Whenever they talk about death and destruction on a large-scale, like
the one caused by the South Asia Tsunami, I think, is that just a
statistic or is it human life that is being reported? For some people,
who cover news on a daily basis death, destruction, decomposing bodies
and other details may after some time become more a matter of
statistics. However, this morning, I read a BBC correspondent’s story
that prompted me to think that even reporters and news correspondents
could think otherwise. The correspondent recounted how he was horrified
at the sight of the large-scale destruction in Aceh. He wondered about
the lives of people that made the piles of bodies lying by the side of
the road in Aceh. In light of the enormity of natural disasters one is
forced to contemplate the worth of any human life. And then again in a
given lifetime how could any human being make the best of it.
When we were growing up we were taught to do good and told that good would follow. Our scriptures state as much. Well, this in itself is a debatable point. More on that later. Last night I saw this movie called, ‘Groundhog Day’, which mirrors the sentiment that, if you live life virtuously it is worth much more than a lifetime spent selfishly. The main character in this movie, (Bill Murray) repeats the same day, i.e. ‘Groundhog Day’ again and again. Initially he uses the day to satisfy selfish pursuits, however he soon tires of living his life in this way. Finally he realizes he is happiest and most fulfilled when he invests his time helping others and spending it in pursuit of learning something worthwhile. Trapped in Groundhog Day, he aids people, rescues kids, stops a man from choking on a bone, learns to play the piano and to ice-sculpt amongst other things.
At this point it dawns on him that life is more than his cynical vision of a glass half-empty, and then he sees the dawn of a new day. I think that living life virtuosly is a worthy goal to follow.
When we were growing up we were taught to do good and told that good would follow. Our scriptures state as much. Well, this in itself is a debatable point. More on that later. Last night I saw this movie called, ‘Groundhog Day’, which mirrors the sentiment that, if you live life virtuously it is worth much more than a lifetime spent selfishly. The main character in this movie, (Bill Murray) repeats the same day, i.e. ‘Groundhog Day’ again and again. Initially he uses the day to satisfy selfish pursuits, however he soon tires of living his life in this way. Finally he realizes he is happiest and most fulfilled when he invests his time helping others and spending it in pursuit of learning something worthwhile. Trapped in Groundhog Day, he aids people, rescues kids, stops a man from choking on a bone, learns to play the piano and to ice-sculpt amongst other things.
At this point it dawns on him that life is more than his cynical vision of a glass half-empty, and then he sees the dawn of a new day. I think that living life virtuosly is a worthy goal to follow.
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