March 19, 1999, Friday, sunny, 23-35C
[11:34 @ Rm.111, Kanha Jungle Lodge]
In
the dining pavilion today I saw two framed poems by Christopher Lindstrom, one
titled [Tiger Song], which I’ve already read, and the other is [Earth’s Hope],
which I have not.
If
we are here then why don’t we help the Earth
Her
water, her land and all her being
Recycle we know, waste not already learned
Who
sleeps and destroys and isn’t terribly concerned
Is
it the individual who really doesn’t care
That
our children will suffer or others elsewhere
Not
in our backyard who is so blind
To
see all the trashed produced by Mankind
We’ve already given poison to those who do
not need
Those plastic and petrol products the worst
disease
Is
God so far away or has money won
This
battle of love as important as our Sun
Blow
the wind, burn fire and water breed
Create life, save nature, just follow me
My
voice is one today yet not so alone
Others listen,
know life and care for their own
How do I help,
do good, is it too late
Aren’t the
forces too great controlling fate
Brothers and
sisters listen to me
We will
control our destinies
For we are the
seed and we will grow
We can make
fire when it snows
Dive under
water escaping heat
Laughing and
crying as we need
Blow the wind,
burn fire and water breed
Create life
and give nature what she needs
Respect and
love why don’t we
Don’t let
money be your disease
We are not
weak, that’s if we care
Our small
actions can save the mountains
Good deeds the
sea
Picking up the
land, help the sky and plant a tree
Guard a flower
to remind you of all that is good
She’ll stay
with you, need love and listen
As we should
[22:15] My being a “superstar” in MP does have its drawbacks. Today, being medical clinic day, we picked
up the doctor from Malanjkahn in the morning and drove him back in the
afternoon. When they were getting ready
to drive the doctor back, Kim, who went for the ride, asked me if I wanted to
go. Faiyaz advised against that. Seems that the better known I am, the more
enemies I have and the less I should be seen, for my own safety.
This
is my last full day at Kanha in this expedition, and, given my fall-out with
Pradeep, probably the last day at Kanha in my life. But perhaps one day, when my hair has turned white, and Punkesh
and Kiran and Bishnu and Asha have all grown up, and I have become the
published author of OMNI-SCIENCE, I’ll come back, if there is anything left of
Kanha to come back to.
Sucheta
will be going back to Delhi, and she had a parting shot for me. She kindly offered to read my palm and
methodically observed, “You have a small heart, a mediocre mind and a long
life.” Well, one out of three ain’t
bad. She also read Anne’s palm. Her verdict was, “Sorry to tell you this,
Anne, but your life, including love life, will be very boring,” this in spite
of the fact that Anne is having an exciting experience in India right now.
Just
as Sucheta said that Faiyaz had the misfortune of finding himself sandwiched
between Pradeep and me, this applied to her just the same. She may not know it, but I am saddened that
circumstances beyond my control placed her into an untenable position. Could I have tried harder to make her feel
more welcome to the team? I’m sure I
could, but she certainly didn’t make me want to try.
Well,
Anne’s life may be a very boring one, but she just had an interesting
thought. “Freud talked about the
‘collective unconscious’ and Jung talked about ‘super-consciousness’. There may
be something to both in the scheme of things.”
“Ahead
of their time,” said Faiyaz.
“Also,
Freud’s Id, Ego and Super-Ego. The Id
strikes me to be ones Cellular consciousness, the Ego is ones Metabion
consciousness and the ‘Super-Ego’, ones social consciousness.”
“Which
itself is multileveled,” Faiyaz pointed out.
“If ones highest allegiance is to a corporation, or to something like
the Mafia for that matter, then his ‘super-ego’ is on the Tribal level at
best.”
“As
I was only two months ago.” Said Anne.
“Win in the name of Edwin, Johanson and Leach, regardless of issue, at
all cost.”
“And
now?” I asked her.
“Now,
planetary if not downright cosmic, of course.
Sandwiched between you and Faiyaz, where else could I be?” she said with
a sad smile.