The Solace Seeker- by Pema Choidar
“Tong…tong….tong!” the gong
resounded through Lamai Gonpa Buddhist monastery. Its sonorous tones carried
through forests, over valleys, up cliffs, down gorges, blending with the
serenity of the place.
The
young novice monks, tonsured and maroon-robed rushed towards the entrance from
all directions.
An
elderly monk, Gelong Mindu stood
still, with a blank gaze towards the western horizon, drinking in the resonance
of the gong until it dwindled and died in the distance. ‘Ah! To retire for
repose after a long day’s service in toil,’ he sighed, staring after the golden
trail of the setting sun.
Mindu
was in wonderland.
Down
to earth, back in his office, he sat in an armchair, fixed his eyes on the
computer console while his adept fingers typed out the alphabet. He must finish
the work, yet his very thought of haste impeded the pace of its execution.
Soon
he was to be with Tshoki.
Almost
time. Before shutting down, Mindu checked
his e-mail. There! Tshoki had given
the time and place of their rendezvous. His spine tingled with anticipation.
Time up! Shut down. Mindu left.
They
drove to Tshoki’s place, watched their favourite soap on TV, and made light
talk over dinner as usual. Having gone together for the last ten years, they
had finally decided to settle down. Their wedding had been fixed to be in a
fortnight.
Mindu
returned to work the next day in a cheerful frame of mind.
Then
the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Is
it you Mindu?”
“Yes,
something wrong?”
“Um…
I’m…” Tshoki’s voice sounded strange.
“Is
there anything the matter?”
“I’m
sorry,” she hung up abruptly. He stared at the phone, and then noticed he had
e-mail on his computer screen. It was a note from Tshoki which read:
Dear
Mindu, I’m already engaged to somebody
and I’ll be marrying him soon. I couldn’t bear to tell you before but now I
must. I know how hard it is for you. It hurts me too. Please forgive me.
Goodbye. Tshoki
The
very next day, Mindu tendered his resignation. He was called several times for
an explanation. Exactly one week later, his phone rang. It was his boss; his
resignation had been accepted.
“Excuse
me!” his young friend nudged him.
Mindu
stood there dazed for a while.
“It’s
late, “said his friend, “you are miles away.”
As
he approached the hall, he could hear the melodic sound of the prayer in
progress. He entered with burgeoning faith and beatific smile. The other monks
seeing his asinine smile wondered if Gelong Mindu was going senile.
-Written
in Loving memory of my late Grandpa, Meymey Mindu.
Published by Bhutan’s National Newspaper, ‘Kuensel’ on June 26, 2004.
-Reproduced to fulfill the requirement
of KM Tool for Knowledge Management
Course, MEd
Reflection: Wisdom is
pursued through the sufferings.
please comment on my work if you like it.
ReplyDeleteUmmm...
ReplyDelete1. In the seventh para...I don't feel very comfortable with the 2nd sentence; "Having been going together....". Should it not tense as "Having gone together...for the.....,finally decided...." as there are time determiners to qualify the "ing" tone.
2. Incorrect use of inverted commas in the second last para... adds a certain dullness to the otherwise beautiful sentence. I guess that is a hasty typo error... I say this because this line is my favorite and also because it is a metaphoric marker; "It's late, you are miles away".
3. On the literal whole, it is a tale (reason) simply told about why the protagonist instead of sitting in his office has "come miles" to the Lamai Gonpa Monastery.
My analysis:
This is a typical contemporary Bhutanese story that depicts traditional Bhutanese values. On one hand, the protagonist deserves a lot of appreciation for the earthly sacrifices he made in his attempt to seek solace in religion and prayers (as that is ultimately the aim of all Bhutanese who understand the transiency of life). On the other hand, he takes after some of our monks who instead of gliding deeper into their meditation and prayers still remain attached to the earthly world (woman, wine and money). To some extent it also points out the absurdity that is typical to Bhutanese men - Men have to seek solace; if not women surely religion (hahaha...).
Overall, I like the simplistic depth of this story. Many ills of any society stem from failed relationships/divorce/broken families/dysfunctional families. Research has shown that children born from parents who enjoyed only one love/marital affair are far more stable and have greater potentials for doing well in literacy and mathematics. Like the protagonist, perhaps we must love only one and if that fails go to a monastery or nunnery and keep thinking, reminiscing and praying for her :) .
Pema, I like your story.
ReplyDeletePhub, Thank you for your reflection & analysis and the most valuable comments. I like to grow with a person like you. Of course, we grew together by sharing a lot in common.
ReplyDeleteIncorrect inverted commas in the 2nd last para.was my silly error committed in haste, Phub. I will be more careful & Cautious next time.
ReplyDeleteWhen the going gets tough, the tough get going" - Joseph P. Kennedy (1888-1969)
ReplyDeleteSad but we have many lessons behind. Like it!
Very good story for our of buddhism, i like this paragraph " It hurts me too. Please forgive me"
ReplyDeletePhub, I correct the "having been going" to "having gone" as you suggested. Thanks.
ReplyDelete