Value Sensitivity

Divya came back from school and without even changing, she settled down next to her mother. With big tears floating in her lovely eye, she said, ‘I must have the latest Lady Bird cycle Mammas. All my friends have it, except me.” Aruna lovingly took her daughter close and tried to reason with her. “My dear, you already have one and it is not so old either, don’t you?” “yes, but ….”Divya tried to explain, but her tears just wouldn’t be stop. The little girl was quite dejected with her mother’s reaction to her demand for a cycle. She thought, “Mother is really mean. Am I asking for too much? It’s only a cycle.” That night, she fell asleep thinking about nothing else.

The next day was a Sunday. Aruna woke up Divya quite early and got her ready. She did not want to give Divya much time to think about what was going on. Nikhil, Divya’s father, was waiting for them in the car. The three enjoyed the ride and before long, they came to huge mansion. Within moments, a lovely lady?” Divya felt so shy, she hid behind her mother. Aruna greeted Mrs. Dilip with great warmth and affection.

Mrs. Dilip then took the three to a hall where there were about 50 children sitting in rows. Most of them were of around Divya’s age but some were as small as a year old. Two assistants were giving the children breakfast. Divya looked at her mother wondering where they had come. Aruna told her, “Divya, this is bal bhavan, an orphanage run by Mrs. Dilip. The children, you notice, are those whose parents either have abandoned them or have expired.” Divya couldn’t take her eyes off the children who were having their breakfast without a fuss. She remembered how she troubled her mother every morning at the breakfast table.

Later, Aruna and Divya walked around the orphanage. At the recreation room, Divya asked her mother, “Mamma, doesn’t each child own a toy?” just the question Aruna was waiting to hear! She said, “Divya, the children who live here are a little unfortunate. They are however lucky to be living in a place like the Bal bhavan. Sensitive and kind people like Mrs. Dilip are able to take care of their basic needs like food, clothing and shelter but orphanages usually do not have big funds for each child to own a toy.” Aruna continued, “We must learn to be thankful for whatever we have and moreover, be a little sensitive to the ones less fortunate than us by giving whatever little we can.”

A month went by. Divya’s class teacher called up Aruna and congratulated her on having raised such a sensitive and thoughtful child. Divya had spoken to her class about her trip to the Bal bhavan. All the children had collected almost three big cartons full of toys and storybooks to be gifted to their young friends at Bal bhavan. Aruna could not contain her tears and hugged her daughter when she came home.

Morel: Teach your children about how fortunate they are for what they have and develop sensitivity for other who are little unfortunate.

Non-Violence

One butcher came to Nan-in. He was a butcher and Nan-in was a Buddhist monk who believed in non-violence. His whole profession was of violence. The whole day he was killing animals. But when the butcher came to Nan-in, he asked him, ”What am I to do? My profession is one of violence. So am I to leave my profession first and is it that only then I can be a new man, or is there some other way?”

Nan-in said, ”We are not concerned with what you do. We are concerned with what you are. So you go on doing whatsoever you are doing, but be more alert. While killing, remain alert, meditative, and go on doing whatsoever you are doing. We are not concerned.”

Nan-in’s followers became disturbed – because here was a person who was a follower of Buddha, a believer in non-violence, allowing a butcher to continue. One disciple said, ”This is not good. And we never expected that a person like you would allow a butcher to remain a butcher. And when he was asking, you should have told him to drop this. He himself was ready.”

Nan-in is reported to have said, ”You can change the butcher’s profession easily; he was himself ready. But in that way you cannot change his quality of consciousness. He will remain a butcher.”

He may become a saint, but the quality of the mind will remain that of a butcher. That will be a deception for others and for himself also. Go and look at your so-called saints. Many of them remain butchers. The quality, the attitude, the violence, their very look towards you, is condemning, violent. You are a sinner and they are saints. When they see you, the very look is such that you are condemned, you are thrown into hell.

Nan-in said, ”So it is not good to change his outer life; it is better to bring a new quality to his mind. And it is good to let him remain a butcher, because he is disturbed by his butchery and violence. If he becomes a saint he will remain a butcher, but then he will not be disturbed. His ego will be strengthened. So this is good. He is disturbed that violence is there, and he has become at least this much aware – that this is not good. He is ready to change, but just readiness to change will not help. A new quality of the mind has to be developed. Let him meditate.”

After one year had passed, the man came. He had become a different man. He was still a killer, but the man had changed although the doing remained the same. He came to Nan-in again and he said, ”Now I am a different man. I meditated and meditated and meditated, and my whole life has become a meditation because you told me to meditate in whatsoever I am doing. I am butchering animals, but the whole day I am meditating. Now what do you tell me to do?”

So Nan-in said, ”Now do not come to me. Allow your awareness to make a path for you. You need not come to me.”

So the butcher said, ”Now, only if you say remain in the profession will I pretend to be there. But as far as I am concerned, I am no more there. So if you allow me, I am not going back. But if you say to go, then it is okay. I will go and pretend, and I will continue.”

This is how, when your quality changes – your quality of consciousness – you become a different person altogether.

Reflection in Silver

One lady proposed to visit a silversmith and begged the silversmith to tell her about the process of refining silver.

After he had fully described it to her, she asked, "But Sir, do you sit while the work of refining is going on?"

"Oh, yes madam," replied the silversmith; "I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured." 

The lady at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the expression, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." 

God sees it needful to put His children into a furnace; His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for us. Our trials do not come at random, and He will not let us be tested beyond what we can endure. 

Before she left, the lady asked one final question, "When do you know the process is complete?" "Why that is quite simple," 

replied the silversmith. "When I can see my own image in the silver, the refining process is finished."

Is that an argument

In the most ancient book in existence, RIG VEDA there is a woman – The emperor of the country used to have every year a great gathering of all the wise ones, men or women, to discuss the meaning of life. And he used to give the winner one thousand beautiful cows, their horns covered with pure gold, studded with diamonds.

Yagnavalkya was one of the greatest teachers in those days, but he was not a master... and this has rarely happened again. Gargi was a mystic, and a master. She was not interested in the reward, but Yagnavalkya and thousands of others reached early in the morning and the discussion started. Yagnavalkya was so confident of his victory that when he arrived... he arrived late, just like any politician. And he came with five hundred disciples, just to show the emperor – ”I am not coming alone. These other people who are discussing don’t have any following.” He must have been a good showman.

And his confidence – that he is going to win – shows his ego.

Yagnavalkya came with such confidence... it was full noontime, the sun was hot, and the cows were standing in front of the palace, perspiring. His confidence was that of a knowledgeable person – he was learned, a great scholar. He told one of his disciples, ”Take these cows to our commune. Why should these poor cows suffer unnecessary heat? As far as victory is concerned, that is certain” – he’s taking the reward before even entering the palace.

But following him came Gargi. She was alone, sat silently through all the discussions that were going on, and when Yagnavalkya had defeated all the contestants and asked the emperor, ”Please forgive me. As far as the reward is concerned, my disciples have taken the cows long before,” Gargi stood up. Perhaps she might not have stood if Yagnavalkya had not shown such idiotic confidence about ultimate affairs.

Gargi said, ”Wait. You have defeated everybody because they all belong to your category: knowledgeable persons. All that is proved is not that you are true; only one thing is proved: that you are more learned, more scholarly, more knowledgeable. But to be more knowledgeable does not prove that you know the truth. I have been sitting silently, watching... if somebody asserts the truth, what is the need for me even to speak? But now this is going too far. I will have to discuss with you.” Those were beautiful days. Even a woman could challenge the greatest scholar of the country. She asked just two or three questions and Yagnavalkya was flat on the ground.

She asked, ”You said God created the world – why? Why did you say that? Were you a witness when he was creating the world? In either case, you will prove wrong. If you were a witness, the world had already been created; you were there and you are part of the world. And if you were not a witness, then on what grounds...?”

Yagnavalkya was shocked. Those thousands of other scholars were shocked. Even the emperor was shocked. She was right: a witness is needed; an eyewitness is needed.

And she said, ”Just for argument’s sake, even if I accept that God created the world, I want to know: what are your reasons for believing in this hypothesis?”

Yagnavalkya said, ”Everything has to be created. God is just like a potter. This beautiful and vast existence cannot come into existence out of nothing, somebody must create it.”

Gargi said, ”Accepted. But you have lost your victory – return those cows.”

Yagnavalkya said, ”What do you mean?”

She said, ”If existence needs a god to create it, then who created God? If this is accepted as a criterion – that everything that is, has to be created.... You are saying this vast existence needs a creator. Certainly the creator must be vaster, bigger, greater than the universe. Who created him?”

And Yagnavalkya saw the point, that now it was impossible to get rid of this woman. Because God is created by God two, God two is created by God three... but where will it end? Finally the question remains: Who created the first God? And Gargi said, ”If the first God needs no creator, why unnecessarily impose hypothetical ideas? If God can be without any creator, why can’t the existence be without any creator?”

Yagnavalkya became so angry; it was such a defeat – the defeat of the confidence of the scholar – that he forgot all courtesy and said, ”Woman, if you don’t stop, soon you will see your head rolling on the ground!”

Gargi said, ”Is that an argument? Do you think by cutting my head you will be victorious? That will be the absolute certainty of your defeat. Just go on, bring the cows back.” And the cows had to be given back – to a woman!

And his confidence – that he is going to win – shows his ego.

Yagnavalkya came with such confidence... it was full noontime, the sun was hot, and the cows were standing in front of the palace, perspiring. His confidence was that of a knowledgeable person – he was learned, a great scholar. He told one of his disciples, ”Take these cows to our commune. Why should these poor cows suffer unnecessary heat? As far as victory is concerned, that is certain” – he’s taking the reward before even entering the palace.

But following him came Gargi. She was alone, sat silently through all the discussions that were going on, and when Yagnavalkya had defeated all the contestants and asked the emperor, ”Please forgive me. As far as the reward is concerned, my disciples have taken the cows long before,” Gargi stood up. Perhaps she might not have stood if Yagnavalkya had not shown such idiotic confidence about ultimate affairs.

Gargi said, ”Wait. You have defeated everybody because they all belong to your category: knowledgeable persons. All that is proved is not that you are true; only one thing is proved: that you are more learned, more scholarly, more knowledgeable. But to be more knowledgeable does not prove that you know the truth. I have been sitting silently, watching... if somebody asserts the truth, what is the need for me even to speak? But now this is going too far. I will have to discuss with you.” Those were beautiful days. Even a woman could challenge the greatest scholar of the country. She asked just two or three questions and Yagnavalkya was flat on the ground.

She asked, ”You said God created the world – why? Why did you say that? Were you a witness when he was creating the world? In either case, you will prove wrong. If you were a witness, the world had already been created; you were there and you are part of the world. And if you were not a witness, then on what grounds...?”

Yagnavalkya was shocked. Those thousands of other scholars were shocked. Even the emperor was shocked. She was right: a witness is needed; an eyewitness is needed.

And she said, ”Just for argument’s sake, even if I accept that God created the world, I want to know: what are your reasons for believing in this hypothesis?”

Yagnavalkya said, ”Everything has to be created. God is just like a potter. This beautiful and vast existence cannot come into existence out of nothing, somebody must create it.”

Gargi said, ”Accepted. But you have lost your victory – return those cows.”

Yagnavalkya said, ”What do you mean?”

She said, ”If existence needs a god to create it, then who created God? If this is accepted as a criterion – that everything that is, has to be created.... You are saying this vast existence needs a creator. Certainly the creator must be vaster, bigger, greater than the universe. Who created him?”

And Yagnavalkya saw the point, that now it was impossible to get rid of this woman. Because God is created by God two, God two is created by God three... but where will it end? Finally the question remains: Who created the first God? And Gargi said, ”If the first God needs no creator, why unnecessarily impose hypothetical ideas? If God can be without any creator, why can’t the existence be without any creator?”
Yagnavalkya became so angry; it was such a defeat – the defeat of the confidence of the scholar – that he forgot all courtesy and said, ”Woman, if you don’t stop, soon you will see your head rolling on the ground!”
Gargi said, ”Is that an argument? Do you think by cutting my head you will be victorious? That will be the absolute certainty of your defeat. Just go on, bring the cows back.” And the cows had to be given back – to a woman!

Visually-challenged Pratish Dutta

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur’s student Pratish Dutta who is visually challenged has proved that eyes are not required to see, one can see through his mind.

Pratish Datta who lost his eyesight when he was in college was awarded Professor Jagadish Chandra Bose Memorial Gold Medal from President Pranab Mukherjee for the best academic performance among outgoing students of the M.Sc courses in the science disciplines at the IIT.

His cumulative grade point average was 9.87 — higher than any other M.Sc student at the IIT. After graduating with mathematics from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, he joined the institute in 2010.

Born at Batanagar in north Kolkata to Prabir, a civil engineer with a government undertaking, and Ranjana, a home-maker, Pratish has depended on his mother for studies. She would read out his lessons and he would memorise them.

From his childhood he was dependable on his mother for everything. “If I studied 10 hours a day, my mother used to study 15 hours for me as she is instrumental in helping me understand the subjects since I could not read,” said a jubilant Pratish who thanked his mother after receiving the award.

Pratish was six months old when doctors told his parents that he had 'retinoschesis' , in which the layers inside the retina gradually get separated from each other, eventually leading to total blindness. By Class VIII, he had to use high-powered magnifying glasses to study.

It was in his second year at St Xavier's College that he lost his sight completely. Ranjana turned a full-time reader for her son and when he cracked IIT-JEE , she moved to Kharagpur with him. Pratish and his mother live in a rented apartment on the IIT-KGP campus. "We received a lot of help from people . His IIT teachers and classmates were very kind. At St Xavier's , College they would print question papers on A3 sheets for him," Ranjana said.

"My parents are my inspiration . They never made me feel that there was anything wrong. I received tremendous support from my teachers and buddies. My friend and classmate Fauzal Atik took great care of me at IIT," Pratish said.

His father, who is a civil engineer, also played a pivotal role in shaping his career. “My father always told me to give my best effort and I followed his words. At last, I have succeeded,” added Pratish.

"His mother would read out his lessons to him," said Pratish's father Prabir Datta. "All the credit goes to his mother. He even ranked second in the country in GATE this year. We feel so proud. My boy is no different... Rather, he has proved better than many,"Datta said.

Keen to take up teaching and research as his career, Mr. Datta has enrolled in a Ph.D. programme on Cryptology and Network Security at IIT Kharagpur.

His PhD guide Sourabh Mukhopadhyay is amazed at how a visually impaired person could score so high in a subject like Mathematics. "This has never happened in IIT, Kharagpur, or anywhere in the world," he said.

He could not solve a mathematical problem on a piece of paper because of his visual impairment.

“I could not even write a simple mathematical formula, all I did was remember it. I do all the calculations mentally and then dictate it to my scribe, who puts it down on paper,” 23-year-old Datta said.

“I would read out the lessons, including mathematical problems, and he would memorise them,” his mother Ranjana Datta said, adding that since Mr. Datta was interested in mathematics, she encouraged him to take up the subject.

But, this did not dampen Pratish Datta’s love for mathematics, or his zeal for pursuing a career in mathematical research. Not only was he able to do complex mathematical calculations but he scored the highest grade among all M.Sc. students this year.

“Pratish has an extraordinary mind and his way of learning is only through listening to lectures. But whatever he listens, it gets inked in his mind. We were also confused when he joined the institute, but he emerged with flying colours with his ability to rise above adversities,” head of the mathematics department Professor P.D. Srivastava said.

Sheer grit and determination can do wonders. And 23-year-old Pratish Datta knows all about it. Datta has been a topper all his life. He tells that if one tries, one can do anything; lack of sight is hardly an impediment.

You did MSc in mathematics at IIT and are known to do complex mathematical calculations mentally. How is that possible?

It goes back to my childhood. I lost vision in one eye at six months of age and had poor vision in the other. My parents felt that if I studied a lot, the pressure would damage this eye too. So my mother would read all my lessons to me and I would memorize them. Even maths sums were done mentally. I knew no other way to do it. Over time, practice made me perfect. I also manage to finish my exams in almost the same time as normal students. But a lot of higher mathematics is not just calculation but visualization too and I can handle that. Even Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler lost his vision in the last 17 years of his life. But he continued to do research. My mind is my eye now.

How did you cope with the loss of your eyesight?

I was doing my second year at St Xavier's College in Kolkata in 2008 when I lost vision in my second eye. I was shocked to suddenly see a dark world but my parents and teachers stood by me. As I loved studies, I decided to concentrate on that. All my happiness is related to studies. Even when I came to IIT, there were many questions about whether I would be able to cope. But my faculty helped me with a competent scribe, which itself takes the load off students like me. He's a computer operator here who understands mathematics symbols and has done presentations for various seminars.

The dean of student affairs also helped me find accommodation within the campus. I also have nice friends, especially Fouzoul Atik who studied with me in MSc. He would sit beside me, dictate what was written on the board, take me from one class to another, xerox pages for me...he was very happy when I got the gold medal.

Was it difficult to handle the pressure in IIT with this impairment? Your mother seems to have sacrificed a lot.

As I was able to see in childhood, I understood maths symbols and could do well. But for many others, the fact that higher education books aren't in Braille are a handicap. An attempt should be made to convert them so that others like me don't suffer. As for my mother, she has stood by me like a rock. Even when I said I wanted to study in IIT, she told me bravely, 'Go as far as you want, I will be with you.' And she did. She left Kolkata where my father is a civil engineer and came to stay with me, an only child, here at Kharagpur.

You seem to lead a normal life -you use the mobile quite well and have a Facebook profile. How do you manage these?

I have memorized the keys and functions of my mobile so I can use it effortlessly. I also have a computer screen-reading software called JAWS which reads out whatever text there is on it.

“My aim in life is to serve the nation by inventing tools that will help society,” he added