By Kollengode S. Venkataraman Written in 2000
Recently, I received an e-mail chain letter that asked me to send it to others (asking them, in turn, to send to others), and promised good luck in return. The familiar words took me back to my college days … …
Way back in the century, when I was a student preparing for my final exam, I got an anonymous chain letter in the mail. The letter promised success in exams if I sent it to thirty-one people, and threatened me with misfortunes in exams if I didn’t comply.
Remember, in the Indian academic system the final exam is the only thing that counts; your homework and midterms don’t mean a squat.
Therefore, lazing around the whole year, students hit the books pretty hard in the months before the finals. When you ignore difficult subjects such as partial differential equations, complex variables, thermodynamics, anatomy, physiology, and econometrics all through the year, and then try to learn them just before the exam, life becomes unbearably stressful.
So during the exam season we needed all help, all kinds of help. The proverbial midnight oil burned well past midnight, often till dawn; mothers made coffee for us at 4:00 am that took at least 30 minutes. We crowded temples in the evening seeking divine intervention.
I was already a wreck preparing for the exams. The chain letter, when it arrived, only made matters worse. I weighed the option of spending time studying against hand-copying the chain letter thirty-one times, trying to pass the exam. The consequences of noncompliance frightened me.
Then I realized, even Divine Intervention may be inadequate if I go to the exams unprepared. And given my level of unpreparedness, ghoulish curses could not make my situation any worse. So, using this cold logic, I ignored the chain letter and hit the books. That summer vacation, I spent in agonizing anxiety awaiting my exam results.
My mother should have prayed for me, as all mothers do for their children during exams, and her prayers warded off possible misfortunes from my noncompliance with the chain letter. How did I know? I passed.
Then came carbon papers, cyclostyling and xeroxing machines making duplicating not only easy, but also cheap. And now with e-mails, chain letters are no sweat. Click the “Forward” button, add everyone in your e-mail address book to the “To:” box; then click the “Send” button, and it’s done. The only problem is, since everybody is in everybody else’s Rolodex, the letter gets bounced around among the same people.
With no exams to worry about now, courageously almost dragged the e-mail into the trash can. But out of curiosity, I read it. Wow, the message was simply profound, and I thought: Now that I have this magazine that reaches nearly 8000 of you, why don’t I share the noble thoughts in the chain e-mail with you? Even if you remember only a few of these sublime thoughts, it might help you to get through your days with less stress.
Besides, nothing will happen to you if you don’t share this with anyone. But I’m sure you will feel good if you do pass it on to others.
So, here it is. Some of the Nondenominational Instructions for Life from Nepal:
1. Recognize that great love and achievements involve risk
2. Follow the three R’s: Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for your actions.
3. Remember: Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
4. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
5. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
6. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, immediately correct it.
7. Spend some time alone.
8. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
9. Remember: Silence is sometimes the best answer.
10. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
11. Share your knowledge. It is one way to immortality.
12. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
13. The best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.