JOIN USIn today’s life on fast-tracks, we are, inextricably and inexorably, caught up in our own worlds, with very little contact with others around us.
In other words, we have rather become so self-centered that feelings of empathy and compassion in us are slowly getting evaporated. ‘Each one to himself/herself’ is what we seem to believe in. And, ‘survival of the fittest’ mantra is what we seem to be following, to the hilt. Are we becoming kind of callous with indurated feelings?
Sometime back, I had read the lines, “Tears are the dew drops of compassion”. Well, I wonder, whether the tears, if at all are shed, are they shed for others, or for ourselves again?! Since, most times, we are busy caviling about our own personal problems, carping about our own failures/disillusionments, and whimpering about our own copious woes, regarding myriad things in life. When such is the case, where do we have time, even to take cognisance of others, or their problems?
The self-obsession syndrome is best witnessed at traffic-signal junctions, when we are poised on our vehicles, waiting for the signal to flash green colour.
Even before it turns green, we would be manoeuvrering and manipulating, inching forward millimeter by millimeter, in a bid to outstrip others, so that we can zip ahead, at full pelt.
We are so uncompassionate about others that at times, we might even block couple of moving vehicles too, which in turn, would have obstructed a few more, thus causing a logjam on roads.
Even at one’s workplace, we’d be watching a colleague, grappling with some grueling pile of work. No! We seldom offer that helping hand to alleviate his/her workload. And, when we see a relative or an acquaintance in some mental distress, we nonchalantly stay put without doing anything to mitigate that mental agony.
Also at home, we see the domestic maid, beavering away with her multiple household chores. But, we don’t want to have her work exempted even for a day, by granting her leave.
And, when we make our temple trips, we are so fixated on praying only for our and family’s well-being that, we never consider praying for others, their happiness and success.
Interestingly, I’ve seen rivulets of tears, streaming down the cheeks of many folks, while they are watching tear-jerker of films, and soppy telly serials.
Looking at those fictitious characters, these folks shed tears, feeling all mushy, but surprisingly their hearts don’t thaw, when they watch the real heart-wrenching, soul-shattering woes and throes of real humans around, battling over physical or mental traumas.
Indeed, it’s time we developed that whit of empathy and compassion towards fellow humans, and all other lives too around.
In fact, brimming over with these feelings of compassion is more beneficial to ourselves than to others. Since, when we foster these feelings, it’s a feel-good factor, which engenders surfeit inexplicable inner peace that permeates and pervades our entire being.