Jottings - Slice of Life - 216 ( evoking wonder in science and mythical symbols - Carl Sagan and Joseph Campbell)
In the 1980's, two television series captured the imagination of the world. In one - a flamboyant, statuesque middle aged astro scientist wearing his signature turtle neck sweater with sparking eyes and wavy black hair -fluttering gracefully in wind swept locations across the world - spoke passionately about the wonders of the cosmos we live in, our anthropomorphic insignificance, and in equal measure of our uniqueness as the only species capable of contemplating the immensity, mystery and laws of the universe. “Cosmos” which beamed across the world for 4 months spread across 13 episodes, presented a holistic understanding of the planet, our human heritage and meaningful insights into our stewardship of planet Earth. To many, this was the first comprehensive exposure to the world of science in visual medium, and a stirring recreation of Man’s evolution over millennia. Many young minds, who were fortunate to watch all thirteen episodes, were transformed into budding scientists with lively curiosity, and for 60 Million lay viewers across the globe spanning more than 80 countries, the name and presence of Carl Sagan became a household name, along with a new found recognition and pride in themselves and the planet they were inhabiting. Popularizing science was never the same after Cosmos. It epitomized the power of technology, and raised the bars of teaching to a higher level of discourse. I intend to write a separate piece on Sagan soon.
The second television series I alluded to in my opening sentence, was presented in early 1988, filmed in the picturesque and spacious Skywalker ranch of Film maker George Lucas in California. It had none of the visual dazzle of science that Cosmos generated. These were a series of six reasonably sedate dialogues of 45 minutes each, between the renowned interviewer Bills Moyer's- a man of broad erudition and understanding, and eighty year old retired professor Joseph Campbell, one of the greatest interpreters of world mythology in 20th century - who had died just an year earlier. These conversations were extempore, and organized at the request of George Lucas to capture the spirit of Joseph Campbell without any strings attached. To Lucas, who wrote the Star wars script based upon the inspiration derived from Campbell, and the millions who had read his path breaking books “ The hero with thousand faces” or the four volume work “The masks of god” , or his books of interpreting James Joyce’s complex works of literature - he represented the purest voice and interpreter of myths available in modern times. These series of conversations were meant as a summation of Campbells work spread across fifty years, 30 books, and hundreds of papers, and it was designed to bring out of him the essence , the juice of what he had learnt, contemplated, understood over a life time of passionate study - the relevance and meaning of myth and its place in Man’s inner life. In these videos, at eighty years age, Campbell looks sixty, with that illuminating twinkle in his eye still intact, and the deep rapture of his eloquence still passionate, and at once captivating, elevating and enlightening. As Bill moyers artfully triggered ideas and initiated discussions, the prodigious insights of Campbell takes over and spans the world of religious and mythological ideas with effortless ease. The great teacher he was, he loved to dig deep into questions without reservations. To modern audience, starved of meaning and purpose, disillusioned equally by religious dogma and materialism, Campbell’s masterful discourse and clear exposition of how to appreciate the mystery of living and the true meaning of every myth, in every religion and civilization, opens doors, and lights up darkened and petrified corners of ones understanding and wonder. That every symbol is a pointer to something beyond and beneath, that every ritual developed across ages has a purpose revealing an inner dimension, that every man is essentially a Hero who begins his journey along a path, invariably losing his way to pleasures or distractions , and eventually rediscovering the path either by himself of through cosmic aids, and finally return - fully integrated, to take his place in society. From primitive myths of hominids who drew pictures on cave walls; to the legend of Jesus’s death and resurrection; to buddha’s fascinating stages of self realization; to Muhammad’s flight from mecca and listening to voice of God; to the polytheistic myths of Hinduism - it is the same recurrent theme of man’s attempt to find himself, his center, and returning to the world with perfect poise and inner equilibrium. The “Mono myth” - as Campbell calls it. There are astonishing variations in stories across myths and the way they are told, but underlying those narratives flow a steady stream of uninterrupted meaning and self-discovery.
What is amazing is the contrast, and yet a deep synthesis, between both these television series. While Carl Sagan approached the grandeur of man by objectively studying the universe outside, Campbell explored those very same themes from a subjective experience of Man. The goals of both men were the same - to become aware and conscious of your destiny. Both of them had no belief in the notion of a creator God. Both refused traditional religious communion as they approached death. They died peacefully fully, surrounded by loved ones, in the knowledge that their lives were a chance happening which somehow was imbued with meaning and purpose, but beyond that there is nothing. There is no afterlife, no reincarnation, no reunion - nothing. This is all there is. Such an attitude is neither fatalistic or nihilistic. It comes from deep and fearless understanding that wild beliefs and fantasies cannot bring us any closer to the truth, and to approach truth one must stop blindly following, and start questioning and discovering for oneself. In a way, both men were religious and scientific at the same time. They found one in the other, and showed the world how to synchronize the two.. If religion means , as the original meaning of the word signifies “to bind”, “to come face to face with ones true nature”; then both these men were exceptional practitioners of true religiosity than many, who blindly follow institutionalized faiths without ever confronting the nature of their own experiences. And if science means observing facts and gleaning universal laws, then both were great scientists; they never shied away from uncomfortable truths. When one reads Sagan or Campbell, in every page, words leap out with great intensity and passion. Each sentence pregnant with richness of their own lives and learning.
Over the last two years, I have been greatly enriched by a systematic study of the works of Campbell and Sagan. There comes a point in a man’s life - whether he likes it or not - when a choice must be made. Either one follows an established pattern and live the remaining years hoping what we are living by will turn out to be true and comforting, or we are throw ourselves ( unwillingly, at first) into a state of deep existential questioning of our belief systems we have grown up with. This is the stage when one grows from comfortable beliefs into conscious and experienced participation in life. The childish clinging to what is comfortable has to go, and in its place must come deeper recognition of oneself. In primitive societies, there were initiations rites, when such moments of transformation were dramatically staged; young boys were wrenched painfully from their mother’s bosom and transformed into Men under the threat of blood and sacrifice. Even today, we have several initiatory rites, but all of them are diluted and practiced as mere outer shells, with the inner core missing.
For a modern age, such initiation can happen through the works of great minds available in different formats. In my personal growth, I found two great guides - in Campbell whose beautifully written books imparted a fascinating understanding of the world of symbols, and in Sagan whose documentaries and essays provided the canopy of scientific understanding required to reorient my inner life.
God bless..
Yours in mortality,
Bala



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Jottings - Slice of Life - 238 ( Mystic Pizza - The birth of Julia Roberts as an actor)

Jottings - Slice of life - 292 ( Bhanu and I - thirty years of memories, and accumulating more)