Mind over Matter

A calmness surrounded Arun Shourie as he reached out to the audience on Saturday,not as a statesman and journalist,but as a writer . In the city at the invitation of Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi as part of the ongoing Chandigarh Arts and Heritage Festival,Shourie connected to the audience as the father of a special child and the spouse of someone who suffers from a debilitating Parkinson’s disease. What is it like being in such circumstances and how does one cope? What is his survival kit? Is there any justification for the suffering? Shourie said that he keeps going with the help of a positive approach to life. He is not afraid of talking about his experiences,relating them to wider issues and reaching out to the world beyond his immediate circle. 

Shourie remained focused on his book, Does He Know a Mother’s Heart?,which begins with talking of personal pain but transcends to a public plane as the author shifts his attention to theology and religion. If there is an all-knowing God,the father,he asks,why does he make his children suffer? Why does he cause them pain? There are no answers to these questions except a reaffirmation that everything can be put to work “by working on the mind,thoughts,and replacing thoughts”,he said.

What is his advice to those facing similar situations? Shourie listed a few practical steps. Help others,he says,particularly those who are unable to return your favours; focus on essentials,not trivialities; never look for reasons or for a purpose behind your suffering,for there is no design; never sit in judgment of a person to be helped; never think you have been singled out; things can be worse,live in the moment.

Sounds like an easy advice but Shourie has actually been practising this for three decades,ever since the birth of his son,the special child. These days,Shourie is working on a book on spirituality and mysticism,exploring things beyond the human brain.