It was one of those rare days when I got a sensible forwarded email… About how the Japanese folks took the disaster in their fold and came out like Champs. Here are some points.
I highly recommend folks to watch movies like “The Last Samurai” starring Tom Cruise to understand the Japanese way of life.
My comments are in Italics.
1. THE CALM Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.
I have always respected the Japanese for their work ethic, composure and the general “zen” way in which they handle life. Stoicism - if I put it in English. To me, the Japanese folks have learnt more from the Gita than what the Indians did. When I saw the folks on TV, running amidst the shattered ruins of their own houses, the thought from Krishna’s advise to Arjuna “be like the lotus in water – in the water, but not touched by it” rang true.
2. THE DIGNITY Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.
When you learn to respect yourself, you respect others too. Its natural. Just compare it with what happens in other parts of the world, notably the civilized world and the New Orleans incident 3 years ago…. Just compare and you will know what these folks are made of.
3. THE ABILITY The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.
This is an area where they have been masters. And will be in the future too. Its what is called hoping for the best, but being prepared for the worst.
4. THE GRACE People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.
I believe it is again the zen like quality. And concern for the other person. It is too degrading to call these as “etiquettes” in my opinion. It is not a mannerism, but a genuine love, concern for the other person and the deeply understood need to stand together in times of disaster.
5. THE ORDER No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.
Have you thought about this: such simple civilized behavior surprises us? It shows me how far I am from civilization. But we get used to the fact, for everyone around us is also similar. The fact that in a country like ours where we take the moral high ground all the time, these simple things awe us is a clear indication of our moral depravity. Time and again I have seen this incorrigible superiority complex, that we are better than the rest. One of our national songs itself is “sare jahan se acha”. I am sure I can waste my life searching for proof of the same.
6. THE SACRIFICE Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?
Boss, we will only talk about Vedas and advaita and karma. No action. Just words, wallowing in intellectual garbage. When a testing time like this comes, you can imagine. We will sit at home and chant hanuman chalisa at 4 AM, but we will not move our bottoms. That’s been our heritage, at least in the recent past. These 50 people will remind us what it is to be human, what humanity and all the assorted scriptures mean.
7. THE TENDERNESS Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.
In our country, everything would have cost 100 times. Absolutely no doubt. But we will slit others throats by chanting “hare rama” “hare Krishna” etc etc. We bring god even into business, while looting hapless people.
8. THE TRAINING The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.
In our country no one would have had a clue. Its kind of ok, since we are not used to or trained to handle such things. But definitely not something to be proud of.
9. THE MEDIA They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.
Ha!! All the mass media channels would have had a field day. Repeating the same scenes of suffering day in and day out, and folks like Burkha Dutt coming and puking all over us, on air.
10. THE CONSCIENCE When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly
We would have even stolen the scriptures from the stores! And felt proud of it. And went home and prayed.
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