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 During
its progress, a river at times encounters
a large depression that apparently seems
to ebb its flow. This deception is largely
due to the rate of passage being much
slower at any given point in this situation
due to the larger area and depth of flow.
Thoughts too exhibit a similar illusory
propensity. They seem to dwell for a while
upon a particular theme before continuing
their meandering ways. Ram continues the
story of Grandpa and his grandchildren
in their exploration of the meaning of
life.
A sniff, a snigger, a snort or a sneeze
makes front page headlines. Its echoes
are heard around the world for many days.
Particularly if it happens to be the president
of the US of A that is making it. A shrill
cry of agony of a mendicant carries no
further than the mouth of the originator.
That is the way of the world. It has been
so and it will be so, always.
It was in a reflective mood initiated
by such thoughts, that grandpa and his
friend began their roughly-once-a-month
or sometimes-more-frequent tête-à-tête.
Grandpa's friend lived a few miles away
from where they did. He loved long walks
in the country side and would saunter
down to grandpa's dwelling some afternoon.
It was difficult to say what made him
come - the interesting discussions with
grandpa or the excellently tasty snacks
made by his daughter-in-law that went
with it. The children too were part of
this regular little congregation. And
they enjoyed it. It was fascinating to
observe, investigate and analyze the flow
of conversation as it wound its way around
and across many a topic.
The Flow of the River
They associated this with the flow of
a river as it started from its point of
origin, now rushing down a slope, now
meandering around a hill, but there being
always something interesting and fascinating
on the banks every moment along the way.
The stimulus for beginning that day's
dialogue was provided by a newspaper article
that said that the US Secretary of State
designate Condoleeza Rice had inadvertently
referred to the US President George Bush
as 'my husband'. Knowing Condoleeza Rice's
nature, nothing was read into this slip-of-the-tongue
by any and all concerned. The two friends
veered from the initial somber thought
of how the trivialities associated with
the powerful is given much and undue weight
while genuine difficulties of ordinary
people never get spoken about, to how
often all of us face this situation where
there is wide divergence between a thought
in the mind and its spoken expression.
They recounted many such instances that
they could remember and found that such
divergences are often funny, sometimes
embarrassing, sporadically destructive
and occasionally helpful.
During its progress, a river at times
encounters a large depression that apparently
seems to ebb its flow. This deception
is largely due to the rate of passage
being much slower at any given point in
this situation due to the larger area
and depth of flow. Thoughts too exhibit
a similar illusory propensity. They seem
to dwell for a while upon a particular
theme before continuing their meandering
ways. The depth to dwell is provided by
the interest, knowledge and perspective
of the person and in case of a dialogue,
in such attributes that are shared between
the persons conversing.
Grandpa's friend's pet hound and constant
companion in his walking jaunts, a lanky
dapper of dog he was, provided a gateway
to one such thoughtful depression with
his antics. Monty, as he was called, had
been casting furtive looks at the snacks
on the little table between the conversationalists
who, immersed as they were in their exchanges,
paid no heed to his aspirations. The children
however, were watching Monty, and moved
by his entreating eyes and impressed by
his obedience gave him a few pieces of
freshly baked biscuits. Was he overjoyed!
His tail wouldn't stop wagging and he
expressed his gratitude and eternal friendship
by licking the children all over.
Destiny and the Dog
 This
spectacle reminded grandpa's friend of
his visit to a practitioner of Horary
Astrology sometime ago during one of his
trips to the city. As required by this
branch of study, the astrologer had cast
a chart for the moment of the query and
come up with detailed answers to the query
made. One such detail referred to Monty
and the color of his fur. This was quite
an amazing fact that the astrologer could
fathom from the query chart that the person
making the query had a pet, which was
a dog and which possessed fur of a particular
color. Grandpa's friend's impression towards
astrology and its practitioners was that,
the subject was only partly a science
and that a lot depended upon the power
of intuition of the practitioner to make
correct predictions. He nevertheless had
no comment to make on the seeming disparity
between the opinions about whatever is
astrologically discerned about the past
and those projected and predicted for
the future. While one is taken to be a
fact, the other is looked upon only as
a possible scenario that is capable of
being challenged and changed.
Grandpa's perspective of astrological
analysis was based on a slightly different
thought and he shared this with his friend.
The children, who were by now attuned
to their grandpa's path, direction and
manner of thought, expected what he had
to say and yet were all ears and concentration
with Monty too keeping company. Perhaps,
he understood all this too. Who knows?
He looked upon astrological analysis as
a tool to tap into Time and its ever changing
and ever different but already written
story. Intuition to him was only a faculty
that some possessed to tap in with or
without the additional aid of astrological
analysis. The advent, presence and disappearance
of this faculty in people can also be
marked and computed from their individual
charts. The phenomenon of apparently accidental
divergence between a thought and its verbal
articulation was not really accidental.
A person adept at astrology cannot always
make correct surmises. Even if it were
to be so, its articulation need not convey
the thought that originated in the person's
mind. All this happens towards arriving
at definite and specific milestones written
in the storyline, because everything in
nature - including humans - lives within
and is governed by the bounds of Time.
Talking philosophy has the strength to
keep people interested in it to forget
the world around. But hunger is stronger.
The bowls full of snacks that the children's
mother had made had long disappeared.
What with Monty too joining the party!
Hunger gnawed at the contemplative revelers.
All thoughts of philosophy were quickly
and unceremoniously cast aside and a speedy
retreat was made to prepare and face the
onslaught of the stronger contender. Grandpa's
friend said goodbye and walked back to
his abode at a brisk pace with Monty in
tow.
A shooting star appeared in the sky briefly
and faded. The remnants of the meteorite
having burnt up during its descent through
the earth's atmosphere sped down towards
their rendezvous with the earth's surface
at the appointed place and appointed time.
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