Page 36 - NAMAH-Apr-2018

Namah Vol. 26, Issue 1, 24th April 2018

such as obedience to elders, doing everything out of mud and stone. Potentially the mud
as told, following the social and religious or stone can be moulded into any shape
norms, etc. may well indicate an inability the sculptor wants.The form and figure are
to stand up for what is True and Beautiful, however an icon of the idea that it represents.
a mass mind, an inability to handle dissent. Therefore the human sculptor or the educator
In reality, both these types, the conformist has to feel the Divine Idea within the raw
and the non-conformist, the introvert and the material and give it expression in tune
extrovert have each their strong and weak with the Divine Will in the child. Given the
sides. All that they need is a right orientation enormous difficulty of this task, it may be
and not a negation of who they are and what wisely said that often it may be best not to
qualities they embody. It is like a plant or tree. interfere with the child’s natural development
Each has its place and way of progressing unless one has the Wisdom and is attuned to
towards its unique blossoming. What we the Divine Wisdom and Idea, of which the
need is to provide the right conditions for child is a representative. But being human
growth which will be different for different we not only feel it necessary to intervene
species of plants. But if we try to change a and interfere in others’ affairs but being
rose into a mango or a wild shrub into a presently at the apex of creation feel we are
creeper, an oak into grass and vice versa, then wise enough. Unfortunately our being wise
we disturb the balance and the evolutionary enough is to a Higher Intelligence not so
curve of things. The grass can never become wise enough! Therefore it is so important to
an oak and lose its own svadhaarma of grass- keep growing in Wisdom even after we have
hood. But this is what we are taught through gathered all the necessary information and
the famous story of the hare and the tortoise gleaned it into stacks of knowledge. What we
that the two should compete in the race and forget is that we too as individuals represent
whoever wins is better. In reality, in nature one of the infinite aspects of the Divine and
a tortoise is best by the side of the river hence, even at our best, our vision is limited
and a hare on land. Each has its place, its to the aspect we have developed within us.
uniqueness, its role and function in the larger This is only if we have taken care to bring out
economy of things. There is no competition the divinity within us and have succeeded in
in nature. Even what we see as competition the process. More commonly though we are
is not about who is better but simply a way far from that and only end up imposing upon
that nature uses to develop both. the child our own ignorant understanding of
life or see our ego cloned in the child or at
A Unique expression best stereotype and standardise into a fixed
form of perfection (by our mental standards
In other words each human being is a unique of course) what is meant to be the free growth
expression of some aspect of the Divine. Life of a living, conscious individual.
experiences as well as educators have this
challenging task of helping to bring out this The question therefore arises, — what then
unique divine aspect, of chipping off the is our role, if any? Yes, we all do have a role,
crusts around it, of refining it and shaping even an important role to play. It does not
it as a sculptor shapes the forms and figures lie in giving lectures or telling stories to the

36