"An anthropologist studying the habits and customs of an African tribe found himself surrounded by children most days. So he decided to play a little game with them. He managed to get candy from the nearest town and put it all in a decorated basket. at the foot of a tree.
Then he called the children and suggested they play the game. When the anthropologist said "now", the children had to run to the tree and the first one to get there could have all the candy to him/herself.
So the children all lined up waiting for the signal. When the anthropologist said "now", all of the children took each other by the hand ran together towards the tree. They all arrived at the same time divided up the candy, sat down and began to happily munch away.
The anthropologist went over to them and asked why they had all run together when any one of them could have had the candy all to themselves.
The children responded: "Ubuntu. How could any one of us be happy if all the others were sad?"
Ubuntu is a philosophy of African tribes that can be summed up as "I am what I am because of who we all are."
Bishop Desmond Tutu gave this explanation in 2008 :
"One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity."
To survive or sacrifice
For many the choice of survival is more natural and compelling option than that of sacrifice. It’s only natural from our lower level to the graduation we are trained to compete. Sacrifice seems a stuff of leaders and the survival seems to be must for all people. But, in a nation where we have got our very freedom with the sacrifice of many, how can we have survived without those who sacrificed. Would we have made it without the good will of the few who donated generously when we were in need, would we have made it if the kings of Old fought to protect the society as a whole would we survive if the farmers of the country decided to enjoy their life more than provide food. I am not sure if their sacrifices are noted, but we have known it’s the sacrifice of those few that balances the greed and need of many. “To survive or sacrifice” Very few have these questions running in their head these days and very few choose the later. Sacrifice seems a hard word; many feel it leads to the lack of individual good. But, no one ever recalls if it’s not for the sacrifice of great men like Gandhi or Nelson Mandela, many would have no future. So, why do we hesitate, simply because in this competitive world sacrifice means to loose and in India we are not taught to lose we are taught to win. Win what in this world if we have no love or sacrifice, the world begins in pain and mystery for all, what has changed in this world after it as began. One as to suffer for the benefit of life, if no one suffers there won’t be life. I once heard of a story where a caterpillar being transformed into the butterfly was trying to get out of it cocoon and feeling pity of its struggle a person freed it from its suffering, only to find out it needed to suffer to complete the process of changing. In Indian cities people are averse to this suffering, what better data can prove it other than the fact that the number of surgical births have spurted rapidly. Sacrifice or suffer is not the worst thing its part of life, one cannot have smiled and not have cried. Why think that one can be ignorant and be ignorant always without seeing that without sacrifice we shall not survive.
Grate full
There are so many people giving there all in efforts to make such wonderful things. Such beautiful pictures and amazing movies, with hardly I can see never been clear in my life after years of filtering of all the worst and bad things in life I have found some good in life. That I want to fight for, I found a reason to start working hard again a reason to hope. I guess the “worst” is always around us it will be always following and its part of us being human because we men the simple immortal creatures make mistake in every part of our life. If we don’t realize it and correct them the “worst” that we experience will follow around with more effect and take control. The only way for it be away for some time is for us to learn from our mistakes. But, sometimes it’s easy to call it a devils work, put the blame on something else, I do believe in god now more than ever. In the worst of times I feel compelled to believe in him am great full for what I have for which I have cursed before understanding the things I had. God should be there that no amount of thinking can rationalize. But, then some good men have told god is in us in what we do and how we decide to do it. God in all his glory as done one great thing he let us decide. Call him alien or anything I don’t care let him be whatever. But, thinking about it in the open perspective, how many atoms have got the gift of ours to be created into such a sophisticated organism and do such amazing and wonderful things. I want to preserve this no matter how many times we let the worst get better of us, no matter how easy it is to go back to the old ways; I shall fight even if after few years things get worse again leading to devastation and slaughter. But is it not the fun of living in this dynamic world that god has given us that we are never sure of what will happen, does it not make it part of making of wonderful. May be there is no perfect society and trying to create a good one is futile. Since a well experienced man dies and a new seed takes his place, the seed can grow to become anyone and needs to be nurtured the same way as the old or the need shall not provide the same way as the old to the society. But, then who will be the nurturer the society ? Which by itself changes with the wind and altered its path to condition that are not controled? one shall only have to laugh in the man’s endeavor to control the outcomes of things he finds himself. But, one cannot rest stating this will happen on its own as the old disappear, the new have the responsibility, and if the new fail then there is nothing to give for the future of human. For, all this I am grateful for my life to my elders and to this country. For making this rare phenomenon called life a great experience for me.
If you don’t care, why should someone else care?
Over the years I was angered by the inability of the government to do anything, but I have realized some time back that gone are those days when government truly wanted the best for its people. But, again gone are those days when people cared what government was doing for them. The goal of every Indian house old is to keep its home neat and clean, nothing wrong with this goal; the problem with this goal is their cleanliness boundary is limited by the walls of their houses. Such utter disregard to things that is outside the reaches of their homes, ask them why. they might say it’s the work of someone else to keep their streets clean. Yup, the politicians are true representatives of the society of India, these days even they never do anything to clean up this land its some one else work. So, the democracy is working we are well represented. The important question that arises now is, can someone else be the important person who save this world and protect you from the worseness of the outside world? if so who is that person?. I wish the imaginative minds of Hollywood be writing the real story about the existence of Spiderman; the one power full spider bites the one nicest guy in the lab. So till then we can wait patiently, for the fate to choose for us till we selflessly clean our homes and selfishly dump it on the streets. While the politicians the true representatives of the people with a selfless attitude clean the country of all its cash and pour the dirty money into his house. Eureka, our politicians are good and the democracy is working.
Let us Care
It is there for long we didn’t invent it, people are only rediscovering it. This shows how humans need to be reminded who we are and what we are from time to time. We easily tend to forget the good things and hold on to what ever is bad. But, there is a new system in this world opening our eyes to reality and uniting us towards a better cause. We have just entered an age where a person can unite together with a total stranger from other side of the world to save a person living in between both of them. This is the age where we could do more than what we think we can do. We just have to open our eyes to the opportunities that the man as created himself to do this. Face book as given us the power of connecting to save and help. Few have already began to do this, few have already understood the power of the networking that we have created and have started using it for human good. The link below to a video says more than I can tell.
http://www.youtube.com/user/invisiblechildreninc
I HAD A DREAM
I had a dream of a project that can never be forgotten, even after I woke up. I had a dream that was so revolutionary, that my mind never wanted to wake from it. I had a dream that my heart want's it to be the dream of every person in this land, the dream was about the removal of social divide and hatred. The dream was about having clean roads and clean government system. The dream was about rising as one rather than in clusters. The dream was a way to create a sense of “we” in the people and not an “I” in them.
The dream showed me a way for it to happen and its by the creation of a “social brigade”, a group that goes to different places and organize a social or cultural grouping encouraging the locals to participate and enjoy the power of being united, the power of feeling of being united with each other. Imagine this dream if it comes true, when no longer people will watch others suffer, when others pain is their pain, when sharing of resources and feelings is the norm of every day. When the older ways are no longer the looser's way, when we can celebrate who we are to become better than what we are. Before we forget this culture for which we have fought for let the "social brigade" be the hero who saved it. You may still ask why, because without social unity, cultural unity, there is no talk about the fight against the social evils and there is saving the planet, there is no better future. But then, what is more worth than coming together and sharing our culture, which is so rich in diversity, so rich in beauty, why not share them with each other? Why remain divided as neighbors and join together as a society, why separated by walls, self barriers and call the roads, sidewalks, parks, open spaces also our homes. Who shall do this, shall we let our rich cultures perish by letting it to be divided. But,yes they might not perish in villages and small towns, but then we have created a magnetic destruction points a destination for destruction of our culture its the cities. Shall we let, the richness of our food to be forgotten? "To forget"(Alzheimer) the very disease the westerners fear and we have medicine for it in our very food. Who can create the awareness for this, the government??? The police?? The westerners?? Why not us!!! Why not the people of our society!!!! Why not the social brigade!!! Why not a group with any other name!!! WHY NOT ME!!! . To help this society to cherish itself, to bring it together, enjoy the gift of culture and create the lost unity in this city. We have come together to grieve we have come together without speaking with each other to change governments. But, I just had a dream………………………………….
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