3 passions.. the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of humankind

my brother according to Hari This is what Hari, my brother's best man at the wedding..said about Thanassis..my brother..I treasure his words which are definately worth reading again and again.....as he demonstrates in a poetic, yet intellectual and finally very moving way, elements about a beautiful soul in constant search of the three passions.. Hari said: It is my honor to etch a portrait of my friend Thanassis, for he is a man of great beauty. I’m honored twice today, since Aisling and Thanassis are my family in Arizona.
Let me begin by using the words of the English philosopher, Bertrand Russell. He said: “Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of humankind.” Thanassis embodies this sentiment completely. But, what does it mean for him to be in love, to seek truths, and to be kind? These are not a simple set of rules that he applies with unflinching precision.
Thanassis is a post-modern man, with a complex soul. He is blessed with an incisive intellect and great kindness. It is easy to judge him on his manifestation – a specific set of acts at a particular time. But to do so, is to be frustrated – over time, there will appear a contradiction that is not easily resolvable. The complexity to Thanassis’ soul arises out of its structural consistency. What is the consistent about his soul is its dynamics – change arises out of a respectful, negotiated interaction with the other – his loved ones, and the world itself. The complexity is a reflective sum of all the interaction histories with his family, his loved ones and the world.
Interaction with him is often complicated and dizzying – since most of us, are looking for consistency in the manifestation. We typically seek a set of observable rules to anchor the relationship, which enables us to the parse the other. With Thanassis, since the structural consistency of the soul is hidden, it is easy to be hurt or be angry when interacting with him.
Thanassis understands fully well that the negotiated, dynamic space that his soul inhabits, must co-exist with a world looking for order in the manifestation. What makes him beautiful is that he is at peace with the complexity that he embodies – he refuses to regress to simplicity.Thank you Hari for as long as we are around we need to celebrate life at it's best..embrace it's beauty..as rain is what we will make when we embrace the clouds and who does not need the rain's fertile humidity.Please stick to hope and your trust to the beauty of life It is the only thing which can keep us going and the poetry that this beauty generates in us We are all thirsty for beauty..If we drink our tears we will discover in their taste the beauty of our soul.Thank you Hari for being so generous with Thanassis and all of us It is so comforting that I know he has such a treasure soul for a friend in Arizona.I already miss you guys..Take care.. Hari's picts a must see!! http://www.flickr.com/photos/harisundaram/