When I read Bondage written by Mr J , my mind went back to the novel I read in 1962, and the film I saw in 1964 OF HUMAN BONDAGE a classic. It flashed after 70 years. The nut shell:"W. Somerset Maugham’s masterwork is the coming-of-age story of Philip Carey, a sensitive young man consumed by an unrequited and self-destructive love.
Born with a clubfoot, Philip is orphaned as a child and raised by unsympathetic relatives. Sent to a boarding schoolwhere he has difficulty fitting in, he grows up with an intense longing for love, art, and experience. After failing to become an artist in Paris, he begins medical studies in London, where he meets Mildred, a cold-hearted waitress with whom he falls into a powerful, tortured, life-altering love affair. This is the most autobiographical of Maugham’s works, with Philip’s malformed foot standing in for Maugham’s stutter, and the character’s painful romantic struggles inspired by the author’s own intense love affairs with both men and women. A brilliant and deeply moving portrayal of the price of passion and the universal desire for connection, "Of Human Bondage stands as one of the most accomplished novels in English literature.". Later I read his razor's edge. I still remember his preface where he said, a novel is one where the characters shall speak as if they would and the author shall not fix his mind. I saw that in the Novels of Kalki and Sandilyan. Sujatha had it but there was always Sujatha seen in all his stories. 2 In Hinduism, you will frequently hear the world bondage (bandha). Bondage is that which arises from the bonds or attachments (bandha or pasa) which the beings (jivas) form with the world. It is responsible for human suffering, delusion, ignorance, and continuation of the individual souls in the mortal world. The soul is eternally free, unattached, immutable and indestructible, but a living being is bound by his own actions, desires, and attachments which further bind him to the mortal world. The Vedas affirm that neither through good actions nor through sacrificial ceremonies one can become free from bondage. Bondage arises because desire-ridden actions have consequences, which leave strong impressions in the mind. Repeated activity of the senses in the world of objects results in the formation of latent impressions (purva-samskaras). They create the casual body (karana sarira) which become attached to the soul. As long as the souls are enveloped in the impurities of their past karma and bound to their latent impressions, they cannot be free. Desire for liberation and freedom from bondage arise only after a person has gone through numerous births and rebirths and accumulates wisdom and exceptional merit through righteous actions. 3 एषा तेऽभिहिता साङ्ख्ये बुद्धिर्योगे त्विमां शृणु | बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्थ कर्मबन्धं प्रहास्यसि || 39|| eṣhā te ’bhihitā sānkhye buddhir yoge tvimāṁ śhṛiṇu buddhyā yukto yayā pārtha karma-bandhaṁ prahāsyasi *G 2.39*: Hitherto, I have explained to you Sānkhya Yog, or analytic knowledge regarding the nature of the soul. Now listen, O Parth, as I reveal Buddhi Yog, or the Yog of Intellect. When you work with such understanding, you will be freed from the bondage of karma. Shree Krishna has just explained to Arjun another form of *Sānkhya*, which is the analytical knowledge of the immortal soul. He now says that he is going to reveal the science of working without desire for rewards. This requires detachment from the fruits of actions. Such detachment comes by practicing discrimination with the intellect. Hence, Shree Krishna has interestingly called it *buddhi yog*, or “Yoga of the Intellect.” In subsequent verses (2.41 and 2.44), he goes on to explain how the intellect plays an important role in bringing the mind to a state of detachment. KR IRS 26423 On Tue, 25 Apr 2023 at 16:11, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]> wrote: > When you pursue victory and wealth, remind yourself that they are shadows, > not substantial things. When the Sun is behind you, can you ever reach your > shadow even if you pursue it for millions of years? Never, your shadow > flees faster and will always be beyond your reach. Instead, turn toward the > Sun and proceed! Then, watch what happens. The shadow falls behind and > follows your footsteps like a slave! > > > > Remember, shadow is the symbol of worldly illusion (maya)! As long as you > follow worldly illusion, Madhava (God) is ignored and is out of sight. You > cannot win His vision and grace and will ever remain in bondage, caught up > in the coils of birth and death. > > > > From this atmosphere of dependence, sincerely endeavour to release > yourself. Without realising your bondage, if all of your efforts are > directed to the acquisition of sensual pleasures, it is a sure sign of rank > ignorance. Instead use all your skill and energy to free yourselves! > > > > *God, who is the embodiment of love, can be attained only through love, > just as the effulgent Sun can be seen only through its own light.* > > > N Jambunathan Rengarajapuram-Kodambakkam-Chennai-Mob:9176159004 > > *" What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you > become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a happy life, tie it to > a goal, not to people or things "* > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZorsou7gSwViwB%2BSCqKeOCNTLLyUdsfeDJF78gmwNX23Lw%40mail.gmail.com.
