Volume 1, 2013 “Because We Care”
Little People Day Care School of Columbia 780 Chickies Hill Road, Columbia, PA 17512 Phone: (717) 684-4451 E-mail: littlepeopledaycareschool.com
Owners: Syamal (Sam) K. Bhattacharya & Dr. Sulekha (Sue) Bhattacharya
Syamal & Sulekha Bhattacharya Rajib & Shelley Proshanta & Renee 2 Bengali Association of Greater Harrisburg 411 Hopi Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 www.bagh.us [email protected] From the desk of the President
Dear Friends, 2013 Executive Committee On behalf of Bengali Association of Greater Harrisburg I welcome you President to our inaugural dinner and Bijoya Sammelani program. I wish you all a Arun Sanyal very joyous festive season of Durga Puja and Diwali. This is the time of "giving" and making your near and dear ones happy by giving gifts and Vice Presidents wishing them happiness, good health and prosperity for the coming year. Goutam Mookerjee Sukanya Mukherjee Our association was formed on August 11, 2013 by an overwhelming majority of the participants in a general body meeting open to all Bengali Treasurer residents in the Greater Harrisburg area. The Bye-Laws and the office Syamal Bhattacharya bearers were elected unanimously during the meeting.
Secretary Our association is only two and a half months old and in this short time Shatarupa Podder period, we have achieved a lot and has come a long way to meet our mission and vision set forth in our Bye-Laws. We hope not only to serve Members the Bengali community of greater Harrisburg area but also co-operate Kausik Bandyopadhyay and participate in every possible way in activities of the other Asian Rahul Roy Indian Association in Harrisburg area. Please wish us luck that we are successful in our endeavor. Senior Advisory Committee No Association or organization can function well and be successful Chairman without the full support of its members and especially the Executive Gautam Ray committee. It would be unfair if I do not give credit to my two hardworking vice presidents Goutam Mookerjee and Sukanya Members Mukherjee for their tireless efforts in the past few months in the Swapna Dasgupta formation of this association. I am specially blessed with an executive Rupali Roy committee who are working hard and has given their unwavering Deep Gupta support in making this organization a success so far. And more importantly has overlooked my shortcomings and missteps. I thank each one of you. I also sincerely thank representatives from AIACPA and HARI Temple Cover Illustration as well as the Asian Indian community for their overwhelming support (Front and Back) and guidance provided to this Association. Ananya Das To Bengalis, this is the time of the year which means more than just Editing & Compilation religious observances. It is a time for celebration of “life and the triumph Ananya & Arunangshu Das of good over evil”. To celebrate this occasion it is a tradition
Contd. on Page 4.
Expressions 3 From the desk of the President (contd. from Page 3) in Bengal to have cultural programs such as theater performances, dance, music and variety of cultural programs in evening during the Puja days. To continue this unique Bengali tradition, Bengali Association of Greater Harrisburg has taken the opportunity to arrange a variety cultural program showcasing traditional Bengali music and dances performed by very talented artists from our own community in Harrisburg area. This has energized our community and has brought it together as never before. We are very fortunate to have performers from other parts of India which adds to the variety and diversity of our Indian cultural heritage, we so much love and enjoy.
We also didn’t forget the richness of the Bengali language and the reading habit of the very culturally thirsty Bengalis. Today we have published a beautifully compiled first volume of our literary and artistic efforts. All the literary & art contributions and publishing were achieved by our own very talented people within a very short timeline.
Once again, on behalf of Bengali Association of Greater Harrisburg I thank you for participating in our inaugural dinner and Bijoya celebration.
Shubho Bijoya to all of you.
Arun Sanyal President Bengali Association of Greater Harrisburg (BAGH)
Expressions 4 Message from Mr. Punit Lochan, President, AIACPA
Dear Arun,
First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS from the AIACPA and the entire Greater Harrisburg community for a formal setup of the Bengali Association of Greater Harrisburg, BAGH. With our Congratulations, we would also like to share our Good Wishes for its success and increased presence in the greater community. While Deep uncle and MG uncle have been providing the initial support, on behalf of them and the entire AIACPA, I would like to extend any further support that BAGH may need in building and growing the organization. AIACPA’s mission is to unite each organization and make it successful, which will add to the success of our bigger Indian community. Since the vision and mission laid out by your organization complements AIACPA’s vision and mission, me and my entire AIACPA team will be available to BAGH for assistance.
Please extend our heartiest congratulations and best wishes to your entire BAGH organization, especially the Executive team, board and advisory committee, who will need to work tirelessly to make this successful. Thank you in advance from all of us as you take this forward, and let us know how can we help.
AIACPA 2013 Organization (visit: http://www.aiacpa.org/) – copied on this email:
· Chairperson – Deep Gupta · Past President and Chief Advisor – MG Patel · President – Punit Lochan · Vice President – Virendra Trivedi · Secretary – Ashwini Sathe · Treasurer – Pramod Srivastava
Two minor comments: 1. We will appreciate your participation in the India Fair meetings. Please reach out to Virendra Trivedi if you (or your designated person) needs any background information or calendar invites. 2. I love the name – BAGH
Punit
Punit Lochan President Asian Indian Americans of Central Pennsylvania (AIACPA)
Expressions 5 Expressions 6 Bengali Association of Greater Harrisburg Inaugural Dinner and Cultural Program Sunday, October 27, 2013 4:30-9:00 pm
Schedule
4:30 pm Socialization and Snacks
5:30 pm President’s Welcome Address - Arun Sanyal
5:40 pm Devotional Songs - Aneeta Sanyal; Tabla - Shubhodeep Das
5:45 pm Fusion Dance - Aditi Kulkarni
6:00 pm Flute and Keyboard Duo - Debangana & Ishana Bandyopadhyay
6.10 pm Violin - Veda Bandyopadhyay
6:15 pm Dance: Hindi Song - Sumona Chaudhuri
6:30 pm Bengali Songs - Sumita Chatterjee; Tabla - Shubhodeep Das
6:40 pm Dance: Rabindrasangeet - Baishali Bandyopadhyay
6:55 pm Bengali & Hindi Songs - Rajasree Roy
7:10 pm Dance: Remix Group - Sukanya Mukherjee, Sombrata Bandyopadhyay, Sumona Chaudhuri, Arnab Mishra & Baishali Bandyopadhyay
7:25 pm Acknowledgements
7:30 pm Dinner
Expressions 7 would like to extend specials thanks to
Passage to India & Passage to India Leena Shenoy
for providing the venue and food for our first Annual Dinner & Bijoya Sammelani
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Expressions 8
Contents / সূচীপ�
�তী�া………………………………………………………………………. 10 দীপা মুখািজর
Incarnations in Nature……………………………………………………… 11 Veda
By a Village…...... 12 Rajasree Roy
Halloween Puzzle………………………………………………………….. 14
Animal Family...... 15 Ishana Bandyopadhyay
Rose-Artwork ...... 16 Debangana Bandyopadhyay
Ants and Other Artwork…………………………………………………… 21 Arman Kazi
Swami Vivekananda and Religious Pluralism…………………………….. 22 Jeffery D. Long, Ph.D.
অচর্নাে………………………………………………………………………27 অন�া দাশ
একটা িদন, একটা পাতা………………………………………………………. 29 ডাঃ শুভ�র বে�য্াপাধয
Grace……………………………………………………………………….. 30 Ranjan Roy
Diamonds in the Sky……………………………………………………….. 32 Rajasree Roy
বিনর ভয় ……………………………………………………………………. 34 সুপণর্া েগা
Health and Healthcare……………………………………………………… 36 Chitta R. Sarker, M.D.
Water Therapy, Physics and Physiology……………………………………39 Ranjan Roy
Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury…...... 41
েছেলেবলার িকছু কথা ………………………………………………………… 42 অরুণাংশু দা Expressions 9 কিবতা
�তী�া দীপা মুখাজর্ী
েখালা আকাশ, দমকা বাতাস িশউিল ফুেলর গ� ঢাক বােজ, কাঁসর বােজ মেন বােজ মৃদ�।
েচনা েচনা মুখ, আেস জানালায় িদেয় যায় মেন েদালা; খুিশর েজায়াের যাই েভেস যাই যায় িক েসিদন েভালা?
নতুন জামা, নতুন জুেতা েভেস আেস তার গ�; েহেস েখেল ছুেট েবড়াই আহা, েসিক মহান�!
হঠাৎ শে� ভাঙল েয ঘুম হারালাম েছেলেবলা, েদখেত েদখেত েকেট েগেছ িদন বেয় েগেছ কত েবলা।
েযেত হেব পথ অেনক দূেরর েনই েয তরীর েদখা; বেস আিছ েচেয় েসিদক পােন এখন েয শুধুই �তী�!
Expressions 10 Poetry Incarnations in Nature Veda (8th Grade)
I am as cautious as a mouse, who has to sneak past a ferocious cat in order to reach his desired, golden, beloved cheese. My feet are so light, that even mouse traps aren’t affected by me.
I am a gentle tropical tide, brushing against the soft, sandy beach. People jump into my light waves hoping to be refreshed after a long, hot, summer day.
I am as jovial as a pair of small, fluffy kittens prancing away from each other in a playful game of tag. Although many don’t join me, inside, their hearts leap with joy.
I am as calm as a crocodile, slipping under the dark muddy water to surprise and unsuspecting animal. As I go down like a submarine, I leave behind nothing except a small ripple of water. Then, with a WHOOSH, I shoot out at my victim and wrap my deadly teeth around it’s neck.
In nature though with all these traits, I am a falcon. My sharp clean eyes help me see incoming danger. My beak, deadly to many, is gentle to the people I care for. I love soaring through the clouds with the cool wind billowing through my dark feathers. Finally, I am incredibly calm, and know perfectly when to strike down on an unsuspecting victim. I am a falcon. Expressions 11
Reminiscences
By A Village Rajasree Roy (Medical Student, II)
“How many people live in your household?” “Twelve....oh, and one on the way.” Surprised expression. “But...but aren’t you an only child?” “Well...”
According to an old proverb, “it takes a whole village to raise a child.” But why do you need a village when you’ve got family? For much of American society, the nuclear family has become the norm. For my family, however, the norm is a bit extended.
When my father came to the United States, he, his brothers, and their families stayed under one roof. They were guided by the matriarch of our family, my grandmother, who we lovingly called “Didi”. I myself was born into this household, adored and cared for by each member of the family, eating only when music would play or my uncle would dance, wearing clothing identical to my cousin-sister so we could match in every way, and tagging along on all road trips, often without my own parents being there. It is here, in fact, that I probably caught the travel bug, wanting to explore each and every corner I laid my eyes upon.
As time went by, our families grew. Even as everyone slowly started going their separate ways, we all remained within a ten minute distance from one another, sometimes moving just around the corner. Didi split her time between all of her sons and my Pishi in Kolkata, but she primarily raised me during my childhood years as my parents worked. Didi was an extraordinary woman, strong with passion and determination. Just as she was brutally honest and quick to scold anyone as if they were her own, she was just as adept in calming them down and soothing their aches with homeopathic medicines.
When my Jethu, the oldest of the brothers, came over to the United States, he moved in with us along with his wife and younger daughter. It was he, in fact, who gave me my first keyboard and sparked my initial interest in music. Soon after, however, my family was struck with the tragedy of his untimely death as he was hit by a drugged driver while crossing the street. Not long after, Didi was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and left us a year later. These events were my first exposures to death and I am still terrified of the smell of certain “dhup kathis” that I have subconsciously associated with mourning. These incidents left my Jethima and cousin-sister, Dumdidi, living with us, continuing my experience of the extended warmth.
Over the eight years they remained with us, Dumdidi built upon my musical curiosity by introducing me to Rabindrasangeet and Nazrulgiti. Jethima continued to expand the horizons of our taste buds with her delicious cooking. After Dumdidi got married and had a son, it was with him that I had my first cases of sibling rivalry. If he’d pull my hair, I’d pull his hair back. However, I would get in trouble for it though as I was supposed to be the older and responsible “Mashi.”
Expressions 12
When my maternal grandparents came, my Dida took over the caretaker role my Didi left behind and my Dadu became my teacher of all trades. Although we both were never formally trained in music, he consistently translated songs in the Swaralipis for me while we both figured out on a trial and error basis the notes on the harmonium while listening to a cassette recording. In fact, this is how he got me to learn how to read and write in Bengali; if I wanted to continue singing, I would have to read the Swaralipis myself. When my Mashi and younger Mama came, we were graced with more musical presence, both in sur and in taal.
A typical day in our household characterizes the integral roles everyone plays in this family orchestra. My father excels in organization and responsibility; give him a task and he’ll design and finish the assignment in a timely fashion. My mother is an expert when it comes to shopping and is a caring confidante. Boro Mama, who has been with us since I was a baby and who is pretty much like a second father to me, is a master of interior design and cleanliness; all the decor in our household reflects his creativity. When there is a technical issue, Choto Mama is the person to run to, and if Bollywood is in question, my Choto Mami is the dedicated news reporter. Mesho can tell you anything about a given motor vehicle, whereas Mashi reigns as the queen of the kitchen. My Dadu can be found fixing things around the house, while Dida typically has three children hanging off of her.
Is maintaining peace within this group dynamic easy? Certainly not. Just like any other family, conflicts and compromises are natural, and relationships, big or small, must be maintained and nurtured. It is certainly an interesting experience being in the middle of multiple generations. I find myself fighting like siblings with my aunts and uncles, while having this beautiful mother- sister relationship with my four younger cousins. The checkpoint for permission does not start and end with only my parents, but runs down the generational hierarchy starting with my grandparents. School conferences and doctor visits have always been accompanied by the entire support system and the evenings turn into magical movie nights filled with news followed by classic Bengali serials. Did I even mention the feasts?
Ask a person what they want to be, and you will hear a variety of careers: a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer and so on. Although these are all respectable goals, it is my family’s choice that has inspired me the most. Throughout their struggles and sacrifices, their primary goals have always been to be good human beings. I strive to be like them, people wealthy in both heart and mind, who go out of their way to help others. They all have played a definitive role in making me who I am today and I appreciate the unique perspective and outlook my extended family upbringing has given me. They have taught me by example to be considerate, compassionate, responsible, and honorable—qualities I value in myself and in others.
Expressions 13 The first Jack O’Lanterns were Ireland is typically believed to actually made from turnips! be the birthplace of Halloween. Halloween is thought to have Halloween has been called All Hallows’ Eve, originated around 4000 B.C., Witches Night, Lamswool, Snap-Apple Night, which means Halloween has been Samhain, and Summer’s End. around for over 6,000 years! Connect the Dots
Shubho Bijoya to BAGH from Calcutta Kids!
Calcutta Kids (http://calcuttakids.org/) is committed to empowering the poorest children and expecting mothers in the underserved slums in and around Kolkata, India by increasing their access to health and nutrition services, and encouraging positive health-changing behaviors. Calcutta Kids' primary objective is to advance the promotion and delivery of good healthcare, medical advocacy, and health education.
USA: Calcutta Kids, P.O. Box 65, Marlboro, VT 05344 USA [email protected] Ph: (802) 254-2652 India: Calcutta Kids, 51 Bhairab Dutta Lane, Salkia, Howrah 711106 West Bengal [email protected] Phone: 91 33 2675 7870 Expressions 14 Poetry
Animal Family Ishana Bandyopadhyay (5th Grade)
My older sister is a snake. Sometimes asleep sometimes awake. She is always hissing her anger out, on the days she seems to pout.
My mom is a mouse. Always cleaning and wiping the house. Even though she is not 6 feet tall, she can make us all crawl.
My dad is a lion. He rules the house. He is married to my mom who I call a mouse.
I am a cheetah. Always zipping around. When my mom can't find me I will turn around.
Expressions 15 Artwork
Art by Debangana Bandyopadhyay (8th Grade)
Expressions 16 List of Members
Bandyopadhyay, Kausik & Sombrata (F) Maser, Juma Das
Bandyopadhyay, Subhankar & Baishali (F) Mishra, Bibek & Priyambada Banerjee, Amit & Dahlia (F) Mitra, Ankan & Semontee Banerjee, Sanjib Mookerjee, Goutam & Dipa (F) Banerjee, Shubhadeep (F) Mukherjee, Rajeev & Banerjee, Anoti (F)
Bhattacharjee, Sanjoy Mukherjee, Sandip & Sukanya (F) Bhattacharya, Syamal & Sulekha (F) Pai, Jaydeb & Swarupa (F) Biswas,Suman Patel, M.G (F) Chatterjee, Kamalika Podder, Shatarupa (F) Chatterjee, Kaushik & Sumita (F) Ray, Gautam & Kalyani (F) Das, Arunangshu & Ananya (F) Ray, Prasenjit Das, Avisnata (F) Roy, Rahul & Paromita (F) Dasgupta, Swapna (F) Roy, Rajasree (F) Dass, Chhanda Roy, Ranjan & Rupali (F) Dhar, Paramita Sadhukhan, Ankur & Chatterjee, Chanda Ghosh, Supriyo & Preeti Sadhukhan, Lakshmina & Irarani (F) Gupta, Deep (F) Saha, Satyajit & Sima Halder, Tuhin, & Gope, Suparna Sahai,Sudha
Kazi, Abid & Chakraborty, Sangita Sanyal, Arun & Aneeta (F) Kumar, Amitabha (F) Sarker, Chitta & Sheila
Long, Jeffery & Bhattacharya, Mahua
(F) – Stands for ‘Founding Member’
Expressions 17 Durga Puja 2013 at the HARI Temple
18 Durga Puja 2013 at the HARI Temple Photography : Rahul
Roy
Shubho Bijoyar Antorik Shubhechchha o Shubho Deepavali
Gautam & Kalyani Ray
Best wishes for Shubho Bijoya & a Happy Diwali
Goutam & Dipa Mookerjee
Expressions 20 Artwork
Ants and Other Art by Arman Kazi (Pre K)
Expressions 21 Article commemorating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
Swami Vivekananda and Religious Pluralism Jeffery D. Long, Ph.D.
Introduction: Among Swami Vivekananda’s most significant contributions to global culture are his reflections on religious pluralism, which can be defined broadly as the idea that there is truth to be found in many religious traditions, and not only one. Inspired by his master, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda articulated a vision of interreligious harmony and cooperation that is even more desperately needed today than it was over a century ago, when Swamiji proclaimed it at the 1893 Chicago Parliament of the World’s Religions. This paper will present some of the main features of Swami Vivekananda’s thought on religious pluralism, such as the distinction between acceptance and tolerance, the fact that the world’s religions are not “all the same,” the idea of non-conversion, and the idea of mutual enrichment among diverse traditions. Beyond Tolerance to Universal Acceptance In a world marked by violence and pronounced intolerance amongst the adherents of diverse worldviews, one hears a good deal about the virtues of tolerance, and calls for tolerance are an increasingly prominent feature of public discourse. But well intentioned as these calls certainly are, is mere toleration of difference the best that humanity can do? Swami Vivekananda envisioned inter-religious relations that would go far beyond the secular ideal of tolerance, in which practitioners of diverse traditions merely co-exist, toward an ideal of universal acceptance. In his famous first address at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, he says of the Hindu tradition, “I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.”1 Tolerance is, of course, far preferable to intolerance. It is, however, a lesser virtue when compared with acceptance. ______1Vivekananda, Volume 1, p. 3
Expressions 22 In a 1900 lecture entitled “The Way to the Realisation of a Universal Religion,” Swamiji draws a stark distinction between the lesser virtue of tolerance–which he goes so far as to equate with blasphemy–and the much greater virtue of acceptance, saying, “Our watchword, then, will be acceptance, and not exclusion. Not only toleration, for so-called toleration is often blasphemy, and I do not believe in it. I believe in acceptance.”2 His rejection of tolerance is clearly not an endorsement of intolerance, but a call to move to the even higher plane of acceptance. As he explains, “Why should I tolerate? Toleration means that I think that you are wrong and I am just allowing you to live. Is it not blas-phemy to think that you and I are allowing others to live? I accept all religions that were in the past, and worship with them all; I worship God with every one of them, in what-ever form they worship Him.”3 As I sometimes ask my students, if one of your friends were to say to you today, “I tolerate you,” would that be a compliment? How do we feel if someone tells us that they merely tolerate us? What gives them the right to decide who is allowed to exist and who is not? And what gives us the right to do that to another? We would of course not want to face the alternative of intolerance, which is all too prevalent in the world today. But tolerance alone is not enough. We can tolerate someone while ignoring them. But to truly see the divine in all, which is what Vedanta teaches us to do, we must go beyond the minimum requirement of tolerance and move toward acceptance. We must see the other not as other, but as our very own. Indeed, this is the teaching, not only of Swami Vivekananda, but also of the Holy Mother, Sarada Devi, who tells all of us, “Learn to make the world your own. Nobody is a stranger. The whole world is your own.”4 This is true acceptance, based on the deep Vedantic insight of the fundamental unity and inter-connectedness of all beings. One can perhaps draw a parallel between these three states of being–intolerance, tolerance, and acceptance–and the Yogachara Buddhist teaching of the three levels of truth: falsehood (corresponding to intolerance, which sees the other as a threat that cannot be allowed to exist), relative truth (corresponding to tolerance, which sees the other as a being with its own integrity and value that must be allowed to exist despite its problematic otherness), and absolute truth (corresponding to acceptance, which realizes the ultimate non-duality of self and other). As one moves through progressively higher states of realization, one moves from a deluded identification with the physical body and its various adjuncts (such as relations of family, ethnicity, nationality, and even species), which can be destroyed and therefore need to be protected from the strange and different, to an intellectual identification with the whole (issuing in the virtue of tolerance, needed for the survival of civilization, but woefully inadequate to a higher spirituality), to the full realization of one’s unity with the whole, issuing in and also sustained and facilitated by the virtue of acceptance. “We’re One, but we’re not the same” To paraphrase, however, my friend and colleague Anantanand Rambachan, non-duality is not to be confused with simple oneness. Or to quote the famous song by U2, “We’re one, but we’re not the same.” The universal acceptance that Swami Vivekananda teaches should not be taken to mean that all religions are simply the same. Critics of what some call Swami Vivekananda’s “radical universalism” have either misunderstood or distorted his religious pluralism as a teaching that “all religions are the same.” They have then attacked this straw man position, which in fact bears little or no resemblance to Swamiji’s actual teaching on this subject. Some also deride this teaching as a form of relativism–the view that everything is true, and therefore nothing is true. Relativism, a form of skepticism, is rooted in the idea that we can never really know the truth, and therefore all attempts to express truth are of equal value. ______2Vivekananda, Volume 2, pp. 373-374 3Ibid 4Dasgupta, p. 122 Expressions 23 The harmony of religions, however, is rooted not in skepticism, but rather in the awareness–realized by Sri Ramakrishna directly, through his many sadhanas–that truth can be realized, and that this is indeed possible by means of a variety of paths: the many systems of belief and practice that make up the shared human inheritance. Contrary to the claims of some critics who, even today, deride the perspective that he offered, Swamiji was fully aware of the logical, philosophical problems involved in claiming that all religions are true. He even posed this question himself. “How can all these varieties be true? If one thing is true, its negation is false. How can contradictory opinions be true at the same time?”5 One approach to this question is to argue that the various contradictions among the teachings of the world’s religions are superficial, or merely apparent, and that there is a much deeper agreement and harmony among the religions than appears to be the case at first glance. Swamiji hints at this approach when he asks, “Are all the religions of the world really contradictory? I do not mean the external forms in which great thoughts are clad. I do not mean the different buildings, languages, rituals, books, etc. employed in various religions, but I mean the internal soul of every religion.”6 This suggests that one might be able to discern an inner essence of religions–their “internal soul”–that they share, distinguishing this inner essence from that which is superficial, or merely external. This is the idea of the perennial philosophy championed by Aldous Huxley and by other intellectuals influenced by the Vedanta movement, such as Huston Smith. It is the idea of the “metaphysic that recognizes a divine Reality substantial to the world of things and lives and minds; the psychology that finds in the soul something similar to, or even identical with, divine Reality; the ethic that places man’s final end in the knowledge of the immanent and transcendent Ground of all being.”7 The perennial philosophy that Huxley describes is essentially Vedanta. Vedanta “recognizes a divine Reality substantial to the world of things and lives and minds”–the infinite Brahman. It includes “the psychology that finds in the soul something similar to, or even identical with, divine Reality” in the form of its teaching of the non-duality of the Atman and Brahman–tattvamasi, aham brahmasmi, sarvam khalvidam Brahman. And its ethic places our “final end in the knowledge of the immanent and transcendent Ground of all being.” Swamiji taught that Vedanta was not only a Hindu system of philosophy, but that it is a universal philosophy underlying all religions and philosophies. To be sure, it is a philosophy that finds particularly clear and powerful expression in the teaching of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. But it is nonetheless a universal, human inheritance. Some have questioned, though, whether this response to the question of the many disagreements among the world’s religions is too simplistic. By reducing the religions of the world to those areas where they agree with one another and with Vedanta philosophy, does one not do violence to their rich diversity? Is this truly acceptance, or is it forcing the other into our own preconceived mold, perhaps in a way that would preclude any real dialogue, where we might learn something different from the other? This question has been posed with particular sharpness by adherents (including myself) of the perspective known as “deep religious pluralism,” which seeks to advance a vision of pluralism that is not bought at the expense of genuine differences among religious traditions.8 Significantly, Swami Vivekananda anticipated the criticism that the perennialist approach reduces all religions to a common denominator without respecting their genuine differences and articulated over a century ago the central point that made recently by the proponents of deep religious pluralism. In his own words, “Every religion has a soul behind it, and that soul may differ from the soul of another religion; but are they contra-dictory? Do they contradict or supplement each other?–that is the question.”9 ______5 Vivekananda, Volume 2, p. 365 6Ibid 7Huxley, p. vii 8See David Ray Griffin, ed., Deep Religious Pluralism (John Knox Westminster Press, 2005). 9 Vivekananda, Volume 2, p. 365 Expressions 24 Again, Swamiji does not affirm that all religions are the same. Each religion is distinct. It has its own “soul.” And while contradictions may indeed obtain among the doctrines and the practices that have been formed on the basis of its core ideals–not only among religions, but even within the same religion, leading to division and sectarianism–Swamiji poses the question: Do the core insights of the various religions necessarily conflict? Or might these central ideals be logically compatible–in Swamiji’s words “supplementary”? Might it be that each religion represents a core ideal, and that these ideals are not contradictory, despite each being distinct? Might they even be mutually affirming? Swamiji takes a side on this issue: “I believe that they are not contradictory; they are supplementary. Each religion, as it were, takes up one part of the great universal truth, and spends its whole force in embodying and typifying that part of the great truth. It is, therefore, addition, not exclusion. That is the idea. System after system arises, each one embodying a great idea, and ideals must be added to ideals. And this is the march of humanity.”10 Swami Vivekananda’s approach to religious diversity has definite implications for human conduct in the face of the great variety of beliefs and practices that exist. When one encounters a religious or philosophical claim that is contrary to one’s own view, the proper attitude to take is to adhere to one’s own view, but simultaneously to be open to the possibility that a kernel of truth–a genuine insight into an aspect of reality that one has not yet considered–must rest at the core of the worldview of the other. This is not relativism–throwing up one’s hands in despair and asking rhetorically, “Well, who really knows the truth?” Nor is it absolutism: clinging to one’s view while rejecting all others. It is a middle path–a third way–between these two extremes toward which conversations about religious pluralism tend to veer. Pravrajika Vrajaprana summarizes Vivekananda’s approach to religious diversity when she writes that, “The world’s spiritual traditions are like different pieces in a giant jigsaw puzzle: each piece is different and each piece is essential to complete the whole picture. Each piece is to be honored and respected while holding firm to our own particular piece of the puzzle. We can deepen our own spirituality and learn about our own tradition by studying other faiths. Just as importantly, by studying our own tradition well, we are better able to appreciate the truth in other tradition.”11 Swamiji’s emphasis on the fact that the ideals of the religions do differ is important to highlight, particularly given the fact that critics of religious pluralism have often attacked this position with the argument that it is absurd to assert that all religions are “essentially the same” when they are very clearly quite different from one another.12 As Vrajaprana points out, “This is not to say that all religions are ‘pretty much the same.’ That is an affront to the distinct beauty and individual greatness of each of the world’s spiritual traditions. Saying that every religion is equally true and authentic doesn’t mean that one can be substituted for the other like generic brands of aspirin.”13 A religion is like a medicine: not all medicines are alike, but all have the power to heal–or to harm, if taken under the wrong conditions. To say the world’s religions are distinct, but that their central ideals are logically compatible, is quite different from saying that they are the same. Swamiji’s teaching on religious pluralism affirms the differences among the world’s religions: that the ideal to which each is oriented is distinct. These ideals, however, like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, are each “part of the great universal truth.” They are not the same, nor are they interchangeable. But their basic truth can be accepted and affirmed, and practitioners of each tradition can learn from and share the insights of the others. Dialogue: Not Conversion, but Mutual Enrichment This is a point to which Swami Vivekananda gives special emphasis: that inter-religious dialogue is integral to the process of spiritual evolution for each person in every religious tradition. The specific form that this process will take will differ from person to person, and of course from tradition to tradition. But all who engage in it will benefit spiritually. ______10Ibid, pp. 365-366 11Vrajaprana, pp. 56-57 12See, for example, Frank Morales. 13Vrajaprana, pp. 56-57 Expressions 25 This is not a project of conversion, but of mutual enrichment. As Swamiji explains, “Do I wish that the Christian would become Hindu? God forbid. Do I wish that the Hindu or Buddhist would become Christian? God forbid. The seed is put in the ground, and earth and air and water are placed around it. Does the seed become the earth, or the air, or the water? No. It becomes a plant, it develops after the law of its own growth, assimilates the air, the earth, and the water, converts them into plant substance, and grows into a plant. Similar is the case with religion. The Christian is not to become a Hindu or a Buddhist, nor a Hindu or a Buddhist to become a Christian. But each must assimilate the spirit of the others and yet preserve his individuality and grow according to his own law of growth.”14 Having been drawn, myself, from the practice of the Roman Catholic Christian tradition in which I was raised to the practice of Hinduism, I do not believe that Swamiji is here disallowing the fact that one might be drawn to a particular tradition and begin to practice and identify with it, even if it is different from the tradition into which one was born. He is saying that it is not necessary for everyone to practice the same tradition: that what matters is not one’s religious label, but the spirit behind one’s practice. The ideal of a “universal religion” of which Swami Vivekananda speaks is not of a single religion conquering and replacing all others. It is an ideal, rather, of what one might call a commonwealth of religions, each learning from and assimilating the ideals of the others while continuing to develop in its own distinctive way. As Swamiji explains, “My idea… is that all these religions are different forces in the economy of God, working for the good of mankind; and that not one can become dead, not one can be killed. Just as you cannot kill any force in nature, so you cannot kill any one of these spiritual forces. You have seen that each religion is living. From time to time it may retrograde or go forward. At one time, it may be shorn of a good many of its trappings; at another it may be covered with all sorts of trappings; but all the same, the soul is ever there, it can never be lost. The ideal which every religion represents is never lost, and so every religion is intelligently on the march.”15 Conclusion Swami Vivekananda’s ideal of universal acceptance, of diverse religions as being not so much contradictory as complementary, as forming distinct pieces of a vast jigsaw puzzle, as participating, each in its own way, in a broader, transcendent vision of the reality that we all share and inhabit, is even more relevant today than it was when he first articulated it, over a century ago. It has, fortunately, become an influential ideal in the Western world. But it is not yet shared by all. Swamiji said at the end of his first address to the Parliament of World Religions, “I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.”16 It is a deep and tragic irony that this speech was delivered on September 11, 1893–that is, precisely 108 years to the day before the notorious attacks which, for many in our time, have come to symbolize that very fanaticism, persecution, and hatred which Swamiji so fervently hoped would be ended in his time. Clearly, much work remains to be done to realize Swami Vivekananda’s fervent hope. As long as there is religious bigotry, and as long as violence is carried out in the name of religion, the need for Swami Vivekananda’s vision will be pressing and urgent. This becomes all the more evident when one takes into account the destructive capacities that our ever-increasing technological abilities make available to an ever-widening pool of actors on the global stage. The urgent need to save our world from destruction by promoting the Vedantic vision of universal acceptance compels us, in Swamiji’s words, to, “Arise, awake, and stop not until the goal is reached!” ______14CW 1, p. 24 15CW 2, p. 366 16Vivekananda, Volume 1, p. 4 Expressions 26 কিবতা
অচর্নােক (১০/১০/১৯৬৮ – ১১/১৮/২০০৫) অন�া দাশ
একটা িচিঠ িলখিছলাম আিম েতামার মা বাবােক – কাগেজ অেনক আঁচড় েকেট েফেল িদেয়িছ দলা পািকেয়
তােদর বলেত পািরিন �ে� আমরা এখনও েরাজ ভা�ােচারা িরকশায় চেড় ঘুের েবড়াই ধুেলামাখা রা�ায়। তুিম এখনও বাতােস উিড়েয় দাও েতামার আিবর রেঙর ওড়না! �াি�র এেলােমেলা েরশ �শর্ করেত পাের না েতামােক।
হািস ঠা�ার কলরেব েকেট যায় দুপুর িবেক। িকছুই বদলায়িন, িকছুই বদলােব না।
Expressions 27 সবাইেক জানাই শারদীয়ার �ীিত ও শুেভ�া এবং শুভিবজয়ার আ�িরক অিভন�ন
ৈবশালী, শুভ�, ি�য়দিশর্নী ও েবদ বে�য্াপাধয্া
সবার জে� শুভ িবজয়ার আ�িরক �ীিত ও শুেভ�
অরু, অনীতা, অনসূয়া ও অজুর্ন সা�াল
Expressions 28 ��াঘর্ একটা িদন, একটা পাতা ডাঃ শুভ�র বে�য্াপাধয আজ নবমী িছল। ওই িদনটাও। ম�ট� আমার আেস না েকানকােলই। ৈপেতটা েবাধহয় আজও মা ঠাকুরঘে য� কের তুেল েরেখেছ – গতবারও বেলিছল, “ওটা পিরস।“ আিম বেলিছলম “অয্ােমিরকা ওসব লােগটােগ না, তার েচেয় এখােনই থাকুক“ সকােল কলকাতায় েফান কেরিছলাম, ভালই আেছ সবাই। চলেছ খাওয়া-দাওয়া আর ঠাকু েদখেত যাওয়ার েতারেজাড়ও। বৃি�েক উেপ�া কের িপলিপল কের মানু েবিরেয় পেড়েছ রা�ায়। মা বলল, “খুব িমস করিছ ের েতােদর।” আিমও। মনটা তাই সকাল েথেকই খারাপ। কলকাতােক িমস করিছ বেল? জািন না, হয়েতা।
আজ নবমী িছল। মি�ের িগেয়িছলাম। সকােল েদবীদুগর্ আহবান ও িবসজর্ন দুপুে পংিতেভাজন। আর তার মােঝই স�াদক মশাইেয়র বাতর্, “এবার েলখাটা দাও। েতামার জে� েতা আর অেপ�া করা যাে� না, আ�া আর একটা িদন িদি�, একটা পাতা অ�ত েলেখা!” ইে� হল বিল আমার মন খারাপ, পারব না িলখেত। বললাম, “েদিখ কী করা যায়।”
স�য্া িলখেত বেস ভাবিছ কী িলখব? কলকাতায় ফাইিলন আছেড় পড়েত পড়েতও পেড়িন, সারদা েকেল�ারীর েমঘ এখনও কােটিন, ি�েকট েবিটং মু� হয়িন, টু-িজ-কয়লার �য্ামগুে এখনও খবেরর আড়ােল যায়িন, েতন্ডুলকের অবসের বাঙালীর িব�য় আর িবষােদর েঘার এখনও কােটিন, কলকাতা লন্ড হয়িন, �ুেল কেলেজ িশ�ক িন�হ থােমিন, র � া ি া ব� হয়িন, িশশ আর নারী িনযর্াতেন �তগুেল এখনও শুেকায়িন তেব কী িলখব? হােত মা� একটা িদন।
আজ নবমী িছল। ওই িদনটাও। আজ আমার আবার ভুবনডা�ার েমঘলা আকাশটােক খুব েদখেত ইে� করেছ – আজ আমার আবার খুঁজেত ইে� করেছ েসই েবাতামহীন েছঁড়া শাটর্ট, েযটা পের আিম ফুসফুস ভরা হািস হাসতাম। আজ আমার �েসেট অেনক শাটর আেছ, ওই শাটর্টা েনই। আজ েতা আমার আবার েচঁিচেয় বলেত ইে� করেছ – আিমই েতা েসই এক নবীন িকেশার – েয কতবার �ল� বুেক আর কিফর চুমুেক নীলেলািহতেক খুঁেজেছ, খুঁেজেছ িসগােরেটর েধাঁয়ায়, খুঁেজেছ কিফহাউেসর আ�ায় িকমবা কেলজ �ীেটর বইেয়র েদাকােন। আিমও েতা কতবার রাি�ের পড়েত পড়েত েচঁিচেয় উেঠ বেলিছ – “যিদ িনবর্াস দাও, আিম ওে� অ�ুরী েছাঁয়াব, আিম িবষপান কের মের যাব।” স� আর কাকাবাবুর সে� আিমও েতা কতবার হািরেয় িগেয়িছ জ�েল, খুঁজেত িগেয়িছ সবুজ�ীেপর রাজােক। আিম েতা আজও খুঁেজ চেলিছ নােদর আিলেদর – যারা কথা রােখিন। আজ নবমীর স�য্া আিম আবার নতুন কের আমার উ�রািধকােরর েখাঁেজ।
ভাল থাকেবন সুনীলদ – আমােদর জে�, কাকাবাবু, স�, েজােজা – নীরােদর জে�।
�ে�য় �ী সুনী গে�াপাধয্ােয় িচর�য়ােনর �থম বষর সমাপেন ��াঘর্য [৭ েসে��র, ১৯৩৪-২৩ অে�াবর, ২০১২ (নবমী)]
Expressions 29 Poetry Grace Ranjan Roy
The bedroom blind was half drawn. Late afternoon sunrays were tracking to the blinds, for a peek into the living room, and to brighten up the inmates. Mood was lifting!
Dad was slumped on the sofa. Lately, he was turning into a couch potato, watching TV, and into a new crease of thoughts.
It was in sharp contrast between the Mom and Dad. All the while, Mom was withdrawing out of her bedside TV lessons; seemed to be putting on a roller skate, and to move around.
They appeared to have switched their traditional roles. However, their thoughts were like the butterflies, breathing outdoor for the fun, turning around, looking for something new.
Sunset orange hue was falling directly on the window and the blinds. Soon, Sun will set and the light out will signal the sleep time. But for the street lights streaking in between the blinds.
The window blinds needed to be drawn in. Then, a voice streaked into and across Dad: Country music, a young voice, a girl was singing:
“Grandpa, tell me about the good days, …”. Good old days,….
Dad rhymed and scrawled on: When you bought a loaf for a nickel Dime brought a gallon of milk
And a dime bought a gallon of gas! Grandpa, tell me again, and again About the good old times!”
Dad heard a motor turning off on the driveway. Mom stepped in, turned the light on, “You are dozing off. It’s only evening”. She was back from a trip to Mount Kailash, adding gray hair and travel miles, rotating between the home and distant destination, seeking solace.
Were in perfect harmony with the nature, and between themselves. Their lives and living were as good as it could be for the senior citizens. Peace and Pujo, Travel and TV! Expressions 30
Mom and Dad had switched places. He spent time on the bed, snoozing, and watching TV. She showed off her legs on the far away streets, country to country, on the jet plane. This afternoon, Dad was waking up to a misty morning.
This morning, Eve was waking up to a misty and foggy bottoms darling. She was turning thirty the next day.
The man Adam next to her said, “Happy Birthday Eve, What do you want? On your birthday tomorrow”.
She turned over, “Am I missing something!”
“It has been a long time”. “let’s turn a leaf”.
This is it. “Sure.”
After the breakfast, they took a cab to the airport.
A few hours later, the sun was at the horizon, setting here, but rising on the other side of the globe.
The doorbell chimed. Mom was up, answered the door; there she was.
“Mom”, Eve spoke. She bent over. “Sorry, we missed you”, they said in chorus.
The man standing behind took a step forward. The baby on the child safety-seat turned, trying to focus the gray hair, suddenly squawking as if telling them, “My nappy needs a change.”
Mom asked, “What is the name?”
“You tell me?”
“How about Bagh?” Here comes the Bhallukdangar Bagh!
Expressions 31 Travel
Diamonds in the Sky Rajasree Roy (Medical Student, II)
I had been flipping through the first aid manual for several hours now. Symptoms: headache, throbbing chest pain, 104ºF+ fever, vomiting, and yellowish skin. Rheumatic fever, malaria, tonsillitis…? The child’s best friend died three weeks ago from unusual symptoms of tuberculosis…could it be that? I put wet cloths on his head to bring down the high fever. Even the school headmaster was hoping we could save Alhussain. With limited resources, we could check his temperature, give him some Paracetamol, and hope for the best, but we were not doctors. Amateur treatment could further endanger him, but refraining from action could do the same. With no trained doctor at hand, what else could we do?
This crisis in Sierra Leone was a defining moment in my life. For every 30,000 inhabitants of the country, there is only one doctor. With these kinds of statistics, I gained a perspective on disparities in healthcare around the world. I had gone to Sierra Leone to volunteer with EducAid, a British founded organization that provides secondary school education free of cost to the children of Sierra Leone. Since primary school education is free throughout the country, EducAid helps bridge the gap and continue the education of those who are unprivileged by establishing schools throughout the nation. I went to create a health education program for approximately 200 students and staff to raise awareness about CPR, first-aid, sanitation, and diseases, including HIV, through interactive demonstrations and lecture series. My time in Sierra Leone, however, was much more than an ordinary experience; it was a new awakening.
After arriving in Sierra Leone my first night, I was taken to the headquarters of EducAid in Lumley, Freetown. This was the bungalow of the director, an amazing woman who has allowed her home to become the learning institution for thousands of children around the country. What I thought were pieces of furniture from the shadows were actually rows and rows of children peacefully sleeping through the night, on and under tables, beside bookshelves; basically anywhere they could fit. They took on innocent fetal positions as they laid next to each other in a fundamental happiness that I tried so hard to take in and understand. After spending the first night there, I realized in the morning that these various tables and bookshelves were actually classroom furniture. Each floor was a huge classroom that was quickly transformed many times of the day to fit the needs of that time. It was a study space in the mornings, a cafeteria in the afternoons, a playground in the evenings and a bedroom at night. Still, these kids were so content with what they had. If you met them on the street, you would never know that they were living under such conditions because their will power to learn superseded the obstacles in their way. Each child had a unique story. This setup mirrored the system that I soon encountered in Magbeni, a village three hours away from the Freetown headquarters, a place that would become my home for the next seven weeks. Expressions 32 The EducAid schools consist of villagers who live nearby and homeboys and homegirls who stay at the schools because they are either orphaned or from distant villages. Once students are promoted from their respective village schools, they come to the Freetown headquarters to further advance their education. After they fully graduate from secondary school, EducAid tries to find them sponsors from abroad to help fund their college education for higher studies. In the meantime, many of these students give back to the system by working as teachers themselves for the village schools.
Although Sierra Leone’s devastating civil war left the country in physical ruins, the empowering human spirit and inspiring optimism of the people give the nation a tremendous beauty that this world bequeaths only to those who have known great suffering. In a place where there was no electricity, clean running water, or access to a medical facility, I was humbled by the way the students made the most out of the resources they had. Even though the school had a generator, it ran for a limited number of hours a couple of days in the week, mostly for administrative purposes. Thus, to complete their tasks, students crowded around candles. If the candles burned out, they were out of luck for the night. Although the school provided a communal lunch, the children were left to fend for themselves during the evenings and weekends. In this regard, many of the homeboys and homegirls would have to fill themselves with mangoes from the trees or pool together resources to create a meal. Because there was a limited amount of clothes, students were forced to share garments with each other. One challenge of this creative and collaborative system was the easy spread of infections. The village boys were all infected with scabies as they were constantly in contact with one another and wore each others’ clothing or used them as pillows and blankets.
During my stay, I felt the vulnerability of the homeboys and homegirls as they struggled to achieve and yet had no family to call their own, other than the support system we provided at EducAid. I perceived the medical necessity as some of my students endured amputations and other impairments due to inadequate medical attention. I saw the despair as my students attempted CPR on a fellow student who passed away. The mixed experiences I had in Sierra Leone helped me appreciate many things we take for granted and enabled me to reflect and become more aware of myself and my surroundings. Coming from a society in which the amount of resources seems unlimited, we often lose sight of the valuable amenities we have.
My time in Magbeni was extraordinary as I was completely immersed in the culture and environment around me. I was with these children 24/7, eating, sleeping, playing, cleaning and living with them. We went on adventures together, competing in river races, plucking juicy mangoes from trees of the neighboring chiefdom, and watching Bollywood and Nigerian movies when we had the generator running for some days of the week. They liked braiding my long Indian hair and I loved helping (or trying to help) them cook. We often had musical jam sessions in which we sang and danced to various Indian, African, British, and American tunes. My African dancing classes at Duke helped me synchronize my body only a little bit with them, for most of the women there had amazing dancing abilities. It was also a lot of fun hearing them trying to sing Bollywood songs, which were actually very much in tune. It wasn’t long before I saw them as my own.
When I first landed in Sierra Leone, enormous diamonds immediately caught my eye. They were in the sky. They were the stars. I have never seen such an amazing site in my life. It was as if someone had shattered bright glass on a black tiled floor. The children of this beautiful country are like these stars. No matter what goes on beneath them, they continue to shine brightly. Dedicated. Determined.
Expressions 33 গ�
বিনর ভয় সুপণর্া েগ
বিন ঘুেমর মেধয েথেক হঠাৎ েজেগ উঠল একটা আচমকা শে�। উেঠই েদেখ বাবা-মা েকউ েনই পােশ, অ�কার ঘরটােত বিনর মনটা একটা অজানা ভয় এ িশউের উঠল। জড়ােনা গলায় বিন েডেক উঠল, “মা, তুিম েকাথায়?”, িক� েকান সাড়া েনই। মেন হয় বাবা-মা নীেচর ঘের রােতর খাবার খাে�। বিন এখন িক করেব? িনেচ যােব? িক� এই অ�কাের খাট েথেক দরজা, দরজা েথেক িসঁিড়, িসঁিড় েথেক িনেচ খাবার ঘর, েভেবই আবার ভেয় কুঁকে উঠল বিন, েস তার পাশবািলশ টােক জিড়েয় ধরল।
বিনরা এই নতুন বািড়টােত িতন িদন হল এেসেছ। বিন তার এই নতুন বািড়র েশাবার ঘরটােক ভীষণ ভয় পায়। ঘেরর জানালাটা এত বড় েয, অেনক দূেরর রা�ার ধােরর মুিদর েদাকানটা ও েদখা যায়। িক� ওই একটা বড় িশমুল গাছ েসটাই েতা বিনর দুঃেখ কারন। িশমুল গাছটা েযন েবেছ েবেছ তােদর বািড়র েশাবার ঘেরর জানালার পােশ বিন েক ভয় েদখােনার জ� বড় হেয় উেঠেছ। �থম রােতই এই েশাবার ঘের িবছানায় শুে জানালা িদেয় িশমুল গাছটার ডালটা েদখার পর, বিনর মেন হয় ঠাকুরমা গে�র পা-েদালােনা েপ�ীর মত িকছু একটা। আর েসিদন েথেকই বিন রােতর েবলা একা এই েশাবার ঘের আসেতই ভয় পায়।
অেনকবার বিন মােক বেলেছ, “মা, জানালাটা রােত ব� কের দাও না।”
িক� বাবা-মা গরেমর জ� জানালাটা ব� কের না। েবচারা বিন এই িশমুল গােছর েপ�ীটার কথা বাবা- মােক িকছুেতই বেল উঠেত পারেছ না। পােছ বাবা-মা যিদ ভােব, েয েস ভীতু, িক� বিন েতা ভীতু নয়। এত সব ভাবনার মােঝ হঠাৎ বিনর মেন হল, েয শ�টা শুে েস েজেগ উেঠিছল, েসটা েযন েস আবার শুনে েপল। শুেন আবার আঁতেক উঠল বিন ! এবার েস সাহস কের বািলেশর ফাঁক িদেয় জানালার িদেক তাকাল। শুধ অ�কার, িক� গােছর ডােল সাদা িকছু একটা নড়েছ। এবার আর েস িনেজর ভয়টােক েচেপ রাখেত পারলনা, ভীষণ েজাের িচৎকার কের েডেক উঠল, “মা, বাঁচাও!”
িনেচর ঘর েথেক বাবা-মা দুজে ছুেট এল। মা এেসই বিনেক দ-হাত িদেয় জিড়েয় ধের বলল, “িক হেয়েছ বিন েসানা ?” Expressions 34
বাবা ঘেরর আেলাটা ে�েলই বলল, “িক হেয়েছ বিন?”
বাবা-মা েক কােছ েপেয়ই বিন ডুকের েকঁেদ উঠল এই েভেব েয, ‘েযটা েস বাবা-মা েক বলেত চায়িন, এখন তােক েসটা বলেতই হেব। আর সবাই তােক ভীষণ ভীতু ভাবেব!’
মা বেল উঠল, “�� েদেখিছস বিন? িক হেয়েছ বল বাবা?”
বিন িনচু�ের উ�র িদল, “না!”
বাবা বলল, “তেব?”
বিন জানালার িদেক আঙুল েদিখেয় বলল, “পা-েদালােনা েপ�ী, িশমুল গােছ!”
বিন এবার অেপ�া করেত লাগল, বাবা-মা হয়েতা ভীষণ েজাের েহেস উঠেব। িক� েকউ েতা েহেস উঠল না।
বাবা বলল, “ও! এই বয্াপা, আয় আমার কােছ, িগেয় েদিখ ওটা িক আসেল?”
বিন মােক জিড়েয় ধের বলল, “না, আিম যােবা না, েপ�ীটা বামেনর বউএর মত আমার ঘােড় চাপেব!”
বাবা জানালার কােছ িগেয় বড় টেচর্ আেলা িশমুল গােছর িদেক েফলেতই, বিনর গত িতন িদেনর ভেয়র সমাধান িনেমেষই হেয় েগল। িশমুল গােছর ডােল, েযটা বিনেক িতন িদন ধের েপ�ীরূে ভয় েদখাি�ল, েসটা একটা সাদা ঘুিড়!
েসিদেনর পর েথেক বিনর আর ভয় লােগিন। বািড়র েশাবার ঘেরর েসই বড় জানালাটা খুব ি�য় হেয় উেঠিছল বিনর কােছ। বিন েসিদেনর পর এটুক িশেখিছল েয, যা আমরা আপাতদৃি�েত েদিখ, তা সব সময় সিতয হয় না। আমােদর ক�না বা�বেক অেনক রঙ েদয়, কখনও তা ভীষণ ভয়ানক আবার কখনও তা অিত সু�।
অ� হািস
-ডাইিনরা ঝাড়ুেত চেড় উেড় েবড়ায় েকন বলেতা? -ভয্াকুয়াম ি�নারখুব ভারী !
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জজঃ তুিম বলেছা েতামার িখেদ েপেয়িছল বেল তুিম েহােটল েথেক টাকা ডাকািত কেরেছা। িক� িখেদ েপেল েতা েহােটেলর খাবার দাবার ডাকািত করাটাই �াভািবক িছল, তাই নয় কী?
ডাকাতঃ েখেয় পয়সা না েদওয়াটা আমার জ� অপমানজনক…..মহামা� আদালত! Expressions 35 Health Talk
Health and Healthcare Chitta R. Sarker, M.D.
I was thinking about my own personal health and how my own health care has evolved over the past three decades. I have observed aspects of our health care industry over the course of my career that I think can be improved in the future to provide a health care system that might make our lives richer and fuller. There are stories about health care industry the consumers, providers, insurers, hospitals and device makers that dominate discussion in our life. Health care spending accounts for approximately 1/16th of our GDP; it is a very significant element of our economy. Costs are spiraling out of control and consuming more and more of our time and money, and I can't say with confidence that it has made our lives any more comfortable. The system is broken and unless there is cooperation among consumers and providers, insurers, device makers and pharmaceutical companies, our health care industry will continue to be inefficient.
It could be argued that medicine is as much an art as it is a science, there are no absolute truths or definite answers in the entire course of medical experimentation. It is all a matter of statistical analysis and variation. Everyone's reaction to medication and medical procedures will vary, depending on numerous factors, such as age, time, diet, mindset, and how one's body reacts. You can get different answers depending on the type of inquiry that you are placing in your body. The fact that there is uncertainty in the efficacy and side effects to medicine and medical procedures is not a novel concept. However, insurers, lawyers, and policy makers attempt to obscure this potential for variation to create the illusion that there is one clear answer, a right or wrong, a correct procedure or a negligent one. This is the essential problem of health care issue. As we see the variation in persons in health and in sickness these variations are compounded by time and growth of the disease process that is affecting the person.
What I am trying to say is that we want perfect knowledge and an absolute correct diagnosis in order to attain the best treatment and the best results. Statistically, in sample of a population with a medical ailment, no treatment would be 100 percent effective, but when we analyze the results of treatment in the case of a single individual, the legal malpractice regime expects 100 percent effectiveness. When we transition from a statistical sample of a population to actually providing treatment for a single case, inefficiencies arise as the providers goes on a seemingly endless search for the causes of the problem. There is no cost-benefit analysis on the part of the consumer or provider of what a reasonable cost would be, because when an individual is sick, their own personal health is priceless and they will spare no expense (generally) in an attempt to get better. If everyone could afford their care, there would be no problems and the health care market would be efficient. Things change, however, when we the society has to pay the costs (or subsidize) for the testing and treatment of individuals that is beyond the scope of ordinary care, certain individuals that cannot be saved at an efficient, market-price. Our resources are not limitless as a society, so the question becomes: How much monetary spending is our society willing to accept? When the restraints are placed by the society (Because of Lack of funding) will that be acceptable by the consumer? Expressions 36 Before we give our full endorsement of the system that will provide our care for all I think that this debate that has to be raised. If we are sure what is the personal need and what is the limit of expenditure by the society that will help us to know the total cost. We can then understand what demand can be met by the appropriated amount.
Let us think of a day when a patient will walk into a provider office with his Lab test, CT Scan, PET Scan, MRI , all the biochemical markers, vitamins levels and finger print of his own DNA. This new test provide us with very detailed analysis of our own building blocks, the single peptide level of our origin. What specific change in the DNA makes certain illness? Will there be a DNA altering medicine that will treat a certain illness? If a certain type of treatment is found to be effective, but it is incredibly expensive, should that treatment be made available for all? Providers will need to query the National Computer data center to find out the diagnosis and how to treat the condition. In many cases these Primary care provider will be in a group of Physicians and health care extender. They will make the diagnosis with the help of the National Data bank. They will then refer the person to the place of excellence which are located all throughout the nation and they will serve the best care for the disease that is at hand. These highly skilled advanced treatment centers may recommend and carry out treatment options. We have to figure out if all these options are covered by our insurance, what is our co-pay and deductibles for each procedure.
We have been hearing about these issues about Organ transplant for long time. With the new technology it may be possible for getting stem cell infusion for Heart, Liver , Kidney or any other organ that is not functioning at its optimum capacity. How is the total cost of these exceptional treatment will be determined? These questions has to be raised if we are going to be the front in the innovation of medical care. At the current system, if one needs Organ transplant and the donor is available it is done in a reasonable amount of time once the donor is found. Cost does not enter in the consideration. Is it going to be same with the new Health care environment?
Most of the information can be obtained by looking into the new government web site by looking into www.Healthcare.gov
Here are my points to ponder about. When the Primary care giver, whether it is a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, sends a patient to the place of excellence to a hospital by the Lake or River , those specialist recommends that the patient needs Heart and Lung Transplant how is the care going to be paid for? Who is going to help the person to understand the long term effect and care for those two organ transplant. I hope we have some of these issues resolved before we go ahead with the plan of multi organ transplantation.
What is the alternative, what do we expect from each test and the procedure, no one clearly thinks of it before they undergo these tests or procedure. One of the reason we have no limitation or clear discussion about the cost with the consumer. Consumers in most cases do not know what is the cost upfront before they engage in the treatment plan. It may not be any cheaper, it may not be what we want. But this is the present trend in the medical care.
The best and largest computer data bank center may or may not give the answer that the patient wants to hear. Providers with his own knowledge may still recommend to eat right, not to smoke and exercise. These simple principles, eating right, exercising and not smoking, will probably have the greatest impact on the well-being of our society, but they require personal effort and sacrifice. The average person, for some time in America, has been unwilling to follow these principles, because for the most part they do
Expressions 37 not have to pay the full cost for the consequences of failing to adhere to these principles. It has gotten the point where our technical diagnosis and statistical analysis completely bypassed the simple fundamental principles? How often these three advice is followed? Think of Gastric by-pass surgery this is one of the common operation these days. How does it work? Smoking person getting arterial bye-pass surgery in his leg, how it that going to work?
Fundamentally, for our health care system to be sustainable, we should stress healthy living. It is far more important to live healthily than replacing people's hearts or lungs after a lifetime of inactivity, eating unhealthy foods high in fat, and smoking.
Medicine and science is changing our life, but can it eliminate all human suffering? Probably not, but if it could would the expense be justified? The costliest society is not getting the best of health care there is. It is a matter of living with hope that we can attain our best with the knowledge that we have. Try to find out unknown in a way that does not bankrupt the society.
I am looking into some of my insurance plan, starting next year there is $20 deductible for lab Test, there is 20% co-pay for MRI, there is life time limit on PET scan etc, etc. How is that going to change my budget for my health. No one wants to hear limitations on test or large amount of out of pocket cost but is there another way? How can we satisfy our limitless desire for the best health care with resource that is limited.
These are some of the issue that we have to address before the new year roll in, think about it and prepare yourself. Getting knowledge and be up front about it is the best way to follow the changes that are coming.
If we can see the limitless demand with finite resource we have to think of health care under the restrain of expenditure. Fruitless quest, going for the cure every time, where there is no cure will only blind us and take us further away from the real goal, good health for everyone.
If there is 2% increase in cost every year how long does it take the 100% of the cost of everything we do. Does it take 50 years? or 60 years? 200yrs? who is going to calculate this equation. Whoever is going to do the math will be able to solve this problem. But we need to understand and solve the problem and the math. When we can understand the issue we can relate better and hope for a solution, hope someday not far away.
In the meantime the best advice is to keep weight at a reasonable normal level, exercise and stay fit, sleep well regularly every night. Keep the memory sharp, engage in daily mental exercise to stay socially active. That is the only formula that will keep you away from the sickness. Once sickness strikes that is the beginning of the journey for a different life altogether. Happy days are here again.
For questions and comments please email: [email protected]
Expressions 38 Science
Water Therapy, Physics & Physiology Ranjan Roy (Ph.D. Student of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Water is the most abundant, but least understood commodity. Water is the best natural solvent on the planet.
Water is kinetic, polar, elctro-polar, deodorizer, and more. Water has been used for physiologic response among limited elderly people. However, the scientific efficacious direction for the ‘WATER AS THE THERAPY’ is lacking under the shadow of the industry made medication pushed by the venture capitalist drug dealers and the government supported health care service. The importance of the water quality in ion exchange, which is critical in the kidney dialysis, is a case in point. Another case in point, water therapy for the frequent inflammation of the membranes or the skin rash or cuts, when the ointments are not effective (‘heze-joua’ in Bengali), medical specialists try out innovative soaked saline treatment, cured by the body’s inflammation fighting ionic fluids, with the external saline to maintain the alkaline pH and prevent the pus formation.
Water Wheel, Quiz: 1. Riddle: Drop a molecule of water in vacuum. Question, which direction does it orient, travel, and why? Correct answer has an award! 2. These properties allows the water to carry nutrients and lifesaving chemicals to the desired sites in the body. 3. The same principles make water to dissolve, agglomerate, and wash away the unwanted toxins from the body: be it the food overload, additives, fats, herbs, chemicals, and more. 4. Water is the body fluid acid neutralizer, it is as simple as the deep inhale/exhale regimen with the H+ and OH- ionic balance. Whenever one feel acidic, take a small sip of water, take two deep breath and no more, feel the difference, repeat every 10 to 15 minutes. This is stomach acid control at no cost. 5. Odor 1: Water droplets as the restroom deodorizer, a wet tissue next to cistern, or the wet towel on the rack lets water vapor out slowly. The H+ and OH-ions help to neutralize the malodor from a mildly acidic or alkaline effluent. The water mist does most of the neutralization, but the commercial deodorizer aroma takes the credit. 6. Odor 2: Water is respiration odor neutralizer, better than mouth fresheners that give an aura of fresh breath when the user can smell the environment. To control the mouth odor, one may take a sip of water, chew a tiny herb, seed, or leaf; feel the difference with the improved body fluidic alkalinity, and control the headache. 7. Microbes: An active body physiology is microbe deterrent. Stagnant water can promote microbe, but flowing water and fluids deter the microbe proliferation. A sealed environment with nearly 100% humidity, like the stagnant ambient sealed plastic pouch, is the most conducive medium for the microbes to grow into a colony. 8. Metal & Mineral: Compared to a plastic pouch in above item (7), an aluminum foil wrap does not promote as much microbe growth. Typically, metals and metal compounds tend to deter the microbe growth. 9. Microbes require a narrow window of moisture, humidity, pH, flow velocity, colony, and temperature range, which do not come with metal contacts that are alkaline, tend to scintillate in the electromagnetic field, and cut down the microbe colonization.
Expressions 39 10. CO and CO2: Water is the colon CO and CO2 moderator. Water with the right quantity of sodium hydroxide at the correct trickle flow rate can neutralize the acid ebullient odor. Water and sodium salt ratio is critical for the body, like the saline drip. Think about the salty food (Na+ and Cl- ions in the stomach) and the saltwater taffy effect, for the NaOH to trickle into the midsection of the colon. 11. Water and oxygen promotes corrosion, based on the temperature, pH, pKa (= pH at 25 oC temperature), relative humidity (RH). The corrosion rate goes up especially above the 40% humidity and 25 oC. Water at or below 25 oC help to control acid, and at greater than 25 oC creates more acid in stomach. These are complex issues between the water, aerobic microbe, and their burn-up rate to sustain a colony. Water wash can induce inflammation, concurrently flush the microbe colony; it is water treatment of another kind.
Water & Obesity Treatment: The health and water industry recommends ~2 liters a day. Some people take half a liter (2 glasses) a day. There is an Australian couple who never drink water; the food borne water is enough for them. In an experiment in Australia, the cyclists lost 3 percent of body weight in sweat, they were O.K; also later, they were rehydrated back only 1 % and some 2%, they were O.K. These are the extreme examples; you are the master for your body’s optimum sip of the water. It is based on the water locked in the carbohydrates, nitrogen in food energy, comfort, dry mouth, headache, and other considerations.
The body fluids need more water to process the carbohydrates; but relatively, needs more oxygen to process the phospholipids (fat) and proteins (phosphorous and nitrogen burn-up energy issue). The American habit to basket after the dinner has some merit.
Try modulating the minimum water intake, with the food, and allow the body to burn out the heavy molecules and consume own water, bio-oxidize and hydrolyze out the unwanted molecules in the body. This is water therapy for obesity treatment. Learn to love sweating, because it takes out body’s unwanted toxins while reducing the body weight.
Summary:
Quiz: How many credit hours of H2O lesson is covered for any health care education? Half a credit, or less! Actually, every student needs an introduction to the fundamental physics and physiology of the WATER, in the high school, college, and rescrubs when one turns forty, and again at sixty.
Water Therapy is the way to go, enjoy the Water. Let it circulate, not stagnate, and invite the long life! Can you add a few lines on the goodness in your water, help yourself?
Expressions 40 Article commemorating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury
Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury
Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury (উেপ�িকেশার রায়েচৗধুরী), also known as Upendrokishore Ray (উেপ�িকেশার রায়) (1863-1915) was a famous Bengali writer, painter, violin player and composer, technologist and entrepreneur.
He was the father of the famous writer Sukumar Ray and grandfather of the renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury was a product and leading member of the Brahmo Movement that spearheaded the cultural rejuvenation of Bengal. He collaborated with the Tagores whose family, in the arts, achieved world renown. As a writer he is best known for his collection of folklore; as a printer he pioneered in India in the art of engraving and was the first to attempt color printing at the time when engraving and color printing were also being pioneered in the West.
Upendrakishore's greatest contribution was in the field of children's literature in Bengali. His prominent works include the fantasy "Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne"( গুপী গাইন বাঘা বাইন) (on which Satyajit Ray based his acclaimed children's movie with the same name), children's verses in "Ţunţuni'r Boi"(টু নটু িনর বই), and the children's versions of the Hindu epics - "Chheleder Ramayon" and "Chheleder Môhabharot". He did most of the illustrations of his books himself.
In April 1913 Upendrakishore started the magazine Sandesh (magazine), a popular children's magazine in Bengali that is still published today. It was the first magazine for children in India that had coloured pictures, and it became an institution in Bengal. A lover of double entendre, Upendrakishore named this magazine Sandesh, after the popular Bengali sweetmeat which, in Sanskrit, also means "news." Upendrakishore (and later his son Sukumar and grandson Satyajit) published most of his children's literature here. He is also regarded for his Bengali short stories, science articles for children and a variety of other work greatly valued in Bengali literature.
We pay our humble tribute to the great Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury on his 150th birth anniversary.
(source: Wikipedia)
Expressions 41 �ৃিতচারণ েছেলেবলার িকছু কথা
অরুণাংশু দ
বাবা ইিরেগশান িডপাটর্েমেন্ ইি�িনয়ার িছেলন। বাবার বদিলর চাকিরর জে� কলকাতার বাইের পাঁচ- ছয়িট েছাট শহের আমার েছেলেবলা েকেটেছ। হুগল েজলার আরামবােগ �ারেক�র নদীর ধাের একটা বাংেলা বািড়র �ৃিত সবেচেয় েবিশ মেন পেড়। বষর্াকাে নদীটা িবশাল রূ িনত। ১৯৭৮ সােলর ব�া িছল একটা ভয়াবহ অিভ�তা। িক� শীতকােল এই নদীটাই শুিকে এক হাঁটু জল হেয় েযত, আর িব�ীণর এলাকা ধের বািলর চড়া পড়ত। আমরা বািলর চড়ায় েখলতাম। শীতকােল এই বািল নদীর জল এতটাই �� এবং পির�ার থাকত েয আমরা অেনকিদন েখলার পর নদী েথেক জলও েখেয়িছ।
নদীর উে�া পােড় েবিশর ভাগই িছল েখিত �াম। �ুেলর অেনক ব�ুই আশপােশর �াম েথেক আসত। এরকমই িকছু ব�ু িনেয় একটা েছাট দল িছল আমােদর। েখলাধেু লা, নদীেত �ান ছাড়াও আমরা মােঝ মােঝ ফল চুির করেত েবরতাম। েপয়ারা, আম, কু �চুর েখেয়িছ, এমনিক আলুর েখত েথেক আলু তুেল পুিড়েয়ও েখেয়িছ। েবশ কেয়কবার তাড়া েখেয় েদৗেড় পািলেয়িছও। েশষ পযর্ েকউ একজন আমার বাবা-মােক এসব কথা জানােত মার কােছ খুব মার েখেয়িছলাম।
�িতবার পুেজার িকছুিদন আেগ বাবা একবার কলকাতা েযত আমােদর পুেজার জামাকাপড় িকনেত। বাবা কলকাতা েথেক েফরার পর আমরা পাঁচ ভাই-েবান িমেল সবেচেয় বড় িবছানাটায় (একটা িকং েবড িছল বাবা-মার ঘের) সব নতুন জামাকাপড় বার কের েদখতাম েক কী েপল। েসটা েয কী আনে�র িছল বেল েবাঝান যােব না। তখন বািড়েত িটিভ িছল না, েটিলেফান িছল না। বছেরর শুরু �ুেলর েপাশাক েপতাম আর রিঙন েপাশাক েপতাম পুেজার সময় বছের একবারই। পরবতর্ জীবেন কলকাতার পুেজা, আেমিরকার পুেজা সব িমিলেয় অেনক জাঁকজমক উপেভাগ কেরিছ িক� েছেলেবলার েসই আন�টাই আমার জীবেন আজও সবেচেয় েবিশ নাড়া েদয় যখন পুেজার �ৃিত হাতড়াই।
Expressions 42 Art by Debangana Bandyopadhyay (8th Grade) শারদীয়া ১৪২০
May the Divine Blessings be with you and your loved ones during the Pujas and always.
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