Peace

Many artists participated in a contest to paint the best picture of peace. The jury identified two. One was of a calm lake... a perfect mirror for peaceful lush green mountains all around it with a blue sky and fluffy white clouds. All thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But the jury looked closely and found behind the waterfall a tiny shrub growing in a crack in the rock. A little bird had built her nest there and in the midst of the rush of water, it sat in perfect peace. The jury chose the second picture.

The wise adjudicators confirmed that peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart.

So often we pursue an illusory image of peace where nothing wrong happens. We must align with the true meaning of peace. It is about coping with the most negative situation and maintaining positivity. We must seize control of our own inner peace and nurture harmony in our immediate circle of influence.

Peace is not to be found without...
look within to find it without doubt!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Belong

Giulio Ricciarelli’s film ‘Im Labyrinth des Schweigens’ is set in the times of post-war Germany. An extermination camp commander, now teaching at a school, is identified by Simon - a survivor who has lost his twin-daughters to brutal, ghastly murders. A young, idealistic public prosecutor, Johann takes the case and realises that the acts of commission and omission have almost everyone involved.

Johann staggers into a labyrinth of lies and guilt. He questions Simon, ‘how could you stay back in this wretched land that butchered your family?’ Simon solemnly replies, ‘I met my wife in this land... we got married here... our twins were born here... once at the lake, a duck bit my daughter... where else can I belong?’

It was a heart rendering poser. Somebody who had gone through inconceivable pain, and irrevocable loss, was able to distinguish between the ache and the predicament. He ‘belonged’ despite all attempts to uproot him of his adopted land. He had overcome all attempts to take away his biggest belonging – his humanity.

It is pertinent to note that the brutalised man continued to belong to humanity while very few from the inhuman brutes – both, by choice and by force – were able to belong to the very values that defined them as civilised human beings. In times of severe strain on human values, we must answer, ‘do we still belong to humanity?’

It is said that our character is defined by our behaviour in the dark. It is so easy to let go off our humanness and become blood thirsty animals or passive onlookers. The challenge is to belong to our collective land. Our world has moved on dignity, justice and sensitivity to the values of humanism. Let them be never taken away!

do not succumb to brutality...
choose to belong to humanity!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Within

James Patrick Kinney allegory ‘The Cold Within’ unveils the mind-set of six persons trapped in a bitter cold… Each has a stick of wood as they surround a dying fire… But each holds it back so that the other does not gain… the stubborn stance is born of chauvinism against skin colour, religion, race, class or just plain selfishness. Eventually, all succumb to the cold which they refuse to fend lest the other benefits.

The verse confirms the lesson that ‘They didn't die from the cold without, they died from the cold within.’ We find fault with others to the extent of considering them as undeserving of any help. We are consumed by a distressing hatred that demolishes our sense of logic and values. For the hatred that kills without, first devours us from within.

And it is not just negative actions that lead to ruin… intentional indifference does wreck as well. It is important for us to realize that our prejudices not only harm others, they incinerate us as well. Hence it is for own sake that we need to unlearn prejudices that instigate us to being inhuman in our response to other human beings.

to truly conquer the cold without…
our ‘within’ needs tweak, no doubt!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Be Happy

Last Friday, Samraat Club Panaji organised Deep Sandhya - the family get-together to celebrate the coming of the festival of lights.  On the occasion, Meenacshi Martins was awarded the Rangbhoomi Sanmaan – an award to appreciate her significant contributions to the theatrical stage besides her impressive journey as an actor in films and television.

In the interaction that followed, Meenacshi was asked about the secret of her ageless looks. She calmly replied that she chose to ‘be happy’! She explained that it made sense to ignore negativity and malicious criticism. She would immerse herself in various activities from parenting to gardening to social service. Doing positive things would help keep happy.

Happiness is a choice. But it is not an easy choice. We have to go beyond negativity as well as inactivity. It is about picking up the little joys in little things. It is to escape the trap to wait for a greater expectation to be fulfilled. It is to overcome the fear of the future. It is to be content with what we receive.

Happiness can be ours in every moment, if we escape the vice of reacting instead of accepting. Expectations, comparisons, fears and worries lead us to react. But happiness can be a proactive choice that depends on me – the individual – instead of the stimulus or the situation. The famous song urged us so well, ‘Don’t worry... Be Happy!’

Escape the reactionary vice…
to be happy is the right choice!

- Pravin K. Sabnis

Approval

Zen Master Kosen was exceptionally skilled in calligraphy. Once, he was asked to sketch onto paper words to guide carpenters to carve on to the wooden gate of the temple. However while he sketched he was conscious of a bold apprentice who stood next to him, disapproving of Kosen first effort and his next and his next…

Kosen kept writing many attempts but without the endorsement of his pupil. Then, when his student stepped outside for a few moments, Kosen saw his chance to escape his keen eye. He wrote hurriedly, with a mind free from distraction. The pupil returned to see his work and state, ‘A masterpiece!’

Until, Kosen was overwhelmed by the burden of measuring up to his pupil’s approval, he could not actualise his own capability. The anxiety weighed him down and distracted him from his own natural performance. The momentary exit of his student freed him of the pressure and he was able to complete the task to his own approval as well as that of his pupil!

So often, we succumb to the stress and strain of approval of others, not only when surrounded by them, but also in their absence. Worrying about what others will think, about what we have done, is the biggest distraction that offsets us off our path. To be better at doing anything, we need to liberate ourselves of the anxiety that comes out of worrying about appraisal and approval by others.

Don’t let the burden of approval trigger anxiety...

Let’s overcome heaviness that offsets our ability

- Pravin K. Sabnis