“HUMAN BEINGS ARE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD”

Rev. Fr. Alexander Eravimangalam (Layappilly), Thycattussery, one of Appachan’s close cousins, came to visit us. Jacob and I paid him our respects by greeting him in the name of the Lord and then giving him a warm hug and kissing him. He held both of us close to his chest and said, “You are so sweet. Do you know why? You are made in the image and likeness of God.” He then asked us, “Whether we have seen God?” He said, “God is a Super Natural Being. He is a gigantic creature, who is omniscient, Omni-present and Omni-potent, God is a synonym for love. He loves children very dearly.”

I told ‘Ammachi’ that I could not imagine or even comprehend such a creature. He told us something about ‘trinity’ as well. She told us, “It is metaphysics, a difficult subject to understand. Uncle Father might have told you about three independent entities in God, namely the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Other religions too speak on the same tone. The Hindu religion teaches that there are three persons in Easwar. They are Brahmavu, Vishnu and Siva (Mahadevan).” These three entities have three special tasks to perform. Bramavu is the creator; Mahavishnu gives life, and sustains or maintains the creations and Mahadevan (Shiva) executes the destruction. A human being is also capable of performing all these functions himself. Therefore, a human being is an epitome of God Almighty himself. It is curious to know that the word “God” is derived from the words Generate plus organize plus destruction. Generate means to bring into existence or produce [based on the Latin  word generatus]; organize means make into a living being [from medieval Latin organizare] and destruction means the process of being destroyed or a cause of ruin [from Latin destructio.]

The Malayalam word ‘Thathwamasy’ means, “He is you are”. The great sage, Sree Narayana Guru, belonged to this school of thought. It is for this reason that he made a mirror, a deity, as the mirror reflects the absolute truth. Shri. Kabir Das, a great Hindi poet, has written a famous ‘Doha’, stanza, to the effect, “The naval of the ‘Kasturi Mrigh’, Muskdeer, found in Himalayas, contains ‘Kasturi’, musk. This is a valuable medicine, which is very fragrant.  The deer does not realize that his own body is emitting the fragrance. Therefore, it keeps moving from one pasture to other hunting for the origin of this fragrance created by the ‘Kasturi’ within him. 

I have observed that all the fauna and flora on earth have this capacity of creation, maintenance and destruction. This power varies depending on the number of chromosomes in each of them.  The higher the number of chromosomes, the higher the degree of power noticed. The number of chromosomes varied in each of the fauna and flora.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

LIGHT AND DARKNESS

On several occasions I had the opportunity to hear the narration of the story of creation in the Holy Bible, (Genesis 1, verses 3-5,) 3. God commanded, “Let there be light” and light appeared. 4. God was pleased with what he saw. Then he separated the light from the darkness 5. and he named the light, “Day” and the darkness, “Night.”

         

Is the statement true or correct? Is there any scientific basis for that?

I am aware that in Scandinavian countries, the day time is very long during summer; sometimes it is more than 18 hours. Therefore, they put thick layers of drapes to reduce the light in their bed rooms to relax.

Darkness is nothing but intense light the eyes cannot catch. Blazing light so close from a passing vehicle blinds our eye. It is not absence of light but intense light. Man’s visual faculty is limited as are the rest of his mental concepts of senses. (Similarly higher decibel sound deafens our ear-sense of hearing.) The mind is able to appreciate only the difference of different wave-lengths of light and is unable to recognize wave-lengths of light beyond a certain spectrum. The inability to appreciate light is experienced by man as darkness.

Scientific inventions have enabled us to overcome so-called “darkness.” For instances: a lens in a microscope can magnify micro-organisms and other objects and reveal details invisible to the naked eye. Similarly, a lens in a telescope enables us to magnify distant stars and planets since objects far away appear nearer and larger.

If darkness were real even animals would not be able to see. But it is well known that certain species of the animal kingdom roam around in darkness in total freedom.

It is significant to realize that life begins in so called darkness rather than in light. The seed germinates in darkness within the seed under the ground. The sperm fertilizes the ova in the darkness of the reproductive system. Eggs hatch within the darkness of the egg-shell. Life begins in darkness as darkness is light.

You can neither create darkness, nor can quantify it since darkness is unreal. Therefore, narration of creation in Genesis of Holy bible is only an illusion made by the anonymous author.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

METAMORPHOSIS AND REBIRTH

I have marveled the metamorphosis amongst certain insects like the butterflies, dragon flies and mosquitoes; and amphibians like the frogs. The process of metamorphosis is interesting to observe in them. I have watched with keen interest how these creatures of nature change into different shapes and forms during their growth from the egg into larvae. It is amazing to watch them adapt to different habits unlike their parents. Finally they shed their outer covering and move into a totally different environment.

Unlike insects and amphibians, the advanced beings in the animal kingdom, the mammals including human beings, undergo a similar metamorphosis in the womb of the mother. The human life cycle begins at fertilization, when an ovum, a cell inside a woman, and a sperm cell from a man fuse to form a one-celled zygote. Over the next few days, the single, large cell divides many times to form a hollow ball of smaller cells, and this hollow ball latches into the wall of the mother's uterus / womb. Once all the organs have formed, he / she is called a foetus. The placenta connects the embryo to the mother's blood supply. This embryo grows rapidly while in amniotic fluid. Between three months and nine months the foetus grows until it is about twenty times as long. In about nine months the baby comes out to an entirely new environment. It is an incarnation in the sense that the characteristics of the parents and his predecessors have been passed on to the baby through the genes embedded in the chromosomes, a scientifically proven fact.

Is metamorphosis (found in smaller organisms and higher animals) the basis for re-birth?

A small healthy twig taken from a broken down branch of a good variety of mango tree can be used for budding. Cloning has been made possible in the case of animals. Even certain parts of our body such as the heart, kidney and eye can be donated before or immediately after death and transplanted into another being. Similarly, when plant produces or the flesh of an animal that has been slaughtered is consumed, we obtain starch, proteins and amino-acids required for our body system.  But a re-birth is unfeasible or impossible after death. Death is a clear and unequivocal expression of life force leaving the body. The religious ethos of hell, heaven and rebirth or resurrection is cooked up by priests to exploit their blind believers.

 Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

THE LAST ‘MANTRA’, (PRAYER)

I asked Rajamma, “What was the last ‘Manthra’, (prayer), you chant on the death-bed? “Krishna, Krishna” or “Rama Rama,” which you chant daily in the evenings after kindling the light at the ‘Tulasithara’, a special pot placed in front of the house where Holy Basil is planted.” She quoted the Guru, mentioning a ‘Manthra’ from the ‘Gita’ which says: -

“When ‘Sree Krishnan’ came to visit ‘Bhishmar’ on the ‘Sarasayya,’, the bed of arrows, he asked ‘Sree’ Krishnan’, “My time has come, (he has chosen the time of eclipse), what is the ‘Manthra’ he should chant at the last moment, ‘Bhagavan’, Thou know it better.” ‘Sree Krishnan’ was so pleased and advised that the apt ‘Mantra’ is “Govinda, Govinda.” We were baffled by the wisdom of the Guru.

Jacob and I went to ‘Ammachi’, narrated the discussions we had about re-birth. We asked for her opinion. She patiently listened to us and promised to tell us more about it later as she was not an authority on that subject. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

SIGNIFICANT RITUALS

‘Thalappoli’ is a traditional ritual procession carried out by young girls and ladies of Kumbalam especially those belonging to the particular community, who holds the festival. They would wear traditional attractive attire, a “Set Mundu’’, a two piece cloth with golden jerry worn like a sari and blouse, and would hold a ‘Thalam’ (an offering to a deity, which is carried in a sparkling golden or silver or brass plate in their hands filled with fresh paddy, flowers, rice, coconut and a kindled oil lamp.

‘Pulanercha’: When a Hindu dies, his close relations, with whom intermarriages are forbidden, are in defilement for 10 to 16 days. The mourners, after a bath in the morning, complete, ‘Pulanercha’, the obsequies ceremony, following this they feast in honour of the deceased on the 16^th day or the 41^st day.

 ‘Patithendal’: It is another custom in Kumbalam to go to the neighbouring houses and accept alms as penance.

“Angapradakshinam”: Many Hindus, for having benefited through prayers of God, used to perform “Angapradakshinam,” a Sanskrit word meaning rolling in prostration, around the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. This is done after purifying the body by taking a dip in temple pond.

“Mutiyet”: is one of the ancient ritualistic art forms performed by the Marars of Nair community in connection with temple festivals. Naturally this dance form had made a great influence in the development of other art forms. It is therefore a significant subject for theatrical studies. The story revolves around “Kali-Darian-Vadhom”, the slaughter of Darian, wherein Kali, a God and Darian, an evil character, are the main performers. Kali in a rage would ultimately carnage Darian. When this dramatic ritual is performed the entire temple courtyard is turned into a stage performance; the success of “Mutiyet” lies in the co-operation and participation of the devotees and the local villagers. This ritual is supposed to avert contagious diseases like small-pox and chicken-pox. “Mutiyet” is performed in Thenali Thekkedath-Mankavil Bhagavathy Temple near Matavana at Panangad and Pana-parambu Kotheswara Temple at Cheppanam.

‘Theeyat’: is an art of ‘Kalamezhuthu’, drawing a human figure, on the temple courtyard. This drawing with five natural colour powders or leaves is supposed to attract the deities. It is a language or an art of communication of ideas. The horse, the tiger and the halo around the deity are the three drawings for “Lord Ayyappa Theeyat.” The first drawing is Ayyappa with his horse; the second one is Ayyappa riding on the horse and the third is His kneeling posture of enlightenment. Within the three drawings, there will be twelve stages in total to tell the story of Ayyappa’s life. Five natural colours were used for the drawings; charcoal is used for black, turmeric for yellow; lime for white; red flowers for red and green leaves for green colour.  The Artist hold the varied colour powders in his hand and it is funneled with his forefinger and thumb.  Another method is to hold his hand funnel shaped and then releasing controlled amounts of powder downward through a hole created by a little finger whilst jerking the other fingers. This produces dots of various sizes. The only time a tool is used is only when the eyes of Lord Ayyappa is placed. It is amazing to watch the artist who used his skill and precision to create his master-pieces. This art is one of the significant rituals in the Mondoth serpent grove at Kumbalam.

‘Thai-Pooya-Kavadi’ is the most prominent ritual in the festival procession of Sanmarga Pradeepa Sabha (SPS) temple where the deity is Sree Subrahmanyan. The three day festival includes mainly Kavadi-attom and Kavadi-vilakku. Devotees carry Kavadi's, with special offerings to their deity, on their shoulders and dance rhythmically according to the beating of the drums and music. “Hara haro hara hara”' is the main slogan of this procession. ‘Kavadi’s are decorated with artificial bouquet of flowers and mainly with quill feathers of peacock. Camphor, holy ashes or ‘Bhasmam’, honey, milk, gingelly oil, rose water and tender coconuts are the main offerings along with the ‘Kavadi’. These will be poured on top of the idol, locally called 'Abhishekam'. For this ritual devotees should take a voluntary act of penance called ‘Vratham’ like abstinence and they abstain from taking non-vegetarian food for ten days.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

OMEN OR ‘SAKUNAM’

Orthodox Hindu Malayalis believe that omens or ‘Sakunam’ lie with a divine message from their Gods. Omens may be considered either good or bad supernatural occurrences depending on their interpretation. The same sign may be interpreted differently by different people. Hindus do not embark on any venture or business enterprise or even a short journey, without paying careful attention to omens. Hindu marriages and other important events are fixed as per auspicious stars.  Many politicians also believe in astrology.

The omens are classified as follows in Logan’s “Malabar Manual.”

Good Omens: Curd, raw rice, honey, ghee of cow, lead, sulphur, metal filter, sound of bell, ‘Vilakku’ (lamp), lotus, ‘Karuka’ grass, raw fish, meat, grain powder, ripe fruits, sweets.  

Bad Omens:  A handicapped person or blind, widow, salt, donkey, pieces of rope, broken vessels, screaming sounds, deep yelling, sneezing, cursing and sudden shivering and falling.

I have noted people say that the sight of elephant’s back with the mahout mounted on it is a good omen. In Hindu belief full moon is auspicious. If you are giving a gift of money, it must always be in odd numbers (101 INR, 1001 INR.) If you choke on your food, someone is thinking about you seriously.

But, if a lone Brahmin crosses your path before you venture out for an important event or to do something important may not be successful. Similarly, a black cat cutting across your path portends death; howling of dogs and hooting and beating of wings of owls at night; accidental breaking of an idol of a god, breaking mirror or glass are bad omens. I have noted that even Christians strictly adhere to timings of Rahu (a star) and they believe that 4 P.M. to 6 P.M. is inauspicious for new couples to enter the bride’s or bridegroom’s house.

Of all augurs, the lizard (Lacerta geako) stands forefront; there is a whole science dealing with what its chirpings, falls and postures prognosticate. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

HINDU HABITS

Sleeping with the head facing south or east (only dead bodies are placed with head facing the north); travelling in groups of three (either use an object to act as a 4^th person like a stone or two people leave the house first, and the third person leaves a few minutes after); after childbirth, ladies should not go to the temple for 11 days (40 days for Christians.) If there is a death in the family, no festivals should be celebrated for one year. Also, boys of the family should not get married for one year. Girls, however, can get married and it is seen as lucky if they do. If a woman has her periods, she should not cook or enter the kitchen. She should avoid touching anyone, and stay in a separate room. She should not enter granary or go to a temple or attend marriages. Penciling a black dot on the body with kajol prevents the evil eye. In marriages, you will often see a black dot on the couple`s cheeks. Left hand is inauspicious - you should not give or take anything with the left hand, especially food, gifts or money. Eating food during solar and lunar eclipse is tabooed. I have noted people say "I come" when going out of the house. It is considered inauspicious to say "I am going," which means that the person going out won't come back to the house. ‘Kolam’, a symbolic figure with a dress, is placed in vegetation or worksite of a building to avert an evil eye. Number 13 is inauspicious (two judges of the High Court of Kerala prematurely died and they used to sit in Court No. 13 and therefore the number of the court was changed to 12A.) I have noted some of the Christian ladies won’t go to distant places alone on Fridays, they believe that they won’t come back.)

Most of the customs are based on old fashioned needs of safety, cleanliness, and health. Some believes have scientific basis. Scientists have proved that at the time of solar eclipse, sun's ultra violet rays are more prominent. So it is advisable not to venture out during solar eclipse and avoid looking at it with naked eye. Avoid eating during eclipse due to the presence of micro-organisms, which are active during that time. About women and periods, the women were prohibited to work so that they get some respite from daily work during that crucial period. It was also hygienic to do so at that time, when modern amenities were not available to women. These practices were then given religious legitimacy so that people follow them. It is better to drop irrational habits.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

SUICIDES

Soon after I witnessed the natural death of Lawrence, Rajamma, our neighbour, informed us that   Devassy, a youth in the neighbourhood hanged himself on the ceiling of his house. We wanted to see the body but both ‘Appachan’ and ‘Ammachi’ did not permit us. They told us that dead bodies of these unnatural deaths might not have a pleasant appearance. Some of them even look scary to haunt you all through your life. Some children seeing these horrifying sights might develop mental disorders and they might even pass it on to the next generation. We saw reason in this and refrained from going to the site; instead we sent Rajamma to get the detailed reports of this unfortunate incident. We understood from her that the police who arrived at the scene found a note in his table and it clearly stated that nobody but he alone was responsible for his death. The note stated that he had a heart ailment. This worried him as he did not have a job and money for his treatment; he therefore decided to take his own life. When the police were convinced of this they handed over the body to his relatives after post-mortem and recorded it as a suicide. I wondered again why people were afraid to face the harsh realities of life. He could have tried to get monetary help from compassionate men to help him.

Since the opening of the railway line for traffic through Kumbalam Island commissioned in 1988, a lot of youngsters have committed suicide by throwing themselves in front of moving trains. The local administration, with the help of a research faculty in CUSAT (University,) needs to conduct an enquiry into the reasons for such mishaps. You may also consult Dr. Philip John, Panampilly Nagar, a renowned psychologist in Cochin. Despair, depression, schizophrenia, alcoholism or drug abuse is the reasons attributed to such suicides. They have to look into whether they had any family, financial, health or professional stress or strain or other problems. I have noted in news reports that crop failure is a major reason for agriculturists to commit suicides. Necessary steps have to be taken to avert such mishaps in future.  Prevention is always better than cure. The relations of such persons may be advised to keep away poison, fire-arms and other materials which might tempt them to take away their own life. Probably these youngsters might not have had a close friend to comfort them. Perhaps, a fate they cannot escape.

Suicide and attempt to commit suicide are crimes under the Indian Penal Code. I have grave doubt whether it is a crime. Anyhow the western world has started changing their attitude and suicide is no more a crime. The society or the government shall not encourage people to commit suicide.  But nobody shall frown upon persons committing suicide; it is their personal choice or freedom. Serious deliberations are necessary on this matter.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

A FALSE PREJUDICE

The next day, I gazed at the fisher woman who came to our house. She walked with such agility, pushing her breasts and swaying her hips to manifest her feminity, I heard her, in a low voice, telling Rajamma that she was mortally afraid to pass by that route. She feared that the spirit of the person who committed suicide due to unfulfilled love and ambitions might enter her body or it might enter the body of the baby in her womb,   and would satisfy his ambitions. These superstitions, false beliefs and gossips astounded and confused us. It was food for thought. Is death finality? Is there an elixir to postpone or avert death? Is there rebirth? Rajamma told us that she considered that it was only a false prejudice and the anti-social elements in our society take advantage of it. Nevertheless, re-birth was something she had a staunch belief in. One day while we were chatting with her she said, ‘Guru’, a reverend person, said that there are ‘Slokas’ in the (Hindu) Holy Book, Gita: -

           

2-26 “The human body has infancy, youth and old age vice versa it can enter another human body. The ‘Atmavu’, spirit, can have birth and rebirth and if so why are you afraid, you brave Arjuna.”

2-27 Death is certainty for those who take birth.  Those who die are certain to take rebirth. You need not worry about this.

2-22 Just as you change the dirty clothes and wear a fresh one, your ‘Atmavu’ / spirit discard the deteriorated and degenerated body and enters into a new body.”

 However, “Nobody shall miss the opportunity of death.”

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

VETERAN MECHANICS

During the last quarter of the twentieth century, unemployment made youngsters of this village migrate to the metropolitan cities to eke out a living. M.R. Joy Mudayath, one of my friends, migrated to Madras (now Chennai), and joined as an apprentice in a car workshop. In a few years time he mastered the work and the people in his locality recognized him as a good mechanic. This instilled confidence in him and he started a small car workshop of his own. At that point of time, the petrol prices were soaring up and people were thinking of an alternative and cheap fuel like diesel to run the car.  One of his customers engaged him to convert his petrol engine into a diesel one. He took up the challenge. He was the first mechanic who made possible the conversion of petrol engine into a diesel one by making various alterations. While so, ETPM a French company recruited him as their mechanic. Thereafter the management of the company changed. The new company, Azargy Co., specialized in off-shore pipe-line erection for drilling crude oil from the African Coast, sent him for training and appointed him as a Marine Technician in their company and he stepped on the higher ladders. He invested his earnings wisely in real estate and that gave him good return in due course.

When the National Highway-47 passing through our Islands opened for traffic, Jotton Chakkalackal, a good mechanic, started a workshop for repairs of two-wheelers at Madavana abutting the National Highway. The villagers of Kumbalam encouraged him and he too became a master of the trade. 

Vipin T.S. is another noted mechanic. He started a car workshop by name  “Thattakkattu Motors” at Kumbalam South junction, just before the   Kumbalam-Aroor Bridge. He undertakes repair, painting and other body works. He too has excelled in his field. 

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@google.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com