tsunami 2004 FREE SPOKEN ENGLISH THROUGH TAMIL - TRANSLATION -TSUNAMI DEC 2004

The Tsunami Disaster Dec 2004.

Dear friend, 

On the first week of December 2004 itself I purchased quite a few postcards and asked my children to get ready some greetings messages before the New Year. But when the tsunami struck on December 26, 2004 I dropped the idea of sending New Year greetings. With lot of reluctance, I posted New Year greetings message to my friends and well-wishers over the net. However, I was not sure whether what I did was right or wrong. 

Then I happened to read an article in a reputed tamil magazine I felt the article immediately relieved my sorrow. I was so impressed by the article that I re-wrote it in English for a variety of reasons.

I give below the article in English, in my style, for your information and comments on the point, if any.  **********************************************

The Tsunami Disaster  (Re-written in Tamil byEzhilarasan, Shevapet, Salem) 

Courtesy : Anantha Vikatan.

You can always visualize any loss as an opportunity for growth. Recently while sleeping in her bed under the sea, the giant angel, mother Earth, just turned a little. The after effect was - we all know, the Tsunami Disaster. My God ! Certain places near the seashore simply disappeared in a few minutes. Many lives were swallowed by the giant waves.  We have paid the fine for building houses near the seashore, not bothering much for the obvious hidden danger. When the sea gave lakhs and lakhs of fishes as wealth, we simply did not care to appreciate its generosity. But once when she struck hard, we immediately started considering her as our enemy.  It is very unfortunate that this calamity struck us all when we were eagerly anticipating the New Year, especially in the south India. There immediately after the New Year we have the Pongal festival.

The tsunami has put us in a dilemma whether to grieve with the affected people or celebrate the festival.  It is not necessary for all of us to go to the affected areas and sit and cry along with the people to show our solidarity. It is not compulsory for us to get drenched in their tears and cry all day. Please answer one question. Who can help a sick person? Definitely only a healthy person can do that. Similarly, who can bring back cheers to the mourning people? Definitely only a healthy person can do that. Please do not retort, "What are you saying? When a big lot is in grief, how can it be correct to be cheerful and happy? Is this the million-dollar question that arises in your mind?

Then read on. Let me tell you one thing. There are certain people who never get satisfied with what they have. Even if they have hundred comforts to enjoy, their mind will always think about the 101-th comfort that they do not have. I am not talking about this type of happiness and satisfaction.  Who told that happiness is just bursting of crackers, wearing new dresses and eating tasty dishes? Showing love is happiness, comforting a crying person is happiness, embracing a wailing person is happiness, giving a helping hand with heart and soul to a person who very badly needs help is happiness, revamping your thoughts without any anticipated benefits is happiness.

There is happiness not only in receiving. There is happiness even in giving. Science tells that food gives energy for any hungry person. But, Buddha says that if you hold back your hunger and give your food to another hungry person, this act gives you "tremendous energy". 

You have a priceless gift of Humane Nature deep inside your heart. Are you like the ungenerous jewelry merchant who was bargaining for every rupee?  Smart people always use any loss as an opportunity for their growth. Why should we not think it as an opportunity for all of us to break loose for a while from the monotonous chores of our daily life? Please take it as a unique opportunity for the sprouting up again of the most valuable humane feelings. You might not know the faces of the thousands who died in the catastrophe. But at least for a few moments, just think of them as a very close relative of yours with real solidarity.  You will immediately note that the ice inside you melting, the numbness disappearing. All the hidden goodness in your heart suddenly awakens. Now you can see mercy radiating spontaneously from your eyes when you see the affected people. Definitely all the misery for the people will melt away in a short period of time. Definitely cheers will return to all the affected people. Let us pray for this to happen quickly.

Thirukurral 796 “KADINUM ONDOOR URUTHI…” says even a disaster may give you something good. Yes, it will give you an opportunity to measure the true love of your friends. Thiru Valluvar had said this 2000 years ago.
***

A washer-man was once washing the clothes in the river. Suddenly, he saw a very shinning stone in the riverbed. He picked it up and tied it on his donkey's neck. When he came back to the town for returning the washed clothes, a jewelry merchant noticed the glittering stone hanging from the donkey's neck. He called the washer-man and wanted to purchase the stone. He offered one Rupee for the stone. But the washer-man demanded five Rupees. The merchant did not agree, he was persistently bargaining with him. He was slowly increasing the bidding value rupee by rupee. Noticing this, another merchant from a nearby shop came near and said, "Okay, man, I will give Rs.1000 for this and it is the final price. No bargain. What you say?" For this, the washer-man immediately agreed. The merchant gave away Rs.1000 got the stone and went away hurriedly.  After this the first merchant came near the washer-man and told, "You fool! It was a diamond. It is worth a lakh and odd rupees. You had been stupid in selling it for just Rs.1000. For this, the washer-man replied, "What you say might be true. For me, it was just an ordinary stone, so getting Rs.1000 was a great profit. But, you knew very well that it was a diamond. And still you did not have the generosity to pay even Rs.5 for it. Now decide for yourself who is a fool."
***

EZHIL ARASAN  VENKATACHALAM