Give this a thought...
What is the real purpose of our lives? Do we ever think of it at any point of a normal day?
I was moved to read and learn more about this man who had a very ambitious career and an incident changed his life.. I'm not talking about a hypothetical story here... While most of us, are thinking of making a career or building a business that can give us financial stability, I feel many of us, we neglect the smaller joys of life.
Money is important but is it the do it and end it of all? Why are we making this money? Where is it all going? We aren't going to tie it to our body and take it all away!
I do not mean to be a preacher here, all I trying to do is share someone's story which made me think more and now act on it as well...
The 'someone' I am referring to here is Mr. Narayanan Krishnan who was a normal 21 year old young, ambitious individual like most of us who had a good job - worked as a chef in a 5 Star hotel and would have had a uphill definitely had he stayed on.. He was from Madurai - a city in the south of India which has a heritage of over 2500 years.. It is the most important and populous city in Southern Tamil Nadu and also hosts a number of IT companies and many other corporations..
Having said all of this about Madurai, you would imagine the people to have at least an average middle class financial status... But as we all know, there is major income disparities in India and even when there are improvements, they aren't in proportion the the population increase chart yet.
Mr. Krishnan now 29, one day saw a person eating his own human waste! He shared this in an interview with CNN. Now just hearing that makes me feel disgusted. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to be attacking on any person or state or the country, its just that the thought gets me angry thinking of the amount of food that is generally wasted around the world on a normal day. I won't lie - I do waste as well sometimes, but after knowing this, I will make a concious effort. Which makes me wonder again, do we sometimes need an awakening call to realise something this big? May be yes, but once we do know this, lets try and bring about a change ourselves. Even may be at the smallest level - by not wasting food ourselves.
Coming back to what I was saying, a friend shared a video link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6-Olip6OtA ) of this heroic story of Mr. Krishnan who has been selected by CNN in the world's top 10 Heroes and the only Indian there, it made me think, we need to do something! He started this noble initiative in 2002 and even while his parents were against the same as they wanted their son to make a name professionally and make money according to CNN, he carried on and has provided more than 1.2 million hot meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner -- to India's homeless and destitute, mostly elderly people abandoned by their families and often abused. He does this through his nonprofit organisation Akshaya Trust which he started in 2003, and now hopes to extend this to shelter for the homeless too.
Krishnan told CNN that 'Akshaya is Sanskrit for "undecaying" or "imperishable," and was chosen "to signify [that] human compassion should never decay or perish. ... The spirit of helping others must prevail for ever." Also, in Hindu mythology, Goddess Annapoorani's "Akshaya bowl" fed the hungry endlessly, never depleting its resources.'
I have never met this gentleman (I will actually try and write to him now saying that this he is a real inspiration) but I believe it would have taken him a lot of courage to actually decide to leave everything he dreamt of ever and go out and serve everyone. Krishnan's day begins at 4 a.m. He and his team cover nearly 125 miles in a donated van, routinely working in temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit. He seeks out the homeless under bridges and in the nooks and crannies between the city's temples. The hot meals he delivers are simple, tasty vegetarian food he personally prepares, packs and often hand-feeds to nearly 400 clients each day.
This may not be possible for everyone and its understandable - that's why he is a hero! But everyone can definitely if not in any bigger way, just help by being thoughtful before wasting any food or anything for that matter of fact. Just think of the man eating his human waste every time you are about to waste something.... It gives me goosebumps!
We all talk about human spirits in tough times like natural disasters and stand up for each other, this is also one such disaster.. People are dying without food, lets try and save them..
Here's to a new resolution in the new year - NO WASTAGE!
:)
Cheers!
P
P.S: Thanks Priyam for sending this video.. It came out of no where but triggered a strong emotion in me...
