Last night my best friend Ana and I discussed about one interesting topic in our Midnight Ramblings session. Although this time we did it through phone call, it's still counts because it's done by midnight (okay, this detail is not important LOL.) Anyway, the topic was related to the Infinity Wars movie that is still playing on the theatres now, so I guess it's still updated.

(Kalau nggak ngerti, baca bahasa Indonesia-nya di sini.)

So we discussed about Thanos, the antagonist character, and what he had done (because the movie has been playing for some time, so I reckon this not as a spoiler..) So the point is, Thanos saw something bad was happening: the starving and lacking of natural resources, while the amount of human keep on adding. His idealism about the perfect life is threatened. He thought that if the amount of human is not that many so maybe the resources for food will be enough for everyone. He then found a solution: eliminate half the population so the rest could survive.

What made us all pissed of is: why could he think that he had the right to eliminate people as he wishes, while it was God's job to keep the balance in the world. Perhaps Thanos had hoped and waited, but the justice never came. Perhaps that's why he thought that God didn't do anything and he had to take over.

Perhaps Thanos is right. But I guess we will all more agree that Thanos is not being patience. He sees only part of the problem and decides the instant exit way. He decided that he is authorized to do things on behalf of other people and their lives, forgetting his position and portion as God's creation.

We thought this is what also happening in this country, especially for the last week with terrorism cases here and there. People drunk of dogma, losing their common sense and thinking that they had the right to decide on other people's fate and life. They understate God's greatness by thinking that He is too weak to manage this Universe. The result is chaos. Another imbalance of the world.

Last night I re-watched the movie Doctor Strange and re-absorbing the whole journey of Dr. Stephen Stange to Kathmandu and meeting The Ancient One. There was one thing that made The Ancient One to doubt Dr. Strange at first: his big ego. But apparently through a series of events, Dr. Strange then realized that everything will be easier if he just surrender to his heart. Here's the quote:

The Ancient One: Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all

Dr. Stephen Strange: Which is?

The Ancient One: It's not about you.

Ego. Every humankind possess this, and the ones who can cope with ego can be praised as a humble person. The Ancient One told Mordo this: "We never lose our demons, Mordo. We only learn to live above them." It means, we have to do and live higher than our weaknesses: the ego and seven deadly sins (pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth.) By overcoming all this, we can be an ego-less person.

The whole Doctor Strange movie is full of meaning for me personally. Especially in this spiritual journey (well, two weeks ago Mas Muke called me as the Spiritual Wanderer anyway.) That there are still so many realities unknown even to the great neurologist Dr. Strange. That there are still so many things in this world that are beyond our sense, but they are all exist and real. It's only a matter of how we react to it that determines it to be seen by our eyes or not.

The Ancient One: [on magic] You cannot beat a river into submission; you have to surrender to its current, and use its power as your own.

Dr. Stephen Strange: I control it by surrendering control? That doesn't make any sense.

The Ancient One: Not everything does. Not everything has to. Your intellect has taken you far in life, but it will take you no further. Surrender, Stephen.

The point is: surrender. Give in to God. Eliminate the ego and focus on the purity of soul and consciousness. The movie also taught us not to cult anyone in life: president, beautiful celebrity, great guitarist, a famous person, or even a supreme master like The Ancient One. Because they are all also human naturally, just like us all. Maybe they are the ones who 'get there' sooner, or it is us who learn and catching up later.

Sometimes we are too drunk with the title of 'guru' that it could lead us to disappointment in the end. Because those teachers are also human, with secrets and weaknesses. They could stay above those weaknesses, or stop trying and blinded by other things that would make them following back their ego. When it happens, their reputation is broken and we all realize that they too are human with all of their limits. This is a reminder for us to always be introspective.

This is the real key of life: how much are we willing to sacrifice or defeat our ego for the sake of many people? Because just like The Ancient One said: this is not about you. Life is not just for ourselves but also for many other people. Because when we give, it's when we receive; one of the most ancient, just, and beautiful natural laws there are.

But back again, how do we do this? Well if it has violence, by sacrificing other's happiness, importance, or lives, it means that our thought is not right. Something needs to be fixed here. Because based on what I've read and experienced before, the answer to all trouble is LOVE. All you need is (always) LOVE!

Faith, hope, and love. These are three of the most important thing in life that we can use as a grip for everything. If whatever we are doing or questioning is not directed to these, it means that we have been going off the line. Try to ponder and ask the purpose, the reason, and the way to do what we are doing. Keep on digging until you get to the three: faith, hope, and love. And the most important among all is love.

We could think short or shallow like Thanos, although our purpose/reason is good, but when the way doesn't mirror the faith, hope and love, then we are doing it wrong. We could find the easiest way out because we are lazy to think (remember, sloth is one of the 7 deadly sins!) but we can think longer, harder, broader, higher to find the better solution. Instead of spreading hate and fear, isn't it better if we keep on spreading love?

I believe more people are now willing to sacrifice for others: willing to lose a dear daughter for the sake of world's salvation, willing to die with suicide bomb for the sake of religion's victory, and many other things we have witness that ends with grief. But is it really the right way? Is God that evil that He wants to ask for others' lives to fulfill His promise to us? Is He that limited? Or is it just our false perspective, that apparently is still far from God's level?

If there is a requirement that suggests that 'God will give you His promise if you are willing to give up the most precious / beloved in your life', please don't put your children/parents/friends/other's lives into the list of your most beloved things in life. Think of other things that stick more tightly on you: anger, ambition, achievement, dream, or ego. These are the most precious and beloved things in our lives.

This morning I talked with my old buddy Joey and we discussed about the terrorism cases that are happening in this beloved country. Joey asked me if I was anxious enough to be politically sensitive. Well actually I know whatever happens because I monitor them through the social media (because I don't watch TV -- I'm sorry, my media worker friends) but I refuse to be dragged into the negative wave of politics.

Although politic is one way to fight for our voice to be heard by the government and public, but it's not the only way. There are many other ways, and one of them is to work and create. Dance, music, literature, painting, drawing, comic, sculpture, and many others. If you're not artsy, there are other works as simple as activating a community, or anything that creates or make out something that can mean a lot for many people, or at least the people around us. And I'm certain the effect of this work will be much more positive than for me to enter the government's politics (once again, I'm sorry my political fighter friends, but this is me we're speaking, working in my own field.)

Why create? Because creating is a real result of a process of thinking, contemplation, and maturing up that takes form in a beautiful thing. And this beauty is what will touch people's consciousness, opening their mind, and moving their sould. Creating is one of the forms of trigger, or inspiration, to raise something inside human through sense. Because sometimes there are no words left to speak in order to make changes, but through sense.

So let's focus ourselves to feel love, spreading compassion, and create to inspire. Because if not us (who cares enough to change the world), who else?