Kannadasan – A Realized Master (Part 32)

 

Our friend Ramesh Thyagarajan shared his thoughts on the previous episode that "I am very fond of the song from film *Rajapart Rangadurai*. It raises some interesting and realistic questions." Another friend called me and playfully chided, "What is this? You’ve left out my favorite lines from the song 'Jinjinukka Chinnakili'—the ones that go, 'I try to laugh, I try to laugh, but the laughter won't come; I try to cry, I try to cry, but the tears won't come!'" My thanks to both of them for giving me a fresh idea. Kannadasan sang multiple songs in the context of ‘laugh-cry/happy-sorrow’ combination. Initially, he has sung in a philosophical vein, like this (“Pirakkumbothum azhukindraai”) (Film: *Kavalai Illatha Manithan*): 

"You cry when you are born

and you cry when you die

oh, human, you have forgotten to laugh

free from all worries, even for a single day

They say the night’s tears are dewdrops,

And the clouds’ tears are the rain;

When nature weeps, the world flourishes,

But when man weeps, nature smiles!" 

Kannadasan was a profound sage who beautifully wove philosophy into film songs. This song stands as a testament to that (Film: *Enga Veettu Penn*):“Half laughter, half tears—

is this not what the human race is made of?

Half fire, half water—

is this not the fundamental law of the world?

 

Among stones hewn from rock, one becomes a deity,

another a temple, yet another a threshold;

there is no distinction in God’s creation—

everything changes depending on the setting!” 

In the context of romance, he wrote like this, as usual finally blaming everything on the Creator (“Sirithaalum Kanneer Varum”) (Film: Penn Endraal Penn): 

"Tears may fall whether one laughs or cries;

Laughter arises in the company of loved ones, while parting brings forth tears.

Yet, whether in tears or in laughter, a soothing peace can be found.

If one looks with a childlike heart and a gentle, tender spirit, there is a smile;

But if one views life through a blend of love and sorrow, there is only restlessness.

What are joy and sorrow, if not the creations of the mind?

And what are the songs the mind sings, if not reflected in the eyes?

What are the sights the eyes behold, if not inspired by women?

And what is the life that women lead, if not the handiwork of the Divine?" 

If God has come, will the god-like money be far behind? Kaviyarasar also lames money, which equally makes humans either cry or laugh ("Kaasethan Kadavulappa") (Film: Sakkaram): 

“He who gives shall watch, he who takes shall finish,

And the bystander shall only laugh;

That those who laugh may end up crying,

and those who cry may find themselves laughing—

is this not a state brought about by money?" 

Happiness and sorrow are perhaps the two permanent guests in the human house. One arrives without invitation; the other leaves without saying goodbye! But happiness is mostly an inside job, it does not depend upon external circumstances. In their book, "GATEWAYS TO HAPPPINESS: 7 Ways to a More Peaceful, More Prosperous, More Satisfying Life " authors Mary Lou Retton with David Bender confirm this: "True joy and happiness are within reach for all of us no matter how bad our circumstances may seem. If you think your marriage or relationship isn't working, if the shape of your body seems unattractive to you, if you career is more draining than satisfying, you CAN make a change and find the peace and satisfaction that will bring a smile to your face.” 

In this book, the author Mary Lou Retton, who is the first Olympics gold winner of USA in Gymnastics, inspires you to walk through these gateways of happiness for yourself and craft an exciting, accomplished, and extremely fulfilling life. The thing about laughing at yourself is that it completely disarms anybody who's trying to embarrass you. If you can genuinely laugh about your own perceived shortcomings, then you automatically take the power away from anyone who might try to make you feel insecure.  Someone once said that if you get people laughing, you know they're listening and you can tell them almost anything." 

A poet named Trichy Thyagarajan has also written about laughter and tears (“Sinthithaal sirippu varum”) (Film: *Sengamala Theevu*): 

"Thought brings forth laughter

while a wounded heart brings forth tears;

Human life is a constant flux

shifting between a gentle breeze and a raging storm.

 

Birds and beasts that roam the wild

Do not perish from the pangs of hunger;

When I think of man—who claims to be the noblest of minds

and the greatest upon this earth—

I am filled with a profound sense of shame." 

And was the poet Vaali any less capable? He truly showcased his mastery in this piece (“Yaar sirithaal enna? Ingu yaar azhuthaal enna?”) (Film: *Idhayathil Nee*): 

"What does it matter who laughs or who cries here?

What is meant to be revealed will emerge;

what is meant to vanish will fade away.

 

Things that appeared yesterday or today may change by tomorrow;

Like shadows cast upon water,

they may drift away, fleeting and unstable.

I might perceive something one way,

while you might see it quite differently—

When what is seen and what is understood diverge, and even true love begins to appear as a mere falsehood...

 

Every sight that meets the eye may become but a fleeting vision;

And all that one beholds as a vision may slip beyond one’s grasp.

A gentle, fragrant breeze might turn into a raging storm;

golden sunlight might transform into the cool light of the moon—

When what arrives and what is perceived diverge,

and even true love begins to appear as a mere falsehood..." 

Surprisingly, Kannadasan's philosophical thoughts resonate well with the best of wise words from the Western World. Thought leader Aristotle said "Happiness depends upon ourselves." Martha Washington agreed to this fundamental wisdom that it is the mind you see which is the culprit. She said, "The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not our circumstances." Pioneering Mind Scientist Carl Jung made a serious observation, “Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness. There is no coming to consciousness without pain." Turning to East we find similar expressions. Dalai Lama said, "Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions", underlining the Karma effect. Like the Jesus Christ, Kenji Miyazawa was open to sorrow by saying, "We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey." We have already seen the Buddhism expression that "The root of suffering is attachment."  Richard Wagner was more specific, “Joy is not in things; it is in us." All these wisdom points to one thing, that is, Life is a mixture of sunshine and rain, laughter and tears, pleasure and pain. Happiness is not the absence of sorrow, but the ability to smile despite it, just the way Kavi Gnani has brought out in his Cini lyrics. 

There are also some funny quotes on happiness and sorrow. Mischievous George Burns set up a final twist in his thought, "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city." People say money can't buy happiness. But I would rather cry in a BMW than on a bicycle. Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go, is another quirky saying. An obesity-conscious thought is happiness is when your doctor and your tailor both tell you that you have lost weight. Money-conscious saying goes like this: "Sorrow is temporary. But the EMI for the car you bought to overcome sorrow is permanent!" 

Happiness is a guest; sorrow is a relative. The guest leaves early, the relative stays for months. Happiness comes in instalments; sorrow demands full payment in advance. When happiness knocks, we ask, "Who is it?" When sorrow knocks, it walks straight in. We spend our youth searching for happiness, middle age worrying about it, and old age wondering where it went. Happiness is free, but unfortunately, its maintenance costs a fortune. The trouble with happiness is that it never gives us a permanent address. Sorrow makes us philosophical; happiness makes us forget philosophy. We remember our sorrows for decades but sometimes cannot remember what made us happy yesterday. Happiness is when everything goes according to plan. Wisdom is when you don't mind when it doesn't. Life gives us lemons, we make lemonade, and then the doctor tells us to avoid sugar. 

Happiness is a temporary visitor; sorrow is an uninvited tenant. We want happiness to last forever, but we want sorrow to leave immediately.  Life is a pendulum swinging between happiness and sorrow. Wisdom lies in not standing in its way. Happiness is enjoying what you have; sorrow is counting what you don't have. A happy person has no time to complain; an unhappy person has no time to be happy. Sometimes the only difference between happiness and sorrow is our expectation. Don't take life too seriously. Nobody gets out of it alive! Happiness is a state of mind; sorrow is sometimes a state of the bank balance!  Yesterday's sorrow is today's story; today's happiness may be tomorrow's memory. If happiness and sorrow are both temporary, why do we give permanent importance to either? 

After all, life is short. Smile while you still have teeth. I finally discovered the secret of happiness. It is to stop checking whether other people are happier than you. The secret of being happy is accepting where you are in life and making the most out of every day.There is some more balanced wisdom flowing on Happiness & Sorrow combo.  "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." observed Winston Churchill.  Mark Twain took a different turn. He said, “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." 

In conclusion, let us turn towards our own Indian Wisdom. The Bhagavad Gita says, "One who remains undisturbed in sorrow and free from excessive attachment in happiness is a person of steady wisdom." Our Valluvar sang, "One who does not run after pleasure and regards hardship as natural will not be overwhelmed by suffering." Later period Buddhism is standard in its approach: "All conditioned things are impermanent. Happiness and sorrow alike arise and pass away." An Indian thought also concurs this wisdom, "Whatever comes, comes to pass; whatever stays, eventually goes." Finally, perhaps the real secret of happiness is not to have a life without sorrow, but to develop a mind that doesn't surrender to sorrow and a heart that doesn't become intoxicated with happiness. That, I think, is the meeting point of philosophy and practical wisdom. 

Returning to our sage Kannadasan, he has once again woven a clever play on 'laughter and tears' (“Sirithaalum azhuthaalum nilai ondruthaan”) (Film: *Kalathur Kannamma*): 

"Whether you laugh or weep, the state remains the same;

Whether you move on or stand still, the path is the same;

Whether it continues or comes to an end, the story is the same;

Whether you fall low or live a full life, the essence remains the same.

 

There is joy in union, and sorrow in separation—

An immutable law of this world;

To arrive, to linger for a while, and then to vanish—

Such is the very nature of life!" 

The poet reached his pinnacle—capturing the profound emotional bond between a mother and her son—with these lines (“Silar sirippaar, silar azhuvaar”) (Film: *Paava Mannippu*): 

"Some will laugh some will weep;

I weep even as I smile.

Some will weep some will laugh;

I smile even as I weep.

 

Affection surges within the heart,

Yet differences block the path.

I smile, thinking of the bond we share,

I weep, having no claim to call it mine.

 

Time will change one day,

And all our sorrows shall fade away.

I smile, thinking of what is yet to come,

I weep, thinking of what has come to pass." 

As you can see even in the above lyrics, Kannadasan always ends his songs, even if they are a melancholy, on a positive hopeful note. I think, as a realized master, he was above petty worldly happiness and sorrow, but remained truly joyful in life, like Kannan his master. In his book. "The Ultimate Gift", Jim Stovall says, "Joy does not come from avoiding a problem or having someone else to deal with it. Joy comes from overcoming a problem or simply learning to live with it while being joyful. Laughter is good medicine for the soul. Our world is desperately in need of more medicine. The Gift of Laughter is not a comedian in a night club or a funny movie. It is the ability to look at yourself, your problems, and life in general, and just laugh. Many people live unhappy lives because they take things too seriously. There are things in life to be serious about and to treasure. But life without laughter is not worth living." 

Poet Vaali also wrote, "She smiles today—she smiles, for the tears she once shed have transformed" (“Sirikkindraal indru sirikkindraal”) (Film: *Nallavan Vaazhvaan*). And, as a poignant concluding thought, he penned: "I shall laugh, I shall laugh, I shall keep on laughing—as long as I have breath and speech; I shall remember, I shall remember, I shall keep on remembering—until the memory fades from my heart!" (“Sirippen sirippen sirithu kondiruppen”) (Film: *Chinnanjiru Ulagam*). Wouldn't a film be truly compelling only if it contains both laughter and tears? The personal stories that play out on the screen of our own minds are much the same—a constant, alternating flow of laughter and tears that keeps us under its spell. 

Such is our fate—we have even witnessed the degradation of cinema songs, as seen in tracks like "Sirichi Sirichi Vandha Seena Thaana Doy." We laughed a bit too heartily, perhaps forgetting the Divine Shiva—leading to the observation, "People will clap their hands and laugh; the world around you will laugh!" (“Kaikotti sirippaarkal, ooraar sirippaarkal”) (Film: *Apoorva Raagangal*). But fret not. Avoiding the poet Vali's words, "The world laughs at you" (“Unnai paarthu intha ulagam sirikkirathu”) (Film: Adimai Penn), let us conclude this 'debate' between laughter and tears: "Let those who laugh over there continue—theirs is a laugh born of arrogance. But the gentle smile you wear here—that is a laugh of pure joy. When the world finally delivers its true verdict, it will be clear then—who is truly laughing, and who is left to weep!" (“Angey sirippavarkal sirikkattum”) (Film: Rikshaakaaran). We left off in the previous episode amidst a father-son conflict within the first family of Shiva-Murugan. A red light glows on Shiva(ji)’s forehead. He is not one to sit (‘sivaney’) quietly; he might just trigger a digital spark from his third eye—much like he did with Nakkiran—and reduce us to ashes. "Let the 'Murugan-Sivapuranam' (son teaching a lesson to his own father') be, Sir.” You might ask, 'What is there left for Us to learn—we, who have gained so much worldly experience—after all, from a child born ‘to us’ (produced by us!) who knows absolutely NOTHING?' Let us set aside those old personal narratives for a moment and see how it is possible to learn. 

When the parents (both Father & Mother) see their own replica in their children (both son & daughter) not only physically, but also behaviorally, emotionally and in speech and action, they are startled to see their 'mirror image' and realize their follies, subject of course, to whether they become self-aware or self-conscious. Others see it as the Nature's trick and dismiss/forget it sooner the children grow up. But the 'woken up' parents get a precious opportunity to reflect on their own past as children and recall moments of how they grew up in an environment present then. They also recall their childhood memories and their hurts from unconscious upbringing by their parents. They consciously try avoiding such mistakes while parenting their young children and, in the end, make new mistakes! 

If they are intelligent enough, they chose to create a conducive environment around the children at home and elsewhere so that they themselves and 'their children' can grow fully, avoiding the mistakes of the past. Besides, the dynamic feedback from their children also given freely and without inhibitions by them serves as pointers for the parents’ emancipation as 'better human beings'. For instance, I received valuable feedback from my daughter when she was a child: "Dad, why don't you laugh and play with me often these days? Why are you always so serious?" Earlier, when my growing son was being mischievous and I raised my hand to strike him, I—fortunately, or perhaps thanks to a moment of awareness—recalled the beatings I had received from my own father and the impact they had on me. This memory opened a door for me to rethink the situation and handle it/behave, differently. 

Readers will surely recall the famous *Thiruvilaiyadal* story where the mischievous Narada brings a ripe mango, creating an atmosphere of rivalry and comparison within first family (Shiva-Parvathi)—a situation that leaves the parents entangled in worldly attachments and domestic discord. This prompts the clever Ganesha to devise a creative way to claim the fruit, while the younger Murugan—angered by the situation—becomes the protagonist of the family's first tale of running away from home. Ultimately, Shiva and Murugan set aside their egos and reconcile, returning to a state of emotional connection. It is in this context that Murugan becomes Guru for Shiva, as the Aadi Bhagawan realizes his unconsciousness and wakes up rudely by the mirror shown by his son in the ultimate Indian wisdom of 'Ohm' mantra.  If the opportunity arises later, we can discuss how chanting the *Pranava Mantra* 'AUM' (AA + Uu + Mm) during meditation helps establish self-awareness. 

Observe how Kannadasan—acting as a modern-day Avvaiyar—resolves the 'Narada-esque' complication (the family conflict caused by the protagonist of Balachandar in the film *Apoorva Raagangal*) through the song "Kelviyin Nayagane": 

"When one eye meets the other—what message

do they whisper to each other?

When both eyes unite as one—what difference

remains in their vision?

 

Declare that the distinction has vanished, oh my dear,

before we stray, forgetting our sacred path.

 

Oh, Vel Muruga of Palani Hill—Shiva

has yearned for you for ages; come, Muruga.

Cast aside your stubbornness, great Muruga—stay

close by His side with affection, Muruga.

Thirumuruga... Thirumuruga!" 

‘What is it that you are trying to convey through this story?’ By becoming aware of their breath, meditating on their monkey mind and dispassionately and keenly observing their children’s behavior, that parents get a precious opportunity to 'wake up' BEFORE handing over the baton of the New World to the Next Generation. When the parents’ turnout to be grandparents they not only acquire further wisdom by watching and being with their grandchildren, but also pass on their life lessons to the third generation. And hence the DNA gets improved over generations, as per my own understanding of the Indian Spirituality. Let us further see, how it happens and what one should do. 

At home, from the moment a baby is born, relatives and acquaintances begin making comparisons—saying the nose resembles the mother's or the ears look like the fathers. Does this imply that a husband and wife are merely machines churning out fresh copies? Are we releasing an "improved version" with a new design in the form of the next generation? As the child grows, the comparisons extend to their mannerisms, voice, and gait, compare-classify-judge-criticize as the narrow logical human mind does automatically, unconsciously. In villages, sayings like "The child is the spitting image of the father" or "Like mother, like child" (akin to "like thread, like saree") are commonplace. So, does this all happen naturally? Or can children reshape themselves through personal effort? "Nature versus Nurture" is a classic Western debate topic that has kept experts arguing heatedly for ages. Does DNA triumph, or does learned behavior dominate a growing child? Let us see. 

This has sparked another highly significant debate: “Is it destiny, or is it human intellect?” Can human intellect overcome destiny? That, in short, is the question. Let us ask the sage Kannadasan... in the next episode...

-J Jeyes (www.jeyes.in)