Layout of the Computer Keyboard

In an idle reverie, I sat admiring the person who designed the computer keyboard. The QWERTY format is a legacy from the typewriter, and it was arrived at after a great deal of research. However the rest of the keys have evolved more recently. Amongst the most prominent keys is the ‘delete’ button. Most often, it is placed at a prominent place, and is larger than other keys. On my keyboard (picture given above) it is twice the size of the alphabet keys, and its place of pride is next only to the ‘shift’ key which has a very vital function. It suddenly struck me that this design conveys a very important lesson for all of us, and we can lessen a lot of burden on our souls if we learn from it. Before I come to it, let me narrate a brief anecdote which is relevant to the message.

The story of a Monk and a geisha girl

Once, a geisha girl was going for a very important programme, decked up in her best attire. On the road to her venue, there was a big puddle, and she was afraid that her dress would get soiled. Suddenly, she saw two monks coming that way, but since the Buddhist vows do not permit them to even look towards women, she did not expect any help from those ascetics. To her great surprise, the elder of the two celibate men came over to her. Without talking a single word, he picked her up and carried her across that water obstacle. His younger colleague was shocked beyond words, but since they had taken a vow of silence for ten days, he said nothing. In due course, when their ‘silence period’ ended, the younger disciple went to his senior, and gave vent to his anguish and dismay at the incident which seemed to bother him night and day. What the older monk said in reply is of great importance: “Yes, I did touch her, and if you noticed, I dropped her as soon as possible. But you seem to be   still carrying her!”

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Ensconced in this parable is a great deal of wisdom. The older monk had taught two lessons to his younger friend: One, ‘if a rule prevents you from doing a good turn, its violation is not a sin‘ and two, ‘it is good to deliberately forget whatever is not worthy of remembering’ My prayer and wish for all my friends for the new year that begins tomorrow is:

“May the Lord give you the sagacity to forget all the evil thoughts which may have accumulated in your memory over the years. May you commence the new year with no baggage that clutters your soul”

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Please note that whoever designed the keyboard for the computers has given a very prominent position to the ‘delete’ button. We need to insert it in our minds and use it effectively. Gather all the unhappy memories and negative feelings; put them in a ‘file’. Then place the cursor on it and press the ‘Delete’ key!

Contained in this prayer is the hope that when you forget, you will also acquire the courage to forgive. Once, a Christian friend quoted the following words of wisdom which he had heard during the sermon in the church,

Jesus, you ask us to forgive those who hurt us, but we often fail to forgive because of pride and anger.