It was a great pleasure going through the book “Being, Becoming and Living” by a very senior war veteran who is a great teacher, friend, philosopher and guide and even more.
The book is a culmination of ideas, the author had gathered over decades both while in uniform and later in retired life. To that extent, the book is a store house of knowledge and life’s lessons. Book highlights one single fact that “Life Never Stops Teaching You” provided you have the will to learn and continue to learn throughout your life. More than a hundred odd topics have been dealt with, starting from conceptual stage to drawing and seeking lessons, though one does not fail to notice few repetitions creeping in, of few similar views in some over lapping topics. As for me personally not only going through the book but it was a bigger pleasure, having shared some of my thoughts with the author during his great and voluminous compilation work. Ideally and rightly the book starts with a discussion on ‘mind’ per se the most vital part of human life. As one goes through each and every topic the reader identifies himself either having gone through the experience or overlooked it unintentionally.
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Practically every facet of life has been touched upon with lots of clarity, discussed at length concluding it with suggestive and corrective approach where felt necessary. In short, it’s an “Encyclopedia for Life” where everyone irrespective of gender and age practically at every stage of life can find something or the other useful for reference and guidance. Each topic starts and concludes with extensive quotes from great philosophers and spiritual Gurus. “Bhagavad Gita” the celestial guide for humanity and a huge bank of ideas drawn from Western Philosophers seem to have formed the core of the book and guided the thought process of the author. His research work deserves to be appreciated.
With so much of Western influence pervading and consuming the present-day materialistic world and its environment, especially among the younger generation the book comes as a beacon light and makes its impact in reestablishing the losing human values, highlighting their significance and critical need in life discussed in all topics in one form or the other.
Finally the book is a “single window” to human life through which one can seek help on any issue that bothers one and the simple solutions that are suggested would possibly of great help to everyone.
On the whole the book is a “prized personal possession”.
Reviewed by – Col Dr VRK Prasad (Retd), Educationist and Author
Author : Lt Gen SRR Aiyengar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)
Publisher : Uday Publishing House, 4648/21, Ansari Road, Darya Ganj, New Dehli-110002
Price : Rs. 1000
Email : udaypublishinghouse@gmail.com
