brokenlives

Broken lives

by Bob on May 19, 2007

It's very hard to imagine how and why people's lives get broken. Let alone their hearts getting broken, which may be a prerequisite to it all anyway.

But people's lives do get broken. Sometimes irreparably. And it seems there's no getting back to where they one were as happy people involved in our world.

We can see the homeless, the poor, the afflicted, and so many other populations of our modern world just left in their misery alone and un-aided.

There would appear to be no one to help out downtrodden people anymore. Corporate charities are not getting much through to them. It would appear to all get eaten up in administrative costs of the charity organisation. People have also bcome callous about the downtrodden. And de-sensitised, as well.

One guesses that it's because we just can't imagine that kind of bad luck happening to us. There is the suit of armour and we within it.

Since the tenuous nature in many countries these days of what they call the atomic family and as a side issue, the friendly and self-healing neighborhood of people, unfortunate people are falling off the radar.

At that point public institutions take over, if anything at all gets involved in fact. And there is a profound difference between a government bureaucracy and a real human helping hand.

Surely, most broken lives can be repaired with some love and help from others. And a welcoming back into the human family.

But such behaviour is in scarce quantities these days it would seem.

One is reminded of Charles Dickens and his "Christmas Carol" wherein the men ask Scrooge for some money to help the poor, and Scrooge snaps back asking if there are no workhouses, prisons, treadmills or Poor Law for such people. That's terribly cold for human nature and the whole point and message to take home from Dickens story. We can't ignore the sad plight of other people with, at least with impunity. We must have hands on to help. Scrooge was finally convinced to help others, and through his three spiritual and yet ghostly phases of past, present, and future.

Scrooge is also shown by the Spirit, two representative figures: Ignorance and Want. And the Spirit recants Scrooge's words about workhouses as a warning of dooming such unfortunates.

Downtrodden people are a reflection of us and our society. They should never be allowed to get that far if we are on brotherly guard. If they exist, it is our fault to a large extent.

If we slip into the sub-topic of mental illness and state hospital wherein they are warehoused, we get into a moral quandry. Some people cannot be easily slipped into the general population without tremendous help. Perhaps, some will never be able to get back at all due to their profound illness. But that is a very complicated issue.

Most people can get back if helped effectively. And money is not the answer. Not even simply a place to live in is the answer. Full re-integration is the only answer. An appropriate job, a domicile, a supportive social network and environment. People who truly care and don't simply punch out of the company clock at the stroke of 5pm.

Tikkun. Help to repair the universe is a resonating call to us all.

The moral and social symmetry and mutual responsibility of "there but for the grace of God go I".

Eventually, dust swept under the rug forms bulges which we will trip over and learn a lesson to not sweep dust under the rug.

In "Speaking in Silence" a book of essays by profound and spiritual thinkers edited by Susan Walker in 1987, on page 87 shows a beautiful piece of calligraphy by His Eminence the Tai Situpa Rinpoche. It is titled "The Four Immeasurable Thoughts". And they are: loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and impartiality. And these are followed by the words "may these four bring peace to the world".

One also remembers the profoundly important words of Thomas a Kempis in his "Imitation of Christ":

"Know for certain that thou oughtest to lead a dying life. And the more a man dieth to himself, so much the more a man begin to live unto God. No man is fit to comprehend heavenly things unless he submit himself to the bearing of adversities ...

And one also recalls a beatiful quote from the 1989 book "Seat of the Soul", by Gary Zukav, p.106, in which it is said:

"Every experience, and every change in your experience, reflects an intention. An intention is not only a desire. It is the use of your will."

We are being implored to spring into action.

* * *

Postsript:

[From "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens ... ]

From the foldings of its robe, it brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable. They knelt down at its feet, and clung upon the outside of its garment.

"Oh, Man! look here. Look, look, down here!" exclaimed the Ghost.

They were a boy and girl. Yellow, meagre, ragged, scowling,wolfish; but prostrate, too, in their humility. Where graceful youth should have filled their features out, and touched them with its freshest tints, a stale and shrivelled hand, like that of age, had pinched, and twisted them, and pulled them into shreds. Where angels might have sat enthroned, devils lurked, and glared out menacing. No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in any grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has monsters half so horrible and dread.

Scrooge started back, appalled. Having them shown tohim in this way, he tried to say they were fine children, butthe words choked themselves, rather than be parties to a lieof such enormous magnitude.

"Spirit! are they yours?" Scrooge could say no more.

"They are Man's," said the Spirit, looking down uponthem. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers.This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both,and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!" cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city.

"Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse. And bide the end!"

"Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge.

"Are there no prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words.

"Are there no workhouses?"

The bell struck twelve. Scrooge looked about him for the Ghost, and saw it not. As the last stroke ceased to vibrate, he remembered the prediction of old Jacob Marley, and lifting up his eyes, beheld a solemn Phantom, draped and hooded, coming, likea mist along the ground, towards him.