A note on ' the eleventh Tuesday' from the book Tuesday's with Morrie.



I am very greaful to Dr Minal Bhave for gifting me this book in the December of 2023. Written and published way back in 1997, this is a fairly widely read book with many reviews. It is also widely publicized as a best seller. 
The likely reason for her to choose this book could be the dull and dry moments I was spending brooding the loosing the time that went past. Yogita had been making many sincere efforts to hold my hand and get me to enjoy the flow. I found it difficult. This book didn't help me much either. However a sectional read and review was more encouraging after a year. It may be related to the 'psyche of burden of advice to let go' or the repeatitive nature of the content. 
I should also mention, the language , the anecdotes and the mirth were not worthy of the appreciation that the book received. Rhetorics in particular affects the quality of knowledge conveyed especially when I was reading sopolsky or denette along side.
Today I took up the book for an easy read and randomly selected the eleventh Tuesday'.

The need to forgive oneself could be one of the core messages of this chapter. The author mentions the few communications with his ailing teacher where the teacher suggest the need for persuit of  happiness through the bigger things in life like one's thought and choice. He mentions the term building of a sub culture in the sense of ' the little things I can obey ' as a commitment to community. ' But the big things- how we think , what we value - those you must choose yourself'.
As I understand it, the author wants to convey through Morris the idea of the bigger self and the need for self realisation. 
I asked gemini to make comparison with eastern philosophy and this fragmented idea. This is what came up- The Hindu Concept of Karma:
The Hindu concept of karma, the law of cause and effect, reinforces the importance of forgiveness. Karma suggests that our actions, both positive and negative, have consequences. Holding onto resentment and harboring ill will can generate negative karma, creating cycles of suffering. Forgiveness, on the other hand, breaks these cycles by cultivating compassion and fostering positive relationships. This aligns with Morrie's belief that forgiveness is not only an act of self-love but also a way to create positive ripples in the universe.

This maybe true , but what most western perspective forget is the foundational axioms of hinduism - singularity. If we can integrate ourselves with the singular nature of brahmand, we shall be better able to appreciate self and also be part of the nonself. We have to continue to carry, if not a large one , a bit of the burden of the brahmand's turmoil. This turmoil is continuous and a result of all that occurs in this cohesive world in opposition to the non cohesive universe. We are party to all we say as good karma or bad karma. The concept of karma is so often mis judged from our narrow worldly perspective. The truth is , there is no good and no bad. There are only terbulences and a huge silence. With this foundation, Advaita explains our role in the world, accomodating , with out sympathy or aggression our acts of will which we cannot explain why. That is why being different we are all in the form of gods. Whether we think good or not ( from our perspective) , our tenure of cohesiveness is limited and destined in a singular direction. There are no dimensions there.

As for the book, it is an easy read, small book and multiple independent chapters. I will not want to read it again, because it certainly lacks enriching language and novel ideas. The content is delivered in a trivialised commentary - as I perceive it. Its popularity maybe attributed to the idea of a student's affection for his teacher, with which many of may feel familiar.
Page-marker made by an Octagenerian Mrs Asha Gurjjar, I found inside the book. I have never met her, but heard she is a passionate reader. 

Comments

  1. Arna book reading group10 January 2025 at 23:58

    Regret the typological errors since I wrote it from my phone. Should take care of it the next time.

    ReplyDelete

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