Cosmopolitanism

The word "cosmopolitan" seems so common today. It frequently appears in newspaper articles and magazines. Even the name of a particular magazine is "Cosmopolitan". Though we are so familiar with the word … what does it really mean?

The idea of "cosmopolitanism" is not very different from the idea of perfection. An ideal that every person (on an individual level) strives to achieve. But this can be achieved only to a certain extent since perfection itself is limitless. I would define "cosmopolitanism" as "social perfection at a global level". By "social perfection" I mean an unbiased mindset of people towards other people irrespective of their background, social status,history or appearance. How feasible is such an idea as this? Can one look at a so called " criminal" without any prejudice? Can a person look at his enemy as one not very different from himself?

Can we honestly call ourselves a cosmopolitan society? What about other issues that seem to be negating cosmopolitanism- like terrorism , which has caused unimaginable mistrust and fear. The atmosphere is filled with constant suspicion of all that which is unfamiliar and strange- be it people or objects.

In airports all over the world , security has been tightened to its limit since the increase of terror attacks. Every passenger is under suspicion. Tough this is inevitable for security reasons, can it be called cosmopolitan? The kinds of thoughts , feelings and emotions that run through the mind of every passenger while he is rigourously and meticulously checked , can they be termed as a result of cosmopolitanism?

"Cosmopolitanism" as of now is an ideal that the society is striving or wanting to achieve. There are numerous talks, conferences and articles expressing this common desire among highly conscious people. But has this fantastic ideal materialized at a global level?

How Conditioned Are We?

What are the factors that cause conditioning?

To what extent can we free ourselves from this conditioning?

Creativity- as the erasure of conditioning.

How do we overcome conditioned thinking?

Lets start with human babies. Apart from genetic make up, the needs of it condition its behaviour. As it grows up its environment and society causes the second level of conditioning to occur. So now- apart from the natural or human traits(not anything new ofcourse) there is further conditioning caused by the surroundings. Interestingly, the human traits ( 1 st level of conditioning) are erased by the conditioning by culture apparently to make women " lady-like" and men "gentlemanly". Where these two terms are relative as their meaning, symbolism and implications are different in different cultures.

Come to think of it , almost everything we do is conditioned. We wake up , brush our teeth, shower, eat, read the paper, work , eat and sleep(superficially speaking) . it would be interesting to know who set this pattern. Why this order? How much of what we do is natural or genetic conditioning and how much of it is cultural conditioning?

Then comes the third stage of personal conditioning caused by past experiences, phobias and individual thought processes.

Conditioning is an inevitable phenomenon. As long as we live there will be constant conditioning and reconditioning like the ongoing process of technological growth.

How far can we free ourselves from this conditioning? Its hardly even possible to become aware of all the conditioning in the first place.I believe it cannot be undone completely but can be redone partially.

Mere awareness of this state is probably the first step to creativity( in the pure sense of the word). Creativity is the suspension of the conditioned state through an unconditioned(pure) state. I believe we often get into this state but it doesnt last very long becuase of the predominance of our conditioned patterns .

Overcoming conditioning is merely doing the unobvious. A drastic change in the way we think.Thinking beyond what we see, hear and read. A fresh look. A new view- the birth of creativity.

Questioning a Moment

Can you see me there?
I was there just a moment ago,
Maybe I’m still there,
Among those lines that were with me,
And probably were a part of me.

I can see someone here,
I feel something now,
Is it you?
Are you trying to tell me your story?
Or is it my story?

Can you see me rising?
Or am I falling?
Will you tell me where I’m going?
Is this your home?
How long will you stay?

Can I…. do I stay with you?
Do we even stay?
Aren’t we moving?
Were we ever still?
Are we in harmony?
Or is it harmonious discord
Holding us together?
You just passed me….
Did you see me?

My Cell or The Cell’s Me?

I see that you know how much I need you.
You slowly climbed up my priority list
Like a stealthy cat you ran up that ladder
Before it could even be made strong enough

You stand up there and laugh
You know my secrets.
You eves drop into all my conversations
You’ve figured how to grab my attention,
My time, my space, ME!?

Earlier I never understood you….
What you could do
You let me control you.
No, you let me think I control you.
You knew all along that it was all about you
You deceived me!

An Art Work As A Metaphor To The Human Body
The Mirage


Gaganendranath Tagore
Watercolour on paper


This Painting deals with abstraction( not as a separate entity) but as an extension of the human body. The painting seems to attempt to connect abstraction with physicality by the method of perception by the physical entity.
The dark figure , centrally located represents the physicality of the human body. The grey portion seems to represent the abstract body-that invisible body that is never static. Its meandering lines and images representing constant movement and flow…the flow of thought and emotion that constitutes its very nature.
The overlapping portion of grey and black reveals the connection between the two entities that make up the human body-the physical and the non-physical. It reveals the undeniable interdependence of thoughts and actions. This overlapping portion states the symbiotic connection where one cannot exist without the other.
This frame of the human body depicts the duality of the human body. It represents the essentially static physicality and the dynamic spirit merging together to constitute the human body. Thereby revealing that the human body can never be only static or only dynamic. There can only exist a static dynamism or a dynamic static state.
The different shades of grey could represent the multilayered nature of human consciousness. The underlying layers are masked by the visible layer. The white of the paper being masked by the grey and the grey portion being masked by darker shades of grey, physicality being the strongest and thickest mask of them all-the dark figure.
The grey concentric circles on the black figure seem to convey the cyclic nature of physicality while the cyclic nature itself is abstract as the rest of the grey portion surrounding the figure. The two caterpillars and the butterfly forming a sort of triangle on the figure seem to depict the larger cycle of birth growth and rebirth of the physical.
The two roses springing out of the figure in two opposite directions represent the cyclic nature within and outside the figure as a unity- the unity of thoughts and physical changes.
There seems to be a dance of natural elements around the figure that is stirring it into motion……representing the dance of mind over matter. It is this energetic dance that seems to stir the resistant, unyielding figure(physicality) to dance with it and through it. The abstract force seems to manifest itself through the physical.
The side posture of the body is another depiction of the duality of the human body by being neither frontal nor dorsal. Infact it is quite ambiguous, thereby depicting another aspect of the human body- deception of appearance performed by the duality of the human body.
Therefore, in this picture, the human body is an interplay of abstraction and physicality. The movement of the physical body brought about by the dance of abstraction.
Finally , this is only a “mirage” as the title suggests. An illusion created by the mind of the one looking at it. Actually it is only black colour on white paper representing the thought , the breadth and the action of the movement of the human boby that did it. It represents all those actions and movements that took place during the time span of putting the black colour on the white paper.