The Sacred Act of Penmanship

Our Covid-19 infection numbers are surging, with more than 6000 new infections every day. A tighter lockdown has just been announced by the government--something that everyone has been bracing for. But that's life in the era of the pandemic. 

I am grateful for having a regular income during this difficult time. The only good thing about the pandemic is that you don't spend so much money. I barely had to pump more petrol into my car. And I go for days without having to touch any money. Online purchases have increased but that's understandable. It is a good thing that I don't have any expensive hobbies. Reading is a cheap hobby because books last a lifetime.

I cannot understand most men's fascination with fancy cars. I look forward to a world where no one owns his or her own car. Movement from point A to point B should be done by some driverless electric vehicle which you can call on demand--just like pressing a button for the lift to arrive at your floor. 

I wrote about fountain pens in my last blog post. I confess to having some expensive tastes for pens--especially Mont Blanc. But my collection of pens were bought 20 years ago. I'm allowing a small indulgence lately with cheap Chinese-made fountain pens. It is remarkable how good and cheap they are--often comparable with their more expensive counterparts at a fraction of the price.

Hobbies keep one sane, especially during these difficult times of the pandemic. I must add writing to that too: not writing as in producing some substantial output like an essay, blog or even a letter--but just the physical act of scribbling something with a pen. I have an interest in calligraphy and do possess a number of books on the subject but I've not seriously pursued it since my student days. I lament the fact that penmanship is not something they teach you at schools anymore. My parents and my uncles were all schooled properly in penmanship during the colonial days. Their excellent handwriting is a constant source of inspiration to me.

I had practiced writing in cursive during my schooldays but over the years I've evolved my own lazy style. I realized that the older I get, the more unintelligible  my handwriting has become. Writing with cheap ballpoints also contributed to that. Which is why lately I'm reviving my interest in fountain pens--I want to rediscover the joy of writing longhand.

Writing is also a good meditation practice. Like any artistic endeavour, writing requires one to concentrate on the here and now. The point where the nib touches the paper is like the point of breath which Buddhist meditators are asked to focus on when they do breath meditation. By watching how words form letter by letter, one gets to practice focusing on the present. 

When we put thoughts into writing, we are subjecting our karma to a deeper analysis. It is like math--you write down your equation and then proceed to solve it step by step. Layer after layer of complexity is peeled away as your write and things reveal themselves with greater clarity. 

The pen is the inducer of thoughts. Graham Greene famously said: "My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does". Through writing you get a glimpse of your current karmic state. As ink flows out from the nib, you see the trajectory of your karmic flow, which drives your thoughts.  

Writing with a pen is sacred. If you dislike the boredom of counting your breath, or chanting meaningless mantras, try writing with a pen every day. The pen is the key to unlocking the secrets of your soul.