Sep 04, 2016

How Do You See the World?

Deepa Krishnan

Recently, I delivered the first lecture to the new batch of PGDM students. I spoke about a 14-year old girl; a student of Std 10, who is very interested in science and loves doing experiments and learning. She comes from a family that cannot afford to send her for a science camp, or to learn robotics for fun, or do any of the things that affluent kids can do.

In stark contrast are my friends’ kids, whose parents drag them to various science events and competitions, even completing half the entries themselves.

The unfairness of life strikes me at every turn.

Today I read this, from a facebook page that gives me daily “Subhashitam”; this one is from the Yoga Vasishta:

अन्तस्तृष्णोपतप्तानां दावादाहमयं जगत्
भवत्यखिलजन्तूनां यदन्तस्तद्बहिःस्थितम्

(-योग वासिष्टं: 5.56.34)

Translation: For those whose insides are burning with greed, the whole world is like a wild fire. For all beings what is inside is reflected in the outside also.

What does it mean? It means our world view is defined by who we are. We see the external world according to the state of our internal world. I see the world through a “fairness lens” and so I am always struck by any unfairness or injustice that I spot. I know the same is true for many of you, too.

I explained to the batch that at Abhyudaya, we work to narrow the gap between haves and have-nots. We come every day, dreaming and hoping, because we want to remove some of the unfairness in the world.

What is the lens with which you see the world? We must all ask ourselves that.

Yesterday, I also spoke about Sudiksha, a company which has opened high quality pre-schools for children at only Rs 400 per month. Sudiksha was originally designed for slum residents in Hyderabad and has now spread to multiple centres. The “teachers” are actually woman entrepreneurs; they are local women (usually educated housewives) who have taken up the business as franchisees. A nice step in reducing the unfairness in the world.

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