Thursday, December 09, 2010

A single comment invokes the Devil in me-one.

It's amazing how worked up one can get after reading a comment online. A little while ago I read one, that has set my blood on fire so as to say. Come to think of it, it's a gross understatement. It was regarding an article on a blog accusing Lewis Caroll (Real name Charles Dodgson, author of Alice in wonderland of being a pedophile. Fair enough, it's a personal blog, people can write whatever they want to, also it's a valid argument because certain habits and works of his have come under scrutiny. He was a bit.... queer so as to say. But that's not what this is about. 


What struck me(read pissed the fuck out of me)was -


a) The writer had never read  Dodgson's(Carol's)  Alice in wonderland. 
b)One of the comments was " Eww. This guy is sick, I'm glad he's dead"


Now as funny as that may sound to you. It does not to me. For those of you interested in the whole debate(which isn't much, for a person remotely having an inclination towards different forms of art, history and and open mind towards the world....in short isn't a complete dumbfuck) , drop in a comment and I'll see.


The larger issue that bothers me (that this incident reignited) is that of ignorance. I have routinely and continue to be bee horrified by incidences of ignorance. There was a time when I thought people were well......dumb fucks. But going by that logic most of us would. I don't mean to sound cocky, arrogant, or elitist but damnit we sure have the wrong information at the wrong time. And what's worse is most of us may base our opinion for a period of time that follows only on those few seconds. I hate it when people are closed to hearing the other side of the story.


This world lacks people with open minds, who instead of asking the right questions, look for the wrong answers and base their beliefs in a the breath of an instant.


For instance, astrology. Big grey area. Personally, I have a deep interest in anything that goes back to the ancient times. Now for those of you unaware, the basic principle of astrology is the effect of foreign heavenly bodies, their positions having an impact on your daily lives.


I get pissed at -


a)People who have blind faith in astrology, resort to all kinds of weird things like forcing the delivery of a baby to suit a particular astrological sign/date, yes it happens, don't be so shocked.


b) People who say it's hogwash.


Here's why-


Everything in this universe is made up of particulate matter. Everything is made up of tiny particles. Each particle vibrates at a certain frequency.The size of these particles are measured in angstrom units. One angstrom unit equals something around 0.1 NANOMETERS. One nanometer is the BILLIONTH of a meter.


You don't need physics to know gravity, the solar system nada nada. 


Here's a question - What causes tides?


Tides are caused by the gravitational force of the moon and sun alongwith the rotation of the earth.(for those of you who think it's a myth,well....it's not. Read more.) 


Here's the deal. The Gravitational force doesn't act on the water bodies as a whole.Hold your breath- It acts on every single particle.


Another question- What is responsible for your present emotional state?


Neurons.Nerves.Hormones. Human emotion is essentially chemistry.Every chemical compound in our human body is a bond of electrons. Your mood affects your state of mind, which affects the decisions you make, the reactions you get, the way you react to others. Your heart beats because it receives a tiny jolt of electricity produced in your own body. 


There's a chinese saying " You create your own problems". 


We chant OM. We might be practising Nichiren Buddhism and chant Namayoho Renge kyo. All religions believe in mass gathering and prayer, be it chating, mantras, or prayer. Sound is produced through vibration. Sound is essentially the oscillation of  pressure of a medium at a particlar frequency. Air which is the medium we humans use often, Air is nothing but different gases. Gases have a chemical structure , a compound further broken down you'll find your electrons. 


So it's possible to draw a conclusion? Yes. And No.


Humans have something that water does not. Free will !!!!  Real astrology, and real astrologers(not the ones who charge you per hour, or predict when you're going to have kids or get married or land a job or when a pigeon decides to  take a shit on your head, or the ones that write columns in the papers) enforces free will. A concept that is the foundation of free masonry. Now real astrology is a tool to enhance free will. It is the concept that is rampant in hinduism and buddhism- freedom of the soul. Enlightenment is the state where one has overcome all emotion as is free from all earthly chains. 


Real astrology is the science that planets and stars etc have on the material world and ways to overcome it. Real astrology doesn't force. It intends. It leans. It increases the possibility. Because the forces are very subtle.


There was time when I would try my best to make people see the entire bigger picture and then decide. Much like a painting on the wall.


 "There's a fine difference in seeing something 3 inches away and three feet away.Especially if it's on a wall" - Yours truly.


I'm glad that there are people way high up, with research that goes way beyond your average PhD who are now open to the possibilities and connections between spirituality, science and religion and music. There have been many throughout history(who I will write about) who tried to shed light but were hanged, ostracized, poisoned and beheaded. It's very exciting. 


Majority of the dumb fucks I meet everyday : Not possible.....can't be...No.
People like me : Why not? Nothing to lose in trying to find out.


There's a story that I once read in a hindi textbook in school. Here's the short modern modified version.


It's the day of a solar eclipse in ancient india. People are busy preparing items to give to charity because of the belief and supersition that A monster called Rahu would swallow the sun. The only way to please him would be to do service. At Nalanda university :-


Random student  Dude : Sir, why do you promote such superstition.It's wrong. People deserve to know the truth. And when will the eclipse happen?


Aryabhatta : It should happen in about half an hour and three minutes. The people are not ready yet to comprehend these things. They look forward to the day of charity. If they have their innocent beliefs tarnished, they will lose control of their thought and the negative side of them shall take hold.Society as we know it will change. This eclipse has consequences for the moods of people. They are prone to fear and hatred. Let a small lie keep their minds away from those things.


Random Student dude : But their beliefs are wrong. They shall carry on like this and fall into dark times.


Aryabhatta :If something good is happening . Why stop it? Besides, it is for us whos destiny it is to learn , and investigate to carry on further and know the truth. Reveal it to people when the time comes. Right now let mothers tell stories to children and watch them fall asleep, and believe it was the story that worked the magic, not the body clock. You are young. You will learn with time and learn to see the bigger picture. For now, for the people, let ignorance be bliss.


Aryabhatta was an astrologer, an astronomer, a mathematician. He wrote all his findings in poetry. Slokas. He was also a patron of art and studied music extensively. 

22 comments:

Splatters Of Ink said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
imagineimalive said...

I KNOW WHOSE BLOG YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BTW.
i LOVE this post.
really.
like from the bottom of my heart.
KU-the fucking- DOS.

Amogh said...

Love your piece

And the thing about how chants and stuff influence us...

Lama Rinpoche..cant recall his name though...wrote a book on that...his interpretation of buddhist spirituality..who talks about similar stuff and then merging it with scientific wisdom goes on to illustrate that each person emits a certain or aura and then how it is different for each personality..supporting all with experimental evidence.. and how these energies react with other energies of the universe..and astrology is based on these interactions as they can influence our health, mood ,productivity..blah blah so i agree wid ur nd his pt of view that it all isnt bullshit nd has some basis


He was though ripped off his status as a rinpoche..
good read though..u shud try it
moreover i agree that carrol was well wee bit..perverted he eloped with his student..alice..but still that doesnt undermine his artsitic capabilites..

damn nd as u can see i had a lot of spare time nd hence this rather long comment...

Meher said...

This is so true.Writing or commenting on some post about somebody/something you're totally ignorant about is downright stupid.And it shows how hollow brains are.

Art Soup said...

@ Amogh - Alice wasn't Carroll's student, she was the daughter of the man who was (effectively) Carroll's boss, and he DIDN'T elope with her. Or anyone for that matter

@ The Original Blogger (already forgotten your name, so sorry) I read your comment on that other blog and was gratified that someone took the time and trouble to protect the reputaion of someone who couldn't possibly defend themselves and, more importantly, to attempt to stand up for TRUTH!

UjjwalRaaj said...

@Shivangi: uhmm....what?

@Shrutika : Thanks a lot. And for the help with calculus might I add.

@Amogh : Yes I know what you're talking about, an example of the aura theory, which can be mapped, is the fact that often we feel very uncomfortable in an elevator with a stranger. But might I add, that you've got your facts wrong about Dodgson. Also WHICH Lama Rinpoche,?

@Meher : We all have our moments of blondism. (Yes i created it, it's a word now) :D

@Wonderland : I could honestly say the same, when I read comments after mine,I was relieved. I don't like the image of someone like Dodgson getting tainted in a short time for people who're gullible to take it as they see it. Thank you. :)

PeaBee said...

Read my blog, again.

Art Soup said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Art Soup said...

Priyanka has posted again, reiterating her claims, this time with photographic 'evidence' However, I happen to know that the second picture she posted, depicting Carroll with Alice Liddell is a fake - a photoshopped montage of this image

http://images.npg.org.uk/790_500/8/8/mw01888.jpg
and this image

http://thames.me.uk/s01550_files/image020.jpg

I have left a comment drawing her attention to this, but as it is as yet unpublished, I thought I should just let you know where things stand.

Purba said...

People write crap on their blog because they think it sounds cool. I remember someone accusing Enid Blyton of being a pedophile! It was so disgusting that I didn't bother reading the write-up. May be it was his sorry attempt at being funny.

I couldn't help but recollect that scene from Avatar. When Grace dies and the entire Navi tribe holds shoulders and prays under the Tree of Souls.

And I know you were under emotional duress when you wrote the post. Could you please take care of your typos? Chatig...bee....

Sameer Abraham Thomas said...

@Wonderland Soup: true, but he also helped his kids out with their maths, so technically he WAS their tutor.
and yeah, i hate people who hate or love something they have no idea about purely based on reputation or rumours they might have heard. i may go loco when a guy who's heard only a couple of beatles songs says he hates them, but it still pisses me off when another person with the same experience of the fab four says they love them.
lewis carrol may have painted alice nude, but the sketches were purely aesthetic, not sexual in any way. although him contemplating marriage with her IS a lil weird.

Amogh said...

@Ujjwal I don't remember the rinpoche's name....
@ wonderland soup @ujjwal and @essay tea..Well that's what i heard..and in no way was intent on tainting his image...plus I like his works as well...they are by grand dad read alice in wonderland to me venn i was a kid...he died when i was nine
@essay tea- dont mention the beatles so much..
ppl might find out who u really are...

Wonderland Soup said...

@ EasyTea - There's no evidence AT ALL that Carroll was contemplating marriage with Liddell - That was just a theory proposed by one of Carroll's biographers to explain why he had a falling out with the Liddell family; the idea being that MAYBE Carroll suggested marriage and MAYBE Alice's mother was agahst at the idea of Alice marrying beneath her (potential) station.

There is no proof, no evidence and no written account of this actually happening - it's just an (unproven) theory

Splatters Of Ink said...

Ujjwal, I posted a comment on your blogpost. A HUGE one. Realizing that there was a mistake in it, I posted another comment, making the required correction. When I refreshed the page, my first comment wasn't there. So I removed the second one too. As far as what I had said is concerned, check Priyanka's blog.

Koo said...

Okay so I basically love you for posting this. And if you wrote all of that without google, damn you're awesome. And I got similar thoughts on reading her post. Wanted to talk about the same on my blog, but you've already done justice to that so :D

The main thing is, people only believe what they want to believe. What their basic mentality needs to believe. They'll believe anything, without thinking, without thinking whether the evidence is true, or anything.

IceMaiden said...

*Amused*

I wonder, whoever wrote the original blogpost that irked you, would have to say after reading (or attempting to read) Lolita. :)

Which btw, is one of the most riveting pieces of writing, atleast I have ever read.


Annie.

UjjwalRaaj said...

@Priyanka and wonderland : I did. We'll deal with that again sometime.

@Purba : I will, maybe spell check wasn't on? :|

@Sameer and amogh : Whaaa?

@Shivangi : You'll have to post again, because all I saw was "This comment has been removed by the author" Technical snag perhaps. I don't delete comments. Don't believe in moderating them either. You should learn how to not take things so personally.

@Kuhu : Absolutely!! Well said. :)

@Ice: I SWEAR I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST THE SAME.! Lolita is brilliant, the writing that is, however the subject....well you know what I mean, I don't know what nabokov was thinking about.

Anonymous said...

Oh my, so much anger spilling on all fronts...

but I STRONGLY agree with you...it is a turn off (in the least) to have people posing opinions that have little basis in facts, and even defending them staunchly.

I can see how scandalizing news about famous people can garner much interest and stating it on a blog is one thing, but endorsing it... just not pleasant.

Really liked your post!! (A lil work on the typos though??)

Cheers,
~Sanz
http://sanz360.wordpress.com/

Amogh said...

@Ujjwall: What whaa??

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