Story of the Mural and Homeless man.

Posted by Priya Krishnan Das on Jan 9, 2015



"I had just started work on a mural facing the road and as I was drawing on the wall at 7.30 in the morning, a homeless man who roams around in our area (often shouting and flailing his hands), came to see what I was doing. My conditioned response for a second or two was to be on my guard, given his unkempt looks, earlier observed behavior and long matted hair. But then, instantly I decided to let go off my fear and connect with him as I would to any other human being. I looked up and smiled. He asked me what I was doing. I said it's some art work. I said I'm just drawing today so it's not very clear. He may come 2 days later when there is color on the wall. Then to my surprise he asked me in perfect English "What's the theme? “ I said "World Peace". He gave a broad smile and said "All the best" and just walked away. What a paradigm shift early in the morning. I realized that a genuine smile and interaction really cuts across all façades and masks that we wear. We never know what drives people to be the way they are!!My tryst with him didn’t end there. Two days later again at 7 in the morning when I was working on the mural (by this time there was color on the mural, although not complete), I heard someone shouting “Very beautiful, very beautiful”. I turned around to greet my homeless friend. He asked me what was written in Sanskrit. I said “Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu”, the same meaning as the line below in English “May there be peace in all the worlds”. He said “Yes, peace is all that we all need. Look around, people are fighting and killing each other. In 2015, if everybody has peace, that would be so great. This is what is required. You are doing a great job. I really like your art. I will get others also to see your work”. I was so touched by what he said.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs says that we need to cross the basic needs of food, water, shelter to go to the highest need of self-actualization. But here was a man who didn’t know where his next meal would come from and I was told he sleeps near a water tank, out in the open, and he was wishing for world peace. Not only wishing for world peace, but also encouraging and motivating me for my work. I truly felt blessed by this man’s words. While he was leaving our eyes met and I could see a deep sadness in his eyes. But that notwithstanding he enthusiastically said “God bless you”. By now my eyes were almost welling up with tears as I shouted back “God bless you too” as I saw his thin, tall frame retreating to a distance.

This incident made me think deeply about my conditioned responses. People are all the same at the core, wanting to be loved and respected as human beings. Especially being a woman, there have been many times I have withheld a smile or acts of kindness from men when there could have been chances of feeling threatened. But this incident taught me that when my intention is clear and rooted in my own being-ness, that in itself will help me transcend barriers of form, age or gender and mostly importantly my own fear. I’m grateful to the Universe for helping me make a paradigm shift, the lesson of which will stay with me forever."
 

Posted by Priya Krishnan Das on Jan 9, 2015 | permalink


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  • kavita raj wrote ...

    strange i shd read this today,on basant panchmi day which is also saraswati puja day becoz all day only persistent thought was-goddess,plz give good sense to all so that we have peace in our world.very touching story.truely touched.to do good-is the true religion.

  • PatJos wrote ...

    Let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with me! Thank you for sharing such a lovely story, joy of joys to you! Since we are one with all that is created, we are creating that peace on Earth from within ourselves. Thank you for being my nlessing this day.