Words are rich beyond measure, their reach too beyond measure. This, Edward Bulwer-Lytton realised, and hence, his acknowledgment: “Pen is mightier than the sword.” Beginning this Saturday, we are introducing a weekly column, wherein Sushmita will make us aware of the words and its various layers. A Different Truths exclusive.
Are we careful with the words we use and the way we use these? Do we use the words with care? Or we couldn’t care less about the words, and hence, are careless with the words, knowing less, if at all, what we exactly say, what we exactly mean by what we say?
Well, reasons are there behind the flurry of queries that begin the article—that, too, the first one through this space. After all, every effect is a cause made manifest, as without a cause nothing that is made manifest, could be. Life leads us through every stage and every phase, staging the phases in such a way that we are led to the queries as well as to the answers, as, without the answers, the queries have no identity. The word “question,” too, wouldn’t have birthed without the word “answer”!
Incessant is evolution, as only this is the purpose of life served, life, self-fulfilling, self-sustaining, self-perpetuating. It is a continuous march towards awareness and enhancing awareness, shedding ignorance. The course of life, thus, leads us through various experiences, arising out of the inter-personal interactions which, finally, lead to “intra-action,” an interaction with self, ensuring self-exploration and self-awareness. And self-awareness is that light which sheds light on the dark spots, the spots thus no more…leads to seeing the unseen earlier…leads to see the invisible…
Self-awareness, thus, leads to the enhanced awareness and ever-enhancing wonderment about the enrichment that the words incubate and nurture, waiting to be revealed…waiting to open their doors to their hidden treasures…waiting to receive the knock of acknowledgment.
The queries, that begin this sharing, are derivatives of my realisation that I too have been careless, rather, have been mindless (till, I have been, that is!) about the way I propagated the heard from the peers, not thinking, even for once, that there is, and could be, something to enquire about all that has been said by my near, dear, peer, senior, in days prior.
Albert Einstein’s wisdom warns against this very carelessness: “Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”
Life has its ways to ensure the realisation! I got a jolt, a healthy jolt when my inner voice asked me: “Why do we say we fall in love? Why don’t we say we rise in love? After all, the experience of love, true, truly makes one rise.” This has served as the trigger and got scripted an article, “We Rise in Love” (in the e-magazine Spiritual Lounge, which now ceases to be). Even a book has formed, as an ode to this language and the life it expresses, describes and explains:
Many have been, and are, the awe-inspiring moments when words have opened themselves up like never before…making me realise, more and more: We know not what we utter, and then, when found to stutter and stagger, because of the clutter—the impacts of these utterances—we either complain that words are limited in reach or defend, saying, “It was just a figure of speech.”
Words are rich beyond measure, their reach too beyond measure. This, Edward Bulwer-Lytton realised, and hence, his acknowledgment: “Pen is mightier than the sword.”
When we follow the herd (no disrespect intended), heard is not the voice within which always conveys the truth. When we go with the consensus, we are benumbed to the senses that sense the ongoing and the treasures beyond the apparent.
When experience and expression do not resonate, it is falsity that is manifested. In trying to follow the so-called norms and “true” sayings, we keep on propagating them, even if they are found to be non-functional or not true for us. It isn’t essential that what is true for one would be so for another. Truth is unique to being, as each is a unique being, none replaceable, and none replicable. So it is with the words too, and hence we have the synonyms! And it is the words that we most commonly employ and deploy to transact and interact with the world…and with the world within. If there is no truth in the communication, what would it lead to? Miscommunication, leading to the very strife that we strive to overcome and get rid of.
An evolved expression creates an inspiring impression and results in a healthy propagation.
As to what all this space endeavours to share, well, for that you will have to keep an eye on it! Rest assured, it is going to be anything but didactic. You are in for some awe-inspiring treats that words treat us to—treats that will never allow one to retreat to the old ways, of mindless propagation of sayings and utterances. It is a call to re-treat yourself with the wonders of words that express the wonders of the world, words, themselves, wonder-filled, their revelations wonderful! And even if you happen to be aware of them, you couldn’t complain less, if you complain at all, as none complains when treated with wonder-filled treasures, including that of words.
Meanings are found to depend on the diction of our perception, and hence, are found to transcend even the dictionary. Words relentlessly affirm and encourage (in fact, affirmation is found to be one with encouragement!), as Neale Donald Walsch (he has opened my mind hugely) says: “Meanings are what we give.” And in William Shakespeare’s words: “As you like it!”
Are we ready to acknowledge and hail: “We rise in love?”
Words empower when the power they have is acknowledged. Acknowledgment is the first step, towards realising the empowerment that they assure and ensure. Or is it the belief that so it is? As you choose! But it is important to choose, as the first step is always the most important step, and in William Wordsworth’s words: “To begin, begin.”
Life is the template where we are allowed to falter and then we are given the opportunity to alter — our ways, means, meanings—faltering no more, filtering not any more “our” truth!
©Sushmita Mukherjee
Photos from the Internet
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