The story of the five fingers

Dear Saraswathi
You are blessed to have a mother who could impart moral education to you through such wonderful folklore. Modern mothers do not have the time for that, particularly if they are office going. Imagine Indra Nooyi telling such stories to her children! But if she too spends such quality time with her children, hats off to her!

The basic thing that every mother should teach her child is that he has a definite role to play in the Scheme of things and it is as important as anyone else's
Sri

 

Dear Spandhana
Comparisons are tricky things. I have seen that many parents breed sibling rivalry by making unfair and uncalled for comparisons among their own children. People tend to compare themselves with their peers in professional hierarchy and feel miserable. Over a period of time, such comparisons breed jealousy and acrimony. If every one realises that he has a definite role to play which is in no way less important than others, all this can be avoided.
When the whole city stinks because the cleaning people are on indefinite strike, we realise how important they are!
Sri

 

Dear Lalitha
Haven't you heard of the famous words of Wordsworth,
"The Child is father of the Man;
I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety."?

Observing children is a rewarding experience. Their lives teach us a whole new perspective to what we generally perceive as life. The lessons they teach us are very valuable. My grand daughter Kithu has taught me some important lessons in life through the sheer simplicity of her approach.
Sri

 

Dear Mol
The feeling of importance is only to ensure the dignity of labour. It should be backed by a feeling of humility or otherwise, it is bound to develop into a feeling of superiority. I totally agree with you that everyone has some plusses and minuses. Total perfection is given only to God and not to man. Even Mahatma Gandhi candidly talks about his minuses in his 'My experiment with Truth'.

You have also made a very valid point that 'Insecurities make people behave in an irrational way' Be it possessiveness or jealousy, the underlying cause would be a feeling of insecurity. I call the feeling of insecurity as malignancy of character. It has driven people even to commit murder.

People who suffer from a superiority complex exhibit that feeling only towards people who are placed below them. It is the hallmark of superiority complex. They'll never flex their muscles with their superiors!
Sri

 

Dear Chithra
What else can I say other than Amen?
Enough has been said about FBs, the excess and the absence of them.
If FBs are considered the be all and end all of one's literary ambitions, so be it!

Everyone seems to agree that every one has a role in the larger scheme of the Universe. The problem does start with comparison but it is inevitable. So the question here is whether we should allow it to mar the great feeling of camaraderie among people.

The best answer lies in what you talk about in your religious forum. Let us write without expecting bouquets and let us not be bothered about brickbats either. The joy of writing is the reward in itself. Nothing greater than that is ever needed!
Sri

 

Dear Corallux
There is a TV serial that is doing the rounds on Sun TV about Lord Shiva. In a recent episode, the consorts of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are locked in a fierce combat about who is the biggest of them all! So there is no wonder that the humans are locked in similar combats all the time. The particular episode is meant to drive home the point that Knowledge, Wealth and Valour are all equally important but the way it is shown on TV, it is made to appear as personal animosity among the Gods!

I feel elated by your calling me your Gita Guru. I am sure this is how Sri Ramakrishna must have felt every time Swami Vivekananda called him his Guru!
Sri

 

Dear Sudha
I always believe that children are our biggest teachers. I remember my early days of Triplicane when we were all small kids. As children, we used to have our small fights which would spread to the elders of the respective families. While we would have buried our hatchet in no time, the elders' hostilities would continue for days. When I reflect on those days, I marvel at the simple laws of life of children. We complicate the same as we grow older. People who keep themselves glued to children can never be hostile or have such negative emotions. The effect of children will certainly rub off on them. As a corollary, people who hate children are bound to be cynics and are best avoided!

I am not thanking you for all your lovely words because I am only too aware that nothing I say will be adequate! I feel nice that what I write makes you happy. May God continue to preserve my faculties in tact!
Sri

 

Dear Brindha
Everything that we come across in our lives has a 'broadspectrum' view. Even the Nursery Rhymes have great lessons for us. Because of the increasing pressures of our lives in the modern times, we have no time to contemplate on the real significance of things that keep happening around us which is a pity.
I remember that my aunt used to tell me several stories to establish that 'every thing that happens is always for the good' This is deeply embedded in my heart.
Sri