For the love of teaching

I realized quite late in my life that I loved working with children. I already had a few white hair and various ‘pains’ when I understood that working with children gives me joy. It was March sometime in 2013 when i had my ‘Eureka’ moment. And that too in a very funny way.

We used to have ‘Little Gokul Workshop’ at ISKCON Bahrain every March when children would get a 15 day break from school. It was like a summer camp. Children would learn a lot of things scriptural studies, art and craft etc. Normally in the main temple hall we would hold at least 3 groups. To tell you the truth I would always used to hope that I never get a group in that hall. why? Because I was afraid that someone would hear me. And heaven forbid, if I made a mistake, what would happen? But that year somehow I felt that I was halting my potential by holding myself to being prim and proper. and then I started without caring about who heard me. The result was obvious, children were totally involved and I was satisfied and happy.

That passion has continued and followed me to Mangaluru. Now when I go to my biweekly classes for children, it is with a spring in my steps. While the younger batch is told stories and taught shlokas, the elder batch is the real challenge. To shape a young life on the basis of scriptures along with the modern lifestyle, is no mean feat. But the questions they ask and the ideas they put forth, fill me up with so much of joy that I look forward to each session with them. While the younger ones are more open to showing their love by touching the feet or hugging. The elder ones are the typical teenagers. They have forgotten to express their love and yet their eyes do not know how to hide their affection.

And I love their questions. Usually i try to see that they get ‘to the point’ answers but some leave me astonished. Once I was asked why ‘Karna” had to suffer even though he was so charitable. So I told that firstly he chose his company wrong. Secondly his karma and thirdly anyone who insulted a woman’s integrity had to suffer. There was pin drop silence on the third point. Boys were contemplative, the point was understood . But then a girl got up and asked that what happened in the past life of Karna that he had to suffer. That was something which I had to investigate and then deliver.

A teachers job is not just to deliver but also to widen their thinking process, especially when it concerns scriptures. Nothing is just right or wrong but there are so many dimensions to one issue. While our education system is limited to the 5 or 6 subjects, teachers like me have to broaden their vision and strengthen their faith, irrespective of the religion they follow.

Its a tough job but one that I absolutely love. Every time i step into the school I offer a silent prayer because I got a chance to do something which I love whereas there are many who either do not know what their passion is or never got a chance to fulfill their passion.

I must have done something right in the past……..

The blessed month

As September comes, we start our preparation for the coming month, The blessed month of Damodar comes sometime in October. It starts a fortnight before Deepavali and ends 2 weeks after. The house will be cleaned, ghee wicks will be kept ready, our schedules will be cleared and generally enthusiasm will be high.

Sometime in 2010 I came to know about Damodar and why it was important to do Deep daan that is offering ghee lamps to the Lord. When my husband came and asked me that shall we invite some people over lunch so that they also can offer ghee lamps with us, I was reluctant. My thoughts at that time was how would I host the Lord, am I good enough to serve Him? Secondly would I be able to cook for so many people and so on. And so I refused.

But there was a change; every morning and evening we were doing Damodar arti at home along with singing the Damodar astakam. Was it a change that the Lord wished, definitely. In 2011 I was confident enough to invite the Lord as well as invite others. For the first time in life I cooked for 25 +people. Along with it I had a deep sense of contentment and of course the growth in confidence.

Image courtesy iskcondesiretree.com

The next year 2012 was very special, it was the year when our shiksha Guru invited us to visit different homes along with Damodar Bhagwan ( image of Damodar as given above). We would visit different homes, tell the story of how Lord got the name as Damodar, do the aarti, sing the Damodar astakam and also discuss one shloka from the Bhagavad Gita. Now that was special, because just going from one place to another deepened our love for the Lord. And I could feel joy. we had heard that when we do something for the Lord, it pleases the soul and that gives us immeasurable joy. And that year it was also special because that was the year when my 5 year old son started playing the Kartal, which till date remains his favorite instrument and also the first year when I started preaching as in I started telling the Damodar katha. Today after 10 years when I remember my first time, it still gives me goosebumps.

So what is this Damodar Katha? So once when Krishna was a small boy, on Deepavali Day Yashoda mata had taken her bath and sat down to churn butter. Why? Why even being a queen, having so many servants why did she have to churn herself? Because everyday she was hearing complaints from various people that Krishna was stealing butter from their homes. So Yashoda mata felt that maybe the butter churned by her maids was not good enough. So on that day she is dressed very nicely with new clothes, jewelry and sits to churn. But when she is churning, she is thinking of her Kanha. How beautiful He is, His eyes, Hs lips, His chubby cheeks and starts singing of his pastimes. Her bangles give a background music to her songs and this wakes up Kanha who is sleeping. He runs to his mother and says, ‘I am hungry’. She is so enamored that her breastmilk starts flowing and she lifts him on her lap to feed Him.

But then she hears the milk which she had kept on the stove, boiling over. Thinking that her Kanha will not have any milk to drink later on, she puts Kanha down and runs to put the milk pot down.

Now that angers Kanha and he picks up the churning rod and breaks all pots. And then knowing that his maiyya will be angry, he runs off to another room. He sees there is a pot hanging above holding previous day’s butter. As he is still hungry, He sees an ukhal( mortar) nearby, he pushes it below the pot climbs on it and puts a hand in it and takes the butter and starts eating it.

Yahoda maiyya on coming out from the kitchen sees the mess and laughs but then she feels Krishna has to be taught a lesson and so she picks it up to teach him a lesson. She need not search for Him as there is buttermilk everywhere and Krishna while running has made white footsteps.

But what she sees amazes her. Her Kanha is eating stale butter and its not just Him who is eating but He is feeding his friends- the crows and the monkeys. She is furious, she runs to catch Him but He is faster. He jumos from the Ukhal and runs. In and around He makes her run. Sometime later He turns back to see and sees that she is tired and He stops. As sppn as He stops, she catches Him and lifts the rod to scare Him and then like an ordinary boy, He acts scared and stats crying. That melts her heart but she still wants to teach HIm a lesson.

And so she bring a rope and tries to tie Him to the ukhal. But fails as the rope is two fingers short. She brings different lengths of rope but everytime the rope is two fingers short. Now Krishna sees that his mother is exhausted and allows her to tie Him. and thats how He got the Name Damodar because in Sanskrit Dama means rope and udara means belly.

Now you may wonder why the rope was always two fingers short. One because in every circumstance we have to keep endeavoring and secondly our endeavor will be successful only if He wills.

Over a period of years I have experienced thiese two aspects again and again. Materially when i tried to do something I have failed and learned later on that I didnt really need that. I have aspired for something and got it and later realised that yes it was indeed good for me. In my spiritual life also there have been some endeavors in which I have failed but sometimes with just a little hope to serve I have been successful. Which makes me realize that just efforts are not enough, prayers too are important. This thought itself has brought in humility.

More Damodar realizations and stories will follow in the coming days.

Intelligence

It has been a long time since I wrote in this space. It was not that there was no inclination to write or there was no matter to write about. I would say a lack of patience and perseverance. When there is whatsapp voice messaging available who will have the patience to type. But then there are instances when you hear something and the need to write overwhelms you so much that just a whatsapp  status would not suffice and you want to really WRITE.

So I was listening to HG Jagat Sakshi Prabhu and though he said a lot of wonderful points, one particularly stuck to my mind and I have been pondering upon it since yesterday.

Intelligence has four components. First is Buddhi ; knowledge in this instance, second viveka which means the ability to differentiate between right and wrong, medhavi, the ability to select the right and lastly pragnya doing activities that pleases the Lord. For those who are not in the devotional path, you can take it as determination. What gives us intelligence is our ‘sadhana’.

Now knowledge in itself can be gained by a book or from experience. But very often we see knowledge itself doesn’t count as intelligence, otherwise common sense would not be so uncommon. And so this statement was like an eye opener for me.

I would like to think back upon that statement only from my perspective, each can interpret according to one’s own circumstance.

The beginning of my devotional path was just to learn the Bhagavad Gita it was just to know what was in it . To understand it as much as possible and then maybe to apply it in life. So when I started the journey, a number of things happened side by side.  There were lectures to attend, new connections made who later on became friends and then a support system. And then it opened up the world of seva whicch in turn opened up a lot of more doors… the doors of joy and contentment.  It satisfied a deep rooted need which I could not understand then but understand now as ‘soul-nourishment’. Yes, my atma(soul) needed the seva. When I took childrens class, when I went for preaching, I was content. The waves of dissent in my hear t about my misfortunes were quiet and peacefully flowing. There was the realization that what happened had to happen otherwise how would I have discovered myself?

So lets analyze, the buddhi gained was from the Bhagavad Gita no doubt. The ‘Viveka’ was continuing on that path. A number of people asked me to step back and not get too involved. I don’t blame them. Maybe they thought I would become a sanyasin. I could discern that this was the right path for me. Why? Because it brought me peace and joy.

The medha part was when I decided that yes I would stay on this path and requested my Guru Maharaj to give me deeksha.

And pragnya is of course the little ways I try to serve the Lord.

And what gives the strength to go ahead in this path, the little reading that I do, the lectures that I try to listen AND the most important the japa.  Yes, this is my sadhana.

There is a beautiful shloka in the Bhagavad Gita which HG Jagat Sakshi Prabhu quoted and I quote again

tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam

dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te

To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.

Source -asitis.com

So when our sadhana is constant, then the Lord himself will reveal or give us our intelligence.  

Sometimes we need validation and yesterday was such a validation for me.

Anxious

Now being summer, days are extra long and also being ‘at home’ the days seem longer. While it helps being connected via the internet, it has its vices too. The number of rumours that circulate and which increase my anxiety levels can make for a series of blog posts in itself. I don’t know what is more ominous; getting the virus or the non-availability of provisions.

From the day the exams were postponed, to the day when the lock-down was announced, I have seen people stuffing provisions in their cart which might be enough for their entire apartment complex or maybe they really live in joint family, who knows? Though I had stock for a fortnight, vegetables could be stretched for a week but when I saw from my balcony people carrying loaded bags, it made me anxious. ‘What will happen, if the shops are closed?’, ‘what will happen if I don’t get fruits’; were the numerous doubts that I had in my mind. It’s not that we live in an island. There are neighbours and relatives close by. But the point is that the husband is far away and I am responsible for me and my son. When you have a growing son the least you want to do is to provide ample nutrition every day.

Now that the streets are empty, the dogs and the birds have their own routine. While the dogs never had any limits on the timing of their exercising their vocal cords, the birds are behaving erratically too. I get up sometimes as early as 3.30 am hearing the birds quarrel violently. I do not know whether they want to announce something ominous or the silence makes them irritable. But I get up and cannot sleep again.  And then the brain goes on overdrive and inevitably, I will think, ‘Will I get milk today?’ And that question will assume a monstrous proportion that by the time I go and collect the milk packets; I will not be at peace.

And then three days of complete curfew was announced in our district.

You can imagine what happened to me. I broke my record of anxiety level. I fought with the husband over phone. I cut vegetables that they lost all recognition of genus and I swept as if the virus would have run away by itself.

After three days the curfew was relaxed, I ran out with all available bags for vegetables and fruits but only to encounter lines and lines of people and no availability of fruits or vegetables. I came back crestfallen with a bad temper. It was not that the fridge was empty. I had vegetables for some days but what if from now on we do not get any vegetables was my doubt. What to feed the son and most important what will I offer as bhoga? (We have a habit of offering whatever we eat, first to the Lord and then partaking it as Prasad).

Every year during summer vacation me and my son  read a few Bhagavad Gita shlokas every day. That day we were reading the seventh chapter and the seventh shloka is

mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam sutre mani-gana iva

TRANSLATION

O conquerer of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

 Somehow after reading this I was peaceful. There was a shift but at that point I did not understand what

 And then in the middle of my slumber the wheels of my brain turned and it struck me as to why I am so anxious, when He has to be fed, He will see to it that I have everything for Him, Why am I worrying so much. And then I slept. A blissful, dreamless restful sleep.

Doer??

We are going through difficult times. Who had thought that a virus could cause so much havoc? Plans have been disrupted. Schedules have changed and the style of working has changed drastically.

Every morning I wake up thinking that will I get milk today? What rumours will rock today? The deepest of slumber have been jolted by an anxiety, what if…..But life is such.

And that leaves me ashamed. Even though I understand that nothing is in our hands because we are just puppets and yet there is fear and anxiety. Faith and devotion gives us ‘Abhaya’(fearlessness). But me I just tremble. I say that because times are such or is it my own lack of belief in the superior being.

But time and again it is proved that nothing is in our hands. Maybe it is a man made catastrophe, maybe not but the truth is the outcome is beyond us.

There was a picture circulating in whatsapp which resonated with me

The funny part is that this material world is actually a cage where in we have been sent to rehabilitate, so that we can remember our actual position and try to go back to our original abode.

This we understand in our present condition. A virus has made us understand about our actual position; it is also made us understand how powerless we are. Nothing was and nothing will be in our control.

We may gloat of our material accumulations or our scientific progresses but the fact remains that we are not the doer.

When Arjuna in the midst of the battlefield is bewildered and refused to fight? Krishna asks him why do people think that they are the doers when actually it is the three modes of material nature doing everything.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate (BG 3.27)

TRANSLATION

The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.

How long we will think of lording over nature and take advantage of it to satisfy our cravings. It is but inevitable that nature will take revenge one day.

But the best part is that now as we remain indoors it is the nature which takes a breather. The air is purer, we can hear the birds chirp and the animals are free to roam as they like. At least let us be happy about that.

Assessment !!

From time to time it is necessary to evaluate ourselves. It helps to know what we have learned and how much we have evolved.

With this objective in mind every year around the end of February or beginning of March, I conduct some form of assessment for the children of the school where I take weekly Bhagavad Gita class. Last year I had taken a quiz on the Bhagavad Gita for only two standard ie. Children of the fourth and fifth standard. The children had performed exceedingly well. And I was so proud that day.

This year the plan was to make it bigger and better. The assessment would have to be enjoyable and yet quantifiable. After a lot of brainstorming and consultations with my seniors, a format was prepared.

While the first 2 standard would get just colouring sheets, for the others it would be more elaborate. And the way they coloured…..my jaw touched the ground.

For the others we started with complete the shloka. I would give a part of the shloka and children were asked the preceding or succeeding part. That was the icebreaker and the children participated enthusiastically.

Then children were divided into groups of 10 and given jumbled shlokas. They had to arrange it in proper order. Out of the 20 teams only one did a minor mistake. After they arranged it they were supposed to illustrate the shloka according to their understanding. Initially they panicked. It was something very new to them. I had called some friends and my son to help me out that day. So we allayed their fears and boosted their morale. And the way they opened their minds was .. just wonderful.

This illustrates about how the soul progresses from infancy to youth to old age to death and then to a new body.

Some more pictures

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The immense joy that the day gave me as a teacher/preacher cannot be explained in words. In actuality it was my assessment as to whether my children had understood me or not.

Definitely the memories of that day will be etched in our memories forever.

This too shall pass #writebravely

I sat looking at the calendar in my hands 52 days. Just 52 days, how am I supposed to live the remainder of my life without Rakesh?

Abruptly a hand came, snatched the calendar from my hand and threw it away. It was my mother.

‘Enough of your grief….how long do you want to continue in this state?’ she bellowed. I remained silent.

Whatever happens is for good only. Good that Rakesh understood that you were  not made for each other and broke the engagement. Do you understand if you had realized it after marriage, how much difficult it would have been? Meenakshi, answer me?’, she screamed shaking me up.

Rakesh and I had been childhood sweethearts. We had been together through thick and thin. Once we had settled into our jobs we had got engaged to be married within six months. But just two months after the engagement Rakesh had broken the engagement saying that we were ‘not made for each other’.

We knew our likes and dislikes, we understood each other perfectly, we looked perfect together what else did you need to be ‘made for each other’.

‘Meenu’, my mother said with tears in her eyes, ‘How long you will sit here staring at that calendar. How long you will sit at home. Rejoin your job before you lose it. Start afresh’.

I sat silent too numb to do anything.

At that moment my father came rushing in, ‘Parvati, did Champa come today?’. Champa is our maid.

‘No, she should come now, It’s about time’, ma replied.

‘I doubt so,’, my father replied, ‘Just now I got a message there is a fire breakout in her chawl.’

‘What’, my mother said.

‘We should go there Parvati, help Champa and others,’ father said

Mother nodded. As they prepared to leave, ma dragged me too with them saying, ‘we will need all the help’

The chawl was smoldering. Firefighters were at work. Luckily it was day time and many were away at work, children at school.

Women stood huddled, shaken up. Some wailing but we located Champa. My mother ran to her. ‘Champa are you all right’.

‘Arrey Bibiji, you here.’ she smiled, ‘ I was working at the nearby house when I saw the smoke and came running’, and then she noticed me, ‘Arrey madam also came here’.

I felt uncomfortable. Who would feel comfortable amongst people in their pajamas?

Champa always called me madam because according to her I had become a ‘big’ woman after studying so much

The fire was arrested soon but the top two floors were wrecked.

‘Which floor you live in’, I asked Champa

‘Fourth, she replied, that was the topmost floor

There was some discussion going on. My father came from that group. ‘There will be an investigation but the chawl owner is telling that he will make alternative arrangements soon. Meanwhile he is asking the residents to move in with friends or family’.

Champa frowned

‘What happened?’, my mother asked.

‘My relatives live far away, if we go there, it will be far from school for my son and what about my work’, she frowned.

Some other people had the same concern.

My father was thoughtful and then he said, ‘ We can accommodate 20 people in our home and garage Champa, you select whom to bring in’.

‘Babuji’, Champa said with tears in her eyes, ‘But what about your car’

‘Human lives are more important than cars Champa and don’t think I am magnanimous, who will do the housework if you move far away’, he chuckled.

And so we bought 20 people into our home and lives.

‘Our home is so lively now’, my mother said, ‘True it is congested but at least I don’t have to look at morose faces all day’.

I glared at her.

But what she said was true. Most of the people from the chawl worked in the mill nearby. They earned not much but they lived happily. hen When in our home, all of them cooked together and we ate together too. Simple food but so tasty. Children played in the out; sometimes they came and saw television along with us. All had got such a shock because of the fire but none grieved, In fact they were already planning on how to prevent such fires in the future.

And then I realized….everything in life will not go according to our plans, there will be some hiccups but the fun is how to overcome them.

As I felt the lines of grief erase away, I looked at ma in an animated discussion with the women.

Ma, what are you discussing?’, I asked

‘———–

Sometimes we are so overcome with our own problems that we fail to see the good around us.

Arjuna on the battlefield is so confused that he wants to run away from the battlefield and Krishna says,

sri-bhagavan uvaca
asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase
gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead.

In our grief we often forget that our object of agony is just temporary and it too shall pass.

——-

I’m Writing Bravely for the Write Tribe Festival of Words – March 2019’

Today’s prompt ‘Grief’

Just Trust #writebravely

My eyes were swollen. Swollen because I had been crying for the past 5 days continuously.

I had banished my friends and family from visiting me. I didn’t want anyone’s sympathy. Five days back I had been in an accident and my right leg had been crushed and had to be amputated.

The door opened and my husband came in. I looked the other way. He came near and turned my face towards him and said, ‘Do you trust me?’

I looked at his face and saw his unconditional love and faith and I nodded. He smiled and said, ‘Then everything will be just fine.’

And I smiled too.

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With our fast paced digitalized life today we are forgetting basic emotions like trust, faith and belief. Life is much easier when we have a heart that trusts easily. Remember when we were young, we had immense trust in our parents and life was full of sunshine. That same sunshine can prevail in our adult lives too if only, we are ready to trust.

Arjuna too standing in the middle of the battlefield was confused. On one side of the field were his brothers and the other side his cousins. Both were his own. In his confusion, the only person he can trust is the Lord and he says

karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah
prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah
yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me
sisyas te ‘ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam

 

TRANSLATION

Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.

 

And that trust and surrender changes Arjuna’s vision.

 

So be selective on whom to trust but trust you must.

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I’m Writing Bravely for the Write Tribe Festival of Words – March 2019’

Today’s prompt ‘trust’

Influenced!! #writebravely

 Alka opened the door with difficulty balancing the bags in her hand and jumped a little on seeing her husband in front of her.

‘See, what all I got for us, look at this ‘, she said taking out a vegetable chopper.

‘Alka, we already have a food processor…’, started Manoj, her husband.

‘I know but it works on electricity, this….this works on muscle power’, she said flexing her arms and smiling sweetly.

Manoj sighed.

‘And what is there in the other bags?’, he asked

‘Oh that…some clothes for all of us’, said Alka

‘Alka our wardrobes are full of clothes actually bursting with clothes’, he said.

Alka frowned but then added, ‘Shirley said this is a good bargain and I  may not get such offers again’.

‘Maybe you won’t get such offers again but the question is do we need it?, said Manoj, ‘Maybe Shirley needs as she is the wife of a hotelier and socialises a lot but what about us? Our kitchen is full of gadgets bought in the last six months, that is since you met your childhood friend again and so are our wardrobes’.

‘By the way, you came early from office today?’, Alka asked trying to change the topic.

‘Yes, because your credit card statement arrived today. This month credit card payment will not only wipe out my this month’s earnings but also make a hole in our savings. Alka we have two kids, what about their education? You are always being influenced by Shirley but the point is can we afford such over indulgence?’

Alka stood there deep in thought, whether she will change or not, time would only tell.

——————————

It is an age if over indulgences. We buy online and we shop at malls and sometimes we just shop because we are influenced by our friends. There are so many attractions out there in the world that it is difficult to control self. The Bhagavad Gita Second chapter, 62nd shloka says:

dhyayato visayan pumsah sangas tesupajayate
sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodho ‘bhijayate

TRANSLATION

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.

It is always better to know what one wants and not get carried away with offers and get unwanted things.

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I’m Writing Bravely for the Write Tribe Festival of Words – March 2019

Today’s prompt ‘Influence’

Nurturing minds #writebravely

Mr. Awasthi looked at the items on the table and let out a sigh. Two adult  magazines and a packet of cigarettes in the bag of a resident student. That too, a student of 11^th Standard. Teen problems, yes! But how to deal with a student whose father had been a star student and a favourite of his?

 ‘Sahib, the electricity bill’, it was the peon.

Mr. Awasthi took the bill. On seeing the amount, he sat down on his chair heavily.

It had been only 20 days since he had joined this post and already he seemed to  be submerging in the flood of problems.

A school with such a rich history was now losing its shine. Why? What was wrong?

He didn’t know when it was already six in the evening when he heard a knock, ‘Yes, come in’.

A tall boy with unruly hair and familiar features stepped in.

‘Yes?’ asked Mr. Awasthi.

‘I thought you would want to meet me’, said the young man.

‘Me? Why should I want to meet you?’, asked the Principal

‘Because……I am Suraj and my things are lying there’, said he.

‘Ohh, is it? No…. I didn’t want to meet you’. Said Awasthi observing the look of surprise in the boy’s face, ‘I have more important things to do than worrying about spoilt rich boys.’

A look of defiance ran across Suraj’s face.

‘After all’, Mr. Awasthi continued, ‘why should I worry about you when I know that your father has enough money to throw upon you. If you don’t get seat in any college, your father will buy you one’.

Suraj had the look of irritation on his face. But he kept mum, just turned about and started to leave.

‘Just a minute’, called out Mr. Awasthi.

Suraj turned.

‘You like these things?’

Suraj shrugged and then said, ‘Timepass’

‘You mean to say you have lot of time in your hands?’, asked Mr. Awasthi.

‘We are not allowed Mobile phones, The television has only Nat Geo and Discovery…what is a person to do over here?’, said Suraj.

‘You have nothing to do sports, preparing for University entrance?’, asked Mr. Awasthi.

Suraj shrugged again and said, ‘Entrance exams are not so tough. 80% of the guys are busy in preparations and there is nobody capable to play with. And for the other….’, he stopped.

‘Continue, what are you afraid of’, pressed Mr. Awasthi

Again Suraj had the look of defiance, ‘Our basketball and badminton courts are not well maintained. And our coaches have their own agenda’

‘What is their agenda?’, asked Mr. Awasthi

‘Why should I tell you? You find out’, answered Suraj

Mr. Awasthi chuckled silently. By now he had understood Suraj’s problem.

‘Okay’, he said, ‘I need some help, can you help me?’,

‘Me? What can I do’, it was obvious that he was interested.

‘look at this electricity bill, it is enormous. I give you one week; tell me some ways to reduce our electricity consumption. I also want you to tell me how to reduce our food costs’, said Mr. Awasthi.

‘But why should I do so?’. Said Suraj mockingly.

‘Afraid of not able to find anything, is it?’, mocked Mr. Awasthi in return.

Suraj got up suddenly, ‘I will get back to you in a week’, he said and left

Mr. Awasthi smiled

21 months later

It was April and the campus was being vacated. The 12^th standard boys were bidding each other goodbye. Each one of them would be going in different ways from now on when suddenly Mr. Awasthi felt someone come and stand behind him. He turned to see Suraj, ‘Suraj my boy, adieu it is then huh?’.

‘More like Au Revoir sir’, he said. Mr. Awasthi raised an eyebrow, ‘I will be back one day….maybe I will take your post out of your hands.’

Mr. Awasthi roared in laughter.

‘That boy was always cheeky Sir but then you really turned him around’, said the peon

‘All the children cannot be nurtured in the same way Sakharam. For a sharp boy like Suraj we had to engage his mind. Didn’t he find out different easy to generate our own electricity and wasn’t he responsible to reduce our food costs. And then so many students he has coached this year even though he himself was in 12^th. A common size of jeans doesn’t fit all, some need designer fits’, said Mr. Awasthi with twinkling eyes.

‘Common size jeans…’, said Sakharam scratching his head, the last part of what Mr. Awasthi had said had gone over his head.

‘Never mind Sakharam, switch off the lights’, said Mr. Awasthi as he walked away.

———————–

Just like two different flower bushes in a garden need different care similarly different children need different nurturing. And the difference is because of the mind. Some minds move faster, some are slow. The mind is just a monkey which keeps on hopping from one branch to another. Especially in the growing up years it is necessary to keep it engaged. The Bhagavad Gita says

sri-bhagavan uvaca
asamsayam maha-baho  mano durnigraham calam
abhyasena tu kaunteya vairagyena ca grhyate

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: O mighty-armed son of Kunti, it is undoubtedly very difficult to curb the restless mind, but it is possible by constant practice and by detachment. (BG 6.35)

Some minds need some extracurricular activities and some just some challenges.

I’m Writing Bravely for the Write Tribe Festival of Words – March 2019

The prompt for today ‘Nurture”.