Preparation for Kids’ higher education and Purpose in Life

I am writing this post on behalf of all parents who wants their kids to come up in life and to “adjust” themselves with the present society for what it is now.

This is only from my personal experiences and viewpoints and since everyone has their own hard and fast rules based on their own position/status in society, culture, occupation etc. there are likely to be variations in approach.

I sincerely respect it and so you could take this post ONLY as a guideline according to the situation you are in and I strongly request you to customize it according to the needs and current abilities of your kid(s).

I have my first kid who is about 16.5 years and currently in the first year at the senior secondary and I would say he is quite intelligent (I could say this because he recently got more than 80% in 10^th (Secondary level) examinations that enabled him to secure the first group (PCMC – Physics, Maths, Chemistry, Computer Science in a reputed school).

But of late, we could notice lot of distractions, change in attitude, treatment of people in general (rebel) etc. probably due to the effects of the “teenage syndrome.”

Our thoughts were further accentuated when this was confirmed by all the teachers from his school who take his subjects during our scheduled meetings with them.

We were thinking hard as to what we could do to help him since we know his present nature is not inborn but is acquired due to peer groups, change in physical and mental composition due to the bodily changes that he is undergoing in this stage of his life etc.

He did realise things are going out of control for reasons unknown to him but couldn’t control it and so we decided to enable him to chalk out his own approach by asking to answer these 5 basic questions honestly and to the best of his abilities:

1. Prepare your own timetable that you want to follow in your weekdays.
2. Prepare another timetable that you want to follow in your weekends/holidays.
3. What are your strengths / strong points?
4. What are your weak points?
5. What will be your steps to counteract your weak points?

We were really glad that he took up this exercise quite seriously and were really happy with the answers that he had to come up:

Weekly Schedule	Weekends/Holiday Schedule	Summary
Time	Activity	Time	Activity	Weekdays
05:00	Wake up from bed	06:00	Wake up from bed	Sleep – 6.5 hrs
05:15	Morning studies	06:30	Bath + Morning Prayers	School – 8.5 hrs
6.15	Bath + Morning Prayers	07:30	Breakfast	Study – 5 hrs
07:00	Breakfast	08:00	Morning studies	Play – 1.25 hrs
07:15	Start to School	10:00	Play	Others – 2.75 hrs
15:45	Back from School	11:30	Lunch + Leisure
16:00	Homework	12:30	Afternoon Studies
17:00	Evening Prayers	14:00	Leisure
17:30	Play	15:00	Evening Study	Weekends
18:45	Rest	17:00	Evening Prayers	Sleep – 7 hrs
19:00	Evening Study	17:30	Play	Study – 9 hrs
20:30	Dinner	19:00	Leisure	Play – 3 hrs
21:00	Night study	19:30	Evening Study	Others – 5 hrs
22:30	Hit the bed	20:30	Dinner
		21:00	Night Study
		23:00	Hit the bed

What are your strengths/strong points?

Getting marks without studying? VR>How much marks? Is it enough? Are you satisfied?

Reading on mobile without straining eyes. VR>Causes long term damage.

Understands everything once told. VR>I was told you get easily distracted and so you need to be told the same thing 3 or 4 times to get to you ☹

What are your weak points?

Getting easily distracted.

Disrespectful towards elders.

Lazy.

Not on time.

Arrogant.

What will be your steps to counteract your weak points?

Distractions – doing morning and evening prayers properly for gaining concentration and focus.

Disrespectful towards elders – Listening before speaking, counting 1 to 10 before reacting.

Lazy – Develop will power, Adhering to the timetable properly.

Not on time – Adhering to the timetable properly.

Arrogant – Respecting elders.

I prescribed the following guidelines based on his answers:

Steps for Learning

• You have prepared your schedule based on your thoughts and your capabilities. So, it is your conscious duty to adhere to it at any cost for your benefit. No one will remind you to follow your schedule from now on…

• Make sure you involve your activities with full focus on whatever activities that you have specified as per your schedule and not to undertake or deviate yourself in any other activity other than the specified activity during that period.

• Make sure you go through your prescribed textbooks first, then your class notes thoroughly. If things are too concise or difficult to understand, note that particular sub-chapter/sub-heading in your notebook, refer to the supplementary textbooks. Note down the name of that book and the corresponding chapters n page numbers and link it to the corresponding chapter/sub-chapter/section in your prescribed textbook.

• Prepare notes and critical points as you study from these textbooks/notes and not leave everything to the brain/mind to remember the subjects by casual reading. Make sure you spend minimum of the last 5-10 minutes of your study schedule to revise what you have learnt during that session.

• Khan Academy/Any other Online material etc. will be allowed only after if you read these text books, class notes and the corresponding supplementary books and show us that you have a good knowledge and understanding of the subjects. You may use online learning ONLY for reference and reinforcement purposes and not for actual study without reading your text books/note books/supplementary books first.

• You are to consciously track your hours spent on each activity according to what is mentioned as per your schedule and the actual time spent in your notebook on day to day basis to keep track of deviations and to make remedial measures. This is a MUST activity before going to bed at night every day.

Other General Guidelines:

1. Talk only when you are asked or required to talk. Do not interfere when others are talking that do not have any direct impact on you. Do not raise your voice too much when you talk.
2. Amma (Your mother) is making sure you are getting proper, nutritious and tasty food all the time. So, you do not have to give too much importance to keep on asking what you want for now. We know what to give you, what you want and when you want.
3. Stop arguing with senior people, particularly with your parents. This is for your good only!
4. You are to be an example for people around you (mainly your younger brothers and sister). So, you have to be that way so that they will not think of you negative any time.
5. Spend enough time to read books and watch videos that give positive influence and inspires.

I am sure you can incorporate all these things in your daily schedule, since the guidelines are not that strenuous to follow if you bring it into your habit and think that is for your well-being only!

All the best!!!

P.S: As parents, we can do only as much as that is based on the best of our capabilities, situation and resources according to our predicaments etc. When we can’t expect what is in store for us even for our own future, it would be futile to impose our expectations on our kids. Nature chalks out its own course for everyone and as parents, we can only be facilitators to bring our kid(s) up with some values that they would imbibe in life so they could utilize it to carve out a path for themselves, for better or for worse! And that depends on how we live our own lives…

Conversation 056 – Trying to be a preceptor in a mundane world

The context of this conversation is based on a hypothetical  situation in corporate world (not hypothetical anymore (LOL) because this world is pretty much ruled by 99% category at this point of time☹), where a senior personnel (Mr.Y) is laid off abruptly and he is conversing with another colleague (now ex-colleague) who is also his good friend (Mr.X).

Mr.X: This post that you shared: Data warehousing and its architecture is really useful. Thank you very much. Sure, I am going through this right now. The blog post Mental Maturity that you shared is also equally good 😊

Mr.Y: Thank you very much 😊. The need of the hour is to tolerate with mentally deficient people.

Mr.X: Yes, by showing empathy!

Mr. Y: Yes, I no longer need it at this point but you need to ☹ I have already fallen down and not much to fall further…

Mr.X: Yes, I can understand. I am thinking of this only day in and day out.

Mr.Y: And you have to come out of the situation quickly for your mental health!

Mr.X: Fair enough. I have to study day in and day out to get out. otherwise they will eat me for sure ☹

Mr. Y:  Yes, it’s quite tough nowadays since the market is also not that good… you got to push through some good contacts. You got to think on those lines also!

Mr.X: ☹I will try.

Mr. Y: But still some effort to try through direct means as well is also useful, or whatever since that is still better than sitting idle in this sinking ship.

Mr.X: Yes, I totally agree.

Mr. Y: I don’t think they can stand long in the industry with this kind of attitude to everyone though. I am saying it to you because I know about you fairly well.

Mr.X: Correct, I can understand.

Mr. Y: Because I see the trend is getting worse over the years as I am watching on this attitude towards the employees. When the company is quite small, they tend to treat the employees fairly well. But when the company has grown exponentially, they want the employees to become their slaves by imposing arbitrary policies!

Mr.X: Yes! The trend has definitely changed over the years and it is changing for really worse for the employees.

Mr.X: Did you get any talks with some other organisations on your next employment?

Mr. Y: I have been doing it all the time but nothing is fruitful so far.

Mr. Y: It’s better for you to think they have made you resign and your notice period has already started and try for a job in this attitude. That’s my sincere advice if it all you really realise the gravity of the situation. And the career is already getting into a drain every day you stay there anyway!

Mr.X: Yes, this is pretty much happening ☹.

Mr. Y: So please think like this because you know they can do anything and you can do nothing about it. And you only will regret later because Its back to square one for you whatever be it.

Mr.X: Yes.

Mr. Y: I am not ringing any alarm bells because you very much know the reality in this very place. You can’t afford to lose out and sit like me naively trusting everyone under the sun ☹

Mr.X: 😊

Mr.Y: I trust people so much and every time I have seen them only let me down and I don’t learn any lessons any time because I think I am trustworthy and expect the same to get reciprocated, but unfortunately luck has not favoured me for not even a single instance so far.

Mr.X: I can understand what all you are going through. I can see it clearly.

Mr. Y: So, it is better to learn lessons from others and rather than face it yourself and then learn from it. When the sufferer comes and explains the predicaments to you sincerely, you got to take it whole-heartedly because “The sufferer only knows the suffering of the suffered.” ☹

Mr.X: Yes

Mr. Y: That’s why I am patiently talking to you.

Mr.X: This is very true.

Mr. Y: I am old and mature enough to handle it but I don’t think the youth of today can. At least the majority can’t bear it for sure.

Mr.X: yes, this is correct.

Mr. Y: What you can think of this in these situations when kids are at the peak of their education, a big home mortgage is on and the family expenses to handle and someone called “employer” to whom to put your heart and soul abruptly says, it’s all over this very moment???

Mr.X: hmm!!!

Mr. Y: You saw this reality that happened right in front of you to a person very well known to you right?

Mr.X: Yes, I was in shock. I told you. I had a lot going in my head at that moment.

Mr. Y: If this doesn’t ring alarm bells what else will?

Mr.X: Yes, Correct. this is something beyond comparison and was a shocker to me.

Mr. Y: No one can change anyone in this world because it is in their nature to remain as to whomever they are, since this attitude has been inherited from over countless lifetimes and also the upbringing in this present lifetime and also the nature of this age☹

Mr.X: Yes!

Mr. Y: You are because what you are and you are longing to be virtuous. Demons only long to be demons, because everything is in the corresponding nature. So, there is nothing much one can do about this and simply learn this truth to further better ourselves in the midst of the tortures from them.

Mr.X: Yes, I fully agree.

Mr. Y: These are the lessons no one will teach you but we have to learn yourself through introspection and learn to get mature through it by life experiences. And getting better and better with every such torturous experiences, so much so, that there will come a point when you will not feel anything as a torture but only as a blessing to better yourself further 🙂 . If one reaches this level he will come to a stage when he will be able to transform at least one person in an otherwise no one is “transferable world”, that would really be the biggest achievement in one’s life because it’s really not easy to lift another soul and absolutely nothing even comes closer to that ever.

Mr. Y: Really!

Mr. Y: That too if that is done without any expectations or rewards, no harm can even come closer to that person whatsoever.

Mr.X: Fair enough.

Mr. Y: That is the summary conclusion of Karma yoga in Bhagavad Gita – Working without expectation of rewards to attain perfection. So, please that got to be fair enough 🙂

Mr.X: Yes, I agree.

Mr. Y: I don’t want anything in life. Because nothing is permanent. I only want to sustain my near and dear as long as I am there. Our actions and its results are only permanent imprints of ourselves.

Mr.X: Yes.

Mr. Y: I don’t know if I am really going deep into philosophy and not even sure whether you are inclined into these subject matters. But I know you as a sincere person, these things definitely appeal to you. Otherwise you will not come to me because hardly anyone come to me on anything. I am a 100% loner though I get along well with everyone superficially and always try to keep them in good humour. And I am always willing to share whatever I can, but everyone feels superior according to themselves and so they don’t find the need to know anything from others!

Mr.X: I can relate to things what is happening and what is going on. So, I am just preparing myself for any eventuality.

Mr. Y: Yes, wishing you the very best!

Mr.X: Thanks, I will prepare myself otherwise this world will swallow me! You have always been open and ready to help anyone at anytime as much as i have seen 😊

Mr. Y: 😊 I have to step out…  We will surely continue and stay in touch wherever we are. Do let me know…I am always available for any assistance any time you want…

Mr.X: Thank you again so much. All the very best to you too!

Mr. Y: Thank you very much!

Conclusion: Mr. Y is still looking for that elusive job opportunity as I am publishing this post. He is in a burnout state as of now ☹ inside but doesn’t know how to show it outside, probably because he has been mentally drained all through his life… 😊

“This too shall pass…“

The one percent majority!

The one percent majority…

You defy authority!

You are not in the herd mentality,

You are of the lion category!

You are enigmatic,

But also, pragmatic.

You are a person of one thousand words,

But you never speak one unnecessary word.

You don’t strike anybody with vengeance,

You believe this is a world of transience.

You don’t belong to the category of mundane,

You don’t succumb to the follies of mundaners.

You respect every living being,

Even including the antagonist and mischief mongrel living dead beings.

You believe this world gives equal opportunities to everyone,

Even though those “everyone” only satisfies “everyone” in the category of “everyone”!

You live for everyone’s well-being,

Even though those “everyone” lives for their own well-being.

You want to remain in a life of the one percent category,

Though everyone around you cannot go beyond the ninety nine percent category.

Ninety nine percent do not want to know the reason for their existence,

One percent can’t make them understand the reason no matter what!

Ninety nine percent spend time their life for naught,

One percent knows what is to be sought.

Ninety nine percent are indulgent,

One percent are diligent, vigilant and valiant!

Ninety nine percent are slave of the senses,

One percent are master of the senses.

Ninety nine percent are any way my way and only my way mentality,

One percent are my way different way and for everyone’s way mentality.

Ninety nine percent seeks excuses in every situation,

One percent sees opportunity even in an adversity.

Ninety nine percent does one hundred things but only one thing may be sensible,

One percent does only one thing but that is one hundred times beneficial to everyone.

Ninety nine percent are self-centred and selfish,

One percent are self-conscious and believe in the self.

Ninety nine percent are in the herd mentality,

One percent are in the lone warrior mentality.

Ninety nine percent do not go beyond the status quo,

One percent changes the status quo.

Ninety nine percent acts grossly,

One percent acts subtly.

Ninety nine percent cannot understand the one percent at all,

One percent understand everything about the mentality of ninety nine percent!

Ninety nine percent are pretenders,

One percent are masters!

Ninety nine percent are grossly materialistic,

One percent are very realistic!

Ninety nine percent live for the momentary satisfaction that results in only material advancement and sense satisfaction,

One percent utilises every moment as a means of progress towards spiritual advancement and self-realisation.

One percent sustains the ninety nine percent,

Ninety nine percent try to consume the one percent!

…so ninety nine percent is the actual minority,

One percent is the real majority!

Corollaries of:

1. “The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” – Bhagavad Gita – 15.7
2. “The endeavouring transcendentalist, who is situated in self-realization, can see all this clearly. But those who are not situated in self-realization cannot see what is taking place, though they may try to.” – Bhagavad Gita – 15.11
3. “Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.” – Bhagavad Gita 7.15
4. “An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. O son of Kunti, such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.” – Bhagavad Gita 5.22
5. “Those persons who are materially engrossed, being blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth, have many subject matters for hearing in human society, O Emperor. The lifetime of such an envious householder is passed at night either in sleeping or in sex indulgence, and in the daytime either in making money or maintaining family members” – Srimad Bhagavatham 2.1.2 – 3.
6. “Lazy human beings with paltry intelligence and a short duration of life pass the night sleeping and the day performing activities that are for naught” – Srimad Bhagavatham – 1.16.9.

Mental Maturity

On this day of Guru Poornima let’s attempt to develop those exemplary qualities that the Gurus in the days of yore taught and lived that way and also wanted us to earnestly develop those qualities’:

1. Instead of fault-finding with others and trying to rectify them, identifying our own faults and finding remedy to that.
2. Accepting everyone (and everything) as they are (even if we find faults by our own bench-marking).
3. Understanding other’s opinion and thoughts by thinking in their angle by stepping into their shoes and not coming to hasty conclusions based on our own thought processes and experiences.
4. Learning to discard whatever that needs to be discarded.
5. Learning not to expect anything from others.
6. Accomplish whatever tasks we do with a peace of mind with no expectation of reward.
7. Leaving the habit of not proving our intelligence to others.
8. Leaving the habit of expecting others to accept whatever we do and to accept whatever be our opinions during talks, discussions, debates etc.
9. Leaving the habit of comparing ourselves with others.
10. Trying and learning to keep the mind calm under all circumstances.
11. Trying to understand the difference between our basic needs/wants to what we need to actually accomplish in our life (Simple living, High thinking).
12. Coming to an understanding that being in real happiness doesn’t have to be related to our materialistic accomplishments and materialistic position in life.

Since we are human beings (by classification of species in animal kingdom 😊) and in the mode of passion, it’s quite unreasonable to be expected to be adhere to all the above 12 guidelines.

“The demigods, qualified by the superexcellent quality of the mode of goodness, are situated in the heavenly planets, whereas the human beings, because of their nature in the mode of passion, live on the earth in company with their subordinates.” – Srimad Bhagavatham 3.6.28.

” All ordinary transactions and dealings became polluted with cheating, even between friends. And in familial affairs, there was always misunderstanding between fathers, mothers and sons, between well-wishers, and between brothers. Even between husband and wife there was always strain and quarrel. – A conditioned living being is endowed with four principles of malpractice, namely errors, insanity, inability and cheating. These are signs of imperfection, and out of the four the propensity to cheat others is most prominent. And this cheating practice is there in the conditioned souls because the conditioned souls are primarily in the material world imbued with an unnatural desire to lord it over the material world. ” – Srimad Bhagavatham 1.14.4 + Purport.

If we sincerely attempt to choose 7 or 8 favourites from the above guidelines and try to imbibe it, our life will become simple, peaceful and we will be in a state of mental equilibrium under all circumstances.

Unknown

Unknown are the ways of the unknown

Unknown are the means of the unknown

Unknown is the means to attain the unknown

Unknown is the indwelling

Unknown is the Avijnaatha

Unknown is the Antaryaami

Unknown is the Paramaatma

Unknown is the eternal guide

Unknown is the eternal activator

Unknown is the eternal master

Unknown is the Supersoul

Unknown are the ways to realise that unknown

Unknown cannot be known by the knowledge of material sciences

Unknown is unknown to be attained by the mundane

Unknown is the driving force behind everything

Unknown is unknown to the body

Unknown is unknown to the senses

Unknown is unknown to the mind

Unknown is unknown to the intellect

Unknown is unknown to the intelligence

Unknown is unknown to the ego

Unknown is unknown to thoughts feelings and actions

Unknown is transcendental

Unknown is beyond the modes of material nature

Unknown is enigmatic

But…

Unknown is to be known

Unknown is supreme consciousness

Unknown is eternal everlasting

Unknown is to be attained

Understanding towards that unknown is real knowledge, all else is nescience

Unknown cannot be attained by speculation jugglery and pseudo-mysticism

Unknown can be attained only by directing and listening to our own inner voice by shutting out the external noises

Unknown can be obtained only by solitary pursuits and through purification of body mind and intellect by thoroughly understanding the transient nature of material existence and slowly getting detested detached through knowledge of revealed spiritual literatures from a spiritual master (alive or not alive taking the master and the matter by heart)

Unknown can be attained only through tolerance of bodily and mental pain inflicted through the three sources 1. Adhyatmik 2. Adhibhautik 3. Adhidaivik ((miseries inflicted by the body and mind itself, those inflicted by other living entities, and natural disturbances).

Unknown can be attained only through alignment and in cooperation with mother nature and not by senseless exploitation

Unknown can be only realised when we understand there is a supreme controller who is the source of everything

Unknown can be attained only through surrender to that supreme, totally understanding our helplessness in the hands of material nature and the illusory energy of the Lord

We cannot get to that unknown residing in our heart…

Only the unknown has to be made to activate our intellect to our pursuits towards the absolute truth by directing our mind inwards through surrender and proper application of intelligence attained by the mercy of the Lord

Unknown is to be understood to be already doing its designated duty and functions in a subtle manner by dwelling in the body of every living entity

Unknown is the one that activates the consciousness to awaken ourselves from sleep

Unknown is the one that activates our vital organs to perform its functions

Unknown is the one that controls the fire of digestion that digests four types of food stuff – Bhagavad Gita 15.14

Unknown is the own that activates the five prana

Unknown is unknown…no one knows how it does these activities for our survival in the material world

Unknown needs to be reached to give directions to elevate the atma to eternal bliss by making the process to start from inward to outward, while it has been the reverse all through – atma is being endowed with minute intelligence and discretion – either to align with the permanent supreme reality or trying to dominate the material nature and in the process forget its original identity and get entangled in material existence.

Unknown is the eternal well-wisher that gives directions only to the atma residing in the form of a human body that thoroughly understands the futility of material existence and want to give it up.

Human soul is endowed with all faculties in full strength the five sense organs the five organs of action the mind the intelligence and a highly evolved consciousness for discrimination.

You see the answer is already there…

Mind is the best friend as well as the best enemy – Bhagavad Gita 6.6

To control the mind is more difficult than controlling the wind – Bhagavad Gita 6.34

…but controlling the mind controls everything

Controlling the two basic urges of tongue and genitals controls the mind

This is just a hint…

Whether we continue our existence in the category of other species of life and remain in four-folds of misery (birth, death, old age, disease) or to elevate ourselves to the highest destination is our own discretion…

This is the inference that is to be gathered from the Puranjana saga in Srimad Bhagavatham – Canto 4 chapters 25-29.

A detailed exemplary treatise of the Puranjana Saga is in the blog Hints to the Ancient Wisdom in the posts: Myth or a Symbol? – Story of Puranjana Part 1 and Part 2

To summarise, Human life is a misery at every step, confronted with dangers due to the propensity of the soul to lord it over material nature through the deluding power of false ego, injecting the concepts of I and mine, having lured by the unsurmountable illusory potential of Maya (at least in theory) to get entangled perpetually through the attractions of opposite sex, progeny and wealth thereby remaining in the trap of material existence perpetually.

A self-realised soul understands this and sees every difficult moment as a step to God realisation to move to next step towards the ultimate purpose of our existence.

Sage Narada describes about himself on his earlier life to Ved Vyasa: ”I don’t have any caretaker except my mother who was a maid-servant, when she had to quit the world to a snake bite when I was a mere child of 5 years, I took It as a special mercy of the Lord and decided to travel North to realise the Absolute Truth!” (How much of us can do that? That is why Narada is Narada and we are we!) – Srimad Bhagavatham 1.6.6 – 1.6.10

The supreme Lord has a purpose for all of us depending on our pre-disposition and our spiritual evolution continues that way. Even a small step in this direction has a permanent effect and can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear. (Bhagavad Gita 2.40) and (Bhagavad Gita 6.40)

This special mercy of the Lord is beautifully summarised by Srila Prabhupada:

“Confidential devotees of the Lord see in every step a benedictory direction of the Lord. What is considered to be an odd or difficult moment in the mundane sense is accepted as special mercy of the Lord. Mundane prosperity is a kind of material fever, and by the grace of the Lord the temperature of this material fever is gradually diminished, and spiritual health is obtained step by step. Mundane people misunderstand it.” – Srila Prabhupada purports to Srimad Bhagavatham – 1.6.10

Notes:

1. Avijnaata is the main character behind the scenes in the Puranjana Saga – the Supersoul that comes in the end of the Puranjana Saga, being the observer all through,  as the king Puranjana continues his material existence and becomes a woman in his next birth due to his own injunctions, and when he begins to lament for his (her) husband’s death, Avijnata makes a grand appearance and explains to Puranjana(who is a well-situated woman full of good character), the futility of what (s)he has been doing and undergoing all through. That passage alone is enough for us to awaken our dormant spiritual consciousness – Srimad Bhagavatham – Canto 4 – Chapter 28 – Puranjana becomes a woman in the next life – Slokas 51-65.
2. It Is also to be noted that Avijnaata (Name 483) is a name of Lord Vishnu as mentioned in Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam. The meaning is “One whom not a single person has realized fully” which is condensed to a single word as “Unknown”
3. Puranjana Saga can also be considered to be the explanation of concepts and is a commentary of what is mentioned in Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 15 (Verses 7-11)

Conversation 055 – The Thrashing Incident

As mentioned in The Thrashing Incident, I now mention the conversation that took place between the father and the kid(s) after the incident on the way home. For brevity, I use the following abbreviations to refer to them.

1. Mr.F – The Father.
2. Master EK or Simply EK – The elder kid
3. Master JK or Simply JK – The junior kid

EK: I just observed what you have been doing and I am really shocked by your behavior and reaction to that man (I mean buffalo 😦 ). Your reaction only reminds me of the similar situation from the movie Baasha:

Subtitles: Brother, what is this? He has beaten you so much. You haven’t even reacted a bit and haven’t shown any emotion at all and got yourself beaten like this? Even a cat will react as self-defence and will show some aggression under these circumstances. Have you not been beaten anyone before? Will you ever get angry? (The brother – Superstar Rajinikanth laughs sarcastically and walks away from the scene…)

I want to know the reason for this behavior of yours. See Master JK was crying so much that It was very difficult for me to console him. I thought one of your thrashings would have helped the situation.

Mr.F: (smiling) Do you remember I having ever beaten anyone of you anytime? It was my mistake first. I should have used careful choice of words in the first place in front of these intoxicated people. I should have expected how deranged people will react under least provocation in these circumstances.

Mr.F: I already told the story of The logic of the mouse and the snake to your little brother sometime back while walking on the way to his school. You may hear that story from him. That could make you understand the logic of the situation.

Mr.F: There are several possible ways to react to the same situation. 1. Confront him head on and give a thrashing. 2. Call the police 3. Gather your friends to confront if you are weak. There are a lot more uncivilized options but that is not worth going into 🙂

Mr.F: You should realise as a science student – The Newton’s third law, “For every action, there is a equal and opposite reaction.” So you can easily think about further consequences of these actions that would bring and the subsequent unpredictable chain reactions, that is again not worth thinking about because they are all imaginary situations running in the mind that doesn’t have any reality!

Mr.F: But one thing that is surely going to happen, a waste of lot of time and our limited valuable energy for this useless endeavour. As per The logic of the mouse and the snake, our position was weak in the sense that, that person was many times physically stronger than me and the gathered crowd was also highly insensitive. Under the situation, confrontation is not going to help, only logic and common sense will help! The immediate need was conflict resolution and get out of that place ASAP and one has to compromise. In his animalistic state, I am 100% sure that I could expect nothing of that sort from him because of the obscenities that emanated from his mouth before the thrashing that you cannot manage to stand even for a moment! if you know its real meaning 🙂 (Don’t ask me the meaning of them (LOL). You will learn it anyway in your college (hostel) from your friends and well-wishers 🙂 )

Mr.F: Every person goes up or goes down only by his own actions. No external influence is required! I know you also have endured similar situations in your school by actions of bullies and they have become your best friends now. So you need not be surprised by this.

EK: (smiling) 🙂 But we are kids. We will fight for sometime and get united the next minute. I thought adults are not like that because generally they are more prejudiced and conditioned and sense of rivaly, enmity and revenge is much more dominant!

Mr.F: You can’t say that. A really matured person is a kid at heart. You should read biographies of great personalities like Dr. Abdul Kalam, Dr. Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. etc., how much they have endured violence for a higher cause.

EK: Yes, I totally agree with you. I have to improve my reading habit and read more useful things.

JK: Yes, and you have to tell all these stories to me 🙂 you know I love listening to stories.

PS: The acronyms EK and JK have been chosen after careful thought and for obvious reasons. Anyone would aspire their sons to become someone like Master.E.K or JK THE Master. (You can say Mr.F as Mr.Father, the Mr.Fool (LOL) )

“It is the duty of every spiritual student to reduce one fool in this Creation before he dies and that is oneself. He should also see that there is one more wise man on this Earth, and that is also oneself…” —- Master. E.K (Acknowledgment to this quote from the tag line of the blog – Hints to the Ancient Wisdom

Master E.K

By India Post, Government of India – [1] [2], GODL-India, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74963497

Note: This is not a superficial incident but a real one and the conversation between the father and the kids is also real!

Related Posts:

1. The Thrashing Incident
2. The logic of the snake and the mouse!