Herd and human behaviour!

During a recent visit to a town, away from where we live, I noticed the above sight of some sheep feeding from a common basketful of food. 

As I walked along, I saw another sight of the street, congested and busy with movements of people and vehicles. I got a sense that people behaved as if they alone mattered. 

I came to a railway crossing, where there was a smooth flow of vehicles. 

Soon the passage was blocked by a barrier, to allow a train to pass by. That is when I saw the rush below, when people with their bicycles and two wheelers tried to pass the barrier, when the train was yet to come! That congestion to move across the rail crossing during those few minutes before the train arrived disturbed me. The risk was too high as trains come in high speed. 

After the train passed by, the movement across the open gate was again a rush of activity with no thoughtfulness towards each other. The few minutes of waiting to give space for others seemed too long for most people.

Seeing this sight of rather disappointing human behaviour, I stopped to ask a few shop keepers about their opinion, who see this sight of rush at the crossing a few times in a day, when the passage is blocked for trains to pass.  It was their answer that disturbed me: 'We do not value our lives or of those others'! 

The sheep sharing a meal together from a common basket, with comfort and mindfulness for others, is a lesson in responsible living. 

I wondered how and when we have lost this human virtue!

When state of  Israel is obsessed with killing people in the Gaza Strip, in order to crush the terrorists, I see the same human instinct behind this merciless behaviour!

The crime related reporting is too pronounced in the newspapers that one almost wonders, whether we have been overcome with what is evil in our society than the virtues which need highlighting!

The darkness is overcome by the sunshine of the morning on the hill top. Soon the whole hill and the vegetation will be covered by the rising Sun! During this season of the advent, and the recollection of the first Christmas is all over, I feel that it is a time to complement the season with abundant good deeds. 

This truth revived my spirit amidst the gloom that set in me, during the walk in the previous evening. 

The chorus of a song, 'Light a candle..' sprang back within me as an inspiration for the day!

Instead of blaming or talking about the evil in the society, the need of hour is to do good actively and  decisively in an apparently failing world order of wanting to control for he sake of supremacy!

The current Prime Minister of India and the Home minister have a habit of blaming the first Prime Minister of India for not annexing the occupied Kashmir, when there was an opportunity! During one such reference again in the parliament yesterday, the opposition leader asked, 'When will the government stop this habit and turn to what is real today'! The ills of present days are too many that we can ill-afford living by blaming our past!

When the conflict in the state of Manipur raging and takes a toll on human lives and their dwellings and we allow that to continue, how out of context we are!

I carry home a message worth pondering upon, from the sheep and their behaviour. They showed neighbour friendly attitude!

Let me light a candle today!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)