STEPHEN GILL’S INDIAN IMAGINATION IN THE FLAME

By Dr. Sudhir K. Arora

Stephen Gill’s The Flame offers a Janus approach to power. In Roman mythology, Janus who is a god of doorways and passages is depicted with two faces on opposite sides of his head. The head is one but the two faces are in opposite direction. Vying for power is the passion that men long for. The goal is one—Power but the paths are different. In Hinduism, two paths—gyan (Knowledge) and bhakti (Devotion)—have been suggested in order to realize God or the Ultimate Reality. The Gyan marg leads to more and more confusion while the bhakti marg requires complete devotion and hence, no question of confusion arises. But, the gyan marg offers choices which allure a man to astray. The proverb “Nothing succeeds like success” becomes his ideal. He wishes for power at any cost. Shakespeare’s excerpt from Hamlet “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so” (Hamlet 1141) is used to justify the ends without taking means into consideration. Gandhi’s theory of the purity of means along with the ends is thrown into dustbin. The Gyan marg creates an illusion which makes a man see power through materialism while the bhakti marg removes illusion of materialism and reveals the true power that lies in peace which is the result of spiritualism. For the dynamics of power, a game is being played with the mask of messiah. Power even at the cost of destruction is the game which is being played on the name of jihad or holy war. Satan has appeared once again in Paradise but this time he has come in the disguise of the messiah. He has come with more weapons to get more power with the intention of ruling over the world. The paradise is not safe as he is causing destruction with the disciples whose brains he has washed out. He has hypnotized some men who are turned into maniac messiahs. These maniac messiahs follow the command of Satan who dances on the dead bodies of innocent men. They open “Pandora’s Box with the fingers of science and technology, using the muscles of fanaticism to spread the dust of the untold brutalities for the sake of their macabre pleasure” (Preface 24).

These maniac messiahs take pleasure in crushing the peace-loving people. They shed their blood with which they grow the flowers on the path. In his Preface to The Flame, the poet states: “The flowers that grow on both sides of that path are fed with the tears of the helpless children and widows. To reach their other world, they walk over the ground that is concreted with the blood of mothers. Walking on this path, they dream of entering the domain of bliss. Intelligent people may not find logic here, but the life of brutalities is more real for terrorists than the life they see around in their daily life” (Preface 25). They are mad after power, to the extent, that they never care for the cries of the innocent people whom they make their target in order to create obstacles on the democratic path. Mark the excerpt:

Car bombs, mobility and might

have become the toys of the robots

who know how and when

to free their unfed tigers

from the cages of depravity. (102)

These power thirsty messiahs attack the citizens of peace with the destructive toys. They have become robots who cannot be controlled as they are being manipulated by Satan who is vying for power to become God. The poet in Gill goes into their psyche in order to know the motive behind this destruction. He asks:

Who can tell

what it was

they wanted to achieve

and the glare of which beliefs

lured them

for a tango with the agents of carnage

on the mountain of emptiness (94)

While walking on the gyan marg (the path of knowledge), they come to know about the power of the nuclear and deadly weapons. Out of their lust for power, they are tempted to use them against the peace-loving people. They plant these deadly weapons on the path where the devotional people move for spiritual power. The poet in Gill cries when he sees these messiahs snuffing out the flickers of his inner blaze:

With knowledge

easy money and weight

they become maniac messiahs

to snuff out the flickers

of the inner blaze. (102)

Power makes them blind. They cannot tolerate freedom as their intention is to enslave the humanity. They play with the lives of innocent people and do not feel any prick in conscience while killing them. Killing others becomes their pastime. The poet states:

Breathing the stink of ferocity

for pastime

they still the nightingale of freedoms

uprooting the tree where the bird sings (102)

Satan allured Eve to eat the fruit of the forbidden tree. He tempted her stating that the eating of the fruit will give her knowledge. What was the result of temptation? They ate the fruit. Both Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise. The poet believes that it is never too late to mend. The path of knowledge is not bad but it should be trodden with the constructive imagination. But, the destructive imagination gets the upper hand and the maniac messiahs become the destroyer of peace destructing everything whatever comes on the way. The poet is not hopeless as he still believes that these maniac messiahs will realize one day that they have chosen the wrong path. He is sure that one day, they will come back and follow the path of non-violence that will make them powerful spiritually. Mark the excerpt for the poet’s belief in the Flame who will make the comeback of these tutored and misdirected men possible:

You wait

within the shoreless mansion

of your patience

for these prodigals to return (134)

Now, come to the other face of Janus. This face, though the same, differs because of its constructiveness. The main motif of this face is also to gain power but it believes in power from inside which comes only through peace—peace of mind. The peace of mind leads to spiritualism. The other face i.e. the bhakti marg reveals light that comes from the lamp which has the oil of spiritualism. When there is the talk of spiritualism, the name of India obviously comes on the lips. India is the land that has the spiritual climate which gives birth to sanyasis, sufis, bhakts, seekers, rishis, munis etc. India is India because of spiritualism. It is her spiritualism which is the very strength of her culture. It is she who has given birth to great persons like Buddha, Guru Nanak, Mahatma Gandhi and many others who contributed in ameliorating pain and suffering from the world. It is her spiritual power that moulded Ashoka towards peace and religion. It is by virtue of the influence of scriptures and the basics of Indian culture that a man like Gandhi could stand on his feet to fight against evil with the unique weapons of truth and non-violence. He is the spiritual physician whose prescription of truth and non-violence is needed not only in India but in every country of the world. It was Lord Buddha who left his palace where he could lead a happy and comfortable life with his beautiful wife Yashodhara but he chose to renounce the world for the sake of searching the way that will save humanity from suffering. It was he who ultimately found desire as the cause of suffering. It is India who attempts to get power through spiritualism. The ultimate goal of life is to realize the Supreme Soul and get moksha. India talks of soul. It is she who sent Swami Vivkananda for spreading the message of Hindu religion which is universal in nature.

Spiritualism is the very breath of India. Stephen Gill himself admits her influence on his mind when he was a child. In Preface to The Flame, he states: “As a child, I used to feel that India was the safest place in the world, because it is tolerant and religious. Most of the holy persons were born in this subcontinent. During those days, Mahatma Gandhi, an apostle of peace and tolerance, was assassinated. I saw Hindus, even old people, crying like children when they heard the news over the radio. I heard people saying that India has become an orphan—it has lost its father. I used to hear also that India, the birth place of Buddha, Guru Nanak and other spiritual physicians, is the safest place in the globe” (Preface 14).

Gill’s statement in the Preface that: “I discovered that physicians are needed where sickness prevails. The subcontinent of India has produced a number of spiritual physicians, because that area needed to be healed” may stun any sensible reader of India. It is possible that he may begin to think that Gill is anti-India but it is not so because he himself admits that he has roots in the centuries old culture of the subcontinent of India. What he comments, it seems to me, is the result of his predicament that he faced while living in Delhi. In the Preface, he asserts: “When I was growing up in New Delhi, there were no dangers form suicide bombers, but from crowds or stabbers. Our home was also the target…. When I think of those days, I still shudder and think that there must be a purpose for which I have been saved from uncouth killers. I have experienced their stings. I know what fear is in the jungle of helplessness. I know what hope is when there is no hope” (Preface 26). The statement reveals the fact of Gill’s mental state. This tragic impression is too indelible to wipe out for him. But, the positive impression which is imprinted on his heart is equally deep and profound. To say that he does not respect Indian culture and traditions is wrong. His Indian imagination can be traced in his devotional attitude which he has displayed in The Flame. What he means by the Flame purely reflects his respect for spiritualism. He dedicates the book The Flame to “the eternal flame which knows no occupation, faith nor complexion and cannot be imprisoned within human bonds. It has engulfed millions, whose names can be traced in every age and land. This flame is known to engulf mortals even today, melting unknown metals into one” (Preface 28). The Flame recalls Gill’s Indian devotional imagination which he has sharpened with his perspiration.

It is Indian tradition to begin any task with the invocation of God or istha devta. Gill invokes the Flame calling her imperishable harmony, nirvana, mother, driving force etc. He likes to follow the path of a sufi when he says: “I wish to swing / under the wings of our affinity / on the steps of a sufi (137). It is the Indian tolerance that makes him pursue his “odyssey / through the barren region of the moor” (152). He is purely Indian in his imagination when he talks of not being tempted by gold and bodily pleasures because of his smell of lilac which is “more animating / than their tempting promises” (152).

The poet in Gill while invoking to the Flame calls her nirvana as she helps in “restraining / relentless brutalities / and manna for those who hunger / for the morsels of equity” (33). Nirvana is the stage that everyone longs for. When a man controls himself and avoids any brutalities, he comes to the stage of nirvana. As the Flame is nirvana, he aspires for the stage. In his devotional song, he prays for peace and equality for all. The poet is the lover of peace and believes in giving a hand to those who fall. In his prayer to the Flame, he asks for her “driving force that lifts / spirits from the ditches” (36). The Flame is the creation, the meaning of which can be deciphered only when there is peace. The poet prays:

You are the creation

whose meaning is perceived

through the glasses

of peace (36)

Bhakti cult and sufi-cult are almost the same in connection with devotion. The devotee forgets himself and is lost in love with his or her ishtha devta or god or goddesses. Mira did not care for the world. She used to see Krishna everywhere. Those who believe in sufi-cult love God like a lover. The poet in Gill has the feeling of sufi-cult in him and is much influenced by the bhakti-marg. While lost in love for the Flame, he sees her in different forms. Like a lover, he appreciates the beauty of her eyes. While praising the beauty of her eyes, he is lost in them. Eyes become retreat for him and in them, he sees the mystic flames. While staring into the eyes, he stays there and enjoys a feast of peace. Mark the excerpt for the beauty of the eyes of the Flame.

Your eyes

a seaside retreat

where mystic flames reign

and

nature courts the night’s favor

for a feast of peace. (37)

While sharing his feeling with her, he becomes so intimate that he wishes “to recline under the canopy” where rough diamonds of her eyes radiate calmness. Her hair seems to be clouds which dispel “the ghost of despair” (45) from his mind. He becomes highly romantic when he calls her eyes mysterious. The smile of his beloved Flame will take his life. Mark the excerpt for highly romantic touch:

Your look

mysterious

a knife so sharp

your smile

takes my life. (122)

This lover-beloved relationship between God and devotee is the very life-breath of Indian culture. In the Gitanjali, Tagore, the devotee loves God as a beloved loves her lover. Traces of this inclination are quite visible in The Flame. There is a play of hide and seek between the lover and the beloved. The poet in Gill loves the Flame from the very core of his heart. Though they do not meet face to face, it seems that they are not apart. He compares himself to a spark that can neither be called fully flared nor fully blown out. Note this mysterious relationship of the poet with the Flame:

What an impenetrable mystery

we do not meet

yet are never apart.

I am a spark

that neither fully flares

nor fully blows out. (115)

Moreover, some poems in The Flame are more devotional than rational as the poet seems to be praying to the Flame. He feels “the restlessness of the cloud” in him and sees “the lighting of thunder” in the Flame. It is she who can kindle “the fire of trust” which will give “a fervent of hope” (42) to him. He realizes that the Flame dwells in his veins in mysterious manner to “sweep away the cobwebs of despair” (42). In the peaceful world of his dreams, the light from the Flame will weed out “the spite / the dark / the frowning evil / the war / the misery / the hard days” (110). Hence, he prays to her for her presence. Mark the tone of prayer:

We need the grace of your presence

to weed out the bigotry

the cruelty

the fanatic howls

the fear

the sickness

and for mosaic to refine its gem

for equality to shine. (110)

The light from the Flame will instill “a dynamo of drive” (125) in him. It is his Indian devotional imagination that inspires him to sing a song in her honour. He sings the song that demonstrates the Flame as a binding force in life. Life without her will be futile. It is she who makes life shine with her light. Mark the song for the miraculous magic of integration that the Flame possesses:

Flame

is the binding force

for families, planets

every atom

and every part of every individual.

Life disintegrates

where the rays of flame

do not reach. (135)

The poet in Gill reveals his intention of composing songs in her service. Creation is there where peace reigns. Where peace reigns, the dove flies without fear. Where dove flies without fear; there is spiritual regeneration.

Where the dove flies without fear

and the lilies of justice

blossom for all

that domain of yours

assures a comforting niche

for the songs I write

for you. (146)

As he writes song for the Flame, he will like to be a mad prophet or a spiritualist. Hence, he asks her to accept him because he is “a lamb unclaimed” that needs “a good shepherd” (129).

The Janus approach to Stephen Gill’s The Flame demonstrates that the poet Gill is in favour of the bhakti marg or the path of devotion. The path of knowledge also leads to the goal of power but it corrupts man by tempting him to adopt the destructive means. The destructive path is nurtured by the blood of the innocent people. The maniac messiahs also realize the fact somewhere in their mind but are forced to tread the path of destruction because they have sold their soul to the common enemy of man for the sake of gold and power. The poet in Gill also recommends for power—power of soul that can be achieved only through walking on the bhakti marg or the path of devotion. This is the path where there is creation for peace. Gill, who had been a part of the united India, is somewhere influenced by the Indian devotional imagination in spite of his being settled in Canada. The Indian soil is fertile enough to produce the crop of spiritualists who guide the people to lead a happy and peaceful life. However, it cannot be denied that on the same earth, many wicked people, rakshash and demons dwell but, in the end, they are killed as every wicked man has somewhere the seed of his own destruction. The darkness may remain throughout the night but not for ever as it has to give the way to light—light of day. The poet in Gill is hopeful and well-equipped to fight against evil. With the light of The Flame, he is on his mission not only of spreading peace in the world but also of making people conscious of the flame i.e. spiritual power that protects against all evils.

Works Cited:

Gill, Stephen. The Flame (Canada: Vesta Publications 2008).

Gill, Stephen “Author’s Preface” The Flame (Canada: Vesta Publications 2008): 7-28.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Sudhir K. Arora teaches English at Maharaja Harishchandra P. G. College, Moradabad affliated to M. J. P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly (UP) India. Besides completing a project on Narrative Techniques under the sponsorship of UGC, he has co-edited Thunder on Stage: A Study of Girish Karnad’s Plays. His area of interest is Indian Writing in English and Postcolonialism. His publications include: A Study of Kamala Markandaya’s Women, A Thirsty Cloud Cries, and A Key to Literary Terms and Forms.