I just got back from watching American Sniper (written late last night). It is a visually loud and emotionally powerful movie. The movie begins with young the sniper's father teaching him the difference between a sheep, a wolf and a sheep dog and indoctrinates him to being a sheep dog in life. Sitting in the audience, I couldn't stop myself from reflecting upon my life incidents, where I've taken these roles and periodically, but then I had to snap out of it to enjoy the movie.
Shuddering woman on the metro
This morning I boarded the metro at Oberkampf to work, and as always I surveyed the voiture - nothing seemed unusual until the train stopped at Richard Lenior (the spot where Charlie Hebdo massacre happened). A young women boarded the train and stood by the door, the train was partially empty. I was standing across from her trying to catch a glimpse of her, but got back to my Twitter page on my mobile. A man in his 30s seated across from me also tried to catch a glimpse of her, but the glimpse soon turned into an never ending stare that looked like visual assault and a invitation for something more. In the meantime the metro had exited the next station, Briguet Sabin and the man left his seat moving closer to the woman. While he grabbed the railing with his left hand, I noticed the wedding ring on his ring finger; does a wedding ring prevent anyone from behaving this way? The woman near the door began to shudder as he approached her. Unable to bear her reaction, I intercepted the man and prevented him from getting any closer to her. In the meantime the train had reached Bastille and the doors opened; the woman ran away like a sheep. Sadly, none of the other co-passengers came forward to enquire or question such a behavior, but that didn't prevent me from taking him over, which turned into a noisy altercation.
Rakes the emotion in us
Despite being a war movie, American Sniper evoked some buried emotions in me. Emotions of betrayal, slander, discrimination, etc. As Brahmins, many of us are raised to be sheeps (may also be in our gene after generations of conditioning). We are asked to stay away from altercation or any behavior that questions authority or takes evil force head-on other than surrender, patience and prayer. But for some reason despite being born and raised that way, I am increasingly finding myself behave like a sheep dog and yesterday's incident is one of many in the recent past.
It is everyone's dilemma
In the movie, the sniper was engulfed with similar questions when he had to shoot down a small boy and his mother, but upon consultation with his superior and his conscience he takes a quick decision. Arjuna in Mahabaratha had a similar dilemma while on the battle field: should I kill my cousins? Should I destroy my people asked Arjuna to Krishna. Rather than looking at it from a good or bad perspective, we must look at it from a point of view of dharma and larger welfare of society, answered Krishna.
It could be small, but it all adds up
Almost a year ago, I stood up against a phrase used in a corporate mailer that singled out single people; a few months ago I pushed a work place bully to the wall when he ridiculed the abilities of my team, I questioned the employee appraisal process and cover-up, and I even evicted a co-passenger on the metro who racially abused me.Yes, I've become intolerant towards prejudice, corporate politics, discrimination and unfair/ unethical practices.
Whether you like it or not, battles are a part of our lives and so are snipers, bullets and vests. Battles begin in our mind, and fight with people whom we know and sometimes with people whom we don't know.
Every evening is a return from a battlefield
Work is the biggest battle for many of us: some fight with it, while many fight without it. Battles (read as work) take away a lot of energy and we need more energy to emotionally extricate get ourselves out of it. I've seen a few who've stepped out of corporate life because they are unable to kill their conscience and unwilling to be a sheep to those hungry wolves. Sadly, many of us continue to stay a sheep, put up with uncomfortable situations without questioning because we have monthly financial commitments towards our families, mortgages to pay.
Make a wise choice
Life comes with both endless and limited choices (unlimited buffet). Sometimes we are being used as a bullet, sometimes as a vest and sometimes we fight other's battles. A wise choice is not running away from battles, but to stay there and fight on the side of dharma. On the battle of Kurukshetra, Krishna uses Arjuna as a bullet to fight Kauravas, while he remains his vest to make dharma triumph over evil. The end comes to all, including the sniper in the movie who is finally shot by a war veteran in his own country, but what makes you stand tall is dharma (righteousness). Remember, it is important that we choose the right battles, fight for the right cause and stay on the right side of law (dharma).
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