Читать книгу Peaceful Revolution - Paul K. Chappell - Страница 15

The Rig Veda, a Hindu text written nearly four thousand years ago, symbolizes our soul as a swan ascending toward understanding: “Life is a perennial search for truth … The restless swan—the human soul—is on the journey infinite to find the truth.”32 As we listen to the secrets of our humanity in quiet contemplation, we can observe the swan’s inspiring voyage beyond the clouds and toward the sun.

To experience the highest peaks of joy we must cross the majestic landscapes of our humanity. During this adventure, each of us, like the swan, endures suffering and loss. The swan contends with storms that threaten to tear it from the sky, fog that obstructs its vision, and snow that numbs its delicate wings. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the writer and aviator killed in action during World War II, said: “You’ll be bothered from time to time by storms, fog, snow. When you are, think of those who went through it before you, and say to yourself, ‘What they could do, I can do.’”33

History is full of inspiring people whose hope and idealism carried them through the storms of agony, fog of despair, and cold chill of fear. Gandhi’s determination allowed him to soar. Our wings of hope are no different than his, but what we do with them is up to us.

Throughout my life, I have known what it feels like to have wings that no longer seem to work, to reach a point of exhaustion where I want to descend from the sky toward death, and to feel lost in a maze of struggle. I cannot fully express why I never gave up, but I can describe how a part of my humanity always urged me to stretch my wings of hope, even when life no longer seemed worth living. Just as Guthrie, Schweitzer, Gandhi, and so many others took actions that benefit us today, we can help each other and guide future generations on their journey toward the sun. None of us are flying alone, after all. Humanity is a flock of swans yearning together for a better world, each of us searching for a life lush with hope and celebration.

On this voyage toward truth and understanding, I remember not only the storms, fog, and snow that made me stronger, but also beautiful scenery, glorious landscapes, and the warmth of the sun. I have known people who suffered long flights in cold darkness, and I have met those who saw daybreak. To survive we must help each other through these dark times by spreading our wings of hope, seeing the calm beyond the storm, and always remembering that the swan is a powerful creature. We must also understand that for a swan, every day begins a new journey with so much to learn and enjoy. With each new adventure storms come and go, night turns into day, and humanity struggles steadily toward freedom, justice, and peace.