Friends, again I am writing two posts this week. The first one is the continuation of the series on Life's lessons. I was "moved" to write the second one during my meditative moments.
Books that influenced me most
“Bhagavat
Gita” is clearly the
first on the list. I have read the original in Sanskrit. I have read three
major interpretations, one by Bal Gangadar Tilak, one by Vinoba Bhave and one
by Kanchi Periyaval. The translation by Kannadasan in Tamizh, is a gem for its language and unaltered meaning of the original.
The two most
important lessons I have always carried in my thoughts are: 1. Sloka 43 from
Section 2. Our concern should be to carry out our duty (dharma) without
looking for the rewards. I can also say I have tried to apply it in real
life as much as possible. I did not do so once; that was when I saw clearly why
this lesson is very important. 2. Sloka 63 in the final chapter where Lord
Krishna tells Arjuna “I have shared with you the deepest of knowledge (about
this Cosmos). Think about what I have said and act as you think is best”.
He did not say “Do as I command”. What a way to teach?
The second
most important lesson came from Sir William Osler, considered the
Hippocrates of modern medicine. He says: “When you want to learn about a
subject, go to the most original writing on that subject. Then, read the most
recent review on that subject”. He was talking only about medical subjects.
But I have used this idea for several decades not only in reading medical
literature but when learning about any new topic, to immense pleasure and profit.
For example,
this habit led me to read one of the earliest descriptions of tetanus in an
Egyptian Papyrus manuscript (Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus. I read it when I
was at the University of Chicago). I can say with reasonable confidence that I
have read the original descriptions of most of the diseases such as Mumps
(Hippocrates), Chorea (Sydenham). Mongolism (now known as Down Syndrome) and
the so-called Salaam Epilepsy. I have read the original descriptions of all the
rheumatic diseases, particularly the one which established that connective
tissue and blood vessels are part of all the organs and therefore connective
tissue diseases are multi-system diseases.
This habit of
reading the originals solidifies description of diseases in our memory. We
learn why the original author thought this was important and what did he/she
see unique which made him (her) describe it. Every time you read about the
condition in modern literature, you just add new facts to that old memory unit
like a “coat-hangar” and, also can visualize gaps in knowledge.
As I mentioned, I have used William Osler's advice in subjects other than medicine. For example, searching
for the source of the metaphor of two birds on a tree in the Mundaka Upanishad
led me to a treasure house of wisdom in Asya Vamasya Sukta in Rg Veda. That led
me to read the entire Sukta in Rg Veda 1: 164. That led me also to the source
of the famous quote: “The truth is one;
learned men call it by different names”. This is also in the Asya Vamasya
Sukta.
It is
impossible for me to describe the value of this one lesson from Sir William
Osler and how much this practice has enriched my intellectual life.
“On Becoming a Person” is a book by Carl
Rogers. This pioneer in psychology taught me about how to listen and what the
fundamentals of helping professions are. I have written about this topic in my Handbook
of Clinical Skills. I have tried to apply those principles in my role as a physician, as many
times as possible.
Soon after I
came to USA in 1958, when I was trying to adjust to the cultural shock, the
book that helped me was “A Mirror for
Man” by Clyde Kluckhohn. This is a book on cultural anthropology which made
me understand how to appreciate cultural differences. The primary lesson was
that one should observe other cultures to learn and NOT to judge. One should
not label cultural behaviors as “good” and “bad”. But one should understand
what it is for, how and when it originated and what the advantages and
disadvantages of those practices are. That way, we can adopt them if they are
beneficial and reject them if they are no more valid under current
circumstances (place and time) or not suitable for our needs.
This book
has a chapter on how americans think and act. This was very helpful for me to
adopt and behave appropriately in the new settings. It also influenced my
tolerance for other ways of doing things. This book was written almost 50 years back. Obviously, the
book is outdated and behavior of people has changed. But many of those observations made by Kluckhohn are still true.
This book influenced my sensitivity to cultural factors in my medical practice. This
made me understand my own culture also better.
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