Had read of The Kural in my school history text books and was excited to read an English translation recently. Just about every verse takes a few readings to understand and the beauty of the phrasing becomes evident only once do you. The experience was a lot like trying to solve a puzzle that looks simple at first blush because the verses are so minimalistic. But as you get started, you realize there is more than meets the eye and nuances you did not see at first. After some struggle, you solve it and experience a rush of satisfaction. This is not the book to borrow from the library to read and return - which is what I did. It is something to dip into over and over, because the a specific verse will be right for a certain place and time of your life. Connecting with it when the time was right could be a very different experience. One verse that was just right for me time was:
Healer patient medicine preparer—these four
Together are medicine
My father was recently and quite unexpectedly in the hospital. Though one might say at his age, this is hardly unexpected. But I am still not at that point in my life where I fully accept this reality - a part of me clings to this fantasy that he is invincible. My times of trouble, I still find solace in recalling the events from my childhood and youth where my father's strength and determination to stay in the fight no matter what had made all the difference. I want to channel some of that energy so I can fight what needs to be fought here and now. So letting myself accept he is well past his prime and cannot do what he once did, feels like giving up too early.
He was upset to be in the hospital and moped around for several days but the last couple of times we spoke we was back in the saddle - being more his usual self. My mother had everything to do with him recovering his spirits just as the doctor had with restoring his health. Together it was medicine for him.
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