June 29, 2024
“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar” says Thich Nhat Hanh. We as a nation have a anathema for the unknown, have a fatalistic approach and accept everything that comes our way. We blame it on our Karma – I get what I deserve. No matter what happens in our life, we accept it because it is how it has been.
How can I choose to suffer? Of course, we can’t always be in control over everything that happens to us. Being struck by problems whether it is manmade, societies dictates or poverty of thought and deed is a painful and heart ranching experience. The State especially when it is a welfare State makes laws for the protection of the marginalized. But its implementation at the grass root level is very much based on social forces that dictate how it reaches the recipients and how it can be implemented.
When we begin the journey of self-improvement and methods to help people overcome their problems, we try to change habits of acceptance, meditating with perpetuators of crime, with a hope that humanity still flows in the veins of human beings. Although in some rare cases there is incremental improvement, it does not stop the acceptance of suffering in one’s life.
It is divine human souls like Rani Maria, who have the convection and courage to move against the tide. They through their lot with human beings who are purposeless, hapless, hopeless and directionless, who accept the situation they are in with fatalistic moorings. It is in such circumstances, we ask another relevant question: why should people like Rani Maria try to bring about a change in the lives of people who are not one among them. Why do we have sympathy on a tribe of people who want to go along with the tide and blame themselves rather than the oppressors that take advantage of their haplessness? Why try to change a society that has lived over centuries especially when they are not a part of that society.
It is in this dark hour that a gleaner of hope begins and leads us all into light. It tries to put balm on hapless people to alleviate their sufferings. It is how the human experience is created where the acceptance of people has its own reward.
We live in a world of thought not reality. We live in a world which we experience reality through our own perceptions. Many of us go through and see the same events but react differently. We are very subjective in our approach. Let me give an example suppose a young girl, say fifteen years old is raped and rapist is twenty five years and that rapist is your son or nephew. When this situation comes, we now look at how to save the rapist rather than sympathize with the hapless girl or attempt to bring the perpetuators of the crime to justice.
As a human being our discovery as thinking, loving and feeling person is to be with complete peace with oneself, have unconditional love and an overwhelming amount of understanding of your inner soul.
“The Face of the Faceless” a movie that showcases the eternal love in the hearts of humans with an open mind and a humanistic soul of pure intention, is to know that with true forgiveness receive unfathomed grace.
Even a brute is looking for love – a love that knows no boundaries, a love that express deepest gratitude with sharing the most valuable life forces. It is a gift given to humanity from the Devine that says “father forgive them, they do not know what they do”. It is this Devine love that we celebrate in hearts of Rani Maria and her family members especially her Mother and Her Sister. They have forgiven and realized the perpetuator of this unforgivable crime against humanity and brought him out of prison and adopted him as a son and brother. Blessed humans like Rani Maria, Mother Theresa are a gift to all humanity and it is through this divinity that we do have humanity that is still alive and kicking in a world that is merciless and ruthless.
Our feelings do not come from eternal forces, it does not come from a bitter heart of revenge, nor does it come from the steel blade of a bluchers knife it comes from our own thinking about the events we give meaning to with a forgiving heart.
God in his own image and likeness has created human beings with love that blooms in every person’s heart that neglect and hatred could not wither. Human heart is as big as the dawn itself over the wide hills. Rani Maria and her family have amply demonstrated this as her mother kisses the hands of the convict who massacred her daughter in cold blood. God in his Devine mercy forgives us of our transgressions, who are we then to criticize, condemn or complain.