CHENNAI: What do you see when you look at a wasp or an eagle or the rain? Do you see fear, sleep or trust? If not, you might after reading The Illiterate Musings of a Philosopher. Written by Sabaresan Shekar, a non-verbal young adult on the autism spectrum, the book is a collection of thoughts about various concepts — pain, music, truth, trust, hope et al. “The fruit of my experiences of life have given birth to these twelve unspoken but vital forces of life which form the body of my chapters that came to me as I sat by the weaving loom watching warp and weft,” the weaver shares in the foreword.
He unspools his thoughts chapter by chapter, comparing these 12 forces of life to everyday sights. He finds the magic, the deeper meaning in simpler things, making you too want to indulge in nature’s beauty.
The start of something new
It all began a few years ago, in 2017-2018, when he penned down the book’s first version with his teacher Puja Bhalla on his side. “He came for a few sessions and shared that he had an idea. He wrote these random chapters in no particular order. When Sabari writes, he leaves me a little bit astounded.
The first chapter that he wrote was about fear. And he compared it to a wasp. He’s very deeply philosophical and spiritual. But his writings are very clear, and precise, and I loved his comparisons too. I love the way he wove things from one thing to the other. When I read fear, I realised I too am fearful, sometimes to even recognise it. If you go slow with what he’s saying, it feels very layered. If you live with it longer, you do what he’s asking you. It’s quite a deep experience,” shared the teacher and counsellor, who now shares a friendly relationship with the author and his family.
The project also received support from many who stepped in to transform it into a final product — Gareth Graham was the illustrator and Dr Lakshmi Prasanna did the unofficial editing. When it comes to Puja’s role in the project, she shares that it was to create a trustworthy space with no pressure. She says, “Sabari has written a lot before in his life. But they (people on the spectrum) can’t do things alone, independently by themselves. His thoughts are so fast, but his body doesn’t cooperate in time as quickly. So, he sometimes needs physical presence of, and they are quite choosy about who they reveal themselves to, usually somebody they’re comfortable with. He physically held my hand through this. My involvement is to create a space for him.”
A new perspective
The book is profound in the simple ways Sabaresan perceives life. And while I cannot claim to know what life is like for a person on the spectrum, this book allowed me to understand a little better. In other ways, I also found myself nodding at the pages when he compares the weak prey of eagles to the anxiety one feels while sleeping or the bare truth to an ordinary door that opens with no struggle.
The book brought forth thoughts I had never thought of putting into words. Puja explains that the 20-something author has also shown this perceptive outlook, “ He has a profound way of understanding every human being for who they are. I experienced this when we were doing our teacher training. He gave the people in my group an exercise to do. And each person’s task was very different; there was something that he connected to somebody in a manner that only he knows how. I think he and many of his friends are deeply perceptive. And also, deeply wise.”It certainly shows in the book. If it doesn’t make you ponder on life, it will make you smell the flowers a little longer.
Price: Rs 200, Pages: 33
Publisher: Sacred Hearts