Volume II, Issue 4
Author: Imran Ali Namazi
Editor’s Note: When a few moments of sincere introspection lead the heart to express humbly what it is feeling, a poem like this is born.
I call this reflection – ‘Feel and the Rest will Follow.’
My guru taught me never to get fixated on any one truth, nor to blow its greatness out of proportion. I therefore seek the truth all around, in the 1000’s of forms I encounter (books, movies, songs, works of various artists), and the conversations I have.
The truth is this: as I touch my foot upon this fertile soil, I feel the source of our creation. No, I’m not clairvoyant; I just mean that as my emotional being remembers or relives the work that comes from artists and their “fertile” creativity, for just a brief moment I forget my surroundings and feel a glimpse of divinity as it brings a sob or a smile to my face.
If art was intended to convey an emotion, then I’m tuned in. Problem is it’s just an emotional high; it has not yet become an integral part of my being, for which a conscious effort is needed. Am I lazy, or is some latent part of me being prepared? Or am I just too caught in the samsāra or māya of this world?
All of us are a bundle of raw emotions and impressions. While we “learn subjects” we are rarely taught to plumb the depths of our minds in a search for the meaning of life. Sometimes when something particularly inspiring comes our way, we want to spread and glorify it. Truth is, these principles and emotions are of no use unless put into action for someone’s benefit. This remains a stumbling point for happy, distracted people like myself who forget the basics most times.
So here I am, trying to convert feelings into steady dedicated action, with no thought of the rewards and accolades. What the mind grasps and the heart feels, it is hard to remember in the thick of the good fight. But I have made a beginning.
To those of you who have carved their own unique journeys and are already into action, my humble reminder – stay true to your individualised path while always keeping an eye on the larger goal of the Unity of Humanity and its inevitable destiny to rise to the Divine Heights.
To beginners like myself, I can only say – learn to feel deeply, before you begin to act. Stay humble as you begin to realise a few things. Start walking and the path will become clearer.
I’ve Now the Courage
Perhaps meditation would have made me more considerate,
And if I’d learnt humility before I wouldn’t think I’m so great.
It’s a fine line between self-confidence and over ego,
We’ve gotta be ready wherever the road tells us to go.
I am grateful for a loving family and for forgiving friends,
I now walk boldly, wondering where the journey ends.
Not always good to the world, I’ve had my own battles.
Been bad but quick to apologise, once the dust settles.
I think of my adult life and wish I’d been kinder,
Instead of exploding at the slightest, like tinder.
Time to turn the page, walk with a heart cheerful and bright,
Where set ablaze is the spark which will grow into the light.
I’ve now the courage to fess up and conviction to tell
Kids not to fall into a trap, but to try and cast a spell.
Let’s weave our best traits into a tapestry of the morrow,
Where with no cause for regret or any tainting by sorrow,
We all build a harmony, for the world needs it strongly.
Come, grow in divine virtues and do Her bidding gladly.
Author’s note: Artwork by Maria depicts the Tolkienese character Niggle. The author, a Tolkien fan, finds Niggle the most wonderful character created for validating the need for art and artists and the healing they bring in this much maligned world.
~ Graphic Design: Beloo Mehra
