Stories Of Jivavarta: Sojuk & Brima

Caption: "Original 2015 concept sketch by Shon Mehta

In a monastery, there were many student monks. Sojuk was the most pious of them all. Every day, he would get up early, and meditate. Whenever he saw or heard someone in trouble, he prayed for them. Everybody respected him for his compassion. All the students joined Sojuk in his prayers, except one -- Brima. Many times, students asked Brima to join in the prayers for troubled people, but he would refuse and go away.

One year, the head monk decided to declare the name of the "most compassionate monk". Everybody was sure that it would be Sojuk. But the monk declared Brima's name instead.

"Brima? But he never prayed for any troubled ones. How can he be the most compassionate one?" wondered the students.

The head monk saw the uneasiness. "You all must be wondering, why Brima? See, when you all were busy praying for troubled people, he was busy helping them. When you were busy praying for that sick man's recovery, Brima was busy nursing him. When you were busy praying for that poor hungry man, Brima was busy serving him food. When you were busy praying for happiness of the man whose house had fallen, Brima was busy rebuilding it." said the wise monk.

"But our thoughts and prayers were always with these troubled people." said one student.

"When the person is hungry, a grain of a food is much more important to him than hours of your prayers. Thoughts and prayers do not mean much, unless they are accompanied by action"  replied the chief monk.

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Sayings of Jivavarta

“Thoughts and prayers do not mean much, unless they are accompanied by action" 

  — Shon Mehta

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Lexicon of Jivavarta

Thoughts and Prayers — Offering sympathy in place of action when action is possible.

Shon Mehta

Real-Life Examples of “Thoughts and Prayers”

Nicholas Winton — Kindertransport (1938–39)

When Jewish children faced Nazi persecution, Winton organized documents, funding, and trains that helped 669 children reach safety in Britain.
Jivavarta connection: He turned concern into action.

Florence Nightingale — Crimean War (1850s)
Facing overcrowded, unsanitary hospitals, Nightingale organized nurses and improved sanitation, food, and medical care.

Jivavarta connection: She turned compassion into practical service.

Baba Amte — India (20th century)

When people with leprosy were shunned, Baba Amte lived and worked among them, founding Anandwan to provide care, rehabilitation, work, and dignity.
Jivavarta connection: He turned sympathy into solidarity and action.

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Reflection

While intention and inner compassion still carry moral significance, when action is possible, words alone can become morally hollow, making true compassion the union of sincere intent and effective action

Core Philosophical Concepts

The core of this story is the tension between internal piety and external efficacy. Here are the four strongest philosophical concepts that support the head monk's decision to honor Brima:

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1. Consequentialism

• Key Thinkers: Jeremy Bentham, John Stuart Mill

• Core Logic: The moral worth of an action is judged by its outcomes in the physical world rather than the actor's intent.

• Application: In this framework, a person who is fed is a superior outcome to a person who is prayed for but remains hungry. Brima’s actions are morally weightier because they directly reduce the total sum of suffering.

2. Existentialism

• Key Thinker: Jean-Paul Sartre

• Core Logic: Existence precedes essence; identity is constructed through choices and actions ("You are what you do").

• Application: Compassion is not a static label or an internal feeling; it is a lived commitment. Brima becomes the most compassionate monk through his concrete acts, while Sojuk’s compassion remains unrealized in the physical realm.

3. Pragmatism

• Key Thinker: William James

• Core Logic: The "truth" or value of an idea is validated by its practical consequences and "workability."

• Application: Pragmatism questions the value of abstract rituals in urgent, material contexts. Brima’s nursing and rebuilding are "true" expressions of compassion because they successfully solve the problems at hand.

4. Virtue Ethics

• Key Thinker: Aristotle

• Core Logic: True virtue requires the unity of right feeling and Phronesis (practical wisdom).

• Application: While Sojuk possesses empathy, he lacks the effective execution required for full virtue. Brima demonstrates the complete realization of compassion by applying practical judgment to meet the specific needs of the suffering.

  
  
  
  

Shon Mehta is an author and philosopher known for creating the Jivavarta Universe, a grounded sociopolitical world used to explore human resilience, social dynamics, and moral philosophy. Her novels and parables have transitioned from literary fiction into foundational academic material used in educational curricula across several countries. Through her analytical work, she examines the complex social structures and leadership archetypes that shape our reality.

(originally published offline in 2014)