The American bard

New beginnings

Chapter 19 The American bard

“It means, after the experience of royal Britain, the Puritans who came to the American shores attempted something very honest. They wanted to give to their people and the world, a leadership that is founded on sound principles and does not hide behind a facade.”

“The achievement of the dream,” said Susan.

“It certainly has not been achieved any where else in the world,” said Charles.

“It up to their bards to convert a theistic notion into a living reality,” added Peter.

“Hemingway tried to bring out the expression of himself through his writings,” Susan continued. “He lived his experiences.”

“You think perhaps the American innamorata identifies with Hemingway's cast characters?” he asked.

“I think they identify with two aspects of Hemingway. Firstly, they identify with the story character, but at the same time with the way the writer himself perceives the expression of the American identity,” she replied.

“The same thing may have occurred before in the Indian experience,” Peter suggested. “The writer of the Siva Purana was identified and thereafter deified as the god of the scribes, Ganesha. It was the story of creation, so the characters were identified as Sakthi, the power of creation. The husband Siva was identified as the intent of the creator or the innamorata and the son Muruga as man, or the living individual.”

“So the Americans will grow to do something similar?”

“They might adapt,” he suggested. “The identification with the character of a story takes place when there is an accurate portrayal of the life. This is identified with the passions of the reader. But the mind of the reading public identifies with the writer of the story, as the individual who perceives such a living condition in himself, and brings it into expression in the world.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes as they considered it.

“The American situation is still in too much of a work-in-process to enable a predictive quality,” Charles said. “But it may be possible to create a predictive quality in other areas. We'll have to narrow the issues that we are engaging in prediction,” Charles surmised.

“It could take up to 250 years for these situations to work out,” Susan suggested.

 

“Okay, then let's finalize the report,” Charles stated and got up from the meeting.

“How about.....okay....sorry,” she said, her mind appeared to be grasping several things at once. Charles sat down again.

“I was thinking about Mike Flanders,” she said. “What's your take on that?”

Charles leaned back in his chair and pondered on it.

“That's a Siva if I ever saw one,” he began slowly. “But while the Navy Seals training may well be the best in the world, the result appears to a lean machine, not a socially trained individual who may create the lead on social initiatives.”

“He needs a good woman,” Peter suggested.

Susan smiled.

“The highest recognition ever provided to a Navy Seal is that of 4-star admiral. They have never been promoted beyond that point. It means the military wants to keep the lean machine down, while portraying a socially responsible image of itself up front,” Charles suggested.

“What if they continued their training into social acceptance. It is what the Swamy does in India. He reintroduces social values to a mind that has grown irascible, finds a way to diminish the edge on their training and creates an acceptance. The satsang, the group sessions, the life of the sadhu.....they are just the thing to reintroduce the individual into social attitudes,” Peter suggested.

“It'll have to be in a form that lends itself to integration with his own sharp mind,” Susan suggested. “Somehow I don't see Mike sitting down and doing satsang.”

Charles lit up a cigarette.

“Mike made a comment about the condition that Neela is going through,” he began. “he said an individual wouldn't have allowed that to happen to himself in the first place. He says that Neela's self defenses are misplaced.”

“But Neela is responding to a social environment,” Peter responded.

Charles suddenly appeared distracted but he fought with a will to continue.

“Where a person may be trained to the highest level, he comes face to face with god,” he paused, then turned to look at Peter, “ you know what I'm saying.”

“In my case, its the wife,” Peter began,” I think I'm projecting it onto her.”

Charles looked at Susan. She realized what he was asking.

“No comment,” she said. “ A girl's entitled to her secrets.

Charles got up again.

“A fine lot of scientists you fellas would make,” he said in mock complaint.

They smiled. He returned to his table.

“Okay. Write it up the way it is.” He said as he returned to his table.

He called to Peter as he was leaving.

“Neela's in the village?” he asked.

Peter nodded.

“I need to have a session with him,”Charles suggested.

“I dunno if that's such a good idea, Charles....he's in pretty bad shape,” he began.

“Make the arrangements,” Charles said firmly.