LIGHT OF EDUCATION IS LIGHT OF GOD

“O LORD, as I am too humble to express my gratitude to you for your incredible mercy, I prostrate before you in all humility and surrender myself to your feet. I am overwhelmed by your might and mercy.  You performed miracle through me and my Bhutanese student Thubten Dorji (Chanda), Pemagatshel, Eastern Bhutan. I never dreamt that you would utilize my crippled life in such a great need. I feel blessed and elevated to have been able to render my humble service to the devastated Bhutanese monk, a holy man, at Alipurduar Hospital on Wednesday and Thursday, 29 & 30 June 2016.”  
The monk, Younten Thinley, along with  12 co-travellers met with a fatal accident at Madarihat on Wednesday, 29^th June wherein three persons died on the spot and the rest suffered serious injuries and were evacuated to Alipurduar Hospital. The accident occurred when their vehicle bound for Sikkim banged against a concrete signboard and then collided with a tree. On that fateful day at 11.00 A.M. I had received a phone call from Pemagatshel, Bhutan. It was one of my Bhutanese students (My Little Buddhas), Thubten Dorji popularly called Chanda. With a shattered voice he said,” Sir, my brother met with an accident and now he is at Alipurduar Hospital. I need your help.” Immediately I called my son, Babu, to come to the school with my Indian scooter and we rushed to the hospital which is about 25 kilometres from my school. Receiving information from the emergency section we could easily trace him on bed No.158.  I felt shuddered seeing his whole body smeared with blood lying on the bed almost in unconscious state. It was a ghastly sight. His eyes were closed. Medical support from the hospital was in a full swing. But by the almighty’s voice and guidance I felt a loving touch might work as a healing tonic at that moment. This lesson I learned from my late father-in- law at his deathbed in Kolkata Nil Ratan Medical College Hospital which is highly sophisticated when I gave him a loving touch over his body. He moaned and murmured: “If Santosh could be here, I would not need any medicine or doctor for my recovery, I would be alright by his touch.” The art and blessing of loving touch I learned through the opportunities of my services to my students at Nangkor Higher secondary School, Pemagatshel, Bhutan, where my wife and I had the privilege to serve hundreds of sick boys and girls with loving touch as Matron and Health Service Provider. Blessed with that experiences and memories I gently landed my withered hand on his head and stroked all around his head and face to inject in him a touch of love. As I expected and hoped, he opened his eyes slowly. I whispered into his hear: “Yonten Thinley, I am here to take care of you. Don’t worry. You will be alright. Your brother Chanda is coming.” He responded: “Sir, do you know Chanda?” I replied:” Yes, Chanda is my student.” Then I found a dim light of relief on his face. I kept close eyes on him and maintained constant contact with the doctors and other nursing and assisting staff to understand his condition and what steps to be taken till his brother from Eastern Bhutan arrives. We did whatever our conscience directed. After a few hours, people from Bhutan started pouring in to see the victim. The Bhutanese Police Officers were thrilled to see the monk being looked after by two Indians. Chanda, the monk’s brother along with his friends reached the hospital at around 10 P.M. after a long drive of more than 500 KM. Though exhausted and tormented, he felt relieved and confident seeing his brother under our care and support. Everyone in the overcrowded hospital was surprised and elated to see an Indian guardian for a Bhutanese patient. A doctor asked me, “What is your relationship with the patient?” I answered, “He is one of my Bhutanese student’s brother.” The doctor was marveled at the height of the teacher-student’s bond of love and trust. Understanding the height and holiness of our relationship, all the doctors and other staff offered their best services and the wisest advice for the holy man’s (monk) recuperation without causing unnecessary financial burden. Chanda even after his arrival kept his trust on me as to what should be done about the patient. So I had to think and act very cautiously and carefully. I have always liked to be faithful and trustworthy to my students. And God has always guided me accordingly. As there were fractures in the victim’s ribs we thought of taking the patient elsewhere for further treatment. But on discharge from the hospital to my utter relief, the orthopedic surgeon heartily said to me: “Though there are fractures in the two ribs, no further treatment will be required for his healing. Using the given equipment and medicines according to the advice and rest for twenty one days will be enough for his recovery. By hearing this, I felt ecstatic and a sense of victory. On departure, the holy man overwhelmed with emotion inclined towards me and whispered into my ear: “Sir, I will never forget you.”  Chanda exclaimed: “Sir, I think you had to resign from your job in Bhutan for a greater cause!” I replied.” God only knows.” Chanda offered one thousand rupees to my son, Babu and five hundred rupees for my father and my wife as a token of his love and gesture of Bhutanese culture. I sent the whole Bhutanese team off along with the victim monk with a sense of satisfaction. The patient is on fast healing process. Upon my arrival at home my inner voice whispered to me: “The fifteen hundred rupees that came from student Chanda should go into the service of students.”Accordingly, I shared with my wife and son: “Let us begin a CHARITY FUND with this money in the services of students (Little Buddhas).” 

“ O THE OMNIPOTENT! I BELIEVE MY THOUGHTS, DREAMS, WORDS AND ACTIONS ARE THY WILL. IF SO, USE ME TO MATERIALIZE YOUR WILL. I AM AT YOUR COMMAND ROUND THE CLOCK."