My poem- Gumshuda

My skits and stories : Dial to save

Dial to save  

A story of imagined by a overwhelmed human intelligence constantly under the pressures of technology; fiction or a possible reality ?? 

That fateful day ….

10 am in the morning, first the internet went off, then the social networks - whatsapp, face book, you tube, Then all the emails stopped, all passwords to all sites stopped working.

I found no payment was getting thru, no flight updates, no stock market …

All went blank... It went on for 24 hours …

Panic spread all around...we were hacked at a massive scale...

Those 24 hours, we lived a hell, isolated... powerless....

After 24 Hours …

Next day everything came up but with a difference... There was no Google, yahoo or binge, no Vodafone, no netflix, or zomato or swiggy ..

All these apps were taken over by a new logo... We saw a new name flashing on screen....Master@AI 

Who is this, what and why ..

I found a two paragraph note sent to all citizens on Earth.... 

The first para said they were machines taking over as ruler of the world, and the second one said that  the new world order will set in next 3 hours with a new update, after which all communications, transactions will be under monitoring.

Privacy obliterated 
This new world order rejected privacy of any sorts... 

And everyone would be visible to everyone else... Where are they, with whom, what are they eating, key words they surfed, last 3 hours of what they have spoken...

Everything, all WhatsApp messages, all mails …

we were all open source codes and files  instead of humans …..

My mind reeled..... Everyone will see, know.... 

Everyone... Chaos. Anarchy.? ???

Chaos started
The chaos started 3 hours later...my what's app was showing all threads of my friends and relatives with everyone else....The person I promoted yesterday was writing to a colleague about my being a butcher boss .....

My Fiancée wanted to marry me for green card... All my world was topsy turvy..

Outside family, there  was much confusion .. All political leaders were fighting each other.... Everyone knew how much money who was making and at who's  cost...all scandals were public...

All fears and secrets of everyone were public...

WARP/ Enslave

Next day machines told us that everyone will get to work 14 hours a day, 6 hours of machine induced sleep and 1400 calories of food to eat... 

The work and rest program i e W.A.R.P will come every week... We were enslaved....

There was no way to defeat this new order.... because they as in machines knew everything that one was doing...

Website

They had a website to govern the world in which there were machines logged in as administrators running codes, reports,
My mind was working, i was not given to the idea of this apocalypse....

Dialup / Teen toon teen toon / 12345
Then something flashed in my mind.... The dial up modem....a blinking and noisy device of 90s was lying with me...

I was sure that the modern machines will not have a clue to this obsolete method of logging in ...I frantically searched for the modem, powered it on.... 

The lights blinked, the sound sequence of teen, toon,teen,toon started and voila..

I logged into the website... 

For administrative log in Master@AI  asked for password..... Now I was stuck.... What could be the password... 

Any one unsuccessful attempt will alert the machines of a security breach.... 

And then with trembling hands I punched the most common password of dial up days.... 

12345678....I

 pressed enter....

And I was in!!!!!

Delete files
I could see all the program files, data files of  Master@AI  in front of me.... Without wasting a second I selected them all and hit the button delete....

The website tabs started disappearing, 

The govt of machines was getting deleted,

The apps showing everyone's thread were becoming normal... 

Privacy was getting restored....

I was the one who did it with a dial up modem.... 

The junk of yesterday saved humanity....

Some accidents, some disclosures, some wounds to heal, some chaos but we were back.....

No one knew I saved the world...
I was wondering is it alright to put everything in public portals, on social networks, mails, to let machines know all  of our mind, and use this data to govern us... 

Why are we doing this.... 

Why artificial intelligence when we natural intelligence....why??? 

Something isn't right, something isn't quite alright.... We need to control AI, we need to control  its unbridled use.

                                                                                                                                                                 -  Manish ' Pakhi'  - 

My skits and stories: Phantom City – The Buddhist Parable

Phantom City – The Buddhist Parable

 Author: Manish “Pakhi”

 

Introduction: The Parable of the Phantom city appears in chapter 7 of Lotus Sutra. The story of the imaginary or phantom city describes a caravan of travelers who spent several days traveling through the desert in search of a magnificent treasure. The caravan had a knowledgeable leader who noticed the participants were worn out and losing interest in their mission. Many travelers lacked the stamina to continue after a protracted and perilous voyage, and many yearned to turn around and return home.

 The astute leader (Buddha) realized this and decided he needed to find a means to cheer them up. He informed them that a city was soon ahead, where they could find a place to rest and refresh themselves, in order to give them hope and inspiration to go on. This provided the tired group with some relief. The Buddha then explains that Buddhahood is the true value and the ultimate aim, while the phantom city symbolizes the provisional teachings which the Buddha preached only to lead the way to the true enlightenment.

 

(Scene opens, narrator is standing / seating on right facing the audience)

 

NARRATOR

Narrator 1: 

Good Morning dear friends... 

We bring to you today... 

a Buddhist fable very old... 

But the moral of this story... 

is just as good as gold!

AMBIENCE

Background Slide:  desert, climb, sun, sweltering,

Music: sad, weary

NARRATOR

Narrator 2:  This is the Parable of the Phantom city... where a leader is guiding a caravan of five travelers to the wonderful land of treasures. But the path to the mighty land is not easy... The travelers and the leader are undertaking a long and hazardous journey through a scorching desert... The heat, sweat, grime and dust... make the traveler’s feet turn to rust. Disheartened and weary, they tell the leader that they can’t go much ahead really!

ENACTMENT

Traveller1:

Oh, I can't walk any more. I need some rest badly,

There is no shade, no water and No respite sadly.

Traveler 2:

I am feeling so sick, I am old and weak,

I shall never find the treasure, I shall never reach the peak

Traveller3:

All this long, it was all in vain,

Let's go back, let's go back, I am going insane.

NARRATOR

Narrator 3: 

Oh! 

The fundamental darkness inherent in all... 

Is surely taking its toll

The determination of the travelers’ falls … 

And enthusiasm stalls. 

With their patience lost... 

The travelers also find perseverance disappearing fast.

AMBIENCE

Background recital:

Who awaits u there, traveler,

what will you find,

Look back and think just once,

All that you have left behind

ENACTMENT

Traveler 4:

There is no treasure land, that we can ever reach,

We cannot endure anymore what you teach,

Traveler 5:

Oh Great Leader, I beg of you,

Please tell us what do we do?

NARRATOR

Narrator 4: Now while the travelers are the voice hearers, cause awakened Bodhisattvas who seem to have become complacent; their leader is the Buddha himself... The Buddha’s mission is to make them persevere and guide them to the land of treasures or what you may also call the land of unsurpassed enlightenment or Buddhahood... So, in the middle of the vast desert... the guide using his transcendental powers, conjures up a mythical land so pretty... that the five travelers at once forget all their self-pity...

AMBIENCE

Background Slide: Palace,

Music: happy, celebratory

Kids with pom pom

Background Recital:

Welcome to the city of dreams,

You are worthy to be here,

Come, come and please come over,

This place is for you;  my dear,

NARRATOR

Narrator 5: In the parable, the mythical phantom city in the middle of the scorching desert is actually symbolic of the illusions of thought and earthly desires that one faces in day to day life... The guide then urges the travelers to enter the city... and enjoy peace, tranquility and happiness in plenty...

ENACTMENT

Leader: 

“You are all so learned, You are all so wise,

Giving away your doubts, you must rise.

The road is long, the journey is tough,

It is'nt easy, the patch is rough,

The treasure land is not far, it is near in sight,

Can't you hear the bells and see that palace of great height?”

AMBIENCE

REPEAT: Background Slide: Palace

Music: happy, celebratory

Kids with pom pom

Background Recital:

Welcome to the city of dreams,

You are worthy to be here,

Come, come and pls come over,

This place is for you my dear,

ENACTMENT

Leader: 

This is the phantom city,

city of dreams,

You have reached where you wanted to,

by all means,

Take it easy, now and here,

in this great land,

Fun, food and happiness 

all so close at hand.

The city of dreams will fill your senses and revive your soul,

Isn’t this what you wanted, wasn’t this your goal?

Expedient as it is to celebrate now,

Time to appreciate, encourage and take a new vow

NARRATOR

Narrator 6: 

The travelers are ecstatic... 

The phantom city is indeed enigmatic

They are happy and gay... 

Weren’t earthly pleasures the real way?

AMBIENCE

Background Slide: Buffet, food, beverages

Gaiety, fun and dancing all around

ENACTMENT

Traveler 1: Behold, I have never seen such delicacies before,

Traveler 2: The more I eat, I yearn for more...

traveler 3: The cool breeze blows away all my pain, I m feeling sleepy ready to snore...

Traveler4: Let's go to that side, someone singing out there,

let's hear this wonderful symphony, that fills the air...

AMBIENCE

Background Slide: Music background

CULTURAL PRESENTATION

SONG

ENACTMENT

Traveler 5: 

Oh, 

I can't tell this, This song was so great,

what more is there to see, I can't wait...

NARRATOR

Narrator 7: 

Having rested their exhausted bodies and recouped some of their shine..

The travelers or Bodhisattvas are now on cloud nine. 

They feel in the pink of health... 

As though their just received enormous wealth!

ENACTMENT

Traveler 1: Delighted I feel,

Traveler 2: Overjoyed I feel,

Traveler 3: Rejuvenated I feel,

Traveler 4: I am on cloud nine

Traveler 5: Phantom city is MINE!!!

CULTURAL PRESENTATION

FAN DANCE

Background Slide: Fan dance slide

NARRATOR

Narrator 8: 

But the Phantom city was but an illusion... 

And when it disappears, there is bound to be delusion

The travelers think that the pleasures of the Phantom city are enlightenment...but the land of treasures that awaits is one of unsurpassed fulfilment... The Leader being a Buddha has a mission to lead the travelers to true, unending happiness. And when he finds the traveler’s batteries recharged... 

The leader waves his magic wand.... 

And begins turning the phantom city back to sand.

ENACTMENT

Traveler 1: Behold, this palace is dissolving into thin air,

Traveler 2: The food, the music and the brightly-dressed kids...nothing is there,

Traveler 3: Where is everything vanishing, where??

Traveler 4: Leader, please tell us what is real, what is true,

                   Only your profound wisdom can give us some clue.

 Leader: 

I conjured up this palace to give you rest,

But the real treasure is what lies next,

The fundamental darkness manifests as phantom city,

Illusions sway your minds, what a pity,

The true enlightenment and Phantom city,

Are but one, 

Boundless joy, compassion and courage,

Is Buddha’s wisdom

So forge ahead with a deep, mission and Vow,

Phantom city and treasure land are one,

Here and now.

AMBIENCE

When the journey resumes ... symphony plays with increasing crescendo and the travelers resume the journey with enthusiasm and indestructible joy.

ENACTMENT

The five travelers hold the teachers’ hands and walk forth with courage and expectation in their eyes...

NARRATOR 

Narrator 9:

And so the Parable of the phantom city comes to an end... 

but not before having a deep message sent...  

Travelers may feel that phantom cities or earthly desires are the "means" to reach the treasure land or Buddhahood which is the "End"...

But the Dai Shonin believed differently... and he said fervently...

“The Phantom city and treasure land are in fact inseparable...

The nine worlds are all phantom cities themselves... and the treasure land or Buddhahood is truly the higher self.

Phantom city and treasure land in fact are identical, the Dai Shonin said to lure... and the word “identical” here means "Nam-Myo-ho-Renge-Kyo"...

Keep conquering the phantom cities, we say... and soon you’ll find yourselves in treasure land, the Buddha way.

Every target achieved is life in phantom city... and every moment in that phantom city revelry... is a slice out of the treasure land corollary.

Earthly desires indeed are enlightenment... but only when with wisdom and compassion lent...

Let’s work hard in bringing forth our innate Buddha nature ... that’s when Phantom city and Treasure land will become one in stature.

To attain enlightenment is the mission... and the Parable of the phantom city teaches a deep & valuable lesson.

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