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On the day of Sunday, 23 August 2009,20:44:00

A balmy breeze blows

It was a beautiful day. On a left turn, we left the urbanity behind.

It was a beautiful little place with white-washed walls and on one side, an open balcony that overlooked a sea of deep green foliage. We took a seat at the heavy wooden table, beneath a slow-swirling ceiling fan.

The ease was beautiful. Amidst comfortable chatter, a balmy breeze.

su |

On the day of Tuesday, 18 August 2009,20:48:00

Have you never seen a Blue Moon?

I read a book over the weekend. Its title is Lost Horizon, but a more famous name that came from the novel would be Shangri-La, which has since been adopted many times by places and of course the hotel chain, for its wondrous association to tranquillity and luxury.

Shangri-La is a utopian valley which four strangers were brought into on a hijacked plane. What immediately comes to mind when I read the word utopia, and without reading the book, would be happy, non-abrasive people who does simple work for simple but tasty meals. And indeed this is more or less what Shangri-La is, loosely governed by the lamas and ruled by the philosophy of doing everything in moderation (even crime, even kindness), but with deeper, darker secrets.

With promise of a good life, there will be no pain, no suffering, no hunger … no competition, no heartache, no bitterness. Only contentment, and leisure and beauty… friendships and trust and a quiet joy.

And why not head to Shangri-La even if you would have to be removed from your world? Believe me it is for the better. For secular woes are the bane of you, and haven’t you had enough! Do you care to be as good as the neighbour? Do you still want to race? Do you need the world’s validation, when the ones who love you already think the world of you?

We read books, we pray, we meditate to learn about life, to come to terms with destiny and acquire wisdom so we can live with true gratitude. For few, enlightenment comes early; for many, when they’ve passed the half-life mark, when they’ve mellowed with legs that tire from a half-hour stroll and eyes that need to squint to take in more knowledge; for most, possibly never. So why not then spare yourself the uncertainty, Shangri-La will help you achieve this state of being. In time, there will be no longing, only bliss.

Yet, I don’t know.

Utopias are for the wise, the wise will choose to go. The fools choose to stay. Or could it be the other way? The wise choose to stay because they can make utopias of the here and now, even if brought into Shangri-La against their will. As for the fools, they cannot wait to go away, but Shangri-La would just be another prison as they yearn for the beautiful secular world for years and years to come.

su |