Tools, Preparation and Process

Beans is a popular vegetable in various parts of the world. It has uses in preparation of a variety of dishes. It grows well in areas with average temperatures ranging between 18 to 30 degrees centigrade. Lower temperatures result in night frosting. Higher temperatures make the flowers fall and reduce yields. It is also considered to be a profitable crop for the farmer with yields of 100 to 120 quintals per hectare. The entire crop cycle is a maximum of three months. Peak yield is received in about two months.

When can the farmer expect maximum yield? Quality of seeds is an important element in raising a good crop. Even with good quality seeds, yield is not high when sowed in hard soil. The seeds may not even germinate if the soil is not ready to support germination and growth. Preparation of the soil for growing the crop is very essential. The land is to be tilled and prepared for receiving the seeds and support germination. Addition of good quality manure would support the growth of plants by providing nutrients. Proper watering from time to time either by seasonal rains or irrigational facilities is required. Sunshine further supports proper growth of leaves and enhances yield. Weeds also grow well in these conditions as all the ingredients are supportive of their growth too! De-weeding is another important activity in the growth process. Any laxity in this process will result in good yield of weeds instead of beans.

Beans cultivation is one of the simplest example for raising a crop. There are many other complex crops like long term crops and plantation crops. Even here, the principles are the same. Land is to be prepared well, good quality manure and adequate water is to be provided and healthy environment is to be created for harvesting a bountiful crop. Any compromise in preparation and process would hurt the basic objectives of raising the crops for getting a good yield and making the venture profitable.

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Curd Rice is a very popular dish in the Indian subcontinent. It is also prepared and consumed in other parts of the world. Many in South India consider a sumptuous lunch or dinner incomplete without curd rice. On an average day in such a household, cooked rice is consumed with curd or butter milk. But on a festival day or special occasion, a special curd dish is prepared and served at the end of the lunch or dinner. In some hotels, preparation of curd rice is more for giving an outlet to use left over cooked rice. It is made very watery and often its very sight repulses the eater. 

What is the best method to prepare Curd Rice? The following method can be used as it is tried and tested. 

Two parts of thick solid curd is to be mixed with one part of milk in a vessel. Mustard seeds, Bengal gram dal, Urad dal with curry leaves (kari patta) are to be seasoned (oggarane) in ghee and added to this mixture of curd and milk. Cashew nut pieces enhance the taste. Grated coconut is to be added liberally to this liquid and mixed well. This process itself will give out the aroma of curd rice even before rice is added to the mixture. Freshly cooked rice is to be added in small quantities to this liquid mixture till a right consistency is reached. Any dilution should be done only by using curd and milk mixture and not water. Adding curd to rice will never give the real taste of curd rice. Many people add other ingredients like onion pieces, coriander leaves, cucumber, grapes or pomegranate etc. It is a matter of opinion, but the real taste of curd rice is obtained without any of these items. All these items retain their own smell and taste and do not integrate themselves with the mixture.

Curd rice, or any other item for that matter, is at its best when three conditions are satisfied. All the ingredients used are to be of good quality. Even if one of the items is of inferior quality, it drags down the overall quality of the item. The utensils or tools used should also be of the ideal size and shape. Working with odd sized utensils or implements/tools is a big pain and those working in kitchen know this quite well. The process of preparation should also be faithfully followed. Compromising with the process will diminish the quality of the items. A few minutes of less heating results in undercooking. A few minutes of over heating will also spoil the items. Thus the right quality of the items prepared is the culmination of three things: quality of the ingredients, using the right tools and ensuring the diligent following of the proper process.

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Principles of growing a beans crop or reparation of curd rice is equally applicable to learning and teaching. The objectives of learning are achieved when the following three conditions are fulfilled:

• The first requirement is the availability of proper learning tools. The learning content should be ideal for the objectives and prepared to suit the learner's profile. The tools (teaching or training aids) used in the learning process are also to be matched with the objectives and pace of expected learning. 

• Pre-learning is similar to the preparation made for raising a crop or cooking a dish. Pre-class study or pre-course study provides the proper background for receiving the enhanced learning inputs in face-to-face learning or further learning through other methods.

• Following the prescribed learning process ensures that the learning takes place on the desired lines and full benefit of the learning aids and preparation made for the course is achieved. Compromise in learning process has the same effect of under cooking or over cooking of a dish. 

Just as a good yield is obtained in raising a crop or proper satisfaction is achieved in consuming a well-prepared dish, desired learning outcomes are achieved by following the above three; Proper learning tools or aids, vigorous preparatory learning and faithfully following the prescribed learning process.

Tools, Teacher, Process and Practice

As defined by on-line dictionary, a scholar is a learned or erudite person, especially one who has profound knowledge of a particular subject. It also refers to a student or pupil who is still learning and is expected to complete his pursuits. However, the generally accepted meaning of the word scholar refers to someone who has attained a high level of mastery over a particular subject. Of course, there are a few personalities who have mastery over many subjects. They are a class by themselves and deserve highest respect from the communities.

Google translation gives "Pandita" (पण्डित) as the Sanskrit/Hindi equivalent of the english word "Scholar". Who is a Pandita? What are his characteristics? When can a person be called a Pandita? Is there any definition of Pandita in Indian texts? What should be the vital components of learning to make a person a scholar or pandita? What are the important stages of learning? Can we get a clear-cut definition of the word Pandita somewhere? Is there any modren learning method that corresponds to ancient definition of this type? These questions are indeed worth pondering over.

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The definition of a Pandita is available in many ancient Indian texts in different places. Saint Jagannatha Dasa (1728-1809) who lived in Maanvi town of Raichur district of Karnataka is an acknowledged scholar in Sanskrit as well as Kannada languages. He is an important member of the "Dasa saahitya" that propagates Vaishnavism. His "Harikathamrutasaara" is a scholarly work that deals with various aspects of life and teachings of the "Dwaita School of Philosophy". It is spread over 32 sandhis (chapters) containing 988 verses in Kannada language. There are many sanskrit works that have commentaries in sanskrit and other languages. This is a rare Kannada work that has many commentaries in Kannada as well as a commentary in Sanskrit. In the sixth verse of the third chapter of this work, titled "Vyaapti Sandhi", he gives a clear definition of "Pandita" (scholar) and the stages that one has to pass to reach that level. He defines four stages that a person has to pass through before becoming eligible to be called a scholar or pandita.

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What are these four stages for a person to cross before being called a scholar? They are defined as Vidyaa, Buddhi, Siddhi and Prasiddhi (विद्या, बुद्धि, सिद्धि, प्रसिद्धि). Translated to English, they correspond to Tools, Teacher, Process and Practice. What are their characteristics?

1. Vidyaa or Tools is the first stage for a scholar that comprise of collecting all the necessary tools to start his pursuit. What are the tools for a scholar? They comprise of necessary books and allied study material. There is no use in collecting all the tools unless the pupil makes some effort to get familiar with the tools so collected. He should necessarily do some amount of work with these tools so that he can use them when required in the next part of the studies. It is not proper to search for the tools when he sits before the teacher to learn. Preliminary work done before attending classes helps the student scholar to quickly pick up the thread when a reference is made by the teacher. This is the same as pre-class study or pre-read practiced in the present system of learning and training.
2. Buddhi or Teacher is the second component of scholarly pursuits. Mere amassing of learning tools and pre-class study would not be sufficient to open up deeper thoughts and inner meaning of learning. In order to have a clear understanding of the tools and their usage, a proper guide who is well-versed in the subject and its multiple dimensions is required. A teacher or trainer does this job. It may be noted that a teacher is even today referred as "ಬುದ್ದ್ಯೋರು" (Buddhyooru) in rural Karnataka. The combination of Vidyaa and Buddhi can now lead to the next two stages.
3. Siddhi or Process refers to the completion of learning efforts before the teacher. This involves the joint efforts of the student/trainee and the teacher/trainer. There is an element of face-to-face learning here. The word siddhi is commonly used to denote completion and culmination of something. (Some medicines are called "Siddhoushadas" and another common usage is "Mantra siddhi). This Siddhi or Process is the same as In-class study as practiced in the present day teaching/training.
4. Prasiddhi or Practice is the fourth and final stage in a student transforming into a scholar or a pandita. The word "Prasiddhi" is commonly used to indicate "Fame". In fact this is actually the second meaning of the word Prasiddhi. The first meaning of this word is "Attainment or Accomplishment". This is the ultimate test of a scholar or pandita. At this stage he will be able to quote, explain, answer, perform, demonstrate and show the real learning or training he has received. This is akin to the post-class activity or repetitive exercises used in modren teaching/training.

We have all experienced ourselves as well as we know from the experiences of our youngsters that many students study very hard when the examinations approach and leave no stone unturned in their preparations. Yet, when answering the question for which they have prepared so hard, in the examination hall, they forget the answer and suffer emotionally. They many times remember the answer as soon as papers are handed over to the invigilator and come out of the examination hall. Why does it happen? At the same time we know many who can quote and bring in the learning precisely when the need arises without even preparing for such situations. The secret for both these situations is in Siddhi and Prasiddhi, meaning the learning process and practice thereafter. This underlines the need for giving due importance to learning process followed by repetitive practice of the application of knowledge and skills. In essence, Siddhi and Prasiddhi explains these quite well. 

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There is an interesting background to the verse 6 in chapter 3 of Harikathamrutasaara referred above. As the verse covers the vital stages of learning and transforming a student to a scholar or pandita, there is a practice of starting "Aksharaabhyaasa" (starting learning process of a child) on the first day by reciting this verse before actual starting of learning in some families, especially in North Karnataka. It is further believed that the four forms Lord Mahavishnu presides over the four stages; Aniruddha for Vidyaa, Pradyumna for Buddhi, Sankarshana for Siddhi and Vasudeva for Prasiddhi. These forms are worshipped on the first day of learning with the fond hope that the child would evolve into a scholar or pandita in due course.

I am ready with the tools, Sir

Living in own house has its advantages in comparison to life in a rented house. There are many physical benefits in addition to emotional comforts. There is no problem of the searching scrutiny of the landlord, especially if he or she is living in another part of the building. Lady of the house can go on buying whatever she wants as there is no problem associated with packing and movement while changing houses. Rented house is not our property; taking proper care of the building or not can reflect on our values and culture. If this is ignored, there is no problem of maintenance. However, living in own house has its disadvantages too. Even small problems cause more mental tension. The biggest disadvantage is that the problem cannot be transferred to the landlord and denies the pleasure of reminding him repeatedly till it is redressed. On the other hand, if the lady of the house is reminding of the problem repeatedly, intensity of the pain can only increase! The quantity and quality of problems increase as the building ages and becomes old. The troubles are confounded as we would also have aged with the building.

We had one such trouble some years ago. Rodents had made home rather unauthorizedly in the sewerage lines of the house. They had neither obtained permission for settling there nor paying rent, but living and multiplying comfortably. There were disciplined enough not to trespass into the house and fortunately there was no problem inside the house. But the sewerage lines were blocked and water flow was disrupted. It is difficult to find workers to handle these types of issues. Finally one person was located. He came, dug up the entire length of the lines, removed the heaps of muds deposited by the bandicoots and cleared the way. My presence was required throughout the action and he needed support by providing buckets, mugs, pouring water and checking the flow, answering his questions etc. He took a lunch break in the middle of the work and went away for two hours. I could neither go out on other errands nor relax at home as it was not known when he would come back. After he was finally done with the job, water was flowing freely. He said that the lines are to be got covered by someone else as he does not do that type of jobs. The sewerage lines were now left open and could not be left that way for long for well-known reasons. Another person was found for covering the lines, after much efforts. He arrived at his convenience and needed money for cement and bricks before start of the work. Items were bought and work was started, but he said the quantity of cement was insufficient and needed more money for additional purchase. He finished the job, charged more than what was agreed and was about to leave. When asked to clean the surroundings, he said it could be got done by our domestic help on the next day.

The problem of blocked drains returned after one month. The person found for solving it started by advising me that the earlier worker had done a horrible job and hence the problem has returned. He was told to complete the entire work up to cleaning stage. He found co-workers and ran a fat bill. Other troubles in getting the work done were the same like unscheduled lunch and tea breaks, asking for help and observing water flows etc. At last the work was completed but the problem returned after one month. When I mentioned about the problem to friends and relatives, each of them said they had faced similar problems. There is lot of comfort in sharing such problems with friends and relatives. Some of their tales made me feel better because their ordeals were much worse. One friend even said that he had to get a part of the wall re-done because the water was flowing into the foundation after repairs, instead of the sewerage main lines outside the house. Ultimately I had to find the solution myself. I got the entire line replaced using strong pipes instead of brick and cement masonry work. Thankfully the problem has not returned. The bandicoots are probably still learning about penetrating those strong pipes.

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My host here in USA had some issues with his house and needed some help to address them. He told me that the worker would come at 11 AM and I was requested to get the jobs done as he would be away on some other work at that time. I reluctantly agreed and braced myself for the ordeal in the light of my earlier experiences. The items for fixing and repair included a small leak in the roof, clearing clogged drains and repairs to the glass doors. A car stopped in front of the house five minutes before 11 AM. The driver waited for five minutes and rang the bell at exactly 11 AM. He asked me to advise the jobs to be done and show the spots. Once it was done, he inspected the problem areas  and said that there were two more issues that required fixing which we were not aware. He showed the spots and suggested that it be got done now or else the problems may aggravate during snowfall. He wanted to know the opening loft position in the house to enable him to reach the ceiling to fix the leak. We said that there is no such loft inside the house. He insisted that the houses have such an arrangement as he knew layout and structure of such houses. He identified the loft, went in it and made a final inspection. He said he would be back on the next day with the required material, at the same time.

He arrived promptly at the appointed time. He wanted to start the work. Out of courtesy, I asked whether he needed any support from me. My host had shown me the tool room in his backyard and I thought some tools lying there could be handy. "I am ready with the tools, Sir", he said looking at his mini truck parked in front of the house. "I have all the items and chemicals required for the jobs as well", he said and proceeded with his work. There were no breaks in the middle of his working. He used a collapsible ladder that was mounted on the truck for climbing over the house. The 15 feet folded steel ladder was extended to about 80 feet for reaching the top of the house. At the end of his work, he collapsed it to its original size and mounted again on the truck, all by himself. I was looking expectantly that my help may be called for holding the ladder, but there was no such request. 

He had identified the tools required for the various components of the work and ready with them at the start of the work. The tool kit had a collection of all tools for every conceivable application available in it. Required material was also kept ready in a bag. What was more impressive was the approach to the work.  He had waste cloth ready with him in his kit for spreading on the ground before placing the small ladder and tools on the floor inside the house, to prevent scratches on the floor and smudges on the carpet. At the end of his work, he cleaned all parts, removed the old screws and nails, shingles that were removed while repairing the ceiling etc. and carried them into a dust bin in his truck. There was no need for any cleaning to be done by the maid on the next day. 

I was now concerned about the amount to be paid for the work done. He said he would send an invoice by mail. The mail duly arrived and my host took care of it. I was advised that the final bill was less than what my host had anticipated. The bill had breakup of items used, inspection charges and service charges. The whole episode was a pleasant one. It was an example of professionalism at its best.

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This is not to suggest that all experiences are either as good or as bad as above. There are good experiences as well as bad ones, everywhere. There is scope for planning and display of professionalism in all walks of life. That is what sets apart good workers from the mediocre ones. This also shows the importance of proper training as well as imparting and acquiring necessary skills in various walks of life.