In my home state Kerala, there are many stories about a very interesting person called Naranathu Bhranthan. Naranathu Bhranthan was considered to be a 'siddha' (an 'enlightened' or 'realized' being) though some of his behaviors appeared to be rather 'strange'. That was indeed why he was called 'bhranthan' ('bhranthan' means a 'mad man' in Malayalam language).
One of his famous habits was to follow a 'Sisyphus -like' procedure. He would push many big stones to the top of a hill in the morning. Then, he would push them down, one by one, and, laugh loudly as they roll down the slope. Unlike Sisyphus, Naranathu Bhranthan was doing this out of choice and that too not on a full-time basis.
These days, I often feel like Naranathu Bhranthan. For 48 years I rolled 'stones of certainty' up the hill of life. Now, I am pushing them down one by one. I haven't yet learned to laugh like Naranathu Bhranthan though!
I did find a metaphor that strongly resonates with my current situation in life - 'my current problem comes from confusing between land and water' - what is known as 'സ്ഥലജലവിഭ്രമം' (sthala-jala-vibhramam) in Malayalam.
Till now, I was walking on land ('terra firma' or 'solid ground') and I had developed a lot of survival skills suitable for such a terrain and also elaborate maps to navigate the terrain. Now, I find myself in water where there is nothing to hold on to. Also, there is no shore to swim to!
So, all I can do is to keep swimming! Maybe, that is all I need to do, and, over a period of time, I will become more of an aquatic animal that can breathe underwater and even the swimming will become optional!
Maybe, fearing the water too much is irrational- in a way, all human beings start as aquatic animals - floating in the amniotic fluid in the womb (albeit with the umbilical chord). It is interesting to note that both science and many of the religious traditions hold that life originated in water. Yes, "if you trust the sea, you don't have to fear the waves"!
Any comments?
