One of the classics of Asian cinema, The Burmese Harp, tells the story of a Japanese soldier stricken by the horrors of war, refused to return to his platoon and return home to Japan. Instead, he chose to don the robes of a monk and remain in Burma to bury the dead and to give respite to their souls.
"As I climbed mountains and crossed streams, burying the bodies left in the grasses and streams, my heart was wracked with questions. Why must the world suffer such misery? Why must there be such inexplicable pain? As the days passed, I came to understand. I realized that, in the end, the answers were not for human beings to know, that our work is simply to ease the great suffering of the world. To have the courage to face suffering, senselessness and irrationality without fear, to find the strength to create peace by one's own example. I will undergo whatever training is necessary for this to become my unshakable conviction."
No comments:
Post a Comment