Japenese proverb

 

On Christmas

"YasU Maseeh ke aage mera sir is liye kham nahi hai - kiun ke woh khuda ka nabi tha, ya koi maujiza tha ya maujize kerta tha - bulke isliye hai ke - woh shaks zameen pe basne wale dusre insaanoN ke liye - us daur ke khudaoN ke haaton - Suli char gaya tha!".

It goes true for all humans who walk on his footstep 

 

On 'contemplating'

 

On 'Oneness'

 

A painting from German artist Lucio Orlando

 

On Bertrand Russell's quote

Although I disagree with Bertrand Russell's following observation, but it also tells me that Islam's extreme amalgamation with real/practical life is validated. On a personal note, I think Bertrand Russel is referring to political Islam after Mohammad's death, and not to the real Quranic Islam which values are nearer to other Abrahamic religions and Buddhism.

“Among religions, Bolshevism is to be reckoned with Mohammedanism rather than with Christianity and Buddhism. Christianity and Buddhism are primarily personal religions, with mystical doctrines and a love of contemplation. Mohammedanism and Bolshevism are practical, social, unspiritual, concerned to win the empire of this world. Their founders would not have resisted the third of the temptations in the wilderness. What Mohammedanism did for the Arabs, Bolshevism may do for the Russians. As Ali went down before the politicians who only rallied to the Prophet after his success, so the genuine Communists may go down before those who are now rallying to the ranks of the Bolsheviks. If so, Asiatic empire with all its pomps and splendors may well be the next stage of development, and Communism may seem, in historical retrospect, as small a part of Bolshevism as abstinence from alcohol is of Mohammedanism." 

 ―Bertrand Russell, The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism (1920), Part I, The Present Condition of Russia, IX. International Policy, page, 106

A literary Joke

حفیظ جالندھری کی طبیعت خراب ہوئی تو حکیم فقیر محمد چشتی کے پاس علاج کے لیے گئے. مرض کی تشخیص کے بعد حکیم صاحب نے انہیں پرہیز بتایا:

 " آپ نے اب کوئی دماغی کام نہیں کرنا"

جالندھری نے کہا:

" میں شاہنامہ اسلام لکھ رہا ہوں"

حکیم صاحب بولے:

 "وہ لکھتے رہو"----

Aik khubsurat dua

 Mumtaz Mufti likhte hain partition se pehle unke ghar aik hindu pandit kaa aana huwa. Mumtaz Mufti ki amma ne un se kaha - is bachhe ke liye koi dua karain. 

Unhon ne dua di ke - bhagwan kare ise zindi main achhe log milain. 

Mumtaz mufti kehte hain, isi dua ki badolat unki mulaqat Qudratullah Shahab, Ashfaq Ahmad, Banu Qudsia aur Ibne Insha se ho gai.

~ kitni khubsurat dua hai - Khuda kare tumhe zindagi main achhe log milain

Munir Niazi observes!

 

Imtihan

 Jab main ne Karachi main "muqable ka imtihan"* (Public Service Commission) paas kiya aur abba ko bataya to abba ne kaha: 

"Beta imtihan to ab shuru huwa hai!"

(I very quickly resigned and never pursued a career in it)

* Found this term always funny

Ethics

 I found the following statement very enlightening - guided me to traverse through a recent situation in life.

On my journey to become a doctor

 As I read this beautiful article from Jamshed, I thought of many bus conductors, mini-drivers, medical school cafeteria waiters, neighborhood shopkeepers, many chai-walas -  Sadar main woh irani samose wala and lasbela pe woh qeema parathe wala

"Perhaps, he felt proud that he had contributed to my journey in becoming a doctor."

Read the article (click) ‘Tangey walay baba’ and I on the road to becoming a doctor

URL link: https://www.dawn.com/news/1212819

Makeup of rupee

 I have seen this info often on the internet and always amused and intrigued me. I have been to stores buying things with 2 anas. I doubt generation Z can even comprehend this.

Life! as per Murshid

It is said that - a line from Jaun Alia  (now popularly known as murshid as he developed his own cult), is heavier than a pile and pile of pages. 

Once he famously said:

یار میں تو سید آدمی ہوں میں شرابی ہوگیا ہوں - کوئی تو وجہ ہوگی

 

 جون ایلیا

On humans and snakes

 Saanp bhi katta hai to koshish kerta hai ke apna zaher bacha ke rakhe

 - aik insaan hai jo apni hewaniat ki aag main apna saara zaher kisi aur main unDel deta hai

Read this shocking story: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/20/india/india-snake-cobra-murder-intl-hnk-dst/index.html

Childhood trauma - Shakeeb Jalali

Urdu poet Shakeeb Jalali committed suicide by throwing himself in front of a furious train at age 32 - about 22 years after he witnessed his father throwing his mother to an incoming train!

His own couplet was

فصیل جسم پہ تازہ لہو کے چھینٹے ہیں

 حدود وقت سے آگے نکل گیا ہے کوئی

Life is a bitch!

Poverty

 Actual poverty is not a lack of a bank account but a constant state of mind of not having enough.

~ Gurbat aik dimagi halat ka naam hai

On Chefs

Hamare aik Mamu ko khandan ki har shadi pe- deg per bitha diya jaata tha. Wajah ye thi ke mamu khud aik bohat achhe bawarchi the. 1971 ki jang main border cross kerte huwe pakRe gaye the. Hindustaan ki jail main rahe, wahin se khana banane ka shoq lag gaya. Kehte the - jab qedi khane ke zaaiqe main apna har gum bhul jaate - to mujhe bohat khushi hoti thi.

Ab bhi yaad aata hai unki speciality 'mazedar garam garam roTian" hoti thi. Allah hi jaanta hai kiya alag kerte the ke roti itni mazeddar banti thi.

Aik din abba ne mamu ke dekh ker kaha tha:

"Jis shaks ko dusroN ke liye rotian pakane ka shoq ho - woh shaz-o-nadir hi bura hota hai."

From Krishan Chandar ...

 I think from technical perspective Krishan Chandar was a better short story writer than Minto.

"Krishan Chandar ke haan jazbaat ka aik therao hai. Minto ki tarah shiddat pasandi nahi."

"یوں تو میری شادی بھی ہو جائے گی اور بچے بھی ہوں گے میرے اور میں اُن کے لئیے ایک اچھی ماں ،اپنے خاوند کے لئیے ایک نیک اور اطاعت شعار بیوی بھی بن جاوں گی اور میرا گھر ہو گا اور زندگی کی ساری خوشیاں جو ایک عورت چاہتی ہے وہ مجھے نصیب ہوں گی مگر کہیں پر میرے اندر میرے بہت گہرے اندر اور میری کوکھ سے بھی بہت دور اندر جہاں کہیں عورت کی روح رہتی ہے وہاں تم ہمیشہ موجود رہو گے" 

کرشن چندر کے ناول غدار سے اقتباس

Men, women and heart

 If a woman thinks with her heart - it's her virtue. This is vice versa for a man. It becomes his weakness.

~anonymous 

Practice Makes Permanent

 Last week was reading Elizabeth McCormick's book 'The P.I.L.O.T METHOD". 

She is an interesting character and I was privileged to get her book free from her, and signed by her.

It's a quick read.

She says a beautiful thing: "Practice Makes Permanent".

[Good or bad habit - it becomes permanent with time].. so true.

Quote - the day

 

Roz ka aik imtihan

 Meri umar koi 16-17 baras hogi. FSc ka imtihan de ker farig tha. Aik din Amma ne kaha jao nana ke baal ketwa ke le aao....

Jese hi hum bazar ke nukkaR pe paunche, aik shaks apne bete ke saath khara khubsurat bansuri (flute) baja raha tha, bete ke haat main aik takhti thi jis pe likha tha: "Humare hunr ke mutabiq kaam nahi mil raha: bansuri suniye aur kuch madad kijye".

Nana ne jeb se 5 rupe nikale aur bete ke haat main thama diye - Us zamane main 5 rupe bohat hote the - aur ye wahi 5/10 rupe the jis se nana ne baal katwane the.

Main ne nana se kaha: "Ye kiya kiya nana ji!'

Nana bole: "Imtihan tha. Shukar karo kaam theek ho gaya"

Main bola: " Nana imtihan kesa?"

Nana ne jawab diya: "Insaan ki zindagi main roz aik imtihaan likha hai. Koi aesa kaam jo tumhari zimmewari na ho, magar jis se kisi aur insaan ka faida ho, woh kaam saamne aa ke khaRa ho jaaye. Wohi insaan ka imtihaan hai. Aaj ke imtihan se bach nikle."

Is baat ko 30-35 baras guzar gaye - magar aaj bhi roz imtihaan main fail ho jaata hun.

A quote

 

HHH of Health

During the fellowship, when I was rotating through Trauma and Neurosurgery, we treated patients with Subarachnoid hemorrhage using Tripple-H therapy which stood for Hypervolemia, Hypertension, and Hyperdynamic.

Dr. Garcia (here) used to tell us life is also all about Tripple H. Couple of days ago, I was sent the same joke in a meme. Though it is a joke if you think it is very accurate.

Zindagi, wasf aur Imtihan

 ‏زندگی آپ کے اسی وصف کا امتحان لیتی ہے، جو آپکے اندر موجود ہو، میرے اندر" 

"محبت تھی

 امریتا پریتم

"Life examines you on the virtue you have (the most). I had love" ~ Amrita Pritam

2 approaches

Interestingly two similar events on the same day but two different approaches

In the morning - a  friend while blowing the red light

"jahan itne kaam galat ho rahe hain, aik aur sahi"

In the evening - another friend by mistake -  took an extra item on a grocery cart without paying. As we reached the car, he said:

"Zindagi main bare kamine kaam ho rahe hain - kam az kam cheez wapas ker ke aik galat kaam to kum kiya ja sakta hai"

The paradox of 'everything is assessible'

سب سے زیادہ کربناک لمحات وہ ہوتے ہیں کہ ؛ جب ہر چیز مُیسر ہو 

"Nothing is more painful in life when everything is assessible"

Sounds like a paradox, but think for a minute if you have everything available to you, what kind of life you will have without any ambition, anything to achieve, and the only thing left is greed!

As Ghalib said:

na ho marnā to jiine kā mazā kyā

My Conscience Is Dying A Slow Death

 My Conscience Is Dying A Slow Death

By Javaid Jabbar. 

Sometimes in the darkest hour of the night, I call on my conscience to see if it is still breathing. It's dying a slow and gradual death

every single day.

When I pay for a meal in a fancy restaurant

an amount which is perhaps the monthly income of the guard who holds the door open, I quickly shrug away that thought. My conscience dies a little. 

When I buy vegetables from the vendor and his son "Chhotu" (a small child who should be studying at school) 

smilingly weighs the potatoes, I look the other way. My conscience dies a little.

When I'm all decked up in a designer suit (a suit that costs a bomb) 

and I see a woman at the crossing in torn clothes, trying unsuccessfully to save her dignity, I immediately roll up my window. My conscience dies a little. 

When I buy expensive gifts for my children and returning home I see half-clad naked children with empty stomachs and hungry eyes selling toys at the red traffic signal, I try to save my conscience by buying some. Yet, my conscience dies a little more. 

When my sick maid who can't come to work sends her daughter to work by making her miss school, I know I should tell the little girl to go to school, but then I look at the loaded sink full of dirty dishes and I tell myself that is just for a couple of days. My conscience dies a little more. 

When I hear about a rape or a murder of a child, I feel sad, yet a little thankful that it's not my child. I cannot look at myself in the mirror. My conscience dies a little more. 

When people fight over caste, creed, and religion and I feel hurt and helpless, I tell myself that my country is going to the dogs, and I conveniently blame the corrupt politicians, absolving myself of all responsibilities. My conscience dies a little more. 

When my city is choked and breathing is dangerous in the smog-ridden metropolis I take my car to work daily, not taking public transport, or carpooling. One less car won't make a difference, I tell myself. My conscience dies a little more. 

So when in the darkest hour of the night I visit my conscience and find that it is still breathing I am surprised because bit by bit, day by day, I try to kill it and bury it with my very own hands.

2 Diamonds

 *A Merchant wanted to purchase a gorgeous camel in the market and after spotting one began to settle for it with the seller!*

There was long bargaining between the merchant and the camel seller, and finally, the merchant bought the camel and took it home!

On reaching home, the merchant called his servant to take out the camel's saddle..!

Under the saddle, the servant found a small velvet bag which upon opening revealed him to be full of precious diamond gems ..!

The servant shouted, "Boss, you bought a camel, but look what came with it for free!"

The Merchant was also surprised, he saw diamonds in his servant's hands which were shining and twinkling even more in the sunlight!

The Merchant said: "I have bought a camel and not the diamonds, I should return it immediately!"

The servant was thinking in his mind "how stupid my boss is ...!"

He Said: "Nobody will know who the owner is!" However, the merchant did not listen to him and immediately reached the market and returned the velvet bag to the shopkeeper.

The camel seller was very happy and said, "I had forgotten that I had hidden my precious stones under the saddle".

Now you choose any one diamond as a reward!

The Merchant said, "I have paid the right price for the camel so I do not need any gift and prizes!"

The more the merchant was refusing, the more the camel seller was insisting!

Finally, the merchant smiled and said: In fact, when I decided to bring back the bag, I had already kept two of the most precious diamonds with me!

After this confession, the camel seller was infuriated and he quickly emptied the bag and began to count his diamond gems!

But after he counted with a heavy sigh of relief, he said "These are all my diamonds, so what were the two most precious ones that you kept?"

The Merchant said: ... "My honesty and my self-respect."

The seller was dumb-struck!

We have to look within ourselves to find out if we possess any of these two diamonds.

Do you have these two precious diamonds Anymore?

Anyone who has these two diamonds, *HONESTY AND SELF-RESPECT*, is the richest person in the world.

Probably true

I found the following statement somewhat true in my life.

 

 

Dedicated to immigrants

I came to Canada after two years due to the pandemic (still a lot of fuss at airports for COVID-19 papers). I realized that Canadians and Americans are on different trajectories. Canadians are more about values and a pluralistic society but struggle to meet ends as everyday lifestyle is relatively expensive. Americans are progressively more on a divisive path, more individualist, and spend money freely. I have been traveling between these two countries for almost 27 years now. The last two decades, particularly America's reaction to 911, indulgence in two prolonged wars, poor political leadership from both parties, and Trump's presidency, have done a lot of damage.

For the first time, I felt a little misfit in Canada. I took a little time off. I went to Woodbine Beach in Toronto. I spent a quiet time watching the sunset and full moon. It gave me a perspective of people who must immigrate to a new culture and survive with new values.

*

Mohammad Ali Says

 

Travel

 Travel

Italian poem by [Gio Evan]

Travel

otherwise you
become racist
and end up believing
that your skin is the only one
to be right,
that your language
it is the most romantic
and that you were the first
to be the first

Travel
that if you don't travel then
your thoughts are not strengthened
you are not full of ideas
your dreams are born with fragile legs
and then end up believing in television
and to those who invent enemies
that fit like a glove with your nightmares
to make you live with terror
no more greetings
nor thanks
nor "you're welcome"
nor "my pleasure"

Travel
that traveling teaches
to give everyone a good morning
regardless
from which sun they come,
travel
that traveling teaches
to say good night to everyone
regardless
of the darkness that we carry inside

Travel
that traveling teaches one to resist
not to depend
to accept others not only for what they are
but also for what they can never be,
to know what we are capable of
to feel part of a family
beyond borders,
beyond traditions and culture,
traveling teaches to be beyond

Travel
that otherwise you end up believing
that you are made only for a panorama
and instead inside you
there are wonderful landscapes
yet to visit.

in the box

 All my life I was fascinated with out-of-box thinking, but when I started my fellowship - one of the teaching attendings said a beautiful thing, which always makes me smile: 

"I am not here to teach you out-of-box thinking. I am here to tell you what is inside the box - that is more important. I don't think anything else matters!"

Trains

 "No vehicle gives you a more honest impression of a country than a train" 

~ source unknown to me

Pascal's wager

 This is an interesting 2x2 table developed by Pascal. It argues that believing in God has a better probability of a benefit than not believing in God. 

I am sure it means nothing but is still interesting. You can read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_wager 

I save this with the caption: LOL.

Nature and Art and Poetry

Just on a side note: A lot of yellows in Van Gogh's paintings are due to his treatment with medicine called digoxin/digitalis - a cardiac medicine but also used on those days for psychosis.

 

On 'moving-on in love'

 

Beauty of humanity

 As I decided to downsize my living place, I moved to a townhouse with four adjacent units. Interestingly, each unit is occupied (counter-clockwise) by pure white caucasian, Hispanic, Arabic, and the Indian subcontinental (myself) families. All other three families knocked on my door to ask if I need any help during the move. 

I found this beauty of humanity fascinating.

Khayyam says

 ﻣﻦ ﻫﯿﭻ ﻧﺪﺍﻧﻢ ﮐﻪ ﻣﺮﺍ ﺁﻧﮑﻪ ﺳﺮﺷﺖ

ﺍﺯ ﺍﻫﻞ ﺑﻬﺸﺖ ﮐﺮﺩ ﯾﺎ ﺩﻭﺯﺥ ﺯﺷﺖ

ﺟﺎﻣﯽ ﻭ ﺑﺘﯽ ﻭ ﺑﺮﺑﻄﯽ ﺑﺮ ﻟﺐ ﮐﺸﺖ

ﺍﯾﻦ ﻫﺮ ﺳﻪ ﻣﺮﺍ ﻧﻘﺪ ﻭ ﺗﺮﺍ ﻧﺴﯿﻪ ﺑﻬﺸﺖ

I know not whether he who fashioned me 

appointed me to dwell in heaven or in dreadful hell, 

but some food, and an adored one, and wine, upon the green bank of a field— 

all these three are treasures to me: thine be the credit-heaven!

On Einstein's agony of son

Einstein ne saari zindagi ye 'pretend' kerte guzar di ke woh aik khush mizaj insaan hai. Us ne kabhi sare aam apne dukhon ki numaish nahi ki. Einstein ki Zindagi se mujhe aik waqt tha - aqeedat ki had tak muhabbat thi. Jab Apple ne apna video editing software 'iMOvie' nikala to main ne 2 ya 3 documentaries banaii thi. Pehli documentary Einstein ki zindagi per thi 

(-I need to transfer it from CD to youtube/digital media someday to preserve it.) 

Us documentary ke liye main ne Einstein ki zindagi ka bohat qareeb se mutaliya kiya. Yahi shoq mujhe Switzerland ke shahr Bern tak le gaya - Fortunately, it is within walking distance from the main train station.

Very few people know that Einstein spent a long time in the agony of his youngest child, Eduard, aka 'tete,' who was diagnosed with psychosis and schizophrenia. When his family left Europe due to the Nazis, he had no choice but to leave his son back in a mental asylum in Switzerland. He was unable ever to go back and see his son again. His son was an ardent student of Jung and psychiatry. Too much self-analysis made way to the dark alley of psychosis. At one point, he told his father that he hates him. After WW11 was over, Einstein decided to stay away from his son, so he doesn't relapse into his psychosis. Tete died in 1965 due to a stroke.

Woh kehte hain na

Kisi ki aankh agar nam nahi hai

Ye na samjho, us ko gum nahi hai

Ordinary

 

Day 53 of Age 39

Somewhere around the third week of July, I admitted a Muslim Bangladeshi man with a drug overdose with the intention of suicide. We were able to save him after a couple of days on the ventilator. Our hospital arranges Muslim chaplains if asked. In any case, we were able to bring a local mosque Imam at the request of his family. He agreed to talk with him. I was in the room when Imam made this statement. I am not sure if I fully agree with this. You can make your judgment.

"Allah the Almighty says in Ayat 53 of Surah 39, named Zumar, that: "Do not take a toll on your nafs (life/soul). Do not lose hope in Allah's blessings. He forgives all sins, and he is Gafoorur-Rahim."

Here is the kick from Imam. I think this ayat is a sign for you, and you know Ayat itself means sign. You did your act on the 53rd day on your age 39, and this ayat is the 53rd ayat of Surah 39. Allah gives you a sign that if you asked for forgiveness of your act, you would be blessed by him.

Go figure!!!

Guide - Guru - Hadi

 Kabir says:

At a personal note: I don't subscribe to the philosophy of Guide/Guru/Hadi - but I guess it should help.

Journey of Sufferings

Not sure what to make of this quote

 

Annihilation

I went to see one of my patients I cared for once. Unfortunately, he progressed to stage 4 cancer and is now in hospice. He said something worth sharing:

"Doc! I am lucky to take care of many affairs that people may not be able to when they die abruptly. It is such a blessing. I was able to distribute my estate fairly. I am talking to many friends, reading many books, and enjoying favorite foods as much as possible. A few days are good, and a few are bad due to pain. The most important realization is that - we all eventually annihilate in-universe as energy. We never die. We think we were born. Our energy vibe slowed, and we lived as a body for a while. We were always here and will stay here. When I close my eyes and feel myself as a wave of energy, I suddenly feel a part of the infinite universe. I feel immense peace, and I ask myself, where is death?"

*

Nothing is accidental

I made a conscious decision to donate all of my books to people since I realized: "Jin kitaboN se kirdar main pukhtagi naa aaye woh gadhe be ladaa bojh hi hai". 

In any case, it was getting hard to find a person who can value all my classic Urdu collections - many of them are now out of print. I made announcements in local WhatsApp groups with titles/pics, inquired via friends and families - but no one was interested. 

I accidentally bump a person in a local mosque where I went to help in a vaccine drive. The point is that I promised a few months ago, but on that particular day, I was post-call after 24 hours at Trauma ER and had to go reluctantly & tired. I guess things are meant to happen in a specific way. This person was ecstatic finding these books and has a good comprehension of Urdu literature.

 

Life

 

Love and Responsibilty

When it comes to taking care of people, loved ones, things, or any other stuff in life: it requires both love and a sense of responsibility. Ideally, they should be proportionate, but I will put responsibility above love if the situation comes.

A mistake of all generations

 Every generation has made the same mistake. They try to see their forefathers' lives with present-day values. It's all contemporary.

Dilkash Aurat

 (A conversation)

"Tum jaante ho sab se ziyada dilkash aurat kaunsi hoti hai?"

"Jo shadi ke baad nikharti hai"

Life after night...

(remarked by a friend on our discussion on prostitution)

"Zaindagi ki asal surat dekhna chahte ho to - raat ki agli subah - aa ker woh gali, makaan aur us ke makeeN dekho jo bazzare husn main raat dhalne ke baad aati hai"

Life

One of my uncles died last week. He was 92 years old. We made him hospice and let him go peacefully in his bed. One of my cousins said something, which makes sense:

"He lived with grace and died with dignity. Nothing else matters in life".

So true!

Seeker and doubts

 

The Road Not Taken

 What a remarkable poem by Frost. I am constantly encouraging my kids to go far for work, travel unseen places, and spent time in uncomfortable zones. I guess, this what makes all the difference.

  

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Dilip Sahab

 It's not only Dilip Kumar who died. I think Bollywood died.

If you ever get the chance, watch his dialogue in the movie Devdas: "Kaun Kambakht hai jo bardasht krne ke liye peeta hai" - and right after watch SRK or any other actor delivering that dialogue - you will know the whole difference.

What a unique man he was - one of the finest human beings sub-continent produced. He aligned literature, human emotions, and expressions so effortlessly.

RIP

On Dressing

 

The bright side of pessimism

 

From the sharp pen of Majeed Lahori

عہدہ و منصب دلا جمہوریت کے نام پر

تخت پر مجھ کو بٹھا جمہوریت کے نام پر

’آیت الکرسی‘ کا کرتا ہوں وظیفہ رات دن

بخش کرسی اے خدا جمہوریت کے نام پر

فاقہ کش لٹتے رہیں، پِٹتے رہیں، مٹتے رہیں

مجھ کو ڈکٹیٹر بنا جمہوریت کے نام پر

بھولی بھالی قوم کوئی اور مل سکتی نہیں

قوم کو الّو بنا جمہوریت کے نام پر

Two philosophies of life

 I have two extreme of friends, and not sure which one is on the right philosophy.

One is like my friend KT - who we popularly call - Abu dada. He is a strict dieter and an exercise freak. He has not eaten rice in two years, walks two miles every day besides an hour in Gym. My this group of friend takes life very seriously and believes healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Most of them are intellectuals or at least pseudo-intellectuals.

The second is like Sohail and Abhijeet. They love food. They don't care about weight gain. One has two stents in his heart and the second travel exclusively for the sake of good food.  Both have a wobbly belly. They believe it does not matter, you live 50 years or 100 years. Die early but enjoy fully.

I, personally and periodically oscillate between two philosophies. 

A second chance to say Good bye

 I don't want to make it dramatic, but this is an interesting article today on CNN. This is not the first time, this is talked about, but this may be interesting in wake of the COVID pandemic.

"And whenever there is a massive tragedy such as a pandemic, a war or a natural disaster, there is a corresponding surge in reports of people seeing the dead or trying to contact them. The 1918 influenza epidemic sparked a "spiritualism craze" as Americans turned to seances and Ouija boards to contact departed loved ones. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks came a wave of people reporting sightings of and even conversations with those who had been snatched from their lives. When a tsunami struck Japan in 2011, killing at least 20,000 people, so many inhabitants of Ishinomaki reported seeing their loved ones appear that a book and a documentary were made about this city of wandering ghosts."

Article link: https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/20/health/supernatural-encounters-pandemic-loved-ones-blake/index.html

Doll

One of my nephews has a three-year-old girl. They visited my place just for a couple of hours in my city around eight months ago. The little girl left her doll at my home. Later that night, her mother called to inquire about the doll as the girl kept crying on the airplane. I got the baby girl on Facetime and promised her that I would find her doll. I took it for granted—and completely forgot. We all forgot. 

A week ago, I visited them. As soon as I entered the house, the little girl asked, "Did you find my doll?"

At least to say, I was ashamed, I was embarrassed, and I was apologetic.

When I flew back, the first thing I did was look for her doll. I found it. I FedEx it. She finally got her doll today :)

Someone said, "Every child you encounter is a divine appointment."

*

companion

 

On Fear and Death

 

Under the Radar

 Jab "under the radar" hamari medical class main hamare saath admit hua to usko dekh ker hansi nikal jaati thi. Us ka qad 4 feet 10 inch tha aur jism bilkul patla dubla. Magar jald hi college main mashoor ho gaya. Agle 5 saal woh college ka pride performer raha. Us ne running aur swimming ke saare muqabloN main har level pe college ko gold medalist rakkha. 1988 main Olympic team main select ho gaya magar aakhri moqe per kisi "fauji gernel kernel" ke bhatije ko select ker ke is ko nikal diya gaya. Is waqiye ke kuch dino baad college ke 'tuk shop' pe betha mere saath chai pi raha that. Main ne poocha:

"Yaar Khairuddin, ye tera naam - under the radar - kese paR gaya?"

Us ne bataya: "Meri umar 8/9 baras thi. Aik din ghar pe bhai ne mere chote qad aur duble jism ka bohat mazaq uRaya. Main gusse main ghar se nikal ker bhaga -poori taqat se bhaga - aur paRos gaon main chacha ke ghar paunch gaya. Chacha mujhe dekh ke hairan huwe. Kehne lage: abhi tere baap ka phone aaya tha. Keh raha tha tu ghar se bhaga hai. Magar itni jaldi kese paunch gaya? Main ne bataya: Bohat gusse se race lagaii hai. Chacha fauj main the. Unhon ne meri training shuru ker di. Unhon ne hi ye naam rakha -kiunke sab mujeh darkinar samjhte aur main race jeet leta -. Athelet basis pe cadet college main admission huwa. Qad chota reh gaya. Aage na ja sakta tha. Medical college aa gaya. Bus ye naam kuch doston ke saath saath chal paRa. Pehle chote qad pe bohat rona aata tha. Phir saari energy runner aur swimmer bunne pe laga di".

Apni khaami ko khubi main badalne ka jo rang - under the radar - ne dikhaya, us ne saari zindagi mujhe guide kiya. Ab bhi Pakistan main hai. Pediatrician hota hai. Koi bata raha tha, sadre-Pakistan ne is saal koi qaumi aezaz bhi diya hai. Us ne duniya bhar ki marathon races main doR lagaii. 

Us se aakhri mulaqat 2017 main hui thi jub New York marathon doRne aaya tha. Mujhe us ne kaha tha: "Pediatrician to log samjhte hain. Asal main coach hun. Kamzor bachhon ko seekhata hun ke - zindagi ki race main - under the radar - hona khami nahi, khasoosiat (virtue) hai. Is ka khub faida uthao. Kisi obese bachhe ko wrestling pe, kisi dil ke mareez bachhe ko shatranj pe aur kisi duble bachhe ko 100 meters pe laga deta hun".

That one haunted house

It is said that (at least in the USA) a person lives in 11 houses in his lifetime. There is always a place - which haunts a human for the rest of his/her life.

As we five friends discussed the above scenario, all of them believed that it is probably true.

In my case, I have a place I lived for three years, well inside woods and mountains in the far land of Northwest USA (now feels like my previous life) - periodically still haunts me. Nothing happened while I lived there, but it is almost 25 years since I wake up with either a nightmare or "not a good feeling." It includes a feeling of drowning, fear, or evil personalities around.

One of my medical school friends, who stayed back in Pakistan and now practices surgery in Islamabad, lived at many places while his father was posted at various places as an army commando. He still periodically wakes up with nightmares and beaten-up feelings inside one house in the remote mountain of the afghan area. Interestingly, he wakes up with bruises all over his body. Multiple times, all blood workups, including coagulation profile, etc., etc., turned out to be completely normal.

(Interestingly, as I was writing this post, his text messages appeared on my phone)

Any thoughts? Anyone?

Life and it's colors

زندگی تصویر وی اے ، تے تقدیر وی اے

 من چاھے رَنگاں نال بن جائے ، تے تصویر

 تے اَن چاھے رنگاں نال بنے ، تاں تقدیر

 ”اَمرتا پریتم“

Life is a painting as well as a circumstance

If colors are of choice, its a portrait

If colors are of unlike, it's a fate

                                                           ~ Amrita Pritam

Saying NO

 Meri umar 17 ya 19 baras rahi hogi. Ilhaad (atheism) ke saare falsafe mere sir pe chaRh ke bol rahe the. Abbu ne raat poocha: "Kal Eid ki namaz pe saath chalo ge? ya khud jao ge?" Mera jawab tha: "sath."

Abbu fajar ke baad pehli jamat main namaz ada kerte. Meri wajah se 10 baje wali aakhri jamat tak ruk gaye. Abbu Nazimabad ke idgah maidan barsoN se jaate the, wahin purane doston se bhi mulaqat ker lete. Meri wajah se ye sab kuch miss kiya. Shayed unhe mere khayalat ka andaza tha. Chahte the ke main mazhab ki taraf raagib rahun.

9.00 baje main ne abbu se khaha: "Aap bhai ke saath chale jaayain. Main ne koi namaz wamaz nahi paRhni".

Abbu us waqt to chal diye magar sham unhoN ne aik baat kahi jo ab tak yaad hai. 

"Zindagi main musbat haan aur na bohat zaroori hai. Aaj to aesa nahi huwa magar aksar logon ki zindagiyan, khushiyan, zaroori plans hamari haan aor na se bante aur bigaRte hain. Na kehne main koi muzaiqa nahi magar us se bhi ziyada khatanaak cheez hai taal matol. Zindagi main musbat naa kehna sikh lo werna kai rishton se haat dho betho ge."

(It's important in life to say clear YES or NO. It didn't happen today but many times people's lives, happiness, major plans depend on our yes or no. There is no harm in saying NO but even more dangerous is to be ambiguous. Learn to say 'Absolute No' in life, otherwise, you may lose many relationships).

Small events in life

 As I get older, I appreciate such small events more and more. If I would have read this poem 20 years ago, I may not have appreciated its beauty at all. 

Aik umar ka tajarba chahiye zara si baat ko samjhne ke liye

Ghalib ka aik khat - (Dilli aur Corona)

 Someone did a fabulous write-up. It said: "Dilli har baar ujaRti hai aur basti hai". A writer named M. Rehman pinned down Dehli situation with corona virus as Ghalib did during the Indian war of 1857.

(Shaukat Siddiqui suggested: "to appreciate the beauty of Urdu, read it loud")

ایک دلچسپ تحریر۔۔۔۔

ایم رحمان دہلی

*کرونا اور غالب کا  "جدید خط"*

میاں۔۔۔ خط تمہارا مع غزل پہنچا۔ غزل کیا دیکھوں، فی الوقت عذابِ الٰہی دیکھ رہا ہوں۔ نہ کاغذ ہے نہ ٹکٹ نہ لفافہ۔  اگلے لفافوں میں سے ایک بیرنگ لفافہ میں لپیٹ کر اس تحریر کو سپرد ڈاک کردوں گا۔ 

تم نے دلی کا حال پوچھا ہے!

میاں۔۔ اس کے مقدر میں تو اجڑنا ہی لکھا ہے۔۔۔ 

کبھی انسانوں سے کبھی آسمانوں سے! 

کیفیت کیا لکھوں۔ 

کلیجہ منہ کو آتا ہے۔۔ 

ہاتھ لرزاں قلم جنبش نکند ۔۔۔۔ 

لو صاحب تمہاری تواضع خاطر کے لئے جی ہلکا کئے لیتا ہوں۔ جی اپنا کڑا کر لو، اور سنو۔۔۔

ہر جانب ہو کا عالم ہے۔ محلے ویران ، مکان بے چراغ، 

نہ آدم نہ آدم زاد۔ بس ایک سناٹا کہ ہر سو چھایا ہوا ہے۔  شہر، اب شہر خموشاں ہے۔ ویرانی ، وحشت، خاموشی، خوف، چشم تصور نے بھی کبھی دلی کو اس طرح دیکھا ہوگا؟  بحکم سرکار منادی والا آتا ہے، مرنے والوں کی تعداد بتا جاتا ہے۔ یہ عمل دن میں تین بار ہوتا ہے۔ خوف و دہشت کو ذرا جی سے دور کرنا چاہا کہ یہ کم بخت آ کر منادی موت کی سنا جاتا ہے۔  بتاؤ، ایسے حالات میں انسان زندگی کیوں کر اور کیسے کرے؟

صاحبانِ عالیشان کا فرمان ہے کہ ہر انسان چھوٹا بڑا، مرد و زن، اپنے مکانوں میں محصور رہے تادم فرمانِ ثانی۔  خلاف ورزی باعث سرزنشِ شدید ہوگی۔ حکم حاکم مرگ مفاجات۔ ناچار بیٹھا اپنے اشعار کی تسبیح کئے جاتا ہوں۔

رہئے اب ایسی جگہ چل کر جہاں کوئی نہ ہو

ہم سخن کوئی نہ ہو اور ہم زباں کوئی نہ ہو

بے در و دیوار سا اک گھر بنایا چاہیے

کوئی ہمسایہ نہ ہو اور پاسباں کوئی نہ ہو

پڑیے گر بیمار تو کوئی نہ ہو تیمار دار

اور اگر مر جائیے تو نوحہ خواں کوئی نہ ہو

مسموع ہوا ہے کہ تمام شہر اور اطراف کا علاقہ ایک وبائے ناگہانی کی زد میں ہے۔  یہ وبا آپسی اختلاط، میل ملاپ سے آگ کی طرح پھیلتی ہے، لہٰذا ماحفظ التقدم انسان انسان سے دور رہے۔ اطباء و اہل حکمت وبا کا نام "کورونا وائرس"  بتاتے ہیں۔  میں گنہ گار بندہ علی کی قسم کھا کر کہتا ہوں کہ اس بیماری یا وبا کا نام میں نے قبل ازیں نہ پڑھا نہ سنا۔ بظاہر اسم مرکب ہے نصف اس کا ریختہ اور نصف انگریزی۔ ریختہ میں کرنا مصدر ہے، کر اس کا امر ہے: کرو حالتِ حکم۔

'نا' اصرار کے لیے، جیسے چلو نا ، آؤ نا، پیو نا وغیرہ وغیرہ۔ وائرس لفظ انگریزی کا ہے۔ میری فرنگی زبان میں ایسی استعداد نہیں کہ مفہوم تک رسائی ہو۔ فرہنگ سروری میں بھی یہ لفظ موجود نہیں۔ قرین قیاس "احتیاط" مفہوم ہو سکتا ہے۔ یوں جان لو۔۔۔۔

"کرو نا احتیاط"۔۔۔

روبہ کعبہ کہتا ہوں کہ میں موت سے نہیں ڈرتا مگر وبا میں مرنا مجھے پسند نہیں؎

ہوئے مر کے ہم جو رسوا ہوئے کیوں نہ غرق دریا

نہ کبھی جنازہ اٹھتا، نہ کہیں مزار ہوتا

ان حالات میں مخلوق کو خالق سے رجوع ہونا چاہیے۔ 

توبہ، استغفار ہی نجات کا راستہ ہے۔ انسان معذور و مجبور۔۔ 

حقہ کے لوازمات اور عرق گلاب وافر مقدار میں موجود ہیں۔ چلو، بارے کچھ دنوں کا سہی، سامانِ عیش تو ہے۔

 

کوتوال شہر نے فصیل کے چاروں دروازے مقفل کر دیے ہیں۔ نہ کوئی آ سکتا ہے نہ جا سکتا ہے سوائے سرکاری منصب داروں اور جرنیلی کارندوں کے۔ 

 یہ صورت حال کب تک رہے۔

مرزا سرفراز خاں صاحب کو خط میرا پڑھوا دینا۔

نجات کا طالب۔۔۔ 

غالب

One unique thing about fathers

 A friend recently told me a thing, and I found it true for myself: 

"There is something unique about fathers. You miss them more as you grow older. As you become a father yourself, you realized that how much you didn't avail him."

An old lesson

 

Alternate realities

 There is no right or wrong decision, it's just alternate realities. 

Love, hate and indifference

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference." 

~ Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate

Slippery slope

 Main aur Naeem Mohsin medical college ke dost the bulke class fellow the. Hum ne saath saath USMLE ki tayyari ki. Saath saath America aaye. phir Chicago main bhi saath rahe - residency ki. Us ke baad alag ho gaye....woh Chicago reh gaya. Meri la-ubali tabiyaat mujeh dusre shahron le gai...

Aur phir aik dusre ke phone number bhi kho gaye...

....barson yun beete jese bus abhi palkain jhapki hon..... aur ye khabar bijli ban ke giri ke Naeem Mohsin ne Chicago main khud kushi ker li....

2 din tak main kuch sochne ke qabil na tha. Zindagi ke 10-12 baras saath guzare the. Achha khasa samjhdar aadmi tha. 

Kab kahan kahani main kesa moR aaya kisi ko khabar na hui. 

Doston ne bataya - Us ne saare doston se raabte toR liye the...har kisi se jhagra kerne laga tha ....biwi bachhe bhi choR ke chale gaye....peeche Pakistan se bhi ghar walon ne nate toR liye....

........kab kis zehni bimari ka shikar hua - aur kiun huwa - pata na laga... 

license bhi haat se chala gaya... paise khatam ho gaye...kisi shelter main panah li

...aur phir aik raat khudkushi ker li...

Ye zindagi bhi bari kutti cheez hai. Aik dafa 'slippery slope' pe paun phisal jaaye to phir sambhalne nahi deti. Ye koi pehli dafa to nahi huwa. Ye blog aesi kahanion se bhara paRa hai...

.. apne doston se milte rahiye. Zindagi ke kis muqam pe kis ko kis ke sahare ki zaroorat paR jaaye, kiya malum.

(In the United States - on average - one physician commit suicide every day)