When Gandhiji used the word સત્ય, I wondered what it meant. Most equate the
word with "not telling a lie". Obviously, that is not what he meant - rather, he
meant much more than that. I concluded that he meant "All Life is One". But, if I cut off translations and
interpretations, and go to the (Sanskrit) roots, this is
what I found:
Most Sanskrit words are combinations of words:
સત્ય = સત + ત્ય
સત = Visible Order
= Phenomenon (one that can be experienced by 5 senses)
(Radiation, Light, Delight, Life, Enlightenment - as he
puts it)
= Manifestation (પ્રત્યક્ષ)
= પ્રકૃતિ (Nature)
ત્ય = Non-visible Order
= Noumenon (one beyond sense perceptions; can be possibly
known without senses)
= Mystery (પરોક્ષ) - it is subtle
= પુરુષ
= The object itself (as opposed to its manifestation)
Hence,
સત્ય = Phenomenon + Noumenon
= Visible Order + Non-visible Order (= Universal Order)
= Manifestation + Mystery
= પ્રત્યક્ષ + પરોક્ષ
= પ્રકૃતિ + પુરુષ
= Something + Nothing (using Lawrence Krauss's terminology)
{પ્રકૃતિ & પુરુષ are always together. One is a creative force (feminine),
while the other is the inspiring force (Masculine) - one without the other is
not possible (or, shall we say unstable?)}
{In the vedic tradition, Krishna is dark (Mystery) and Radha is the glowing light (Manifestation)}
Hence, the definition of સત્ય expanded to now mean "Universal Order"
Gandhiji eventually said: સત્ય એજ ભગવાન છે (Truth is God).
So, his autobiography is titled: સત્યના પ્રયોગો (Experiments with Truth)
Interestingly, nobody ever noticed that Gandhiji was a scientist (only
scientists experiment to discover truth). His life was spent experimenting -
with this idea of a Universal Order (and all life being one). He experimented
with the physical world to see if he can apply this principle (if All Life is
one; I am hurting myself if I hurt you; Your Pain is my pain, etc.) to win
against the oppression of the British in South Africa and eventually in India.
The fact that સત્યાગ્રહ was such a powerful force was only discovered by him
with lots of small and increasing bigger experiments in South Africa over 25 years. (All
documented in a 600 page book called જીવનનું પરોઢ - by Prabhudas Gandhi - his
distant nephew, who lived with him as a young boy in Phoenix Ashram near
Durban.) God never gave him a magic trick - he had to experiment and find
out its power himself - over time.
Over time, he equated Truth with Love. (Hence "Love is God"). That is how he
won over General Smuts with his love (in S.A.) and 300M+ people in India, and
got millions of people to give up their lives to join his movement of સત્યાગ્રહ.
To him, Love became a very powerful force. (Incidentally, Jesus's main
teaching is to "love thy neighbour". But, nobody wants to follow this
inconvenient truth.)
Friday, December 14, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
A Universe from Nothing - Reflection on the Book
A Universe from Nothing - by Lawrence Krauss
This book is wonderful. Very well written. Though deeply founded in science
- its depth difficult to fully comprehend - it is written in an easy style, so
that the conclusions can be well understood.
It concludes that (1) Universe had a beginning (2) It is Flat (3) It has
Dark Matter and Dark Energy (99% of the Universe) that we cannot see, but
conclude its existence through its effects. That we have emerged from Quantum
Nothingness. Nothingness has energy, but lacks matter - a "mystery", as he calls
it. Quantum fluctuations at the beginning of time created what we can see
(something) from this nothingness.
All of this once and for all ridicules the idea of a creator and a creation
(6,000 years ago, or otherwise). This has been the basis of many religions. So,
religion is discarded. And, along with it, the idea of God.
He is emphatic about the "mystery". {The origin and nature of dark energy
is without a doubt the biggest mystery in fundamental physics today. It is
natural to suspect that its nature is tied in some basic way to the origin of
the universe. And all signs suggest that it will determine the future of the
universe as well. (last para in Chapter 5)}
His conclusions are very similar to the Vedantic view of the cosmos, which
states the existence of only "one" (you might call it "energy"). What we see are
manifestations of the same. Vedantic view of the cosmos is that of the "mystery"
(પરોક્ષ; also labeled as પુરુષ ) and its "manifestation" (પ્રત્યક્ષ; also
labeled as પ્રકૃતિ ). Hence, it is the process of "emanation", where the same
reality (or energy) "changes its form". {...our universe arose through a process
like that of inflation, a process whereby the energy of empty space (nothing)
gets converted into the energy of something....(last page in Chapter 9)}
In other words, Nature (પ્રકૃતિ) is the manifestation of the same
energy that we may not see (પુરુષ ). Hence, it is the "Nature" that is revered
and worshiped. In Vedanta, God is "Nature". As a result, Hindus worship
all forms of Nature (Rivers, Mountains. Trees, Cows....you name it) as God.
Lawrence Krauss makes a compelling argument to support this view. The behavior
of "nature" is not governed by a God, but by a set of rules (discovered by
Science), like Gravity, Relativity, etc. At a cosmic level, this is all
pre-ordained (by these laws - not by God), so one cannot affect its course (per
Krauss). But, at human level, we can affect it significantly by our thoughts,
words and deeds (per Vedanta & Gita).
[To be complete, God is viewed and worshiped in both of its aspects:
Mystery and Manifestation - પુરુષ and પ્રકૃતિ. The generic name for the "one"
(combined) view is "સત્ય" (Universal Order) and specific name given to it in
Vedanta is "બ્રહ્મન"]
On a different front, Krauss has himself wondered what caused the beginning
and what was there (if anything) before the beginning (13.72 billion years ago).
Vedanta says that "one" (energy) is eternal - it just changes its form.
Implication: 13.72 billion years ago, it changed its form. So, the Universe as
we know it had a beginning, but that energy (or "nothing") had no beginning nor
will it end.
We are so lucky to have science (ancient sages would have loved it).
Science has been such a great means to prove (or disprove) the Vedantic view of
the world. The contention between Science and Religion arose because of the
idiotic views of many religions (including those practicing Hinduism) that
somehow God created the world at some point in time. Among the Hindus, use of
metaphors have significantly distorted its fundamental belief. Those who
understand the fact that metaphors are only what they are - describing the
original reality in a poetic and understandable way - are accepting of it (I put
myself in that category). While vast majority view them as the actual truth -
that is when the original truth is distorted, the idea of God is distorted.
Worse yet, the atheists accept them as the original truth as propounded by the
religion (because that is what they see everybody practicing), and hence are
repulsed by it - not knowing that the truth lies elsewhere.
There is a huge gap between Science and most religions (as they are
practiced) - especially the creationist theories. However, I continue to be
amazed that Science and Vedanta are so complementary. The reason I was attracted
to Vedanta was because I felt it could have been founded in Science, while it
also bridged the gap between the Mind and the Heart.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
If I were a poet
This is the story of a satisfying, elevating and enriching experience I had at two Youth Wellness Health Camps in Gujarat, India, organized by the Share & Care Foundation of USA in collaboration with local NGOs in January 2012. It played out in the deep rural villages of India that no one equates with the progressive India. But, it is its heart and soul, as it represents 70%+ of Indian population and much of its landmass.
Villages of India are beautiful, we visited some of them: Kureliya, Lachhakadi and Vansda (in South Gujarat); Bhimora, Amrapur, Ambardi and Ghela Somnath (in Saurashtra). Moreover, we also passed through several villages as we had a bus journey every day for 30 minutes to 1.5 hours each way.
Most attendees at the camp were physicians from the U.S. and local volunteers. While they focused on attending to the health of more than 2,500 rural school children over 2 weeks, I had the opportunity to interact with these children, their teachers, organizers and local villagers.
The most rewarding experience was being with the “nature”. The serene beauty of these rural villages was captivating. The landscape – the hills, untouched forests, cultivated fields, beautiful trees, vegetable and fruit plants, flowers and bushes, colorful sand, the occasional stream - combined with the villagers – their colorful dresses, wall colors, paintings and writings on these walls – create a beautiful tapestry in my mind. Some times the earth was rugged, while at times it was rich green. Sitting under a tree in the coolness of its shadow and talking with the children was a heavenly experience. At night, it was a pleasure to see so many bright stars.
And the children! They drew us in like a magnet. They were
raw, impressionable, innocent, eager, always smiling. They were the reason we went there, and we fell in love with them. Of course, on the surface, they were shy. They are taught to be that way. But, deep within – like all children - they were not. They were playful, inquisitive and endearing. They were as pristine as the landscape around them. If nothing else, just being with them would have made the whole trip worthwhile.
Most of my time was spent on talking with them. Getting them together was easy; a one minute conversation with a couple of them would culminate into a large crowd in 5 minutes. A lecture would not hold their attention, so we had a 2-way conversation. They were engaged through (leading) questions. The themes that ran across all this dialogue were: inspiration, courage, knowledge, behavior and good/healthy living. I wanted them to know that they could accomplish a lot – just like these doctors, or Gandhiji, or Kalpana Chawla (yes, every child knew her!) – and how could they go about it. There were hundreds of questions from them on a wide variety of subjects, including life in America. An added bonus: my
Gujarati improved. (On the last day, after a 2-hour marathon Q&A session in Ambardi, I lost my voice.) Some children also sang. Local folklore all the time – no influence of bollywood whatsoever. Children in Amrapur also asked me to sing an “English” song – they had never heard one before.
Bharat, a 4th grader at Ambardi School, is worth a mention. His teachers brought him to me, saying he is brilliant, gets top marks, can run the whole class without a teacher. But, he has a vice – Gutka (chewing tobacco), for which he would even steal. They asked me to give him some advice. After I talked to him, he promised he would not eat Gutka again. Next day, as soon as we reached the school, he came looking for me, apparently to report a day without Gutka. He asked me for my phone number, saying he will call me after I leave the school. He represents the plight of many a young blood, who have tremendous potential, but need help and guidance. I hope he garners the strength to stay away from Gutka.
In South Gujarat, all were Adivasi (Scheduled Tribe – ST) children, while in Saurashtra, they belonged to the so-called Other Backward Class (OBC), also known as Baxi Panch. Communities also included other castes, like Rajput, Brahman, etc., and rare Muslims or Christians. As expected, these villagers were poor, lacking good nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, (higher) education as well as many comforts of modern life (TV, Computers, etc.), with the exception of mobile phones. They lived a hard-working and active life, because laziness was not an option. They were incredibly personable, respectful, soft-spoken and (borrowing a word from our world) cool! I can honestly say that I saw happiness all around.
Some observations about these people: Families are big (4 to 8 children) which contributes to poverty. I was surprised to find that there is no “dowry” for marriage. In fact, the boy’s family gives the girl (bride) some gold (pallu), which becomes her property for life – a lifelong fall back in case of need. Gutka is a problem in Saurashtra. Drinking is not as prevalent as I had thought. (Everybody I talked to did not drink, but they knew people who did.) Not much influence of religion or God. People are generally trusting of each other, and the environment is pretty safe.
I also got to meet some enlightening people. Bhagubhai Darji – a soft-spoken, publicity shy Gandhian and doyen of Ashram Shalas in South Gujarat; Gulabbhai and Ushaben Jani of Sister Nivedita Trust in Rajkot, who have done enormous work in educating children, especially in rural areas. I also got to know some of their staff that has worked tirelessly all through their lives – not just for a few years –towards the same goal. Dr. Kishorbhai Mistry who, after 20+ years in he U.S., now lives in Baroda, giving free medical service to its slum dwellers. (He has also started a knowledge base of Indian NGOs, called NOVOI) He was with us for 2 days – but stayed in the Ashram Shala at night (not with us in the comfort of the Guest House). These people are symbols of many such unknown stalwarts that have dedicated their lives to the upliftment of people all over the world. We can only bow to them and seek their blessings.
It is also worth mentioning Digvirendrasinh Solanki – the (ex)King of Vansda, who invited us to his palace, treated us to Upma/Tea and gave a tour of his historical adventures. He also told us that when he was a young “Yuvraj” studying at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, he met Gandhiji, who taught him that the biggest virtue of a King is not his wealth nor his power, but his humility. Personally, meeting a descendant of Solanki/Chalukya dynasty was awesome, while vivid memories of my own grandfather (who looked just like him) came back.
The backdrop of this experience was “freedom”. I was surrounded by successful doctors and volunteers. But, nobody had a personal agenda or an axe to grind. Nobody had anything to show, and nobody to show to. We were all there to see, observe, experience, give and enjoy. This was total freedom from ego (well, almost), which brought out the best in all.
Another dimension of this backdrop was “Gujarat” and “India” – the motherland to all of us at the camp. This was the Gujarat of Siddharaj Jaysinh (Solanki), Munjal Mehta, Kak and Manjari. This was the India of Gandhiji and Sardar Patel. I was happy to be in the lap of the mother. I saw everything that was familiar (a physical illusion) – or, felt familiar (the mental truth). What else could be more comforting?
Along with the familiar motherland came the lovely food, served with warmth and well-known rural hospitality - not the exotic kind, but the simple, tasteful, everyday Gujarati food, along with a variety of fruits – jambu, shingoda, peru, aamla and other familiar varieties. This was heaven for such an indulgence. It is worth noting that the schools that served us food do not have enough money, and their children hardly get to eat such food; but, the hospitality of these noble people transcends everything.
There was plenty of icing on the cake: The welcoming ceremonies and breakfast at every school, every morning, without fail; the painstakingly prepared (4+ hour) cultural program by the children at Kureliya; the courageous girls of Vanchan Shibir who spoke in public for 10 minutes without any notes; the marvelous Ambubhai (teaching for 29 years) who conducted Vanchan Shibir and who had the children laughing and jumping; visiting the king’s palace at Vansda; interesting conversations with the Adivasis who had come for training at the BAIF Training Center (and Guest House) in Lachhakadi; taking a tour of this training center, its fields, mango and cashew plantations and processing plants; buying some exotic stuff at their little store; Dr. Bharatiben showing us various crops with the passion of a seasoned gardener; taking a tour of the Okra field with a farmer and meeting his family; marveling at the farmer’s son climbing up a tree and shaking loose several bors (fruit) to the ground so we could eat them right away; taking a tour of several farms of the Amrapur Ashram Shala; the generosity of teachers at Ambardi Ashram Shala, who gave their scarce food to the 1st grade children of another school at 3 p.m. when they realized that those children had been hungry since morning.
And even more icing: The serene beauty of Ghela Somnath and mesmerizing sunset on the way there; the rugged, brave and smiling woman cook at Ghela Somnath, who joined us for a bus ride and had us marvel at her life; the calm priest of Ghela Somnath (Dada), who joined us for breakfast; the keen ear of the driver in Saurashtra – who never missed a word of his passengers in the midst of the engine noise; discovering the young poet (and singer) in Vatsalbhai in the bus; the singing by all of us in the bus as we traveled through beautiful landscapes; the sincerity, dedication and hard work of local organizers at both camps; especially Kiritbhai and Vatsalbhai in Saurashtra, who made us wonder if they ever slept; the enormous dedication of young student/physician/pharmacist volunteers in all places – especially the passion of the young pharmacist in Saurashtra; the magic of Dr. Ushaben as she produced exotic fruits for us every evening from nowhere; the dedication and desire for service among the visiting doctors, many of whom have been doing this for years; and the endless conversations with the doctors about life and its beauty – and the ensuing friendships.
Finally, a picture that vividly sticks with me is that of the smiling children, giving us high-fives (we showed them) when we arrived every morning, and when we left in the evening, underscoring the feeling that we come and go, but our bonds will stay for ever; and my own desire and wish that they will dream, and be inspired to fulfill that dream, and one day become whatever they want to be in life; and that some of them will be sitting in doctors’ chairs years from now.
I was glad to be in heaven, in the midst of the beautiful, pristine, rural India and its people. If I were a poet, I would write an epic; if I were an artist, I would paint a masterpiece. Both would not have taken up so much space.
But, at the moment, this is the best I can do.
Villages of India are beautiful, we visited some of them: Kureliya, Lachhakadi and Vansda (in South Gujarat); Bhimora, Amrapur, Ambardi and Ghela Somnath (in Saurashtra). Moreover, we also passed through several villages as we had a bus journey every day for 30 minutes to 1.5 hours each way.
Most attendees at the camp were physicians from the U.S. and local volunteers. While they focused on attending to the health of more than 2,500 rural school children over 2 weeks, I had the opportunity to interact with these children, their teachers, organizers and local villagers.
The most rewarding experience was being with the “nature”. The serene beauty of these rural villages was captivating. The landscape – the hills, untouched forests, cultivated fields, beautiful trees, vegetable and fruit plants, flowers and bushes, colorful sand, the occasional stream - combined with the villagers – their colorful dresses, wall colors, paintings and writings on these walls – create a beautiful tapestry in my mind. Some times the earth was rugged, while at times it was rich green. Sitting under a tree in the coolness of its shadow and talking with the children was a heavenly experience. At night, it was a pleasure to see so many bright stars.
And the children! They drew us in like a magnet. They were
raw, impressionable, innocent, eager, always smiling. They were the reason we went there, and we fell in love with them. Of course, on the surface, they were shy. They are taught to be that way. But, deep within – like all children - they were not. They were playful, inquisitive and endearing. They were as pristine as the landscape around them. If nothing else, just being with them would have made the whole trip worthwhile.
Most of my time was spent on talking with them. Getting them together was easy; a one minute conversation with a couple of them would culminate into a large crowd in 5 minutes. A lecture would not hold their attention, so we had a 2-way conversation. They were engaged through (leading) questions. The themes that ran across all this dialogue were: inspiration, courage, knowledge, behavior and good/healthy living. I wanted them to know that they could accomplish a lot – just like these doctors, or Gandhiji, or Kalpana Chawla (yes, every child knew her!) – and how could they go about it. There were hundreds of questions from them on a wide variety of subjects, including life in America. An added bonus: my
Gujarati improved. (On the last day, after a 2-hour marathon Q&A session in Ambardi, I lost my voice.) Some children also sang. Local folklore all the time – no influence of bollywood whatsoever. Children in Amrapur also asked me to sing an “English” song – they had never heard one before.
Bharat, a 4th grader at Ambardi School, is worth a mention. His teachers brought him to me, saying he is brilliant, gets top marks, can run the whole class without a teacher. But, he has a vice – Gutka (chewing tobacco), for which he would even steal. They asked me to give him some advice. After I talked to him, he promised he would not eat Gutka again. Next day, as soon as we reached the school, he came looking for me, apparently to report a day without Gutka. He asked me for my phone number, saying he will call me after I leave the school. He represents the plight of many a young blood, who have tremendous potential, but need help and guidance. I hope he garners the strength to stay away from Gutka.
In South Gujarat, all were Adivasi (Scheduled Tribe – ST) children, while in Saurashtra, they belonged to the so-called Other Backward Class (OBC), also known as Baxi Panch. Communities also included other castes, like Rajput, Brahman, etc., and rare Muslims or Christians. As expected, these villagers were poor, lacking good nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, (higher) education as well as many comforts of modern life (TV, Computers, etc.), with the exception of mobile phones. They lived a hard-working and active life, because laziness was not an option. They were incredibly personable, respectful, soft-spoken and (borrowing a word from our world) cool! I can honestly say that I saw happiness all around.
Some observations about these people: Families are big (4 to 8 children) which contributes to poverty. I was surprised to find that there is no “dowry” for marriage. In fact, the boy’s family gives the girl (bride) some gold (pallu), which becomes her property for life – a lifelong fall back in case of need. Gutka is a problem in Saurashtra. Drinking is not as prevalent as I had thought. (Everybody I talked to did not drink, but they knew people who did.) Not much influence of religion or God. People are generally trusting of each other, and the environment is pretty safe.
I also got to meet some enlightening people. Bhagubhai Darji – a soft-spoken, publicity shy Gandhian and doyen of Ashram Shalas in South Gujarat; Gulabbhai and Ushaben Jani of Sister Nivedita Trust in Rajkot, who have done enormous work in educating children, especially in rural areas. I also got to know some of their staff that has worked tirelessly all through their lives – not just for a few years –towards the same goal. Dr. Kishorbhai Mistry who, after 20+ years in he U.S., now lives in Baroda, giving free medical service to its slum dwellers. (He has also started a knowledge base of Indian NGOs, called NOVOI) He was with us for 2 days – but stayed in the Ashram Shala at night (not with us in the comfort of the Guest House). These people are symbols of many such unknown stalwarts that have dedicated their lives to the upliftment of people all over the world. We can only bow to them and seek their blessings.
It is also worth mentioning Digvirendrasinh Solanki – the (ex)King of Vansda, who invited us to his palace, treated us to Upma/Tea and gave a tour of his historical adventures. He also told us that when he was a young “Yuvraj” studying at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, he met Gandhiji, who taught him that the biggest virtue of a King is not his wealth nor his power, but his humility. Personally, meeting a descendant of Solanki/Chalukya dynasty was awesome, while vivid memories of my own grandfather (who looked just like him) came back.
The backdrop of this experience was “freedom”. I was surrounded by successful doctors and volunteers. But, nobody had a personal agenda or an axe to grind. Nobody had anything to show, and nobody to show to. We were all there to see, observe, experience, give and enjoy. This was total freedom from ego (well, almost), which brought out the best in all.
Another dimension of this backdrop was “Gujarat” and “India” – the motherland to all of us at the camp. This was the Gujarat of Siddharaj Jaysinh (Solanki), Munjal Mehta, Kak and Manjari. This was the India of Gandhiji and Sardar Patel. I was happy to be in the lap of the mother. I saw everything that was familiar (a physical illusion) – or, felt familiar (the mental truth). What else could be more comforting?
Along with the familiar motherland came the lovely food, served with warmth and well-known rural hospitality - not the exotic kind, but the simple, tasteful, everyday Gujarati food, along with a variety of fruits – jambu, shingoda, peru, aamla and other familiar varieties. This was heaven for such an indulgence. It is worth noting that the schools that served us food do not have enough money, and their children hardly get to eat such food; but, the hospitality of these noble people transcends everything.
There was plenty of icing on the cake: The welcoming ceremonies and breakfast at every school, every morning, without fail; the painstakingly prepared (4+ hour) cultural program by the children at Kureliya; the courageous girls of Vanchan Shibir who spoke in public for 10 minutes without any notes; the marvelous Ambubhai (teaching for 29 years) who conducted Vanchan Shibir and who had the children laughing and jumping; visiting the king’s palace at Vansda; interesting conversations with the Adivasis who had come for training at the BAIF Training Center (and Guest House) in Lachhakadi; taking a tour of this training center, its fields, mango and cashew plantations and processing plants; buying some exotic stuff at their little store; Dr. Bharatiben showing us various crops with the passion of a seasoned gardener; taking a tour of the Okra field with a farmer and meeting his family; marveling at the farmer’s son climbing up a tree and shaking loose several bors (fruit) to the ground so we could eat them right away; taking a tour of several farms of the Amrapur Ashram Shala; the generosity of teachers at Ambardi Ashram Shala, who gave their scarce food to the 1st grade children of another school at 3 p.m. when they realized that those children had been hungry since morning.
And even more icing: The serene beauty of Ghela Somnath and mesmerizing sunset on the way there; the rugged, brave and smiling woman cook at Ghela Somnath, who joined us for a bus ride and had us marvel at her life; the calm priest of Ghela Somnath (Dada), who joined us for breakfast; the keen ear of the driver in Saurashtra – who never missed a word of his passengers in the midst of the engine noise; discovering the young poet (and singer) in Vatsalbhai in the bus; the singing by all of us in the bus as we traveled through beautiful landscapes; the sincerity, dedication and hard work of local organizers at both camps; especially Kiritbhai and Vatsalbhai in Saurashtra, who made us wonder if they ever slept; the enormous dedication of young student/physician/pharmacist volunteers in all places – especially the passion of the young pharmacist in Saurashtra; the magic of Dr. Ushaben as she produced exotic fruits for us every evening from nowhere; the dedication and desire for service among the visiting doctors, many of whom have been doing this for years; and the endless conversations with the doctors about life and its beauty – and the ensuing friendships.
Finally, a picture that vividly sticks with me is that of the smiling children, giving us high-fives (we showed them) when we arrived every morning, and when we left in the evening, underscoring the feeling that we come and go, but our bonds will stay for ever; and my own desire and wish that they will dream, and be inspired to fulfill that dream, and one day become whatever they want to be in life; and that some of them will be sitting in doctors’ chairs years from now.
I was glad to be in heaven, in the midst of the beautiful, pristine, rural India and its people. If I were a poet, I would write an epic; if I were an artist, I would paint a masterpiece. Both would not have taken up so much space.
But, at the moment, this is the best I can do.
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