Who's The Madman ?

(The image is not of the boy talked about in the post but just a picture from the internet which I thought portrays him in some way)

This boy, have known him since quite a few years now, young chap, may be 20 plus one or two years. People say he is insane or rather he has been concluded that way in the neighborhood. Always doing things out of context; unclean, shabby, bald, running nose, clapping, shouting sometimes, were some of the usual scene with him.

Encountering each other on the streets would almost make me change my way. Urchins would be making fun of him every now and then, beating him up, irritating him which would also result in some strange reactions from him. But as I grew up I realized he does not mean any harm to anyone unless it was really called for and a sort of comfort developed between us. I felt that we just existed for each other for those passing tiny moment whenever we came across each other, smiling(not the mechanical ones), sometimes straight faces, sometimes just a look in the eye saying as if its all right to be wherever we were.

In this cool, moist, rain expecting breeze, standing on the terrace I spotted him again; picking up things from here and there on the road and handling them with quite a care, totally engrossed in whatever he was doing, simply present where he was without much noise in the head or purposes to fulfill or to reach anywhere but just playing with some pieces of paper, tearing them may be, saving and holding some for some purpose god only knew, was the work of the moment. Simply!

I looked at all this ceasing the stream of thoughts running through my head which I had been observing at the terrace in amusement since quite some time and felt for a moment how simple life is... With so many concepts, ideas, rules and regulations, notions about oneself and others I think I was normal and this chap though called crazy was just not bothered by anything but simply lived his life in whatever was going on.

If he cried he really cried, if he shouted he was really shouting at that moment, if he clapped he really clapped, if bothered he was really bothered, if he handled some useless papers picked up from the road side he really held them, that's all the reality. That's all the life for that moment of time. I never saw him carry anything further then it was supposed to be. One moment he would cry and the other he would clap if it required. He wouldn't bother about what was or what will be but what is. Whatever occurred now he was with that even if it demanded doing the most opposite things.

I really started to wonder how do we define normal? who sets the standard? If the world were full of people like this boy with one or two like me than I would be the one not normal and even now this crazy frenzy I feel in my head to which I give so much importance is in no way less than abnormal.

We assume its 'I' who has to take care of things, sleep, eat, earn etc but this simple crazy boy just lived, slept at some place, ate, took a bath, cut his hair etc. Was there a sense of' 'I' in him same as mine? I doubt that. Without thinking he has to do anything to keep on living he still just lived through every day, every hour, every minute, every moment and perhaps lived it more fully than most of us. The food he would eat without any thought of wanting something better in his plate, the sleep he would have would be without any burden from the day just passed and when he would get up in the morning his mind fresh and least bothered with the occupations of the day to follow but just simply he wakes up and starts...

Is this living not better than this false belief of 'I' taking care of everything, 'I' have to work, 'I' have to gain respect, 'I' have to prove or fulfill some purpose, 'I' have to take crucial/serious decisions in my life, but probably having none of these concepts in his head this boy just lived and lived better. Who took care of all his affairs? who provided him food whenever he was hungry? from where did the space made available when his eye lids felt heavy? who gave him a bath? who cut his hair? who gave him clothes? I don't know the details but everything was taken care by some way or the other.

I was convinced at the simplicity and profundity of his life rather than having this false satisfaction and assurance of the life I live. So tell me, who's the madman really?

Is It The Other Or Me?

Elders used to tell - when you point one finger at the other the rest points at you ! This pointing game can happen directly and indirectly, knowingly and unknowingly.

Walking in the sun, all alone by myself for some work I realized how easy it was to find faults with something or anything or even make comments with a belief that they are casual when you are not involved in it, when you don't feel responsible for it. 

To simply sit as a spectator and comment is much easy than being in the heat of the stage, nothing will seem funny when you are up on the stage; when you accepted the responsibility of something, responsibility in true sense. Imagine talking in front of a large group of people and when you know that each eye is set on you and every ear on your words. If you messed up anywhere, no matter how silly people may think it is, you can reason that mistake out because you were the one going through it and not the other and you know how it felt even though now you may also think it was silly but you know inside what happened.

'Why did s/he do something?' 

'Why can't s/he understand such a simple thing?' 

'Why can't s/he just be like this or that?'

Simply 'Why can't situations be like I think it should be?'

I suppose these are the obvious and very common thoughts we find ourselves to be engaged in with respect to people and situations around.

But really can we be in the other's shoe and understand the reason for any behaviour? Aren't we different people and living different lives exactly for the same reason that we are not the same? How do we know really what the other is going through? Through what situations s/he is coming and then putting up even with our non-understanding attitude also? Many a times we feel s/he doesn't understand me, why so? isn't that the other may be feeling the same?

No matter how right you think you are I feel there is no need to try and change the people or situation around. The best teacher, life, itself is teaching everyone then why do we need to take up this duty of concluding something about the other and trying to bring them on the right path or want them to change in a particular way. No matter really how ever hard we tried the fact that YOU are trying to be in the OTHER'S place will not let us have an honest view. 

And over and above that if everyone became the same I can't imagine how boring this world will become. I personally won't like to live my life in such a boring world. The flavour is because of the difference it seems! From our food to clothing etc all habits point to this fact as if.

First of all how do we know that what change we want to bring in the other is right? we may testify our attempts through social, economic, cultural etc causes but if we are so smart then why can't we just understand this simple thing that the other is in no way doing anything on purpose. Who likes to be panicked or nagging or worrying/hurrying or stressed? but it just happens as even with ourselves. If we just let people be as they are, not rejecting (and this does not mean that you start supporting them) or reacting but just simply accepting that they are like that for now. This way at-least we will be able to accept our own selves the way we are. We will be able to love ourselves in the true sense, because our own selves seem to be the first victim of all our deeds; good and bad, whatever we like to call them. 

So if you want to have some fun yourself let the other also have it(wink).

How good it will be to meet people without any preconceived ideas or notion which we always try to almost thrust on others. The process should begin with oneself because we ourselves become the target of this unnecessary pain. Till how long will we change everything around rather than changing ourselves? Wonderfully if everyone just straightened themselves then as a result everything will straighten up.

Can't we see that the other also may have similar views about you, than who is right? did we ever try to think that why does certain action or situation trouble us? doesn't it points to something inside you, some of your desires, your wants may be!

Do we ever stop and think what are the fingers pointing at you rather than conveniently ignoring our own drawbacks and wearing this false vanity! and actually we can't even be vain properly, we ourselves want to be so different than what we are. If we were really vain we would stop at where we are but we keep searching and desiring and wanting different things. Regretting past and expecting something from the future. All this mess we create around is so confusing. Now we have a thought that we are so great the next moment we detest our own selves.

Really what a funny situation ! At least if we did even one thing totally we can understand it but we can't even do anything totally, not even vanity or self love.

So the next time, any thought, any idea or any conclusion you have made against anyone or anything (including yourself), just wait for a moment, relax and think about the presuppositions backing them, know that nobody is perfect. 

Who knows may be then we can help each other, we can really understand things as they are without distortion or colouration, we can look at each other in truth, without fear, threat, pride...

Really its time to open your hands.

No finger pointing towards other so none pointing towards you.

Really its time to let it go... Just take it easy !