However, the path to hilsa-led gustatory satisfaction is thorny – the
fish has many sharp and tough bones, which require the eater to pick his way
through the dish, or risk injuring his mouth or, worse, swallowing a bone or
two. But a willingness to persevere and to navigate through the mine-field of
bones helps the eater to reach his goal – a nirvana of taste, a glorious end to
a meal that will be remembered!
If you prefer boneless fish in your meal and avoid the hilsa, you will
still reach The End (of the meal) but it will be a meal devoid of meaning, of
flavour. Your belly may not forgive you.
You can have the hilsa deboned before eating – this is offered in some
high-end restaurants, so naturally you have to fork out a few more pennies. You
get the taste without the effort, which is no good.
This sounds similar to life – the path to nirvana (or bliss,
happiness, satisfaction, whatever you want to call it) should not be smooth. It should be filled with the sharp and tough
bones of the travails, pains and difficulties that must be overcome to reach
your ultimate goal. Only then will you savour the feeling of having fought the
good fight and coming out victorious!
Similarly, you can take the Boneless Path - a steady, dull life
without any obstacles. You will still reach the end, but the journey will be
grey, ordinary and without beauty.
You can also get someone to debone your life, to remove real and
perceived obstacles and to help you navigate the path to happiness. But this
comes at a cost and gives no joy of achievement.
So would you rather plunge into the hilsa, avoid the hilsa, or get
into deboned hilsa? Your answer will determine how you live your life!
