Foreword

“ If you misunderstand your mind, you are an ordinary person; if you realize your mind, you are a sage. There is no difference at all whether man, woman, old, young, wise, foolish, human, animal, whatever. Thus, in the Lotus of Truth assembly, was it not the eight year old Naga girl who went directly south to the undefiled world Amala, sat on a jewel lotus flower, and realized universal complete enlightenment?” asks the Zen Master Jakushitsu Genko

As with all Zen sayings, profound mystery is captured in few words. In the matrix of all that we know as mind, exist states of conscious, unconscious, subconscious and the nirvanic mind or enlightenment. Zen masters call the ultimate state ‘no-mind’ or the door to cosmic wisdom. Ultimately, all existence seems to stem and end with what we simply call the mind. But even as science scales territories of time and space, the mind still seems to be an uneasy ground. Its mysteries abound and continue to tease all scientific instruments of probe.

Master Genko uses the word ‘realize’ to plumb the depths of this elusive space called ‘mind’. Few can really explain what this ‘state’ is and none have ventured to reveal even their own ‘realization’. Spiritual masters are the only skilled seekers on this circuituous journey and even they remain silent on the actual scenic route. But the adventure of the awakening mind continues to be the most mystifying and fascinating of all human experiences and endeavours. Sometimes a creative writer or poet tries to capture in the web of a story the awesome portals of the galaxy called the human mind.

Aachi Mithin’s debut work as a writer has attempted something similar in ‘The Storyteller’ -a tale both profound and simple. And as with Master Genko’s 8 year old girl realizing enlightenment, young Ramulu of Mithin’s tale is a mystifying combination of wisdom and perception in a world that views him as mentally challenged and unformed.

‘The Storyteller’ in fact unveils for the reader, the heart of the proverbial ‘fool’ that ancient texts often refer to as beings who are the true repository of wisdom. The ‘fool’ to the world is the undefiled mind where the cosmic flute plays un-hindered, its songs of truth and spontaneity. Like when young Ramulu, Mithin’s protagonist, is asked by the teacher his response to a poem and he says “I had a picture of joy that the flowers and the plant must have had on their faces when they broke open into a world filled with light after being confined to the dark world of the soil. I saw their smiling faces as they greeted each other in joy.” Hardly words of one who was termed ‘retarded’ by the village and the teacher was quick to notice the depth of the boy’s imagination. Only because his mind was as pure and untainted as the day he was born. In being termed ‘different’ he escapes the regimentation of thought that plagues schooled minds so early in our world. Ramulu in contrast is free and un-reined in perception and definition and through him Mithin spins the haunting truths of compassion and wonder which minds like Ramulu scatter with ease and innocence.

In a world jaded with merit, and vainglory Mithin’s story is acute and timely. Set in a simple village in Southern India it cameos the rich, nurturing fabric of a rustic life. The sugarcane fields of Mahu are the surreal backdrop to young Ramulu’s transformation from village ‘idiot’ to a vibrant storyteller. The blessings of his dead mentor Venkat Rao haunt those fields. Mithin creates more than a suggestion that purity and passion fuse uniquely in minds like Ramulu’s, powerful enough to access the infinite realms of consciousness from where a Venkat Rao can transmit his creative genius. The story underscores inspiration as the integral tool that carves a child’s path, especially one such as Ramulu who has been rejected and isolated by all. The sight of Venkat Rao’s statue and his life-story crystallize almost instantly into the icon that brings Ramulu’s self to fruition. In learning of how Venkat Rao too was born with a big head and considered ‘slow’ at birth, Ramulu is convinced he has found his mentor and idol. And that is all it takes for him to awaken his ‘retarded mind’ into a fountain of astonishing tales –creative and deep.

The Storyteller underscores simple but powerful truths. Through Ramulu, Mithin unveils a heart which is abundant, sensitive and nurtures with compassion..........(Jasjit Purewal)