I started a podcast.
Here is the first episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7sxLZL72ALnv3u3lEflzyE?si=d9bb8cc5bb1d42e0&nd=1&dlsi=f9e00b32a1754e43
In each episode, I will be narrating a short parable from ancient Hinduism. I think these stories are really fun to learn about, and though they may be thousands of years old, they convey some really profound truths that we can uncover in our own lives: here and now.
I grew up in a Hindu family. And my introduction to Hinduism growing up was mainly through the stories I had heard. Of course there were also rituals and outings to temple, but what I really connected with was the rich mythology of Hinduism. While I was eating a meal, my parents would narrate stories to me. And suddenly, I would be transported from my kitchen to a royal palace, a battlefield, a lush forest, following divine characters as they fought evil and restored peace to the world. In five-year-old Pavan's mind, there was no doubt that these stories were real.
But as I grew older, I began to suspect: maybe these stories weren't exactly real. Certain details seemed far-fetched. My skepticism towards religion and spirituality grew, and I fostered a distaste for anything that wasn't totally rational.
Still, storytelling was what captivated my attention throughout the day. I loved watching films and TV shows. Getting immersed in another world. I especially loved films with plot twists, where a piece of knowledge flips the entire narrative upside down.
I think I viewed my life like a story, in a way. But it soon dawned on me that I wasn't really happy with how the story of my life was progressing. It felt terrifying to know that my story would end, as all stories do. It felt like the chapters of my life I had already lived were unsatisfactory. Not good enough. And the chapters of the future? They seemed on one hand terrifying, and on the other hand seemed like specks of dust in comparison to the story of the entire universe. Ultimately, it seemed like the story of my life was empty.
But investigating this further brought me to a different understanding: reality is beyond any story. Thinking about life in terms of a story leads to suffering because it is ultimately a limited view. When you tell a story, you inherently have to separate, distill. In reality, there are no such distinctions. Reality is, and we are that, no different.
The best stories provide us with a glimpse of this truth. They allow us to experience awe and beauty: these experiences are tasted when one is forced to see beyond their conceptions of life. In a way, the best stories deconstruct the stories we tell ourselves. They provide the ultimate plot twist.
I've started reconnecting with the stories of my childhood, which I used to throw aside as being illogical. Now, I can appreciate that a lot of the parables of Hinduism aim to teach us that our true nature is beyond any experience or idea. The stories that most resonate with me, I plan to share through this podcast.
Pavan