Am "I" real or unreal?

I am currently reading Radhakrishna's book Indian Philosophy. Had discovered it in the Sophia College library while research, and had really liked it. Discovered a copy at my grandmother's place in Delhi. Apparently, it belonged to my great grandfather, Pandit Mauli Chanda Sharma, supposedly an intellectual. My granny gifted to me over a year ago, but it had been lying neglected in my cupboard, until recent frustation with my life forced me to take it out and indulge in some meaningless speculation about the purpose of life and existence.

I found a very interesting excerpt about the reality or unreality of ourselves, our existence, and here it is:

" How are we to acoount for this world? The emperical variety is there bound in space, time and cause. If the self is the one, the universal, the immutable, we find in the world a mass of particulars with opposed character. We can only call it non self, the object of a subject. In no case is it real.

The principal categories of the world of experience, time, space and cause are self contradictory. They are relative terms depending on their constituents. They have no real existence. Yet they are not non existent. ( What is existence? What is non existence? Is it a physical sensation?) The world is there and and we work in it and through it. We do not and cannot know the why of this world. It is this fact of it's inexplicible existence that is signified by the word माया (Maya). (Does this mean the world the world is mutable and unreal and will ultimately be changed/ destroyed while the self will not do any of these things? Where will the self go if there is no world to exist in? To define it's universalness against? )

To ask what is the relation between the absolute self and the empirical flux, to ask why and how it happens, that there are two, is to assume that everything has a why and a how. To say that the infinite becomes the finite is or manifests itself as finite is on this view utter nonsense. The limited cannot express or manifest the unlimited. The moment the unlimited manifests itself in the limited, it itself becomes limited. To say that the absolute degenerates or lapses into the empirical is to contradict its absoluteness. No lapse can come to a perfect being. ( By the way, When exactly had we established through irrefutable logic and proof beyond any doubts that the self was infact perfect, real, univeral and unchanging?) No darkness can dwell in perfect light. We cannot admit that the supreme which is changeless, becomes limited by changing. To change is to desire or to feel a want , and it shows lack of perfection. (going by this, can we actially ever admit to anything at all, since admitting to one thing would mean, that that alone is true and unreal and there are no other possibilities. That everything else is false and unreal. That's too narrow and limited for me!) The absolute can never become and object of knowledge, for what is known is fimite and relative. Our limited mind cannot go beyond the bounds of time, space and cause, nor can we explain these, since every attempt to explain them assumes them. ( Does this mean they are inassumable? And thus infinite?) Through thought, which is itself a part of the relative world, we cannot know the absolute self. (But then, from where has the concept of "absolute self" arisen, but from our own thought/ experience/ sense- perception- which are again objects of the emperical world. How can a subject/ real thing come from an object/ unreal thing? How do we "know" an "absolute self" "exists"? What is knowing? Is it a-priori? A-posteriori?

Christian science defines time as "error" or illusion.

Kant says " if time is a quantification of duration of events, a spatial measurement used to quantify the extent and duration of and between events, then what about altered states of consciousness, as experienced by dyslexics, mad people and those using hallucinogens. As the boundaries for experiencing time are removed, so is its relevance.)

Shall I compare Slumdog Millionaire's Ring- ring- ringa to John Donne's The Flea?

Poetry being one of my passions, there is a wide variety of poems that I really enjoy. However, there are some poems, as well as some schools of poetry that have a very special place in my heart, and among those, are the Metaphysical poets and John Donne. One of his poems that is fun to read every single time is The Flea. Now, the interesting part is, these guys, Donne, Marvell and Herbert were supposed to write "metaphysical poetry" in attempts to bring the reader closer to God, there sure wrote a heck of poems that can't be described as Godly or religious from any point.

Case in point: the flea and Marvell's To his Coy Mistress... Both are highly entertaining and irreverent. The flea is specially an example of the Medieval notion of Carpe diem or "cease the day". Anyway, this post is about how Donne's flea finds a parallel in Slumdog Millionaire's song "ring ringa ringa". For the benefit of anyone who doesn't understand hindi, I'll try to translate it.

Hindi Lyrics: Chick Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi (Ring Ring Ringa, Ring Ring Ringa, Ring Ring Ringa Ringa Ringa) - 2 Hayeeee!, Aye Ree!!!, Aahahh!!!! Chua Chua, Chua Chua Chua, Aye Ree! Chua Chua Ara Ra Ra Chua Chua Chikchi Chikchi Chua Chua, Chua Chua Chua Ayi Ayi Ayi Ya Mai Mai Ya, Ayi Ayi Ayi Ayi Yi Yi Yi

[ Ringa Ringa Song Lyrics @ http://www.hindilyrix.com ] (Ring Ring Ringa, Ring Ring Ringa, Ring Ring Ringa Ringa Ringa) -


2 Khatiye Pe Mein Padi Thi, Aur Gehri Neend Badi Thi Aage Kya Main Kahu Sakhi Re.. Ek Khatmal Tha Saiyana, Mujhpe Tha Uska Nishana Chunrai Mein Gus Gaya Dheere Dheere, Oooooo Ohhh Kuch Nahi Samjha O Buddhu, Kuch Nahi Socha Reng Ke Jaane Kaha Pahucha.. (Ring Ring Ringa, Ring Ring Ringa, Ring Ring Ringa Ringa Ringa)


- 2 I was lying on the bed in a deep slumber
What more can I say, my friend...
There was a smart little bed-bug, and I was it's target
It got inside my veil, slowly slowly, oooo ohhh
It didn't understand anything, it didn't think
God's knows where it crawled and reached...


Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi Haaye Woh Sharmaye, Haaye Woh Lajaye, Haaye Haaye Kya Chupaye Kitna Mein Taddpi Thi, Kitna Mein Royi Thi
Mein To Thi Acchi Bhali, Kyon Bhala Soi Thi
Nigade Ne Mujhko Chain Lene Na Diya Rona Bhi Chaha To Mujhko Rone Na Diya,
O Ho, Aise Us Harjai Ki Makkari
Mere Tan Badan Mein Thi Lagi Chingari, Per Aise Kya Thi Lachari O O Oohoo,
Are Haiya Haiya Hoo (Ring Ring Ringa, Ring Ring Ringa, Ring Ring Ringa Ringa Ringa) - 2
Haule Se Gudgudata, Dil Mein Hulchul Machata



Mein Sharm Se Thi Pani Pani.., Hahaha, Jo Usko Dhundthi Mein
Chupke Se Woh Chup Jata, Hahaha, Aise Thi Woh Meri Kahani..

Ooo Yun Samjlo Khatmal Ka Shikar Hui Thi Mein, Uske Aage Haar Gai Thi Mein


(Ring Ring Ringa, Ring Ring Ringa, Ring Ring Ringa Ringa Ringa) - 2 Hayeeee!, Aye Ree!!!, Aahahh!!!! Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi, Chikchi Chikchi

I turned to jelly with shame, how could I search for it?
It would go and hide..that's my story
Just understand that I was it's victim, I surrendered to it. [ Ringa Ringa Song Lyrics @ http://www.hindilyrix.com ]

Of course, the hindi lyrics are a lot more graphic and direct, but the purpose of the flea is maintained. It's supposed to be a euphemism or a symbol of the hero's quest to convince his mistress to surrender to him, while in the Hindi song, she doesn't need the convincing, she's already seduced. It's a lot more direct.


THE FLEA. by John Donne

MARK but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is ; It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee,
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.
Thou know'st that this cannot be said A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead ;
Yet this enjoys before it woo, And pamper'd swells with one blood made of two ;
And this, alas ! is more than we would do. O stay, three lives in one flea spare,
Where we almost, yea, more than married are.

This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is. Though parents grudge, and you, we're met, And cloister'd in these living walls of jet. Though use make you apt to kill me, Let not to that self-murder added be, And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.

Cruel and sudden, hast thou since Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence?
Wherein could this flea guilty be, Except in that drop which it suck'd from thee?
Yet thou triumph'st, and say'st that thou Find'st not thyself nor me the weaker now.
'Tis true ; then learn how false fears be ;
Just so much honour, when thou yield'st to me, Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee.

Donne's speaker tries very valiantly to woo his mistress with humourous logic, but Slumdog's bedbug is the hero who just lands up and is successful in it's attempt.