The greatest joy

The one thing people think they are sure about is regarding what makes them happy. Philosophers, though, seem to be of the opinion that they are wrong about that. I mean, there is even that proverb saying something on the lines of 'When the gods are angry with you, they grant you whatever you desire' or some such. Which goes to show that those gods certainly think that the easiest way to heap misery on you is to give you everything you ask for. Apparently, humanity cannot be trusted even to know what will make them happy.

So, yeah, take recourse to someone like Tiru who tells you what will delight you the most. Even though you did not know that it would. Even though you thought that the exact opposite was what the doctor ordered to make you happy.

Inbatthul inbam payakkum igal ennum thunbatthul thunbam kedin - Tirukkural

When the worst misery - hatred - is vanquished, one gains the best of joys - Loose Translation

Yeah, when everyone knows for sure that to hug hatred to your heart and achieving vengeance is the only way to lasting happiness. I mean, come on, does anyone really think that you can be happy by forgiving and forgetting?

And, yet, think! I mean you developed a hatred because of what? Because someone said or did something that made you happy? No, right? Hatred comes out of something said or done by someone that made you angry. And anger is generally an outcome of hurt.

Then, to hug that hatred to your heart is to constantly remember that moment of hurt. It is akin to clawing a wound continuously and keeping it raw and bleeding. Well, misery of miseries IS right then, isn't it? AND vengeance...when hurt has been kept alive for so long, does ANY retribution seem sufficient? AND will not the perceived insufficiency of the vengeance, keep the hurt alive even after the vengeance is achieved? (Not to mention the fact that the guilt about the acts YOU perpetrated, in the process of achieving that vengeance, kicks in AFTER the dust is settled.)

Not that it is easy to do that. To not seek vengeance does not mean that you can be at peace with the decision. You see, the hatred IS alive, you have only decided to forego the option of acting on the dictates of hatred. So where then is this 'greatest joy'?

THERE, like all philosophers, Tiru expects too much of you. OR, to be more honest, he sets up the ideal for you to aspire to. You see, 'Igal' is not like 'political correctness' as in, being determined by how you behave externally. 'Igal' IS the burning hate you carry in your heart. AND Tiru says you need to vanquish THAT. In other words, you must learn to rid yourself of that hate in your mind.

Now, is it not how we stay unhappy? By storing up all our moments of hurt, periodically taking one or the other off the shelf, dusting it and looking on it in all its pristine glory so that you can relive the hurt? If you could only wipe out those hurtful memories, eliminate all that hate...

A man who can truly cleanse his heart of all hate...THAT is the man capable of the greatest joy. Us mango people, we have to make do with the small pleasures of life.

True delights?

The problem with 'True' as an adjective or adverb is that the moment you see it you know that someone is going to rain on your parade. I mean, here you are relaxing with your single malt (OR beer or tequila or whatever, just so I don't get into an idiotic argument about the relative merits of various liquors...OR about the virtues of being teetotal) and your music of choice, murmuring to yourself, "This is bliss' and someone pops up with "Oh, yeah! Do you know what true bliss is?"; THAT puts paid to the evening, let me tell you.

Invariably, that someone IS a philosopher, yes. It is as though that THIS is a badge that identifies a philosopher - this finding of 'true' this and 'true' that. So, how do you expect Tiru to NOT acquire this badge?

Gunanalam saandror nalane piranalam ennalatthu ulaadhoo-um andru - Tirukkural

The only delight of the wise and good is that of good character; all else is dross - Loose Translation

Let us get the translation issues out of the way. 'Saandror' generally indicates 'wise people'. NOW, in those times, apparently 'wise' also connoted 'good' automatically; 'intelligent' was a whole different cup of tea but 'wisdom' also meant that the person concerned was as good as a saint. I mean, these were the times when 'knowledge' itself meant more spiritual knowledge than worldly knowledge, the latter being relegated to the 'skills' department. In these days when worldly-wise is the only wise there is (AND, no, I start from the day I was born when I say, 'these days' NOT from the day I retired!), I make it a point to add '...and good' to 'wise'.

Further, this 'nalan' or 'nalam' meant 'well-being' which can be translated to physical or mental well-being or both; it also means 'good' when it is used as an...err...adjective or adverb. I call it 'delight' because, after all, it was those times when mental well-being and mental goodness were being considered the acme of delight.

So, yes, Tiru says that the only delight that the wise and good seek is the delight that comes from inside...of good character traits. All else that comes is not of great consequence to them. Which, essentially, has passed down through the ages till it was discarded recently. THAT NOTHING is worth gaining at the cost of losing your character. (As someone in the relatively recent past said, "When Wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when Health is lost, something is lost; when Character is lost everything is lost". Who said it? I take no names for, after all, if I do we will only end up in a long discussion about vilifying OR praising the person and totally forgetting the issue we were discussing.)

THAT was the 'wise and good' and what they do. How nice for us that we are neither!

Incomparable Fame

There is this thing about fame. Everyone wants it but even the famous know not if it is lasting. Especially true these days when a viral video or message can yield fame that lasts only as long as it is not displaced by the next one. Ephemeral is a word that would be in over-use these days, when it comes to fame of this sort, if only people believed that words more than two syllables long really exist and can be used.

Now Tiru has his bit to say about it, as usual. The chap seems to have an aversion to leaving any subject alone.

Ondraa Ulagatthu uyarndha pugazhallaal pondraadhu nirpadhu ondril - Tirukkural

Other than fame, which is incomparable, nothing else is imperishable - Loose Translation.

This particular Kural allows itself to be interpreted as 'Only fame is incomparable AND imperishable'. That, though, seems to me like an incomplete understanding of what Tiru wants to say. I mean, Tiru has time and again proved himself to be a nuanced guy. So, how likely is it that he would mean this, leaving people to assume that ALL fame is incomparable and imperishable? Like, a viral meme of today is overtaken by a viral meme of tomorrow, so what is incomparable about it?

The other, more nuanced, interpretation, would be that the fame which comes out of the person being incomparable is lasting fame. Which means that a person who seeks to be the best in what he does or how he comports himself AND succeeds in it; is famous for it - whether it be as the greatest archer, administrator, man of charity, whatever - has achieved lasting fame, fame that may be considered imperishable. 

You know, you CAN slice and dice it too - like greatest author can be genre-wise; can be the greatest of his time and so on. The point is that he who excels AND is famous for what he excelled in has achieved lasting fame.

All else, as some poet or the other is likely to have said, is dross!

Virtue sans compassion?

There is a reason why philosophers are discarded in favor of meme-creators. More so in these days, really. I mean, it is a digital age and we prefer to have a 'Push this button, this happens' sort of solution. And philosophers...well, philosophers are the original wafflers who will tell you to acquire a bunch of character attributes without even indicating where on Amazon or Flipkart you can readily purchase them...on a sale, if possible. I mean, where is the 'Say please and thank you and people will like you' sort of easy instruction manual in any philosophy? (In religion? Please...do you want to get me lynched?)

So, yea, our man Tiru has this to say:

Therulaadhaan meipporul kandatraal thaerin arulaadhaan seyyum aram - Tirukkural

The virtues of a man lacking compassion is akin to the comprehension of a man lacking discernment - Loose Translation

You know, it is a tough job today to really say anything the way these ancient philosophers said it. They just scattered their adjectives and nouns with gay abandon - 'Fool', 'brainless people' etc. - and you have to think whether you need to say 'intellectually challenged' or some such AND also worry about being accused of privilege.

So, Tiru says that a man without discernment reading a book would make a mess of understanding the true sense of it; in like manner, a man doing charity, but lacking true compassion, will still remain lacking in virtue.

So, yeah, you can get away legally by DOING things in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility. But when it comes to personal virtue, you need to first feel the compassion for those whom you seek to help. Else, it is merely another thing you are crossing off on your to-do list but has no more meaning than that.

See, what I mean? 'Give charity, go to Heaven' is not the way it works according to Tiru. Ah, no, you need to go and change your character as well.

Alas, when will I find a philosopher who will teach me to just push a series of buttons and become a saint?