Doctor - A Dedicated Profession

  Who is doctor? What does a doctor do? What is the role of a doctor in the society? How noble is doctor's profession?

The Doctor at Work   

   A doctor is a person who diagnoses the illness in a patient and prescribes medicines to heal and cure them. The doctors help humankind; and their services are very much required to the society. The doctor profession is the noblest of all because they save the lives of people and thus are treated like gods in the society.

  The role of doctor is to save the patient from dying or illness. The doctor should treat his patients like a mother treats her children. Patients should be handled with love and care. Every doctor has to take an oath to work for 24 hours and seven days a week. And that they shall treat their patients with love and care. 

  If a person wants to become a medical doctor, he had to be very caring and should possess great patience. The doctors should advice and instruct patients about how to get well soon.

 

  My two uncles are also doctors; one is an Anesthetist and other a Surgeon. Both are committed to their profession. Every day they start their work early in the morning and finish it very late in the nights. They get many emergency calls late in the nights. They take utmost care for their patients. My uncles are my inspiration.

Dreaming Big

  My ambition is also to become a doctor. I want to save the lives of people suffering from various diseases, especially babies. Babies are cute, sweet and god-like and I wanted to see all babies hale and healthy. So I like to become a pediatrician, who specializes in treating children.

  Yes, I for myself feel there is more happiness and joy in serving babies, especially sick babies and curing them of their illnesses.

  But please, you all have to wait ten more years to avail medical care for your babies from me.

S Srija Mili

VII, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, {Bhavans}

Sainikpuri,

Hyderabad – 500 062

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Cosmic Effect on Living Spaces – The Vaastu Way

  What exactly is Vaastu? Is Vaastushastra a science or just a mythical text? Has Vaastu stood the test of scientific efficacy? How deep is its impact on human lives? What if dwelling places are not built according to Vaastu?

  Vaastushastra is an ancient science that has laid down in architectural forms the principles of building a structure, be it a dwelling place or a palace or a temple or a fort or even a one-room tenement. It is widely believed that any structure deemed to be a living space should obtain the ambience of peace, joy and harmony. To construct or obtain such an edifice one ought to go by the principles of Vaastushastra, so argue the believers and experts in Vaastushastra.

What exactly is Vaastushastra?

  It is strongly believed that energy fields govern the earth, water, fire, air and space – the five elements or Panchabhutas. These energy fields permeating the five elements is said to flow through structures or edifices or dwelling places in a positive or negative manner obtaining either harmonious or turbulent conditions leaving an impact on the lives of those who use it. And Vaastushastra is nothing but integrating these energy fields in a congruous and symmetrical manner to generate a positive and a harmonious ambience in a living space.

Lord Vishwakarma

  Vaastushastra isn’t just channelizing energy fields in a structure or a dwelling place but itself a science in existence since Vedic times or since the five elements has come into being. Vishwakarma, the celestial architect and the foremost builder for all the Hindu Gods is said to have perfected this art into a science.

  Vaastu is derived from a Sanskrit verb called “Vasati” which means, “to dwell”. In order to channelize the energy fields in structures or dwelling places in a positive and a harmonious manner Vaastushastra has laid down the principles of architecture for constructing living spaces. In fact, Vaastu has become the basic principles of geometry in constructing living spaces. And these principles of geometry are represented symbolically by Vaastu Purush.

Vaastu Purush

  But then, do magnetic fields really govern our lives for good or worse? Does a building constructed not conforming to the Vaastushastra really play havoc with our lives? Has this Vaastushastra stood the test of efficacy scientifically? It is still a moot point. The debate is raging on.

  Yet the skeptics and non-believers who questioned its very basis are happily following the very basic tenets of Vaastu in constructing their living spaces. Even in this technologically advanced world the popularity of Vaastushastra is soaring to great heights. Do People really feel the impact and its cosmic effect on living spaces?

  The energy fields activated by the five elements may not be consciously felt by us. But they do seem to pass in us impacting our lives having a direct effect on our health and happiness; because our body too possesses the microcosm of energy – the seven energy centers or chakras Kundalini at the base to Sahasrara to the top of the head. Further, the energy within us blends with the energy emanating from the Panchabhutas – the macrocosm of the universe. This is how the macrocosm of the universe is blended into the microcosm of man creating a direct impact on our lives either positively or negatively.

  Similarly, each building space and built structure has a potential time, space and elemental configuration that has its own dynamism and must be planned to create a harmonious and positive energy field. Yes, Vaastushastra deal with energy and elemental forces that underlie all things. But has this science of Vaastu stood the test of scientific efficacy? What do the researchers say?

  But what about the rituals and rites performed to appease the elemental forces when a living space is not in conformation to the Vaastu principles? Does not the unvaastuly built living spaces portend evil to the residents? Can the rituals and rites performed thus diminish the impact of such ominous negative forces?

  In a fast developing city where haphazard urbanization is taking place and where multi-storeyed apartments are built by dozen a day how far is it possible to build living structures adhering to Vaastushastra principles?

  If rituals and rites can control the negative forces generated by unvaastuly built living spaces where is the need at all to go in for Vaastushastra? Isn’t an irony?

  Well whatever the pros and cons, we only need living spaces where we could be able to live in peace and happiness in complete harmony with natural forces. If Vaastushastra help achieve this goal… well it’s fine.

Why Tolstoy Was Denied The Nobel Prize In Literature

  Learn why eminent writer Leo Tolstoy did not receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. What happened behind the scenes? Was Tolstoy not worth the Nobel Prize in Literature? Here are the interesting facts dug out from the history of Nobel Prizes. Read on… they make good reading.

Are Nobel Prize Judges the wisest of the wisest or mere mortals?

  Every year, the Nobel Prizes are awarded. But one cannot understand the hype it generates. Is it because the laureates created a work of distinction that supposedly confer ‘the greatest benefit to mankind’?

  If so the members of the Nobel Prize Committee must be endowed with godly wisdom so as to decide what constitutes the ‘greatest work’.

  Are they? May be! But here are some of the famous cases dug up from history of Nobel Prizes that suggest otherwise.

  If a curious mind penetrates behind the scene, he will learn that the Judges or Members of the Selection Committee of the Nobel Prizes are mere mortals filled with high-flying vanities, prejudices, petty rivalries, frailties all perfectly blended with intelligence, honesty, wisdom and courage.

  Alfred Bernhard Nobel {1833-1896} virtually opened the floodgates of controversies and congratulations by unintentionally [or deliberately?] omitting in his will the yardsticks to measure what constitutes ‘the greatest work’.

  On 10th December 1901, the first crowning ceremony started off with a bang with five distinguished persons winning the Prize, but the bang did emanate some jarring notes that was to be heard for many long years to come.

Leo Tolstoy

Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy 1828-1910

  Tolstoy authored War and Peace and Anna Karenina which were acknowledged as the greatest works of realist fiction.

Why Tolstoy was denied the Nobel Prize

  When Sully Prudhomme {1839-1907}, a French poet was selected and awarded the Nobel Prize by Swedish Academy for his literary works that interpreted the conflict between emotions and reason, the world opinion protested. Not because Prudhomme got the Prize, but Tolstoy was ignored; and to this effect 42 scientists and artists signed a tribute to the slighted celebrity {Tolstoy} in protest against the Academy’s indifference to Tolstoy.

  Yet the Swedish Academy did not consider him even for 1902 Literary Prize. Thanks to Swede’s only literary expert of the time, Carl David af Wirsen {1842-1912 the Academy’s Permanent Secretary and Chairman, Nobel Committee for literature whose verdict put out all hopes of Tolstoy ever winning the Prize.

Carl David af Wirsen

  Carl David af Wirsen opined, “‘War and Peace’ and ‘Annakerenina’ deserved the Prize… while his religious sociological and political writings were regarded as both immature and misleading… he has condemned all forms of civilization and urged instead a primitive mode of life divorced from all forms of higher culture… though completely inexperienced in Biblical criticism he has ambitiously rewritten the New Testament in a half-rationalistic, half-mystical spirit confronted by such expressions of narrow minded hostility to all forms of civilization, one feels dubious. One does not like to bestow recognition… it would be wrong to force on the great writer such a reward…”

  Having read the Chairman Wirsen’s report what one would say but sigh in vain!?

Maxim Gorky

  Even Maxim Gorky’s {1868 – 1936} famous autobiography could have been ‘placed in the front rank’ for the Prize. But the Academy found it difficult to arrive at a wholly objective judgment as the intellectual part he had played during the revolution and his other works were ‘politically colored’.

  Judging literary merits on political colors! Truly, this is not one of the main stipulations in Nobel’s will. That explains why the Russians did not get even one Prize for the first 50 years until World War II in all the faculties except for minor writer Ivan Bunin {1870-1953; 1933} and Ivan Petrovic Pavlov {1849-1936; 1904} for literature and physiology respectively.

  Likewise, since the initiation of the Nobel Prizes in 1901, there were several instances where so many deserving celebrated personalities suffered victimization and were denied the Nobel Prize.

The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature

  The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Tomas Tranströmer of Sweden. The Prize motivation read as "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality".

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Why Maugham, Joyce and Greene Didn't Get The Prize in Literature ?

  Learn why eminent classic writers like William Somerset Maugham, James Joyce, and Graham Greene did not receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. What happened behind the scenes? Why were they denied the Nobel Prize in Literature? Are they not worth it? Here are the interesting facts dug out from the history of Nobel Prizes. Read on… they make good reading. 

  Why was it the famous classic writers were denied the Nobel Prize in Literature when they truly deserved? Why is it William Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene and James Joyce were denied the Prize? Is it because their works are inferior and did not possess literary merits? Is it because they did not produce the most distinguished works of idealistic tendency, which Alfred Nobel clearly stipulated as a criterion in his will?

  If one peeps behind the scenes and read between the lines, he will learn that the judges or members of the Selection Committee of the Nobel Prizes are mere mortals filled with high-flying vanities, prejudices, petty rivalries, frailties all mixed up with intelligence, honesty, wisdom and courage.

  Hedin, on of the powerful judges on the Nobel Committee with his shortsightedness delivered his judgment on William Somerset Maugham as ‘Too popular and undistinguished’. When questioned about James Joyce (1882-1941}, Hedin reportedly remarked, ‘Who is he’?

James Joyce {1882-1941}

W S Maugham {1874-1965}

Graham Greene {1904-1991}

 And William Somerset Maugham(1874-1965} cannot be too popular and undistinguished at the same time. If he is popular he is distinguished, if he is unpopular he is undistinguished. William Somerset Maugham truly deserved the Nobel Prize in Literature for his ‘Of Human Bondage’. 

  Such a soul-stirring semi-autobiographical classic ‘Of Human Bondage’ © 1915; the story revolves around a club-footed youth who genuinely falls in love with a beautiful girl. He then goes beyond his means to give anything in this world to win her. In return, he often finds himself being snubbed by her derisively and ruthlessly exploited suffering humiliation in the process. Yet he takes everything in his stride. And the way this club-footed youth reasons with his soul and justifies his actions and indulgences makes the novel a more moving classic. This is also in a way a semi-autobiography. Truly a masterpiece that is full of literary merit ‘Of Human Bondage’ that deserved the Prize.

  In 1974 too, Graham Greene {1904-1991} of England, Vladimir Nabokov of Russia and Saul Bellow of United States were hot contenders for the Nobel Prize in Literature. But Eyvind Johnson and Harry Martinson both Sweden nationals and who are unknown outside their home country were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. But does anyone know that these two authors were Nobel Judges themselves. What an Irony!

The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature

  The 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Tomas Tranströmer of Sweden. The Prize motivation read as "because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality".

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