The Killer Smile

Now-a-days, I find myself increasingly cautious sending emails or pinging my friends on chat messengers. This is not because I’m worried about privacy or security, but the dangers of misinterpretation. Occasionally, I’ve messed up my relationship with others because of reckless choice of words and inconsiderate presentation thoughts. Written communication is considered to be a serious form of communication. It’s archived, allowing us to revisit it in the future. But it’s limited, since it lacks the aid of one’s body language. Small grammatical or spelling mistakes can altogether change the meaning of sentences. And clarification of the written things may not be asked or available immediately. In the history of Peshava kings in India, a lady, Anandibai, reworded the letter of Raghunathrao, initially bearing the words ‘Narayanrao la dharave’ (meaning ‘capture Narayanrao’) to ‘Narayanrao la marave’ (meaning ‘kill Narayanrao’). This led to the death of Narayanrao. By this, one can understand the gravity of the written communication.

The use of the emoticons and smileys over the internet has really made it possible to incorporate feelings or mood in a few key strokes. They are extremely popular and are literally everywhere. You just can't avoid them. Instructions or critique with a smiley conveys it in a much lighter note, which could have otherwise risked feelings of provocation, enmity or worry. Someone appropriately said “A smile confuses an approaching frown”. You may want somebody to act in a certain manner, but don’t want to push it on him/her. Or you may be unsure about authenticity of what you say or you may want to tell, and at the same time hide, just add a smiley and it’s all right. (These are all the reasons where I used or received smileys in my chat history.) A famous comedienne Phyllis Diller once said “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”

On reflecting further I found, in our lives too, there are lot of difficulties, uncertainties and ups and downs, which can make us completely hopeless or pessimistic. But the Lord has a unique plan for each one of us. When in my life I came across such things and went to Lord to complain or to get a justification, I was disarmed by the sweet smile of Lord, which made problems seeming so tough to endure like trifle which could be easily overcome. I got a feeling as if he knows everything (which he does anyways!), and is orchestrating the things to just pull me closer to him. The mild smile on the face of the lord not only is drop dead gorgeous to attract ones heart but it kill’s inner demon of anxiety too. I got a new ray of hope and understanding that Lord is eternal, I am eternal, the relationship between us is eternal and nothing of this world is matters beyond it, which allowed me to be equally serious in rediscovering and cultivating my relationship with him in troubling times too. 

And Srila Prabhupada confirms in Srimad Bhagavatam 3.28.32.

“The entire universe is full of miseries, and therefore the inhabitants of this material universe are always shedding tears out of intense grief. There is a great ocean of water made from such tears, but for one who surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ocean of tears is at once dried up. One need only see the charming smile of the Supreme Lord. In other words, the bereavement of material existence immediately subsides when one sees the charming smile of the Lord.”

Putting my own experiences in a small composition...

I stagger and fall

I halt and crawl

With my wicked nature

Often I lose a brawl

It seems so difficult,

A losing chase,

High ideals of devotional service

How do I embrace?

In such a state,

I stand on a bifurcated road,

One side, your smiling face,

On other side, glimmer of Maya’s abode.

But I try to remember words, my masters have told,

Hidden behind your smiles are treasures of bliss untold

And the glimmer of Maya what unfolds,

Is an ugly reality and relations are so cold.

With some faith I aspire to take

Few more steps,

To be closer to you

To be your pet, to be your mate.