The Absolute

All the worldly things are relative, the only ever-present spirit, and the self is absolute because it came out of the absolute. We cannot say ourselves as wealthy or poor, intelligent or stupid, knowledgeable or innocent, selfish or unselfish, etc. because these words have meanings relative to the viewer and also the surroundings. Without the comparison of surroundings the word which claims to be defined and meaningful deserves to become absolute.

These worldly words mentioned above can be digitalised as one at one end say zero and the other at the other as one. All the states of the world lie somewhere is between and we rate them accordingly from the position we stand. This digital world is called dual world in Vedanta.

We can say that we, in self-realized state, are the absolute. The omnipotent, omnipresent, the father of the creation, the source of all the cosmic energy (spiritual and physical) of the universe or whatever one call with a form or formless is absolute because it has got only one state of being. This mastery of rising from comparison to the absolute is called non-dualism. After reaching in the absolute being we perceive everything apart from us. Each sensation what our senses sense becomes equal we fall apart the bondage of fruits of our actions. This is called equitable state.

We are surrounded by our restless mind caught in dual nature of the world which stops us to recognize our true divine nature. When we recognize ourselves, mind becomes calm and we are aligned ourselves with the bigger absolute, the God, natural and world forces seems always favourable to us giving joy and finally we merge into that bigger absolute. "soi jaanahu jehi dehi janaayi, janat tumahi tumahi hoi jaayi"- raamcharitmanas

Swami Ramakrishna said: On the rolling plain, seeing the lowly grass and the mighty tree, one said,” How large is the tree and how tiny is the grass!” But when he ascends the mountain and looks from high peak to the plains below, the mighty tree and the lowly grass blend into one indistinct mass of green. So, in the sight of worldly men, there are differences of rank and position, but when the divine sight is opened there remains no distinction of high and low.

KERALA TRIP

We became six and did jaiganesh at around 3 pm for Kerala trip during four days saarang holidays. A thrilling start. We were short of time while doodh decided to take tickets for EMU to central. We the remaining five got on the train and it had speeded up as doodh popped up at the platform with tickets. Moli and Bhond got down at next station to accompany him. Eventually, we boarded together successfully at 430 pm.
We arrived at Kochi at around 3 am. We waited in waiting room till dawn, meanwhile finished our bathroom obligations and moved quickly towards marine drive by walk of about 20 min. The nature has just spread its light to disclose its treasure on that unique day for us. Anchored fairy boats at the edge of the serene water body were welcoming us to reveal the concealed nature of the water body to be as a part of the sea. But we refused. We walked along the concrete bank and mini pedestrian arch bridge till the sun from behind filled its color sagaciously in the each tiniest particle.

We had our breakfast there and took a bus for mattancherry. This is a place at an island which is at sight distance from the main land. Unfortunately, we were too early to visit the planned venue, Dutch palace. After spending some relaxing time at the interface of the island and the sea back water, we walked around exploring the new and strange place. One of us insisted for Toddy. We had but not everyone liked it. Moving forward few kilometers we arrived at Fort Kochi on the same island. Some of us were fascinated by Chinese fishing net being operated from the bank. We moved ahead to Francis Church. After lunch we enjoyed the fairy ride back to the main land. I wondered about the minimal charge for the boat which I suspected to be public service. Blazing sun hit the water surface and made us felt it being at its extreme of the day. The breeze wandering at the surface of the liberal water consoled. Now, we were at nearly same place from where we started in the early morning.
Bolgatti, a new island was being accentuated by bhondu. We reached there by auto. It was already afternoon. Solitary figure was busy chopping down the trees. Its placid nature raised questions about its being a tourist place. In the dilemma of returning back and visiting the place, we walked further on the very narrow lonely road stretched along the edge of the long and thin island. Unfinished work of construction of houses after just foundation mislead that people had deserted it forever. Experimental and inquiring mind lead us to a gatekeeper which demanded tickets for moving ahead. Bharat asked him about Bolgatti palace. He said,” There is nothing”. Everybody laughed at bhondu. Ajinkya: Why then you are asking for tickets?

The border of the island from the three sides was visible. It really seemed nothing there, so we returned back. Some of us mischievously entered the boundary of a plot to explore any possibility of getting at the end deceiving the gatekeeper. Each one of us inspired each other to move in the shrubs and bushes and finally three of us got the way. We reached at the desired spot when we saw the remaining three Moli, Bharat and Srideep approaching us by accepting the obligation of tickets. Couples were seen there booked in their matter. Three lands were visible from there across the sedate sea. We spent some memorable time there after which we came back to the main land to rush to Alleppy.
Three hours bus journey through plain unshaky wide road of NH-47 on the both side of which were the lush green valleys, villages and towns, brick houses and thatches surrounded by the tall palm trees.
Canals and rivers passed by having variety of trees around them. We all were tired. Many of us fell asleep in the bus. We arrived there before sunset. We hastened to watch the sunset at the beach and we were successfully there before, making the moment unforgettable.
We, after the darkness had enveloped everything, went back near the bus stop in search of lodging room. Found it late night, showered ourselves, had dinner and went into deep sleep.
Next morning getting up at 8, we had quick breakfast and hired a jetty boat to make indelible day. We begin at around 10 o’ clock towards east from the canal where one can see lot of jetty boats waiting to show the different world. There were small and big, roofed and unroofed, motored and self-propelled boats to choose from for the tourists of all kinds like wedding couples, foreigners, etc. There were AC compartments in some of them.
We came out of the city to a lake around which one could see gardens hiding few homes of thatches. Many water ways were connecting the lake and our boat followed one of them. As we passed through approximately 8 meters wide water way, I was stunned by the nature in its purest form without any human intervention. Before us was the stilled water, stone masonry walls making the banks of around a meter high, on them were the wide variety of tall trees, and under them were few huts. Children playing at the banks were possibly the only humans around. Men and women were working in the paddy fields away at the land which amazingly was few meters below sea level. Paddy crops were adding the variety of the nature. Cold breeze unfailingly disturbed their silence of meditation.

We came to a huge lake called Vambanad. Kottayam was 19 kilometers from there. After a long drive into the lake we arrived near a land. Few huts situated at the bank, we intended to stop there. Immediately, the beauty drew everybody to the green paddy fields where we had some photo sessions. We had fresh toddy, fish and fresh air. Thereafter we turned back through a different route. I also saw some big pakka houses on the way back but again serenity ruled them. I consciously captured the beautiful scenes in my mind wishing it not to erase.

Unplanned fun
We came back at jetty station at around 4 pm. In the pursuit of reaching Trivandrum as soon as possible, we franticly reached railway station when we knew we have time to enjoy at the beach again. Beach was few hundred meters away from there. We ran there through the shortest path between the houses and jumped across the wall near the beach. Everyone decided to take bath. I also made my mind to have the first bath in the sea. We came back energized within time and all set for Trivandrum.

After a frivolous three hours journey to Trivandrum, we hit there after ten, late night. By the help of friend Biplov and his friend, we booked a lodging room and in the midst of preparation to rest, discovered that we have to leave at 3 am for Kanyakumari if we wished to go there. We were in the state of confusion about where and when we should go as we had only one and a half day remaining. Four of us, Bhale, Bhondu, Doodh and I, made up our mind to leave for Kanyakumari in the early morning after two hours rest. After the walks of several kilometers and train journey, we were too tired to get up after two hours rest. We managed to make it and got a seat successfully.

Sleepy eyes bewildered me that I was on a journey. I struggled to stretch myself failingly at the upper passenger berth. At Nagacoil junction, fifteen kilometers form Kanyakumari, we had to change the train. Nagarcoil, full of mountains covered by bushes and trees and slopes embellishing streams, belongs to state of Tamil Nadu. We were in between the two places travelling when the sun showed up. We, alas, missed the sunrise at Kanyakumari by around half an hour.

As soon as we four got there, we found ourselves restless for breakfast. We started in the hunt of viable options, keeping in view of Bhond level and being economical at the same time. We ended up in an acceptable restaurant and satisfied our need.
One can easily identify by the conversation with local people that you are in the state of Tamil Nadu. Here I noticed that throughout our journey in past few days, we never suffered by language in Kerala. Many times we talked in Hindi to local people.

Tamil Nadu is resistant to the Hindi from 1965 itself when leaders demonstrated protests by street march and raised slogans against Hindi. But globalization had made them liberal day by day. One must learn ones Mother tongue doubtlessly because it is the language which facilitates the learning and could provide food. But at later stages, national language must be made compulsory not because of patriotic feeling but to connect the fellow nationals as well. Gandhi ji also advocated educating in mother tongue instead of some foreign language like English which add unnecessary burden to kids. Later English can be learnt to connect with the rest of the world.

Wandering around and exploring, through Gandhi mandapam, Kamraj memorial, Kanyakumari mandir, planning to go to the tiny islet of Vivekananda Rock Memorial as we saw endless long queue comprised of men, women and school children of all kinds and colors. We went on to find its tail starting from the shore to high up into the city streets but by the time we came across it, we lost the will.
A marvelous piece of art is described by the building of the Gandhi Mandapam made at a place of Gandhi Samadhi. I am always filled with a strange energy whenever I remember Mahatma Gandhi. I like to read his philosophy as much as I can because I find him in line with Universal Truth and harmonic existence of all. Although unclear many times, the idea which satisfies these qualities are bound to merge with the Supreme. Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda lived their words practically which I believe is another excellent ideal.

We started walking towards west on a road along the coast of the ocean to a museum when we felt the sun was elevating. From there we saw a distant open place in between the road and the sea with marked boundaries of individual entities and moved there. It was very silent. The sea coast line from the east turns towards south and then back to north making the area at considerable height the south most part of the Indian land. From there, one could see the three sides by looking down at the blue turbulent ocean and at the aesthetic palm tree forest in the northwest. The scene looked like more than a painting. The sun shining hot at midday in the clean blue sky merging the blue ocean at some mystified point.

We spent there some time and walked down where fishermen were gossiping. One of us wished to ask them to us in the sea. Negotiations started in air by symbols as we were incommunicable with them. I did not know swimming and feared to go inside the sea therefore I wished the unsuccess of the negotiation. But I was unfortunate. We four got on the very thin boat made of four trunks of palm tree by connecting sideways. I sat at the center after geometric mind measurement and others sat around me.

As our powered long boat started moving against the coming wave its leading corner moved high up and thumped down at another lowered surface travelling behind it. I expected this and was prepared for it. As long as we travelled further it became more and more mesmeric. I was thrilled to realize that I am far from the land onto the deep unrest water surface and only water around us nothing else. We were heading towards east. After a point waves were travelling towards west. Thereafter the situation became worse. The waves hitting us from the front intruded inside the boat through the joints wetting our whole body and belongings. Splashing water carried by the wind also leaved us in no let go.

We reached near the Vivekananda Rock Memorial again and made a round of the islet but here was the climax. The wave travelling in all possible directions moved the boat sidewise too. Our boat was perpendicular to the direction of the wave travelling. Thin boat rotating tremendous angles along the longitudinal axis made even Bhale cry. I relied on the fishermen and Bhale whom I knew a swimmer.

While we were on the way back towards west, the movement was passive and soothing. This relieved me in particular. We had some photographing on the way when we stayed floating motor turned off for a while. It was a unique experience to look at the surface around. Waves having large area but little height made the surface like a hilly ground constantly changing with one side a large trench of about thirty meters and other side the opposite of same size.

We were back on land soon dripping. We dried everything and went for lunch at the same restaurant. Scouring new places nearby to visit, we only left with the Vivekananda ashram. We went there keeping in mind the sunset time. Vivekananda ashram was a large campus full of flora and fauna similar but less to IIT Madras. We relished the sunset and came back to Trivandrum in the night.