LIVING OUT THE PLAN: INTREPID APPROACHES

By Aloysius Aseervatham

This book "Living Out The Plan" is a true-life adventure. The main character is the author himself who moved from Sri Lanka to England and then to Africa before making his final tent in Australia. An innate teacher, he never really deviated from that calling in life. While much of the book tells of his successful contribution to the expansive world of teaching, it is also a story of personal loss and tragedy as exemplified by his account of the loss of his dear wife, Jasmine, whom the author traveled the world with their three sons. He fondly remembers his wife for her understanding and support she readily rendered to his life's success and contentment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Mar 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9781982299149

Aloysius Aseervatham

Aloysius Aseervatham, who is an experienced author of several books, has used his expertise to produce this book as a tribute to the love of his life, Jasmine. This edition of the book, which he collaborated with Sri Lankan women to produce, is to mark Jasmine's 18th anniversary of death.Al invites you to experience what he has discovered!

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Copyright © 2024 Aloysius Aseervatham.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-9915-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-9914-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024904440

Balboa Press rev. date: 03/11/2024

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DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to Jasmine, the love of my life, to

mark the eighteenth anniversary of her passing.

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgment

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1   The Carefree Days of Youth

Chapter 2   Misery in England

Chapter 3   West African Experience

Chapter 4   Delightful Central Africa

Chapter 5   Finding a Permanent Habitat

Chapter 6   Settling Down – Down Under

Chapter 7   The Irreparable Loss

Chapter 8   A Blissful Retirement

Appendix I

Appendix II

Appendix III

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I am grateful to my son Raj, also an author,

for his invaluable input and advice in writing this book.

My thanks also go to Raj’s daughter (my grand-daughter) Zuleikha,

for her untiring help with the formatting of the book.

FOREWORD

My journey through life has allowed me to meet some exceptional and talented people. Aloysius Aseervatham is one of those people who has made a difference in my life. It is an honour and privilege to write an account of our association.

We met at the then-Moreton Institute of Technical and Further Education in Mt Gravatt, Brisbane, 1984. After initial introductions we discovered we had similar experiences in our journey through life! Al was born in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), I was born in Ireland. We both left our native lands in our early 20’s seeking new job opportunities and adventures! I went to London initially, then to Africa and eventually Australia. Al’s journey was similar. He migrated to England with his wife, then went to Africa and finally came to Australia. We both lived and worked in Zambia but our paths did not cross until he came to work in Mt Gravatt.

I well remember Al being introduced at a staff meeting. This tall distinguished looking man gave a brief account of his background. Staff members present (especially the women) were very impressed and I was asked to find a desk and settle him into the open plan staff room. This was a new experience for him as he had come from an organization in which he had his own office and secretary! Al, ever the diplomat, was not fazed by this and accepted the situation with aplomb! Due to our migrant backgrounds, we immediately formed a friendship that has endured over the years. His generosity of spirit and his contribution to the teaching profession had a very positive effect on the environment at the Institute. It goes without saying that his students were the major beneficiaries of his dedication to the teaching profession and the accolades and feedback from students are testimony to this.

Not only was Al qualified to teach Accounting/Finance he was also qualified in Maths/Science and associated disciplines. In fact, he was the most highly qualified teacher on staff which, due to human frailty, was viewed by some staff members with a degree of jealousy! Such negativity did not have any impact on him. Instead, he faced these challenges with dignity and courage.

He tutored my son in Maths for his grade 10 exams. When I inquired how much I owed, he simply asked to help his wife, Jasmine (may she rest in peace) organise the saving and retrieval of the chapters of his first book on their computer. My son looked at the problem and offered a visual concept of kitchen drawers as an easy way of naming folders: Ch1 Knives, Ch2 Forks, Ch3 Spoons etc. Jasmine, who was an excellent cook, took to the concept immediately. She informed Al that his initial instructions were confusing and no doubt the cause of the problem she had encountered! She went on to say (tongue in cheek) that despite all his qualifications and knowledge he needed to come back to basics!

Aloysius Aseervatham can be described as a citizen of the world. His contribution to education in Australia and overseas has benefited society as a whole. In addition, he is an acclaimed author of many books, some educational, others philosophical. I am told this book is both, and I look forward to reading it.

Bridget Hamer

INTRODUCTION

This is a true story of a man who felt the Hand of God guiding him as he travelled the world with his wife and three sons. He combined his belief in God with his astrological knowledge to shape his life to his heart’s contentment.

Al was born in Jaffna in the North of Sri Lanka, an island paradise, yet he lived for over fifty-five years in overseas countries. After living a very productive and happy life, he now sits alone in his Brisbane home and contemplates his life. He ponders his achievements and his failures in life that have been a major part of his. For most part of his life, he lived a reserved and nomadic life, which he feels was fated. He feels a sense of pride that although his life was full of challenges, it was very adventurous. He feels that he has achieved his purpose in life without any major setbacks.

Purpose in life

If one believes in one God, then there is only one purpose in life. It is, to do His will; and adore him, praise him and glorify him.

Success in life for a believer in God is a measure of how well they carry out the purpose - living out the plan - for which he or she was created.

Humans try to execute God’s plan for them using their free will. But God is there to properly direct them, if His help is requested.

CHAPTER 1

THE CAREFREE DAYS OF YOUTH

Al remembers well his bleak and stark childhood. There are no beautiful memories when he reminisces about his childhood days. In fact, the very first memory that hits his mind is the one of his father - a feeble and unwell, almost frail silhouette, trying to catch his breath. He recalls, in his formative years, his father’s ill health and suffering vividly. When Al was six years old, his father became debilitated with rheumatism. This was heart breaking. Al’s father could devote no time to Al, who was the oldest of two children at that time.

Growing up during his first few years, Al was a very lonely boy. He felt he had no positive influences in his life. He had no one around to look after him, to give him friendly advice, warm hugs, to help him with schoolwork, to accompany him on trips, or sing a lullaby at night. He was left alone. He often felt that he lived by himself. On numerous occasions, he wished he had someone around him. Just one good soul to share his happy and sad moments. Many of the things that a child greatly needs to develop were missing from Al’s life as he struggled with depression and isolation.

Al had two sisters in his early years. One was two years his junior and another was five years younger than him. The days and years flew by, and they grew older. Until he was ten years old, his two sisters were his only playmates.

When Al was ten years, tragedy befell his eight-year-old sister. She cut her foot on a stone. The bleeding foot became infected and, without sufficient care, developed into tetanus. She suffered greatly, and the disease eventually claimed her life. It was a traumatic period for young Al. After watching her die, Al became distraught. The spectre of her suffering and death tremendously impacted the teenage years of his life.

This event felt to Al like the culmination of a series of traumatising events. In his first ten years, he experienced a parade of harsh realities about life. His sickly disposition in a small and undeveloped town with very few medical facilities made him vulnerable, physically and socially. He felt knocked down, time and time again, by events outside of his control. This period rested on his chest like a weight. Al hated recalling the early years of his life, for they pricked in his heart like a splinter. He asked God the reason for this misery, and why it lasted so long. When he was older - a young adult - his father explained to him how certain events in a person’s life could be understood using Vedic astrology. It was a turning point for him. He developed a more philosophical understanding of life events, a greater appreciation of why things turn out the way they do, and a greater capacity for acceptance.

In Vedic astrology, according to the position of heavenly bodies (Sun, Moon, Planets and Stars) in the August of the year that Al was born, his Lagna is Makara. His Rasi (i.e., where the moon was in the astrological chart at the time of his birth) is Simha. The star, or Nakshatra, of his birth, is Magha (third pada) and at birth he was in the seven-year major period of Kethu with two years and nine months of it still remaining. Although the Venus’s major period lasting 20 years that followed that of Kethu’s, is generally very good, in Al’s case because Venus was debilitated in his chart at birth no exceptional benefit was forthcoming during its major period in any area of life except in the field of education.

Circumstances improved in time. Despite having a hand-to-mouth existence and a past filled with struggles and challenges, Al’s parents strived to provide him with everything he needed. In time his life improved, and once again he did not know how or why. His household grew and he had four sisters. He was spoiled and pampered by them and his parents.

He was admitted to an English-speaking Catholic school. However, the language was not spoken at his home so his opportunity to practice this language was limited. In addition, his ability to speak and write in English was less than satisfactory compared to most of his schoolmates. In time he learned that it was a form of dysphasia, perhaps a result of his sickly childhood. He developed strategies to compensate for it.

Nevertheless, this became a hurdle to his academic success. The teachers in his college tended to overlook children who came from poor families. There was further discrimination against those who could not communicate well in English compared to other students. As a result, his early education was neglected.

Al was determined to do well academically but felt that opportunity in the college was unevenly afforded. He felt this was unfair, but he persevered. He became adept at teaching himself. In time, he became an advocate for those who wanted to study and learn. This led him to dream passionately of becoming a teacher in his later years.

His difficulty with English led him to become a man of few words. He was perceived to be taciturn and aloof, but the reality was that he was quiet because of his difficulty with English. He was always enthralled by others’ ability to speak fluently and confidently. In later years, he felt that his dysphasia did him good. The fact that he was a man of few words kept him out of trouble.

Pondering over his early life, Al believed that studying in a Catholic college taught him to become God-fearing. He was introduced to religious beliefs early, and they were a source of greater understanding about life. He dutifully attended church on Sundays, sang the hymns in the gatherings at church and read scriptures religiously - mostly because of the threat of punishment at college and his fear of disappointing his parents. Although the college over-emphasised church routines, the religious beliefs took hold in him.

Now when he looks back, he is grateful that he always prioritised attending