|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Tuesday, 27 April 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Power of the position and the fear of living Second thoughts by Prof.Sunanda Mahendra My good friend, the administrator, who was also an advisor to a certain minister was quite unhappy, and gave me a desolate look, the other day when I casually met him. 'You look, unhappy' I said. 'Yes I am' he said. 'Why?' 'It looks as if the new minister does not want me to serve under him'. 'What do you mean by serving under, you just serve a person as you hold all the necessary qualifications. Isn't it?' 'You have not understood the third world state of affairs' he retorted. 'Yes I don't, please clarify' 'You should realise that I served one minister of the last regime, and the present one does not want me' 'Why?' 'For no apparent reason', 'So why don't you ask the present one'. 'We are recruited not to ask questions'. 'But it's unfair for you say you have not done any politics'. 'Yes but the situation is quite different'. 'So are you going to say that with the change of the minister concerned, all the positions held by the administrators also should change?' 'I don't say, but it had been the tradition for such a long time'. 'But don't you see that it's unfair. At the same time I know of a particular administrator who is said to have served under several prime ministers. Why don't you quote that as an example?' 'I don't want to do that'. 'So what do you want to do?' 'I am waiting to get that letter of removal'. 'Is that a document signed by the minister concerned?' 'I am not too sure, perhaps by the top administrator who will succeed our top administrator, under whom I served'. At this particular moment I was reminded of an age old story narrated by one of my teachers. He taught us that kings and rulers may come and they may go, but the prophets and sages who advised them remain forever. What a wonderful world that should be, I thought to myself. When I kept silent, my friend asked me what I was thinking. Then I told him what my own teacher once taught me. 'That's what you call the ideal society, where there are true prophets, teachers, sages and rulers. They are interlinked. They have a common mission, and a common vision'. 'What's wrong with ourselves? Why can't we usher in that type of society? I asked my friend. My friend was silent, perhaps deeply involved in his pre-election predictions, and post election predicaments. 'Why do we live in fear?' I questioned. 'That's a good question. Try to answer'. 'We live in fear as we are venerating power positions'. 'Why do we venerate power positions?' 'Because knowingly or unknowingly we are craving for positions'. 'Why are we craving for positions?' 'Because we are unhappy about ourselves, we want more'. 'What sort of advice did you give him' I asked. 'Just not one, so many'. 'So similarly you may give the present one the same advice'. 'But it looks as if he does not want any from me'. When we saluted and departed I was reminded of what Buddha said in Dhammapada. 'Just as a tree, though cut down, can grow again and again if its roots are undamaged and strong in the same way if the roots of craving are not wholly uprooted sorrows will come again and again. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
