42

In his essay “Beginner’s guide to immortality”, Venkatesh Rao has rendered a nice allegory:  “Human life is like walking into a movie halfway through, and having to walk out again two minutes later. You’ll have no idea what’s going on when you walk in. And chances are, just as you begin to get a clue, you’ll be kicked out. So unless you are lucky enough to walk in during a scene that is satisfying without any longer narrative context, your ability to derive satisfaction from your two-minute glimpse will depend partly on your ability to construct meaning out of it”.

What’s the meaning of Life, the universe, and everything? Zaphod – a character in the novel/movie “Hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy” believes that the true answer lies in the planet Magrathea, only accessible through trial and error; and when he asked this question to the alien computer named Deep Thought, it mysteriously answers “42”. Just 42! A disappointing answer to a question as grave as meaning of life. As I turned 101010 (42 in binary) today, I feel like I am still constructing the ability to construct the meaning of my life. Why I am here in this Universe…?

While holding my first new born daughter from the hands of the nurse, the first thought that came to me is: if not for anything, to create this innocent life of flesh and bone, God had created me. I thought, this feeling is unique to me, only to be surprised by my friends that even they had similar feelings.

Since time immemorial, human’s quest is centered for this unsolved: Why he/she has come to this world? None of the religion gives a direct answer to this; all they do is how to live a life in this Samsaara (Loko), so that you can enjoy your life in some another Loko (read heaven) or some Magrathea. Your existence in this movie called Samsaara for 2 minutes which translates to some 80-90 years is just another birth-death cycle among trillions of life forms on this earth.

While listening to a session on Life-Death-Moksha at ISKCON Bangalore, a question came to my mind: Supposing no creature is attaining Moksha, and all of them taking rebirth, then, are the total number of souls — a constant? If yes, what’s the value? When I asked this in the Q&A session, the IIT educated monk speaker cleverly answered perhaps just to diffuse the situation: “Yes, It’s a constant, but I don’t know the value”. Since then I never got a chance to validate his answer.

Am I not just another number among that few trillions soul? By accident or by destiny? Forrest’s words rings in my ear: “I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floatin' around accidental-like on a breeze, but I, I think maybe it's both. Maybe both is happenin' at the same time”.

“Just Do It!”… Bhagwad Geeta resounds from infinity!

Why?

Forget why…“Just Do It!”…This time Nike resonates.

Which one is more weighted? Effects of doing or side effects of doing? Or the side effects themselves are the effects, which I fail to realize? And, at times, did I not carve for those side-effects? Did I not felt bored with all those right actions, right conducts? Did I not, wished to be chained (read settled!) and did I not want to break free…?

ବନର ପକ୍ଷୀ ଶିକୁଳି ଖୋଜେ..

ପଞ୍ଜୁରୀ ସାରୀ ଖୋଜେ ମୁକ୍ତି...

ମୁଁ ଯେ ଖୋଜେ………