Beautiful Minds
This image is priceless.
Photograph of Dr. Abdul Kalam with Mata Amritanandamayi.
What is it that these two have in common that makes them great? In word: humanism. They are both humanists. It is reflected by the compassion and thoughtfulness in every thought and action they do.
There is so much of hero worship in the world these days, why not take these two up as heroes and role models? I’m just happy that school children have such reverence for at least one of two (namely Abdul Kalam) as a role model to look up to.
The President of India Bharat Ratna Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam contributed Rs 500,000/- towards Mata Amritanandamayi Math’s Charitable activities at Rameswaram. He expressed his desire to donate his ten months’ salary to Amma’s charities during Her visit to his home at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 10 March 2003. (He assumed the office of the President 10 months ago.)
In a letter sent to Mata Amritanandamayi, the President says, “Mata Amritanandamayi Math’s mission of education, health-care and rural development in an integrated way always inspires me. I wish to give my ten month’s salary to the work of the Math at Rameswaram.”
Annoyances
Speaking of how much I love them both, boy did I get bugged when a colleague of mine came back from a dinner party — almost exclusively rich medical doctors (except for him) and these doctors were making fun of Abdul Kalam, like cracking jokes about his looks and his hair style. They even made fun of his background as a rocket scientist and how “that guy” can be any fit for being a President. God. What retards some people are. Do they have any idea of how many interdisciplinary fields and the complexity that is involved to put together and launch a satellite or a nuclear power plant? And the amount of leadership skills one has to have to succeed in pulling off such feats? that too under the limited resources and heavy politics of India (politics is everywhere in India! especially so in an organization as large as ISRO). Not to mention how helpless doctors would be without the hi-tech medical equipment they work with everyday. Doctors who take these for granted or think small of other disciplines are so full of it.
Speaking of which, I’m sure such snobs are too shallow to understand that in my opinion Mata Amirtanandamayi also reflects great leadership skills. You think such a huge organization like hers, that has such a far outreach, is not leadership? They’ll probably say, “oh but she doesn’t do any work, she just gives hugs, hohoho”. It’s those hugs (among other things) that motivates others, and she does do a lot more than just give hugs. Leadership is about many things.
Just as the world needs more Abdul Kalam’s and Ammachi’s they also need more Kali’s to put these mutants in their proper place. She’ll cut off their tongues and wear them around her neck. Like the bhakti saint Ramprasad says – the only sacrifice/offering goddess Kali wants on a silver platter are peoples over-inflated egos.