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Spice of life | Welcome new beginnings with optimism, creativity
The dawn of a fresh chapter may bear the weight of uncertainty, its contours shaped by forces beyond control, yet divinity expects man to embrace it with open arms because a new beginning carries the essence of potential
“The end is not the end, it’s just the beginning of something new.” Anonymous
The relentless cycle of endings and beginnings persists, an eternal rhythm echoing in nature’s gnarled roots — a dying tree cradling the birth of a sapling. Peace yields to chaos, wisdom surrenders to folly, light fades into darkness, and in the dance of birth and death, winter yields to spring. Hope intertwines with despair, knowledge battles ignorance, joy dances with sorrow, and health succumbs to sickness — all symbols of contrasting concepts in cyclical patterns.
Yet, amid this perpetual flux, a singular thread unites them all — the indomitable optimism of the human spirit. In every culmination, an ember of anticipation glows, heralding the promise of something auspicious. As the New Year unfurls its pages, it becomes the canvas for this optimism, igniting a blaze of positivity that transcends each passing moment, illuminating the path to new beginnings.
A new beginning, may or may not be to one’s liking, but still, it unfurls like a blank canvas awaiting the strokes of destiny and the hues of man’s perseverance. The dawn of a fresh chapter may bear the weight of uncertainty, its contours shaped by forces beyond control, yet divinity expects man to embrace it with open arms because a new beginning carries the essence of potential — a cosmos where aspirations and challenges intermingle.
Lord Vishnu took myriad shapes and forms — from human to animal — matsya (fish), kurma (tortoise), varaha (boar), Narasimha (man-lion), popularly known as the dashavatars (ten incarnations) to provide a framework to humanity that there is always a divine intervention to maintain a balance between opposing and contrasting forces of good and evil, thereby highlighting the cyclical process of creation, preservation and dissolution in the world.
In all of his human avatars, he undertook the path of hardship and suffering; trials and tribulations; and joy and sorrow like ordinary men and women to emphasise the importance of enduring adversity, for no adversity is everlasting just as no prosperity is interminable. In these incarnations, from Rama’s exile to Krishna’s battlefield counsel, Vishnu exemplified that no suffering is perpetual, and no abundance is eternal. Through tales of resilience, he imparted the timeless wisdom that, like the ebb and flow of existence, adversities too shall pass, fostering hope, courage, and a deeper understanding of life’s cyclical nature.
Indeed, the theme of impermanence, the cyclical nature of life, and the endurance of adversity is a recurrent motif across religions, mythologies, and philosophies worldwide. Whether expressed through religious teachings, mythological narratives, or philosophical principles, the idea underscores a shared human understanding of life’s fluctuation. Concepts like karma in Hinduism, the biblical notion of “This too shall pass,” and the Buddhist understanding of impermanence all converge on the recognition that challenges and prosperity are inherent aspects of existence, and both are transient. This universal wisdom echoes a fundamental truth that transcends cultural and geographical boundaries, resonating with the collective human experience.
This New Year brings in its wake a blank page for all of us, allowing us to begin afresh with greater optimism; to dance to the tune of life with unbridled joy. As we stand on the threshold of the unknown, let the blank page inspire creativity, resilience, and unwavering hope to all denizens of the world. Let there be peace and joy! sonrok15@gmail.com
The writer is an associate professor of English at SD College, Ambala Cantt
