Strong Roots
APJ Abdul Kalam
1) Intro
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam → Wings of Fire (Autobiography)
Published in the year 1999
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam → Spiritual growth & early life
2) Family
Middle-class Tamil family → Rameswaram (erstwhile Madras)
Father:
No formal education, not wealthy
Innate wisdom
Generosity of spirit
Mother (Ashiamma):
Ideal helpmate
Compassion and generosity
Parents:
Not wealthy, not highly educated
Kind, wise, large-hearted
Ancestral house:
Large limestone-and-brick house
Fairly large pucca house ( mid 19th century)
Forebears of Ashiamma bestowed the title Bahadur by the British
Secure childhood (materially and emotionally)
3) Food
Ate with mother on the kitchen floor
Banana leaf
Rice and aromatic sambar
Homemade pickle
Fresh coconut chutney
4) Rameswaram
Pilgrims visited the Shiva Temple
Pakshi Lakshmana Sastry (High Priest)
5) Area
Predominantly Muslim locality
Close to Shiva Temple
Hindus and Muslims lived amicably (religious harmony)
6) Evening Prayer
Kalam accompanied his father
Prayers were in Arabic
Kalam did not understand the meaning
Believed prayers reached God
People of different religions came with bowls of water
Father dipped fingertips into the water and prayed (sanctify)
Water was given to invalids
Thank Allah, the Merciful
7) Father and Sastry
Father prayed for the well-being of fellow men
Knowledgeable about spiritual matters
Sastry was his friend
Both were traditional and deeply spiritual
8) Kalam and Father (about prayer and human life)
Father explained the relevance of prayer
No mystery in prayer
Prayer establishes communication with people's spirits
A person can transcend the body
Becomes a part of the cosmos
No division of wealth, caste, creed, or age
Down to earth Tamil language
Human beings are a specific element within the whole of the manifest divine
9) Father's View About Challenges
Challenges provide opportunities for growth and self-discovery
Adversity offers opportunities for introspection
Deep thinking about one's own thoughts and feelings
We must understand the relevance of problems
10) Father – Prayer – People
Help and advice to people in trouble
Distressed people seek someone to help them
People in impasse seek guidance
Lonely people seek company
Every anguish, longing, and desire finds its helper
Father acted as a mediator through prayers and offerings
11) Father Looking at the Eyes
Tried to judge the capacity to comprehend his words
Low, deep voice
His words made Kalam enthusiastic
12) Lesson and Advice
Propitiating demonic forces through prayers and offerings is not the correct approach
One should understand fear and difficulties instead of blindly following rituals
Kalam Approved
Seek the hidden vision of destiny
Enemy of fulfilment: criticizing ourselves
Key to a peaceful life: simplicity and spirituality
13) Lifestyle (Father's Morning Routine)
Woke up at 4 a.m.
Offered namaz
Walked four miles to the coconut grove
Returned with about a dozen coconuts
Had breakfast
Continued this routine till his late sixties
14) Kalam
Interested in science and technology
Wanted to emulate his father
Understood that a divine power exists
Divine power can lift failure, melancholy, confusion, and misery
Guides one to one's true place
Strengthens emotional and physical bonds
Leads to happiness, peace, and freedom
15) Title – Strong Roots
Symbolizes the important values instilled in the author during his childhood
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