How Mr. M.K.Gandhi, a barrister became Mahatma Gandhi, the architect of Indian Independence. Is it not because of circumstances that encircled him in South Africa as well as in India? What about Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani, who was working at a petrol pump in Egypt? He rose to become a successful industrialist and established a refinery at Jamnagar, Gujarat. Life of Phoolan Devi reveals that circumstances led her to be a dacoit, and a parliamentarian. Circumstances change course of one’s life.
Kalinga war was the first and last battle that Ashoka ever fought and serves as a watermark in his life as it changed his course forever. It was during this war that he earned the title Ashoka the Great.
Kalinga was a prosperous little kingdom lying between the river Godavari and Mahanadi, close to the Bay of Bengal. It had an infantry of 60,000 men, 10,000 horsemen and 600 elephants. Ashoka wanted to capture this fertile land, and so had it surrounded. But the brave and loyal people of Kalinga did not want to lose their independence.
A fierce battle followed, in which there were too many casualties. There were more than lakh prisoners of war. In the midst of the battlefield, Ashoka stood with the wounded, crippled and the dead all around him. This was the consequence of his greed. A new light dawned on him, and he swore that he would never wage war again.
Ashoka was initiated into Buddhism, after which his life was completely transformed. He religiously followed the principles of Buddhism - that of truth, charity, kindness, purity and goodness.
Thus circumstances made Emperor Ashoka a Buddhist.
Look at various personalities that we come across in our life. That man did not know swimming. He accidentally fell into water. Courage and hope taught him the practice, circumstances, forced him to swim and reach the shore otherwise he would have been drowned.
Ask a terrorist why he became a terrorist. He says circumstances forced him to become a terrorist. He never agrees that he is a fundamentalist or religious fanatic. Similarly inquire a dacoit. He too contends that circumstances forced him to be a dacoit.
That man is immensely rich. Why he is so miserly. Why he thinks twice before he spends a few pennies. This man is so harsh. He is cruel. He has no humanity at all. Why is it so? Mr. X was very rich. Why he became a pauper. Why he begged and why he committed suicide. The answer to these queries in brief is “Circumstances”. Hence, it is opined that circumstances made them miserly, cruel, and weak minded respectively and one comes to the conclusion. "A man is circumstances made"
Is it true? In fact, it is a view held and projected by many people. If you inquire with a thief why he became a thief he says that circumstances made him a thief. If you ask a prostitute why she is a prostitute, she blames circumstances. Even a drunkard states that it is circumstances that led him to become an addict to alcohol. A murderer holds circumstances responsible for a murder. Of course, on going through each such account, at the outset one may not differ with them and may even concur and sympathize with them too. Generally, for all the ills of a society it is circumstances that are held responsible. On the other hand, for anything good, or any achievement, an individual takes credit. Further, they pat themselves on their back on such occasions. Similarly, one’s failure and somebody’s success is ascribed as due to circumstances.
Life is full of circumstances. They creep up one after another right from birth to death in one’s life. Withering them away or living with them is life. Grappling with circumstances is some people’s hobby. An event comprises of circumstances. We are said to be the brain child of circumstances. Circumstances are very important. They are unpredictable. They deserve one's due attention. One’s response to a circumstance should always be an appropriate one. It should be in conformity with it. It is always better if one studies circumstances in which they are placed while contemplating any action. One should always remember the circumstances that are gone past because many of them contain normally valuable lessons. One who adjusts well to circumstances is generally contented and will have no problems whereas one who does not adjust well to circumstances is generally perturbed and will have generally problems. However, one’s endeavor should to adjust them well to a circumstance as far possible. Circumstances always demand right decisions. It is circumstances which are instrumental to many of the realization that one would have. One should never runaway from circumstances however difficult they may be. One who runs away without facing circumstances is considered as a coward. One who faces more circumstances and undergoes turmoil is really a man. It is really an achievement and it should give them contentment unfailingly. One does not always encounter similar circumstances. It may be same situation but it is under different circumstances one meets it. As a result, a situation affects individuals in different ways. Sometimes circumstances are simple and funny. Sometimes circumstances are problematic. Some circumstances that one faces, they would not have dreamt of them even. There are certain circumstances that one likes and there are other circumstances that one dislikes. Those circumstances which one likes are worth remembering. They remain long in one's memory. Whereas one despises those circumstances in which they tormented a lot and tries to forget them as early as possible. Can one forget circumstances under which their studies proceeded, how they got a job and came up in their career and secured a C.E.O post? There are innumerable circumstances in one’s life which they cannot forget at all.
Even animals are vulnerable to circumstances. Look at a monkey in a water tank with its siblings. When the tank was getting filled, monkey places its siblings on its shoulders at the beginning and tries to come out of the tank. When it was not at all possible to jump out and when it was about to be drowned, it throws the siblings on to the floor of tank and stands on them and tries to save its life. Circumstances force even human beings to take such awkward stances. Circumstances are cruel. That is why we sometimes come across circumstances where a mother kills her own son and a son kills his own mother. Even though one is not willing and is fully aware what they are doing is wrong, circumstances compel them to do what otherwise they would not have done. It is while facing circumstances only sometimes doubts and suspicions arise in one. Similarly, it is circumstances which provide one certain times clues with regard to crimes and frauds. All feelings like e love, affection, jealousy, hate etc develop in a man over a period of time due to circumstances only. Circumstances compel one to change their habits.
What is a bad time? It is when one faces one after another adverse circumstance. What is a good time? It is when one comes across one after another favorable circumstance. Many claim “Circumstances made them what they are to day.” While commenting that a man is circumstances made, one does not take into consideration or realize where they made a mistake or blundered. One does not go minutely into their performance. One does not analyze them fully too. Further, Shakespeare rightly says “Appearances are always deceptive”. Circumstances alone cannot create anything. Other factors are needed for the development of a personality. Circumstances reveal one’s true colors. Adverse circumstances generally create stress and strain in those who face them. Adverse circumstances creep up one after another. They often come in battalions and not in single spies. One’s greatness lies in over pouring them and coming out unscathed. An achievement under adverse circumstances is always hazardous and is no mean an achievement. It deserves always appreciation.
Mr. A was a firm believer of God, to-day he is an atheist. Mr. B was a firm believer in democracy, to-day he is a communist. Mr. C was a liberal all along, to-day he is a conservative. Mr.D was stubborn, headlong, commanding and was powerful. Nobody thought that he would meekly surrender. Circumstances made him kneel and surrender. To-day, he is humble. What their parents, teachers, and friends could not do, circumstances have done. Circumstances can do and undo anything. Circumstances have transformed them. Circumstances are very powerful. They can toss one up and down. They are capable of bringing about wonders. They can get opened even a buried and closed chapter. When one has failed in all their attempts to teach him a lesson, they feel that it is impossible to teach him a lesson. They get frustrated and they leave it to circumstance to teach him a lesson. How circumstances will twist and turn that nobody can sometimes imagine even. They can take turn for better or worse. Nobody is good or bad by birth it is circumstances that make one good or bad. It is circumstances that make an atheist believe in existence of God. Similarly,it is circumstances that persuade one to keep faith in anything that otherwise they would not have kept at all. Circumstances are capable of proving truth as false and false as truth. Circumstances many times provide answer or solution to many unresolved disputes or unanswerable questions too. That is the reason why when one who could not find any solution to a vexed problem, leaves it to circumstances to find a solution. It is circumstances that prove quite often who are at fault. Circumstances may compel one to blame a person whom they like and appreciate a person whom they dislike. Circumstances turn friends into foes and foes into friends. Circumstances convert love into hate and hate into love. What circumstances can do. This is brought about by poet Kumaravyasa in his poem “Gadugina Bharata” very beautifully. The poet narrates how king of kings Yudhistira, becomes a servant in the palace of Virata an ordinary king.
Circumstances influence and try to rule us too. Circumstances are very powerful. Circumstances compel one to break their vow. One reveals what they do not want to disclose under circumstances. Circumstances may not be always favorable to us. They may be adverse also. Circumstances are not static. They change from time to time. Circumstances can change either way. They can become good better best or become bad, worse and worst. As a consequence, one comes across different circumstances. India was at the top of hockey world for decades. To-day, it could not qualify to compete for Olympics even. A man may also come across similar circumstances. A man was happy, stout bulky and business minded. To-day he is a thin serious spiritual minded person. Circumstances have brought about a sea of change in his thinking as well as in his appearance. Sometimes it is circumstances that lead one come to the conclusion that money is everything. It is also circumstances only that lead one to the conclusion that money is not everything.
More one faces circumstances more one gets experienced. Circumstances either soften or harden an individual. One becomes more confident whenever they win over circumstances which come across them. On the other hand if one fails to meet circumstances which they come across successfully, they become nervous and depressed. A man is a human being who is blessed with wisdom more than any other living being. God has given him scruples. He can differentiate what is good and what is bad. Our conduct is in our own. Is it not our duty to face circumstances boldly and overcome them? Life is a struggle for existence. It is survival of the fittest. Every circumstance that we come across is a test only. It tests all our capabilities in one way or other. We should have control over circumstances. We create circumstances. We have to manage circumstances well. We should not meekly surrender to circumstances. Circumstances are seldom of one’s choice. One cannot expect them to be as they would like them to be. They follow their own course. Sometimes circumstances are advantageous to us and sometimes circumstances are disadvantageous to us. We should fight all the odds. We should turn the tide. One should never lose patience and become a puppet in the hands of circumstances. Once we surrender to circumstances, it makes us dance to its tunes. One should understand the circumstances and make use of them diligently. Sometimes only circumstances are not complicated. By and large circumstances are complex. Circumstances deserve always a study. Circumstances are to be met with confidence.
One of the main reasons for the problems which one faces to-day is not dealing circumstances that circumscribe them suitably. One should neither overreact to circumstance that they come across nor remain quiet without reacting to them. Circumstances should be dealt properly and suitably. If circumstances are allowed to rule they may render one useless also. While facing any circumstances one’s attitude is always important. While meeting any circumstances one should use their discretion invariably. If one meets circumstances indiscreetly without much forethought in that case there is every possibility of their inviting unnecessary trouble, their position weakening etc. While tackling circumstances one should never waver in their concentration. Our wrong steps or moves make circumstances more complicated. Sometimes circumstances are challenging. One should have a firm mind and should never give room to despondency under any circumstances at all for it does not bode well at all. Sometimes circumstances lead one to end their life too. That is why it seems Swami Vivekananda said “we are the makers of our destiny.” We reap what we sow.
George Bernard Shaw says “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them. ’’
A successful man in life always states that circumstances are man made. Those who have failed miserably in life and their sympathizers state that a man is circumstances made. Circumstances are sometimes opportunities and sometimes a trap. Due to one’s ego, ambitions etc one walks deliberately into that well laid trap and heralds "A man is circumstances made". If one states “man is circumstance made”, that means he or she has bowed to circumstances and circumstances have assumed upper hand in their life. Circumstances alone cannot make anything. It is man who allows circumstances to reign over him and proclaims “Man is circumstance made”. "Circumstances do not make the man - it reveals him to himself". There are people who claim that they are self made. They boast that they have come up in life because of their efforts. Of course, some people come up in life on their own efforts too. Neither they had favorable circumstances nor did they have any Godfathers. Circumstances cannot change basic qualities in a man. "Circumstances-what are circumstances? I make circumstances." says Napoleon Bonaparte.