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By Devendra Gautam

Early morning, January 22. 

At Tilicho Park, a wrathful and armed Padmasambhav probably demands to know from every visitor: Who are you? And what brings you here (in this world)? 

Meanwhile, two of his neighbours, Shakyamuni Buddha and Mahamanjushree, seem not to bother as to who comes in and who goes out. Even in a piece of concrete jungle, they seem to be at peace with themselves and the rest of the world.       

Rather than facing a wrathful Padmasambhav, it is better to head to the woods of Swayambhunath and try to meditate a bit over the two quintessential questions. 

The ticket counter at Swayambhunath has the first question hanging, literally.   

If you are from SAARC member countries, tickets come a bit cheaper. For tourists from outside, the rates are higher. 

Even in the lovely woods of Swayambhunath (they aren’t dark and deep anymore), the two questions appear to scream from every nook and cranny. 

In the rhythm of music, a couple of fitness enthusiasts sweat it out, leaving the monkeys, who probably thought this territory located on the edge of a sprawling concrete jungle was their habitat too, wondering over the roaring music and a flurry of workouts. 

Imagine a thread of conversation between simian couple in such circumstances: 

Hubby, all this junk food is ruining your health. How about some human workouts? You see, jumping from branch to branch is not enough, one has to change with the times. 

Yeah, wifey! You too have gained some weight these days. Let’s sweat it out to the beat of the music. 

As other simians join in the workouts, the cacophony erupts throughout the thinning jungle, sending law enforcement on high alert, with sirens blaring and lights flashing. 

But this figment of imagination meets a sudden death as the ‘music’ dies and a roar of laughter follows, marking the end of the workout-in-the-woods session. 

A temporary peace takes effect like the ceasefire in Gaza. In a parcel of the Swayambhunath woods, the questions are blowing in the wind.  

Among a pack of dogs wandering about, the alpha male (perhaps) responds by peeing on a rather tall tree. 

By marking his territory, he has probably stated who he is and what he is here for. As for other dogs in the pack, they don’t count, most probably. 

While exiting the woods, the questions come a-haunting, again. In fact, there’s no respite from the questions as they are everywhere. 

Alas, only if our state had the guts, the wherewithal to ask the two key questions to every alien entering the territories of Nepal through a border that remains open on our side, 24 x 7. 

That way, the country would be safer than it currently is. The recent attack on a film star in the Mayanagari (Mumbai) also shows that Nepal should take border security very, very seriously. 

Furthermore, the fact that even the United States, the most powerful country, is building a wall along its borders with Mexico, should prompt Nepal to up border security—for its own sake and for the sake of its neighbours. 

Back to the key questions. 

Recently, years truly happened to visit an art gallery that was preparing for a gala art exhibition. 

The exhibition titled ‘Who are you?’—does it not sound a bit arrogant, BTW?—features the works of two artists—KC Subesh and Mukhiya Samridh. 

What’s more, a big publisher is opening this exhibition which runs from January 24 till February 19. 

Yours truly is thinking of visiting the event as part of ongoing efforts to get answers to the two questions, quite aware that asking such questions to oneself at this stage of life clearly shows that this fellow has not arrived, and there’s miles and miles and miles to go before dusk.