Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Dr Kishore Nayak's Foreword to the book 'Riding the Pale Horse'

 

Foreword

"There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval."

George Santayana

 

 

 

I have known George Paul for well over three decades now, and his writings and ruminations, over the years, on various subjects have always left me fascinated. When he sent me a copy of the manuscript of his book ‘Riding a Pale Horse’ and requested that I write a foreword, I felt honored.

 

Reading the manuscript was no trouble, owing to the ease with which it flowed. I realized that he chose to ask me for a foreword because he has mentioned me at least twice in his book. My opinions obviously mattered to him.

 

He has approached and covered a subject that many people may consider macabre. He has, in the past, researched and written extensively about the subject of death and mortality from the perspectives of biology, law and ethics. Amongst other aspects of death and dying, he has also revisited the concept of brain death, which is so imperative in this age of cadaveric transplantation. And so, this book comes as a natural conclusion and compilation of his experience on a seldom-written-about subject.

 

An incident I distinctly recall is George narrating an anecdote to me where a person approaches a wise man and asks him what the key to happiness is. The wise man hands over a piece of paper to the answer-seeker who is shocked to read, "Father dies, son dies, grandson dies." The man who posed the question, demanded how such a morbid set of phrases could hold the key to happiness. The wise man reportedly answered, "follow this sequence; it's the natural order and progression of life; grief will be temporary and pass. Break the order, and life will never be normal." This was profound indeed. Happiness relates itself to how generations progress and pass on. It fails to account for numerous factors such as social standing, religion or wealth. Death, inherently, serves as a profound equalizer.

 

George had no qualms in telling me that he would like me to write the foreword for the very reasons he had mentioned me in the book. Since 2007, I have weathered numerous encounters with cancer. As I pen these words 16 later, I remain standing, despite the enduring trials of extensive medical interventions and surgeries. Currently, I have had a relapse of multiple myeloma. While I am getting the best treatment possible, it is likely that things may not go as planned. I will consider myself very fortunate to see the publication and print edition of this book. Many ask me how I can be so pragmatic and stoic about a matter that has so much implication on me and my family. Well, in the grand scheme of things, the day we are born, we are also hurtling towards our deaths, and both are destinies over which we have little control. Death as a consequence of birth is the most singular and predictable event we experience, and the acceptance of both, should be a thing of beauty, not ignobility.

 

The book adeptly navigates the intricate theme of mortality with remarkable fluidity, rendering what might initially appear as a sombre subject into a palatable and enlightening discourse. As healthcare professionals, we frequently encounter instances where families opt to shield elderly patients from the gravity of their diagnoses, and justifying it with reasons such as "It will frighten them; there is no need for them to know." George’s work has the potential to challenge such antiquated perspectives. Regardless of age, patients possess a moral entitlement to be informed of their afflictions, affording them the autonomy to choose the most suitable course of treatment or decline it altogether.

 

An alternative perspective presents the opportunity for individuals to acknowledge that life's conclusion may not be distant and to strategically plan the remaining chapters of their existence in a manner that aligns with their personal satisfaction and preferences. This allows for the prioritization of relationships and the allocation of time and energy towards cherished ones. Naturally, this does not negate the possibility that optimal treatments, capable of extending and preserving the quality of life, may be available and warrant consideration.

 

Understandably, this stands in stark juxtaposition to the abruptness of sudden death, which has the capacity to leave families in profound despair and disarray. Amidst the shadows of such gloom, the resilience of humanity and the inexorable march of life persist. Over the course of millennia, life has consistently demonstrated its innate ability to persevere. This fundamental truth unfolds in the culminating chapter of the book.

 

I was a few days late in reverting to George as I was shuttling between the hospital and home in trying to seek solutions for my recurrent malady. All the while, I had been subconsciously and consciously contemplating the content of my ‘foreword’. As I took a break between treatment cycles, one morning, I casually picked up The Week, a magazine that one invariably finds in waiting rooms of Indian hospitals. In the opening pages, I came across a quote from the famous filmmaker and director Shekhar Kapur. "A lot of human endeavor is based on the fact that you won't be able to make it…the possibility of human failure makes human effort worthwhile, just as the possibility of death makes human life worthwhile."

 

In the matter of existence, where mortality and the inevitability of death are woven into the fabric of our individual narratives, George Paul's most recent literary offering, "Riding the Pale Horse," emerges as a profound tapestry in itself, promising to unravel a distinct and personal perspective for every reader

 

Kishore Nayak

Bangalore

20th December 2023