Transformation in terror

it’s time to wake up. and change Today, as I look up, I see smoke. The sky is hidden. And with it the silver lining that so many are desperately searching for. The roads are soaking with blood. Not mine. Not a loved one’s. But someone’s father. Someone’s child. Someone’s mother. The wounds have touched not just the city’s body, but its very soul. Sirens. Blasts. Gun shots. It’s hard to know what is scarier – these sounds or the chilling silence that follows. Terror can be seen in every eye.

And yet, strangely, all that I am feeling right now is a sense of deep calm. I remain calm even as memories of being in the areas attacked try to seep in and the thought, “It could have been me” tries to create havoc. Even the news that two of the bomb blasts took place in the very area that my parents live in, did not disturb me. No, surprisingly, all I feel right now is peace.

Is it apathy? Far from it! Right now I am consumed with a sense of purpose. It’s as though a fire within me, cooled with activities of daily life, has suddenly been set ablaze. So much needs to be done. This world is so much in need of love. Of compassion. Of happiness. For surely, no human who is happy, secure and in love with life and all its creation can ever become a terrorist. No. A terrorist is an ordinary person among us, deprived of love and respect, deprived of a life worth living for, who has walked down this path to give some meaning to his life. Or at least, to his death.

What each of us needs to do right now is to remove the terrorist within each one of us. The stress we feel, the anxiety we exude, the hatred we harbour – are these not in so many ways responsible for creating a terrorist? Stressed families create stressed homes, stressed homes create stressed cities, and stressed cities create stressed countries. This is not the moment to blame. Or complain. Or cry. It’s time to wake up. And change. Yourself. So your family transforms. Your family, so that your city transforms. And gradually we will begin to see the miraculous unfolding in our country, our world. Let’s use this terror for transformation. This attack for an awakening. Like the single stalk of lotus that rises from filth, slowly raises its head, and unfurls its beauty to the world, let’s arise. Even if we can’t do anything about the filth right now, let’s at least sow the seeds for as many lotuses as we can. And in our own little way, beautify the world. Will our little actions, our little inner transformations help in any way? A man was picking up one of the thousands of star fish washed to the beach by the waves, and throwing it back into the sea. A passer-by asked, “There are thousands of fish here, do you think you can make a difference to them all?” “No,” answered the man with a smile, “but I know I am making a difference to this one. And that is enough for me to continue.” Let’s begin. Let’s continue.