A seemingly small cut on BATURAM NAYAK’s left hand taught him a valuable lesson in life

I had a small cut in my left hand, this morning. Seeing nobody around , I looked for the first-aid kit, picked a bandaid and wrapped it on the cut with the help of my right hand.

While doing so, I got immersed in observing both the hands carrying out the whole exercise in tandem. It occurred to me how the right is helping out the left, with supervision from the centre, who is in overall charge of the process. While the job was being done, the centre seemed to be concerned.

Perhaps, it was not concern even, but an effortless, spontaneous act of synchronicity between the left, right and centre, at the helm; in effect a work carried out by one entity for itself, altogether, in cooperation and harmony.

Baturam Nayak

But where was the thanksgiving? Did I fail to hear? Did I fail to feel the sense of accomplishment of the right, carrying out a good work for the well being of another? Or did I not notice the commander at the centre tapping its own back, being amused over the healthy symbiosis of the system with a mutely muttered cheer?

No … this thanksgiving was not at all required even, for, there is here neither a left, a right, or even a majestic one sitting at the centre.  Here it is one-in-all ― a uniquely, unified, integrated character, blessed with an overwhelming sense of faithfulness to the-one, dwelling in each other!

And then, it occurred to me:

How wonderful it could be to actualise this organic wisdom embedded deep in each of us in our real life situations and build a synergistic structure, so that life becomes a shade better with the fostering of a convivial culture.

It also occurred to me, if this organismic wisdom is deeply ingrained in each of us, why all this talk about the fight in the world between the left, the right, and the centre?

Why at all the fight?

Lesson from a cut in the author’s finger

And whose cause do we serve in fostering a fight ― fighting with each other?

Wouldn’t it be better if we live in harmony and eschew all manner of needless differences?

Diversity, is, of course, welcome. For, we as individuals are different. But, picking on differences in a bid of one-upmanship, to pamper our ego is not going to do any good.

Let’s all live together in brotherhood … and learn from our personal experiences.

The Supreme Teacher teaches us in small ways, valuable lessons in life.

The small cut in my left hand, to me, is now a life lesson that I will cherish forever ― a lesson in cooperation, brotherhood and harmony.


Baturam Nayak, a postgraduate in economics, joined the banking sector in 1983 and retired in June 2020. He is a firm believer in simplicity and minimalism. “My faith is Oneness, एकत्वम्; that’s the way I would express myself and live in harmony with everything,” he says.

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