Around this time, it is usual for newspapers and readers to recall the year that has past by. Some years are tinged with good memories, some years are indeed annus horribilus. I don’t know what you make of it, but in my book there is little to look back with fondness at 2010; whether it was double-digit inflation with the prices of onions and vegetables making one weep, or the multitude of scams around us. Indeed, there is little of note to recall 2010.
The continuing sadness is that there is no magic wand to lift the bleakness from the landscape around. You cannot grow onions overnight, or bring down prices in a jiffy nor can you easily change the venal attitude of politicians in power. So what is the way to keep your spirits alive, if not exactly soar, during 2011?
On a philosophical level, there are a multitude of virtues wrapped around the belief that All This Must Pass. Nothing is forever. Whether we are going through great times or really sad times, everything is transient and it will pass. So the bad times too will not last forever, just like the good times will not either. The more important thing is that our reactions must not waver whatever be the circumstances. Unfortunately, this is not always so. It is very easy to lose ourselves in delight when things go right, but very difficult to show equanimity when things go awry.
When the big picture is bleak, there is mercifully much joy and comfort in the little things around us. And it is to them that we must train our thoughts and fill ourselves with cheer through 2011. In a majority of instances, despite our shortcomings, our spouses still love us, our children have not deserted us yet, we have not contracted any life-threatening diseases, we have not met with a horrible accident and we still retain our jobs. If you look at life from this point of view — and there is no other point of view, believe me — there is still much to be happy about.
In times like these, I always draw my strength from our national flower, the lotus, which is entwined with the legends of many of our Gods and symbolises purity, among other virtues. The point to note about the lotus is that even if it is growing in slushy ponds with turgid water, it is still pristine and fresh as if it has been grown on sparkling dewdrops. It is reportedly the only flower to have this singular ability and the sight of a beautiful lotus rising serenely above all the filth is captivating.
It is, to me, the most powerful and visible example underscoring the fact that one can uphold one’s values and aspire to be outstanding, even in the most dismal environs. So look at a lotus again and remember, it is not just another flower...
The writer is a renowned
film and theatre actor