Il Dolce far Niente!

....contd…..

Don’t postpone living ‘joyful moments’ to future vacation trips. Instead bring your vacation into your job. ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ applies to you too! So, from now work as if you are playing. If you make your play work, then you never work. Its one long holiday. It means you have retired from boredom, drudgery, compulsion and duties and will no longer suffer from ‘hard work’. Live the moment!” so saying she looked at all of us.

We didn’t respond with nod or any sound. We were hit too hard with this possibility. If only we could put it into practice then our life would be one long holiday. Was it possible? She never ever said what was a lie or not a possibility. So, I better believe it for now. We were still with these thoughts when Guruji said “It’s already 5.30pm so let’s get started in 10 mts. It’s a good 2hrs ride back home” and we were sort of sad. We had forgotten that we need to go home. We gathered our belongings – of what little we had and left for good!

  At a certain point on highway, we found the sun set and the view was mind-blowing. Instantly unanimously, it was decided that we stop our car and watch the sun set. Those 10mts seemed like ages as we lost count of minutes being lost in watching sunset. It was the best ‘sunset moment for me’ and from the look on their faces, I could say of others too!

When Rahul said “please get into the vehicle, we need to get back in time”, everyone shouted at once “Il dolce far niente!” and started laughing. He joined us too in our laughter. We stayed with that feeling for a good 1/2an hour and then left.

  Yes, she said we would just relax but she taught us to live every moment, savour every moment. She showed us ‘the moments’ of life that we needed to live for ourselves every day of our life. We needed to inculcate these ‘nothing moments’ into our mundane routine. This was one lesson that we all knew we would imbibe in our lives. Yes, the degree may vary but we all would and could do it.

Even in ‘relaxing’ she taught us ‘how to live life so effortlessly! Or was she teaching us to ‘relax!’ Or may be both! That was ‘she’ – one who could teach from and about nothing and thereby taught us to live ‘completely and fully’.

“Il dolce far niente!” – the joy of doing nothing looked simple and yet was pregnant with lots of possibilities and revelations that we needed to unravel in its belly! Love you Italy! And yes, we all decided to meet at her place after a fortnight of practicing Il Dolce far Niente!

(To be continued later!)


(You can listen to this song from Chitchor one of Amol Palekar's hit movies and music par excellence by Ravindra Jain and singing by the best Shri.Yesudas)

Il Dolce far niente!

…contd…….

Our Guru just nodded her head smiling and asked “then why you can’t or won’t do it everyday?”

“Because it is impossible!” almost everybody shouted.

“We have responsibilities, jobs, duties to take are of and hence can’t go on holiday everyday!”

 

“If all it takes for you to be doing ‘simple nothings’ to be relaxed, happy, stress free and friendly, what stops you from making it part of your everyday life?” she asked amused.

We were confused and only ‘aahs’ and ‘mmms’ filled the space when her words came to our rescue “Do some thinking as a group. I’ll be back in ½ an hour” saying this she left us with our confusion.

Our chatter started and questions bombarded. Each one was shouting high enough to be heard. When Priya said “let’s talk one at a time otherwise we’ll never arrive at any understanding” order set in.

 

Half an hour later when she came we were ready with our answers. It was again Shastha that we pleaded to talk and so she started explaining “In our daily life, we are ever stressed about completing tasks and life-styles. So, doing these ‘sweet nothings’ is next to impossible. Forget about doing it, even to think about it is impossible.”

 Now our Guru sat to explain. Yes, I could say it from the look of it.

“Everything that you did today is termed as ‘Il Dolce far Niente’ by Italians. It’s in their character and way of life. It means “the sweet joy of doing nothing!”.

(Watch this clip from film 'eat pray love' Julia Roberts starrer in which IL Dolce far Niente is explained by an Italian and also listen to the pronunciation if you like.....)

“And in our country we call it laziness” I blurted out and everyone burst out laughing. She couldn’t continue as others joined me “And we are experts in doing nothing!”

....contd.....

Il dolce far niente!

…contd….

“Everything that you did today is termed as ‘Il Dolce far Niente’ by Italians. It’s in their character and way of life. It means “the sweet joy of doing nothing!”.

“And in our country we call it laziness” I blurted out and everyone burst out laughing. She couldn’t continue as others joined me “And we are experts in doing nothing!”

“Yes and we wear laziness as our identity badge. We are proud of it too!”

“We get away with this attitude saying ‘chaltha hai’ (it happens) and ‘light lo’ (take it easy). Everyone were in splits. Some of us were still giggling when she continued her explanation.

“No.no. Il dolce far niente is not about ‘doing nothing’ as we mean. It is not being lazy or complacent. It is about ‘living the moment’. Italians and Romans did not believe that Time is something that can be spent, wasted or passed. Every moment holds the possibility of Goodness, Sweetness and   Pleasure.  Not because of how much we squeeze into it, but because of the beauty that fills life itself.  Goodness, blessings and pleasure are in every moment, we just need to pause long enough to notice. In fact Romans have taken this apparent non activity to the level of art form. To a Roman to see and be seen, to experience life to the fullest, to love and be loved is the very essence of living. They were experts in that. They knew life is not about running behind something or achievement. They knew that ‘life comprises of moments lived’ – moments as simple as watching sun-set, playing with the kid, feel the grass under your feet or let the food tease your eyes and nose before you eat. That doesn’t mean they were any less of achievers. Infact they were great artists, rulers, scientists, lovers and what not. But that didn’t stop them from ‘living the moment’ as they live through their routine. Infact no act was performed – no is performed as a routine. They savour ‘every moment’ thereby bringing joy and play into their every act. 

Great Artists of Italy

Considered One of the most beautiful paintings of all times 'Monalisa' by The genius 'Leonardo da vinci'

Shastha said “but Guruji, give us examples as to its’ application. You just now said they apply while eating. How? This seems more Greek and Latin than Italian” everyone laughed. I liked the way she used the words Greek, Latin and Italian in that phrase. Good word play!

“Fine! How do most of us eat our food?” asked our Guruji.

“We gulp it as we walk, drive, while watching TV, checking whatsapp and “got it” she cut our phrase. “See you are doing something else while eating. You are not with the food. Why I see people checking their mails etc over phone even in the restaurants. Even there, they don’t savour their food. No doubt we have dumped our system with food but haven’t ‘enjoyed eating’”.

“oh” so many voices gave it out that it was obvious they got the point.

“When you eat, first eat with your eyes. Look at the food. Admire its’ colour, texture etc about it and then smell it. let its smell intoxicate your senses. This way saliva has already started forming and this aids digestion and good digestion means ‘less ill-health’. Got it?

Now eat it don’t gulp it. Let your tongue enjoy the taste melting into t it. Then chew consciously and by now you are already happy to eat (just practice this and observe the look on your face at this point). Enjoy your food. See it’s a routine – a must in everyone’s life and how it’s turned into an enjoyable experience. Don’t wait to go to some ‘fancy live the moment class’ in fancy 5-star hotels paying thousands of rupees to appreciate doing this. Do it daily. Increase your joyful moments.

...contd.....

Application of Il Dolce Far Niente!

Me, My Guru

Application of Il Dolce Far Niente!

It seemed long back when our Guru talked about IDFN and we had come often times to share our inputs and experiences regarding this but some or the other incident or person took the centre-stage always. At last, we had given up hope of ever discussing it. But today it happened just like that. Yes, it was so impromptu! We had actually come to attend a ‘class’ or ‘session’ as we prefer to call it. But our Guruji said it stands cancelled because of sudden heavy downpour. This was a bit perplexing to most of us. So many of our ‘sessions’ were conducted during rainy season, then why it was quoted as a reason to cancel our session, we didn’t know. We didn’t dare ask her. I just put this as one of ‘her weird behavior patterns’ folder and shelved it in the

bank of my memory bank. Her talks and behavior had been so many times self-contradictory that we had come to accept it with just a nod. Initially, I would go ‘bonkers’ over her ‘such talk or behaviour’ for days on end. But not any more! Ofcourse Rahul, Aziz and their gang members were never troubled by such incidents. Their trust far beyond their experience was so profound and unshakable that it sometimes though seemed wonderful, many times it only irked me more!

But now, I have made peace with her ‘such behaviours’ I had had my share of experience to tell me that there was always a solid reason for such of her behaviour. Now I know that her talk and actions was not based on likes and dislikes like us ‘normal people’. No Never!

She talked what she ought to, not what she wanted to. So unlike us! So, this belief gave me peace that was explainable and at the same time this belief was not ‘blind belief’. Well, no point discussing something that can’t be expressed. Right?

So, having nothing much to do Deepa just suggested we share our IDFN experiences. Just like that! And here we were doing it when we least expected to. 

...contd.....