Innovate for Life by TusharK

The class teacher looked at the students and asked. So how did you find your new history teacher after her very first class today?

There was a silence. Nandu gathered the courage to rise from his place and said, Mam, honestly our new history teacher is boring.

With all due respect, I think, she presented a limited view of history rather than a complete picture of why and what exactly happened

What???

How can you say this without verifying the facts?

Nandu: Mam, we need not have to verify everything we accept as true. I can prove that you

Mam: Ohh, go ahead and prove it

Nandu: Our math teacher taught us “Two parallel lines never intersect irrespective of how long they go”

Mam: That’s very true. There is no doubt.

Nandu: I see you gladly accept it but without ever verifying it yourself for all the lengths possible.

Mam: That’s right. I’ll speak to the history teacher and share the class feedback!

The word “axiom” is used to describe the facts of life which we don’t or can’t verify but accept to be true.

There is one axiom of Three elements, Triad or Trinity everywhere.

As per this axiom, we need a minimum of Three elements to interact for producing and sustaining any effect in the system.

Let’s look at this axiom with examples

Remembering a childhood play, We feel we can move on the swing without touching our feet to the ground. But realize, we can do it to swing only because there is a gravity field provided by the earth element beneath us. We just can’t have Bow and Arrow but a third element a human or a robot to shoot. What if we don’t use Bow and just throw the Arrow. Alas! we need an external energy element like a food element for humans or a power source for a robot to throw the arrow. The better is the quality of the third element the better is the result or end effect.

Take a pause and think about it.

Scientifically, there exist subatomic particles like photons and bozons when electromagnetic waves interact with other objects. The planet moving around the sun although seems to be a pair of only two objects, there is a subatomic particle called Graviton deemed to be present however yet to be detected. The gravitational waves and associated particle – Graviton, were predicted during the 20th century only by scientists like Einstein and Bose. Out of which, Gravitational waves are already detected as recently as in 2015 by the LIGO observatory.

Interestingly, when it comes to Hindu mythology, there is a clear play and description of Three Divine elements for cosmic creation. It’s known as Trimurti, a triad of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Mahesh. They have their roles to play and are responsible for the creation, sustenance, and creative destruction of the universe in that order. The world would simply cease to exist without the interplay of all the three divine elements.

Let’s ponder for a while on this idea with a logical view. In the absence of the first element Lord Brahma, all the working power or creative energy in the universe disappears, nothing can move and the world ceases to exist without energy. In the absence of the second element Lord Vishnu, all the laws, rules, values, control and governance disappears. The world becomes a chaotic place and ends up destroying itself irreversibly. Finally, when Lord Mahesh the element driving continuous change is omitted, the world becomes stagnant, steady, fixed, a mechanized place with no purpose and mission. Nothing changes even a bit, nothing new is ever created, nothing evolves to the next stage. This total stagnancy doesn’t represent life force and can be treated as dead only.

Keeping aside the axioms and axiomatic nature of this argument, there is always a practical aspect to be utilized for solving problems, making decisions, and Innovating for life. Let’s look at the below captivating puzzle

Puzzle: A father has 17 horses, he decides to give 1/2 of them to his first son 2/3 of what is left to the second, and 2/3 of what is left of that to his third son. How is that possible?

Here is the Answer:

He borrows a horse from his neighbor. He gives his first son 9 horses (18 * 1/2), leaving 9 horses left.

He gives his second son 6 horses (9 * 2/3), leaving 3 horses left.

He gives his third son 2 horses (3 * 2/3), leaving 1 horse left.

The final horse is the one he borrowed from his neighbor, which he can now return.

By axiom, the third element is always needed to produce creative or innovative results.

It could be as simple as using a mop to clean the floor, using a helmet while driving a vehicle, or using the semi-conductor devices to control space shuttle trajectory to Mars. Let’s come back to the planet earth! When two persons get into a dispute, the most effective way is to invite the third element as a mediator. It could be a person, process, policy, system, information, or data. When we want to make critical decisions like choosing a life partner, changing career path, making investments, or even buying a mobile phone, actively engaging capable resources always helps. Innovative organizations strategically engage external experts, collaborative institutes, and outsourcing partners. Parents can love and nurture their kids better when they seek help to learn the art of parenting. In yogic literature, mind, body, and intellect are treated as three separate elements of the whole human system. When our mind is getting disturbed by incessant thoughts, the yogic practices suggest introducing a third element for the mind to focus on. It could be a sacred symbol of OM, an object, or most popularly the breathing air

The third element is there in the form of resources around us. It can appear in the form of humans, knowledge, systems, objects, product, technology, etc. The good news is the world is there to serve us readily to solve our most complicated issues. It’s just that we need to ask, approach, and engage its resources. The real miserly is when we fight the toughest battle of life alone with our limited knowledge, biases, and experience. This is unnecessary, unproductive, and stressful too.

Incidentally, the three elements keep appearing in one of the Indian schools of philosophies – Visiṣṭhādvaita (Qualified Non-Duality). It says the entire reality is wired around the triangle of Jeev (Individual self), Jagat (World), and Ishwara (Divine Principle) at a cosmic scale. At the human scale, we can replace Ishwara with Guru who enables the right contact of an individual with the world. It’s the same role of teacher between a student and book, of a coach between sportsman and game, of a tool between craftsman and art, of a director between actor and movie script, and a friend between a troubled man and his nagging matters. Let’s notice, by the virtue of the third element, we can choose our gurus, teachers, and coaches ourselves. If not, the element always exists but in the form of random and ineffective supervision. This also means that either we get wisely guided or we get misguided. Either we take a step in the right direction or the wrong direction at a given moment. There is no other possibility! We need to wisely choose the resource to make full use or else it may play against our favor.

Here is a small connecting joke.
A policeman caught the thief and said. The camera clearly shows that you were robbing the jewelry in the shop.
The thief was very calm and said politely, Sir how on this earth can I do such a gruesome act. There is a third entity in the camera which is not seen but that is responsible. Who is that? The cop said looking at the video clip again. It is God and his divine wish. I just happen to execute it. I don’t deserve any punishment.

The policeman was awestruck. He closed his eyes for a moment. As soon as he opened them, he moved his lathi briskly and slammed it on the back of the thief. The thief brewed in pain, how can you do this to me. Please stop. Policemen said, my friend. You know, this is the divine wish from the same God. I am just executing it!!

Let’s look at situations we are dealing with and ask 3 questions to innovate for life.

How and Where I can introduce a third element to improve the situation?
What are the things and resources I can readily engage now?
Who is the right person to get involved?

No one is alone. We must collaborate and support each other not just out of moral value but treating each other as an indispensable and integral part of the life system. Each one of us is that third element, a missing link or a working agent to play the part. In nutshell, Life is an open book. We are here to learn new things, apply, solve problems and innovate to create a whole new, better, and more exciting world around.