By Vishnu Mahesh Sharma
So many times, it happens that we have been knowing about a sweet little film for a long time, but we have been giving it a miss because we prioritize some other films over it. This prioritization happens to be a result of cerebral itching that directs us to watch something edgy, unpredictable, action packed, fast paced, dark, neo-noir etc. Nonetheless, sooner or later, the innocence and goodness of the film wins; Universe conspires and produces circumstances and neurological reorganization which is conducive enough to convince ourselves to pick what we have been, not ignoring, but keeping in an eternal queue of watchlist.
Once we end up watching the film we feel so relaxed, happy, optimistic, entertained and full of life. The film does not offer anything new in terms of story, screenplay, music, dialogue or technology. In fact the very predictability and familiarity of the film is what wins us over. These, slice of life and light heated films make us ponder “Why on the earth was I not giving it a shot. This fills me with so much hope, love and warmth.” Elizabeth Ekadashi, The Pursuit Of Happiness, Baaton Baaton Mein, Manoranjan, Vivah etc. are such films those win us over not by any gimmick of film making but purely by their innocence, easy-going-ness and truckloads of cuteness. The neurological restructuring, that leads us to watch these films, goes through another restructuring and rejuvenates us and makes us ready to full our brains, again, with gritty and dark dramas.
However, this essay is not about any such film. Here, I am extending that feeling into the world of books and want to talk about one such book that, in my case, had circumstantial arc very similar to the movies mentioned above. The book is Swami Jagadatmananda’s “Learn To Live – Volume One” an English translation of his two volume Kannada work “Badukhalu Kaliyiri”.
The book doesn’t tell you that you have not heard before (in terms of idea, of course). The book doesn’t teach you anything that you haven’t been told by your elders and teachers. It also doesn’t do heavy talking like soul, Atma, Purusha, Spirituality etc. It, in fact, more of a lesson form compilation of different anecdotes, teaching and personal experiences; all narrated in very simple. sweet, lucid manner that it fills your heart with optimism, self-confidence, faith, trust, love and belief.
The best thing about the book is – to motivate you and instill inspiration in you, it doesn’t always use anecdotes from lives of successful persons. Thus, if there is a small episode from Archimedes’ life to highlight the importance of focus then there is an anecdote about a pope and a delinquent to highlight magic of unshakable belief in inherent goodness of man.
The teachings are not limited to life episodes or anecdotes. There are quotes from mystics, seers, sages, psychologists and scientists etc. What makes this work so very different from scores of self-help books is, its presentation and depth to which it goes to make a point come across logical as well as a lesson. This is achieved by treating the aspects in episodic nature. Necessity of having good habits are dealt and described at one place, fruitfulness of industriousness is emphasized at another place and importance of planning is suggested in and through some other instances at some another episode. However, what acts as a glue to all these isolated lessons are, the universal threads of mindfulness, awareness, inspiration and faith.
While delivering these words of wisdom, Swamiji, does not always point out successes only. Certain points are stressed upon by citing incidences of failures. These failures, like successes, are not limited to the failures of famous. Debacles from a life of a college going boy, for instance, has also been described, with empathy and scathing criticism if needed, through critical lenses of a learned mind. These kinds of real-life experiences make this work so very relatable.
We all know the story of Demosthenes the famous philosopher and public speaker who used to stammer in his childhood. We also know the stories of Prakash Padukone, Booker T. Washington. But here, we are told the story of a businessman Duncan who devoted all his life in making cannibals of Simshin Indians cultured and civilized. We are introduced to a Russian psychologist who, as his last lesson, deliver a two worded sermon to his students – ‘Passion and gradualness’.
The quote- “Strength is life, weakness is death”- by Swami Vivekananda has been heard so many times. But when this quote is mentioned here the impact of the-all-heard-before line is so very never-felt-before. A profession as common as of a typist ends up delivering a life lesson as simple, but enlightening, as “To be able to type fast, one should type slowly”. The paradox of these lines is quite evident. But it is not used for any literary flourish but to summarize someone’s lifetime experience.
All these ordinary anecdotes, quotes and day to day life incidences are narrated with so much belief, faith and profound conviction that, like those sweet films, the book reorganizes neurons, filling heart and mind with inspiration and peace. The impact is so much that a part in me is very eager to implement these lessons in life and at the same time I feel rejuvenated enough to go back to some very gory and serious literature. However, once that is done, I am more than willing to come back to the world of “Learn To Live” for its second volume to go through the neurological cycle again.
I sincerely hope the Volume two (already published a few years back) of the work to be as feel-good a read as Volume one. It is these kinds of unanticipated little gems of readings that, time and again, proves why, of all the art form known, literature is the most powerful one for it has ability to put seeds of rage and revolution and at the same time it is capable enough to keep our faith and trust, intact, in peace, honesty, justice, brotherhood and love.