Compassion amongst Perceived Enemies – Breaking the Myth
If you haven’t yet seen Kevin Richardson’s videos and you are a wildlife lover, I strongly recommend you do so soon. He is the “Lion Whisperer” and pats lions much as I pet dogs. And the reciprocity is equal. The concept of fear is thwarted, while the feeling of awe is taken to a new high.
The story of Elsa is epic. Needs no introduction. The David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi is living proof of the friendship between rescued wild elephants and humans. The keepers there are like their foster moms and nothing beats the joy of seeing those cute baby elephants rushing for a feed!
A few months back, I read “The Elephant Whisperer” by Lawrence Anthony and the unbelievable real life story of dialogues between Lawrence, a conservationist and a rogue herd with the legendary Nana as the matriarch, her rebellious sister Frankie and all the babies . Lawrence was their very last hope of survival. The story of bringing them to Thula Thula, to gradually making friends with them, to Nana saving the life of Lawrence during the torrential rains to the herd travelling to the camp to see Lawrence’s grandchild is like a magical painting coming to life.
Oj Pejeta Conservancy houses the famous Baraka, a blind white rhino, looked after by kind humans. We fed him while there and believe me, the feeling is surreal. Imagine the complete trust of Baraka as absolute strangers feed him and pat him. Remember, he is after all, a great African Big Five!
Man and the wild have inhabited Mother Earth for ages and in most cases have been sworn enemies. Both can kill each other. Both are perceived to be perpetually on the hunt for each other. Both look out for the slightest weak spot to launch an attack. Or so we know. Yet, look at these amazing relationships. And there are hundreds more. What is the single-most valuable lesson they teach us? To empathise, to love. And to change the notion of what we understand as a flawed relation.
Cut to our crazy careers in the corridors of power. Where one big C is more often than not, glaringly missing – compassion. Even a small act of compassion can do wonders. Think. When you were a newby in office and was lost (not literally, but in the “what” and the “how”), was there that one hand which came forward to hold yours and guide you? That person would possibly be your mentor for a very long time. I have known of competitors at a party come forward and shake hands and state how much they respect the way business is handled. Haven’t you ever witnessed or been a part of a CEO sitting down at a trainee’s desk and chatting with the newcomers? The instant feeling of being at home and the approachability aspect is driven home right from the word “go”. Mr. Narayan Murthy had his lunch in the same canteen shared by all across hierarchies, staff included. Mrs. Sudha Murthy’s instances at compassion are boundless. The legendary Mr. Ratan Tata has taught India and the world that values and bottomlines can well go hand-in-hand. No wonder the brands these legends built are the most coveted ones for the young and the no-so youngs!
Compassion is the cornerstone of progress. As the Dalai Lama XIV said in The Art of Happiness, “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
Compassion has been known to prove the apparent truth wrong. Evidence of human relation with wildlife sufficiently indicates this. Why then cannot we as humans embrace compassion as a key skill? Does compassion come naturally to an individual? Can it be acquired? Can a person be trained to be compassionate. We would love to hear your views.
Gargee Ghose
Brand Building & Digital Content Specialist. Passionate about pets and wildlife.
