What have I learnt from my fifteen month old daughter?

Many of you already know that I have a fifteen month old daughter. Of course, I have a lot of praises for her about how gorgeous she is and blah blah blah..after all, she is my daughter. So, I am not going to talk about how madly I like her.

As a child she is learning new things all the time. Every day, I am amazed how quickly she is learning so many things. However, you will be surprised how many things she has taught me, or I would say reminded me, or reinforced on me.

I tend to think we are all children no matter how old we are. We are always learning things and there are some things that we have never learnt or have learnt inadequately. My little daughter has made me realize some of those things. First and foremost she has taught me to be selfless. Yes, I have become less selfish after her arrival.

She has taught me to be more patient. As I interact with her more, my level of patience as naturally grown.

She has taught me to be more forgiving.

She has taught me to be more kind.

She has taught me to be more responsible. I no longer sleep all morning and stay all night just as an example.

Yes, children do require some work, but benefits far outweigh the cost. I hope I will be able to say the same when she is a teenager. :)

Non-duality

Before thinking, judging, rationalizing, using brain as a tool; what is it that enables brain to do so? Does the ability to perceive exist because of brain or is it the presence of That that lets your brain function. Certainly, That came first, then the brain could think. What is that That? Is that That the same That which permeates all the beings, matter, and every manifestation that there is? 'I' - the part of That 'my' brain can perceive - am a part of that That. There is no separate me, I, we, they, or you. There is That. Just That. This is non dualism; oneness. Advaita !

अर्थ

सुनका कोपरा हुनेहरू 
भोक ओढेर 
निराहार लमतन्न पल्टेका केटाकेटीका
आँखामा आँखा मिलाई  
सम्पन्नताको अर्थ बुझाउन सक्छौ?

ईश्वरमा विश्वास गर्छु  भन्नेहरू 
आँखाको बदला आँखा फुटाउदा 
गोलीको बदला बम पड्काउदा 
ज्यान गुमाएका निर्दोष निहत्थाको लासमाथि उभिएर
धर्मको अर्थ बुझाउन सक्छौ ?

भौतिक भोगको लागि घम्साघम्सी गर्नेहरू  
एक्लोपनमा आत्मदाह गर्ने धनकुबेरहरूलाई 
हस्याङफस्याङमा सधै बेचैन हुनेलाई 
अनि 
अरुको राम्रो देखेर डाह भई
लुटपाट हानमार गर्नेलाई 
तिम्रा शैक्षिक प्रमाणपत्र च्यापेर 
सन्तुष्टिको अर्थ बुझाउन सक्छौ ?

अन्तरिक्षमा रकेट पठाउनेहरू 
मंगल यात्राको टिकट काट्नेहरू 
यहि धर्तीमा मामुली झाडा पखालाले 
लाखौँ मानिसको मृत्यु हुँदा 
ति बीभत्स दृश्यको वारिपरि 
बिकासको अर्थ बुझाउन सक्छौ ?

मुखमा राम राम 
बगलीमा छुरा हुनेहरू
व्यवहारमा बेकाम
ठुला ठुला कुरा हुनेहरू
अन्तर्मनको ऐना हेरेर
सत्य अनि झुटको अर्थ बुझाउन सक्छौ ?

बिचरी चरी / Poor Little Bird

I wrote this poem when I was about eleven years old. I read it today, and found it quite good (at least for my sensibilities). Here it is for you:

बिचरी चरी

आहा कति राम्री स्यानी चरी
हाँस्छे खेल्छे सधैंभरि
चारा ख्वाउँछे बचेराहरूलाई
बरु आफू नखाई नखाई
जहिले पनि गाउँछे खेल्छे
दुःख सुख एक्लै झेल्छे
भुर्र उड्छे यता उति
चिं ! चिं ! स्वर मीठो कति ?

चरी एकदिन उड्दै जाँदा
एक शिकारीले गुलेली हान्दा
चरीलाई लाग्छ उनी खस्छिन्
रक्ताम्य हुँदै पक्लक्कै मर्छिन्
विचरा बचेराहरू विचरी चरी
कस्तो निष्ठुरी निर्मम शिकारी
कति राम्री थिइन स्यानी चरी
च्वँ ! च्वँ  ! च्वँ  ! कठैबरी !

English Translation Attempt:

Poor Little Bird

Wow, such a nice little bird.
Plays and laughs all the time.
Feeds her little baby birds,
without saying its all mine.
She sings and plays every time.
Be it rain or delightful shine.
There she goes, here and there.
Spreads around melodious rhyme.

One day when she was flying.
A killer shoots at her badly.
Full of blood she lies crying.
Sadly, she dies instantly.
Pity to her babies, pity to the poor bird.
What a ruthless  heartless killer!
So wonderful was the little bird,
terrible, I feel for the little bird.

साक्षी

भावनाको घोप्टेभीर
मनको जोगीमारामा
घुम्ती बदल्छ
अनि आकांक्षाका खोरियामा
कुकुर जोधाइ सुरु हुन्छ

रित्तोपन लुकाऊँदै
शासकहरु हात बाँधेर
मुकुण्डो कसाऊँछन्
अनि एउटा नौटंकी
जिन्दगी सुरु गर्छ

पहिराहरु आतुर छन्
धरातल उल्टाऊँन
भूकम्पहरु खुट्टा उचाल्छन
धर्ती हल्लाऊँन
बाढीहरु सल्बल छन्
सिर्जना बगाऊँन

ध्वजा पताका फिजारिन्छ
रङ्गमञ्च सजिन्छ
गीत रचिन्छ
सङ्गीत पस्किइन्छ
बिस्तारै चिहान उठ्न थाल्छ
सपना बिपना जस्तै लाग्न थाल्छ
दर्शक भुलिन्छ्न्
सिठ्ठी बजाइन्छ
ताली पड्काइन्छ

विश्वविद्यालयहरु निरर्थक हुन्छन्
प्राध्यापकहरु घुँडा टेकेर
ज्ञानको भीख माग्न थाल्छन्
ढुंगाका  मुर्तीहरु
पैतालाका डोबहरुले भरिन्छन्
बुद्धिजीवीहरु भँडखारामा पुरिन्छन्
तक्मा भिर्ने मै हुँ भन्नेहरु
बन्दीगृहका कैदीमा चुनिन्छन्

कोलाहल ठप्प छ
मस्तिष्क थाङ्नामा सुत्दछ
निडर निरुत्साहित
एउटा साक्षी
सिर्फ हेरिरहन्छ
सुनिरहन्छ
आँखा खोलेर अनि आँखा बन्द गरेर
सधैं ब्युँझिरहन्छ
अनि ब्युँझ्याइरहन्छ
अनवरत
एउटा साछी ब्युँझिरहन्छ
ब्युँझ्याइरहन्छ

Why are we getting busier and busier?

To be frank, I do not have any new answer that is not out there somewhere. I believe we are getting busier and busier every day because we are all becoming more and more materialistic. We need many things and services to enhance our sense of self. Some of which, we genuinely need, but a sizable portion of it, we can do away with.

Only if we were all less materialistic, we could just be working 30 hours a week or even less and still manage to have the things essential for us. It is not unknown that there are countries and cultures that are perfectly functional and advancing even with less work hours. They have a better social dynamic that values leisure, family time,  and social time over the individual materialistic ambitions. They have social norms that are more favorable for people to be relaxed.

This is not in any way to say that work is bad, work is great joy if it is done with passion. However, many of us also may have experienced that sometimes there is not just enough time to pursue hobbies, passions, social life, and endeavors of tranquility. Why is our life so hectic? Can we change it? Can one change it? The answer is Yes. However, one needs a lot of conviction to do it alone. It helps when close ones support and helps further if everyone around keeps similar attitude.

What will happen if what is going on goes on? You may be fine, if you inherited a lot of wealth that you do not need to worry about being busy to meet your needs. That is, only as long as your needs are in the range that your wealth can handle. You may also be fine, if you have a  natural state that desires only basic requirements of life no matter what the world thinks. Otherwise, our lives will become even busier. Everyone will have to work harder and harder. The bar will get higher and  higher for future generations.

Why we do what we do?

Well, there must be many reasons. However, I can think of one reason that can galvanize many motivations behind doing anything. I think, we love to experience things. Whether through our own life or through stories, movies, art, and expressions; we love to experience myriad of things.

We cook to experience a taste. We read to experience something real or imaginary that has been expressed by someone else. We watch movies, emotionally involved, to get a feel of many experiences that we cannot directly go through. We write, create, or express ourselves so that others can relate to us and enjoy our experiences. We dance, sing, entertain, cry, and do many things that will not only enrich us but will cater to others' desire to experience things.

I write, mostly in Nepali, and I am in the process of publishing my first book. However, I was wondering for a long time to know why would I want to publish? What can I contribute to the world that it already does not have? Then I realized that no matter how insignificant one may think, the experience I have gone through is unique in itself. So, if I publish a book with my expressions that reflect my unique perspective shaped by my one of a kind life experience, may be it will help others experience a story, creation, or life through my words. That I think would be pretty significant.

In a nutshell, I think it is the desire to experience a variety of things that drives us to play sports, go on adventures, read, write, watch, cook, create, act, dance,...whatever comes to mind.