{"id":26703,"date":"2020-05-05T08:15:03","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T04:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/?p=26703"},"modified":"2020-05-05T08:15:03","modified_gmt":"2020-05-05T04:15:03","slug":"finally-ganges-took-a-bath-lets-celebrate-and-care-for-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mauritiustimes.com\/mt\/finally-ganges-took-a-bath-lets-celebrate-and-care-for-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"Finally, Ganges took a bath… Let\u2019s celebrate and care for earth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Letter from New Delhi <\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

By Kul Bhushan <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The eco-benefits of current coronavirus lockdown for cleaner, greener and vibrant nature needs to be preserved, writes Dr Lavlin Thadani, a film-maker, dramatist and poet, in addition to being a fervent Osho disciple<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span>Our pious river, the Ganges, has finally come alive. It finally got a chance to bathe itself. Photo – learnodo-newtonic.com<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

A few weeks into corona pandemic and nature is rejoicing in its long neglected, own existence. The sky is blue. Stars are gazing at the all beautiful earth. Once again recognising it. No layers of pollution to block the view. Waters have turned clear. Birds have come alive, replacing the shrill alarm clocks. The unity of nature produces musical cacophony that can beat any Mozart and Rehman.<\/span><\/p>\n

Animals, big and small, have begun to reclaim what was originally theirs. And man in turn, has gone into hiding, having caused shameful damage and destruction! Bravo! Does one cut the very hand that feeds us? Think.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gang-raped Earth<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Is mankind bereft of basic intelligence? The term, \u2018Mother Earth\u2019 sounds so romantic but have we not repeatedly gang-raped it? Chopping trees, destroying mountains, polluting rivers\u2026 who are we? Human beings or greedy, blood-thirsty monsters? The only species with gluttony hunger… more is less for most of us.<\/span>
\nOur pious river, the Ganges, has finally come alive. It finally got a chance to bathe itself, to clean itself of all the muck ruthlessly thrown into it by us, the so-called civilised species!<\/span><\/p>\n

Why must we want to spend endless amounts of money on cleaning our otherwise clean, vibrant rivers? Wonder how nature managed to take so much cruelty from us? Finally, the universe conspired to step in and say, \u2018Enough is enough!\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Knowing man\u2019s evil mind, it transported an invisible enemy and failed the combined might of the armies, air forces and navies. The virus is not racial or religious by nature, nor does it favour the rich and powerful!<\/span><\/p>\n

It cannot be bribed. It has no ambition. It is a courier sent from the skies carrying a clear message, \u2018Stop in your tracks man and wake up before it is too late! Or continue to pay the heavy price you are paying now!\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Overkill suicidal<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

While I deeply mourn the precious human lives lost, must we continue to chop flourishing forests of lush green trees to cause landslides and further devastation?<\/span>
\nIn the race to outdo each other, we adorn our homes with the most expensive wood, items of ivory, tiger skin, all at the cost of universe that wants to maintain its delicate balance and protect our planet from dying a slow, poisonous death. Man is essentially a hunter, enjoys a good kill. In the process of overkill, he becomes suicidal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mahatma Gandhi was so right when he said, \u201cThe earth had enough for everyone\u2019s need but not enough for everyone\u2019s greed!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I, for one, am very happy for the exhausted mother-nature to have got a breather after a long spell and is finally celebrating its own wonderful existence, if not its unparalleled, unique, exotic identity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thank God during the lockdown period, we dare not interfere! No wonder, to remain safe, we have been advised to maintain distance, a clear message to maintain the same distance from all our life givers, be it trees or rivers. Applaud them without messing around with them.\u00a0We should be thankful to coronavirus for teaching us the most valuable lesson of respecting nature. Give respect and get respect – that is what our ancestors had taught us. In order to become smart, let us please not outsmart ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Osho says, \u201cMay be the earth does need a rest, but I feel bad about the way things are going. The earth is beautiful. If you start living its beauty, enjoying its joys with no guilt in your heart, you are in paradise. If you condemn everything, every small joy, if you become a condemner, a poisoner, then the same earth turns into a hell \u2013 only for you.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

— Osho, The Book of Wisdom, Talk #11.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Photo – i.ytimg.com<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/span>Hollywood\u2019s Love for Bollywood Superstar Irrfan <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Double whammy. Two mega Bollywood film stars left this earth and started shining in the skies: Irrfan Khan, aged 53, on 29 April; and Rishi Kapoor, aged 67, on 30 April. Both died of cancer. While both had ton-loads of tributes from Indian film stars, celebrities and millions of fans, Irrfan elicited superb tributes from Hollywood as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

After his brilliant work in Bollywood, he moved to Hollywood to act in The Warrior<\/em>\u00a0(2001),\u00a0The Namesake<\/em>\u00a0(2006),\u00a0The Darjeeling Limited<\/em>\u00a0(2007), the Academy Award winning film\u00a0Slumdog Millionaire<\/em>\u00a0(2008),\u00a0New York, I Love You<\/em>\u00a0(2009),\u00a0The Amazing Spider-Man<\/em>\u00a0(2012),\u00a0Life of Pi<\/em>\u00a0(2012),\u00a0Jurassic World<\/em>\u00a0(2015) and\u00a0Inferno<\/em>\u00a0(2016).<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, Hollywood paid radiant tributes. No lees than the Academy of Motion Picture Arts, the Oscars organization, declared, \u201cIrrfan Khan left his imprint on global cinema. An inspiration to millions, he will be greatly missed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Super star Angelina Jolie said she had been privileged to work with Khan on the set of 2007 drama A Mighty Heart. “He stood out for his generosity as an artist, which made it a pleasure to work in any scene with him,” she told the BBC. “I remember the intensity of his commitment, and equally his smile. I send my condolences and my sympathy to his family, his friends, and all admirers of his work, in India and around the world.”<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Osho Resort was like when I saw the ocean for the first time\u2019 – Irrfan<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

It\u2019s not widely known that the late Irrfan Khan was an ardent Osho lover. He regularly read Osho books and said he had been inspired by Osho\u2019s vision.<\/span><\/p>\n

After visiting Osho International Meditation Resort in Pune, he said in an interview published in Hindi in Osho Times<\/em>, “It was the first time I stayed at Osho\u2019s energy field. It reminded me of the moment when I came to Bombay and saw the ocean for the first time. It was a hypnotic, inviting and magnanimous experience. This experience was also an invitation. It had a vastness.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI felt that Osho Meditation Resort is like a school where one can learn about oneself. For me, the greatest education in life is to know oneself at the deepest level. The biggest lesson for me is to know myself at the deepest level. This brings freedom and discipline. This Osho resort is an experimental laboratory where you can experiment with your internal and external forms.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThink of it like a hamam<\/em> (Turkish bath) where you can wash away all the dust of previous conditionings and emerge squeaky clean. This is a fertile land where a seed is planted in you and you can wait until it germinates and blooms,\u201d he said. \u201cAt one time when I was really in love with Osho, I read every Osho book I came across,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n

The greenery of the resort, the pure energy, the intensity of meditation, is deeply felt in every picture of Irrfan. A great soul, sensitive, and creative artist full of humour and playfulness, Irrfan’s eyes shine in every picture during his visit to Osho Meditation Resort. He said many parts of the resort had a special energy which attracted him.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Kul Bhushan worked as a newspaper Editor in Nairobi for over three decades and now lives in New Delhi<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

* Published in print edition on <\/em>5 May 2020<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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