To many of you, the first story I’m about to reference, might be familiar as being in the “Panchatantra” or “Jataka tales”. Let me tell you, it is from the 24 stories set in social-morality that vetala (a goblin/spirit) recited to King Vikramaditya and tested his wise judgement. In Sanskrit, Panchavimshati means 25. The 25th story is the narrative and complication within which the other 24 stories are set like jewels.
The moral conundrums posed by vetala are nothing new to my generation of kids who grew up watching them on doordarshan or read the Jataka/Panchatrantra stories that frequently referenced them. Somehow, not many in the next generation have been introduced to them. I strongly encourage you to read these stories and relay them to your children. Discuss them with your parents and community because we need to preserve some semblance of structure, morality, civility and self-esteem for our children’s generations. Amazon link to buy a book.
Smartest of the four brothers?
The story loosely goes like this…. A brahmin couple had 4 kids and some very nasty greedy relatives. After the father’s death, the relatives usurped his wealth, sparing nothing for his children. The four boys, educated as they were in different mantra, tantra and shastra, decided to make it big when a nearby king sought the counsel of learned men. One of the brothers wasn’t as academically bright and incisive as the others, being only useful in menial vocational jobs, but they decided to take him also with them.
Enroute to the king’s court, they stumbled on a pile of bones. The three brilliant educated and eager brothers thought this was a grand opportunity for each of them to exemplify and outshine the others. So the first used his knowledge to reorganize the bones in the right manner. The second used his knowledge to enclose them in skin, flesh and fur. The third brother proclaiming to have the highest knowledge to restore life, was just about to do it when the fourth stopped him and warned of the impending danger that a hungry wild lion could pose. Drunk in their knowledge and power to undo nature, the other three bullied him. So he climbed a nearby tree and settled carefully on a strong branch to observe what was to happen.
No sooner than the fourth brother settled, the third brother brought the lion back to life. The beast sprung on the three and killed them in one slash of its paw. The fourth brother unable to stop his brothers and also unable to act swiftly to stop the lion, watched with pain and horror as the lion devoured the three to satisfy its hunger.
Crusts
This second story I refer, is “Crusts” a children’s book by Danny Parker. It has a very powerful undercurrent that establishes the pattern of learning/development. The story is about some aliens living on a planet made of crusts. For some reason their planet is crumbling away and they need planet loads of crusts to save themselves. The protagonist is a playful kid who doesn’t like to eat the crusts on his breads but uses them for other purposes.
The aliens initially think they can rely on this kid to provide all the crusts they need to save their planet. However, the kid doesn’t seem to go with their plan. He plays with his crusts, makes useless art or menial garnen tools with them. All the while, it is clear as the story progresses, that the kid is developing a deeper understanding of different types of crusts and their specialized uses to address specific concerns.
Just when the aliens drop all hope and return to their planet, the kid makes a giant rocketship using just crusts, loads it with even more crusts and takes it across space to save their planet.
The story beautifully illustrates the preferred stages of learning a new skill or tool. Play, experiment, use it to express the mind, employ it to solve problems.
Matthew 5:5
You can read exactly what I’m referring to, over here.
These stories and thoughts have fused in my mind, and I can’t stop seeing the patterns that have played out on use, misuse and abuse of stones, metals, gun powder and information technology over the several millennia of human existence.
In this environment… Enter AI.
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