Thursday, December 07, 2006

Inquisitive

Two Buffaloes and I

I look at the world. I look, distancing myself, so that somehow in that looking I might see the world as a microcosm of the universe, and thus identify myself with the universe and see my being, fragile, defective, transient, incomplete and fore-doomed, in relation to it. But no matter how far my mind and perception soar, the ultimate limit of physical detachment remains the length of the umbilical cord which ties me to a life, environment, conditions, of which I am no longer a part, and with which I have no pending business. What am I doing then? Why am I not releasing myself from the life-sustaining bond which at the same time strangles me, binding me to environmental attitudes which are alien to me, and situations with which I cannot cope.

The car stopped with a jerk, as two buffaloes were holding a quiet conference in the middle of the road. They looked at the car with benevolence as it did not appear to pose any threat to them.

I was so curious about what was going on in the minds of the buffaloes that I wanted to give my mind in exchange for theirs. But then, I knew it would be a disaster for them, if not an act of acute cruelty, so I let the thought pass and resumed wondering what I was doing here, now, with possible tomorrows, and thereafter, and how long . . .