PERCEPTION (IMMORTALS OF MELUHA)

IOM is one of my all time favorite novels. An awesome book with lots of positive and good thoughts. Its one of those books which helps one in the Journey of our life's search... to know what we are. There were many parts from the IOM which i liked a lot. But the following one remains my favorite. :)


dis is a conversation between Shiva n a Pandit....

'All right',laughed the Pandit. 'Tell me.What is the colour of that leaf?'

'The colour?It's green"

'Ist it?'

'Isn't it?'

'Why do you think it appears green to you?'

'Because,' said Shiva,amused.'its is green.'

'No.That wasn't what I was trying to ask. You had a conversation with one of the Brahaspati's scientists about how your eyes, you see the object.'

'Oh that. right' said Shiva slapping his forehead.Light falls on an object.And when it reflects back from that object to your eyes, you see that object.'

'Correct! Now put these two theories together and answer my question. Why does that leaf appear green to you?'

Shiva frowned as his mind worked the problem out. 'white sunlight falls on the leaf. the leaf's physical properties are such that it absorbs the colours violet, indigo, blue, yellow, orange and red.It doesn't absorb the green colour which is then reflected back. hence I see the leaf as green.'

'Exactly!', beamed the Pandit. 'So think about the colour of that leaf from the perspective of the leaf. What colour it absorbs and what colour it rejects. Is its colour green? Or is it evry single colour in the world , except green?'

Shiva was stunned into silence by the simplicity of the argument being presented to him.

'There are many realities. There are many versions of what may appear obvious,' continued the Pandit. 'Whatever appears as the unshakable truth, the exact oppostie may also be true in another context.It is the context or perspective that you're looking from that moulds which particular reality you see'.

-IMMORTALS OF MELUHA, BY AMISH TRIPATHI