V For Vendetta

What is punishment? What is revenge? What is pay-back? I think they are all the same. And it all comes out of sheer anger, pain and disappointment...from that 'I'm right and you're wrong' judgement. I know a story of a woman who's ex-BF set her house on fire cos she broke up with her. That's bitter revenge. What would he have received from doing it - a few minutes of cruel satisfaction perhaps. And after that how would he have felt? Nothing except further intensified pangs of vengeance, more hatred and anger! The girl lost her home and all her belongings. Few years down the track when he's older and frail, perhaps he will feel ashamed about himself. Cos not only did he lose the girl, but he also lost his self-respect, cool and dignity...he basically lost himself. By committing an act of revenge, by not being able to forgive and move on, you only end up with no solution, further conflict and loss of the power in you to change...to be in total control of yourself.

Why I'm writing this post today is cos I was watching the news the other day, and all I saw was bloodshed everywhere - nothing new. In the Middle East, people are dying everyday...women running around crying for their dead men...children stranded...school shootings...never-ending war...death..destruction...VENGEANCE diguised in different masks. And I was thinking the root cause of all this is that inevitable human craving for REVENGE. But is it really inevitable? I don't think so. Just that most people are so 'used' to taking revenge. 'You take my eye and I'll take your's' kind of attitude. That's the way the world operates these days and it's only gotten worse. Cos time and time again, people fail to think outside that scope. They just go with how it has always been. Hence they don't even stop to think if it really agrees with their own reason and common sense. I'm a strong opponent of Capital Punishment. I even wrote a post about it long time ago...you can read it here - 'In Search Of Compassion'. Alot of people then tried to convince me that DEATH is necessary as a punishment for those who kill/rape others. Maybe at first appearance it feels that way. That's cos we all have the pangs of vengeance in us - hatred and anger running through our veins. Settling scores seem to be the only way. But is killing the criminal going to undo the already committed crime or bring back the already dead people? Or does it even give an opportunity for the criminal to realise and repent his sins? I say it only doubles the crime and it takes us down to the same IQ level of the criminal. Cos he/she committed an act of violence as a result of some sort of vengeance that was deep-seeded in their minds. And now we are doing the same! As long as vengeance is implemented as a means of deterrent, we are going to always swim in vengeance. From violence one can never achieve peace and resolution. (double_click on image to read it clearly).

My point is revenge is never going to bring you or the other person a lasting solution. It's only going to bind you in an ever-growing conflict and hatred. Isn't that why these wars go on for years and years with no resolution? Even at home, when someone does something hurtful, we often try to prove our point and we never give up on that 'I'm always right' attitude. But by doing that we become blind to our own mistakes. We therefore become just like the other person and we lose the power in us to be content by forgiving and spreading some compassion. There's great power in compassion than you may think. Alot of people don't stop to think what compassion is cos they always want to take that fast lane of revenge that everyone else takes. Compassion heals and from compassion comes real solutions. That's what Buddhism teaches and there's great power in that line. In Christianity they say 'show the other cheek when slapped'. It's not just a pretty line for people to read and then fight the very next day...in that line there's higher power to change you and the other person, and bring long-lasting solutions to everyone. Your greatest 'Revenge' from anything/anyone should really be to LIVE in a manner that's not the same as your opponent's. Love your enemy - nothing will bug him/her more. Obtain a higher power than the other person, both emotionally and spiritually. And great rewards will follow.

So why can't most people just see beyond revenge anymore? Are people blind to go on like this for years and years in conflict? Perhaps they are blind...cos they have been taught to take an eye for an eye all this time. And no eyes mean no sight. I read somewhere that the 7 wonders of this world is to see, hear, smell, touch, feel, love and laugh. But we always choose to disable ourselves deliberately. Time to make use of the 7 wonders we have been blessed with, heal ourselves and cure others too.

Current Music: Seven Wonders by Fleetwood Mac