Hunger Artist like none other

Franz Kafka (1883-1924)

The great Java-Scala creation based on commit log, The Apache Software Foundation's Apache Kafka, originated on LinkedIn, co-created by the terrific trio of Jay Kreps, Neha Narkhede and Jun Rao, and named after Franz Kafka by Kreps, an ardent admirer of the legendary author.

It is but logical that this tribute to the maverick author should find its home in the cosy confines of a LinkedIn newsletter.

Born in a bourgeoise, German-speaking Jewish family of Prague, then an Austro-Hungarian territory, Franz Kafka switched from chemistry to law midway. Post his graduation, he briefly worked for an insurance firm with a demanding work culture before joining  the Worker's Accident Insurance Institute for the Kingdom of Bohemia, a stint that allowed him time for literary and Yiddish theatre explorations, as also for overseeing the operations of an asbestos factory founded by his brother in law.

A long time sufferer of stress-induced psychological bodily ailments,  he took refuge in naturopathic therapies but when he contracted tuberculosis, matters took a fatal turn which led to his demise in a sanatorium near Vienna.

Kafka’s literature emblematically depicts an inward search for deeper meaning and redemptive purpose. It is easy to label his work as dark and gory, but beneath the helplessness of the dead-end situations his characters find themselves in, there’re universal cues and clues – all extrapolative, none explicit – of how sincere, upright and sensitive individuals could come to terms with the inevitable loneliness, isolation and identity crisis emanating from the hypocrisy or iniquitousness of their times, if not always rise above them.

This staple ingredient of Kafkaesque work appeals to readers of all ages and eras, even the Tik-Tok and IG generation {to some out of a sense of empty wonderment, which is still a better emotion than complete bafflement or outright disregard}.

No wonder, even the Gen Z loves saying, “Oh! That’s so Kafkaesque”, whether or not they know what they mean by it.

We must thank Kafka’s Israeli friend and biographer Max Brod, himself a prolific writer, for making Kafka a global phenomenon, given that he defied his friend’s request to burn his unpublished work upon his death.

Metamorphosis: a bizarre ‘traveling salesman’ problem {beyond the scope of computer science and operations research}

The Metamorphosis, one of Kafka’s surreally poignant works, is the fantastic story of traveling salesman Gregor Samsa, who wakes one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a huge insect

It is essentially a humour-laced, absurdist take on life and death and best savoured in wholesome sips. With each read, we learn more about the bizarre trials and tribulations of the protagonist Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman perpetually buried under the burden of meeting family’s pressing needs and obligations. To begin with, the reader somehow accepts the phantastic premise of the story (one gloomy morning, Gregor transforms into a repulsive insect) but wilfully treads the thorny path headed towards larger, uncomfortable truths, like the inevitably circumstantial nature of familial and societal relationships: how one ghastly metamorphosis can trigger equally gruesome mutations. While Gregor, in his invertebrate form, suffers a terrifying disconnect between mind and body, his family members graduate from feeble compassion born out of shock to a fierce hatred rooted in dysfunctional developments and horrendous social embarrassment.

There’s a tiny paragraph towards the fag end that would bring any sensitive reader to tears, although it unfolds the steely character of the protagonist’s resolve in matter-of-fact fashion, right after the door to his room is ‘hastily pushed shut, bolted and locked’ by the family, following an altercation with tenants following Gregor’s ‘guest appearance’ in the living room. No flourish of adjectives, no overt glorification, simply a running commentary about Gregor’s precipitous discovery of a latent truth: that he is not surprised at not being able to move at all, in fact, he finds his stationary position relatively comfortable, one which strengthens his conviction to 'disappear'.

In his dark confines, his nagging pain gradually passing away, he slips into an empty and peaceful meditation all night long, till the wee hours of the morning. When the ‘first broadening of light in the world outside the window enters his consciousness’, ‘his head sinks to the floor of its own accord’ and the ‘last flicker of his breath leaves his nostrils.’

Thus ends his painful, protracted and futile struggle to fill the enormous vacuum caused by his vermin form. This is as dignified a death as death can ever hope to be, but alas! Gregor’s martyrdom must go unsung; worse, even cheered as good riddance. Kafka makes the settlement utterly unsettling, intentionally of course. One instinctively sides with the tragic hero, but there is nothing really that one can hold against the family. An earnest reader is simply left with a bagful of questions that demand introspection ahead of answers.

Beyond doubt, Kafka and Samsa are unforgettable and irreplaceable!

This Hardout Kiwi soared high to defy the reverse swing of destiny, dogma, diplomacy, disease, death et al

Martin Crowe (1962 – 2016)

Master of disruptive innovation, that is how one would come closest to describe (far from defining) Martin Crowe’s essence and significance as a flamboyant cricketer of timeless charm, the prodigy hailing from the Henderson suburb of Auckland who died untimely but left a lasting impression on the game he loved and played like there was no tomorrow.

A career ruthlessly punctuated by the whole range of injuries including backache, hamstring issues, shin damage and knee trouble; only batsman to lose his wicket on 299, equalling Sir Don’s ‘not out’ feat in an undesirable manner; and awesome leadership in the 1992 world cup campaign in what was sadly a losing cause, so was his short-lived comeback to first class cricket when he was two short of 50, so was the fulfilment of his last wish of catching the 2015 ODI World Cup action (Australia defeated New Zealand in the finals) and so was the eventual setback at the hands of an aggressive follicular lymphoma, on the back of a certified remission post chemotherapy…

His life was replete with tragic circumstances at regular intervals, but he rose above every blow with his unique brand of actionable philosophy, not allowing any of the knockbacks to turn into a sedate sob story that the world laments to no avail.

Not being privileged to watch his cricket in real time, even on television, does not take away even an ounce of the sheer elation at savouring the genius in video after video on YouTube: surreal footwork, clockwork precision, enviable array of strokes including his signature flicks, delightfully laidback sophistication, and last but not the least, the invincible technique of playing late on the front foot with an unflinching offside focus, thus reversing the virulence of the reverse swing, which got him the ultimate validation from none other than Wasim Akram, the swing and seam magician par excellence.

One of ICC’s best decisions till date is the induction of Martin Crowe into its Hall of Fame, thereby recognising a legend greater than what his numbers show, and with contributions that are yet to be acknowledged in full measure: his 'Cricket Max' idea that gave birth to the T20 format, his paradigm shifts to the ODI format (offie Deepak Patel and pinch hitter Greatbatch opening the bowling and batting attacks, respectively) which later became the clichéd norm, his altruistic brand of ethical and enjoyable cricket which now defines the NZ cricketing ethos, and above all, his non-conformist take on ailment-induced mortality, using it as a therapeutic tool for a life-transforming catharsis at a time when life was ebbing away from him.

He was a tireless champion of change, as also a selfless crusader for protecting legacy, recognising the merit of both movements, which are never the extremes they are made out to be. He was a staunch supporter of test cricket but he welcomed the idea of pink ball night cricket; he voted in favour of technology in sport but called DRS a bad idea, he upvoted the thrill of T20 but derided the savagery of batting with monster willows. Never shy of speaking his mind, he condemned Chris Gayle’s behaviour in the infamous boundary line chat with a female journalist when most others looked the other way.

He was prophetic in his occasional outbursts. A case in point was his 2015 lambast of David Warner’s ‘thuggish behaviour’ which accompanied a word of caution “soon, one day it will lead to an incident that will sully the game for good”. Well, 2018 was the year of the ugly Sandpaper scandal whose chief architect reportedly was David Warner, the worst form of thug behaviour known to cricket, dwarfing the mindless sledging he was known for all along. He was equally forthright about lauding the dramatcially changed and charged, new-look Warner ever since.

---

Martin Crowe is no longer in our midst but thankfully, we have all of his oven-fresh insights to cherish in the public domain, thanks to his swan song stint as a cricket writer and columnist.

His thought piece https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/martin-crowe-the-masks-we-wear-693959 is essential reading for all players, veterans and newbies and in fact individuals from all walks of life, though he wrote it in the context of what transpired during the 2013-14 Ashes

{ESPN Cricinfo - you must simply be the best coz Martin Crowe wrote for you! No two ways about this fact}

Quoting him verbatim will be the best tribute to the everlasting talent and temperament of this Hardout Kiwi who soared high to defy the reverse swing of destiny, dogma, diplomacy, disease, death et al

“I admire the quote from Mark Twain where he said, "The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why."

It's a deep, thought-provoking observation. Why are we here and who are we?

The more fortunate ones have an inbuilt belief as to why they exist. They flow through life. Then there are the masses who ebb and flow, searching and evolving. There are also many who discover that for much of their lives they are unsure. Then one day they realise that, in fact, who they are is masked. They reach the point when enough frustration is enough. Only at that point does the real truth surface; the mask must be removed.”

Scores of celebrity cricketers from India can benefit from Martin's heartfelt counsel; it will help them protect the coccon of their true selves (while still in their playing days) from the diktats of a toxic industry of demanding stakeholders who want them to act in a certain manner, playing to the gallery at the cost of losing their mojo and method in the madness all around.

Splendid Rendition ripe with spiritual redemption

The haloed evening of August 4 at the sprawling Chowdiah Hall on Palace road, Bengaluru, was thoroughly sanctified by an ode to the peace and tranquility of the Sat, Treta, and Dwapar Yugas, as also to the divinity of Nirguna Brahman, who is beyond all concepts of time and space. The literal and lateral movers and shakers of this miracle was a dynamic Guru – Shishya duo, which together with a marvelous team of musicians, orchestrated a judicious blend of art, science, and spirituality on stage. 

This was the Nritya Samarpanam by Dr. Aagnika Ajaikumar, disciple of Vidwan Shridhar Jain of Sri Nimishambha School of Dance, which harmoniously underscored the essence and significance of dance as a therapeutic exercise, an amalgamation of highly graceful and rhythmic bodily movements laced with the whole gamut of evocative facial expressions. Vidwan Naveen’s astounding vocal range and absolute mastery over high and low notes left the discerning members of the audience mesmerized; Aagnika is indeed blessed to have an accomplished artiste of his caliber in the troupe.      

True to her name, Aagnika kindled the evocative image of a sacred fire in the hearts and minds of the audience the moment her feet pervaded the podium. What ensued was poetry in motion as she set the auditorium ablaze with her grace and dexterity. Every act was a sincere expression of organic exuberance; reflective of her character and persona as a doctor-dancer. In the coming years, she will surely move up the value chain of excellence and fulfilment to take her craft to the level of enduring art.

Whether the inaugural Pushpanjali with Shloka-Gowri Nandana, Mishra Alaripu, Antha Pura Geethe- Eeni Mahanandave, Padam-Indendu Vachitivira, Daru Varna-Maathe Mallaya Dwaja, Ardhanarishwara Dance, Tillana-Pancharatha, or the concluding Mangalam, her graceful isolation of head, shoulders and neck, as also elegant torso movements were a sight to behold, so were her facial expressions especially in conveying the angst of the ‘Khanditaa’ Nayika, who is visibly offended by her lover’s infidelity (the million-dollar gesture of locking the door bolt astutely underlined  the finality of the act.)

The Ardhanarishwar performance was the resounding highlight of the event, hailing the inseparable, all-pervasive feminine and masculine energies of the cosmos, symbolizing the divine totality that extends way beyond the insular concept of duality. 

It was a rare privilege listening to the revered dignitaries who shared their invaluable insights on the momentous occasion. Dr. B S Ajaikumar, who epitomizes the peaceful co-existence of the medical with the metaphysical, provided an incisive context to the Ardhanarishwar concept, citing pertinent mythological and biological references in his inimitable style.     

 

Our perception of the universe is invariably seeped in the pride and prejudice of a downright cerebral exercise, which explains why most of us struggle to let our intuition guide our intellect. Thankfully, the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas provide us with all the actionable insights we need in our lifetime and beyond.

  

Aagnika’s Nritya Samarpanam, guided by her Guru’s Deeksha and given its inherent metaphorical significance, was an earnest appeal to the audience to dive deep into the depths of our cultural roots to relish and cherish the high-hanging fruits from the tree of enlightenment.     

As a potent quatrain from Ardhanari Nateshwara Stotra says:

प्रदीप्तरत्नोज्ज्वलकुण्डलायै स्फुरन्महापन्नगभूषणाय ।
शिवान्वितायै च शिवान्विताय नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ||

{Salutations to Goddess Parvathi and Lord Shiva: to her, wearing gem-studded earrings that glitter bright and to him, donning a stately serpent as his sole ornament; to her, who is merged into The Lord and to him, who is merged with the Goddess} 

The Unassuming Alchemist

Gopi Krishna (1903 – 1984)

One invaluable resource to help earnest seekers treading the spiritual path (irrespective of their religions and faiths) with the much-needed poise and perspective in practice and penance is Pandit Gopi Krishna’s magnum opus work, Kundalini - The Evolutionary Energy in Man, a phenomenal narrative based on Panditji’s first hand experience of his involuntary-yet-forceful Kundalini awakening following many years of diligent meditation and austere lifestyle. The psychological commentary by James Hillman (author of The Soul’s Code) is highly incisive which draws parallels in the psychoanalytical work of the Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist C G Jung and German Celticist and Indologist Heinrich Friedrich Zimmer.

Panditji was in his 30s, when during the wee hours of one fine morning, he sensed a luminous liquid force shoot up his spine, which rapidly entered his brain like a gushing waterfall in reverse motion. In that exalted state, he experienced indescribable happiness, with his self engulfed by a limitless halo of supreme light, like a tiny speck of consciousness marvelling the dazzle of a limitless field with no perimeter or circumference.

He was never the same man ever since, but the transformation was far from the poetic notions that popular literature and layman perspectives have held dear all along, that Kundalini is simply a step from a small room to a bigger hall, a fallacy that vested interests have profited from, thanks to a credulous populace more than willing to invest in claims of quick fix solutions to spiritual enlightenment.

One evening, the turmoil caused by the fire ablaze inside was so unnerving that he could sense his approaching morality, when all of a sudden he recalled a conversation with his brother in law. The latter had made a passing mention of his Guru’s counsel  - that if Kundalini is aroused through Ida or Pingala Nadis instead of Sushumna, the danger of psychic and physical disturbances are very high. If the vehicle of ascent happens to be Pingala, the havoc can be unimaginable and even fatal emanating from the generation of extreme heat.

{Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna Nadis (nerves) are the three principal energy channels running from the base of the spine to the head, and extending to the Crown Chakra (Sahasrara); Sushumna is at the center with Ida and Pingala to its left and right respectively.}

Even in that chaotic and paralytic state, Panditji made a valiant attempt to focus his attention on the left side, to force an imaginary cold wave up the Ida until a miracle happened and the devouring fire within was quelled in an instant.

His spirit of utter surrender to the Divine Will helped him endure umpteen highs and lows that followed, and which often brought him to the brink of insanity and death, not to mention the pain and perplexment of various bodily disorders of frightful regularity, till he was eventually blessed with illuminating visions and blissful sensations which manifested in an extraordinarily creative expression, even as he indulged in prose and verse of high literary value in multiple languages: from his mother tongue Kashmiri to Sanskrit, English, German, French, Italian, Persian, Arabic, and Urdu.

Consciously shunning the easy and materially lucrative route that would have made him a most sought after World Guru, this self-effacing Jammu and Kashmir resident, who also stayed in the Punjab province  for a significant span, chose to become a seeker and penned down his Kundalini experience for posterity. In the process, he put human evolution in perspective. Traveling across Europe and North America, he urged the world to take up a scientific study of Kundalini and develop the Kundalini hypothesis as entailed in the “A Memorandum for Kundalini Research (https://www.icrcanada.org/research/memorandum).

Panditji was also an activist at heart, committed to the larger cause of women emancipation especialy widow remarriage and socio-economic movements to help the deprived and disadvantaged sections of society. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna and a very capable freestyle wrestler.

It always amused him that mystics and enlightened saints are worshipped by both common people and men and women of knowledge and gladly bestoweed with superhuman dimensions when none exist. We see that happening across the globe to this today!

Kundalini shakti, the divine feminine energy located at the base of the spine in the Muladhara chakra which when roused, rises through the spinal cord to merge with Shiva in the apex centre located in the brain, is one frenziedly pursued spiritual endeavour; sadly, it is brutally trivialised by countless preachers and theorists, both from the West and East, with little time and inclination to become diligent practitioners themselves, leave alone adopt the needful approach and attitude to explore the realms before enlightening others.

No wonder, there is no dearth of fanciful literature across all forms of media – print, electronic and web – and the most scary of them are the scores of YouTube videos of self-proclaimed soothsayers claiming to reveal the ultimate truth either as the show hosts or celebrity guests; all you need to do is press the bell icon and presto! you have transformed into an ‘all knowing’ incarnation.

A few enterprising Gurus have smartly packaged products and services linked to their sermons – anything and everything from vagus nerve boosters, anti-ageing merchandise, life-transfroming Yoga workshops, kundalini enabling sessions, and much more, with the whole range of Platinum, Gold, Silver & Bronze plans and early bird discounts to expedite the pocket-to-coffer transfer of fiat or representative currency.

To cite a nerve-racking claim of the IT industry, they promise you ‘measurable value at the lowest cost of ownership’

A careful re-reading of Panditji’s books is the perfect primer to know the purpose that should guide the voyage, and the perils and pitfalls on the way, before one deep dives into the wealth of literature including the Maitri, Shvetashvatara, and Yoga Kundalini Upanishadic insights, as also the teachings of various schools like Kashmir Shaivism, Nath Sampradaya, and Siddha Yog traditions and tutelage of genuine mystics.

Pic courtesy: https://www.icrcanada.org