What you have learnt is just a handful of sand

[Rituu B. Nanda]

From 30th Jan to 1st Feb I facilitated SALT and CLCP with Team PIECES from organisation called SCARF in Chennai, India. They are working towards patient-owned approach to mental illness.  When the whole group developed their dream, one of the sub-groups which called themselves Zen group shared their dream in the form of pictures and had powerful insights. I feel honoured to share it as a blog in their language.

This is from me and my colleague who have both discussed, how mental health will be envisioned 10 years from now. We feel that mental health problems should be treated like any other chronic disease.  All of us have mental health problems to different degrees. Some of us have actually come out and talked about it, so it's about all of us coming and talking about it and that is the way taboo in society will be eliminated. 

AI and technology is catching up and the human race is going to see an unprecedented change. Whether we like it or not, all our thoughts are going to be collected, and our collective IQs are going to be used to solve human problems.  Elon Musk's Neuralink brain chip implanted in human beings attempts to do that. There will be a time when through technology where all thoughts will be archived and connected, everyone will know everybody's thoughts. If this is going to be the case, then why should a taboo be a taboo at all? It doesn't matter what age we are, even older people can learn from younger people.  They shared two pictures to describe their thoughts.

A chaiwala serving tea to all the people that he's met. And this is such a simple gesture but still it touches so many people's hearts and people don't forget once you get served tea. it's a gesture that comes from within, and is a symbolic of many things profound. The care one person has for another. Our intention ​was that the same way we should all talk about mental health.

We should all have a listening ear to people who want to share their experiences a good or bad. Chronic diseases should be considered ordinary not chronic because we should be able to control them​ with a magic pill and it's not magic any more because science has found solution.In 10 years time mental health will come to a state one person can give another person a listening year that happens across society

Second picture is Buddha with his eyes closed  and meditating. This is symbolic of people knowing everything about themselves when they lead their lives. This is an epitome of human consciousness. So we are all conscious beings and when we know that this is the truth and we will be able to solve, not just our own problems, but other people's problems as well. 

Concluded with a quote

What you have learnt is just a handful of sand. What You have not is as big as this world. (English adaptation of a Tamil proverb by the renowned poetess Avvaiyar. It shows that there is unlimited knowledge waiting for us to learn "கற்றது கை மண் அளவு கல்லாதது உலகளவு" - ஔவையார்



 

[Padmavati R]

Very insightful