kokoroZendo

When I was young, one of my favorite authors was Jack London, who wrote in the background of Yukon/ Klondike Gold Rush. The adventurous stories of those “colorful” characters, who survived the most hostile environments and trying circumstances , in Jack London’s unique stand out prose , are still etched in my memory. It is the oldest but most fascinating of all stories.. What can be more interesting and inspirational reading than the diary of Capt. Robert Scot, who perished during an expedition to Antarctica or “Into Thin Air”, the story of Everest Tragedy written by Joe Krakauner.

As someone who stayed in a village quite close to Silent valley, I knew many people personally who would venture into deep forests to collect honey, graze their cattle , or collect other forest produces for a living. There wasn’t any dearth of exaggerated (a bit!) but fascinating accounts of pythons and wild elephants during those days. I used to wonder, what makes human beings seek out the toughest of conditions and most challenging situations and what makes them survive ?

The recent Chile disaster was one story I followed over that of CWG or vote in Karnataka. Most of the reporters and analysts around the world have written reams and reams about their will, commitment and camaraderie etc. No mistaking here. I do have great respect to those 33 who survived. Anyone who had visited a mine, even on a short visit, will have that.

Such make or break situations, almost always, tear away the masks and images people have and expose the real self in each one of us. Many a times read goodness comes out. Once the basic survival need of food and water is taken care, it is the spirit that keeps people alive and kicking. And most often it is the finer mind ( Art, poetry and humor) what keeps the Spirit alive. It was interesting to know the presence of “Residence poet” and Elvis Priesly fan amongst the Chile Miners. (After all Chileans take pride in being the land of poets).

Viktor Frankl, who survived Auswitch and author of the classic “ Man’s Search for Meaning” , writes “To discover that there was any resemblance of art in a concentration camp must be surprise enough for an outsider, but he may even more astonished to hear that once could find a sense of humor there as well. Humor was another of soul’s weapons in the fight for self preservation. It is well known that humor, more than anything else in the human makeup, can afford an aloofness and an ability to rise above any situation, even if only for a few seconds.”

George Faludy who survived a Stalinist labor camp to write “My happy days in hell” states that , “Those who died . . . were always the men who had been most determined to survive, those who had concentrated on nothing but food, sleep and warmth . . . I was reluctant to admit the obvious: that delighting in a good poem or discussing Plato’s Socratic dialogues could somehow arm the spirit to the point that it could prevent the body’s collapse.”

May be Mario Sepulveda, the second miner who came out in that capsule carrying a bag stones from the mine as souvenirs, have imbibed that spirit in his DNA.

Let me end this post, with the stories of two great adventurers who immortalized themselves, by their calm and collected manner facing death in similar situations.

Robert Scott could write while waiting for his own death “We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last […] Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale.”

But the best story (closest to my heart) is that of Rob Hall. Legendary mountaineer from New Zealand. Rob hall who had summited Everest for some 5 times and well known as “mountain goat”, was helping one of his clients, Hansen ( an amateur who had paid a huge fees for a guided tour to Mt.Everest.), when a sudden storm closes in. Hall and Hansen are forced to spend the night exposed atop the mountain in wind chill bordering on minus 100 degrees. Hall was not able to breathe bottled oxygen, because his regulator was too choked with ice. By morning, Hall was able to fix his oxygen mask. But his frostbitten hands were making it difficult even to hold on to the fixed ropes and climb down. Later in the afternoon, he radioed to Base Camp asking them to connect to his wife in New Zeland over satellite phone, as he lay there looking @ the rope just above him. During this last communication, he reassured her that he was reasonably comfortable and told her, “Sleep well my sweetheart. Please don’t worry too much.” Shortly thereafter, he died. His body was found much later by members of iMAx expedition. I am sure; they would have felt the presence of the immortal human spirit hovering over there. Even mere death may not be able to extinguish it.