Now...how many of us have the privilege to claim
" I was born while my mother was milking in a windy cowshed, in the countryside....and an hour later the cow herself gave birth."
Can you even imagine it ? That is LIFE as it IS ! and this beautiful women was born just ONE year after i was. Its interesting to observe the stark contrast to life here , isnt it? Maybe my mom could have matched the situation better as she was born in a very remote village in India and her parents were then living in a tiny palm thatched hut.
But my VERY boring story would start something like...
"i was comfortably born with first class facilities in the hospital and brought into a lovely brick house. And definitely no cows in the neighbourhood !
Hahaha.....i bet you wouldnt buy my book if i were to write an autobiography !!! Would you ??
Now...coming back to Soname's flight to freedom, a story of a remarkable woman who was born in Tibet right in the middle of the cultural revolution when the people's devotion to the compassionate Buddha was considered a crime ! How could you wake up every morning bearing the absurd feeling that you are the enemy simply because you are too PEACEFUL !! I mean whats wrong with human beings ? We are the most confused species ever to have walked the earth ...aren't we?
The even more interesting fact to observe in her story is that.....despite the very brutal overthrowing of Buddhist culture by the Chinese People's Liberation Army in order to establish communism in Tibet....Soname NEVER showed signs of resentment or anger in her entire story! Sadness ?...YES.....Pain?...Yes.....Courage? ...Yes....but NO ANGER ! And how could that be ? I guess thats only possible with a nation that was made of 6000 monasteries producing exceptional number of scholars and saints and the Leader was considered to be the living Buddha of compassion. Ordinary illiterate Tibetan knew how to say mantras, turn prayer wheels, do prostrations in front of sacred images and go on pilgrimages.
A child born into a family who believes PEACE is the only way....will not seek revenge against those who held them down and peed into their mouths ....simply for the reason they were NOBLE....
She does not think its natural to hate those who were responsible for her family to starve and suffer and enormous famine.
Here's what she says in her book :
" For all the trauma and poverty, my family coped remarkably well. I can recall times of serenity and even laughter at home. We are by nature a strong, resilient race, with terrific sense of humour. And this helped enormously in those terrible times. And i can honestly say I do not remember any bitterness or resentment in either my family or my fellow countrymen and women. There was just great sadness."
More than anything else, however it was our faith that kept us going.
When i finished this book.....i couldnt help comparing our lives and sometimes it makes me laugh at the things we complain about ..i still believe Malaysia has been a paradise ...not flawless....but definitely bearable....
simply because if a child who was thrown into being a slave at 16 , exploited and deprived of affection, faced starvation and risked death in a 6 week trek for freedom across the Himalayas...later forced to give up her young daughter and being tormented with guilt and heartache ....YET managed to find courage to channel ALL the Pain into something useful for her country and people like raising money to provide first class medical care for the local regardless of caste or creed. She was able to do this since her talent in singing was discovered and she began her career by performing in a nightclub in London to celebrate Tibetan new year. Thats when BBC picked up the event and gave her the opportunity to do an interview which was broadcast all around the world.
Then ...what pain are we talking about ?? Seriously ? Yes ...all human beings will naturally strive for better life....but our efforts has to be channeled through love and peace at heart....no anger or resentment will get us there...In other words....instead of FIGHTING for rights why not pave a peaceful path to it ? Our idea is to get there alive anyway :)
Here are some the links to her for more information :
www.soname.com/charities.html
www.roterlotus.org
www.gtuh.org
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