Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Hedgehog on a Highway

"Mann you either turn right or left ... decide clearly.. dont be a hedgehog on a highway"
-- My Driving Instructor !

Yes thanks to my driving woes.. I get thoroughly brainwashed by my driving instructor. He yells at me the moment I take a moment more to decide where to go right or left and thats what I might say is the day's topic! Dichotomy.

I would define Dichotomy as a perpetual dilemma in ones mind in things where once choice is involved, and this has been my best friend ever.. I guess.Its been hunting me whereever I am and in whatever I do.

But end of day I pat myself thinking of the following quote !

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. -- Bertrand Russell

Peace!

P.S: It took me two weeks to decide whether to publish this post or not ! Thats Dichotomy at work!

Thursday, August 18, 2005

Drawing Parallels!

If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain ---------- Morpheus in Matrix.

Today I wish to put forth some stuff that keeps eating lots of my processing power. Its the truth about our existence. Its about what we really are...

Yes. Reality as defined in matrix is nothing but what our sensory organs feel and perceive.In effect reality may not be "The Truth" because what our sensory organs perceive might not be true. The limitation of sensory organs in this sphere is correctly emphasised in the Upanishads. They affirm that this is the reason why the Ultimate being is ever-illusive to the wandering eye.

To understand the truth not only do we need our sensory organs but also the help of our inner soul which has the ability to communicate with the supreme force.In the case of the movie Matrix it was the consciousness of Neo that made him realise that the world around him was unreal.

By depicting Neo's realisation that, in the Matrix, there is no thing called "Impossible", the Wachowski brothers simply wished to communicate to the community at large that Matrix is no different from the world in which we live today and its only our fears and inhibitions that limit our achivement and progress.. nothing else.

While a similar story in this context of pseudo-reality is the famous movie "The Truman Show". Its the story of Truman who grows in a virtual world where everyone except him is an actor in a huge play. Here too the theme clearly is to standup against the fears and mental blocks that we build inside ourself that cripple our development. The director potrays this beautifully by showing how Truman fights his fright of the sea and goes on a great voyage of redemption. The story poignantly ends when Truman realises that the world in which he lives in unreal. The director very amazingly brings out the human instincts of exploration and curiosity.

Truman brings tears to audience when he says "Was anything real? ...."

May be thats what our elders meant when they said "Maaya... Anthaa Maaya" ( Delusion .. Everything is delusion indeed!).

While I investigate more on this,.... you sit back and rest..

Peace!