Family and nature our best teachers
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Shamsher Chowdury
Our father was our teacher at home. None of our brothers and sisters went to schools before we were ready to be admitted to Class Five. Times have changed, it may not be possible these days. But surely even to this day, Home is where the foundation is laid for what one were to become in his or her life as one is ready to face the world. We all know as to the ever deteriorating state of studies and teaching at educational institutions, staring from the primary levels down to higher education at the universities. It has thus become all the more important that we concentrate on providing our children a strong foundation right from the star at home. Let us learn to live through our children, make their success as ours. One might argue that all is too utopian and impractical in today's context. It may be true to some extent but still achievable to a large extent. What is required is sacrifice on the part of the parents and the educated elders at home. Frankly with our schools having no agenda of building moral and ethical character of their pupils we simply do not have any alternative. We need to teach our children right from their formative years as how to conduct themselves as they enter the world and become professionals in respective fields. We need to teach them to be patient at all times. We continually need to tell them how to treat their elders. We should acquaint them with the essence of sacrifice, kindness and generosity. We need to catch them early and teach them as to how to conduct themselves while dealing with the poor and the unfortunate. We need to tell them how to share their fortune with the less fortunate. We have to continually be beside them and tell them to shun violence at all times shun the path of violence at all times. Parents of young children today must involve themselves more and more in their character-building process. They need to spend more time with their children. They themselves must be clean of mind and body and lead them from the front. Both the educational institutions and most of their teachers have become money- making machines, more than anything else. We also need to tell our younger generation particularly school-going children about the bare facts of life and death. We must tell them that we all come from HIM and to HIM we shall return. We must tell tem all about being of service to our fellow beings. We must teach our siblings how to conduct themselves with honor and dignity. We must also tell them that the exit from this world is as important as it was coming into it. Let us teach our children to desist from telling lies and resort to deception and fraudulent acts at all times. This is a cruel world but this is the only one we have. Our next best teacher is our Nature. Our father once while telling this scribe the meaning of charity he took this writer in front of a lemon tree, asking as to what does it teach us? We had no clue as to what to say. After a while he said, "Son, does this tree grow lemons for itself? This scribe said no and then he smiled at his son and said, this tree teaches us charity. On yet another occasion we asked him as to who in his view was a big man? He smiled and said, "Have you ever observed a big tree in a park standing tall and high? You will notice that the branches of the tree at the top are hung as though looking at the ground. What it teaches us is humility. That is the hallmark of a big man." We have not forgotten the experience and the message even at 70. Nature teaches us to humility. Look at the devastations caused by the recent Tsunami and the tidal bore that struck Japan, one of the most developed countries of the world. We believe one of the reasons for our misfortune lies with our inability to coexist with the nature. We have played and toyed with nature and the environment surrounding us in a most irresponsible way. Nature also teaches us that its gifts are not here for ever. Water, minerals of all kinds, forest resources and many more essential for the survival of the mankind are depleting at an alarming rate. It is up to us to make the best of all that are available. It also teaches us that our salvation lies in use of these resources with caution and care. It teaches us the value of conservation. It teaches us the value of frugal living. We need to acquaint our children in their formative years the gifts of nature and what value they have in our day to day living. This may be a tall order though in the context of today's Bangladesh, but we simply must make a beginning here and now. Any learning process is a long drawn one and a strenuous one, but we are not to be deterred. After all, God helps those who help themselves. The writer can be reached at e-mail: chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com
Our father was our teacher at home. None of our brothers and sisters went to schools before we were ready to be admitted to Class Five. Times have changed, it may not be possible these days. But surely even to this day, Home is where the foundation is laid for what one were to become in his or her life as one is ready to face the world. We all know as to the ever deteriorating state of studies and teaching at educational institutions, staring from the primary levels down to higher education at the universities. It has thus become all the more important that we concentrate on providing our children a strong foundation right from the star at home. Let us learn to live through our children, make their success as ours. One might argue that all is too utopian and impractical in today's context. It may be true to some extent but still achievable to a large extent. What is required is sacrifice on the part of the parents and the educated elders at home. Frankly with our schools having no agenda of building moral and ethical character of their pupils we simply do not have any alternative. We need to teach our children right from their formative years as how to conduct themselves as they enter the world and become professionals in respective fields. We need to teach them to be patient at all times. We continually need to tell them how to treat their elders. We should acquaint them with the essence of sacrifice, kindness and generosity. We need to catch them early and teach them as to how to conduct themselves while dealing with the poor and the unfortunate. We need to tell them how to share their fortune with the less fortunate. We have to continually be beside them and tell them to shun violence at all times shun the path of violence at all times. Parents of young children today must involve themselves more and more in their character-building process. They need to spend more time with their children. They themselves must be clean of mind and body and lead them from the front. Both the educational institutions and most of their teachers have become money- making machines, more than anything else. We also need to tell our younger generation particularly school-going children about the bare facts of life and death. We must tell them that we all come from HIM and to HIM we shall return. We must tell tem all about being of service to our fellow beings. We must teach our siblings how to conduct themselves with honor and dignity. We must also tell them that the exit from this world is as important as it was coming into it. Let us teach our children to desist from telling lies and resort to deception and fraudulent acts at all times. This is a cruel world but this is the only one we have. Our next best teacher is our Nature. Our father once while telling this scribe the meaning of charity he took this writer in front of a lemon tree, asking as to what does it teach us? We had no clue as to what to say. After a while he said, "Son, does this tree grow lemons for itself? This scribe said no and then he smiled at his son and said, this tree teaches us charity. On yet another occasion we asked him as to who in his view was a big man? He smiled and said, "Have you ever observed a big tree in a park standing tall and high? You will notice that the branches of the tree at the top are hung as though looking at the ground. What it teaches us is humility. That is the hallmark of a big man." We have not forgotten the experience and the message even at 70. Nature teaches us to humility. Look at the devastations caused by the recent Tsunami and the tidal bore that struck Japan, one of the most developed countries of the world. We believe one of the reasons for our misfortune lies with our inability to coexist with the nature. We have played and toyed with nature and the environment surrounding us in a most irresponsible way. Nature also teaches us that its gifts are not here for ever. Water, minerals of all kinds, forest resources and many more essential for the survival of the mankind are depleting at an alarming rate. It is up to us to make the best of all that are available. It also teaches us that our salvation lies in use of these resources with caution and care. It teaches us the value of conservation. It teaches us the value of frugal living. We need to acquaint our children in their formative years the gifts of nature and what value they have in our day to day living. This may be a tall order though in the context of today's Bangladesh, but we simply must make a beginning here and now. Any learning process is a long drawn one and a strenuous one, but we are not to be deterred. After all, God helps those who help themselves. The writer can be reached at e-mail: chowdhury.shamsher@yahoo.com