Destiny and Choices

When you think of wars, these are the situations that give us a good idea of what humans are. Almost every part of being a human makes itself visible and discernable, emotion are not surreal any more, feelings not hidden, and the will power shining forth which can move any human soul. War starts by greed carried out by anger and ends always in realisation that love is the only driving factor for everything. War photography embodies the mad, crazy youth part of the parcel. I just happened to see a BBC documentary video called “Vietnam war unseen”, supposed to be for Americans to show the war from the eyes of Vietnam side, from the Vietnam War photographers to be precise.
The documentary shows a Tim from each side of American side and Tim from Vietnam side with some other Vietnamese war photographers who took part in what Americans call Vietnam war and what Vietnamese call the American war and the shattering contrast between the two. Both Tim’s were war photographers and both were adrenaline junkies but with stark difference in their motives. One was having a mad party abroad and the other was trying to keep up the national spirit as soldier and as a responsibility.

It’s thanks to these people that the realisation lasts for long. They do the job of preserving these moments that makes us realise that human will can surpass any situation, nothing is impossible. The Vietnamese used to build a series of underground tunnels to survive the bombing raids by American b52 bombers. All by using primitive tools and their own muscles and will. In these tunnels contained a world of its own again exemplifying the human nature of making the best of the situation. Here the mothers raised their babies the wives cooked and the family members sang songs. But how could these stills be taken in dark underground tunnel with a camera with no flash? Who would have thought that the bullet used to take life would come handy for preserving it and that the gunpowder in a bullet can be burned to give flash. This particular photographer wanted to inspire the country by taking picture of beauty surrounded by war came up with this solution which again made me marvel at human ingenuity. When this photographer came back to the village where the survivors from those tunnels lived after 50 years you can imagine the warm reaction from both sides. He gifted them these photographs, essentially their youth back to them. One of these Vietnamese war photographers was recalling that with the one lens camera they had he had no choice but to be in the line of fire unlike their American counterpart.

It made me think whether a war is really needed to make humans realise this awesome power they have, if only we had a huge army in every country with the same spirit to solve social problem currently plaguing the world and when will I start to make this a reality in my life. Would anybody commit suicide if they knew they had such potential in them? Will the minor poverty problem exist if the major part of the world just realised their will instead of complaining? Well I’m already set to go in this path and hope I don’t fall into a war like situation before I gather courage.

An article by my guru H H Sri Sri Ravishankar about women. It really makes a lot of sense. I also think women leadership is a key factor to world peace.


A woman has the capacity to be an excellent peacemaker because it is natural for her to relate from the heart

Women have both gentleness and strength. Indian scriptures place tremendous amount of power in women. In fact, the primordial energy known as Shakti which is the life force behind the whole creation is feminine. That is why our scriptures honour women as the highest aspect of divinity - the Aadhya Shakti.

Women bring together the finest aspects of society; the ability to create and the transformational ability to make a difference in society. Women bring us to the planet and teach us how to live. A mother is our first guru, our first teacher. Women teach us our first behaviour, our first steps in life. Women also have a great role to play in society. She can be a strong peacemaker - at home, in the community, in society and in the world. Women can glue differences and bring people of diverse nature together - she does it in her home all the time!

In this fast pace of life, we need to balance our inner peace, beauty and ethical values with the external challenges we face, and women have it in them to do it. These qualities are inherent in a woman.

A woman has the capacity to be an excellent peacemaker because it is quite natural for her to relate from the level of the heart. The biggest strengths of a woman are her emotions, feelings, motivation and inspiration. Men can inspire to fight but women inspire to unite. There are more wars in the world today because there is a lack of feminine leadership to unite people, overcome differences and bring home to us the purpose we are all born for! In todays war-torn world, we need women to come to the forefront and take more responsibility, without getting stressed.

Today, we need to ensure that women in our country are literate. When women are well educated and well informed they can take more responsibility, bring about that positive change and can make any project successful.

A woman by nature is multi-talented and multi-faceted. Usually people think women are emotional but the fact is, women are also great intellectual geniuses and excel in planning and execution. You see any department headed by a woman; chances are that department is much ahead of others.

Women are the backbone of any society. The role of women in the development of a society is of utmost importance. In fact, it is the only criterion that determines whether a society is strong and harmonious or not. Also, a corruption-free society can only emerge where women are given due regard, respect and importance.

Given the wealth that is inherent in them, it is very important for women all over the world to sit together and see what they can do to make this world more stress- and violence-free. Women need not wait to be given power. They automatically have it. Unfortunately, most of the feminine movements today are demanding rights. What and from whom are they demanding? They are asking from an empty bowl! Women already have equal rights. They simply have to assert their rights! They dont have to go and ask somebody, it is all there for them!

A woman is a born leader. She has the potential to bring prosperity, happiness and joy to this world. Its up to her to make it happen.

DNA, 7th March, 2010

H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.