| Shrouded by a kaleidoscope of images, information
and new inventions, we could be at the point of manipulating
life according to our will, were we not so distant in responding
to so many questions related to our existence. Having created
a thousand schools of thought and experimented with a whole
gamut of ideologies, we could be at the threshold of a new era,
if only we had a reliable reference over our origins and felt
certain on what the future holds. We are trying to reach
the boundaries of space as we scrutinise the microuniverse
of the elements and attempt to rearrange the imbalance we
have caused in nature. And yet we know so little about ourselves.
Who is really the 'self'? What is our story? Where do we actually
come from? Is there a place or an ultimate state we can eventually
return to?
India was once a fertile soil for this kind of investigation,
and it made use of a rather interesting analogy for situating
man on the path of life. Existence used to be perceived as
a play, a 'Cosmic Drama' in which we played the role of threading
the lines of history.
This real life play - Prabhu Ki Lila - was never seen as
random and chaotic, but as a perfect plot that contained a
plan in itself. Those who understood the course of history
were believed to have realised the essence and purpose of
human life. As if they could 'see' how civilisations, religions
and ideologies had risen and declined, letting truths and
facts become apparent in coherent and constant patterns. |
