Being someone whose most cerebral capacities are spent on understanding the nature of reality, expansion of perception, and finding meaning to a “good life” along with looking for the “cure” for suicide, the search for an absolute rule of law has been a futile endeavour. With the subjectivities that arise out of the human mind, looking for viable ideas that can remain unshaken even in the times of peril, without putting one’s capacity to experience happiness into oblivion, led me into inquiring about existentialism, where, I found Albert Camus.
I have been amused, having read the ages-old “Avadhoot Geeta” roughly translated, “the song of the free soul” and not finding any mention, or repetition of its ideas intrigued me, for it was supposedly written by Dattatreya (widely regarded as the “poorna Avatar” of Bramha, Vishnu, and Mahesh together), the one who put Parashuram away from a life of violence and sent him into penance.
A scripture written by such a heavyweight, yet widely underrated only could be understood by the fact that the masses couldn’t comprehend the message it wanted to convey, the message of absolute freedom, subjectivities, and infinite expressions of life.
Amazingly enough, it was only through post-war disillusionment that such ideas made a comeback, with Camus championing what we now call “Absurdism”
Reading “The plague” and looking at how futuristic, accurate, and intricate it still remains, relevant to the times we’re facing, I can only say we’ve always overlooked the idea that possibly portrays reality in its most starkly naked form. The form of the absurd. The form of freedom. The form of strength in weakness through the virtue of acceptance.
Maybe we’re still not ready, or simply don’t want to accept these ideas, because maybe, we really do fear chaos and a lack of control.
Maybe, we’ll never learn to outgrow the idea of “I”, maybe, we don’t deserve it.
Recommended readings- Avadhoot Geeta (Dattatreya), The plague (Albert Camus).
