I do love this amazing ability of the universe to supply me with books and topics that are just appealing to my every time life circumstances. So as well 'Samskara. A Ride for a Dead Man' about a small Hindu village, their Sadhus, an out-fallen One, his unexpected death and the many questions arising from there on for the whole Sadhu community about truth, believe, righteousness and a good life. A curious sarcastic but funny true read about ones decision as effect of the many as well as a true insight in the thought process of believe.
A book, a story that reflects simple and precise the universal karmic flow of action, reaction and consequence. The Universal Dialectic.
The story begins. Idyllic. In a country village driven by believe. One Sadhu rebellious. His dead and how to handle the situation the deciding quest in the proof of the religious believes of the villagers. But there is no 'answer' in the books … and at the end? There is no more village. But a lot of answers within the single characters evolution, the story line, the recognition of the reader …
Here is seriously every sin involved that you can imagen. The poor little Sadhus of the village are getting challenged in their greed and resistance towards treasures. The head Sadhu is getting involved with the 'night queen in the darkness of night', making him go on pilgrimage. The widow turning into a woman and handling the dead of her husband all by her self.
Interesting. Funny. Ironically … how one thought leads to an other in the universal flow. In times that are rotten – a small village and it's inhabitants got sent of their personal Armageddon.
This read couldn't have fallen into my hands at any other better time. Frozen in inability to move, decide and think through the personal decisions for the universal flow. In some days the universal language was quite loud and obvious. Mostly in terms of answering my rejections in taking acting. Like the protagonist in the book, I also was asking myself, if I will 'forever be a ghost of man hovering in indecision', 'caught in the play of oppositions'? I started to get a slight idea about what it means 'to take others' sins', in reading 'Samskara. A Ride for a Dead Man', following the thought process of the protagonist about leaving Brahimhood, but Brahimhood will never leave him. I say a slight idea .. and I really mean a slight idea. It gives the 'proof' to my logical, scientific mind, that there is something going on that 'transfers' in some sort suffer, pain, weaknesses, sins from one to the other. It makes me understand the tear that comes out of Mother Marias eye, crying for the sins and sinner of this world.
It was an interesting read following the protagonist on this personal path through the pathless forest towards himself … and a decision. A decision that finally leads into humility.
A good, recommendable read for all those (1) who are after a different read about hindu culture, traditions and the state of believe Hinduism is in today, (2) who enjoy mind turning stories and novels, that are throwing new perspectives on situations, thought to be understood as well as (3) for all those, who are by themselves in some sort of connection with the universal flow. This simple short novel offers a lot to discover … about one self, life and the universe.
The only thing the story is lacking? At the end … we just don't know if the answer about life, the universe and everything is '42' or not. But we can live with that … for now …
… or we can, like so many of us certainly do, turning 'a deaf ear to all counsel' … like the protagonist did as well as I am doing.