Keep away from Evil Company

Points: Man must mix with others — Need for being careful — Man’s company may be either good or evil.

             There is a saying that man is known by the company he keeps. There is great truth in this saying. Man is a social animal. He cannot live or thrive alone. He has to mix with other people and make friends with some of them.
             We cannot always choose our neigh hours. So we may not be very selective about the people we should mix with. And is not easy to know beforehand who is good and who is bad. Still we should be careful about choosing our close friend. It is always good to keep evil company at arm’s length. After we know that somebody is dishonest, it will be foolish to keep company with him and still hope that corruption will not touch us.
             Keeping away physically may not always he possible. What is important is to keep away mentally. Good or evil operates in our mind. So it is the mental aptitude which decides everything. Every company does not always mean company of evil persons. It also flanks the company of hooks and films that corrupt us. We may not be extremely choosy, but we should be alert.

Self-taught is Best Taught

Points: ‘Education’ is not ‘literacy’ — We are taught at school hut we learn at home — Character is formed at home 

             By ‘education’ people usually mean the lessons caught in schools or colleges. Now-a-days school-going is almost compulsory for every child. But ‘education’ and ‘literacy’ arc not the same thing. Emperor Akhar was illiterate, he did not know how to read or write. But he was not uneducated. Take the example of Rabindranath Tagore. He did not have much of formal training in schools or colleges. But was he not one of the wisest and most educated among the Indians? He was not taught but self-taught.
             In fact, education is self-development. We become educated by what we learn and not by what we are taught. We are taught at school, but we learn a lot elsewhere. We learn most at home and best by ourselves. We learn to love and respect a home where our character is formed. Education at home is, therefore, as valuable as education in school.
             We can say that we have more of ‘learning’ in school, But we have more of ‘education’ at home. Learning refers to knowledge and skill. ‘Education’ refers to character and outlook. There is, of course, no opposition between the best result is obtained when we can combine both learning and education, school and home, knowledge and character. But even after all education in school, college or university, our whole life remains to be self-taught.

We Live in Deeds, Not in Years.

Points: Man is known by his work — Great men In different fields live in their undying fames —The quality of life depends on the quality of our performance.

             Man’s life is measured by his work. It is not the number of years a mart has lived which makes him adorable? Man is known by his good or had deeds. Flame, says the proverb, makes man immortal: Kirtir yasya sa jivati.
             A good man is one whose work is good. A man’s charitable work lives long after his death. Great men of old are remembered through centuries. A great inventor or scientist lives in our memory. A notorious man, too, lives in our memory. But he is remembered as a Satan or a tyrant. The social reformers are adored for their noble works. Iswarchundra Vidyasagar, for example is a household name. Poets anti artists, too, are cherished with love in the memory of mankind. We do not know much about the life of Kalidasa or Homer but their poetry has left them immortal. Raphael, Da Vinci, Picasso are great artists who still live in their works. Our great poets Valmiki and Rabindranath will live as long as the Himalayas exist.
             Life is short. We cannot hope to do everything we like in one life. So we have to put our mind to some chosen areas. It is the quality, not number, which is important. So whatever we perform we should perform well.

Choice of Books

Points: Book explosion in modern times — High and low categories — Room for individual tastes.

             When there was no printing press, books were all in manuscript. The number of books available was also limited. But today hundreds, even thousands, of books are being published daily all over the world. It is impossible to keep track of them by a single person.
             When there are so many books, we have to be choosy. The general reader chooses books of general interest. A specialist will procure a honk related to his special subject. Students will be interested in textbooks. Common readers always like novels and travelogues.
             We should read the classics if we want to cultivate our taste. Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Rabindranath, Whitman, Rolland are for all times and all ages. It is true we must also choose, for our recreation, light and humorous books. Choice is always personal. Choice of books is a matter of personal preference.  One’s choice need not be restricted to the so-called ‘good’ books only. Good, bad, indifferent — all kinds of hooks are enjoyable at different times. A reader should be allowed to develop his own taste without being over taught by his guides.

A Farewell Meeting

Points: The meeting — Some highlights of the occasion — Reminiscences flees of the old days.

             A few months ago our beloved teacher Harisadhan Babu retired from school. On the occasion of his retirement a farewell meeting was organized. The ex-students of the school look the initiative in the matter. The Headmaster helped them in all possible ways.
             The school took a festive look on that day. The hail was decorated. Many well known persons of the locality were invited. Most of them were once students of Harisadhan Babu. After the Headmaster made a few introductory remarks, an address was read out on behalf of the students and ex-students.
             Some songs were sung and a dhoti and a chadar were presented to the beloved teacher. Harisadhan Babu spoke nicely, recalling the old days and the old boys. We listened with rapt attention. He was speaking of the time when we were not yet born. It was a fascinating account. The oldest pleader Sudhir Babu lamented that the old tie between the teacher and the taught had been slackened now-a-days. Harisadhan Babu, he said, combined in him both discipline and love. He gave many instances of Harisadhan Babu’s love for students and sense of charity.

The Night Scene in a Town

Points: The evening scene — The scene at late hours — The mysterious night sky.

             The town I live in is not as big as a city. Still it is full of bustle in the daytime. At night it is not as quiet as a village. But it becomes quieter than in the daytime. At nightfall there is a rush of cinema-goers for the evening show. The commuters return from offices, mostly from Calcutta. The shops still make good business if there is no load- shedding.
             As the night deepens, the streets become more and more deserted.The street lamps look like watchmen’ of the town. A few cycle rickshaws ply from and to the near-by railway station. At a particular hour, the cinema goers return from the night show. They often discuss loudly the hero or the heroine. Slowly the town sinks into silence and sleep.
             If the smog is not too heavy, the stars look bright and dazzling. The Great Bear or Saptarshi (seven stars) shines prominently in the midnight sky like a big question mark. A lone passer-by may often be heard singing an old song. The night scene is, on the whole, dreamy and drowsy.

The Village Scene at Night

Points: The scene at nightfall — The scene at midnight — A dreamy and strange atmosphere

             At sundown, the village I live in looks like a different village altogether. As if by magic the crowds of people vanish and all noises die down. The roads or mites become almost invisible. The trees form a mass of shadow. It is so dense at places that even a full moon cannot cope with it. 
             As the night deepens, fire-flies are seen floating in the air. The crickets chirp hidden in the grass. Some night-birds and bats scuttle across the treetops. A lone passer-by on the highroad is heard singing an old song. Dogs bark at a distance, now singly now in a chorus. The Chowkidar is out on his round. The village defence party is also out with its volunteers and torch lights. They challenge every stranger they come across on the road.
             The Great Bear or Saptarshi (seven stars) hangs pasted on the midnight sky like a big question mark. The village at night appears to be a cradle of fairytales and dreams. Each tree seems to be a living person, having a story to tell.