The Common Spiritual Code of Swami Vivekananda and P. G. Wodehouse

The teachings of Swami Vivekananda are highly motivational and convey some deep truths of life in a spiritual manner. Plum, as we know, also has an undercurrent of spiritual messages in his stories and books. Superficially speaking, both may sound as different as chalk and cheese. One, an expert in spirituality. Another, an expert in humour.

However, scratch below the surface and one is apt to find that there is much similarity in what Swami Vivekananda preaches and what quite a few of Plum’s characters practice. If Vivekananda’s words awaken us spiritually, Plum’s works, though insanely humorous on the surface, keep soothing our souls in many ways. Let us see if these two thought streams have a resonance that we might be blissfully unaware of.

Take the case of Lord Emsworth who discovers that Gladys has not had any nourishment on the day of the Parva School Treat. He sees to it that Beach feeds her well. Moreover, even a basket of goodies gets handed over for her brother Ern. And when she wants to have some ‘flarze’ from the garden and McAllister comes running at a speed of forty-five miles per hour or so, what does Lord Emsworth do? Well, he is firm in protecting his girlfriend. He stands up to him, living up to the lofty standards set up by his ancestors. His basic desire is to help someone who is good and is in distress. (Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend)

Likewise, some of us may consider Bertie Wooster as being mentally negligible, but there is no denying that he has a heart of gold. To help a pal, he often goes to ridiculous lengths. He even takes a rap for something he has never been involved in anyway. When Stiffy holds him to be superior to Sidney Carton, she is not much off the mark. (The Code of the Woosters)

Also consider the case of Psmith, to whom ends are more important than the means. When Eve is in distress across the road, he merely pinches an umbrella from the cloak room of The Senior Conservative Club and offers it to her with a smooth dignity. (Leave it to Psmith)

All of them go out of their way to help a fellow being who faces a challenge of some kind. Now, this is a sentiment that Vivekananda would heartily approve of.

A Primer on Swami Vivekananda

For the uninitiated amongst us, Swami Vivekananda (1863 – 1902), was an Indian monk, philosopher, author, and religious teacher. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. His attempt was to raise interfaith awareness and bring Hinduism to the status of a major world religion.

Many of us already know that he became a popular figure after the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago at which he delivered his famous speech beginning with the words: “Sisters and brothers of America…”. While doing so, I am certain that unlike Gussie Fink-Nottle, he was not intoxicated, oiled, boiled, fried, plastered, whiffled, sozzled, or blotto. Rather than pouring scorn on many others present on the occasion, as Gussie did during his speech, he went on to introduce Hinduism to Americans.

After remarkable success at the Parliament, in the subsequent years, Vivekananda delivered hundreds of lectures across the United States, England and Europe, disseminating the core tenets of Hindu philosophy. He founded the Vedanta Society of New York and the Vedanta Society of San Francisco (now Vedanta Society of Northern California) both of which became the foundations for Vedanta Societies in the West. In India, Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Math, which provides spiritual training for monastics and householder devotees, and the Ramakrishna Mission, which provides charity, social work, and education.

Vivekananda and Plum: A Timeline

Plum was born in 1881, so he was eighteen years junior to Vivekananda. Luckily, he lived to a ripe age of ninety- four, whereas Vivekananda kicked the bucket at thirty- nine itself, in 1902.

By 1902, Plum had already taken a leap of faith and decided to leave the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank and turned to writing full time. At around the same time his first novel was published—a school story called The Pothunters, serialized incomplete in Public School Magazine in early 1902, and issued in full in hardback in September. He resigned from the bank that month to devote himself to writing full-time.

To the best of my knowledge and belief, the two had never met. Even though Plum’s works do carry an undercurrent of the kind of spiritual propositions Vivekananda makes, the name of the fearless monk from India does not pop up in any of Plum’s narratives.

What Vivekananda Stood For

To sum up what the saint from India stood for:

1. He stressed the importance of individual development.
2. He believed that three things are necessary to make every man great, every nation great, namely conviction of the powers of goodness; absence of jealousy and suspicion; and helping all who are trying to be and do good.
3. Working unitedly for others.
4. Having courage, patience, and perseverance to overcome all obstacles.
5. Having a strong mind and a strong body.
6. Women’s empowerment.
7. Detachment.

Let us now consider these, one by one.

Individual Development

When it comes to pushing the envelope and learning new things, Plum’s characters are always game. Some of them teach us how to evolve into better human beings, office executives, and husbands.

When Bertie Wooster joins an institution designed to teach the aristocracy to fend for itself, the course he decides to take involves boot-cleaning, sock-darning, bed-making and primary grade cooking. His finances are quite sound, but he feels that it is wise to be prepared for a future when the social revolution sets in with even greater severity. (Ring for Jeeves)

Take the case of Psmith. When he joins the New Asiatic Bank, he does not lose much time as an intern to figure out how to develop into a popular person. He identifies a friendly native and makes enquiries about the likes and dislikes of his immediate boss. Armed with this intelligence, he endears himself to Rossiter, his immediate superior and the head of the Postal Department. His next mission is to cozy up to the top boss and tackle him suitably. By the end of Psmith in the City, when Mike’s career in the bank is at risk, we find Psmith resorting to extortion. He leverages the political ambitions of the top boss to pull Mike out of the soup. He digs up some old speeches made by Comrade Bickersdyke at the Tulse Hill Parliament. If published, these would adversely affect the boss’ chances of getting in as the Unionist candidate at Kenningford. Mike gets off the hook.

Yet another example of development is presented to us by Bingo Little. We are aware of his romantic nature. Like a butterfly, he keeps hopping from one object of his affection to the next. But after each failed affair, Bingo does not necessarily sulk. The scales fall from his eyes, and he suddenly realizes that the next girl alone is his true soul mate. After many failed affairs, Bingo ends up marrying the romance novelist Rosie M. Banks. In the post-matrimony phase, we find a Bingo Little who is completely transformed. He is singularly devoted to his wife. Maintaining matrimonial peace and harmony is the sole purpose of his life. When it comes to keeping his lady-love happy and contented, there is little that he leaves to chance, which includes ensuring that the lady of the house gets her afternoon cup of tea. His reverse transformation – from a butterfly to a caterpillar – is complete. One is certain that this fact never came to the notice of Charles Darwin, who handed in his dinner pail during 1882 itself. If so, we might have noticed him rushing to his publishers, a revised manuscript of the Theory of Evolution tucked under his arms.    

If Swami Vivekananda highlights the importance of individual development in his inimitable stiff-upper-lip manner, Plum deploys his wit and humour and gets some of his characters to set a high standard on the same count.

Conviction of the Powers of Goodness

Many of Plum’s characters have an abundant supply of the milk of human kindness coursing through their veins. Their belief in the power of goodness never wavers. When it comes to following a code, they never disappoint us. Bertie follows the family code of never letting a pal down. Captain Biggar sticks to a code that one should not propose to a female unless one’s own finances are in order. Chuffy refuses to propose to Pauline Stoker unless a deal to sell Chuffnell Hall materializes.

Chivalry is a sentiment which finds a place of prominence in Plum’s works. Bertie persuades Gussie Fink Nottle not to prod Stiffy between her legs to look for a missing diary. (The Code of the Woosters)

To save Uncle Tom from digestive troubles in the absence of Anatole, God’s gift to our gastric juices, he offers to undergo a sentence of thirty days. His only demand? A sumptuous fare dished out by Anatole at the end of his impending ordeal. (The Code of the Woosters)

Lord Emsworth, when caught picking up flowers from Kensington Gardens, seeks help from a recently sacked McAllister to identify himself to the police. His faith in the supremacy of goodness is touching, indeed. (The Custody of a Pumpkin)

While driving back from Brighton, Bertie and Jeeves offer Peggy Mainwaring a lift. Goodness prevails, though Bertie eventually realises the perils of delivering a talk to a bunch of girls who keep giggling and staring at him. (Bertie Changes His Mind)

Of Suspicion and Jealousy

Like all of us, Plum’s characters often suffer pangs of suspicion and jealousy. However, it does not take them much time to wriggle out of such negative emotions and live a happier life.

Think of Freddie who never suspects R Jones of any mischief. It takes a word of caution from someone like Ashe Marson for him to start seeing the truth for what it is. (Something Fresh)

Rupert Baxter earns his living by suspecting everything and everyone. If it means skipping a few nights’ sleep, so be it. (Something Fresh)

Roderick Spode suspects the intentions of anyone securing the affinity of Madeliene Bassett. (The Code of the Woosters)

Gussie Fink-Nottle experiences the perils of jealousy when he mistakenly thinks Bertie Wooster is competing for Madeline Bassett’s affection. (Right Ho, Jeeves). The same fate befalls Chuffy when he suspects Bertie of harbouring romantic thoughts about Pauline Stoker, whom he intends to marry. (Thank You, Jeeves). Madeleine suffers when she sees Gussie Fink-Nottle taking a fly out of Stiffy’s eye. (The Code of the Woosters).

Consider the emotions of Ronnie Fish when he finds Sue Brown dining with Percy Pilbeam.

The crust of calm detachment from all human emotion, built up by years of Eton and Cambridge, cracked abruptly, and there peeped forth a primitive Ronald Overbury Fish. […] His fists clenched. Eton was forgotten, Cambridge not even a memory. He inhaled so sharply that a man at the next table who was eating a mousse of chicken stabbed himself in the chin with his fork.

(Summer Lightning)

In most cases, explanations get called for and offered. Eventually, Reason returns to its throne. Sanity prevails. However, a spiritual purist like Swami Vivekananda would take a jaundiced view of such proceedings. 

Helping All Who Are Trying to Be and Do Good

When Bobbie Wickham ends up gifting Aunt Agatha’s pet McIntosh to Kid Blumenfeld, a sense of Noblesse oblige restrains Bertie from dashing off to the Savoy and demanding the pet back. As always, Jeeves comes up with a solution – a look-alike replacement is arranged for the kid, whereas Bertie rescues McIntosh after sprinkling his trousers with aniseed powder. Aniseed has an aroma which appears to speak straight to the deeps of the terrier’s soul. The scheme works. Harmony rules. (Episode of the Dog McIntosh)

Many of us would recall that Perfecto-Zizzbaum is the company which Wilmot works for. When the studio is said to be facing rough weather, Wilmot meets the top boss and readily accepts a salary reduction, down from fifteen hundred to three hundred dollars a week.

His parting dialogue to the boss goes thus:

What a perfectly lovely day it is, is it not? I was thinking as I came along here that I had never seen the sun shining more brightly. One just wanted to be out and about, doing lots of good on every side. Well, I’m delighted if I have been able to do anything in my humble way to make things easier for you, Chief. It has been a real pleasure.

Quite understandably, his engagement to Mabel Potter gets terminated soon after. (The Juice of an Orange)

Just like good people must be helped, those who are a menace to society in general also need to be restrained and neutralized. When Roderick Spode becomes a raging hippopotamus, Aunt Dahlia gets Jeeves to dig up some dirt on him. The secret of Eulalie gets discovered. Bertie uses it with much success.

Pure intentions underlying an act matter as much to Swami Vivekananda as they do to many of Plum’s characters.

Working Unitedly for Others

Many of Plum’s characters have a streak of selflessness about them. Despite their professional and personal concerns, they try to do something for others who happen to be in distress.

They might do it single-handedly, or, like Bertie and Jeeves, form a team to help others. In The Mating Season, the duo ends up uniting as many as six couples, providing priceless clues to our IT whizz kids who design dating apps these days!

Uncle Fred is quite focused on his mission of spreading sweetness and light everywhere he goes. Gally is another person whose conduct is quite selfless. Both help others in need, of course with hilarious consequences.

Sally is also selfless. One of her actions is to nurse an elderly resident of her boarding house through his case of the Spanish flu. (Adventures of Sally)

Take the case of Stilton Cheesewright whose head is said to be comparable to a pumpkin. Florence Craye talks socialism to him and persuades him to read Karl Marx. When at Oxford, someone had temporarily converted him to Buddhism which preaches compassion to all fellow beings. (Joy in the Morning)

All of them take the help of others, wherever needed, to support others.

That is precisely the kind of public-spirited attitude Vivekananda would like many of us to have.

Of Courage, Patience, and Perseverance

Elsewhere in the canon, we meet Ukridge, an opportunist who will do anything to increase his capital – except, of course, work. He believes in the adage that unless one speculates, one does not accumulate. He keeps coming up with get-rich-quick schemes and failing in his ventures with a remarkable degree of consistency. But his optimism never deserts him. He shows remarkable courage and keeps working on.

We find him setting up a Dog College where dogs can get trained to perform at a music hall. We then find him setting up an Accident Syndicate so insurance claims could be split up. He also supports sailors in the boxing ring. Elsewhere, we find that he is not averse to splitting a real estate commission earned during the sale of an English country house. In Love Among the Chickens, we find him setting up a chicken farm which also fails. But his buoyant optimism never deserts him. He starts visualizing starting up a duck farm!

Another good example is that of Joan Valentine’s, our feisty heroine from Something Fresh. After she falls on tough times, she does theatre, works in a shop, becomes a lady’s maid, and takes up many other odd jobs that can help her to keep the wolf away from the door. When she sees an opportunity, she just grabs it.

Don’t get into a groove. Be an adventurer. Snatch at the next chance, whatever it is.

She makes us appreciate that the ideal adventurer needs a certain lively inquisitiveness. She has a sense of enterprise which keeps her moving on in life.

Such characters truly practice what Swami Vivekananda preaches.

Mind, Body, and Well-being

Vivekananda emphasized the importance of a strong mind and body. He said:

Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be.

Plum highlights the importance of mental well-being through the actions of Sir Roderick Glossop, the loony doctor. We resent his not being able to fully enjoy his meal at Bertie’s flat where some cats also happened to be present. But we are secretly relieved when he decides to cancel Bertie’s fixture with Honoria Glossop, thereby saving our favourite hero from taking a saunter down the aisle with someone who reduces you to pulp with sixteen sets of tennis and a few rounds of golf and then comes down to dinner as fresh as a daisy, expecting you to take an intelligent interest in Freud. (Carry On, Jeeves)

In fact, if Vivekananda motivates us to develop nerves of chilled steel, Plum’s works enable us to go through life’s myriad challenges with a jauntiness which would put an elephant fed on Mulliner’s Buck-U-Uppo to shame. Both help us to have a strong mind.

When it comes to physical fitness, we look up to the prescription dished out by Ashe Marson – Larsen Exercises (all twenty-nine of these), scientific deep breathing, cold baths, brisk walks, and strict diet control. He also recommends plenty of fresh air and no cigars. (Something Fresh)

Coming to the subject of diet control, who could argue with Laura Pyke as to the importance of fat-soluble vitamins and the negation of all kinds of tissue restoratives? (Jeeves and the Old School Chum)

Women’s Empowerment

Vivekananda often spoke about educating women and empowering them to shape their own destinies.

The great Aryans, Buddha, among the rest, have always put women in an equal position with men.

Plum had his own way of putting across a similar message. This is what Joan Valentine says to Ashe Marson when he offers to steal the scarab in her place:

That’s simply your old-fashioned masculine attitude toward the female, Mr. Marson. You look on woman as a weak creature, to be shielded and petted. We aren’t anything of the sort. We’re terrors! We’re as hard as nails. We’re awful creatures. You mustn’t let my sex interfere with your trying to get this reward. Think of me as though I were another man. We’re up against each other in a fair fight, and I don’t want any special privileges. If you don’t do your best from now onward, I shall never forgive you.

(Something Fresh)

Vivekananda said:

Women will work out their destinies – much better, too, than men can ever do for them. All the mischief to women has come because men undertook to shape the destiny of women.

Plum has commented:

At the age of eleven or thereabouts women acquire a poise and an ability to handle difficult situations which a man, if he is lucky, manages to achieve somewhere in the later seventies.

It is easy to see that both have remarkably similar views about emancipation of women.

The Perks of Detachment

How does one face the harsh slings and arrows of fate? Vivekananda recommended a spirit of detachment. He emphasized the need to remain unperturbed by the difficulties in life.

Quite a few of Plum’s characters practice this. When they fail, they do not sulk. They move on.

Consider the case of Freddie when he tries to sell Donaldson’s Dog-Joy biscuits to Aunt Georgina (The Go- Getter). He is clear about his goal and faces challenges with a spirit of detachment. First, he briefs her on the product’s wholesomeness, richness in essential vitamins, and its bone-forming properties. Then he showers her with product brochures. He shows samples. He even offers a fortnight’s free trial. When he fails to enthuse her, he attempts to give a live demonstration by chewing a dog biscuit himself.

When he chokes and business does not result, he uses Bottles to demonstrate the superiority of his product. He fails, yet again. But it is seldom that he is baffled for more than about a minute and a quarter. He then walks in with a sack full of rats. However, this proposal is vetoed by the audience.

Eventually, Bottles ends up proving his mettle in a fight with Aunt Georgina’s Airedale. A timely intervention by Bingham saves the day, prompting Gertrude, Aunt Georgina’s daughter, to fall back into his arms. This pleases Aunt Georgina. She places an initial trial order of two tons!

Vivekananda encouraged individuals to face challenges with resilience, courage, and a smile. In the unique world created by Plum, Bertie Wooster displays an unwavering cheerfulness even in the face of perplexing situations.

How does Bertie feel when, prodded by Jeeves and Stiffy, he agrees to go and tell Pop Bassett that he plans to marry Stiffy?

It has been well said of Bertram Wooster by those who know him best that there is a certain resilience in his nature that enables him as a general rule to rise on stepping-stones of his dead self in the most unfavourable circumstances. It isn’t often that I fail to keep the chin up and the eye sparkling.

The Common Spiritual Code of Vivekananda and Wodehouse

Both Vivekananda and Wodehouse believed in the power of humour as a remedy for life’s hardships. They acknowledged the innate absurdity of the human condition and advocated for finding humour even in the darkest moments. Vivekananda himself had a good sense of humour. His diary has several self-deprecatory references, which reveal the sunnier side of his personality. If he advocated some stark spiritual practices, many of Plum’s characters exemplify the same by the way they behave in the kind of situations they face.

The methods used by them to convey some spiritual messages are poles apart. Plum conveys it through the wit and comedy contained in his charming works. Swami Vivekananda does it through his sombre teachings. Both speak of the power of optimism and unwavering resolve in the face of life’s challenges. Plum conveys to us the bitter reality of life by first dunking them in a chocolate syrup of amusement, joy, and mirth. Vivekananda offers the same in a youthful and uplifting manner which makes us sit up and take notice of the importance of what he is saying.

By exploring their writings, we discover the parallel between these two extraordinary thinkers. Both exhort us to always have a positive frame of mind, as Jeeves says somewhere in the canon. Both put a premium on tenacity, resilience, perseverance, and a capacity to embrace change and use it as a stepping stone to higher things in life.

Conclusion

Plum is not necessarily about escapism in the guise of farcical butlers, spoiled nephews, and nosy and overbearing aunts. His works also contain philosophical insights and hidden truths of life. Subtly hidden in the works of Plum is the philosophy which is remarkably in tune with the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. His characters are blissfully unaware of the way they intrinsically follow what Vivekananda preaches – drinking deep from the cup of life, that too with a light- heartedness that mirrors Vivekananda’s call for joyous detachment.

We can consider taking a leaf out of Wodehouse’s comedy and Vivekananda’s spirituality. Embrace challenges with the infectious optimism of a Bertie Wooster and face the world with the dignified detachment of a Jeeves. In this curious amalgamation of humour and enlightenment, we might just discover that, much like in a Wodehouse novel, life is best approached with a twinkle in the eye and a chin up attitude.

(Inputs from Suryamouli Datta are gratefully acknowledged.)

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Swami Vivekananda: Uncovering the Humorous Side of the Fearless Monk: Guest Post by Suryamouli Datta

Introduction

“In shattered gates, your radiant stride, proclaiming triumph’s song,

In the vast ascension from shadows, yours, the victory throng.

O triumphant soul, at life’s dawn anew,

In your grasp, the hopeful scythe, cutting bonds askew.

Through ancient woes, in desolation’s field, let freedom ring,

Come, O melancholy, come, O tranquil, yours, the victory spring.

Come, O unstained essence, come, O fearless breath,

In the morning sun’s arrival, midst storms, vanquish death.

The chariot of sorrow, in your path, resounds loud,

Awaken the dormant minds, in the heavens, be proud.

In the tapestry of life, weave melodies of joy,

Yours, the call of victory, that nothing can destroy.”

The translated lines above are from a song by Rabindranath Tagore. To me, they provide a clear description of the ‘Fearless Monk’ from India, which resonates with me and many others.

On His Birth Anniversary

As we commemorate Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary, it’s customary to applaud his spiritual wisdom and profound contributions. However, let us embark on a unique journey into an often-overlooked facet of his personality – his impeccable sense of humour, beautifully encapsulated in many of his writings, however, I want to highlight particularly the piece titled ‘Paribrajak’ or ‘Traveller’. Here, we get a glimpse into the witty and comical storytelling prowess of Swamiji, accompanied by his closest disciples, Brother Tu (Swami Turiyananda) and Sister Nivedita.

Lethargy and the Diary Debacle

Swamiji, in his typical playful style, initiates the narrative with a candid confession about his inability to maintain a daily journal of his travel experiences. Blaming it on his inherited Bengali lethargy (and of course, his ‘inability’ to remember dates), he humorously claims his intention to write daily but continuously postpones it to eternity due to various engagements. The struggles of a Bengali writer unfold comically, resonating with the perpetual promises to put pen to paper but succumbing to the irresistible allure of life’s myriad distractions.  Call it a shade of procrastination if you will.

Sea Sickness and Lord Hanuman

The adventure at sea brings its fair share of amusement as Swamiji ponders whether Hanuman, Lord Rama’s devoted monkey disciple, also experienced sea sickness during his legendary leap to Lanka. Tongue-in-cheek, Swamiji suggests that Hanuman might have encountered some sickness when he accidentally stumbled upon a demon’s mouth. Comparing their voyage on a ship to Hanuman’s ‘heroic leap’, (apart from the ‘small detail’ that Lord Hanuman managed to accomplish through a mere leap, here we have Swamiji, an ‘ordinary person’ (?!), attempting to achieve the same feat by riding in a ship that sways with the whims of the waves!), Swamiji further jokes that their fellow travellers are no less than mischievous imps (who Lord Hanuman encountered upon arriving in Sri Lanka), but unfortunately, as Swamiji describes, he himself is stuck traveling with these imps who, according to Swamiji, are heavy meat eaters, solely fixated on using forks and knives for their meals. With a playful tone, Swamiji teases his beloved disciple, Brother Tu, for being afraid of being assaulted by these harmless items of cutlery.  For, according to Swamiji, his disciple is quite traumatized about the fact that those imps who have taken the shape of travellers will be quite eager to have him (Brother Tu) as a snack!

Comic Description of the Sea and Rivers

In the realm of Kalidasa’s poetic tapestry, the sea unfurls its boundless expanse, merging seamlessly with the distant orbits of the wheel. Along the shores, dark blue illusions dance amidst rows of swaying palms, their rhythm mirroring the heartbeat of the forest. On the maritime horizon, where the earth meets the sky, a black line dissolves into the saline stream of the ocean, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.

Swamiji takes a jocular dig at the famed poet Kalidasa’s romanticized depiction of the sea in his work “Raghuvamsa”. He asserts that reality differs greatly from poetic imagination. From the ship’s wild swings to Britannias shouting slogans, Swamiji amusingly reveals how his disciple, Brother Tu, succumbs to seasickness, likening his troubled state to a desperate search for the first grain of rice consumed during a rice eating ceremony. He then dives into humorous descriptions of India’s rivers, adding a splash of laughter to the narrative.

A Satire on Caste and British Rule

Swamiji uses his unique sense of humour to shed light on the caste system prevalent in India during the British Raj. With a sarcastic tone, he applauds the British government for considering all Indians as mere “natives,” thereby eradicating the evil of caste discrimination.

Moving on, he mocks the Indians who attempted to disown undesirable aspects of Hinduism by claiming to be of Aryan descent and enlightened by British blood, only to find that the British government disagreed. Swamiji emphasizes the need to cherish and learn from the West rather than blindly imitate it.

Racism and the Loss of Homesickness

Condemning racism, Swamiji humorously compares the Western concept of maintaining a distance from natives to India’s caste system. He expresses how this realization, though bitter, temporarily erased his homesickness, as it mirrored the Indian belief of a caste getting corrupted when mingling with people of lower social standing.

Entertaining Tales of Forts, Businessmen, and Seasickness

Swamiji entertains readers with amusing stories of forts, businessmen, and the challenges faced by fellow travellers on their voyage to the west. The witty anecdotes and lively descriptions bring history and places to life, providing delightful storytelling and a fresh perspective.

A Humorous Take on Cultures and History

Swamiji, the master of wit, unveils a delightful indifference as he takes us on a journey through cultures and the histories of nations. With his clever and comical lines, he effortlessly breathes life into his writing, leaving us in stitches. Let me share with you one such gem that may leave you chuckling uncontrollably.

“The Europeans,” quips Swamiji, “believe it is scandalous to have bare feet, so they go to great lengths to cover them up, completely disregarding the exposure of any other body parts! And in this incredible land of India, women are expected to cover their heads with veils, seemingly unconcerned about which other body part is on display in the process.”

Swamiji’s light-hearted tone adds an extra layer of amusement and intrigue to his narrative, making it an enjoyable ride. 

How Swamiji Channels His Inner Western Art: A Delightful Analysis

Being an ardent admirer of the great humourist P.G. Wodehouse (whom, I think, Swamiji had never met), I can’t help but spot the same brilliant wit in Swamiji’s works! Believe it or not, his clever observations about society, the history of any nation documented, his fellow companions, and even himself, bring back fond memories of Plum’s delightful creations. You simply must delve into this masterpiece (Traveller) to grasp the essence of my claim. But alas, I must offer my sincerest apologies to my dear readers, as my feeble attempts at capturing the same mirth in my humble language may do grave injustice to the brilliance of his original writings.  But fear not, for Swamiji’s words are an absolute riot,   

For example, in the realm of architectural contemplation, Swamiji’s astute reflections on the nuances of German and French architecture elicit a hearty guffaw. With a dash of wit as effervescent as a perfectly shaken cocktail, he wittily opines:

“Behold the robust and masculine visage of German Architecture, akin to a residence crafted for grand elephants or noble horses. Contrastingly, the French architectural symphony, tailored for our cherished animal companions, paints a tableau of celestial beings frolicking in ethereal realms!”

Surely, such ingenious observations offer a sneak peek into the kind of humour-laced glasses which Swamiji used to differentiate between two starkly different architectural styles.

In a similar vein, Wodehouse describes a street in London in his inimitable tongue-in-cheek manner as follows:

“In shape Arundell Street is exactly like one of those flat stone jars in which Italian wine of the cheaper sort is stored. The narrow neck that leads off Leicester Square opens abruptly into a small court. Hotels occupy two sides of this; the third is at present given up to rooming houses for the impecunious. These are always just going to be pulled down in the name of progress to make room for another hotel, but they never do meet with that fate; and as they stand now so will they in all probability stand for generations to come.“

(Something Fresh)

In Conclusion

This exploration of Swami Vivekananda’s humour unveils a side of him rarely discussed – his comic genius. By delving into his humorous travel writings, readers gain insight into the wit possessed by this esteemed Indian monk. Beyond being a spiritual leader, Swamiji emerges as a storyteller with a keen sense of humour, inviting everyone to dive into the hilarity and discover the “Indian Monk with a sense of humour” for themselves.

Cheers to the fearless monk who not only enlightened our minds and exhorted us to lead purposeful lives, but also tickled our funny bones!

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How Diabetes helps us to improve our SQ

ashokbhatia

If we look a little deeper, we are apt to find that lifestyle diseases not only represent a crisis in our lives. These also provide us an opportunity for a spiritual upliftment of sorts.

Take the case of a patient suffering from diabetes. The manner in which this affliction leads one to progress on the path of spirituality can be readily appreciated by considering what a hapless patient has to go through.

Surely, no one aspires to have a silent killer like diabetes as a part of the package of challenges life offers. But once known to be afflicted by it, it takes courage to accept the fact – internally as well as socially. One’s propensity to accept things in a courageous manner goes up.

Willingly having to forsake the pleasures of the palate, the patient learns the art of humility. Delectable sweets get banned from one’s dining table…

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Beating those blues….

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There are indeed times when the harsh slings and arrows of Life weigh one’s soul down with woe. The intensity of each succeeding sling shot becomes more acute. The frequency also registers an uptick. Life seems to be overtaken with a Thos-like propensity – to test the depth of one’s reserves of patience and fortitude. It appears as if each arrow is doused in paraffin and is being shot by an Edwin the Scout to douse an already raging fire in one’s cottage. One’s Guardian Angels appear to have gone off on a long vacation. The air is congested with a series of W-shaped depressions which keep hitting one at regular intervals. Even before one has had a chance to pull oneself out of the preceding episode, the next one follows, leaving one all of a twitter. The soul remains in a phase of perennial torment.

When faced with a…

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Some Evergreen Life Lessons from ‘Something Fresh’ (Part 3 of 3)

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When the Wooer is a Persistent Superman

George Emerson is a persistent wooer. He is genuinely concerned about Aline getting thinner and paler since her arrival at the Castle, for which he holds her father responsible. The diet of the father of the wooed is his own problem, but for his daughter to support him by declining baked meats and restrict herself to some miserable vegetable dishes, is, he thinks, his problem. That is how he painstakingly assembles the tray which he intends to deliver at her doorstep late in the night. Unfortunately, laws of nature ensure that he collides with Ashe Marson on the staircase, rendering his efforts null and void, what with the cold tongue and its adjuncts getting strewn about the hall.

It never occurs to him that he is often offensively patronizing towards Aline. Supermen are made of a stern stuff of this kind.

By the…

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About Auroville: The City of Dawn

As a neighbour, an impartial observer and a well-wisher of Auroville for close to twenty five years, let me share a few impressions I have of this ‘City of Dawn.’

In 1997, I had just joined a company in Pondicherry and the need arose of a couple of computers. Orders were duly placed. A friend of the owner of the business, based in Auroville and a technocrat by profession, not only organized the hardware and the software but also brought in intranet, helping us to exchange notes via emails sent and received over our monitors. At the time, the term ‘internet’ was not known to me!

That was my first realization that Auroville was indeed a Centre of Excellence in various fields – IT, solar power, wind power etc.

Visitors to Auroville, especially those who live in matchbox kind of flats in our urban concrete jungles, get bowled over by its greenery and its open spaces.

Background

The visionary concept of Auroville is that of a universal township“where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities.”

“Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But to live in Auroville, one must be a willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.” 

“Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, a youth that never ages.” (Auroville Charter, 1968)

The Birth of Auroville

The township is a tangible manifestation of the spiritual collaboration between the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. After he passed away in 1950, it was the Mother who took on the task of bringing his idea of a “universal town” to fruition. Her guiding principles were Sri Aurobindo’s ideal of human unity, his emphasis on cultural collaboration and his vision of India as a spiritual leader of the world.

It is supposed to be a place which is like a crucible in a laboratory from where Homo sapiens of a higher consciousness would eventually emerge.

Born in 1878, Mother was over 90 when, on February 28, 1968, Auroville was inaugurated. She worked with architect Roger Anger to chalk out a blueprint for a city of 50,000 people. On the day of the inauguration, over 5,000 people from 124 countries, including India, had gathered.

To signify that the township belonged to none in particular but to humanity as a whole, these delegates also deposited a handful of their native soil into a marble-clad urn at the amphitheatre.

Government of India Steps In

The baby was born. But its growing challenges had just begun.

An enterprise like this one can almost only be built in difficult conditions. Without a maturity that arises from problems, on the level of those people who live the experience, it seems hard to conceive that the goal of Auroville and its message can be arrived at in a comprehensive manner…..What is important is not to build a city, it is to build a new humanity.

(Roger Anger, 1973)

In 1973, after the Mother’s death, a bitter conflict developed between the residents and the township’s ‘parent’ organisation, the Sri Aurobindo Society. The Society laid a claim to the land acquired by Auroville.

The matter went right up to the Supreme Court, which eventually decided in favour of Auroville.

Sensing a situation of continued tension between the sister organisations and to legally permit Auroville to own land, Government of India stepped in. In 1988, the Indian Parliament unanimously passed the Auroville Foundation Act to make the township a legal entity and safeguard its autonomy. Eventually, the Society transferred the land to Auroville.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of Mr. Kireet Joshi, a senior IAS officer, the township earned global recognition by UNESCO. In the Cold War era, it was considered a manifestation of India’s commitment to the cause of the Non Aligned Movement. Prominent persons like Mr. J R D Tata, Mr. Nani Palkhivala and HH the Dalai Lama have supported Auroville.

The Organisation

Auroville is managed by a three-tier structure.

1. International Advisory Board
2. Working Committee (comprising 9 members: 1 Secretary, 4 nominees of the Government of India, 4 nominees of Auroville)
3. Resident Assembly (comprising all the residents of Auroville, the decisions of which need unanimous approval)

Interestingly, nothing in Auroville is owned by any person there. Every single asset in the township is owned by the Auroville Foundation, which, in turn, is under the Government of India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Achievements

Today, Auroville is home to over 3,200 people — architects, writers, artists, doctors, engineers, chefs, teachers, farmers, students etc — from over 60 countries, not to mention all regions of India. Thanks to its multi-faceted talent pool, the township has been a trail blazer in sustainable practices, environment-friendly operations, futuristic technologies, water resource management, alternate farming, to name a few. From ecology to economy and from education to entertainment, it offers a fulfilling life to its residents. Its expertise in different domains is sought by governments and other bodies from time to time.

Over the years, a massive forestation drive by residents and villagers has ensured a lush green campus, buildings which draw their energy needs primarily from the sun and houses which are not connected to power grid of Tamil Nadu but are solely dependent on wind/solar power.

Take the case of Buddha Garden which is a farm that experiments with sensor-based precision irrigation system — the first crop cycle saw an almost 80% drop in water consumption!

The Universe and its Centre

The layout of the township resembles that of a galaxy, with the magnificent Matri Mandir at its centre, considered the “soul of Auroville”. Over time, separate zones have evolved: for residences, for industrial units, for cultural events and for visitors.   

Matri Mandir is an elaborate gold-plated sphere that took 37 years to see the light of day. The structure comprises 1,415 large gold discs and is suspended above 12 “petals” or themed mini concentration rooms, each of which is flanked by a themed garden. The main hall for concentration, known as the Inner Chamber, is a pristine white in colour, whereas each of the “petals” has a distinct colour to it.

The approach to the Inner Chamber has three levels through which one ascends, much like a spiritual aspirant would evolve through the three states of Aspiration, Rejection and Surrender, eventually reaching a state of realisation.

The global structure rests on four directional pillars: Mahakali (North), Maheshwari (South), Mahalakshmi (East) and Mahasaraswati (West).  

Woods are Lovely….

Auroville presents to us an exemplary blend of India’s age old spiritual tenets on the one hand and futuristic thought in terms of sustainability and technology on the other.

The journey of evolution is surely not an easy one. Coordinating between various opinions and views is a mighty task. Recently, in respect of the implementation of the Master Plan, some differences have arisen between two groups of residents. There is no doubt that with compassion and a spirit of give and take, the same will get resolved amicably and Auroville will emerge stronger.

It is hoped that future developments would retain the township’s Unique Selling Proposition – greenery, low rise structures and open spaces.  

Mother has never said this journey is going to be easy. She would typically discourage enthusiastic newcomers to join in. Her recommendation was that once we have made up our mind to join, we should go to the very end.  

The journey of Auroville reminds me of the famous poem by Robert Frost where he says:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.

(Inputs from Mr Sanjay Mohan are gratefully acknowledged)

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Brand Pondicherry: Some Spiritual and Religious Attributes

A Dawn at Matrimandir

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The Challenge of Defining Consciousness

Defining Consciousness is akin to the case of seven blind men trying to describe an elephant. People have different perspectives. So, when it comes to saying what it really is, the descriptions are often as different as chalk and cheese.

The reason for a wide spectrum of ways in which we understand this concept is what one could label as the Yin and Yang factor. Many of us use our brains to explain what we understand it to be. Many others use our hearts to do so. Perhaps this concept is rather profound. It is beyond the sensory limitations of the human mind, which has an uncanny ability to divide and analyze things. This is what eventually leads to the phenomenon called Analysis Paralysis in management. Our hapless hearts are rooted in what Daniel Goleman refers to as Emotional Intelligence. A solely emotional perspective has its own limitations.

But the situation is not as challenging as it appears to be. The common denominator underlying the entire spectrum is that of the collective good. An integrated view of the concept is surely possible, provided we move on to the level of what Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall, in their book Spiritual Wealth: Wealth We Can Live By, allude to as Spiritual Intelligence.

However, before we move further, let us consider some of the perspectives which one normally comes across.

What is Consciousness?

The Five Maxims  

Ask Jeffrey Deckman, and he is apt to say that it is imperative for a Conscious Leader to play the following roles:

1. Being a ‘healer’, who calms, comforts and connects those around him.
2. Of being an ‘elder’, by practicing wisdom, empathy and patience.
3. Acting as a ‘steward’, nurturing talent and creating conditions for growth just like a gardener would act.
4. Doffing the hat of a ‘navigator’, envisioning challenges and opportunities, defining broad goals and guiding others.
5. Being a ‘facilitator’, acting like the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring harmony, encouraging open discussions and aligning by voting and not by consensus.    

Of Gallant Knights

Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall speak of Knights, the leaders who choose to embark on a spiritual path. Having sensed something fundamentally sacred underlying human life, they embed this reality in their actions and in their life’s work.

In both life and work, the knight abides by five principles:

• There is something sacred, some deeper, shared consciousness, unfolding in this universe and providing a baseline for every aspect of life.
• Life and all its enterprises are interconnected.
• All human endeavour, including business, is part of the larger and richer fabric of the whole universe.
• The relationship of the healthy individual to the world is one of engagement and responsibility.
• Service conveys deep sense of humility and gratitude.

A Triple Bottom Line Approach

Stephen Karbaron exhorts businesses to embrace an approach of profiting from a purpose driven, triple bottom line paradigm. To him, this is what defines a conscious business strategy approach. He emphasizes the need to be innovative, adaptable and prepared for change, whilst being aware of all stakeholder needs. He keeps sharing live examples of businesses which follow this approach.  

Of Philosopher Kings

Dr Roy Woodhead is of the opinion that the very words ‘conscious enterprise’ imply some sense of an ‘enlightened enterprise’. In one of his thought provoking articles, he says that Plato put forward the idea of ‘philosopher kings’ to lead us. They would not be allowed material gains but would be well looked after; their economic neutrality and lack of vested interests were seen as very important for effective government by the philosopher kings.

Ramayana, one of the revered Hindu scriptures, speaks of King Janaka, the foster father of Sita, the heroine of the epic story. He is said to be a ‘philosopher king’. He is revered as being an ideal example of non-attachment to material possessions. He not only administers his country but also invites sages and intellectuals to spiritual discourses in his assembly. His interactions with sages and seekers such as Ashtavakra and Sulabha are recorded in ancient texts and are illuminating treatises on spiritual principles.

In their book ‘Rajarshi Leadership’, authors S. K. Chakraborty and Debangshu Chakraborty espouse the cause of spiritual leadership. This is a concept which sums up a key lesson from India’s tryst with spirituality: that of first discovering the divinity within, and then to manifest it without. Such conscious leadership is blissful to oneself and to others.  

A Holistic View of Affairs

Jack Beauregard is of the opinion that it is about one connecting with the wholeness and the process of creation. A higher level of consciousness opens one’s life to one’s inner cores, thereby allowing the creativity of the universe to flow into one’s life. This enables one to find innovative solutions for solving the numerous challenges that one faces. He believes that a higher level of consciousness also creates a spiritual perspective. It allows one to view one’s life, other people, our work organizations, technology, the planet earth, and the universe from a sacred point of view.

Jack Beauregard opines that one can help create a new, harmonious world in which to live by taking responsibility for transforming one’s own consciousness. When enough people choose to develop, act, and do business from a balanced, wholistic paradigm, this will automatically have a positive influence on the consciousness of our planet. We can help co–evolve with the intelligent creative process of the universe. When a critical mass is reached, we will then create a positive alternative to the negative actions and beliefs of today’s world. 

Our species will evolve to its rightful inheritance when we realize that human consciousness is a smaller part of the larger consciousness of the universe, and our individual lives, and the human species in general, are small parts of the vast web of life and just one manifestation of the mystery of creation.

The Realm of Creativity 

Hindu and other scriptures speak of one reaching a state when one’s consciousness becomes one with that of the universe, often leading to an exalted phase of creativity. Our physical body then acts as an antenna, translating signals from the universe into something human beings would comprehend. When someone like Mozart composes music, he merely writes what he hears. When a humourist like P. G. Wodehouse creates his unique characters and weaves them into a dramatic plot, he acts more like a celestial author who enables lesser mortals like us to notice a humorous strain in all things around us. 

When Science Steps In

When humanity gropes for the source or the definition of Consciousness, our scientists do not disappoint.

Consider The Global Consciousness Project which is an international, multidisciplinary collaboration of scientists, engineers, artists, and others. Their goal is to examine subtle correlations that may reflect the presence and activity of consciousness in the world. Their researchers predict structure in what should be random data, associated with major global events. Their contention is that when millions of people share intentions and emotions, their data show meaningful departures from expectation. This is an area where science appears to establish the reality of a global consciousness.

A materialistic scientist would tell us that our brains consist of neurons made of atoms. These process our external experiences. At times, our neural processes lead us to recognize a higher meaning in things. According to them, our 40 Hz oscillations happen to be the neural basis for consciousness in the brain.

A Spiritual Insight

More than a century ago, this is how Sri Aurobindo, a highly revered spiritual master and a visionary from India, described his concept of Consciousnessthus:

Consciousness is a fundamental thing, the fundamental thing in existence; it is the energy, the motion, the movement of consciousness that creates the universe and all that is in it not only the macrocosm but the microcosm is nothing but consciousness arranging itself. For instance, when consciousness in its movement or rather a certain stress of movement forgets itself in the action it becomes an apparently unconscious energy; when it forgets itself in the form it becomes the electron, the atom, the material object. In reality it is still consciousness that works in the energy and determines the form and the evolution of form. When it wants to liberate itself, slowly, evolutionarily, out of Matter, but still in the form, it emerges as life, as animal, as man and it can go on evolving itself still farther out of its involution and become something more than mere man.

— Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, pp. 236-7.

Consciousness is usually identified with mind, but mental consciousness is only the human range which no more exhausts all the possible ranges of consciousness than human sight exhausts all the gradations of colour or human hearing all the gradations of sound — for there is much above or below that is to man invisible and inaudible. So there are ranges of consciousness above and below the human range, with which the normal human [consciousness] has no contact and they seem to it unconscious….

— Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, p.233.

In a way, what he appears to be pointing out is that understanding Consciousness is akin to realizing the difference between a physical body which is alive and one which is dead. It is like the sole element which is missing from a dead body.

By providing us with a very wide canvas to understand the term Consciousness, Sri Aurobindo is also indicating that organizations which are conscious are most likely to have the following characteristics embedded in their culture:

1. An attitude of humility and devotion which enables people to operate – individually as well as in teams – at a higher level of productivity;
2. A flatter hierarchy which redefines the relationship between those who lead and those who are led; in other words, a Theory Y approach to human relations, a higher diversity of cross-departmental teams, a premium on gender diversity, and an optimum gap between the packages and perks of the highest and the lowest paid people;
3. A harmonious engagement with diverse stakeholders.

(Notes:

1. Inputs from Dr Ananda Reddy of the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research (SACAR), Pondicherry, India, are gratefully acknowledged. Illustrations courtesy www and Huta, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, India.

2. Inputs from Dominique Conterno and Esther Robles, co-founders of Consciousness Enterprises Network (https://www.consciousenterprises.net), are also gratefully acknowledged.)

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Exploring the Contours of a Conscious Culture

The Three ‘R’s of Consciousness in Enterprises

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‘The Spiritual CEO’: A book for our times

 

The more turbulent the times, the higher the need for spiritually inclined CEOs to run our businesses! 

The Spiritual CEO presents a roadmap for how to build a better business, live a better life and make a bigger impact—all through the simple practice of Korporate Karma. Distilling the ancient wisdom of the Gita and learnings from the Vedas and other spiritual texts, the author S. Prakash explains how centring the spiritual being clears the path to greater success in both businesses and personal lives. 

The book is an interesting read and has answers to several questions raised by several Board Members and “C” suite leaders. It provides a simple template for a CEO to look into a “Mirror” and introspect where they stand and how they can metamorphosis to leave a lasting positive legacy, in the process of becoming a “Spiritual CEO”.

The world is going through a tremendous transformation, perhaps even a metamorphosis, where it is no longer acceptable to stand on the sidelines, balancing balance sheets and drawing up window-dressed profit and loss accounts. The time has come for leaders and CEOs to merge their success and that of their businesses with the qualities of spiritual awareness and compassion. 

Exploring concepts like Korporate Karma, Spiritual Alchemy, Corporate and Spiritual TBL (triple bottom line), Korporate DNA and the positive influence of tradition, values and beliefs on businesses, this book opens our collective eyes to the urgent need for change.

It also includes practical solutions and tangible guidance on how a CEO—and indeed every business leader—can adapt to the new world and its reality.

The book has been published recently by Westland Publications. 

 

The Author

S. Prakash, the CEO of See Change, India, is a nationally acclaimed author, coach, master story-teller, key-note speaker, heartful leader, organisational turn-around expert and nation builder. His three-and-a-half decades of work includes a rich blend of business, management and leadership experiences.

He has been writing on human behaviour, business success and many other related topics for over two decades and has published ten books in several languages and has authored more than a thousand articles on self-development, spirituality and other subjects.

 

 

In case you wish to order

Pre-order here: http://bit.ly/SpiritualCEO

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Some Evergreen Life Lessons from ‘Something Fresh’ (Part 3 of 3)

When the Wooer is a Persistent Superman

George Emerson is a persistent wooer. He is genuinely concerned about Aline getting thinner and paler since her arrival at the Castle, for which he holds her father responsible. The diet of the father of the wooed is the father’s personal problem, but for his daughter to support him by declining baked meats and restrict herself to some miserable vegetable dishes, is, he thinks, his problem. That is how he painstakingly assembles the tray which he intends to deliver at her doorstep late in the night. Unfortunately, laws of nature ensure that he collides with Ashe Marson on the staircase, rendering his efforts null and void, what with the cold tongue and its adjuncts getting strewn about the hall.

It never occurs to him that he is often offensively patronizing towards Aline. Supermen are made of a stern stuff of this kind.

By the end of the narrative, we conclude that perseverance is an essential part of the wooing process. Concern for the well being of the party of the other part, aided by a dash of chivalry and humility, also helps. His parting words to Aline are soaked in humility.

‘Why I should have imagined that there was a sort of irresistible fascination in me, which was bound to make you break off your engagement and upset the whole universe simply to win the wonderful reward of marrying me, is more than I can understand.’

Eventually, he wins her over; both the wooer and the wooed elope together. 

It is another matter that it was subsequently held by Mr Beach and Mrs Twemlow that the social fabric of the Castle never fully recovered from an upheaval of this magnitude.

Delegation, not Abdication

Like many other whodunits of his, Plum brings in R Jones as a villain who, having already pocketed a sum of five hundred pounds, plans to lay his hands on the scarab by wrongfully asserting that his letters to Joan are yet to be destroyed. An imaginative intervention by Ashe Marson saves the day.

Herein lie many lessons for all those young men of the upper classes with large purses and small foreheads. One is to refrain from putting their sentiments on record. Another is to delegate a task to an intermediary but not allow it to become a case of abdication owing to blind trust. Keep a check over the ambitions of an intermediary who poses as a friend, philosopher and guide but has eyes only on the green stuff.     

A Dash of Spirituality

Spirituality is often misconstrued to cover visions of ghosts of those who kicked the bucket quite some time back, or a magic wand of some kind, or the odd allusions to exotic and unintelligible mantras which seers recite while seated in a circle around a raging fire somewhere deep within a far off forest in an Eastern country.

My humble proposition is that it is nothing of this kind. It is the presence of an exotic combination of diverse qualities in a human being: Sincerity, Humility, Gratitude, Perseverance, Aspiration, Receptivity, Progress, Courage, Goodness, Generosity, Equality and Peace.

It involves nerves of chilled steel; a capacity to rise after each fall in life; not getting unduly uplifted by successes or depressed by failures; milk of human kindness; empathy; comprehending the psychology of another and offering comfort accordingly; remaining focused on one’s duty; an ability to encourage dissent amongst team members; being detached with what does not really matter; following good values and ethics in whatever one does, controlling our desires and fragile egos, and the like.

If Joan is a role model when it comes to failing and rising up to one’s higher self and being empathic, Ashe shows us how to have a chin up attitude and develop a sense of equanimity. Both aspire for progress and are receptive to feedback. The nonchalant manner in which Freddie reacts to the news that his fiancée has eloped with her lover is yet another example of equanimity. In the relationship between Aline and Joan, if the former has a sense of gratitude, the latter is a hallmark of sincerity.

Baxter is a great example of being committed to his duties and controlling his ego to lump public rebukes from Lord Emsworth. The latter presents to us a fine example of being at peace with his inner self. He may detest Freddie but is generous enough to offer him a trip to London so as to help him recover from the apparent trauma of having lost his fiancée to someone else.

The self control and discipline displayed by Mr Peters tells us how to control one’s desires. For him, improving his health is as important a task to be accomplished as a business goal to be achieved.   

A unique trait provided by nature to Homo sapiens is their ability to play a dual role at the same time – that of the ‘viewer’ and the ‘viewed’. Not many of us recognize and consciously develop this rare quality. An absence of introspection means the bliss of solitude is never enjoyed and an inner compass never used. One ends us missing the trees for the woods of life by not taking a strategic view of things.

Something Fresh also tells us that giving pleasure to others is a goal worthy of pursuing.

As we grow older and realize more clearly the limitations of human happiness, we come to see that the only real and abiding pleasure in life is to give pleasure to other people.

Fans of Plum all over the world would heartily acknowledge that he has always delivered satisfaction on this count.

Developing Spiritual Traits

How can one develop such qualities? Both nature and nurture play a role, I believe. Our inner software enables it. Also, the more challenges we face in life, the faster we run on the track of our evolution.

Take the case of Joan Valentine. Her life has been like a dusty road, filled with potholes of weekly bills to be settled. Her father is said to have been quite rich; he had died a pauper, sans any insurance.  After coming to London, she has done pretty nearly everything to keep the wolves away. She has worked in a shop, gone on to stage, and a myriad other things. She is sick of fighting. She wants money and ease. She is no longer interested in a life full of jerks. She is looking for a phase which is solid and continuous.

Because of the kind of setbacks she has had in life, she has developed a sense of compassion and empathy. She turns out to be a great comforter friend for Aline.

Shaken by the sudden elopement of Aline with George, she shares her innermost thoughts and vulnerabilities with Ashe Marson, who loses no time in expressing his feelings towards her and proposing to her. She accepts.

The moral of the story: a better connection with one’s own self, coupled with a higher level of consciousness, can facilitate spiritual growth. A tendency to soliloquize could initially help. Hamlet would heartily approve of the sentiment.  

A Balm for the Wounded Soul

Wodehouse is not necessarily about escapism in the guise of farcical butlers, spoiled nephews and nosy and overbearing aunts. His works also contain philosophical insights and hidden truths of life.

He paints a vast canvas for us to relish in each of his narratives. Something Fresh is no exception. The storyline may appear thin but there are deeper layers waiting to be discovered in the narrative. There are gems which, if discovered, brooded and acted upon, can lead us to live happier and healthier lives.

The wit, the wisdom and the pristine humour of his canon offer a concoction which is truly a balm for a wounded soul.

(Notes:

1. For some other perspectives on Something Fresh, please check out: https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2015/06/28/blandings-centenary-something-fresh-by-p-g-wodehouse, and https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2021/03/05/book-review-something-fresh
2. In case a similar analysis of The Code of the Woosters would interest you, please check out the series of posts beginning from the following one: https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2014/10/20/bertie-wooster-and-the-art-of-breaking-bad-news-gently.)

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Some Evergreen Life Lessons from ‘Something Fresh’ (Part 1)

Some Evergreen Life Lessons from ‘Something Fresh’ (Part 2 of 3)

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Of Lockdowns, P G Wodehouse and the Milk of Human Kindness

On the first anniversary of the strict lockdown imposed in India on this day, a year back!

ashokbhatia

The 24^th of March, 2020 dawned upon us as any other normal day. Denizens of India were going about their daily chores with as much zombiness as they could muster. Flowers were in bloom. Birds and bees were going about doing whatever they normally do. Trees were swaying in the gentle breeze coming in from the Bay of Bengal. In other words, God was in heaven and all was well with the world.

However, by 2030 hours in the evening, our world had turned upside down. The Indian government imposed a comprehensive lockdown across a country comprising 1.3 billion persons. The Prime Minister himself appeared on our TV screens and announced this decision. By the time he finished, a mere three and a half hours were remaining for the decision to take effect.

This sudden whammy left all of us twiddling our thumbs trying to figure out as to…

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