The V8 to Nirvana

From toddlescence to adolescence, I spent many happy hours roaming the forests of Bangalla with Lee Falk’s endearing hero – The Phantom. And of all of his adventures I remembered the ones on his private island, Eden the most. If memory serves me right and fair, it had nothing to do with the rather attractive Diana Palmer, appropriately dressed, strolling on the sands of Eden, and everything to do with every creature on this island - lions, tigers, antelope, elephants, a gorilla, a stegosaurus and even a family of Paleolithic cavemen- living in incredible harmony. They don’t fight, or seek to use each other as food or someone to dominate, always look out for each other and can go beyond their petty biological needs, wants and evolutionary compulsions and limitations, existing in this state of all embracing love. I loved it because everything in Eden said that all is well, and see, all can be well, with you, me and the world.

This was my first taste of nirvana.

It is a state we all hanker for, in our homes, with family, friends, people at work, and even our pets. But as we grow older, repeated failures teach us that this Utopian ideal is never meant to be. As the years go by, our cynicism grows taller than us. We tried, we say, but it’s the others… ‘the others’ who always ruin it for us. And so we stop trying, or even hoping, to ever find our Eden. ‘Finding nirvana’ is reduced to rummaging in the attic for dusty CDs of a long dead band.

But nirvana exists, not like a fleeting mirage, but a real and tangible experience, where the world seems wonderful, and the people in it, beautiful. We might not recognise it immediately, but the intoxicating euphoria that cocoons us every time we set out for a new trip, alone or together, is that slice of nirvana we gave up on long ago.

Journeys, seeking adventure or nature, rejuvenation or recreation, love or laughs, are the punctuations in our life that make the long or short sentences meaningful. Our spirit recognises this truth and rejoices in that moment by becoming happier, and without our realising it, a little more giving, and a little more forgiving. And lo, and behold, our world becomes a lot more beautiful, the people, familiar and strange, a little more divine, and Eden a little more real.

This euphoria is the truth, even if the rest of our lives be a lie. In this new year, I wish you many more journeys and many such Edens.

So go forth and travel… and it doesn’t matter if its on elephant-back, in luxury to embarrass royalty or behind the wheel of a V8 powered SUV, Eden shall soon be yours… Amen!