:: Article 8

In this age of competitiveness, young minds are easily drawn towards ambition, career and a so called cut-throat attitude in all their dealings. At a tender age they realize the value of being aggressive. All round them people pursue only one activity diligently and that is making money. All other values are merely paid lip service. Parents talk about compassion, love, fearlessness, God and all such high sounding phrases, but rarely do the kids see these principles put into action. The Mother talks about equality but the kid watches her treating the servant maid differently. The father talks about fearlessness and the kid observes him groveling at his bosses’s feet. It is important for us to understand that action speaks louder than words. Merely verbalizing ideas are not going to impart those values which we think are important for the Child’s growth. If we cannot practice something which we preach, it is better to stop talking about it. The simple reason is that words create a dichotomy in the child. And once this contradiction takes root, it becomes extraordinarily difficult to uproot it.

The human Child is a rare specimen. It needs tender caring and nurturing for ten to fifteen years. In these formative periods, every imprint it gets leaves a lasting mark which haunts him or her in the prime years of adulthood. I am writing these articles not the parent but for those young adolescent minds who are a witness to the chaos that they see around them. It is an attempt to help them see things in perspective. And probably gain an insight into what their parents and other elders are trying to tell them. I intend to follow no set pattern, but write as my instinct guides me to. Normally, we would like to know the credentials of the writer we are reading. In that regard, I am a No Body. My only qualification to pen these words is that I have made terrible blunders in my life. Life has been enough to forgive me for those mistakes and helped me mature into a better individual. I guess, this is my way of repaying my gratitude. Well now, let’s move on.

At the outset, Youngsters must understand that they have been blessed with a lot many things in life. A secure family, a home, good food, clean clothes and above all financial security. Elders do often tell us to count our blessings and not the curses. We get irritated when we hear them say it over and over again. But what they say is very true. At this very moment millions of kids all round the globe are struggling to get a bit of those things that we take for granted. Imagine what would happen to you, if there was no food in the house for a day. I am sure most of us will grumble about the grave injustice done to us. But reflect for a moment, there are young children outside your very homes, who are without food for a week. If you regard your discomfort as grave, how would you describe their pain and agony? I was reading Anita Pratap’s Island’s of Blood recently. She is a great journalist who has reported from those areas of the globe beset with calamities both man made and otherwise. She draws poignant pictures of mankind. The cornerstone of that book is the conclusion. She says that the only lesson her extensive travels has given her is to be grateful for the simple joys and pains of normal life . This is a wonderful lesson for all us. This is not philosophy. This comes a lady who has seen the sufferings of people in varied circumstances. We should be thankful for all that we have, not because our parents tell us so, but realizing for ourselves that what we see as normal is nothing more than a temporary blessing. We should Thank life that we are not in a situation where a morsel of food is a rare sight. Whenever we look at a rag picker or a poor servant maid, let us not treat them indifferently. Let us look at them with awareness and understand their plight and at the very least give them a compassionate look, a helping hand, a friendly smile not with an attitude of condescension, but with humbleness that comes with the understanding that we have been blessed, truly blessed!

Adi Sankara writes in his celebrated poem “Bhaja Govindam” “ The pride that we have in these Phrases “My Family”, “My wealth”,” My People” ,” My Youth” Life will erase all this in a moment”

The saint here points here to the vanity of our notions. Right from the air we breathe to the Cadillac we drive is a Prasad (a blessing). Enjoy it, Relish it but don’t gloat over it.

Reflect on this.