Debi Prasad Choudhary
Sacremento Peak, Sunspot, New Maxico
11/14/2014
I did not have a formal elementary schooling until that last
year in 5th grade since my father was the head master of the school.
I had complete freedom to sit in any class I wanted. It was a good school, with
dedicated teachers in a remote village.
I learned most of the material from my grand mother and my father, who
took it seriously only towards the end. That fetched me a merit scholarship in
5th grade statewide examination. I learnt many Goudiya Vaistanv
Songs from my grand mother, while accompanying her to the village temple and
the river to take a bath.
My father was preparing for his Master in Arts (MA) in Oriya
language in those days and reading loud. I still remember one line he used read
loud. The context is: a villager goes to a fortuneteller to find out where
about of her cattle. After consuming country made alcohol, when the goddess
entered her, he told about the hidden location of the brass utensils of the
villager. Politely she tried to correct the fortuneteller that she is asking
about her cattle and not the brass utensils. The fortuneteller was angry and
told “don’t you know, in our language it is brass utensil what is in your
language cattle.” The standing by gentle man and women warned the villager not
to make such mistake again!!
In recent times, the use of science by religious
practitioners reminds me of this story that my father was reading for his MA
examination. Recently, I came across a facebook posting that said heavy storms
and earthquakes are the results of our thoughts and emotions. I tried to
clarify that it is not true, but the sadhu asked me read some literature for
enlightenment!!
On another occasion, I was travelling on the roof of a bus,
with my two students to Nathadwar, a famous Sri Krishna temple. There was
serious looking sadhu with us. One of my students told him, that I am very
knowledgeable in Bhagabat Gita and Upnisheds. The sadhu was angry and told,
that it is not enough to know these scriptures, which might be due to the money
of his father. One has to live like sadhu to own them. Many other sadhus and
powerful leaders have similar attitude. There is an increasing trend to argue
that the concepts of atoms, electromagnetic radiation and plastic surgery,
medicine, airplane etc. were all known in spiritual world. They use them to
describe inconsistent and disjoint stories. Ironically, modern youth seems to
get influenced by this trend.
This seems to me as a recent trend, because my association
with my spiritual master was different. On one occasion, while working for my
PhD at a leading research institutes, we invited my spiritual master to look
through a telescope that was installed in the outskirt of Ahmedabad. He was
visiting the city to record some bhajans
and songs. In spite of his ill health, he obelized and came to see the
telescope. I was in charge of making
some tea for him. He stayed late and took keen interest asking various question
of astronomy to understand what he was looking.
On another occasion, knowing that we were PhD students of
Astrophysics, my master asked us what will happen when the planets co-align. He
was keen to know, because several spiritual leaders were telling all sort of
stuff. We gave Him a short account of the fact that this is not significant
from physics point of view. He appreciated our answer.
When I was completing my Bachelorette in Science with
Physics Honors, I got an opportunity to serve as a gatekeeper of my spiritual
master. This gave me some privileges to know Him better. During this visit, one
of His disciples, a magician, invited Him to a evening magic show. The master
obliged. In the show, he was asked to keep a ring inside a box, which was kept
in side another box, and another box and so on about ten boxes. He was also
asked to lock each box before keeping them. In the end he kept the key with him
safely. The magician showed his trick and took out the ring. When the master
opened the box, the ring was not there. The master was extremely impressed and
presented his magician disciple with gifts and monetary reward.
As a student of science, each of these events added respect
and my confidence on the master. He was good, did good to many of his
followers. My life was shaped by the hope and inspiration that he imparted
during my youth. As a service to Him, in next several blog posts, I plan to
write the big concepts of modern science for people who are not science majors.
This is my tribute to my spiritual master. I am motivated to do this guided by
the Bhagabata Gita teaching:
न ही ज्ञाने न सदृसं पबित्र एह विद्यते !
“Na
he Gyanen Sadrusham Pavitram Iha Vidyate” Nothing appear to be more sacred than
the Knowledge.
So
stay tuned for real stuff.
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