A changeless pen
Since time immemorial, humans have been communicating with one another not just through speech but also through written words. The oldest writing instruments were probably fingers inscribing messages on wet clay, left to bake and harden in the sun. After this came stone tablets that were etched with meaningful words and symbols. With the effort required to score even one letter on stone, perhaps those early communicators were extremely mindful about what was conveyed. With limited space, only the most important and vital messages were likely left for posterity. The next advance was writing on bark with crude pens made of sticks and feathers and plant dyes as the ink. We are now in the midst of a transition from paper to paperless forms of communications.
As if we are writing on thin air, our fingers weave and dance on a mobile phone’s screen and magically those messages are instantly transported thousands of kilometers away. No matter what method of communication we use, the knowledge of the truth is the same. That can never be altered. It can be coated in sugary words or hidden in convoluted stories, but the underlying essence of the truth cannot be altered.
Along with the importance of knowledge, the person wielding the writing instrument is also very important. For instance, a judge with a stroke of a pen can take someone’s life and liberty away for good. A doctor on the other hand, can use the same pen for writing a prescription for life saving medications. Since the beginning of history, importance has been given to the message and the person wielding the writing instrument.
Anybody who understands the weight of the pen in his or her hands can be considered to be knowledgeable. Such people should be respected. A thief would carelessly throw away a pen that would be cherished by an author who may write a book that is read for generations. A pen will be eternal like the rays of the sun. History can be written not just through a pen but also by how we respect and help other people. Here the “pen” is our actions and the message is the transformation it brings to the lives of people all over the world. In this respect, even if one cannot read or write, one can pen the message of change through their thoughts and actions. They lives become living books from which others can learn and be benefitted.
Blessings to all
Swami Ponnurangam
As if we are writing on thin air, our fingers weave and dance on a mobile phone’s screen and magically those messages are instantly transported thousands of kilometers away. No matter what method of communication we use, the knowledge of the truth is the same. That can never be altered. It can be coated in sugary words or hidden in convoluted stories, but the underlying essence of the truth cannot be altered.
Along with the importance of knowledge, the person wielding the writing instrument is also very important. For instance, a judge with a stroke of a pen can take someone’s life and liberty away for good. A doctor on the other hand, can use the same pen for writing a prescription for life saving medications. Since the beginning of history, importance has been given to the message and the person wielding the writing instrument.
Anybody who understands the weight of the pen in his or her hands can be considered to be knowledgeable. Such people should be respected. A thief would carelessly throw away a pen that would be cherished by an author who may write a book that is read for generations. A pen will be eternal like the rays of the sun. History can be written not just through a pen but also by how we respect and help other people. Here the “pen” is our actions and the message is the transformation it brings to the lives of people all over the world. In this respect, even if one cannot read or write, one can pen the message of change through their thoughts and actions. They lives become living books from which others can learn and be benefitted.
Blessings to all
Swami Ponnurangam