nAlO nEnu (Is literature the ultimate? #2)
Prabhakar Vissavajjhala (vissa@cortex.neuro.mssm.edu)
Mon, 9 Jun 1997 20:40:17 -0500
nAlO nEnu
[Is literature (poetry) the ultimate regarding practical
reality?#2)
[This is put in the form of a dialogue between 'manassu' (mind) abbreviated
as 'M' and 'buddhi' (conscience) abbreviated as 'B' of the same
individuval.]
M: Of course, obviously, the one who feeds. However, what if a rich person
reacts with that peotry and starts an 'annadAna satram'? Won't that
poet/writer get credit for that?
B: Seems like you do not get the point properly, do you? O.K. By the
way, do you know about diabetes?
M: Come on, I am asking you something, you are deviating from that point.
B: No, I am not.
M: O.K. Even people without scientific background do know about it today.
Insufficient amounts of a hormone (insulin) won't allow the cells in the
body to take up glucose. So, glucose levels raise very high in the blood
and will not be utilized by the body properly. Simply, that is diabetes.
B: Good. This was the first reason people thought and started looking for
a cure. But suddenly, one day they noticed a case, where enough of hormone
was present in the body, still the person was diabetic with high blood
glucose levels. The research went on and finally it was figured out that
the receptors on the cells for that hormone are at fault. Did you catch
the point?
M: What point?
B: The disease is not just due to the lack of the message (hormone) alone.
Even when the message is present, if the receptors for the message are at
fault, you will still have the same problem.
M: So..............?
B: When it comes to dealig with 'practical reality', it is not mere message
(literature/poetry) neither its generator (poet/writer) nor who relays it
in the tune of 3rd category are good enough. It is the 4th category people
that are the ultimate. There may be a tremendous idealogy proposed by a
person, however, if there is nobody to implement it, how one can the value
of it be explored? A teacher, if advises the student about quitting
injurious smoking, and the student implements it, appreciate the student
for his/her determined effort. If the student acknowledges the teacher for
the advice, it is well and good. It shows his/her humbleness. But it is
unfair, if the teacher is attributed with the entire responsibility for
that, ignoring the effort of the student. Quite honestly, a sincere teacher
never claims the credit, especially when it is full of action-required
effort. If not that specific teacher, someone else might have told the
student. Similarly, not all the students could have listened to that
teacher either. This itself proves the importance of reception and
implementation. Please recollect vEmana's poem.
enni cadivi gAni, enni vinnanu gAni
heenu DAva guNammu mAna lEDu
Poetry/literature have their places. When it comes to deal with the
'practical reality', the message (poetry/literature) is like a 'beeja',
the body which receives it is like a 'kshEtra'. Unless the same 'body'
turns into a 'karshaka' (cultivator/practitioner), the seeds remain
dormant. You are not going to make anything out of it.
Afterall, please remember that 'the simplest deed ever done is always
greater than the greatest thought/appeal never implemented in action'.
Especially, when it comes to 'practical reality', there is absolutely no
substitution for action-oriented effort.
kavitalu vEyi vrAsinanu, kannula neeTini gramma jEsinan
navatanu bencunaTTi adhunAtana mArgamu lenni jeppinan
suvidita mayye nancu Sata SrOtalu gumpuga jEri meccinan
kavitalu bAdha deerpavuga! kAryamu nanduna beTTa kunnacO !
M: Well, I guess people do know that the 4th category are important and
the ultimate anyway. But do you think that there is no significance for the
3rd category? Aren't they better than the 2nd category, if not the best? By
the way, where do you put the poets/writers, who generate the 'beeja' in
your new format of the story? Which category do they belong to?
(to be continued)
With regards,
Prabhakar Vissavajjhala