User:Malabika/My sandbox

Healthy and happy relationship between teacher and student


Those who belong to the teaching community always face certain challenges while dealing with the students.Given below are certain interesting guidelines for those who want to be successful as teachers.
 * 1)  Love and give respect to your teaching profession.
 * 2) Love your students even if some of them are not serious and well behaved.
 * 3) Be patient and understanding.
 * 4) Be natural and open minded.
 * 5) Try to understand the psychology of the students.
 * 6) Try to understand the intellectual level of your students.
 * 7) Never insult any one in the classroom even if someone is rowdy and mischievous.
 * 8) Always encourage them  specially  the weak ones to make progress in life.
 * 9) Maintain a flexible and sensible distance between you and your students.
 * 10) You may have to play many roles at  a time. You are the friend philosopher and guide depending upon the situation
 * 11) Be a good human being and set a good example for your students.
 * 12) Sometimes be ready to learn something good from your students.
 * 13) Be a good learner and keep on expanding your knowledge and share it with your students.
 * 14) You need to be an effective communicator.

Malabika Sen Asstt professor. Graphic Era Hill University. Dehradun

2.Mother(MA)

 Mother (Ma)

Dear all, The other day I came across the following article in a journal. I could not resist the temptation of sharing this article with you as I found it to be extremely thought provoking especially in the backdrop of the recent spate of news of incidents of woman and child abuse reported in the news papers and hotly debated on the TV channels. These reports, however, appear to serve no other purpose than of increasing the circulation of the newspapers temporarily and enhancing the TRPs of the channels where for a brief while a particular incident affords a few celebrities an opportunity to nurse their egos by engaging in hot debates which often take them far away from the subject of discussion and the anchor invariably has to end the discussion, inconclusively, not before promising the viewers that ‘their channel’ will pursue the matter to its logical conclusion, whatever that means. After reading it do you not feel, as I did, that it may not be such a bad idea to read it out regularly to the students, both boys and girls of higher classes in the school assemblies and also make it a part of the curriculum in colleges and the umpteen number of private universities offering professional studies. It is interesting to note that the writer is a young lady who has just finished her M.Tech from IIT, Guwahati. The power of addressing women as ‘Ma’ By Ananya Jana After watching the first episode of the TV presentation Satyameva jayate, on 6 May, 2012, directed and produced by Aamir Khan, I went into a pensive mood. So many thoughts crowded my head. First of all, hats off to Mr. Aamir Khan and his team for the role they have taken up. Every Indian should watch the whole serial of fourteen episodes. No amount of praise can exaggerate the goodness of these souls. The programme reminded of Swami Vivekananda, the great prophet, and the views he held about women when the word ‘foeticide’ was not in vogue: ‘All nations have attained greatness by paying proper respect to women. The country and that nation which do not respect women have never become great, nor will ever be in future’. Yes, respect is the word that seems to be fast fading into oblivion. There was a time when older people met young girls and used to address them in this way: ‘how are you, little mother?’ generally they used one more line if the mother of this girl was found nearby: ‘When are you going to marry your daughter off?’ I heard such things when I was ten or eleven years old. Obviously I did not like the second remark, and as for the first one, I was too young to grasp its full implication – it was just another form of address used by old folks. One of my neighbours also used to address the girls as ‘mother’. Many years have passed since then. I grew up, went to school, and in the process learnt about the annoyances girls have to put up with while travelling. I became so conscious of my existence while travelling that sometimes I even nudged or pushed males who stood beside me so that I could occupy twice the place of my size – since I am quite fat you can imagine the dismay of the passengers! I wanted to keep myself at a safe distance, and it had almost become a reflex action with me. Through this attitude I have sometimes hurt innocent people, but I did not want to risk my honour at any cost. One day, however, it so happened that an elderly man was making his way through the crowded bus, whole I was standing near the exit. As I was preparing to make myself as safe as I could, I suddenly heard a voice: ‘Can you move a bit, ma?’ I was so shocked; it was the first time in my life that I felt no need to use my defence mechanisms. This is the magic that the word ‘ma’ carries. I choked, ashamed of myself; I stood motionless as if I had become a serpent quieted by the flute of a snake charmer. After that day I wished someone else would call me by that name. Fortunately a lady in my neighbourhood still calls me that and so do two of my uncles. That event made me realize for the first time the importance of those words, their strength, the respect and affection hidden in those few words. But nowadays they are hardly ever heard anywhere, it seems. Rather it is a trend to call girls ‘hot’, ‘chic’, ‘sexy’, and the like; and even worse, the girls seem to enjoy it. Well, I do not blame them, because most of these children have never heard such an honourable and respectful way of addressing them as the one shown by that man in the bus; and even if they hear something similar today, they think it outdated. The word ‘ma’ is so beautiful; it is associated with so much purity, sacrifice, love, affection and one-pointed devotion towards the child. It is a word that can light the hearts of both the caller and the called, just as Shakespeare said:

The quality of mercy is not strain’d, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

Shri Ramakrishna was merged in the mother-child relationship throughout his life. The word ‘ma’ used to bring out the Divine Mother in him. Such is the power of the word. If it can bring divine joy to our Master, can this word not bring purity in this mundane world of ours, can it not put an end to all the evils done against women, the main cause of which of disrespect towards them? Addressing a woman as ‘ma’ is, to me, the most beautiful way of calling a woman. When I hear this, I feel my soul elevating to a higher level; it is giving me the power to defend the honour and purity associated with it, at any cost. It is making me take a vow just as Rabindranath Tagore did:

Life of my life, I shall ever try to keep my body pure, Knowing that thy living touch is upon all my limbs. I shall ever try to keep all untruths out from my thoughts, Knowing that thou art the truth which has kindled the light of reason in my mind. I shall ever try to drive all evils away from my heart and keep my love in flower, knowing that thou hast thy seat in the innermost shrine of my heart.

Let me say something else; the word ‘ma’ seems to be a gift carrying all the sacrifices done, all the love showered upon, all the dedication offered to children by all the mothers of the world. ‘Ma’, the word is more respectable than the word ‘respect’ itself. Sri Ramakrishna used to say that the mother-child relationship is very pure and that establishing this kind of relationship with God is very easy and conducive to sadhana. Vivekananda declared that the Western ideal of womanhood is the wife, while the Eastern ideal is the mother. This is one of the privileges that we have inherited by being born in this holy land of India, a privilege that anyone in the world can also enjoy by adhering to this powerful word ‘ma’, which can fill our planet with light and warmth.

I wonder what would happen if every man was capable of seeing women, beyond his wife, sister, and mother. As his own mother, as Vivekananda had suggested long ago? At least half the evils of the world would simply vanish. And, why only men? Women also have to remember their greatest identity, an identity that nothing in the world should take away, an identity bestowed upon them by nature, which comes at birth and goes only at death, if it goes at all. If a man is not married, he may never become a father, but a woman can never part with her motherly nature. Such an indivisible quality is this motherhood. It may be temporarily clouded by emotions, but it can never be completely erased from her character. It is such a powerful gift of nature that even animals cannot keep it at bay, what to say of humans? Have we debased ourselves so much that we cannot address women as ‘mother’? And even if we have, shall we not try to redeem ourselves? Vivekananda held tremendous respect for both his earthly mother and the Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. Once he said: ‘I am indebted to my mother for the efflorescence of my knowledge.’ The Holy Mother had such motherly love and compassion for the whole of humanity that Swamiji expressed: ‘To me Mother’s grace is hundred thousand times more valuable than Father’s’. It is time we return to addressing our girls as ‘ma’, the only name that never gets outdated. You may ask, can a simple way of addressing women really change anything? Yes, little drops of water make a mighty ocean. Every girl, whether married or not, has to be aware of this wonderful nature of hers, because if she does not think of herself in this way, no one else will. We can try to inculcate this in our young girls by associating ‘ma’ with their names. And equally important is to teach our boys the good that will come to their lives if they address women as ‘ma’. This is a task that we should start at home. If evil has the power to go viral by mere contact, then good has still more power to become manifest, as goodness is the essential nature of the human being. There is song in Bengali, sung in the Ramakrishna Mission, which has these two lines: ‘Ma nam sekhate sobe / ma hoye eshechho bhobe’ – To teach the world the name Ma / You have descended upon earth in the form of Ma. Let us realize the magic of this word, which will surely come to our rescue.

PS – Notwithstanding the fact that I consider this an inspiring suggestion I hate to point out one immediate obstacle to its being put into practice. In the last two or three decades I hardly remember any child – urban or rural using the word ‘ma’. More often than not it is ‘mummy’ these days. In fact the children of my maid and those of the gardener address or allude to their mothers as mummy. Do you think the word ‘mummy’ will evoke the same feeling as ‘ma’ in both the addresser and the addressee?” In a country like India, where Goddess Durga is worshiped as divine mother specially during Navaratras, every woman, every girl, married or unmarried is the representative of that divinity whose  most glorious manifestation is motherhood. Therefore respect for women is inherent in our religion and culture. All we need to remember and practice is to evoke this wonderful concept of motherhood as a universal answer   and solution to many social evils.

Mrs.Malabika Sen. Asstt Professor, Graphic Era Hill University. Dehradun.

3.THE SONG OF THE FREE

The wounded snake its hood unfurls,

The flame stirred up doth blaze,

The desert air resounds the calls

Of heart-struck lion's rage.

The cloud puts forth it deluge strength

When lightning cleaves its breast,

When the soul is stirred to its in most depth

Great ones unfold their best.

Let eyes grow dim and heart grow faint , And friendship fail and love betray,

Let Fate its hundred horrors send,

And clotted darkness block the way.

All nature wear one angry frown,

To crush you out - still know, my soul , You are Divine. March on and on,

Nor right nor left but to the goal.

Nor angel I, nor man, nor brute,

Nor body, mind, nor he nor she,

The books do stop in wonder mute

To tell my nature; I am He.

Before the sun, the moon, the earth,

Before the stars or comets free,

Before e'en time has had its birth,

I was, I am, and I will be.

The beauteous earth, the glorious sun,

The calm sweet moon, the spangled sky,

Causation's law do make them run;

They live in bonds, in bonds they die.

And mind its mantle dreamy net

Cast o'er them all and holds them fast.

In warp and woof of thought are set,

Earth, hells, and heavens, or worst or best.

Know these are but the outer crust -

All space and time, all effect, cause.

I am beyond all sense, all thoughts,

The witness of the universe.

Not two nor many, 'tis but one,

And thus in me all me's I have;

I cannot hate, I cannot shun

Myself from me, I can but love.

From dreams awake, from bonds be free,

Be not afraid. This mystery,

My shadow, cannot frighten me,

Know once for all that I am He.

- Swami Vivekananda

Summery, central idea and critical appreciation of the poem.

The poet Swami Vivekananda has used metaphors of a wounded snake unfurling its hood, rising flame, echoing sound of the thrilling roar of lion in the desert air and lightning in the heart of clouds to depict the awakening of dormant spiritual power of human being. Human being can give the best performance by awakening and arousing the hidden power of the soul. In the third and fourth stanzas the poet highlights the challenges, problems and difficulties of life. The world and nature may go against us creating hardships and challenges. Our fate may be extremely unfavourable and we may  face darkness of despair everywhere. We may experience failure in friendship and betrayal in love. The nature may try to crush us and destroy us but we must not give up, become weak and defeated. Basically we have Divine nature so nothing can defeat us. We need to march ahead without getting distracted to reach our ultimate goal. In the fifth and sixth stanzas the poet tells about our true nature. We are not angels, men and animals. We are not body and mind. We are beyond the concept of gender as male and female. Bookish knowledge fails to explain the true nature. We are one with the ultimate reality which is pure spirit and pure energy. Seventh and eighth stanzas speak about the eternal existence of the soul. Before the birth of the earth, moon and the glorious sun, before time came into existence, I as the pure spirit existed, still existing and will exist. Material things like the sun, moon and earth are governed by the law of causation. They are limited and restricted by the principles of cause and effects but spirit is beyond everything. Mind with its power of imagination thoughts and ideas create a net to cover everything. Mind creates distortion and falsely produces ideas like heaven and hell, best and worst. Ninth, tenth and eleven stanzas depict the following concepts. Space and time, law of cause and effect all these are external appearance or outer crust. The reality and truth is the spirit which is beyond all senses and thoughts. The spirit cannot be seen or observed. It is the observer or witness of the universe. This spirit is not two or many. It is essentially one because truth is one. Everything exists in one and the same spirit because spirit is everywhere. In one soul all souls are integrated. It is basically one and cannot be divided and separated. Therefore the poet says, everything is in me and I am in everything. There is no scope for separate existence, no scope for hatred and rejection. There is only one positive force of love and only love. Therefore, let us wake up from the dream of false appearance and bondage. Let us break the chain of bondage and become free in the true sense. This material world is only the mysterious shadow of reality and the reality is pure spirit and pure energy. Don’t be afraid of anything. Be bold and fearless, just once for all know your true self. You are one with the ultimate truth. CRITICAL APPRECIATION OF THE POEM – THE SONG OF THE FREE Swami Vivekananda wrote this powerful poem to depict the true nature of human being. Man is beyond body, mind and intellect. The essence of human being is one indomitable spirit which has infinite dimension and eternal existence. The spirit is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. Swami urges not to be afraid of the problems, difficulties and challenges of life. These are the tests of life which make us strong and confident. We should march ahead without getting distracted and disturbed fearlessly to achieve our goal. The poet presents a very clear picture of this pure spirit. Spirit is immortal and eternal. It is not limited by the law of causality. It cannot be observed and explained by human mind and intellect. Bookish knowledge fails to explain this ultimate reality. The earth, moon, sun, stars and comets are created. They are governed by the principles of cause and effect, space and time but spirit is beyond everything. It is the eternal observer of the creation. It cannot be created nor can be destroyed. It is beyond birth and death, time and space. Spirit has infinite dimension and this ultimate truth is only one. There cannot be two or many truths. Truth is one and it is universal. Therefore, there is no scope for duality and multiplicity; there is no scope for hatred and jealousy. There is only one powerful force and it is universal love and harmony. We need to know our true nature. Once we know who we really are, all problems, difficulties, hatred, jealousy, weakness and cowardice disappear. Our hearts get filled with courage, love, bliss and peace. This poem is very significant in today’s world where we find terrorism, hatred and jealousy, greed, selfishness and hypocrisy playing vital roles to divide and destroy human civilization. For the preservation of the human race and the beautiful creation of mother nature the message of spirituality with the fragrance of love and courage can not only act as a powerful instrument but also create the most suitable and desirable atmosphere for nurturing universal brotherhood, love and peace.

Mrs. Malabika Sen. H.O.D (Department of Professional Communication). Graphic Era Hill University. Dehradun. India.

4.AN ODE TO THE HIMALAYAS

Himalayan tsunami, you came suddenly without knocking the door,

Devastated, swept away everything in the path creating misery for sure.

Man and nature, inseparable, indivisible a complete whole,

No enmity, no competition but beautiful coordination of joyful soul.

This truth and noble message of ancient saints and sages,

Modern civilization fails to grasp the significance written in the pages.

Intoxicated and drunk by the wine of power, wealth and comforts,

Today’s man wants to conquer nature and ruthlessly builds hotels and resorts.

By blasting rocks, felling trees, tinkering with the course of rivers,

Man has molested the purity and serenity which is a crime severe.

Perhaps the lofty, sublime Himalayas so mighty and majestic,

Could no longer tolerate behavior, so cruel and unsympathetic.

As a result, Himalayas, you wanted to teach man a lesson,

Through sudden landslide, flash flood and much devastation.

Oh majestic, splendid Himalayas, please be kind and friendly,

Man has learnt a lesson and will never challenge you again certainly.

Or in spite of the best of technology of which he is so proud and obstinate,

His achievements will be reduced to dust by the revenge of nature that is ultimate.

Will your sigh of anguish send the message of love and peace from your lofty bosom?

That will enter into the heart of man and make him loving, caring and awesome.

Malabika Sen. ( H.O.D professional communication) Graphic Era Hill University. Dehradun.