Decoding - I think happiness
The narrator opens his story with a new found love in a relationship. The girlfriend/lover enters his life with her lock, stock and barrel and soon usurps the living and mental space. Their paradise has a new co-habitant when his lover finds herself smitten by a kitten. And as days go by the cat becomes the center of their lives sometimes to providing the much needed bonding or sometimes invading their privacy. Now haven't we heard that three's a company??
For the record of good times, the couple spend time in selecting a name for their pet. Lover suggests "Nuts and narrator suggests "Happiness. Well, we know it's a man's world and they always have a final say!! But the cat is aloof to the reasoning of his/her name and spends his days in blissfully ignorant to the real world. His needs are simple and basic food, water and shelter.
As the days progress, the relationship of the narrator with his lover stagnates. The cat makes a hostile takeover of the lover's time and affections. Narrator's position is almost like the sheik who offered a camel a tent. Ha..ha.
And finally, the affair turns sour and narrator breaks-up with his lover, but the cat stays back.
So, what is the new thing offered in this story? Is Engin reminiscing scenes from the movie Marley and Me?
Then who is the cat? What is the connection with his lover? Well, here is the twist in the story. In fact it's a double loop pretzel! ;-)
In the beginning, Engin seems to compare the cat and his lover.
And every lovely relationships begins phrases with "nuts like being crazy to "happiness like being balanced. She was going nuts and he wanted happiness and hence their choice of the names of different.
While she was consumed by her interests in the cat, and never bothered to give back anything to the relationship. Just like the cat, all she needed was a place for her toothbrush, suitcase and some shelter. She was selfish, dominating, skittish and out-going to call it quits easily.
Narrator slowly re-builds his life after the break-up, with his only (forced) companion the cat. There are no expectations from his relation, yet there is an understanding of the routine between them. By the end of 6 months, interestingly the selfish, dominating and skittish cat had now grown into a loyal, friendly and warm being and the narrator could share his joys and sorrow with the cat, and the cat could only meow back, almost like an auto reply recording. ;-) However when the new relationship builds, it constantly reminds his of his failed one. So he decides to let go of the cat and drops him an unknown neighborhood. To cut the long story short, narrator cannot live few hours of separation and brings him back home. Happiness restored.
Now comes the closure of the double loop. Who is the cat? What is the connection with the narrator? Cat is the metaphor for the narrator's mind.
The narrator started a new relationship with his lover, with too many expectations, resulting in being selfish and disappointment thereon. This totally drove him nuts.
The narrator started another relationship with his cat, with no expectations, resulting in care and warmth and content thereon. This gave him happiness.
And why did the cat's behavior change? Why did he use a cat not a dog or an elephant for this topic?
Researchers and scientists claim that cats are just like humans. They have discovered that felines possess personality traits that are remarkably alike to their owners. "Skittishness is similar to neuroticism in people, outgoingness is similar to extroversion and friendliness is akin to agreeableness" they explain.
This gift of love story & cat is tied up with a bow of magic code as lines "Do not take it seriously, such selfish expressions are funny to the truth Or "All these statements are exactly the same as the opposite of reality (as translated)
Given my background, Bhagavad Gita is one of the books which gives us several verses of being selfish versus selfless. And Lord Krishna summarizes that selfish desire is a product of the senses and mind, and they must be conquered in order to achieve self-realization.
The most often quoted verses are:
Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,
Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani
"You have the right to work only but never to its fruits.
Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction. "
In simple words, Engin urges all his readers to be a karma yogi working towards their passion and follow the heart without any expectations to the results. Instill happiness and throw away selfishness.
Why did Ustad Engin put this message with cat? Does he have pet cat? Was he celebrating National Cat day or was that stray cat in Asos his inspiration? Kim bilir ;-)
PS: As usual I have thoroughly enjoyed reading his pretzel recipe and take away is an enormous serving to be digested carefully.
@Safedgullu : Thank you for sharing my write-up again. 🤗
Originally posted by: DefLeppard
Engin's new article "Bence Safa" published in Nov-Dec edition of Kafasina Gore, translated from Turkish to Spanish to English!!
(Credits for sharing this :Sakhi, Lavender, Sweeti)Decoding - I think happiness
The narrator opens his story with a new found love in a relationship. The girlfriend/lover enters his life with her lock, stock and barrel and soon usurps the living and mental space. Their paradise has a new co-habitant when his lover finds herself smitten by a kitten. And as days go by the cat becomes the center of their lives sometimes to providing the much needed bonding or sometimes invading their privacy. Now haven't we heard that three's a company??
For the record of good times, the couple spend time in selecting a name for their pet. Lover suggests "Nuts and narrator suggests "Happiness. Well, we know it's a man's world and they always have a final say!! But the cat is aloof to the reasoning of his/her name and spends his days in blissfully ignorant to the real world. His needs are simple and basic food, water and shelter.
As the days progress, the relationship of the narrator with his lover stagnates. The cat makes a hostile takeover of the lover's time and affections. Narrator's position is almost like the sheik who offered a camel a tent. Ha..ha.
And finally, the affair turns sour and narrator breaks-up with his lover, but the cat stays back.
So, what is the new thing offered in this story? Is Engin reminiscing scenes from the movie Marley and Me?
Then who is the cat? What is the connection with his lover? Well, here is the twist in the story. In fact it's a double loop pretzel! ;-)
In the beginning, Engin seems to compare the cat and his lover.
And every lovely relationships begins phrases with "nuts like being crazy to "happiness like being balanced. She was going nuts and he wanted happiness and hence their choice of the names of different.
While she was consumed by her interests in the cat, and never bothered to give back anything to the relationship. Just like the cat, all she needed was a place for her toothbrush, suitcase and some shelter. She was selfish, dominating, skittish and out-going to call it quits easily.
Narrator slowly re-builds his life after the break-up, with his only (forced) companion the cat. There are no expectations from his relation, yet there is an understanding of the routine between them. By the end of 6 months, interestingly the selfish, dominating and skittish cat had now grown into a loyal, friendly and warm being and the narrator could share his joys and sorrow with the cat, and the cat could only meow back, almost like an auto reply recording. ;-) However when the new relationship builds, it constantly reminds his of his failed one. So he decides to let go of the cat and drops him an unknown neighborhood. To cut the long story short, narrator cannot live few hours of separation and brings him back home. Happiness restored.
Now comes the closure of the double loop. Who is the cat? What is the connection with the narrator? Cat is the metaphor for the narrator's mind.
The narrator started a new relationship with his lover, with too many expectations, resulting in being selfish and disappointment thereon. This totally drove him nuts.
The narrator started another relationship with his cat, with no expectations, resulting in care and warmth and content thereon. This gave him happiness.
And why did the cat's behavior change? Why did he use a cat not a dog or an elephant for this topic?
Researchers and scientists claim that cats are just like humans. They have discovered that felines possess personality traits that are remarkably alike to their owners. "Skittishness is similar to neuroticism in people, outgoingness is similar to extroversion and friendliness is akin to agreeableness" they explain.
This gift of love story & cat is tied up with a bow of magic code as lines "Do not take it seriously, such selfish expressions are funny to the truth Or "All these statements are exactly the same as the opposite of reality (as translated)
Given my background, Bhagavad Gita is one of the books which gives us several verses of being selfish versus selfless. And Lord Krishna summarizes that selfish desire is a product of the senses and mind, and they must be conquered in order to achieve self-realization.
The most often quoted verses are:
Karmanye vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana,
Ma Karmaphalaheturbhurma Te Sangostvakarmani"You have the right to work only but never to its fruits.
Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction. "In simple words, Engin urges all his readers to be a karma yogi working towards their passion and follow the heart without any expectations to the results. Instill happiness and throw away selfishness.
Why did Ustad Engin put this message with cat? Does he have pet cat? Was he celebrating National Cat day or was that stray cat in Asos his inspiration? Kim bilir ;-)
PS: As usual I have thoroughly enjoyed reading his pretzel recipe and take away is an enormous serving to be digested carefully.
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