March 03, 2010

IPL once again

I had written about this instant cricket a long time ago when this new concept came in with a bang showering money all around. It is getting time for the season 2010. But in 2008, the story went like this -

http://inthemiddle-lane.blogspot.com/search/label/cheerleaders

A SAINT

While browsing the medley of channels on Indian television, I come to one in which a naked Saint is expounding what the footnote called, “bitter truths “.
Initial curiosity makes me pause. I then burst out laughing at the manner in which he suddenly shouts and with flailing arms repeats his sermon which he had softly said earlier.
The ‘world conditioned’ me finds that first of all ,he is not wearing clothes - how uncouth; he screams out now and then – how hilariously uncivilised and the negative list regarding this person includes some more points. Smirking, I change the channel and forget him.
After a few days, I happen to see the Saint again and thinking that a few laughs on his behalf will do me good, I do not change the channel. The row upon row of men and women listening to him does not make me change my mind. After forming an opinion once again that a person should have some sort of decorum, I switch.
Now, this becomes regular. I see him for a few minutes and then press the remote to move on. Slowly I start listening to him without judging him by his outward appearance. He was talking of the way a daughter-in-law and in general women have to be treated whether they are wives, mothers or any of the different roles they be in. He had caught my attention! I approved of his view and listened some more.
His topics were simple yet for a society riddled with confusion they were eye-openers. The Saint had this method of giving simple examples by playing and punning words. He brought the audience to laughter while conveying the deeper meaning. I too laughed this time –not at him but with the audience.
‘While buttoning a shirt , if you choose the wrong button hole, no matter what you do all the buttons will go into wrong holes’- This he said to explain of the consequences of taking a wrong decision in life. In a similar manner, he explains many truths which are visible to us but which we do not ‘SEE’. I realise wisdom need not have any clothes!
I realised then what an obnoxious snob I had been and that smirking should be at me. He may not be featured in any list of ’10 most influential people’ or get any award ‘For AWAKENING people’ or ’10 best dressed men’(with his sense of humour, I’m sure he won’t mind) but this person was a MAHATMA who was not aware of his own body but was bringing awareness into thousands of people.
Like some other Mahatma’s said, we people with our boundaries for civilised behaviour of humanity, forget that we have turned ourselves into educated illiterates. We see only the outer forgetting that just as in an ice-berg, more lies under the water than above.