Just finished reading this wonderful book by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who, as a matter of fact, is going to deliver a speech tomorrow at IIT Bombay, as a part of the Teacher's day celebrations here, and also to kick off our Golden Jubilee event! It's an excellent book, and good that I read it after reading 'Against the tide'; as it supplemented the thoughts provided therein really well. I had received this book back in 2004 as a gift from my teacher, Arun Roy Sir, to whom I am really grateful to having introduced me to such a wonderful book.
I would like to present here the story that the honourable writer chose to end his book with, one that he says he got from the internet. It's a conversation between two babies - ego and spirit - and goes somewhat as follows: (The dialogue is while both are still in the womb)
Spirit: I know you are going to find this hard to accept, but I believe there is life after birth.
Ego: Don't be foolish. Look around you. This is all there is. Why must you always be thinking about something beyond this reality? Accept your lot in life.
Spirit: (quietens down for a while, but not for long) Ego, now don't get angry, but I also believe that there is a Mother.
Ego: (Laughing) A Mother! How can you say that? You've never seen a Mother, you don't know what Mother is. Why can't you accept that this is all there is? You are here alone with me. This is your reality.
Spirit: (Begs) Ego, please listen. What about those constant pressures we both feel, those movements that make us so uncomfortable sometimes, the feeling that we are being squeezed in as we grow? I think we shall soon have a new life, that we shall see light.
Ego: You have never seen light. How do you know what it is? These pressures and darkness is what life is all about.
Spirit: (one last try to put in some sense into Ego) Ego, I will not bother you again. But I do believe that after all this discomfort not only shall we see light but also experience the bliss of meeting Mother.
Ego: You are mad Spirit.
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2 comments:
an excellent conversation couldn't be good as it is. first i would like to say thanks for selecting this.while i was reading this conversation my mind was little bit nervous or i can say that it was confused because i didn't know who'll win and what made difference in these TWO WORDS which seems to be alike in first click but after sometime i realized that they both have their separate identity and both are as different as sun and moon, they can't be same.i haven't read this book but this make me feel that i'll read this book... thanks...
This story was written by Henri Nouwen, a Catholic priest, in his book "Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Death and Dying" published in 2004. The original is a conversation between a brother and sister (twins) in the womb.
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