Mind and Body: Every One of Us is a Masked Wonder

By Anshul Chaturvedi

What can a cartoon character-turned-Hollywood superhero communicate to us about matters spiritual? Very little, or so I thought until a colleague who saw Spider-Man2 remarked casually that the one scene in the blockbuster that she found the most poignant was where the superhero, exhausted after his exertions in holding a train back from hurtling to disaster, was gently brought inside by the passengers.

His patent mask had come off in the process, exposing his face to the crowd. A gentleman who was among those whose lives Spiderman had saved by putting his own life on the line, looked at his face and exclaimed: - Why, he is just a boy, no older than my son! -

The fact that at least for some, this sentiment struck a deep chord is perhaps a pointer to the fact that at the end of the day, there is an ordinary person behind the mask of every superhero. Equally, all of us, as we lead our everyday lives, look at living a life that in some sense is beyond the ordinary. Great feats are performed by those gifted with supernatural abilities, and the gifted are usually unaware of the power they yield.

When Achilles steps forward to participate in yet another battle, there is a sense of inevitability about his victory; it is when a David brings down a Goliath that we sit up and take note, and recall it when we are faced with daunting challenges. We all have it in us to rise above our limitations. True courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to overcome the fear present and do the right thing.

Indian mythology also talks to us about ordinary people who grew to superhero status by taking risks and overcoming their fears. Abhimanyu entered the chakravyuh (battle formation) to bring victory to his side, conscious of the fact that he did not know how to come out of it. His feat of audacity all but changed the course of the battle.

When he fell, perhaps even those who killed him would have exclaimed Ñ on seeing him at close quarters Ñ - Why, he is just a boy! -

Eklavya was just a boy who did not think twice before offering his thumb Ñ and therefore his skills Ñ as gurudakshina when he was asked to. In the Ramayana, too, instances such as Laxmans injury for which the sanjeevani had to be procured remind us that the victorious are vulnerable, too.

As part of the annual Republic Day celebrations, brave soldiers who gave up their lives defending the country are honoured; a citation is read of their feat and their families accept the medal on the heros behalf. Most often, the hero who thinks nothing of laying down his life for his fellow-countrymen is also - just a boy - who rose above the ordinary, acting beyond the call of duty, spurred by instinct.

When a - boy - overcomes his fears and places the greater good before his own Ñ whether it be an exhausted superhero in a Spidey suit or a 19-year-old fighting fear on a lonely border outpost Ñ he is a hero.

Such heroism is not a desperate act for 15 minutes of fame; often the doer remains anonymous, an unsung hero, and rarely, like the Spiderman incident, the mask inadvertently slips off, laying bare a childlike innocence. Max Ehrmanns prayer says: - Though the world know me not, may my thoughts and actions be such as shall keep me friendly with myself. - Isnt that what being a real hero is all about, doing what your inner voice tells you to do?