People's flesh, blood, and sweat make nations

"Human beings are made up of flesh and blood, and a miracle fiber called courage"

~ George Smith Patton, Jr, a general in the United States Army best known for his command of the United States Army, in the European Theater of World War II

This ancient land called Lanka, meaning island in Sanskrit as attributed to in the Ramayana, the Indian epic by sage Valmiki; variously, and veritably, transformed into a maze of names.

Be it Thambaparni in Pali, Pa-Outchow in Chinese, Alengka in Javanese, Langkapuri in Malay, Lankapura in Burmese and Siamese, Ilankai in Tamil; Sarandib in Arbic, Serendip in Persian, Siela Keh in Egyptian, Sielen Diva in Greek, Serendivus in Latin; Ceilao, ceilan, Selon, Zeilan, Ceylon in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Dutch and English respectively; finally, it became Sri Lanka: The Resplendent Isle.

Whether ruled by Asuras, Devas, Ghandarvas, Kinnaras, Mehayas, Melechas, Nagas, Rakshasas, Vanaras, Yakshas in mythological time; or by Vangas, Angas, Paundras, Odras, Dravidas, Kalingas, Yavanas, Malavas, in prehistoric times; and by Sinhala, Chola, Chera, Pandiya, Pahllava, Andhra monarchs, in medieval times; or by the Portuguese, French, Dutch, and British before present times; Lanka was finally governed by Lankans. Irrespective of who ruled, be it as a potentate, vassal, or peoples representatives; the name and fame of the land grew along with its riches because of its peoples; for the land of Lanka, like all lands, is built by the flesh, blood, and sweat of the people who lived in the island and not by its rulers alone. Rulers only take credit for the sacrifices of the people whose tremendous strength of character mostly lies hidden from its rulers.

People came from far-and-wide, speaking as many tongue as their place of origin, and settled to make a home away from home in Lanka.

They brought with them fresh knowledge and skills, traditions and customs, language and culture. Unlike present times, they shared in the riches of their land without greed. To be thus, such people must necessarily have been kind, courageous, moral, principled, and sympathetic: values dangerous to have in modern days. Possessing a generous heart and an open mind is unsafe for the commoner even in the best of times, let alone present times. Such values are the luxuries of the privileged class: the rich, and the high and mighty, and they used these values only when it benefited them. Today, what the commoner needs to survive and endure is, a bit of sycophancy, a dash of cruelty, a willingness to serve any master, the ability to hide seething anger and cower before power and the powerful. For these are the tools of survival in the modern world because the modern world has become totally corrupt and the institutions and traditions of the ancient world that once allowed a person to fully realise his being, without having to bend in two in supplication, have been lost. In many ways, man has reverted to his savage days, but with a little more sophistication.

That is why the Italian traditionalist philosopher Julius Evola in his 1961 book Ride the Tiger says: "that in order to survive in the modern world an enlightened or 'differentiated man' should 'ride the tiger'." As a man, by holding onto the tiger's back may survive the confrontation, so too might a man, by letting the world take him on its inexorable path be able to turn the destructive forces around him into a kind of inner liberation. We live in a divided and split society, unlike in the bygone era. Thus, no matter that people lived and died on their feet in the lost civilization of a forgotten era; today if one is to exist, one needs the ability for the individual person to live and die on bended knees always ready to cringe before power and the powerful; and that, despite any noble qualities one may possess.

No ruler ever understood the hardships of the masses, or their desire to live nor the fact that they possessed insufficient means. What mattered to the rulers was the size of their dreams and the willingness to act on them. In pursuit of their dreams, they will crush any and use many as firewood for their burning ambition.

They will beat to pulp, anyone obstructing their path; treat the obstructionist as cur, while at the same time talk loudly about equality of men; and pose as the saviour of the people. The people, on the other hand, may lick the boots, crawl on the earth in front of the powerful, and pay obeisance even to the shadow of power; but the meek always survived when the rulers of all colours had long gone.

Despite the arrogance, patronising attitude and the looted riches of the rulers, the masses always outlived their rulers; winning the final battle of survival. Of course, in times of hardship, people lose the courage they need to survive. But I think, as long as the people have hope; courage will never truly leave them.

They will someday reach deep in to their heart and find it. After all, how many kings and rulers had this earth seen, and how many more were to come? The rulers may think it insignificant and disregard as petty, the travails of the masses; but the land the people live in, is always more generous and grateful than all rulers.

Hence, the nation will sustain its people, even if they be poor, hungry, unhealthy and beaten up: for the land knows that a nation is built by the flesh, blood, and sweat of the people; and not the rulers.

Achieving social equality is a dream in any country; but to expect the state to, not discriminate amongst its own subjects is not a dream in many countries any more. Sadly though, many nations discriminate; and create levels of society within society.

No nation can march to glory, riches, and destiny by crushing the poor and treating them irrelevant. It is necessary to remember that men who become rulers, howsoever great and mighty, cheat, betray, strive, struggle, fail, fall, get up, and repeat the process to die and vanish forever like a speck floating in the mighty universe. Some would be gone, dead tomorrow, some others perhaps the next minute. Would it matter to the living? A few perhaps would be sad, while some happy; but it all would be relevant only for a while. Over time all achievements, birth and death, would be irrelevant and forgotten, even if they are by the greatest of rulers.

But the masses will live on: their only want being a ruler, someone, anyone, who will inspire them to be what they know they could be and become. It is, often said: a mediocre ruler only talks of things he hopes to do. The good ruler will talk, as well as explain his intentions but not fulfil.

The superior ruler demonstrates through actions his objectives. However, it is only a great ruler, who can inspire his people. For he knows, that a nation is built, not by the rulers alone; but by the flesh, blood, and sweat of the people.

If a ruler's actions create a legacy that inspires the people of a nation to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more; then, that person is an excellent leader. As much as it is with people, nations too have a destiny; and if not taken at the tide, it will lead on to misfortune. Leaders of nations must know their destiny. If they do not recognise it, then they are lost. Once, twice, or at the very most, three times, fate will reach out and tap them on the shoulder. If they have the imagination, they will turn around, and fate will point out what fork in the road they should take.

If they have the guts, they will take it. If not, in spite of them, the masses will endure and survive. The masses are the makers of all rulers and the nations. For it is their flesh, blood, and sweat that builds a nation.

See you this day next week. Until then, keep thinking; keep laughing. Life is mostly about these two activities.

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