Are we the Passengers? – after words to Please take me there, driver
/Foo Yee Ling
One of the perspectives I looked at while drafting the play is the various humanistic approach and outlook towards life and relationships. Of course, there are multiple dimensions in which you can view the story and only restrictions will limit your imagination.
With high expectations and commitments to fulfil, many of us are like Nick, racing fast on the highway, and wanting to be the best in everything. Both A and Nick have excellent credentials and they want money and career recognition to please themselves, but at the same time, they want to please others by not letting them be aware of their setbacks and flaws.
Ego places high in our perception, and very often, we are attached to the word ‘I’. It is difficult to let go of self-pride in this competitive society, for we need to gain recognition for our work and effort in order to gain promotion, bonuses and a niche in the profession we do. We are merely performers on the big stage that we share with others, and all are competing to stand out from the crowd.
But sometimes, all these mad rush and anticipation just end up in shattered pieces, leaving us helpless and stranded. Though A and Hwee Kwang are similarly hit by the economic downturn, both react to the situation differently. While Kwang decides to counter the problems with courage, A chooses to run drive away on congested roads, which brought about more confusion and unsure of the next direction that he should head.
By travelling slowly or stopping at crossroads give us wonderful opportunities to reflect upon our past actions, and decide where to go next. This may proved to be difficult for some, such as Nick who chooses to continue in speeding, and evidently rejecting the kind advice from Kwang. This is typical mentality of urban dwellers, who neglect the spiritual learning and regard them as meaningless as compared to self satisfaction through work and money, and eventually, they end up with stressful life and health problems. We should take life easy and slow by habitually engage ourselves in meditative sessions and learning the dharma, which proved to be effective tools in training our minds to think calmly and knowing the dharma makes us aware of the roots of sufferings from persistent pursuit in material gains. Happiness is attained from contentment.
Passenger C and Lian
Some people in life choose to escape. C wishes so much to hold on to the comfort and affluence that she prefers not to face the reality. D wishes to hide the ugliness beneath her cosmetics so as not to exude the anger and ignorance that she has been harbouring for her father and for her unsatisfactory life.
It may be easier for us to divert our path from damaged roads and steer towards a comfort zone, and sometimes, to do this, we seek help from more capable people, who have the ability to provide the needs we want. This is seen in C and Lian’s father, who choose to break the precepts by lying and take the wrong steps in life by betraying their spouses. Thus we see broken family relationships and vengeful victims like Lian, who accumulate hatred and delusion, which are harmful poisons to one’s mind. When left unsheltered, such victims will continue to live with these poisons and tie themselves to the samsaric cycle.
Misunderstandings and betrayal occur when
people fail to live up to expectations of others. By showing unconditional love and kindness to others will
eradicate the ill-will and bring us more happiness. Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By
non-hatred alone is hatred appeased.
This is the Law Eternal (Dhammapada v 5). Avoiding problems will not provide the solutions, until one is willing to tackle it. However, it is sometimes difficult to search for the drive within us to look at the problems we face. This is when we need spiritual support from friends, family members or someone who has the knowledge to be able and willing to share and examine the problems closely. And in the play, these passengers have found their driver in life, and perhaps you can find one too.