LORD BUDDHA’S VIEW ON WAR

 

LORD BUDDHA’S VIEW ON WAR

War has been applauded by few,  condemned by many. It is the ugly mother of vast  material destruction . There is also the regrettable demise of numerous moral and spiritual values.  The  immediate and long-term evil effects  of war on its victims  are too many to count.    

 A strange truth is  that wars do not end wars. They produce more wars, each one more monstrous than its predecessor.

 How are wars viewed by Enlightened ones like Lord Buddha?  Here is a short  answer:

A questioner said to Lord Buddha “I am a soldier, and am appointed by the king to enforce his laws and to wage his wars. Does the Tathagata (The Perfect One) who teaches kindness and compassion permit the punishment of the criminal? Does the Tathagata declare that it is wrong to go to war for the protection of our homes, our wives, our children, and our property? Does the Tathagata teach the doctrine of a complete self-surrender? Does the Tathagata maintain that warfare waged for a righteous cause should be forbidden.”

It was a tough question but Lord Buddha was not unable to answer it without diluting or   sacrificing any one of  his doctrines . He replied:

“He who goes to battle, even though it be in a righteous cause, must be prepared to be slain by his enemies, for that is the destiny of warriors, and should his fate overtake him he has no reason for complaint. But he who is victorious should remember the instability of earthly things.  His success may be great, but be it ever so great the wheel of fortune may turn again and bring him down into the dust. “

So, what is the moral of the dialogue between the soldier and Lord Buddha?   Only

this: Don’t forget the wheel of fortune .

According to Lord Buddha the greatest conquest  is the conquest of one’s self, not by destroying the souls of others but by preserving them. 

(Source: The Sayings of Buddha). 

 

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1^st March 2022                                                              G.R.KANWAL     

 

A BRIEF NOTE ON WAR

 

A BRIEF NOTE ON WAR

War is not the end  of problems.  It is their beginning.  It creates hardest existential problems that cry for instant solutions but linger on unsolved for months, even years.

Some wars may be holy, as the one sanctioned by Lord Krishna in The Mahabharata, however, most of them are  unholy and should never, never be waged.

In modern times with most destructive weapons available to warriors, war should be declared illegal and the one who indulges in it should  be awarded severest possible punishment.

Nations should be allowed to fight  logically rather than militarily.

War, says American Clergy  Robert Hall, (1764-1831) is nothing less than a temporary repeal of the principles of virtue. It is a system out of which almost all the virtues are excluded and in which almost all the vices are included.

According to Elihu Root (1845-1937) who was Secretary of War under 32nd American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, “War comes today as the result of one of three causes; either actual or threatened wrong by one country to another, or suspicion by one country that another intends to do it wrong…or, from bitterness of feeling, dependent in no degree whatever upon substantial questions of difference ….The least of these three causes of war is actual injustice. “

And finally in this short, rather a very short note on a most important subject , the opinion of the  Irish poet and playwright  Oscar Wilde (1854-1900): “ As long as war is regarded as wicked it will always have its fascinations.  When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular.”

 

26^th February 2022                                                      G.R.KANWAL

 

   

INCOMPLETE URDU GHAZAL – 1

 

INCOMPLETE  URDU  GHAZAL – 1

 

              Zaba’n par aa nahin sakte kisi ki

              Kuch aise raaz bhi hain zindagi ke

 

            Badhi uljhan mein hoon kaise pukaroon

            Hazaron naam hain us ajnabi ke

           

            Charaghon se kaho bujhney se pehle

            Nisha’n kuch chodh jaaein roshni ke 

           

 

Shikasta Paa hoon, phir bhi ho rahae  hain

            Bahaut charche miri aawargi ke

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Interpretations

1.Nobody can divulge all the secrets of life hidden in his heart. 2. That stranger who has become my friend has untold names.  By what name to call him is the problem? 3. Request the burning lamps to leave behind some traces of light before they get extinguished. 4. My feet are fractured; I can’t even walk, yet my rivals are spreading rumours about my unprovable  foot-looseness.  

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                                                                                                G.R.Kanwal

                                                                                                17^th February 2022   

 

 

                     

    

 

 

 

 

BE STRONG !

 

 

BE STRONG !

                        (A POEM BY MALTBIE DAVENPORT BABCOCK)

 

BE STRONG! is an inspirational poem. It is short but very profound. The poet M. B. Babcock was an American clergyman (1858-1901) who is more famous for another poem “This Is My Father’s World.”

 

The intent of an inspirational poem is to uplift your mood, to relieve you from depression, idleness and pessimism and to reactivate  you for action, fight and struggle with great hope and endless optimism. Such a poem motivates you to shed your prevailing  weakness, call up your hidden strength and engage yourself in your destined activities like a hero. It urges  you to go on working hard, struggling and fighting till the deep intrenched wrong is converted into right.  You are born to do this. You are not here to play, to entertain yourself, to dream and spend your time in idle thoughts and speculations, but  to work hard and face the struggle confronting you. You are not  meant  to faint or keep quiet. Your duty is to show your indomitable strength and speak out your thoughts fearlessly. This beautiful aspect of your life’s aim is God’s gift.  It is virtuous, not vicious. So, shun not the struggle, don’t bend your knees before it, but face it boldly in God’s name . The result will  be not a mournful elegy but a delightful song

 

The poem reads as follows:

 

BE STRONG !

We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;

We have hard work to do and loads to lift.

Shun not the struggle --- face it; ‘tis God’s gift.

 

Be Strong !

Say not, “The days are evil. Who’s to blame?”

And fold the hands and acquiesce – oh, shame!

Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God’s name.

 

Be Strong !

It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong,

How hard the battle goes, the day how long;

Faint not ---- fight on ! Tomorrow comes the song.

           

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14^th February 2022                                                 G.R.KANWAL

 

           

           

 

NON-VIOLENCE

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                             NON-VIOLENCE

It was on 30^th January 1948 that the Indian apostle of non-violence Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was assassinated. He is physically no more, but ideologically immortal. His idea of non-violence is not going to become irrelevant for innumerable centuries to come.  No doubt that in-between non-violence will be given short or long holidays and wars will be fought.  This will push the worship of life into cold storage and death will be glorified. Those who defeat the enemy, through mightier military power,  will be honoured with many adulations and awards. Yet,  the ideology of non-violence will continue to shine because every war ends  not only in peace, but also with some kind of regret and repentance. It is in this context that non-violence as preached and practiced by Gandhiji remains and will remain perpetually relevant.

            Given below are a few thoughts on non-violence in Gandhiji’s own words.

“It is no non-violence if we merely love those that love us.  It is non-violence only when we love those that hate us.  I know how difficult it is to follow this general love of love.  Ut are not all great and good thing difficult to do? Love of the hater Is the most difficult of all.  But by the grace of God even this most difficult thing becomes easy to accomplish if we want to do it.”

“I have found that life persists in the midst of destruction and there must be a higher law than that of destruction.  Only under that law would a well-ordered society be intelligible and life worth living.  And if that is the law of life, we have to work it out in daily life.  Whenever there are jars, whenever you are confronted with an opponent conquer him with love.  In this crude manner I have worked it out in my life.  That does not  mean that all my difficulties ae solved.  Only I have found that this law of love ha answer as the law of destruction has never done.”

“I saw that nations like individuals could only be made through the agony of the Cross and in no other way. Joy comes not out of infliction of pain on others out of pain voluntarily borne by oneself.”                                                

(Refence: All Men Are Brothers, UNESCO 1958).

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  30^th January 2022                                                                 G.R.Kanwal

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L I F E ‘S M I R R O R

 

                                                L I F E ‘S   M I R R O R

Given below is a short poem written by the American poet “Madeline Bridges” (MARY AINGE DE VERE - 1844-1920). The title of the poem is “Life’s Mirror”. It reads as follows:

 

“THERE ARE LOYAL HEARTS, there are spirits brave,

There are souls that are pure and true  

Then give to the world the bet you have,

And the best will come back to you.

 

Give love, and love to your life will flow,

A strength in your utmost need;

Have faith, and a score of hearts will show

Their faith,  in your word and deed.

 

Give truth, and your gift will be paid in kind,

And honor will honor meet;

And a smile that is sweet will surely find

A smile that is just and sweet.

 

Give sorrow and pity to those who mourn;

You will gather in flower again

The scattered seeds of your thought outborne,

Though the sowing seemed but vain.

 

For life is the mirror of king and slave –

‘Tis just what we are and do;

Then give to the world the best you have,

And the bet will come back to you.”

 

            This beautiful poem compares life to a mirror which  gives a true reflection of what it sees. In the words of the poet: Life is the mirror of king and slave----i.e. all sorts of people,  great and small. As a rule, the mirror makes no distinction among them. Moreover, it is perfectly just and true ---- it does not change the original , the image which it returns is the true copy of the actual.  So, the poet says, if you give to the world ‘the best you have , the best will come back to you.’

 

            Quite obviously ,the poem is based on the principle of reciprocity and reminds one of popular sayings like : Love begets love; as you sow, so shall you reap; do good and have good. Religiously, it is a plea for good moral behaviour with the aim of maintaining social harmony.

   

            The principal virtues which the poet wants to be reflected in individuals’ conduct are: love, faith, truth and honour.  The reciprocity  of these virtues is by and large dependable, though there may be exceptions returning evil for good . But there may also be some noble souls returning  good for evil, the mirror of their life will be worth emulating.

 

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28^th January 2022                                                                G.R.Kanwal    

G H A Z A L 25TH January 2022

 

 

G H A Z A L

25^TH January 2022

Mian ! mahshar mein jana hi parhe ga

Hisab apna dikhana hi parhe ga

Bujha daale hein  jo deepak wafa ke

Unhein phir se jalana hi parhey ga

 

Giray gi jab kabhi dastar sar se

Use jhuk kar uthana hi parhey ga

 

Jo dilbar barson se rutha hua hai

Use aakhir manana hi parhey ga

 

Kanwal aankhon pay hai jo bojh meri

Wo parda ab hatana hi parhe ga

 

GLOSSARY

 

1.      (a) Mahshar: the final destination of human beings where they will be punished or rewarded according to their lifetime deeds.(b). Hisab apna: full account of one’s worldly deeds.

2.      Deepak wafa ke: lamps of sincerity; loyalty or faithfulness which maintain the light of mutual happiness.

3.      Dastar : turban – a symbol of one’s sacred dignity and respect.

4.      (a) Dilbar: Sweetheart; beloved friend. (a) Rutha hua hai : is annoyed and separated due to some misunderstanding .

5.      Parda: screen; curtain;  or veil  which cuts off the view of reality.

 

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                                                G. R. KANWAL

                                                25^th January 2022