not one’s own conscience?!

Lastly I would like to make a statement: “A person is always right unless he is convinced otherwise.” If a person considers some act to be right, unless he is convinced otherwise, he will deem it to be right even if he is crucified for it. With respect to him, what he thinks is right will be right for him to do unless convinced otherwise. There is no use punishing a man without making him realise that the act he is being punished for is indeed wrong.
If you are the last human left on earth, then who is to say whether you are right or wrong except your own conscience.

My Tryst With Nature

Such fun to lie down in the lush green grass,
So intoxicating the smell of the red rose,
Soothing the buzzing of insects used to be,
Exciting the chirping of birds used to be.
So beautiful the sound of the cuckoo bird,
And that of the soft rustle of tree leaves.
So gentle the caress of the cool breeze,
While the sun shone on this mesmerizing scene.
Such are my childhood memories.

Curled up in nature's womb,
Fun and frolick were the key.
No house was so much fun,
For nature was infinite beauty.

I remember that carefree smile,
When nature was enough for me.
For in being one with nature,
I was one with true beauty.

Now the spark, the twinkle lost,
The springy step, the carefree smile.
Lost the glitter, the glowing face,
So far from nature, in which I bathed.

I am the one who dumped nature,
But am still welcome with open arms.
For she will love me unto death,
As she is my destiny ultimate.

She retains the complete paradise,
Revealing and mesmerizing she can be.
For in her I can still see,
Myself enveloped in true beauty.

Our Final Destiny

Oh in this garrulous world,
So loud and blaring they unfurl,
But the word goes unheard,
Lost in the articulate blur.

The loquacious artifice casts a veil,
An illusion, the beautiful future shone.
We lay back, enjoy the cover,
Only letting the world burn over.

Awaken before the light burns out,
See for yourself devil incarnate,
Feeding off your sluggish self,
His strength, ignorance, indifference.

Cast is a veil of false security,
In this spate of comforting words.
The languid self happy and gay,
This world, satan's toy to play.

Let the devil's spell be broken,
Tear apart the comforting veil.
Come forth with renewed exuberance,
See for yourself life's true beauty.

Then you'll see life's purpose,
For it can't be material gain.
Everything borrowed in life returned,
To nature we all finally return.

Why is that only in death,
Do we become one with nature.
So far we remain from our ultimate destiny,
Running away as a living creature.

A Moonlit Summer Night

The caress of a soft, cool breeze,
The touch of a soft, fluffy pillow,
Against my face on a summer night.
Under the star covered night sky,
Standing on top of a cliff so steep,
Overlooking the vast silver sea,
Refulgent and tranquil, a different sea.

So unlike the mangy little town,
Unlike the rush of human life,
Devoid of all exasperating noise,
So unlike the human spate.

The moon reflected in the pristine waters,
A silver hue upon the leaves,
The hooting of a solitary owl,
Gentle rustling of the silver leaves.
So beautiful the world on offer,
Under this moonlit night sky,
As I sit here in tranquility,
With my love right beside me.

Ah this pleasant, pervasive feeling,
Overwhelming this pure beauty,
Oh my love I love you so much,
Together in this beautiful journey.

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness." - The Dalai Lama