The Hands That Hold the Earth

The Hands That Hold the Earth

This reflective essay explores the unseen labour that sustains the world, the moral responsibilities we carry, and the urgent need to build a more compassionate, equitable, and democratic humanity. It honours the workers who construct our civilisation, critiques systems that breed injustice, and calls for a future founded on dignity, non-violence, shared prosperity, and enlightened leadership. It is a reminder that each of us—through awareness, courage, and collective empathy—can help restore balance to the world we live in.

Yes, we must exert more in all the given spaces around us; we cannot remain seated like the mythical serpent coiled upon the Nagamani— that luminous pearl of folklore said to glow green or blue and attract creatures. Whether real or fictional, it teaches that merely sitting on one’s riches or abilities is meaningless. Many of us, too, sit upon our capacities, our duties, and our spheres of influence, forgetting that we hold responsibilities toward something larger than ourselves.

We stand in charge of significant zones—works in hand, works yet to begin, and works waiting for timely completion. Complacency is a luxury we cannot afford. Each moment pushes us to do what is best for ourselves, for the nation, and for humanity. Our greater obligation is to help shape a generation liberal enough to accommodate, tolerate, and positively dialogue with neighbours, friends, and people from all religions, communities, and nations.

Our goal must be to shape a humanity where fears, suspicions, emotions, and concerns can be expressed freely and assuaged sincerely. Leaders must learn to listen to all voices, even when decisions must be taken for the broader good. Democracies flourish when participation expands, when public feedback enriches policy, and when people speak against injustices anywhere in the world. Only then can the poor receive education, health, employment, and the tools of dignity.

Humanity must remain concerned for one another, free from prejudices & limiting notions. We respect the struggles of those who rise despite shackles, but we reject the cruelty & mockery of anyone. The ills around us are not separate from us—we carry them, live within them, and unknowingly keep them alive. If injustice continues, it is partly because we have not strengthened ourselves, not understood systems, and not produced leaders capable of real negotiation & dialogue.

The world easily slips into the old rule of “might is right,” but that cannot be our guiding principle. We must develop moral & intellectual strength to resist injustice, yet do so through non-violence & reason. Our labour—our sweat, bodies, minds, and energies—has built this civilisation. We are the ones who plant, harvest, build, repair, protect, and produce. We raise skyscrapers, bore tunnels, extract minerals, transport food across deserts, guard borders in freezing mountains, and work under the scorching sun while others rest.

We remain satiated with less, but we are not weak. The prosperity of others rests on our labour; their comforts arise from our toil. Perhaps we are not as cunning as schemers, but is honest work a sin? Is cleaning streets wrong? Is producing food a vice? Is harvesting fields disgraceful? If work sustains humanity, workers deserve dignity. The world must learn gratitude toward its workers.

Every person has the right to elevate themselves—to educate, own property, choose residence, work, profess faith, and live with dignity. These are fundamental rights tied to the essential needs of food, shelter, health, water, and the freedom of independent thought. Political, economic & social scientists, guided by law & good leadership, have tried to uplift the masses, especially in democratic societies where information flows freely. Information, like any tool, can be misused, but it inevitably pushes societies toward greater awareness.

Rigid systems cannot survive; repression invites downfall. People will agitate if they feel alienated. A nation must offer esteem to all sections, remove social barriers early, develop a scientific temperament, and provide education so people can improve themselves & cooperate more meaningfully.

We seek a real world built on compassion, non-violence, and no cruelty toward any living being—perhaps even a world with fewer humans but greater kindness; a world without wars, selfishness, or discrimination. Idealistic, yes, but possible, and we must all work toward it. Each of us must contribute our part, drawing others into the journey & enriching humanity with whatever light we carry.

Thanks.

 

Pawan Kumar,

29th December, 2025, Monday, 5.06 A.M.

My Berhampur (Odisha) Diary, dated 28th April, 2025, Monday, 9.14 AM.

About the Author

Pawan Kumar is a senior public works executive whose diary reflections emerge from decades of engagement with people, projects, systems, and social realities. His writings weave personal experience with a deep concern for humanity, democracy, dignity of labour, and ethical leadership. Through daily observations, he brings forth a voice that is at once introspective & universal—seeking not fame, but clarity, responsibility, and uplift for individuals & communities alike.

THE OCEAN WITHIN ME

THE OCEAN WITHIN ME

 

Written on the twelfth death anniversary of the author’s mother, this reflective piece explores how a single human life is woven into the vast fabric of nature, cultures, histories, oceans, migrations, and cosmic cycles. Through the metaphor of the ocean and the scientific truth of interconnectedness, the author meditates on belonging, memory, humility, and the subtle presence of his mother’s compassion. This essay blends reflective diary prose, philosophical inquiry, and lived experience, offering readers a serene contemplation on how each person is both infinitesimally small and infinitely connected within the universe.

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(Dedicated to my mother — the Compassionate, whose quiet love first taught me interconnectedness)

Let me once again breathe in the natural ecstasies of this calm morning,

Sitting in half-vajrasana, leaning right, trying to be one with the Cosmos.

Let some serious discourse rise within, extracting the sweetest concept inside;
I am like an ocean, holding countless organisms, jewels & minerals in immense depths.
My surface stays level though waves constantly pass, yet beneath lie vast tracts,
Many depths erupt upward, creating unique flora, fauna, and silent mysteries.

I am unique, carrying multitudes of embodiments constantly nourished through me;
Yet they shape me too, offering essence back to sustain the broader world.
I am a life-sustaining force with blue vegetation breathing life-force oxygen,
My waves mix gases and moisture with air in ceaseless natural exchange.

Yes, my waters are salty, bitter, holding minerals shaping rocks and bodies;
Being low, I draw all rivers, carrying their memories into my womb.
Rivers play with my shores in endless rhythms, nurturing mangroves and life,
And vapours rise from me, travelling as clouds to nourish distant lands.

I am ocean-like, composed of elements forming this body, mind, and breath;
All are properties of the Cosmos, emanating subtle vibrations into existence.
Each thought or spoken string reverberates outward, touching the vast universe.
So many people meet me daily, and a part of them lives in me too.

Ocean-air touched my skin, my clothes, and fans further shaped its currents;
In India, Vayu is a devata, a living force moving through all creatures.
This air moves to far lands, absorbed by leaves to create food as carbohydrates,
Or mixing with waters, inhaled by animals or vegetation, rotating forever.

I am part of a continuous cycle, sensing the law of conservation of mass,
Cosmic constituents fixed, only tiny portions residing in me momentarily.
They leave, and others arrive; energy shifts between physical & mental forms,
My cut hair returns to soil, nourishing flora or turning to dust and rock.

I read exotic books; ideas confuse me, pushing me toward new adjustments;
Many personalities I meet indirectly enrich me despite my limitations.
Some concepts I grasp, others remain distant, though they influence humanity,
Great theories of old and new continue to mould the world’s vast mindscape.

I carry a vast inner illiteracy, seeking platforms to unload myself,
But lack skills, time, energy, and the means to fully free this burden.
I feel foolish before giants who thought deeply thousands of years ago,
I know only fragments, never interacting enough, sometimes fearing depth.

I am an average mind, understanding very little, though trying sincerely.
But I remain undeterred, aware I am minuscule with limited time.
Others, too, resemble me in many ways, including humble animals or birds;
If I grow large-hearted, others’ knowledge also becomes part of my own.

Even the poorest says, “This is my village,” though lacking his own house;
Still, he holds strong ties to soil, trees, ponds, paths, people, and fields.
He sees the moon from familiar angles, remembers homes and old lanes,
He carries circles of friends, elders, children, animals, vegetation—his world.

When one goes abroad, he carries his full nation upon his shoulders,
Fondly remembering childhood, people, land, climate, & familiar sounds.
He cannot bear insults to his culture, language, or motherland’s essence;
He sees his country as heaven, despite the hardships endured there.

In Chennai, I meet Tamilians, Keralites, Telugus, Kannadigas, and Andhraites;
North Indians too — from Delhi, Himachal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha.
They speak languages I barely understand, yet converse in broken Hindi or English;
But inside, empathy flows naturally, and we grasp each other’s contexts.

I intake food grown by local soils, water, farmers, labourers, and cooks;
The water I drink is ancient percolation stored underground for millions of years.
Birdsongs I hear are descendants of those who lived here since antiquity,
People around me belong to lineages shaped by centuries of migrations.

I see original Dravidian stock, darker, brown, reflecting ancient movements;
Languages and customs reveal mixtures formed by countless interactions.
People live together as an art—sharing sufferings, joys, rituals, festivals,
Standing with one another as communities rooted in time’s long memory.

Foreigners — Portuguese, French, English — once ruled & walked these shores,
Their ships crossing these waters, tasting local fish and foods with wonder.
They interacted with people here, built churches, schools & hospitals, leaving imprints,
Great kingdoms — Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas — shaped these lands with grandeur.

Here on the seashore, all waters connect from the Arctic to the Antarctic realms,
Giant Ocean creatures travel immense distances, singing sonorous ancient songs.
Waters mingle, temperatures balance, and climates shift above the surface layer,
Evaporated molecules journey far, changing lives in distant terrains.

I eat from soils mixed with minerals and remains of infinite flora and fauna;
Great names of history rest in these soils, their atoms recycled into life.
The Voyager spacecraft travels millions of miles, carrying pieces of Earth’s story.
Through knowledge or shared matter, I too am part of that cosmic journey.

Many waves emanate from me—sounds, thoughts, vibrations shaping existence,
My phone transmits signals through fibre cables, crossing continents.
I am shaped by infinite knowledge—precepts, loves, hates, theories, histories,
A constant movement between me and the external world continues without pause.

Whether I accept or not, all others are pieces fitting inside me somewhere;
A butterfly’s flutter, wars in Somalia or Ukraine, disturb me deeply.
A single statement by Biden, Modi, or Imran Khan wavers my mind,
All inventions, literature, philosophies—ancient or new—are extensions of me.

(And in all this interconnectedness, I still feel my mother’s quiet compassion—
A soft, guiding presence flowing through the vastness, touching everything I see.)

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Pawan Kumar,

Brahmpur (Odisha), 24th December, 2025, Wednesday, 1.45 A.M. (Midnight)

(From my Chennai Diary dated 12 May 2023, Friday, on my Mother’s 12th Death Anniversary)

⭐ About the Author

The author is a civil engineer by profession and a reflective diarist by inclination, observing human life, nature, and inner landscapes with quiet sincerity. His writings emerge from lived experience—public service, travel across India, encounters with diverse cultures, and a lifelong search for philosophical clarity. Blending scientific understanding with spiritual sensitivity, he writes to explore interconnectedness, human potential, and the subtle truths of ordinary life. His work remains grounded, contemplative, and guided by the enduring memory of his mother’s compassion.

Unseen Hands

Unseen Hands

This reflective piece traces everyday objects and routines back to the countless, unseen hands that sustain human life. Through quiet observation and ethical attention, it invites readers to recognise interdependence, dignity of labour, and shared responsibility—without accusation, ideology, or spectacle.

 

We must rise above our little selves; life needs retraining at this stage.
We can remain fit for many activities, provided we pay attention to growth needs.

It is essential to equip ourselves with core strengths that elevate us above mediocrity.
Age moves fast, ushering in another phase, yet we must retain relevance consciously.
We must learn new technologies; younger generations may excel in computer systems.
But experience & gathered wisdom also grow slowly; no technology can negate them.

Knowledge lies scattered everywhere, yet aggregation alone gives it logical coherence.
We remain limited in competence, unable to identify all the riches already with us
Precious goods lie within, unnoticed, depriving us of benefits they could yield.
Like costly tools misused in specialist markets, losing worth despite high value.

Nothing is truly original; growth is gradual, drawing fragments from surroundings.
Even invention has roots somewhere, though we often fail to trace origins.
From above, roots blur; deeper inquiry reveals long histories beneath surfaces.
Great minds worked ab initio, joining knowledge points to shape new creations.

We remain ignorant of the histories behind many natural & man-made products.
Curiosity towards surroundings deepens understanding, step by step, over time.
This pen resting on the diary page carries a lineage older than memory.
Technology refines tools gradually; innovation blooms through skilled human hands.

The diary page, too, has history—from lumber, processing, research, and markets.
Passing through countless hands, it finally reaches us in this form.
The wooden table here tells stories of forests, factories, and carpenters’ labour.
Logs turned boards, boards became furniture, silently arriving for daily use.

A pillow rests beneath the left hand, light, fluffy, filled with soft cotton.
Synthetic fibres now mix with cotton, offering comfort and gentle support.
Pillows have existed long time; cotton weaves live through clothes, quilts, canvases.
Clothing remains among humanity’s most essential and enduring needs.

The idea is simple: countless articles surround us, used without much reflection.
We rarely know the rigours and infinite hands enabling these conveniences.
Gold & silver ornaments glitter, yet miners’ efforts remain unseen & unpaid.
Comfort conceals sacrifice; labour dissolves quietly into finished beauty.

We live in cosy homes, forgetting those who patiently built them.
Domestic workers remain underpaid, sometimes ill-treated, & rarely acknowledged.
Road builders labour unnoticed; gardeners beautify spaces without praise.
Gratitude fades when comfort becomes habitual and taken for granted.

Drivers transport us safely, rarely valued beyond reaching destinations.
Engineers design & constructs bridges, yet seldom enter common conversations.
Managers, supervisors, & suppliers resolve conflicts silently behind the scenes.
Civilisation survives on coordination more than celebrated individual brilliance.

Many bestow their fullness for our well-being, remaining outside remembrance.
We rarely know who carved tunnels or laid railways, and eased our lives.
Labourers build schools while their children remain deprived of education.
Self-centred living dulls the obligation towards unseen contributors.

Such awareness completes us; we exist as parts of a larger whole.
Knowing all systems is impossible, yet conscious effort itself carries meaning.
From our side, sincere work keeps the grand machinery running smoothly.
Each cog matters; movement responds to every small, honest contribution.

Knowledge is infinite; none can attain fullness, yet a curiosity sustains relevance.
Willingness equips survival anywhere by understanding and adapting to systems.
Belief in self nurtures resilience, drawing hidden strengths outward.
New streams of knowledge and technologies emerge daily before us.

Our competition lies not with others, but with ignorance of our own selves.
Ignorance diminishes slowly, bit by bit, through steady effort alone.
Each passing moment becomes history; the next holds quiet possibilities.
Adaptability, work, and grace may yet keep a place for us.

 

 Pawan Kumar,

Brahmpur (Odisha), 21st December, 2025, Sunday, 00:55 AM (Midnight)

My Brahmpur (Odisha) diary, 1st March 2025, Saturday, 10.09 AM

Awakening The Inner Discipline

 Awakening The Inner Discipline 

Written in a moment of physical unease yet mental clarity, this entry reflects on the nature of effort, discipline, and the human capacity to rise beyond ordinariness. It weaves together personal responsibility, self-training, cultural limitations, and the urgent need for conscious evolution. The writer invites readers to see life as a field of continuous strengthening, where every small improvement contributes to the larger human order.

 

This morning begins quietly, no fixed thought, yet the writing must start.
Something within urges expression, as if silence wishes to clear itself.

Life can be shaped consciously, or drift unnoticed through ordinary routines.
Focus becomes a gentle yoga, gathering scattered energies into one direction.
Efficiency grows when awareness is steady, and tools are chosen wisely.
Tributes reach those who walk with discipline and calm determination.

I watch human dexterity—gymnastics, aerobics, astonishing daily achievements.
Man can do wonders through zeal, persistence, and patient self-training.
Masters help, yet the true fire must rise from within oneself.
Only a determined mind crosses limitations and widens the world before it.

What does my mind truly engage with, and where does it hesitate?
Is it laziness or inner resistance that slows honest endeavour?
I must shine in at least one worthy purpose of this given life.
Clear thinking and good health are the companions of such efforts.

Life adapts in many ways, though time and space gently confine it.
Consciousness rebels against dull patterns, shaping its course anew.
It exposes weaknesses, strengthens wavering parts, and builds inner steadiness.
One can rise silently, like Hercules in patience, or Bruce Lee in focus.

Even the great were born ordinary amidst the vast opportunities of earth.
They grew through disciplined practices, strengthening body & mind alike.
Not lost in small distractions, they trained and wrote with purpose.
Their aims stayed before them, untouched by backward doubts.

Simple breath—inhale, exhale—became the doorway to deep transformation.
With minimal resources, they unfolded incredible inner capacity.
Scarcity lies not in surroundings but in the will to transcend the ordinary.
Sun, air, earth, sky belong to all; determination decides the journey.

No endeavour blossoms through half-hearted attempts; effort must be whole.
Life demands discipline, preparation, and the courage to refine oneself.
Let life spread fragrance, uplifting the self and those who walk nearby.
The world expands into a work field as far as our will travels.

Feats of the body and mind arise from decisions taken within.
Daily acts—breathing, walking, and eating are common to everyone.
But breaking ordinariness becomes life’s true honour & deepest test.
The mind alone can lift a person toward quiet, authentic excellence.

External motivation warms the path, but inner fire sustains progress.
This body–mind instrument is precious and deserves careful cultivation.
Breaking false limitations opens vastness hidden in common moments.
One discovers inclinations long waiting beneath silent layers.

Culture sometimes binds people in narrow, inherited positions.
Strength and fearlessness alone break those internal cages.
Inner power makes burdens lighter; chains bind only the hesitant.
The strong advance as they understand tools and remain prepared.

Comments may appear equal, yet comparison persists within society.
But real competition is only with oneself and one’s possibilities.
I carry responsibility for shaping the life given to me.
Others have their duties; I must stay sincere to my own.

Even handwriting becomes a small symbol of steady inner progress.
Speed may be reduced, but practice crafts grace and clarity.
Habits form early; wise beginnings prevent future waste or regret.
They later act automatically, so they avoid learning anything harmful.

I feel more conscious now, slowly stepping beyond older limitations.
Living ordinary routines long time, I hadn’t improved many capabilities.
Weakness cannot stay when improvement is clearly possible through effort.
And my progress may lighten someone else’s path, so I must continue.

Human wishes rise high, drawing the mind toward unknown frontiers.
Education and reflection help open those deeper landscapes.
Sometimes I fail to value my own small contributions rightly.
Yet the essential work remains mine—self-guided, self-sustained.

Time & energy remain sacred for achieving anything meaningful.
Nothing real comes free; satisfaction belongs to honest effort.
Falsehood cannot hold victories; the mind reveals truth eventually.
Deceiving oneself damages most; purity strengthens every achievement.

The true aim is to become inwardly steady, worthy, and self-content.
Admiration should arise from honesty, discipline, and consistent refinement.
Not in boasting, but in gathering small pearls of experience.
I am like others, yet fully capable of meaningful inner growth.

Self-improvement enriches the wider system through quiet influence.
My betterment must ripple outward, touching lives in small ways.
Yet the world suffers—violence, distortions, and misbeliefs cloud minds.
Humanity cries, and man often becomes enemy to his own kind.

Some work to restore the right sense; their efforts create soft hope.
Rogues need correction, and deep education remains the final remedy.
Bound by past errors, they impose suffering on ordinary people.
Progress shrinks, and commoners struggle merely to preserve life.

Life’s gentle aspects must reach everyone aspiring for full growth.
Let each person become a full tree, fruit-bearing and long-lived.
Every child deserves a future where nature’s gifts remain open.
Improving this world begins with the self—walk steadily, aim high.

 

Pawan Kumar,

16^th December, 2025, Wednesday, 11:11 P.M., Brahmpur (Odisha)

 15^th December 2016, Thursday, 7:25 A.M., Jaipur (Raj.)

The Continuum of Life

The Continuum of Life

"The Continuum of Life” is a reflective poetic anthology exploring humanity’s place within the vast cosmos. Drawing from personal loss, memory, and lived experience, the work meditates on the interactions between body, mind, consciousness, and nature’s ceaseless processes. Through a blend of scientific reasoning, philosophical questioning, ancestral continuity, and spiritual introspection, it examines how individuals rise, dissolve, and re-emerge within nature’s big workshop.

Anchored in the writer’s daily observations and rooted in Indian metaphysical sensibility, the poem moves from intimate grief to universal truths, weaving diary realism with lyrical insight. It invites readers to contemplate the cycles of existence, the impermanence of form, and the quiet responsibilities of living with purpose, empathy, and awareness.”

 

I. A Morning of Memory

Morning light filters softly, touching thoughts rising gently within my heart.
This quiet room opens memory’s door, where loss and reflection sit together.

My jija ji passed recently; wounds are deep somehow for the heart to bear.
Such moments gather relations sharply, reminding us of life’s fragile bindings.
Man moves by instinct toward death, knowing the body is composed of five elements.
Earth, water, fire, air, and ether reclaim all when the body-mind world dissolves.

Our moments constantly interact with nature, as animate & inanimate parts exchange.
We take from it, return to it, living within nature’s big workshop.
Born from soil & elements, nourished by the surrounding feeds of existence.
We are a few atoms of the vast cosmos, arranged briefly by nature’s design.

Even the memory trace—a voice, gesture, morning teacup—can touch inner depths.
Inner feeling enhances fraternity, making our lived realities glow subtly.
Grief softens the heart, revealing truths hidden beneath daily movements.
Love and loss join hands, showing how precious each presence becomes.

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II. The Body of Elements

By the law of conservation of mass, nothing disappears, only transforms shape.
Everything moves, shifting atoms through endless conversions in nature’s big lab.
We exhale air trees cleanse, inhaled again by creatures of breath.
Thus, each breath becomes part of a shared, circulating life continuum.

We existed as elements before birth, linked with forests, oceans, stars.
Nature exchanges us constantly, merging & remerging through incessant circulation.
Man chooses elements required, but vast nature’s design keeps functioning.
Middle-aged history recalls alchemists, working tirelessly to change matter-forms.

The body is a little cosmos, mirroring the architecture of creation.
Its ancestry reaches toward the Big Bang or earlier unknown epochs.
Human knowledge rarely touches such depths, though thinkers tirelessly attempt.
Extinctions-births of systems remain constant; forms dissolve & reappear eternally.

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III. Spirit, Mind, and the Question of Soul

But what of spirit, consciousness, or soul—concepts echoing through centuries?
Some say it vanishes with death; others claim perpetual continuity afterwards.
Man may have overvalued himself, imagining an immortal spark inside.
Yet toys cease functioning entirely once the battery is removed.

What is that battery—the sustaining energy enabling body and mind?
Does the mind vanish permanently with the body, leaving no perceptible trace?
Its transformations arise temporarily through many interactions of life.
But what enters at conception, and departs silently at death?

Theories—religious or scientific—offer glimpses, yet remain incomplete.
Nature’s machinery of life is complex, beyond the full human grasp.
Our theories emerge from limited mental data, far from cosmic truth.
How astonishing—we don’t fully know ourselves, let alone the universe.

Gita speaks of the soul’s immortality, echoed across many world traditions.
Such beliefs may be mental constructions supporting human fears of endings.
Is the toy important, or the battery powering its inner machinery?
Both exist briefly, reacting to programmes stored in their frame.

A computer functions only when CPU, hardware, software & power align.
Without them, it remains dormant, incapable of executing any command.
Man similarly is an assembly, reacting through inner programming.
We sway within nature’s structure, not in absolute independence.

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IV. Man as a Living Contrivance

Given small freedoms, man imagines greater powers than truly possessed.
Understanding nature & fellow beings shapes emotion, responsibility & conscience.
We live among others, sharing joys, sorrows, struggles, and silent aspirations.
Yet we assume more potential than is often realised in practice.

Who created man? Some say Almighty; others doubt these constructions.
Theories multiply quickly, trying to conclude amid vast uncertainty.
People cling to beliefs, confusing imagination with unchanging truth.
Ignorance adopts concepts without probing their deeper coherence.

I try going deeper—how close can understanding truly come?
Near-dears have gone permanently, yet remain vibrantly in memory.
Immortality lasts in remembrance as their dear thoughts guide us.
But only a few remain deeply connected, yet their influence sustains.

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V. Memory, Bond, and the Fading Footprints of Lives

Though our link with the world is deep, few bonds achieve permanence.
Connections made within ourselves form the real fraternity we experience.
Consciousness becomes crucial; without it, life passes unconsciously.
Yet remembrance fades slowly, dimming even deeply loved faces.

Literature preserves certain figures but rarely full individuals.
Records weaken, scatter, and old details slip beyond recovery.
Earlier literary traditions were limited, producing few preserved accounts.
Bards sang of kings, heroes; common lives vanished quietly.

What of the countless men & women who lived their full spans?
And children, youth, & elders—masters of their time—left no trace.
They faced contorts, joys, miseries, duties, and daily lived realities.
Their thought processors shaped the continuity seen in us today.

We cannot recall them fully, yet their hegemony of continuity persists.
We stand by them—our forefathers—good or bad, known or unknown.
We inherit and transform what they passed through countless streams.
Concepts evolve slowly, but the medium of progress remains unbroken.

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VI. Continuity, Change, and the Chain of Existence

If continuity were broken, life’s process would halt permanently.
But germination continuity persists through each living being.
We are vehicles of this continuum, passing through for a while.
This is our age; earlier ones have reigned in their times.

We are not different from them—just their entities renewed.
Bodies appear & dissolve, but essence returns in similar forms.
We resemble parents physically, mentally, culturally, across generations.
From afar, people seem the same; external conditions just change.

Material conditions transform slowly, reshaping culture & thought.
But the ancestral traces remain invisibly across time.
Everyone desires improvement, yet earlier eras had their goods.
Good and bad shift forms, adapting to changing ages.

Births and deaths form waves of repeating patterns.
Neem seeds yield neem; ostrich eggs produce chicks.
A man’s child matures into another full human.
Forms differ slightly, but continuity’s core stays constant.

When one dies, the body merges back into natural elements.
Burial or burning only accelerates return to earth.
Lineage blurs after generations, yet life doesn’t halt.
One extinction does not prevent new life from appearing.

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VII. The Elder’s Role and Slow Surrender

Older ones must give space as new generations arise.
Body and soul tire after bearing long life experiences.
Interest in worldly things fades; thoughts incline upward.
Mind slowly prepares for death, accepting nature’s order.

Individually, one disappears, yet remains part of humanity.
So feel fortunate to participate in the living world.
Individuality weighs little; nature rarely retains specific identity.
Elements merge within earth, unchanged by personal stories.

If dead souls accumulated, they would outnumber living beings.
Some theories say fixed souls are embodied in repeated cycles.
Religions imagine Yama’s loka holding them between births.
I avoid conclusions, as such claims lack certainty.

Mysteries remain deep; few comprehend life’s mechanisms.
People speak with confidence despite limited understanding.
I think intensely, though conclusions may wander.
Knowledge is small; reflection strains the mind’s fibres.

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VIII. The Question of the Self – “Who Is Me?”

What is “me”—how far does this individuality extend?
I sense only the present; the past is vague, the future unseen.
Am I limited to this life, ending with the body?
Or just one step in a long process of forms?

Theories attempt answers, but none explain fully.
Life’s behaviour changes with circumstances & internal climate.
From infant to youth, adult to senile, the mind shifts.
Mind and body fail together toward life’s culmination.

Medicines defer endings, but nature’s design prevails.
Death comes when the life-machinery malfunctions irreparably.
Perhaps we merge with the cosmos, losing our separate identity.
Individuality remains only during functioning periods.

Even batteries dissipate energy and lose power over time.
Rechargeable ones rely on renewed filling from outside.
So who fills nature’s vast batteries of energy and time?

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IX. Nature’s Silent Transformations

Saplings uprooted and dry quickly, losing all vitality.
Leaves, twigs decay, merging again with the soil.
The vibrant tree becomes fuel, ash, and airy gases.
Its fibres return silently to the Earth’s elements.

If seeds survive, new germination might continue.
Otherwise, individuality dissolves completely without return.
Even with offspring, the parent’s form no longer exists.
Future transformations remain uncertain & unknowable.

All things culminate; nothing persists unchanged.
New creations replace the old ones as utility shifts.
Old wood becomes waste when its purpose ends.
Humans and made things share similar destinies.

Production continues through mass energies & designs.
Earlier things suited their times sufficiently.
Every era builds things with its available skills.
Change remains constant, moving through endless cycles.

No regret is needed if life doesn’t repeat.
Honour the present; use both body & soul fully.
Feel gratitude for existence within nature’s workshop.
Even small roles matter in vast cosmic arrangements.

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X. Purpose, Responsibility, and the Living Self

Why desire rebirth in another form or condition?
Is it human interest to feel superior among beings?
Perhaps this self-heightening is a misconception of nature’s full design.
We have already merged into it, shaped temporarily in form.

Life moves continuously; we join and leave silently.
Each imagines permanence, though time quietly shifts everything.
Near-death experiences are interpretations shaped by belief.
Mind constructs stories; culture imprints thought patterns.

We follow stereotypes without deep internal cogitation.
Few propound their own theories; most repeat others.
Truth requires honest search, not defensive belief.
Life gives chances to understand oneself consciously.

Time passes unconsciously without inner realisation.
Life gains meaning when consciousness rises within.
Purpose only emerges when the illusions fall away.
Awareness transforms existence into a conscious journey.

Life is a great project entrusted to each person.
We must overcome fears that form deep within.
Everyone has potential waiting to be unfolded.
Time alone reveals how far one goes.

We inherit legacy traits—good, bad—from earlier generations.
We form self-images, limiting or elevating our being.
Self should rise above buried negativities gracefully.
Life excels with awakened purpose & thoughtful action.

Physical gains matter, but do not complete us.
Soul’s excellence lies in uplifting others sincerely.
Each carries inner light capable of profound transformation.
Life teaches deeply when one becomes receptive.

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XI. The Larger Human Duty

What is our responsibility in this continuum of existence?
Leave goodness, gentleness, & meaningful actions behind quietly.
Let others remember briefly that we tried sincerely.
Coming and going remains nature’s everlasting rhythm.

Past and future remain unseen; the present belongs to us.
Man carries selfishness & honesty—choice forms character.
Choose goodness with a steady, discriminating, courageous heart.
Speak clearly, live truthfully; integrity sustains the inner self.

Do not overburden the mind with speculations about the afterlife.
Living fully here in the present now holds the highest purpose.
Reduce others' burdens and share heartfelt qualities freely.
Empathy and community become humanity’s real wealth.

Humanity is our core field of active contribution.
So rise from illusions, act with conscious compassion daily.
Let life carry charm without unnecessary attrition.
Give best efforts, elevate self, uplift humanity.

Let reflections end, trusting the immortality of present actions.
We exist meaningfully within nature’s vast cosmic design.
Regret is unnecessary; life completes itself in being.
In the vast cosmos, our fleeting existence glows truly.

---

Pawan Kumar,

Brahmpur (Odisha), 9^th December, 2025, Tuesday, 12:20 A.M. Midnight

(My Jaipur Diary posts of 17, 18 & 20 November, 2016)

 

The writer reflects the mind of a civil engineer, a keen observer of life, and a seeker of deeper truths. With a background steeped in public service & decades of exposure to people, places, and lived realities across India, he brings a grounded yet philosophical voice to his writings. His style blends scientific understanding with spiritual inquiry, forming a unique narrative that moves effortlessly between daily details & cosmic reflections.

Through journal entries turned into lyrical meditations, he examines questions of existence, continuity, consciousness, and human responsibility. His work stands out for its sincerity, intellectual honesty, & unwavering search for meaning in the experiences of ordinary life.