Effortlessly Intense

There is Truth to be found in the most fantastic of fiction. That the "Lord of the Rings" is not a religious text, is not because it lacks the necessary scope, obscurantism, romance and gore, but because it has yet to find the right sort of fanatic.

I have stumbled upon a recurring concept in the sword and magic tales that I think to be a Truth. This is the concept of calmness in the midst of frenetic action. The apprentice swordsman is coached by his master to never let emotion touch him in battle; Star Wars freaks take note that the young Luke is told by Obi-Wan to relax and let the Force act through him. Rahul Bose, the actor of "English August" fame, declaimed that he wished to be "effortlessly intense" in one of his interviews. I forget the context in which the words were said but I thought they formed a beautiful pair and aptly describe this eye-of-the-storm concept.

Now I have never been in a swordfight, nor been trained as a Jedi Knight, much desired activities as they are. But I have faced a six ounce hard-leather ball, propelled at 80 mph in cricket matches. Those times that I have been successful, I was posessed by an eerie calm. Perfect concentration with no thought of the result of the next delivery. Perhaps in this physically obvious and fairly limited way I have experienced "the peace that passeth all understanding". And mayhaps Karmanye Va Adhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana begins to make practical sense.