Yes this title is from a popular movie where one time sweethearts erase all their memories - bitter and sweet and start from scratch. But when I read this phrase I was reminded of a child who has a spotless mind - no memories, no qualms about life, no disappointments, nothing absolutely. Newborns just gaze at the world with surprise. It's as if they just don't understand what the mess is all about. Why are people shouting, screaming, laughing, crying - its an amazing spectacle for them.
Yesterday I was invited for the birthday of my young niece Pari at Gurgaon. It's been a long time since I have attended birthday so the idea that I have to get a gift for the birthday girl just slipped my mind. Thankfully there was a small market on the way from where I picked up a barbie color set. That's when my cousin reminded me about Pari's younger sister Ishi. She is now 6 months old and this was the first occasion when I was going to see her. So I picked up a little doll for her - didn't really know if she played with them but anyway little girls and dolls - that was quite a safe choice.
The scene at the birthday party was as usual quite festive. Little kids and their mothers were having a gala time clapping for the birthday girl and dancing around. I hugged Pari and gave her the gift which was kept away for the moment as there were already too many distractions for the kids and another gift was too much excitement. I had met my extended family after quite some time so next few minutes went in pleasantries and the like.
I am inherently not a very social person so I usually don't enjoy these gatherings but somehow yesterday was different and that's because I could see in front of me a living example of - Eternal sunshine of a spotless mind - well that's Ishi for you. This cute little girl was lying on the bed when I gifted her the doll, but she was too occupied to look at it. The doll to her, probably, was so less exciting than all the hullabaloo around her and rightly so. This little girl was totally at peace with herself; she needed no attention, she was happy all on her own. Now and then, she would look with amaze at the balloons and just smile. It was quite amazing, how such a simple thing could give her such happiness.
Sometimes when I sit around in such gatherings, I have this urge to open up the minds of people and see what they are thinking. But with Ishi, what will I find I wonder. Will she be thinking anything at all? Will she be making some stories out of all the tamasha around? But whatever it is she is thinking, those must be some very pleasant thoughts giving her such peace. Sometimes I think the process of growing up is corrupting. This spotless mind of a toddler gets spotted all over with temptations, pretensions, worries about the future and what not. So the idea that we become wiser with age is actually not entirely true. Buddhism says that desires are the cause of all despair in the world. A toddler has no desires except for being fed. So aren't we the wisest when we are small and we grow up into these dissatisfied set of people finding faults with everything around?
In a way reaching the eternal state of peace is actually reaching back to what we were as kids. It's sort of unlearning what we have absorbed and assimilated through our lives. If you look at it this way, then achieving nirvana is nothing but completing the circle of life - reaching back to where we all started.
Yesterday I was invited for the birthday of my young niece Pari at Gurgaon. It's been a long time since I have attended birthday so the idea that I have to get a gift for the birthday girl just slipped my mind. Thankfully there was a small market on the way from where I picked up a barbie color set. That's when my cousin reminded me about Pari's younger sister Ishi. She is now 6 months old and this was the first occasion when I was going to see her. So I picked up a little doll for her - didn't really know if she played with them but anyway little girls and dolls - that was quite a safe choice.
The scene at the birthday party was as usual quite festive. Little kids and their mothers were having a gala time clapping for the birthday girl and dancing around. I hugged Pari and gave her the gift which was kept away for the moment as there were already too many distractions for the kids and another gift was too much excitement. I had met my extended family after quite some time so next few minutes went in pleasantries and the like.
I am inherently not a very social person so I usually don't enjoy these gatherings but somehow yesterday was different and that's because I could see in front of me a living example of - Eternal sunshine of a spotless mind - well that's Ishi for you. This cute little girl was lying on the bed when I gifted her the doll, but she was too occupied to look at it. The doll to her, probably, was so less exciting than all the hullabaloo around her and rightly so. This little girl was totally at peace with herself; she needed no attention, she was happy all on her own. Now and then, she would look with amaze at the balloons and just smile. It was quite amazing, how such a simple thing could give her such happiness.
Sometimes when I sit around in such gatherings, I have this urge to open up the minds of people and see what they are thinking. But with Ishi, what will I find I wonder. Will she be thinking anything at all? Will she be making some stories out of all the tamasha around? But whatever it is she is thinking, those must be some very pleasant thoughts giving her such peace. Sometimes I think the process of growing up is corrupting. This spotless mind of a toddler gets spotted all over with temptations, pretensions, worries about the future and what not. So the idea that we become wiser with age is actually not entirely true. Buddhism says that desires are the cause of all despair in the world. A toddler has no desires except for being fed. So aren't we the wisest when we are small and we grow up into these dissatisfied set of people finding faults with everything around?
In a way reaching the eternal state of peace is actually reaching back to what we were as kids. It's sort of unlearning what we have absorbed and assimilated through our lives. If you look at it this way, then achieving nirvana is nothing but completing the circle of life - reaching back to where we all started.
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ReplyDeleteThe way you have elaborated the title through your experience in day today life really speaks a lot about your thought process (only a genius can have this). A very heart touching and for sure you have impacted my thought process in a positive way to look at things around me. Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful blog, keep writing this way and we all will support you in this new talent you have originated in yourself.
ReplyDeleteNice concept :) Nirvana is noting but completing the circle of the life :)
ReplyDeleteYou know, children are the purest of the souls present around us. Exactly as you said, they know nothing and its amazing!
ReplyDelete