Life Desk :
The alarm rings and we wake up to a new day. But the day reeks of staleness, there’s nothing fresh about our new day. We let up our guards of self-defence as soon as we open our eyes and rush to wear our masks of pretensions before we leave the bed. We take our pick of the masks – the pseudo-sophistication mask, the mask of arrogance, the intellectual mask… the choice rests with us.
We deal with things banal and grave all through the day and retire tired and hurt at night. It is exhausting when all people looking for in us is a chink in our armour, a skeleton in our cupboard or if all else fails, a momentary lapse of reason at our end. The moment we let our guards down or peel the masks of pretensions, the world is out to get us. Being good and doing good becomes a challenge in such a scenario. How does one sow ‘good’ when our very survival is at stake and goodness has become synonymous with foolishness? Surely ‘being foolish’ is not a wise way to live. When our goodness is exploited we feel violated. We are almost compelled to join the vast majority of apathetic people who don’t care about being good.
While no one has the right to exploit goodness, it takes all kinds to make the world. If there are people who exploit our goodness, there are also people who are helpful. Agreed that they are present in minority but the very fact that they exist should be reason enough for us to strive to be one of those decent few. This does not mean that you foolishly allow your goodness to be exploited. It only means that you don’t allow mean people to stop you from being good.
The essence of life is ‘dharma’ (right conduct). In our bitter fight for self-preservation, we forget the basic human privilege that we have been gifted with.
The choice to either preserve the human glory of being able to help living beings in need or in our bid for survival trample anyone we catch with their guards down. When we choose the former, we choose dharma (right conduct).
And for people who live by dharma, existence takes it upon itself to preserve such people. Mother Teresa has said – “if you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway…In the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.”
Take refuge in your good deeds, this alone will protect you and see you through. Those who live by sword, perish by sword. With this assurance go ahead and let your guards’ down- sleep well. Rise and shine to a bright new day that awaits you in all its glory. Be yourself, be good!
The alarm rings and we wake up to a new day. But the day reeks of staleness, there’s nothing fresh about our new day. We let up our guards of self-defence as soon as we open our eyes and rush to wear our masks of pretensions before we leave the bed. We take our pick of the masks – the pseudo-sophistication mask, the mask of arrogance, the intellectual mask… the choice rests with us.
We deal with things banal and grave all through the day and retire tired and hurt at night. It is exhausting when all people looking for in us is a chink in our armour, a skeleton in our cupboard or if all else fails, a momentary lapse of reason at our end. The moment we let our guards down or peel the masks of pretensions, the world is out to get us. Being good and doing good becomes a challenge in such a scenario. How does one sow ‘good’ when our very survival is at stake and goodness has become synonymous with foolishness? Surely ‘being foolish’ is not a wise way to live. When our goodness is exploited we feel violated. We are almost compelled to join the vast majority of apathetic people who don’t care about being good.
While no one has the right to exploit goodness, it takes all kinds to make the world. If there are people who exploit our goodness, there are also people who are helpful. Agreed that they are present in minority but the very fact that they exist should be reason enough for us to strive to be one of those decent few. This does not mean that you foolishly allow your goodness to be exploited. It only means that you don’t allow mean people to stop you from being good.
The essence of life is ‘dharma’ (right conduct). In our bitter fight for self-preservation, we forget the basic human privilege that we have been gifted with.
The choice to either preserve the human glory of being able to help living beings in need or in our bid for survival trample anyone we catch with their guards down. When we choose the former, we choose dharma (right conduct).
And for people who live by dharma, existence takes it upon itself to preserve such people. Mother Teresa has said – “if you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway…In the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.”
Take refuge in your good deeds, this alone will protect you and see you through. Those who live by sword, perish by sword. With this assurance go ahead and let your guards’ down- sleep well. Rise and shine to a bright new day that awaits you in all its glory. Be yourself, be good!
– by Ritu S, Indian Express
