“In the pursuit of knowledge, something is added every day.

In the pursuit of enlightenment, something is dropped every day.”

- Lao-tzu

In our life’s journey, we come across some simple characters who invoke curiosity first in us and then we wish to adopt knowingly or unknowingly some of their traits; how successful we are a different matter. The physical law which states, “unlike poles attract each other” applies everywhere. When I try to pull the legs of my brother-in-law Soumen da (name changed for the reason of anonymity), I miserably fail in my endeavor. The mischievous Engineering College student in me tries to provoke him usually in political topics, but the calm demeanor of the professor of History always takes control of the situation, and like an elderly-centered person he retorts with a smiling gesture. Sometimes he prefers to laugh away the point as if he feels the academic explanation is beyond the realm of understanding of a student of science, but mostly he answers with facts and figures to support his narrative.

There was a crazy time in my life when the trend was to “follow the leader”- when a bankrupt star of yesteryears after miserably flopping in his venture to host “Miss Universe” came up with demonstrating yet another skill of his. I was talking about the reality in idiot box- “Kaun Banega Crorepati” and was crazy to participate in the quiz- show primarily for my interest in quiz programs, and secondly to make some quick-bucks, thinking why not? Every time I tried, another facet to the list of my failures! But, I often used to imagine myself on the hot-seat face-to-face with the big- fella and with awe gazing at the face of the great man!! I would have forgotten to answer his question when he would quip, “ so you want to use your life-line…,” it would have been my ‘phone a friend’ choice. I would immediately have called Professor Somen Chowdhury in all probability; such was the reach of his knowledge!!!

I am yet to find a person who can match his spending time in the study- room. I think I will ask the history question in my next meeting, “dada, how many man-days you have spent in your library? Do you keep a count of time you spent gazing at the innumerable pages of books in your world?” That would perhaps a quizzing question to stamp him. I recollect when in get-together or on one-on-one chit-chat, I talk endlessly on non-issues or for a change sometimes lend my ears for his wise words, my brother in law always on a book or magazine to be in his world where perhaps he gets solace. For him, any time is study time but by writing so I don’t mean he avoids or abhorred the get-together or one-on-one chats. In fact, in his mood, he revels.

Let me relate an incident of the early 90s when in my younger brother’s “baraat” we were to go Karimganj and during the journey to the destination, he was chatting non-stop. Even more so, he was vocal on different scales when following the marriage we sat on the terrace. The moonlit night was made truly memorable with a rendition of his self-composed classical songs with no instrument support. It was a night for us to remember. True, the creative people are multi-dimensional! But, for that to happen they had to be in their best moods for which we had to make him a little intoxicated with methylated spirit. He loved it that night and we loved his soulful rendition!!

Another occasion I remember when some of my close-first was with his family in the town and I planned a trip to a small border- a village called “Ranikar” which was under my Divisional jurisdiction. It was election-time and we did not get the main I.B. as we went there adventurously without prior intimation. But anyway, we got an alternate Govt. Rest House to stay for the night. After whatever we got from the local assistance, the big contingent ate and preferred to chat through the night. This was a no moon night. It was made memorable by my friend’s “parody-skill” and Somen da’s another art on demonstration which he showcased there- narrating a story on ghosts as many of the contingents including my niece (his daughter) were minors.

“ The conscious mind is the traffic cap. It determines what is good or bad, right or wrong ( not always the TRUTH, but rather it is the perception of the truth based on prior data and experiences stored in the subconscious. It directs us to move toward those events and situations that will bring us comfort and make us feel good and avoid those situations which may create discomfort ( ie, moving toward pleasure and avoiding pain).

The supra-conscious is our source of all pure creativity and provides the conscious area of the mind access to all data or information not otherwise stored in our subconscious memory bank. It also provides excess free-flowing energy we are constructively motivated.”

- James Jensen

I happened to come across a doctorate in Baghayam Rehabilitation Centre (under C. M. C, Vellore) who appeared initially like a loner to me. That middle-aged person of Tamil origin used to sit idle and that liberty was given to him by the authorities where other inmates- a mix of alcoholic, addicts, mentally challenged, and physically handicapped used to have prolonged sessions of Occupational therapy and physical drills. I was very curious about this person whose name was Dr. Shanmugan. When I talked to this rather unimpressive-looking person, I was in for the shock of my life. He was at ease with many of the subjects which we mortals will never learn in our whole life. His domain of knowledge was simply stupendous. He made me really curious in 1989 to study more about the art subjects like psychology and history. I wish I could have an acumen and cranium capacity like him. He used to speak about the philosophy of Aurobindo and about supra-conscious which I did not hear about then. Learning to those genius people is a never-ending and continual process. For them, an adage of ‘simple living- high thinking’ fits in like a cork fits a Royal- Challenge bottle. It’s a different world or zone we enter when these enlightened people’s world is accessed. When we study these people, we understand the notion of happiness as narrated by Michael Josephson, founder of The Josephson Institute of Ethics:

“ Acquisition of things is very similar to taking of drugs; with drugs, the body adjusts very quickly, and you have to keep taking more to get the same effect. The same with sex. The first couple of times is amazing, then it becomes mundane. If you were to list the five happiest people you know, there would be no correlation to income. Genuinely happy people are not happy because of what they have; they’re happy because of their concept of who they are.”