My Piggy Resolve

I once read a news story of a pig in Punjab who managed to escape his pigsty, just when the butcher came wielding his knife.

The poor animal, about to be served on the table, summoned all his piggie energy and ran for dear life, through the serpentine lanes and bylanes of the village, with the butcher in hot pursuit, but he could not nail the brave pig, and eventually, the member of the higher species took mercy on the member of the lower species on Darvin’s Evolution scale, and the butcher gave up the chase, sparing the poor animal its life.

You may not be aware that of all the other, edible animal species, a pig represents the most difficult kill – only because he puts up a brave fight. Yet all pigs meant to be served, do eventually fall to the butcher’s knife.

But not this one.

Instead, ‘he’ made a national headline.  

But pray, why am I telling you such a gory tale?

Because I figure that the preamble to a human being’s victory anecdote can be that of an animal too, so what if the animal is a pig!

I am telling you this story because even when I read it as a kid, it left a huge impression on me.

I felt grudging admiration for an animal that we don’t credit with much intelligence, yet has such a strong survival instinct.

Several years later, if I am reminded of that story it’s because, it made me think that if an animal can demonstrate so much courage in the face of imminent death, could I not, ostensibly better than a pig, muster the same spirit, confronted similar odds, eight months ago, when I was diagnosed with double cancer, of the liver and breast, with just three months to go to get a liver transplant?

No, I couldn’t muster that courage, not then.

Yet I testify that today I am completely hale, hearty and recovered – in fact so recovered that are times, when even I find it difficult to believe that I actually had a transplant and it’s not the ugly memory of a nightmare I sometimes wake up to!

The big question is – how did I, like that pig, fight the odds?

Believe me, I’ve searched my heart many times for a suitable answer, and on each occasion, it takes me down the same treacherous, circuitous path and throws up the same answer – Faith.

I discovered that faith in Soka Gakai.

I’ve been brought into the practice with a strong belief that there is a higher intelligence who wanted to test my faith - not just in Him, but also in myself. That I have the power within me to use each cell of my body to heal myself.

Unknown strangers praying for me, chanting day and night for me, has made me love myself and value my life. It has strengthened my resolve to now add more value to other people’s lives.

Today, refreshed from my just concluded, 20-days holiday, I feel so blessed and lavished. I have everything I’d ever wished for – a successful career, a doting daughter and father duo.

It’s through Soka Gakai practice that I’ve discovered that being happy in every material state is also a form of prayer that multiplies the small joys of life. Troubles don’t altogether disappear from life but with constant practice they do start fading away as phantoms. When I go out for my walk every morning, I am happy to report that I pick nothing but positive vibes around me.

When I look at my 14-year-old daughter, I feel satisfied in the knowledge that I would be around for her graduation, her marriage and possibly to play with her babies.

When I look at my 80-year-old dad, my two sisters. Brothers-in-law, nephews and nieces I get the same stirrings of feelings. I can’t claim I am fully drawn into the practice yet, but I can say with certitude that if I continue on this path, I can make many happy memories of my time on this planet, during my second shot at life.

And like that brave pig, I too might make headlines – with my survival tale about liver transplant that has found a publisher – Fingerprints of Prakash Publications.

If all goes well, the book should hit the stands by December, this year!