The Croakings of an Old Toad -- 6

 

All through my life, my weakness, born of my fears, insecurities, apprehensions, unwarranted assumptions and vulnerabilities, was taken to be my ‘goodness’. Weakness is a false gem that passes as a costly jewel of goodness most of the time. Similarly, one’s basic strength of character might get condemned as villainy and badness. It’s a slippery eel. The sense of righteousness has a tendency to accept our weakness and incapability as validation of the kind, mushy, nice, egalitarian spirit in us. So when I put myself on this side or the other on some issue, I try to see whether my decision is based on my incapability to do anything in that regard or I’m able to do something but still stop myself from doing that thing because my conscience is stronger and checks me. If it’s fear that stops me then even a theoretically good thing should not be taken as a validation for being good. Real strength is conscience driven. The fake strength, passing off as our goodness, is fuelled by our fears and infirmities of the mind. So shift gears towards mental toughness. If you feel a bit lacking in willpower then watch Manjhi: The Mountain Man. As Dasrath Manjhi, the toiling fakir says: ‘E sala, pathar todne se bhi muskil hai kya? (Is your problem more difficult than breaking the mountain single-handedly) ... Apna rasta khud banao (make your own path across the stony mountain of life) … Bhagwan ke bharose mat baitho, kya pata Bhagwan tumhare bharose baitha ho (Don’t wait for the God to intervene on your behalf, who knows He might be waiting for you to intervene on His behalf).’

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Every tree on the earth is now left with a very short-term lease. Some axe has a bigger right to cut down the lease document. Well, the strong have their strength. The weak have their weakness. These are but both qualities to allow the relevance of their respective opposites. So let them keep cutting the trees. Of course, there will be a time when the last tree on earth will fall with a sigh. But one shouldn’t have any doubts about our willpower. We will have another occupation to mass produce oxygen to meet the demands. Another job. We can’t stay idle. We have to have more of factories, occupations, needs, desires. We are basically a snake chucking out its own tail. And finally both the tail and the mouth in a puzzlement who has eaten whom.

Really expedient beings never meet the dead end. Why? Because they have the wings. They just fly to enjoy a more exciting, challenging course of events. The ever-going expansion of the collective free-will.

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