I was recently delighted to speak at the graduation ceremony of the Metroplex Tamil Academy in Dallas, Texas. A record 72 eighth graders were recognized for their achievement!
Such community events give me an opportunity to share my love not only for the Tamil language, but for all forms of expression that elevate our understanding of life and deepen our connection with our heart and soul. When people tell me I’ve inspired them and their children, I feel I’ve done my job.
This time, however, I wasn’t the only one offering inspiration. Before I spoke, I received an unexpected gift from one of MTA’s many talented 8th grade teachers, Bhoobalan Chandrasekaran.
His portrait-sized drawing literally took my breath away:
What impressed me wasn’t simply the quality of the art, but the idea and vision it embodied.
Intimacy With Greatness
When we encounter the writing of a great poet or thinker–and Tiruvalluvar is among the greatest–it’s easy to imagine a vast distance between them and who we think ourselves to be.
In this there’s a noble humility, an acknowledgment that such a person’s achievement might indeed set them apart from the crowd.
But what Bhoobalan’s drawing depicts so beautifully is that a poet and thinker like Tiruvalluvar can also become a friend. We can converse with them through their work and be transformed by what they say and who they are.
To put it another way, every book we read deeply can lead to a relationship as intimate and friendly as any in our daily lives. That’s been my experience with Tiruvalluvar, and also with the Mexican novelist Juan Rulfo, whom I spoke about recently in the Ten Thousand Things podcast. Both have become friends, helping me to find humor and light even when the days seem dark.
All that’s needed, I’ve found, is willingness and openness and time.
Human and Humane Intelligence
This openness includes an openness to the ways such a book might finally reach us. Bhoobalan’s drawing acknowledges this too with sensitivity and care.
In Tiruvalluvar’s hand, for instance, we see a palm leaf manuscript with the first verse of the Kural, acknowledging how the work was originally written down and passed from generation to generation.
On the desk we see a more recent printed edition of the Kural in Tamil, along with a stack of English translations.
And Bhoobalan presents me writing by hand, a practice I’ve honored for nearly three decades, all of this in an image that can also appear in an online newsletter!
I asked Bhoobalan how he made the drawing, and he explained that he first drew it by hand on an electronic tablet and then finished it using a favorite program of his. He combines digital technology with his own human and humane intelligence to create work that speaks to our hearts.
That is inspiring to me too.
Who Has Befriended You?
In your own life, what writers, poets, or artists have befriended and inspired you through their art?
Did any prove decisive or essential at a turning point in your life? Or help get you through a difficult time?
If you have a moment, I’d love to hear about it.
And if you’d like to see more of Bhoobalan, you can follow him and his work on Instagram.
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