If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?
The content reflects on the nature of society as a collection of individuals united through family and shared experiences. It emphasizes the pursuit of a harmonious society, free from negative elements, where individuals can thrive. The text showcases revered figures like Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, and Buddha, who fought against tyranny and spread righteousness. It stresses that true admiration of these icons requires embodying their principles. Ultimately, it calls for compassion, tolerance, and the belief in collective happiness as essential to societal wellbeing and self-improvement.
Society is a congregation of people who live, celebrate and share their happiness or woes. Being a “Social animal”, humans need the company of others. Society binds individuals through a smaller group of people – family. Thus, groups of families are society and are the reflection of individual aspirations and expectations. Society is not abstract. It, though, has some glitches and, sometimes potholes that mar it. Since the dawn of civilization, the human race has been striving to have a perfect and amicable society.
A harmonious society is one where people feel secure, safe, and protected. It is achieved when the negative elements are away from it. There should be peace and prosperity, and everyone should have fair freedom for individual progression and development.
It is possible when all people are on the same page and behave properly. This is an ideal but utopian situation. It leads to monotony which gives no occasion to learn new things and wading techniques to fight the odds and come out victorious.
Nature evolved a process of choice from amongst a crowd of individuals who can fight back vagaries and, learning from experiences, evolve a new way of life suitable for everyone. The concept of bad and good, negative and positive, war and peace is the outcome of such strives. The struggle gives individual organisms the power to cope with the challenge and teach the ways.
People are different. Every individual has different mind, thoughts and action. Treating every individual with the same yardstick is practically not possible. The difference in psychology of individuals makes a varied and diversified thought process good for the health of society. Lopsided or heavily tilted balance, nevertheless, cause difficulties and problem.
Excess of everything is bad. Sometimes, people face mass hardships and suffering. It happens when a person or group of persons start behaving opposite to the laid norms of society. It was happening in the past, it is continuing in the current, and it will go on ad nauseam.
The increased atrocities lead people to feel oppressed and suffocated. When atrocities become exceedingly high, lawlessness and cruelty reach their pinnacle; a saviour rescues people. Taking the head-on fight with diabolic forces, the saviour annihilates autocratic, callous and habitual offenders. Saviour leads people from the darkness of ignorance and despair to the light of progress, development and mental elevation.
Persons of such calibre become heroes. People like, love and follow them. They become people’s icons and God.
Before proceeding further, let us cast a glance at a few incidents. The below-described narrations are about illustrious personalities who are those whom people respect and worship. They created not only history but are icons of humanity and values. They fought and wiped off the wicked and nefarious to reestablish order. Let us see it in detail to clear the point.
The night was deepening. The ambience was gradually wrapped by thickening darkness. People were wailing and searching for their near and dear on the vast battlefield of Lanka. Ravan, the monarch, was in his last phase of death lying wounded, profusely bleeding and wailing with pain in the expanding gloom. All of his sons and relatives were killed. He was killed by Lord Ram. Vibhishan, his younger brother had been declared king of Lanka. An Era had ended. The autocratic, haughty and mendacious monarch was dead.
Facing lots of difficulties, Lord Ram who was forced to exile in forest for fourteen years, had vanquished the demon king and established the rule of law. He was righteous, Maryada Purushottam (Most Dignified) and exemplary personality of the human existence. He is revered and most respected personality who resides in millions of people across the globe. No one can be equated with Him.
Let us talk about another illustrious personality. Born in the most difficult condition in a dungeon and transported to a safer village under the disguise of the dark night, the boy was yet again an incarnation of Lord Vishnu who came to earth to set up the rule of law. Lord Krishna after annihilation of Kamsa, the autocratic demon king, and restoring the kingdom to the righteous king Ugrasena.
Lord Krishna passively participated in the epic war of Mahabharat, chose to drive the chariot of Arjuna and wowed not to take weapons. His sympathies were with the righteous Pandavas. He gave sermons to Arjuna amidst the battlefield before the war started. Whenever sin prevails, and righteousness wanes, He comes to annihilate the sin and reestablish order.
“Yadā Yadā Hi Dharmasya Gyānir Bhavati Bhāratah,
Abhyutthānam Adharmasya Tadātmānaṃ Sṛijāmyaham.“
After the Mahabharat war, He went to Dwarka and established His kingdom.
Buddham Sharanam Gachhami…
Words reverberate in the atmosphere. Peaceful and serene environs speak volumes about yet another great personality who roamed and preached on this piece of land. He left an indelible mark and served humanity through his preachings centuries ago.
Born in a royal family, Siddharth relinquished his palace, its lavish amenities, his wife and the infant. He took the tough path of penance in the search for truth and became Buddha – the enlightened one. He roamed far and wide preaching and awakening people. His preachings still encourage people and show them the right path. Buddha was the one who changed the heart of the dreaded dacoit of the time, Angulimaal, who later became His disciple.
It would be well in place, rather most appropriate, to talk about a supernova who gulped down the deadliest poison that came out as a result of iconic sea-churning by demigods and demons. He is the god of all gods. He is “Mahadev” who saved humanity by gulping the poison “Halahal” and contained it in his neck. His neck became blue, hence his name, Neelkanth.
The illustrious and towering personalities described above are our icons. They affected humanity extensively. It goes without saying that they are our God. People worship them for their superhuman qualities and the help that they gave, to survive humanity and values. No one can reach the height they are on. It is why, in Sanatan belief, their abode is believed to be on a lofty mountain or in space.
The written history has a mention of blazing personalities with extraordinary capabilities who showed exemplary courage and bravery beyond the reach of ordinary human beings. In modern times there were people who became larger than life and served humanity. They are the heroes of modern times who invented medicines, invested money in industries, and, as a teacher, encouraged children to be good and do good. They were different and it is not strange why some of us want to be like them and try to fit our feet in their shoes.
Merely imitating the great personalities and worshipping them would not suffice the purpose until one imbibes their principles in one’s life. They showed the way to lead a virtuous life. We can live to their expectations by adopting their path and techniques of self-improvement.
God resides in each one of us is an oft quoted phrase but considering the facts of time, it is of eternal relevance. Love and compassion are the traits which gives a power of tolerance and accommodating others. The essence is live and let live. In Indian ethos it has been the practice of “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah…” (Let us all be happy). It was not merely a theoretical, but it was in practice, and we still believe in it.
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