Define perfection? Role of Peace education in young minds

Define perfection? Role of Peace education in young minds

It is not easy to find a swift and easy course for better living. Life is full of hurdles. Our everyday subsistence is a drama were we are the actors; this is a naked truth which cannot be erased. In our life there are memories which would have created a deep scar. We try to keep them concealed in our subconscious mind. No matter how much you push them or try to forget them still it keeps haunting you. Then how can you define the term perfection? Nobody is perfect in this world. It is through mistakes that each and every living organism learn to live and survive.

Several negative qualities in us are the root cause for our problems. Ego, anger, hatred, frustration, irritability etc. are few of them. At some point of our life, people get fed up of themselves and crave for self realization. This happens in only 4% of the entire population; rests of them are indulged in their own activities which please them and make them joyful for the time being. They will never get self satisfaction in what they do. Their needs and wants are never ending, I am one of them.

Can education give us perfection? 

According to me, education is a source which makes an illiterate individual literate. Just education is not important for our life; of course we need information to know things happening around us or around the world. Video games, mobile, internet etc gives us various information which are good as well as bad. A child blindly absorbs all these without segregating the information obtained from different media. Unknowingly seeds of negative qualities are sown in the budding minds. Thus concept of peace education should be introduced in each and every school all over India.

Peace education is a rich and dominant source of education which mainly targets school children in developing their personality, attitudes, skills which centre their ideas and thoughts in bringing about a culture of peace. At present our society, our country are surrounded by violence in various forms. Children are also exposed to various medium like TV, radio, internet, video games which contains brutal images, violent scenes, hatred etc, in order to cultivate and promote culture of peace, education given to children should be moulded in a such a way that students begin to realize what is good and bad, there by developing critical thinking as they are the key to the future.

I have written an international paper on “peace education through fine arts among school children”. Peace education can be taught in a creative and in an artistic approach in the various art forms such as paintings, sculptures, architecture, music and poetry which are collectively known as fine arts. Through the arts, children can learn how to express their unique identities, simultaneously developing habits of mind that will bring triumph anywhere, from the playground to the place of work.

A child generally loves to draw pictures of parents, objects, individual experiences and things he/she usually observes. These observed illustrations are delineated in the form of line diagrams or scribbles. Colors and the matter sketched also play a key role in identifying child’s thoughts. From these sketches and scribbles, a teacher can effortlessly spot the mindset of a child. Most of the children who are affected and troubled by the violent scenes, images cannot critically analyse goodness as they lack focus. Through fine arts children will get to know about, culture, tradition and history, this will help them to lead a better life. History can teach them to avoid mistakes done in the past; culture and tradition promote different practices which are being followed for generations which will steer them to appreciate the hidden values and to develop a culture of peace.

“Violence to peace”

My world needs to transform. I see death and no living. Thorns of violence in various forms altered the whole world into ruthless blood suckers. Do they understand the meaning of words peace and freedom? No, I need to see a different world, where there is peace and harmony. Where people are free to go anywhere; where there is life. Sun does not set forever there is always a raising sun which brings new hopes to the living. Let peace slash away all the thorns of violence and bring peace and happiness among people.

State of mind

State of Mind

Everything changes around us so rapidly that we don’t pay much attention to it. Likewise the emotions like anger, happiness, sorrow, delight, satisfaction, love keeps popping up without our knowledge which is triggered either by sound, words, touch, sight or smell.  We all are encircled in this, as we do not have any escape from them. Sometimes it’s very had to express ourselves to someone close, or to the one we love and trust the most. Most of the people blurt out on others to get relief, for the emotion they posses. Our life has changed us so badly that, we don’t find time to spend with our family nor with neighbors or friends.

Human nature is so distinctive that is very hard to predict ones character. The behavior keeps flickering without ones awareness. Abrupt changes happen in our environment, but the behavioral modification within us will not adapt quickly that one gets irritated or frustrated and reaps a negative quality within them. For example the people who work in corporate industry.When they were students they possessed certain good qualities and behavioral traits but as the scenario changes they reap negative traits due to work pressure, competition, harassment, sleeplessness etc  etc there is no end to this; few tends to end their life as they not able to cope up with the kind of change which they had to face forcibly.  

"State of Mind"-(whirlpool of feelings dominated her intellect and emotions flooded just like a blessed river. Judgment caused panic but not conclusion. Where is an end for my thought process, she kept on thinking. This is my state of mind)

We see many deaths and accidents just in front of our bare eyes. Where is the humanity, love? Human minds are now entangled in high levels of ego that even the sight of someone bleeding out; is seen as a dead rat lying on the road. With developing technology and sophisticated life the one which is left behind is our common sense and humanity. We may have to learn from animals about love and care that they show towards others.

It’s not “you” or “them” that needs a change its “I” who should change these perspectives and bring better good for the other fellow beings.Hope we see a better future.

"Ignorance and true bliss"

Role Model

Role Model

Once in a life time, one tends to admire an important person in life, they can either be their role model or an imaginary person. The preference of selecting the icon depends upon a range of factors. We value their actions and approve of what they do; sometimes it might be your unfulfilled goals.  

 Happiness and self satisfaction springs out, when you end up becoming like one whom you admired of.  That’s all that matters in life, everyone wants to be happy and the choice is theirs whether to believe in right or wrong.

A man who lost his parents in a tragic accident leaves his hometown and settles near a harbor. Somehow he manages to get a job there. Every day after work he bought bread and threw some pieces in the water as an offering to his deceased parents. This continued for a year until a miracle happened in his life. One day while he was throwing some pieces of bread he found a group of tiny fishes grabbing each morsel. Out of nowhere he found happiness. For the first time after the great tragedy this small incident brought a new hope in his life. He continued doing the same every day and found happiness. Even though there is no one left in his life, still he found a gate way of happiness which gave him hope to live on.

This story sprung into my mind out of nowhere, so in the remembrance of this lovely story I painted a painting….

Kindness a step to freedom

Kindness a step to freedom

Whenever I see birds flying around freely, I always anticipate of having wings, so that I could fly on an adventures journey. Birds are so fortunate that they are able to enjoy each stroke of air beneath their wings. How fascinating is the fact that they are the most attractive, delicate, amazing creatures in this planet.

 I remember a lovely story which happened long ago when I was 8 years old. Myself and my father where taking an evening walk near the coffee estate, all of a sudden my father saw a cat slowly crouching  which was about to make it’s kill. He ran towards the cat and shooed it away and found a bird lying around with a broken wing. My father gently lifted it from the ground and examined it to spot the injuries. I followed him and gazed at the tiny bird. It was a woodpecker. 

He gently took the bird and kept turmeric powder on the injured area where he saw a small thorn stuck inside her wings. Later the thorn was removed with utmost care and caution. We kept the bird in such a manner that it won’t be able to move its injured wing while attempting to escape.

A week later the dressing was removed but the wound was not fully cured; however my father knew that the bird will be able to manage on its own. On the wall of our house we have left space for ventilation where we kept a nest, fruits and left the bird there. 

As soon as we left her there she flew away.

 I was deeply hurt did not know why, instead of being happy for the bird I cried. My father consoled me saying that the bird was a wild one and it will have its own family to take care of, just like us. I looked at the sky hoping for the bird to come back.

After 2 weeks or so we heard chirping of birds on the ventilation space where we had placed the nest. I called my father immediately to see what was going on. He climbed on to a ladder to see what was in there.  To our surprise it’s the woodpecker. My father’s presence did not scare her and my happiness knew no bounds. A few minutes later she flew away and never came back.

Did the bird come back to show her gratitude, for what we have done for her? Till now we don’t have an answer for the question!!!!

This story inspired me to draw this painting......