Spirituality

Excerpts from Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe :

In the morning I took the Bible; and beginning at the New Testament, I began seriously to read it, and imposed upon myself to read a while every morning and every night; not tying myself to the number of chapters, but long as my thoughts should engage me. It was not long after I set seriously to this work till I found my heart more deeply and sincerely affected with the wickedness of my past life. The impression of my dream revived; and the words, "All these things have not brought thee to repentance," ran seriously through my thoughts. I was earnestly

begging of God to give me repentance, when it happened providentially, the very day, that, reading the Scripture, I came to these words: "He is exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and to give remission." I threw down the book; and with my heart as well as my hands lifted up to heaven, in a kind of ecstasy of joy, I cried out aloud, "Jesus, thou son of David! Jesus, thou exalted Prince and Saviour! give me repentance!"

This was the first time I could say, in the true sense of the words, that I prayed in all my life; for now I prayed with a sense of my condition, and a true Scripture view of hope, founded on the encouragement of the Word of God; and from this time, I may say, I began to hope that God would hear me.

Now I began to construe the words mentioned above, "Call on Me, and I will deliver thee," in a different sense from what I had ever done before; for then I had no notion of anything being called deliverance, but my being delivered from the captivity I was in; for though I was indeed at large in the place, yet the island was certainly a prison to me, and that in the worse sense in the world. But now I learned to take it in another sense: now I looked back upon my past life with such horror, and my sins appeared so dreadful, that my soul sought nothing of God but deliverance from the load of guilt that bore down all my comfort. As for my solitary life, it was nothing. I did not so much as pray to be delivered from it or think of it; it was all of no

consideration in comparison to this. And I add this part here, to hint to whoever shall read it, that whenever they come to a true sense of things, will find deliverance from sin a much greater blessing than deliverance from affliction.

But, leaving this part, I return to my Journal.

My condition began now to be, though not less miserable as to my way of living, yet much easier to my mind: and my thoughts being directed, by a constant reading the Scripture and praying to God, to things of a higher nature, I had a great deal of comfort within, which till now I knew nothing of; also, my health and strength returned, I bestirred myself to furnish myself with everything that I wanted, and make my way of living as regular as I could.

Books

I have read this year

Unlike last year (2009), I did n't have much spare time to read fiction this year. Last year I spent most of my spare time reading favourite authours such as Dostoevsky, H.G Wells, Conan Doyle, Tagore and Satyajit Ray. But that doesn't mean this year I gave up reading altogether. I read anything that spontaneously came to me - such as magazines (esp. old collections of National Geographic) and non-fiction related to history,geography & spirituality. Ofcourse, reading continues to be my favourite hobby nowadays. I was no 'bookish' type to start with. In my first 20-odd years I hardly read anything - not even text-books. So I am making up for it.

The only fiction I read this year is Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. Infact I started reading it in last November(09) and completed by April this year. (It was one of classics I chose to read last year.)The book made a huge impact on me that I kept re-reading it through out the year. Perhaps no other book had such a profound influence on me in recent years as this early 18th century classic.Though Robinson Crusoe is one of the heroes since my school-days, I was then only acquainted with the comics-book version.

The non-stop adventures in the high seas and eventually in the tropical-island makes this book unputdownable. The day-to-day problem solving methods described by Daniel Dofoe is still relevant which makes the book well ahead of its time. (I have wrote a detailed review of this 'mother of all modern-fiction' which I plan to publish here next year.) Inspired by the Robinson Crusoe adventures, I gained a new liking for an out-door life and even went for occasional boating trips in the lake. I also started lifting weights (after a gap of about 10-years) and other manual-labour to go with the self-reliant spirit of Robinson Crusoe.

Another reason for my liking of Robinson Crusoe is the amazing parallel between his life and mine. Like Crusoe, against the wishes of an authoritarian-father (to look after his business) I set out for a life of adventure, freedom and self-reliance and eventually ended up in the 'island of despair' (as Robinson Crusoe calls his island). But in my current state-of-mind, if given a choice between a posh, yuppie life in the big-city (such as Dubai) or laidback life in a remote island with loads & loads of books (to read and write), I may choose the later.

Kung Fu Fighting

Title : Kung-fu fighting (1974)
vocals,lyrics & music by : Carl Douglas
Produced & arranged by : Biddu

[Trivia : Watch out in this video a young, 'hippie' Biddu ( our very own Biddu Appaiah - to be precise) performing back vocals & special 'kung-fu dance'! Anyway, it's truly inspiring to watch him in action - a musician born in a small-town in south Asia and making it big in the world-stage. Big up Biddu!]

Lyrics :

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting
Those kicks were fast as lightning
In fact, it was a little bit frightening
But they fought with expert timing

There where funky China men from funky Chinatown
They were chopping them up
They were chopping them down
It's an ancient Chinese art
And everybody knew their part

From a faint into a slip
And a kickin' from the hip
Everybody was Kung Fu fighting
Those kicks were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit frightning
But they fought with expert timing

There was funky Billie Chin and little Sammy Chong
He said, here comes the big boss, let's get it on
We took the bow and made a stand
Started swaying with the hand
The sudden motion made me skip
Now we're into a brand new trip

(Everybody was) Kung Fu fighting
Those kicks were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit frightning
But they did it with expert timing
(pause)
keep on, keep on, keep on
Sure enough

Everybody was Kung Fu fighting
Those kicks were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit frightning
Make sure you have expert timing

Kung Fu fighting, has to be fast as lightning...

DVD : Wuxia Special

Don Wang Tao

The Yellow Faced Tiger !

Fyodor Dostoevsky

The date Nov.11-th marks the birthday of great Russian authuor,sage and champion of the oppressed - Fyodor Dostoevsky. The above picture of Dostoevsky is depicted in a new sub-way station opened recently in Moscow - named 'Dostoevskaya Metro'.

Excerpts from Dostoevsky's novel The Idiot : [ The scene of first-meeting between the hero of the story Prince 'Idiot' Myshkin and heroine Nastasya Filippovna.]

CHAPTER IX

Nastasya Filippovna looked at Myshkin with astonishment.

"Prince? He is a prince? Only fancy, I took him for the footman just now and sent him in to announce me! Ha,ha,ha !"

"No harm done- no harm done", put in Ferdyshtchenko, going up to her quickly, relieved that all had begun to laugh. "No harm: se non e vero. . ."

"And I was almost swearing at you, prince! Forgive me, please. Ferdyshtchenko, how do you come to be here at such an hour ? I did not expect to meet you here, anyway. Who ? What prince ? Myshkin ?" she questioned Ganya, who , still holding Myshkin by the shoulder, had by now introduced him.

"Our boarder", repeated Ganya.

It was obvious that they presented him and almost thrust him upon Nastasya Filippovna as a curiosity, as a means of escape from a false position. Myshkin distinctly caught the word 'idiot' pronounced behind his back, probably by Ferdyshtchenko, as though in explanation to Nastasya Filippovna.

"Tell me, why didn't you undeceive me just now when I made such a dreadful mistake about you ? Nastasya Filippovna went on , scanning Myshkin from head to foot in a most unceremonious fashion.

She waited with impatience for an answer, as though she were the answer would be so stupid as to make them laugh.

"I was surprised at seeing you so suddenly " Myshkin muttered.

"And how did you know it was I ? Where have you seen me before ? But how is it ? Really, it seems as though I had seen him somewhere. And tell me why were you so astonished just now ? What is there so amazing about me ?"

"Come now, come," Ferdyshtchenko went on, simpering. "Come now! Oh Lord, the things I would say in answer to such a question! Come!... We shall think you are a duffer next, prince!"

"I should say them too in your place", said Myshkin, laughing, to Ferdyshtchenko."I was very much struck to-day by your portrait", he went on, adressing Nastasya Filippovna. " Then I talked to the Epanchins about you; and early this morning in the train, before I reached Petersberg, Parfyon Rogozin told me a great deal about you....And the very minute I opened the door to you, I was thinking about you too, and then suddenly you appeared".

"And how did you recognise that it was I ?"

"From the photograph, and..."

"And what ?"

"And you were just as I had imagined you....I feel as though I had seen you somewhere too".

"Where - where ?"

"I feel as though I had seen your eyes somewhere ...but that's impossible. That's nonsense....

I've never been here before. Perhaps in a dream...."

"Bravo prince!" cried Ferdyshtchenko. "Yes, I take back my 'se non e vero'. But it's all his innocence", he added regretfully.

Myshkin had uttered his few sentences in an uneasy voice, often stopping to take breath. Everything about him suggested strong emotion. Nastasya Filippovna looked at him with interest, but she was not laughing now.

Nazia Hassan

singer : Nazia Hassan
lyrics : Nazia Hassan/Zoheb Hassan
music : Biddu
album : lekin mera dil(1982)

Princess Nazia : An elegy of a fan

It's been 30-years since you came into our lives & mesmerised us with your voice (and looks).

It's been 10-years since you have departed - leaving us in grief & bereavement.

Like a shooting-star, you came - illuminating,enlightening & entertaining.

You have gone but your aura still remain with us.

Your golden voice still ring in our ears.

Your songs still brings us joy, sorrow, agony & ecstacy.

Now you reside in the Taj Mahal build in our hearts, minds & soul.

Your legacy we shall continue to impart to the future generations.

You are not only great singer, a great performer, a great star

You are a great human-being.

by DJ Synth-bach