A Moral Dilemma

Moth: “I gave you my life.”

Flame: “I allowed you to kiss me.” ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan

There is always going to be suffering. It’s how you look at your suffering, how you deal with it, that will define you.

~ Mark Twain

We might sit in the privileged sector of the world looking aghast at the human cost of the pandemic. Is our life worth more than a single one of theirs? How can we and how do we deal with the harrowing realities of human tragedy unfolding across India?

Originally posted by backtothedrawingboardproductions.com

Blogger AussieEssays made the point that “many people today only imagine suffering as they have never truly experienced it and instead borrow the suffering of others to validate themselves. They punch holes in the air and scream in the wind as they follow a cause that simply doesn’t impact on their comfortable lives as they tell themselves that they have made a difference when they in reality have done little of any importance.“

Does feeling temporarily shocked and appalled help anyone?

Does paying lip service assist us to process a tragedy on the scale of India’s Covid 19 pandemic and allow us to continue with our daily tasks at work; eating our cheese sandwich and speaking with friends or other mundane activities, so that our conscience runs clear and we might continue functioning productively?

John Fowles has some sobering words for us:

“The human race is unimportant. It is the self that must not be betrayed.”

“I suppose one could say that Hitler didn’t betray his self.”

“You are right. He did not. But millions of Germans did betray their selves. That was the tragedy. Not that one man had the courage to be evil, but that millions had not the courage to be good.”

― John Fowles, The Magus

In the face of tragic circumstances be prepared to:

• Allow feelings of grief and shock
• Examine what can be learnt from the situation to better existence for all
• Think about what each one of us can do with that information
• Be proactive and follow through as your situation allows (ie. don’t be an armchair whiner)

I think Confucious has the final word:

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps”~Confucius

Proverbial Friday – Global Wisdom

I find there to be profound wisdom in proverbs, sayings and quotes and I marvel at the way they are so succinct in communicating messages to the reader.

Mostly anonymous, they come to us from past generations and from across cultures.

They speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned. Quotes, like proverbs, make us think more deeply about something.

Each Friday, I post a Proverb or Saying and a Quote that I find thought-provoking. 

I hope you will too.

 

When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.

Indian proverb

 

 

 

 

 

“They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, I told them they didn’t understand life.”

–John Lennon

 

 

 

Feelings are like chemicals, the more you analyze them the worse they smell.

~ Charles Kingsley

 

 

 

Charles Kingsley was a English clergyman, university professor, historian, and novelist, who must have had some strong feelings that greatly disturbed him. I am certain that thinking for too long about something might be a curse, in that one sometimes feels that there’s never a moment of peace, in one’s own mind, from the self-talk.  The memory receptors, in our brain, work by reconstructing events, and with each recall of memory, there appears to be a slight change or enhancement of the memory, so if they are recalled often, they might be far from the reliable truths we regard them to be. More often, we find memories are often peppered with an individual’s own particular bias, rather than a precise itinerary of events.

But the Indian proverb, refers to something completely different, don’t you think?

Or can you see a correlation between quote and proverb?

 

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Please feel very welcome to join in the discussion, by leaving a comment, below.

 

 

 

Linking also to the Three day Quote challenge.

If you wish to join in, check out Purple Pumpernickel for the Rules.

Now posting on Fridays

Indeed this is something for us to ponder about

Proverbial Friday – Global Wisdoms

I find there to be profound wisdom in proverbs, sayings and quotes and I marvel at the way they are so succinct in communicating messages to the reader. Mostly anonymous, they come to us from past generations and from across cultures. They speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned. Quotes, like proverbs, make us think more deeply about something.

Each Friday, I post a Proverb or Saying and a Quote that I find thought-provoking.

I hope you will too.

A guilty conscience is a hidden enemy

– Indian proverb

Continuing on with the theme of listening again this week, is Ralph Nichols’ quote:

“The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood.

The best way to understand people is to listen to them.”

– Ralph Nichols

Dr. Ralph Nichols was a major force in our understanding of the complexities of listening behavior and research in the “field of listening.” Do you think you are a good listener?

You will find ten questions here to see whether you are really listening or not.

One of those questions is:

Are you listening to understand, rather than listening to respond?

In a world of increasing conflicts, how often do you, in your own small corner of the world, really listen and value a speaker, their experience, the conversation or the message they are trying to convey?

Join in the discussion by leaving a comment here under.

Now posting on Fridays

– Something to Ponder About

Proverbial Thursday – Global Wisdom

I find there to be profound wisdom in proverbs, sayings and quotes and I marvel at the way they are so succinct in communicating messages to the reader. Mostly anonymous, they come to us from past generations and from across cultures. They speak of the experiences of lives lived and lessons learned. Quotes, like proverbs, make us think more deeply about something.

Each Thursday, I post a Proverb or Saying and a Quote that I find thought-provoking.

I hope you think so too.

 

Our final Proverb from Africa, for this series, comes from Kenya.

To be smiled at isn’t to be loved

– Kenyan proverb

 

Today I heard a very inspirational person speak about the Barefoot community. I have always believed in the value of traditional knowledge and skills and that pieces of paper (degrees) do not always trump common sense, inventiveness and logic. Sanjit “Bunker” Roy is an Indian social activist and educator who founded the Barefoot College in India and works to educate illiterate and semi literate rural Indians.

His quote relates clearly to his work but can his quote also relate to other matters?

Dr Livingstone

Listen to the people on the ground.

They have all the solutions in the world

– Bunker Roy

 

 

I invite you to join in the discussion and leave  your comment about the quote and proverbs this week.

 

 

 

Proverbial Thursday – Something to Ponder Deeply About

Traditional Art forms – The Omnipresent Tulip

Rangoli Border in South India dnikias.wordpress.com

Rogaland Rosemaling

No matter where you travel, in the world, within each region you will find examples of  innovative forms of folk art. These are not completed by the skilled artisan, but rather by the common person, often with little training and few tools, simply decorating their homes and surrounds. Historically, an itinerant artist might travel from town to town this way, painting as he went, eeking out a meagre existence through the doors of time.

The Rose or Stordal church Norway. c 1789

Rosemaling is often seen in Churches in Norway

Border in South India

Rangoli is a traditional women’s art form common in Hindu households throughout southern India. Designs are drawn directly in white chalk,on the ground, at the house entranceway, by the women of the household, as part of a ritualistic religious practice.

My primary interest is in Norwegian and old Hansa traditional art forms, such as Rosemaling, the Danish Almuemaling, and the Dutch Hindeloopen, styles of painting that ordinary folk used to decorate their homes during the dark cold days of winter when they could not go outside to work.

I find the differnt forms of these old art styles dynamic. They feel alive and have a historic connection to a way of life long past, but still valued.

Rosemaling

In many forms of folk art, religion symbolism is rife, and the tulip is a common feature. Once  the Tulip meant the Holy trinity, something inherent in many different religions and I guess this is the reason we see it represented in art in the East as well as the West.

The following link displays border designs in South India – Take a look. How often do you see the Tulip form?

some borders –

Something Inspirational to Ponder About