Think twice before beating that bobolee

THE EDITOR: Annually we see boys playfully beating the effigy of Judas, made from used clothing, on Good Friday. It is claimed he betrayed the identity of Jesus to the Jewish authority for silver coins, hence he was chastised.

As a Hindu, I would have liked to take his place and be punished with sweet sorrow.

In Hinduism, the Lord incarnates from time to time on His own sweet will to teach man the higher path when morals and values are in a state of decay. He embodies a human form with His entourage to dramatise the divine play Leela to show how to skilfully act in this fickle unhappy world. He created the scene and set the hurdles for us, so after jumping successfully, you can feel a sense of fulfilment. If not, life is tasteless and toil.

His entourage consists of actors playing heroic and crooked roles to human understanding, but in the eyes of the saints and sages it is all sweetness and light. In the case of Judas, the chosen one, he was given an unfortunate role, the “fall guy,” in this divine drama.

The Hindu asks: How would you knowingly feel being in the physical presence of the Lord? You have to acquire great merit over many lives to sit near him and put on His crown even for a moment.

In the Hindu scripture the Ramayana, Lord Rama, the God incarnate, killed Ravana in a battle. At his death, Ravana’s wife Mandodari cried out, “This body has been a mass of sin, yet Lord Rama has raised you in His arms to His own abode.” Forgiveness at its summit.

Everything is determined by Him. He has given man one per cent free will to take part in His passion play for His own freedom. Carry the cross gracefully and think twice before beating the “bobolee” to a frazzle.

SONA SUPERSAD

devaki.supersad@gmail.com