Children’s Category 2nd Prize

SELF LIVES BY GETTING AND FORGETTING
LIFE LIVES BY GIVING AND FORGIVING

by Kejal D/O Hasmuk
Malaysia, Age 14

After twelve years or more of schooling, we know how to figure the square root of an isosceles triangle (invaluable in daily life) but we do not know how to forgive ourselves and others (and the value of that). We know what direction migrating birds fly in autumn, but we are not sure which way we want to go. We have dissected frogs, but have never explored the dynamics of human relationships. We know who wrote “To be or not to be, that is the question,” but we do not know the answer. We know what pi is, but we are not sure who we are. We may know how to diagram a sentence, but me may not know how to love ourselves. That our educational system is not designed to teach us the “secrets of life” is no secret. In school we learn to do everything – except how to live. Maybe that is the way it should be. Unraveling life’s “mysteries” and discovering life’s “secrets” may take the courage and determination found only in a self-motivated pursuit. The question that precedes “What is the meaning of life?” is of course “Is there meaning to life?”. Well for me, life is for doing, learning and enjoying. It is not that there is nothing more left to learn after we declare ourselves ‘graduates’ in the ‘School of Hard Knocks’. Far from it, “Commencement” does not just mean graduation, it actually means a new beginning. The more we learn, the more we can do, the more we can do , the more we can learn. So It is with life. When life seems truly excremental, we can moan and groan over our fate. Alternatively, we can, even in the midst of anger, terror, confusion and pain, tell ourselves, “There must be a lesson in here some place”. So let us enjoy the learning process in our life. Well, the real teacher in our life is not just the experiences. It is not overheard conversations or lines from songs or what we read in books. The real teacher is YOU. You are the one who should and must decide all that comes in your way. If we listen carefully, you will hear or sense a voice inside our individual selves. It is the voice of one’s inner teacher. It may not be the loudest voice “in there” but it is often the most consistent, patient and persistent one.

And now that we are all God’s children, we must respect all life, even the animals and the plants. Even from a small insect to a big elephant and from just a small blade of grass to a big red wood tree, they too should be respected, for they are all His creation. The true way to respect all life is definitely not by being a hypocrite and having a bad motive behind every action, is also not just by uttering good words but is merely, in my personal opinion, by following the basic life principles, which are “Help Ever, Hurt Never”, “Love All, Serve All” and “Simple Living And High Thinking”.

Now, the question that arises is how to live in harmony. This is a question which neither I, you nor the books can answer. The answer comes only from the bottom of our hearts and our inner Self, where He resides. However, it is inevitable that to prevail peace on Earth, we must always be very considerate, co-operative, caring to all, always thinking of “You first” instead of “Me first”. We are to give unconditional love to receive unconditional love, and feel that all livings are our ‘assets’ and ‘possessions’ to share and care. If you want peace with others, don’t fight with them. Go on your own way. Live your own life but with civic-mindedness. If some walk with you, that is fine. If you walk alone for periods of time, that is fine, too. If you do not like what is going on somewhere, leave. Maintain a portable paradise within yourself. Move to that peaceful place where the first glimmer of a temptation to fight with others will not appear. When you are not against yourself and others, you will be at peace and so will the world.

Well, if each and every one of us could play our own role in prevailing peace on this Earth, words such as ‘war’, ‘fights’ and ‘protests’ do not exist. Nevertheless, some individuals might say, “What is the point if only I realize about world peace?” “I am not even 1% of the total Earth population”. Well, my dear friends, remember that if each and every one of us, who makes up the 6 billion population starts heading toward world peace, this Earth is certainly going to be the best place to live, existing as the “Early-Heave”.

My fellow earthlings, this essay of mine cannot be wrapped up in a string and handed to you as a tidy package because, frankly, neither can life, knowledge, love nor peace. These are all long-term processes and ongoing processes do not have tidy endings but merely transitions. But, it has been worthwhile taking this ‘journey’ to share my noble thoughts with you. Well, thank you for joining me – or should I say, letting me join You all to prevail peace on our one and only wonderful earth!