DAY 698

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Posted on: March 21, 2010 - 1:37 am

Comments: 146

Prateeksha, Mumbai                        March  20,  2010                          Sat  11 : 45 PM

ha.. ha … haa hah   …. ha   !!

Laughter is good, especially when it comes because of the acts of others. Others, that even though do not carry the burdens of a clown, behave like them. The world is full of such jesters. They inhabit a space that remains deeply immersed in our beings and surroundings.

It is a known fact that the clown, the jester, the comedian has traditionally and through history, remained the one with the deepest wisdom and knowledge. The Court jester has always enjoyed a prominent place in the palace and indeed has remained by the side of and not too distant from the King. The clown in a circus is the one that does the most intricate and difficult acts. The comedian in film has invariably come about with the most poignant moments. Charlie Chaplin’s acts of fun and laughter always carried a deeper philosophic meaning, some of which were cynical and full of, at times, dark sarcastic black humor.

These fools we love and admire. But what of the fools that pretend to be fools and are far removed from them. Society from time to time keeps throwing up exquisite examples of such specimens. Specimens that survive on the foolishness of others. They are all about us in spirit and mind and may the Almighty in which ever form it wishes, protect us from such elements, who know not what they do, know not what they say, know not what they believe. Their claim to recognition comes from reflected glory, in a somewhat obtuse manner. No harm in that. The only tragedy is that this fool is more noticeable than any other and hence has the distinction, albeit falsely, of being believed than any other. And those that follow and believe them, build up a monumental core group of people, that continuously subject the rest to their belief and manner. This core then formulates opinion and brandishes it about as though gold had been struck in the wilds !!

It is a pitiable condition, but one that sadly exists. And in its existence it becomes a threat to all that is genuine and good and believable. This to me is the most dangerous situation. It is dangerous because the wrong fuel has been used to make an airplane airborne. And once you are up there in the skies and start to stutter and slip, that is when realization dawns. But by then there is no time even to bail out individuals. It is the demise collectively of the ‘correct’.

How absolutely incredible to find such conditions of existence. A condition where one finds himself or herself bound to follow a path that may or may not necessarily take you to the desired location. And so ..

I laugh … ha ha hahah  … hah ah ha haaa …

I laugh because they do not know what they do. I laugh because righteousness shall never then be seen as being right. I laugh at lost opportunity due to lack of understanding. I laugh because the truth shall always be shadowed by perceived knowledge or fact. And that is so dangerous … it makes me laugh … !!!

Remain well dearest ones, I travel tomorrow morning early to Bhubaneshwar in Orrissa for the inauguration of a Gurukul under the tutelage of the great flautist Hari Prasad Chaurasia. While there I am attempting to visit the Jaganath temple in Puri and then return home by the evening, to later take a flight to Hong Kong for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Asian Film Festival.

In such circumstances I shall always remain in love and in fondness towards all …

Amitabh Bachchan

DAY 697

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Posted on: March 20, 2010 - 12:45 am

Comments: 384

Prateeksha, Mumbai                      March 19, 2010                 Fri  11 : 40 PM

Quantifying quality is a misnomer in society. Good has forever been looked upon as a sophisticated cover of silk and mesh, that prevents the actual in life - evil. Evil is more exciting, colorful, dramatic. Good is a demure maiden, covered in a veil of embarrassed reality. Jesus Christ suffered the indignation of his goodness through his great sacrifice on the cross. Lord Rama suffered the pain and discomfort of an exile and all the grave issues he faced during that time. Jesus and Ram were both good, but subjected to pain, bore it without complaint.

Good has this habit of never initiating acknowledgement. And because it remains without acknowledgement, it never achieves recognition or prominence. And because it never achieves recognition, it soon ceases to exist. For good to exist it needs to be seen and known in a world of today, that depends on opinions made by others. Evil, on the other hand has never needed any marketing. The paucity of visible goodness, inadvertently propels the evil into prominence. When good has such a remote presence, all that one sees and feels is the evil. And, here is the horror, because evil is prominent, in time to come it, because of its omnipresence, begins to claim that it is ‘he’ that needs to remain.  Good be damned and buried.

It is embarrassing for some to voice their good. Not so for many others. When good is not heard or known it is pushed away into oblivion. But goodness remains and shall always remain to express its exquisite qualities for those that understand its value. So really then, where seems to be the problem ?

I’ll tell you. Time is the problem. By the time good is recognized it has invariably become too late. What then should be the solution. Deeds must continue to be done. Acts of goodness must be conducted irrespective of recognition. In fact the thought of recognition even should be an anathema. I will know when good is done and exists. That is important. So long as I know, that is sufficient. The world may come to recognize it or may not. That should not be the criteria. The criteria should be whether I was convinced that it was done or not. The conviction of one single person is enough. Its value and its strength is beyond measure.

There is the other aspect. The propulsion of evil in the garb of goodness. When executed consistently, it becomes imperative for those that get subjected to it, to believe it. An entire polity then dons an apron of polluted vagary. Such continued subjection then converts us all into a cynical mass of convoluted fools. Which explains why so many of them inhabit our hemisphere. May the Almighty forever have mercy on us and may it always protect us !! So help me God ! Amen !!

For those in the FmXt that shall endeavor to decipher meaning from the above, I wish you luck and wishes. Those that do not are the most fortunate. For, when the mind is a clear and clean slate, not allowing it to be in the company of unexplained ‘bumff’, is the safest course to take.

Be safe … and in safe state …

in love and more ….

Amitabh Bachchan