We all play different roles in this world. The role of a father, mother, son, daughter, employee, citizen, member of an organization, relative, or friend. Sometimes we confuse these roles with the self. The self is quite different. The self is part of the infinite divine. It has the same qualities of the divine as every drop of the sea has the quality of the sea.
We keep playing different roles across our lives. These roles are assigned to us to help us evolve as a human being. While playing these roles, we come across different emotions lying deep in our conscious and unconscious minds. Our intellect also passes through different confusions. It explores this world and the forces of nature from different perspectives. Each exploration makes it richer.
So far we see these roles as roles and do not confine our existence to them, they help us evolve. However, the moment, we confine our existence to these roles, we become narrow and confined. An actor is not the role he plays on the stage. He can play many different roles. However, while playing a particular role, the actor enjoys that role and plays the same to the fullest of his capabilities.
A good actor will not only play his role but also help others on the stage to play their roles to the best of their abilities. An amateur may have several self-doubts while playing the role. Some may doubt their ability to play their role. However, every actor needs to realize that a good director will definitely make them perform to the best of their abilities and will not leave them fearful. Divine is the best director. Some may doubt that the spectators may not like their role-play. Here again, one needs to understand that it is none of our business to please the spectators. Spectators have made their own choice to watch the play and they are free to make a move to the other play or to play themselves. We have no responsibility to placate them. In fact, even if we try to play to their fun, that is going to backfire badly because that will create an inner conflict. Each decision will suffer from the duality of listening to the directions of the director and the anticipation of the reaction of the spectators. This conflict will make us inefficient.
Sometimes the actor owns up to the responsibility of other actors as well on the stage. I feel that there is a significant difference between helping others and taking responsibility. No doubt, we can help others while playing our roles but we can not take their responsibility. Everyone on the stage has to make an effort to perform his or her role. Taking responsibility for others makes others dependent on us. It is like a strong tree giving support to a creeper. Someone may argue that if the tree does not support the creeper, the creeper may die. On the other hand, the support makes a creeper used to the support and it never grows into a tree and the tree also feels overburdened after a point in time.
I feel that if we really connect with the other players on the stage, we would make efforts to help them learn the play. That is what Krishna does. He does not fight the battle of Mahabharata. He enables Arjuna to fight the battle. He fought his own battle at Mathura and knows very well that the battle of Kurukshetra is the playfield of Arjuna. He just navigates his chariot as a charioteer and removes the confusion wherever Arjuna gets confused. That is the role of a friend, philosopher, and guide.
With clarity about the roleplay, an actor does not get lost in his own fears about his capacity, or the reaction of the spectators, or helping others playing their roles. When one plays his role with such a clear mind, one plays his role to the best of his capacity. When all the players play their roles to the best of their capability without any confusion, the play becomes wonderful. I don't think the type of the role or the length of the role actually matters. The director has a great capacity to understand the appreciate the capability and experience or different players and all of the players keep getting roles accordingly.
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