Learning is a multilayered process. We learn from ourselves what we are capable of; and we learn formally in the educational process or institutions what are the opportunities out there for us to survive and to succeed; and we learn from the society what our obligations are there to make the society a better place to live our ourselves and for others than the one we are living in today.
Most of you might be already working and some are doing this course as one of your other occupations. You have experience of work and life. And today my sharing would have three aspects, namely, Study, Work, and Life. Study and work might have clear transition, for when you complete your studies you get a job or if you are already working, you might get promotion; but work and life should have smooth transformation or overlap, as the understanding and perspectives might change for the better.
Study: Are studying and learning the same? By study we understand reading, attending classes or doing course work, holding discussions in order to gain knowledge and picking up skills about a subject or an area of interest. To learn means making use of the knowledge and skills already obtained in practice and to gain experience and expertise. For example, you learn about the computer by reading a book or by taking a course on computer science; but when you explore further how to use the computer for specific application or need, you become an experienced computer techie or wizard. Another example could be: You study science but you learn to paint or to drive. Studying helps you accumulate knowledge, whereas as learning enriches your proficiency. You are here to learn through studying the course you have chosen. Jesuit education expects you to know and learn more and to pick up skills for your future work and life; but more than that our expectation is that your character should be formed. Keep in mind that success in education is success in life. It is not intelligence you have that is important, but what you do with your intelligence is all that matters. The formal education is the spring board for you to take a dive in to the depth of your lives in the future. Hence, do not miss any opportunity to prove your talent or leadership. At the same time, remember that it is not success in work but satisfaction within that matters always.
Keep an open mind but at the same time develop critical thinking. Once an arrogant man, who boasted that he knew everything, came to meet a Zen master and asked him what else is there to know. The Zen master invited him for a cup of tea. As the Zen master was pouring tea for the arrogant man, the cup got filled and began overflowing. The man alerted the Zen master that the cup was over flowing with the tea spilling on the floor. The Zen master calmly replied: “When you think your mind is full, there is no more space for you to learn any further. You can go.”
Work: After gaining knowledge and picking up skills, you seek a job or begin to climb the ladder of affluence in the job already you are in. What is important is to build an effective team. Team work makes our work easier and effective, for four eyes see better than two and four hands achieve more than two. Build up the habit of discussion as each one might understand one aspect of a bigger problem better and when you put your heads together your understanding is more comprehensive and you are able to administer more effectively and serve better. Group study, especially when working on an assignment, would enrich your knowledge and would build up your work proficiency.
One area you need to excel is to understand the other from his/her perspective. No two people understand the reality in the same way and no two people give the same solution for a given problem. On a day when it was heavily thundering and raining, the mother went to the nursery school to pick up her little son. On the way whenever there was lightening the mother thought the child would get scared but every time the child was putting up a broad smile. When asked why, the child said: “Mama, God is taking my pictures and I have to look good.” Life is often very simple but we complicate it. We need to see the world of the other through his/her perspective and we would understand things and people much better.
Life: If study is the road, and work is the bridge, then life is the other side of the bridge – the reality. Both study and work should give confidence in you and trust in God in building up as well as leading your life.
I would like to share with you the impact of an autobiographical novel by E.R. Braithwaite. It is a novel, published in 1959, revolving around social and racial issues and discrimination in the UK. And this came out as a film in 1967 with the title: To Sir, With Love.
Mr Braithwaite, an engineer, migrates from (British) Guyana to England prior to the Second World War. He enlists himself in the Royal Airforce as an engineer. He does his best and his service is well appreciated. At the end of the Second World War he is honourably discharged from the military. Then, he applies for many jobs but everywhere he is rejected. The simple reason was that he was a Black. When he was brave in the war, no one noticed his colour or race but now he is rejected based on the basis of the colour of his skin. I can visualize the situation as I am reading the novel The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein (Arrow Books, London, 2007) depicting the uneasy co-existence of the Jews and the Christians on the same street, around the same time, without much interaction but with much dislike for each other.
Finally, Braithwaite joins as a teacher in Greenslade School in London’s East End. That quarter of the city was occupied by white but poor people. But still the White supremacy feeling was abounding there. The book/film is about a dedicated teacher who slowly and painfully breaks down the barriers of racial prejudices and how he won over the students and how he made the white students address a black teacher with respect: Sir. He turned hate into love, rebelliousness into self-respect, and contempt into consideration for others. At the end of the academic year, the outgoing students signed a letter which just read: To Sir, With Love – followed by signature of all the students. And Sidney Poitier, who acted in the film To Sir, With Love is the first Black to win an Oscar Award – Mr Poitier died on 06Jan2022, just about two weeks ago. You might remember that for a long time women were not considered for the Nobel Prize. Marie Curie was the first woman who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903 – She won another Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911. Remember that the world out there is neither fair nor just – But you have the obligation to make the world a better place to live for all.
Process: In your life you might face such racial, caste, administrative discrimination. But remember when the root is good and deep, there is no fear of disturbing or destructive winds. You imbibe your values during your course work and try to understand yourself and others and the world. Try to concentrate on the inner and not on the externals. Martin Luther King asked us all ‘not to judge people by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character’.
A young man came to a master for enlightenment. The master asked him, “Imagine you are walking on the sea shore and a beautiful young woman comes towards you. What would you do?” The young man said, ‘I would look at her and admire her beauty’. The master continued, “When she passes you by, what would you do?” He replied, ‘I shall turn back and look at her’. Then came the next question, “How long would you remember her beautiful face?” He reflected and replied, ‘Perhaps a few minutes or a few hours’. Now the master changed gear. The Master continued, “A person asks you to pass on a packet to someone and you go there walking a long distance. You are impressed by the person’s palace-like house, and the fleet of expensive cars at the entrance. The person comes out and welcomes you and takes you in and extends his hospitality and finally sends you home in one of his very expensive cars. Now, how long would you remember this?” The young man said: “For the rest of my life.” We remember beautiful character longer than beautiful face. Grow in this realm of character building during your studies – Loyola would create the best atmosphere and milieu for you.
And never wait for a perfect moment to achieve your dream. Catch any possible moment and make it perfect. The formula for success in life would be: eat half, walk double, laugh triple – My interpretation is: if the input is one quantum, the output should be double, and its use for the people should be triple. Then, you can call your study enlightening, your work useful, and your life meaningful for you and for others. We need the inner urge to do our best and our spirit of hard work in day-to-day’s life. Do not wait for luck. Hard work is like stairs and luck is like a lift – Sometimes lift may fail but stairs will always take you to the top. Work hard, be gentle with others, and be patient in life – You would become great. And when you have the responsibility to take decision, especially in a crisis, take decision as though you are in death-bed – It should be for the good of all.
Grow holistically in your thoughts, words, and action: Think with compassion, for no poison can kill a positive thinking, and no medication can cure a negative thinking. Be kind in words, for words have tastes: Words of truth are often bitter but words of lie or flattery are always sweet. Act with compassion for the needy and the helpless. Once a girl saw an old man begging in front of a restaurant. She invited him into the restaurant not minding the resentment of the owner of the restaurant and the people who were already in. She ordered whatever he wanted to eat. At the end, when the man thanked her she recounted the past. She told him: “You may not remember. Many years ago, you were an employee in this same restaurant and I was a college girl. One day I was hungry but I did not have money. I came here famished but you offered me food and I saw you paying from your pocket. And today I am the CEO in a big company. Kindly come to my office tomorrow I shall offer you a job.” He gave her food for one day but she gave him work for the rest of his life. Have a heart for the needy and you would not lose anything.
Conclusion: My sharing today with you is: Read, Reflect, and Respond. As you begin your studies, develop critical thinking, compassionate reflection, helping response. Read books and what is more important is to read people as books: their needs and aspirations. Finally: Decide on your goal and go after it – Look for what is the one thing that would make all the difference in your life – Difficulty might crop up but do not look at the immensity of the obstacle but look at the infinite capacity you have within you to go forward – go ahead and all the best. Your faculty members and this great institution Loyola would be there for you to see through thick and thin. I would recommend that you read the following three books while you are doing this two-year course in Loyola:
- The One Thing (G. Keller and J. Papasan, The ONE Thing, Bard Press, Austin, 2012) – to realize that setting priorities in work leads to success in life;
- Sailing Through a Storm (T.N. Hari and S. Swamy, Sailing Through a Storm: Making a Crisis Work for You, Bloomsbury, New Delhi, 2021) – to turn crisis creatively and innovatively into success; and
- Man’s Search for Meaning (V.E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, Rider, London, 2004) – to find meaning and purpose to live.
All these you could gain if you have true friends. You have the right to earn more and more but you need to earn friends – A true friend is worth more than the entire world. Lasting friends would give you meaning in life. Welcome and wish you all the best in your studies and learning as well as in your work and lives.
Francis P Xavier SJ
23Jan2022