Wednesday, April 29, 2015
My Shtory……! “MY STORY…….
(Devdiwale!)
I was quite a meek and rather greedy individual right from the beginning. In fact my own childhood days were all too dull and lazy, since I was so myself. I could sit for hours together, doing nothing. (I was nick-named “Devdiwale”- the one who guards the front door of the house; because that was my favourite place to sit down and watch people move about!) And as far as doing or even thinking for somebody’s welfare was just beyond me. My own physical configuration perhaps did not allow me to be ‘active’ enough, (I was too obese, and indulged in eating all types of greasy and sweet items!).
I never excelled in my academic studies, neither in sports nor in ‘public appearance’ or ‘speaking’ in public. I was too shy indeed, as a child.
But thanks to my entry into College, a gradual ‘metamorphosis began to take place. I became a voracious reader to begin with. Later, I got interested in listening to good lectures and speeches. We were fortunate in having real towering personalities then, and I was privileged to listen to many among them. Perhaps these two, a lot of reading and listening to the marvellous talks kindled something within me; however it could never take up the form of a ‘fire’ or a conflagration anytime. Perhaps that only helped in preparing the ‘gsoil’.
Many more years passed by, and like millions others I was also engrossed in earning wherewithal for myself and ‘my’ family. I must say, I had to ‘toil’ quite a lot, in managing just an adequate livelihood, in fact too meagre at times. That certainly gave me moments of frustration, dejection and disappointments no doubt. However, like other mortals life went on, as per its own scheduled ‘programme’!
Then came a day, when I was drawn into the folds of a Spiritual cum Service Organisation. I was, as if blessed in being associated with that Organisation. I could interact with peoples and an ‘ideology’, quite distinct, yet truly ingrained in our own Culture.
No, let me go back a little again. While in college, I was fascinated by the ‘leftist’ ideology, the Communist one. I did not take up an ‘active’ membership as such; however, I could lay hands on some of the published literature of Lenin and Carl Marx (translated versions naturally), and could understand the same in bits and pieces.
And that was yet again the period when one starts feeling and enjoying romance in the atmosphere! Yes, I had started reading and ‘understanding’ poetry too!!
That opened up new vistas, trying to explore, understand and enjoy magnificent (sometimes not too magnificent!) ideas and flights a poet would take us to. I began feeling absorbed and enthralled in poetry!
But that period too did not last too long. A casual looking ‘heart-break’ made me realise the first goal to be achieved in life, to qualify as a Doctor first!
Well, I qualified as a doctor alright (not with any ‘flying’ colours though). But in doing so, it had definitely changed my own personality for the better, and I must acknowledge that to be mainly due to my teachers in the Medical College and the overall education that it imparted to me. I was now in a position to understand and grasp the physical and also psychological problems in the sick persons I came across.
Coming back to that ‘spiritual cum service’ organisation! Well, I am indebted to that one for life, since it gave me a million opportunities to ‘do’ certain things, which would satisfy and please My Own Self!
I remember scores of occasions that gave me immense joy and contentment, while working under the aegis of that organisation.
But more importantly, it has changed my own entire outlook towards pain and suffering in individuals and society at large.
A few instances might help in understanding my point of view.
While working as a Doctor in charge of a large Poly-clinic, I had also the V.D. department under me, the one which treats cases of venereal diseases. Also attached to that Clinic was one for treating all the prostitutes of the town, free of charge. Besides a regular specialist doctor, there were a couple of Medical Social Workers too attached to that clinic. One of the senior social workers used to visit the places of work where the sex-workers used to do their’ business’. She was supposed to survey the socio-economic as well as health problems therein. Being an elderly, senior and a very affable and sympathetic lady, the prostitutes used to be very co-operative in telling their woos to her. That particular Medical Social Worker by name Mrs. Vijayatai Lavate soon discovered that almost none of the prostitutes ever wanted their children to live and be brought up where they lived, as well as ‘earned’.
And there emerged a magnificent Humanitarian work under her Leadership, where I played a very small, indeed an insignificant role. She made bold to take out around thirty-five or so children of those hapless women, out of the environment so as to ‘rehabilitate’ those away, from the seemingly ugly environs.
It required a lot of grit, commitment, dedication and real hard work, and all that on a purely Voluntary basis. She was NOT to receive any monitory benefits whatever, indeed more of brick-bats and contempt and disdain awaited her at every step.
I was one of the fortunate ones to get associated with that gigantic task, along with many of my own colleagues and comrades from that spiritual organisation. It was indeed a thankless job, which makes me feel so proud and happy about, having had a very infinitesimal role for us however.
(Unfortunately, later on there were too many of political interventions and so she had to take back her steps quite often; yet ultimately she arose once again like a ‘sphinx’ and continued the glorious work till her own death a few years ago.)
Under the aegis of the aforesaid Organisation itself, we used to visit ‘homes for the elderly’, the ‘blind-homes’, ‘remand-homes’, inmates of jails as well ‘mental institutions’. Visits to the Government general hospitals and meeting and helping patients as well as their relatives, was a great piece of inner satisfaction too.
We would go to villages around and had actually ‘adopted’ a group of them, from health and education point of view. We used to run a ‘free’ medical dispensary, organise medical check-up camps, impart health-education, organise blood donation drives, and even maintained a blood group register for arranging emergency transfusion services. We conducted free coaching classes too! Besides, regular arrangements for feeding the ‘poor’ (in fact a word in bad taste; because those who were fed were truly Narayanas, albeit Daridri Narayanas!) was equally a very satisfying ‘activity’.
And during all of these activities, I am proud to reiterate, my own family stood shoulder to shoulder and participated whole-heartedly in all of them.
I am indeed proud of my now married daughter too, who is engaged in all those activities even now, perhaps with greater vigour and commitment!
It was glorious, perhaps the golden period of my own life. There was always an urge to do all that, however, having to cope with very limited ‘resources’.
I had the biggest failing in me; I could not verbalise much; I didn’t possess the ‘gift of the gab’!! Had I that skill in me, or had I developed that earlier, perhaps things could be much different. As I see all that in retrospect, I sometimes feel that all those efforts were not put to proper use, just because of the failure of my own communications skills!
You see, for pursuing any ‘noble’ work, one needs a Team; that ‘team’ needs to be a cohesive one, amalgamated as one single unit. And that requires very good communication skills, frequent evaluations, trainings, set goals etc etc.
Yet, I am not disappointed. A word or two of real encouragement, some words heard from eminent personalities, a zest to know more, a keenness to spread the ‘message’ through better ‘communications’ and so on, happen to be my own treasure, as of now.
Besides, I have been very fortunate indeed, on another score too. I have had the privilege of obtaining ‘Upadesha’ (Anugraha or Guru-mantra as it is normally called), from a very Venerable and Esteemed Sad guru.
(My late father used to remind me many years ago, while I was engaged in various forms of ‘social-service’ as indicated above, the exhortations of a famous God-man; He had said that ‘social service’ and one’s own personal ‘Sadhana’ are like a live electric cable; one of the wire carries a positive current, another a negative one. Unless both are joined, there cannot be spark. Likewise, social service on its own yields only partial results; whereas, when there is an added ‘inner’ strength or power of one’s individual austerities or Sadhana, the result must come to fruition!)
It has taken a very very long time for me to realise its true import. But now I am convinced of the words my dear father had reminded me quite often on those occasions. Indeed, whenever I begin to write something new, I have that gut feeling that ‘Someone’ invisible, some ‘power’ that be, gets things done through me.
Presently, I find myself engrossed in a particular Translation work. And truly it is not a secret anymore, that certain ‘words’ just ‘occur’ to me at the spur of the moment; a word I might have never used or even heard before!!! This is absolutely no exaggeration, but Truth beyond doubt.
I do not know what made me write all this. I just wanted to know how a new ‘file’ or ‘folder’ is made in a computer or a lap-top. Just ‘clicked on’ and this is what you get to read!! (Please do bear with me!!!!)
Jai Sairam!!!
(Devdiwale!)
I was quite a meek and rather greedy individual right from the beginning. In fact my own childhood days were all too dull and lazy, since I was so myself. I could sit for hours together, doing nothing. (I was nick-named “Devdiwale”- the one who guards the front door of the house; because that was my favourite place to sit down and watch people move about!) And as far as doing or even thinking for somebody’s welfare was just beyond me. My own physical configuration perhaps did not allow me to be ‘active’ enough, (I was too obese, and indulged in eating all types of greasy and sweet items!).
I never excelled in my academic studies, neither in sports nor in ‘public appearance’ or ‘speaking’ in public. I was too shy indeed, as a child.
But thanks to my entry into College, a gradual ‘metamorphosis began to take place. I became a voracious reader to begin with. Later, I got interested in listening to good lectures and speeches. We were fortunate in having real towering personalities then, and I was privileged to listen to many among them. Perhaps these two, a lot of reading and listening to the marvellous talks kindled something within me; however it could never take up the form of a ‘fire’ or a conflagration anytime. Perhaps that only helped in preparing the ‘gsoil’.
Many more years passed by, and like millions others I was also engrossed in earning wherewithal for myself and ‘my’ family. I must say, I had to ‘toil’ quite a lot, in managing just an adequate livelihood, in fact too meagre at times. That certainly gave me moments of frustration, dejection and disappointments no doubt. However, like other mortals life went on, as per its own scheduled ‘programme’!
Then came a day, when I was drawn into the folds of a Spiritual cum Service Organisation. I was, as if blessed in being associated with that Organisation. I could interact with peoples and an ‘ideology’, quite distinct, yet truly ingrained in our own Culture.
No, let me go back a little again. While in college, I was fascinated by the ‘leftist’ ideology, the Communist one. I did not take up an ‘active’ membership as such; however, I could lay hands on some of the published literature of Lenin and Carl Marx (translated versions naturally), and could understand the same in bits and pieces.
And that was yet again the period when one starts feeling and enjoying romance in the atmosphere! Yes, I had started reading and ‘understanding’ poetry too!!
That opened up new vistas, trying to explore, understand and enjoy magnificent (sometimes not too magnificent!) ideas and flights a poet would take us to. I began feeling absorbed and enthralled in poetry!
But that period too did not last too long. A casual looking ‘heart-break’ made me realise the first goal to be achieved in life, to qualify as a Doctor first!
Well, I qualified as a doctor alright (not with any ‘flying’ colours though). But in doing so, it had definitely changed my own personality for the better, and I must acknowledge that to be mainly due to my teachers in the Medical College and the overall education that it imparted to me. I was now in a position to understand and grasp the physical and also psychological problems in the sick persons I came across.
Coming back to that ‘spiritual cum service’ organisation! Well, I am indebted to that one for life, since it gave me a million opportunities to ‘do’ certain things, which would satisfy and please My Own Self!
I remember scores of occasions that gave me immense joy and contentment, while working under the aegis of that organisation.
But more importantly, it has changed my own entire outlook towards pain and suffering in individuals and society at large.
A few instances might help in understanding my point of view.
While working as a Doctor in charge of a large Poly-clinic, I had also the V.D. department under me, the one which treats cases of venereal diseases. Also attached to that Clinic was one for treating all the prostitutes of the town, free of charge. Besides a regular specialist doctor, there were a couple of Medical Social Workers too attached to that clinic. One of the senior social workers used to visit the places of work where the sex-workers used to do their’ business’. She was supposed to survey the socio-economic as well as health problems therein. Being an elderly, senior and a very affable and sympathetic lady, the prostitutes used to be very co-operative in telling their woos to her. That particular Medical Social Worker by name Mrs. Vijayatai Lavate soon discovered that almost none of the prostitutes ever wanted their children to live and be brought up where they lived, as well as ‘earned’.
And there emerged a magnificent Humanitarian work under her Leadership, where I played a very small, indeed an insignificant role. She made bold to take out around thirty-five or so children of those hapless women, out of the environment so as to ‘rehabilitate’ those away, from the seemingly ugly environs.
It required a lot of grit, commitment, dedication and real hard work, and all that on a purely Voluntary basis. She was NOT to receive any monitory benefits whatever, indeed more of brick-bats and contempt and disdain awaited her at every step.
I was one of the fortunate ones to get associated with that gigantic task, along with many of my own colleagues and comrades from that spiritual organisation. It was indeed a thankless job, which makes me feel so proud and happy about, having had a very infinitesimal role for us however.
(Unfortunately, later on there were too many of political interventions and so she had to take back her steps quite often; yet ultimately she arose once again like a ‘sphinx’ and continued the glorious work till her own death a few years ago.)
Under the aegis of the aforesaid Organisation itself, we used to visit ‘homes for the elderly’, the ‘blind-homes’, ‘remand-homes’, inmates of jails as well ‘mental institutions’. Visits to the Government general hospitals and meeting and helping patients as well as their relatives, was a great piece of inner satisfaction too.
We would go to villages around and had actually ‘adopted’ a group of them, from health and education point of view. We used to run a ‘free’ medical dispensary, organise medical check-up camps, impart health-education, organise blood donation drives, and even maintained a blood group register for arranging emergency transfusion services. We conducted free coaching classes too! Besides, regular arrangements for feeding the ‘poor’ (in fact a word in bad taste; because those who were fed were truly Narayanas, albeit Daridri Narayanas!) was equally a very satisfying ‘activity’.
And during all of these activities, I am proud to reiterate, my own family stood shoulder to shoulder and participated whole-heartedly in all of them.
I am indeed proud of my now married daughter too, who is engaged in all those activities even now, perhaps with greater vigour and commitment!
It was glorious, perhaps the golden period of my own life. There was always an urge to do all that, however, having to cope with very limited ‘resources’.
I had the biggest failing in me; I could not verbalise much; I didn’t possess the ‘gift of the gab’!! Had I that skill in me, or had I developed that earlier, perhaps things could be much different. As I see all that in retrospect, I sometimes feel that all those efforts were not put to proper use, just because of the failure of my own communications skills!
You see, for pursuing any ‘noble’ work, one needs a Team; that ‘team’ needs to be a cohesive one, amalgamated as one single unit. And that requires very good communication skills, frequent evaluations, trainings, set goals etc etc.
Yet, I am not disappointed. A word or two of real encouragement, some words heard from eminent personalities, a zest to know more, a keenness to spread the ‘message’ through better ‘communications’ and so on, happen to be my own treasure, as of now.
Besides, I have been very fortunate indeed, on another score too. I have had the privilege of obtaining ‘Upadesha’ (Anugraha or Guru-mantra as it is normally called), from a very Venerable and Esteemed Sad guru.
(My late father used to remind me many years ago, while I was engaged in various forms of ‘social-service’ as indicated above, the exhortations of a famous God-man; He had said that ‘social service’ and one’s own personal ‘Sadhana’ are like a live electric cable; one of the wire carries a positive current, another a negative one. Unless both are joined, there cannot be spark. Likewise, social service on its own yields only partial results; whereas, when there is an added ‘inner’ strength or power of one’s individual austerities or Sadhana, the result must come to fruition!)
It has taken a very very long time for me to realise its true import. But now I am convinced of the words my dear father had reminded me quite often on those occasions. Indeed, whenever I begin to write something new, I have that gut feeling that ‘Someone’ invisible, some ‘power’ that be, gets things done through me.
Presently, I find myself engrossed in a particular Translation work. And truly it is not a secret anymore, that certain ‘words’ just ‘occur’ to me at the spur of the moment; a word I might have never used or even heard before!!! This is absolutely no exaggeration, but Truth beyond doubt.
I do not know what made me write all this. I just wanted to know how a new ‘file’ or ‘folder’ is made in a computer or a lap-top. Just ‘clicked on’ and this is what you get to read!! (Please do bear with me!!!!)
Jai Sairam!!!
