Friday, 19 April 2013

THE STORY OF DTM ROSE JOSEPH GEORGE


तमसोमा ज्योतिर् गमया।” "Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya" is a line of the Shanti Mantra from the “बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्” Brhadāranyaka Upanishad. It means "From darkness, lead me to light".

The journey from darkness to light cannot be accomplished without the help of a stick. The journey from ignorance to wisdom can only be accomplished with the help of knowledge. But how to get knowledge?

Let us travel back to my childhood. In the village on the terrace of my house, my mother by my side, the vast black umbrella studded with stars accompanied by the moon.

She as usual narrated a story of Eklavya. A student deprived of schooling, who learned archery by the inspiration he received from the idol he created of his ideal teacher Dronacharya.  As a child I enjoyed the emotion in the story, and felt connected to Eklavya.

Light and heat are associated with each other like two side of a coin. Knowledge like Heat travel from one destination to the other almost similarly.

  • Conduction (Physical contest) Knowledge is imparted by the Teacher Student togetherness.
  • Convection (Through a media) Knowledge is imparted with the help of books and e-books.
  • Radiation. (Without a media) Knowledge is imparted the way the light from the sun reaches the earth.
During my assignments I have always addressed DTM Rose Joseph George as a person designed to receive adjectives by default. People call him as walking dictionary, talking dictionary etc. It would not be exaggeration if I say; he is a person who radiates knowledge.

He was assigned as my formal mentor but learning never happened to me through one on one discussion (Conduction). It happened by observation (Radiation). Hardly have we communicated for one or two speeches. But I used to watch him keenly and listen to him attentively. His focus on the topic, his choice of appropriate words, his tone, sense of humor and empathy for the addressee are some areas which have benefited me a lot. My communication track in the Toastmasters has finished but I still can continue to learn by observing him. I believe learning is a life-long, never ending process.

As a man of 57 I have understood the essence of the story of Eklavya and the intention of the storyteller “My mother”

See you next time with another story; A story of DTM Sushil Kumar Agrawal.

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