Verwandte Artikel zu Maladies of the Soul

Maladies of the Soul - Softcover

Kamari, Isa

 
9789815044355: Maladies of the Soul
Softcover
ISBN 10: 9815044354 ISBN 13: 9789815044355
Verlag: Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd, 2023

Inhaltsangabe

A collection of short stories that touch on the surreal and unhinged.

We live in a fragmented world that has caused alienation of our lives in many spheres and at multiple levels. The fifteen stories in this collection delve into the cracks and crevices of such lives in the social, political, economic, technological, cultural, artistic, sexual, psychological and religious spheres

The book depicts levels of madness which ring in the lives of the characters caused by estrangement, isolation, desolation and loss of meaning in our contemporary world. The disheartening fact is that such alienated experiences are perceived to be normal and acceptable to many. There is still hope if we open doors of introspection and mindfulness to begin healing of our hearts and minds.

These stories were originally published in Malay and have been translated into English.

Die Inhaltsangabe kann sich auf eine andere Ausgabe dieses Titels beziehen.

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Isa Kamari is an award-winning writer and his works include novels, poetry, short stories, theatre scripts and song lyrics. His novels in Malay have been translated into English, Turkish, Urdu, Arabic, Indonesian, Jawi, Russian, Spanish, French and Mandarin. His collections of essays and selected poems have been translated into English. Isa was conferred the Southeast Asia Write Award from Thailand in 2006, the Singapore Cultural Medallion in 2007, the Anugerah Tun Seri Lanang from the Singapore Malay Language Council in 2009 and the Mastera Literary Award from Brunei Darussalam in 2018.

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The Orchid

The path to the monastery is sheltered by rows of
yellow sandalwood trees. The morning sunlight slips
between the leaves and dances in the gentle breeze.
Looking up, I see a wild orchid swaying from one of the
branches. I stop for a moment. Its roots are wrapped
around the branch. I am delighted by the soft white
petals. The thick foliage offers a strong support for life. I
look around me. There are no other orchids.
The fragrant damp air is soft and fresh. My chest
swells and my heavy heart seems to lighten a little. I
have decided to visit this particular monastery because
of its location in the jungle. The wild orchid confirms
my expectation that I would not be disappointed. I
am leaving town for a while and do not want to be
disturbed. My mind craves for balance and peace. It
wants that calm without His presence. He is a ghost,
and I had expunged Him from my dreams. The bruises
on my forehead from bowing low in prayer are the only
89Maladiesof theSoul
The Orchid
reminders of Him that are left to me. I hope that these
bruises will just naturally fade away. Now I want to use
nature as a way of finding myself. I am tired of those
stupid stories from over 1,400 years ago.
Nevertheless, I still believe that the spiritual world is
an integral part of life. The feeling of unease I have been
experiencing these past few months have convinced
me of that. But I don’t want to connect those feelings
with Him. I want to be at peace without Him. So, I
am determined to seek spiritual consolation in this
particular place. The monastery does not revere any of
His particular names. It does not promote any particular
teachings about Him. It simply offers a spiritual path
that is unconnected to any of His manifestations or any
teachings about His being. The monastery is a path to
nothingness.
Closing my eyes, I begin to breathe deeply. The scent
of the orchid surrounds me, and I delightedly take it
into myself. The desires nestling in my mind seems
to dissolve in that wonderful fragrance which even
absorbs the perfume of the name of God. The emptiness
that follows calms my heart and mind. I feel strange and
isolated. My body briefly trembles. This is the first and
last time. I will win. I will root Him out of my life.
I look up again so that I can secretly whisper
something to the wild flower. The orchid is the only
friend I have made these last few hours. I have no idea
of how far I might have to travel or where. All I know is
that I want to be free of my inner sickness. I want to be
the way I used to be. Fresh and free, one with the world.
Even though the orchid is not as beautiful or as distinct
as the hybrid orchids I have seen in the conservatory of
the Botanic Gardens in my own country, it shines with
an innocent radiance in these primal conditions. This
wild orchid has never been disturbed by human desires
or touched by rough hands. I do not know if my talking
to it would destroy its peace and tranquillity.
I continue walking. According to my map, there
is a waterfall on the other side of this hill. The air
is becoming increasingly damp and cool, giving me
greater confidence in the direction I am walking. I focus
on the sounds around me. There is the gentle sound of
water splashing in the distance.
I quicken my pace. The monastery is located on
the side of a hill to the left of the waterfall. My heart
beats faster and fills with hope and longing. I breathe
deeply, trying to calm the storm that rages within
me. From the little I had read of the teachings of this
monastery, I should learn to control any manifestation
of desire in my life. True happiness can only be achieved
when a person is completely free of all cravings. That
philosophy has drawn me here. Apparently, my first
lesson has already begun.
Ofcourse,therearemanymonasteriesinthis
neighbouring country that promote these teachings.
But this one is unique. It is under the authority of a local
monk who has an excellent command of English. And it
is the only monastery that would accept someone like
me. In fact, it is extremely famous for its ability to cure
those suffering from my particular sickness.
I admit that I am sick because I am unhappy. I am
sure that physical, mental and spiritual health are the
source of true happiness. And, to reach that state, I do
not believe that I need any of God’s official religions to
cure me. In fact, I consider them to be the drug that has
bewitched me and destroyed my mind and my soul all
these years.
There are not many ways to healing that are open to
me. I had filled in the application form and been absolutely
honest in answering the various questions asked by
the programme administrator. I feel lucky to have
been accepted.
I look to the right. A tree had recently fallen to the
ground. The large fragments of its bark are still red. I
have a sense that part of the trunk had been burned.
The smell of smoke hangs in the air. The leaves on the
smaller surrounding trees are still green. Perhaps the
fallen tree had been struck by lightning.
I am startled. My body trembles. I look up to see
whether there mightbeareturnoftherainand
lightning. I know that one had to be careful walking
through the jungle in this particular region. But the soft
rays of the sun warm my brow and drive away my fears.
I feel reassured.
A moment later, I experience a feeling of horror. My
breathing stops for a moment. Would I suffer the same
fate as that tree? Would my actions bring about His
anger and punishment? I think about this for a moment
and then smile...

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Verlag
Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd
Erscheinungsdatum
2023
Sprache
Englisch
ISBN 10 
9815044354
ISBN 13 
9789815044355
Einband
Taschenbuch
Anzahl der Seiten
111
Kontakt zum Hersteller
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mail@preigu.de

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