THIS BREED IS EXTINCT, ALMOST....





Pic.: Pradeep Nanda

I had taught Vivek for four years. He is one of the most grounded young men I was privileged to teach in my life… He comes from a Punjabi business-family – a joint family… which has inculcated in this young boy strong values… and a thirst for education and hard work. I have been watching Vivek’s growth closely and hugely impressed.

A few hours ago, Vivek had called me. “Sir, I will be leaving for the US on this Sunday,” he said, “Can I come and see you in a while?”

I was teaching and had planned some other things. So, I said,”Vivek, shall we meet tomorrow?”

“Sir, I have planned to spend the whole day tomorrow with my grandmother.”

“That’s so sweet of you Vivek,” I said, “Want to come now?”

“Yes sir.”

Within the next ten minutes, Vivek was here…

“This breed is extinct, almost,” I was thinking in my mind as I was talking to Vivek in my office. Yes, I was one of his favorite teachers. He wanted to seek my blessings before he would leave the country for his studies…

I was not trying to put down any of my students - or young boys and girls for that matter - when I said in my mind, “This breed is extinct, almost.” I have taught thousands of students and many of them do go abroad either for studies or job. But, hardly a few – you can literally count them on your fingers – come and see you, their teacher, and seek your blessings…

I think, it is a simple value that is never ever taught – and cannot be taught – in any great school. But, it can only be learnt… It cannot be taught…. Yes, let me say it again:

A value cannot be taught… It can only be learnt!

Read again.

Vivek would, often, tell me about his grandparents. He was highly influenced by the way they lived. So, I wasn’t surprised, at all, when he told me, today, that he had planned to spend the entire day tomorrow with his grandmother (He lost his grandfather in June, this year)...

 …
A value can be inspired… and, thereby, inculcated….

For a value to be imbibed, you need to deeply, deeply appreciate it… and desire to inculcate it in you…
As Swami Dayananda Saraswati would, often, repeat, “A value is a value for me only when I see the value of that value as valuable to me.”
What you hold important – valuable - to you in life is a value you are going to cherish….

“To dearest Vivek, with my best wishes and blessing,” I wrote on the book I had gifted to him as I bid him good-by…

GERALD D’CUNHA

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