^{INTO THE WILD}

A rare film that grabs you at guts. A 20 year old college graduate with good grades gives up his promising career, home, possessions, savings and takes up a journey to spend time in nature, away from the seductions of the modern world!

Why does he disappear abandoning his car, burning his remaining dollar bills, changing his name, leaving no trace for his family to find out his whereabouts? Is it not a reaction against his control freak parents with middle class values?

“There is something more than rebellion more than anger that was driving him,” in the words of his sister Carine who understood Chris’s search.

Sean Penn’s beautiful and spellbinding film is an adaptation of the book Into the Wild by Jon Karkauer based on true life story which took place in 1990s USA.

The film tracks down precious impressions of this odd youth through the narrative reconstructed from the journals, the memories of people who met him during his journey . Besides the captivating photography, powerful performances of those who fed, sheltered, gave him clothes, shared their lives, mentored him, and who respected his quest worrying that his life is doomed, make it a delight to watch.

Robin Sharma in his book Discover your Destiny mentions Living a Lie as the first stage of human self-awakening. It is the lowest level of consciousness we humans operate from- from what we have been told to believe! According to him it is a self-betrayal most people find themselves living in!

Chris wrote in his journal:   No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. An aesthetic voyageur whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shall not return… And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild – Alexander Supertramp. May 1992.

Is the director idealizing a clueless cocky kid into a hero? Many critics of the film wrote so. In fact the film does not hesitate to bring out the flaws in Chris. The film portrays Chris’ adventurous journey of self-awakening after leaving the “sick society” in 5 stages : 

Chapter 1. My own birth Chapter 2. Adolescence Chapter 3. Manhood Chapter 4. Family Chapter 5. Getting of Wisdom

Many see the ending as sad. Well, it depends on how you look at death. One can see it as Great Awakening! True, Chris wanted to return inspired by his reading of Tolstoy. He could not due to the floods in the swollen Alaskan rivers of the summer. Indeed the mistaken poisonous roots which he ate made him ill. An encounter with a wild bear which did not attack him indicated that Chris had moved into another state where nature and animals recognize you as harmless and non-violent!

A question from another angle- of those who are parents:  What about his parents and their suffering? In the words of Chris’ sister Carine:

With almost a year having passed since Chris’ disappearance my parents’ anger had turned to desperation. Their guilt was giving way to pain. And pain seemed to bring them closer. Even their faces had changed.

But I catch myself and remember that these are not the parents I grew up with. That people soften by the forced reflection that comes with loss. Still everything Chris is saying has to be said. And I trust that everything he is doing has to be done. This is our life

Chris’ parents were undergoing another journey indeed painful! They too were being prepared to enter a state to see themselves, each other and the world with purified vision!

To understand the psychological process involved I recommend you listen to : _{https://www.resources.soundstrue.com/podcast/john-welwood-healing-the-core-wound-of-the-heart/}

Bandhu Bob http://www.thetalkshop.in/bobby

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_{C:\Users\hp\Pictures\Mandalas for breakfast}

Nutty fruity breakfast !

I have been into raw food diet morning and evening. It has been a whole new way of living energetically giving up on cooked meals.

Collapsing my time schedule combining food preparation and meditation, thanks to the wisdom from Buddhist meditation practice, I gained a life changing insight – do everything mindfully! It has given me taste for everything in life.

Ever since I began this practice I enjoy preparing food consciously feeling the sensations involved in washing, pealing, cutting, inhaling the odour, salivating, patiently arranging them, looking at the various shapes, form, and patterns emerging.

Each time I came upon something wonderful without thinking. planning and organizing. Just spontaneously following your heart, your eyes, your hands and living it fully like a child’s play.

Tremendous joy and contentment even before you take a bite!

Gratitude is filling !!

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Bandhu Bob _{http://www.thetalkshop.in/bobby}

“NO ONE WINS UNLESS EVERYBODY WINS” Bruce Springsteen

• What is the LIGHT – my good idea, my great opinion, my good image, my best belief which I cling to, that BLINDS me from seeing the good in others’ good … ?
• How can I write my stories without missing out on the stories of other hungry hearts?

The movie based on the memoir of a journalist Manzoor Sarfraz, GREETINGS FROM BURY PARK will help you answer these questions

The film tells the story of a teenager from an immigrant family trying to cope up with – recession, racism, unemployment in the Thatcher-era Britain of 1987.

Introduced by his Sikh classmate to the songs of Bruce Springsteen, Javed discovers in them a map to navigate through the racial intolerance, political unrest and the family conflicts, to “all that is true in this shitty world” and finds his vocation as a writer.

The lyrics of Bruce infuse courage and confidence in the young man and guide him through the twists and turns of his life journey.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=blinded+by+the+light+film&form=HDRSC2&first=1&scenario=ImageBasicHover

Interlaced with 17 songs of Bruce, the film is a musical roller coaster. The words of the working class poet from America, inspires the troubled adolescent to rise above the burdens of life and make his own unique voice heard breaking free from the expectations and pressures from- family, friends, society and religion.

With words of “The Boss” as compass, Javed is led to life-altering meetings with Ms Clay the teacher who unearth his writing talent, Mr Brydon his friend’s dad who gave him part time job, Eliza the activist girl friend , and Mr Evans the silent supporting neighbour. All of them encourage his search for authentic self-expression.

Sailing the sea of storms, Javed stands up at school which honored him for his writing, and confesses: I was blinded by the light !! I was only thinking of Springsteen and myself …… We are all not just individuals. We have friends and family and what they think matter. Success without them isn’t really success. That insight was churned out of his own big battle within! “No one wins unless everybody wins” Javed recalls the words Bruce _.

Having hated and broken away from his bossy dad whom he could not forgive, a realization dawns on Javed : I can see how much I am like my dad and dad is like me !! To tell it loud in front of dad, family, friends and teachers gathered together in public… , the boy has come a long way to be a man!!!

Eliza his girl friend whom he wanted to leave, had played her part in bringing Javed to this point of reconciliation. When he apologizes to her, she reminds him Bruce’s words, “Like a river which does not know where it’s flowing, you took a wrong turn and just kept going. Everyone’s got a hungry heart ”

To Javed’s surprise his dad has begun liking Bruce’s songs and values! He cites few lines on ‘hard work, never giving up and respect for parents’ and jokes that Bruce must be a Pakistani! His dad pleads, “Son, write your stories ! Don’t forget ours !!” and embraces him.

Even parents grow when children mature! Interestingly the last scene in the film indicates such a transfornation in Javed’s dad who hands over the driving seat to his son getting ready to pursue his study of journalism. His dad gracefully changes his favorite old hindi song in the deck to play Bruce’s song in the interest of Javed as they travel together.

_{(You Tube: 1 min 39 sec)}

When Camera Replaced Rifle!

Marveled at his exhibits , I asked: “How do you find time for all these?”

“Well …. when camera replaced gun, I found freedom, purpose and happiness”

Listening with your eyes opens a space of infinity within us! The sense of wonder that follows it, leads us from the short-lived thrill of killing and consuming to a lasting joy in caring.

My friend confessed that the peace he received from being in nature and taking those pictures were more prayerful than going to worship in temples and churches.

I nodded. Surprised that I agreed, he looked at me questioningly.

I recalled sharing my own struggle to pray years ago, with my spiritual guide. Thanks to his encouragement, I found ways of meditating departing from the tiresome church practices. In fact the gospels mention Jesus praying in nature – riverbanks, desert, hills, open spaces, gardens and lakeside. 

By the pondside of Fenn Hall listening with my eyes, I turned to see a world in a drop of water and a heaven in a bud of lotus; hold infinity inside my heart and eternity in a minute (rephrasing William Blake’s poem) .

Hope the pictures posted below will transmit at least a fraction of that experience.

Bandhu Bob http://www.thetalkshop.in/bobby