Agony and Ecstacy of Eman - VII

Eman knows that the true strength of the rulers and the ruled. He knows it is foolish to match the might of the rulers with the same weapons. That will be trying to match knowledge with ignorance; for, the rulers who wield their weapons every day knows their power. He murmurs:' how do I know I'll wield the same weapons differently? Or, that I will not attack from behind to usurp the throne? No, No, this is not my aim!'. If that be the aim, he will have to make his sword, if not today, tomorrow. But this prospect does not inspire him.

Eman declares : That will be my last resort, for I'd have destroyed myself in doing so. I know the truth of the wars : wars have been fought for survival of the aggressor, when he hits upon the idea that that is the only way to survive, live longer to achieve immortality. Aha, if this war is being fought for survival, then I should stop it before it is too late. I must arrest this tide of progress. I should destroy systematically the whole and watch from other worlds the act of creation once again. And if the war is for an idea, that idea is of the market place driving men to draw the sword first. Ideas do not constitute men, life is above all ideas.

Thus, while the rational man goes about managing the affairs of the day, with sure belief in the books of the times, determined to wield the power he has inherited, Eman disappears underground, finding fault with his own fate, but not his neighbor, not his country, not his rulers.

    This law is not of me, by me, for me...,

    when we discover, we discover new laws.

    those now forsaken by the gods

    rediscover the gods in new shapes,

    those now forsaken by the machines

    will find new machines in new forms!

Eman exlaims: Ha..Ha, if only I could forget myself. In the process of preparing for the harmonious action of neighbors and brothers, he discovers the ecstasy of all. He starts drumming:

    You do not start by living,

    start searching for what you can learn,

    see inside where the mind gets set.

    Sustain only that mind, heart and hand,

    till you have perceived your own forms.

    Then, create them wrought in silver or gold,

    marble , sand, snow or silk.

    Till such time you suffer and see ;

    your life maintained by your brothers far and near,

    until you are aware your are alive,

    until you know you possess a little fire.

    In the month of Aashad,

    the mother huddles her hearth and cooks her grains.

    In the fire raw twigs and leaves burn,

    kindled by the least little that readily burn.

    Oh, man, burn the infinite raw within you

    with the least little fire

    that is kindled in your heart,

    do not let the little just burn away.

    Burn, burn all the raw,

    that you may know

    the little bit of true value.

    Then listen to the song of the new epoch:

    The sword is wrought in burning coals,
    The mind is wrought in burning the infinite.

    Hey, burn it down with courage,

    search out the pure nugget in the ashes;

    read words in the firelight of the leaping flames

    and warm your hearts,

    that you may weave your own epic.

    For,...

    the lover does not sell the letters of his love,

    he burns them in the winter night,

    watching the flames spread from word to word,

    and reads them once again at last.

    To realize the meaning of it all

    in one last sweep to let his mind resolve.

    Oh, my brother ,

    you cast away the resolutions of early youth

    or carry them as the most unfinished deed?

    Oh my brother, would you curse

    the innocent prayers of early youth

    as a lie to be buried in the temptations?

    But, did you not challenge the gods?

    To lift the father from bondage,

    to free the mother from tears?

    'Times have changed' is a lie!

    Your time forever waits for you to change it.