Linguistic Capacity of Memory
By Karmayogi
Memory is often identified with
intelligence. They are two different faculties, as the ink and the ballpoint
pen are materially different. Memory acts on the basis of the context and
previous experience, not necessarily aided by intelligence. We often assume
that ineffective memory is dull intelligence. Give two items to your clerk, he
will do the first and forget the second. It makes us furious. Watch next time
yourself, you will do exactly the same thing. It is not neglect or willful
disobedience. It is lack of experience. Very highly experienced people,
experienced in their own work, act like this, forgetting the second item. There
is a further phenomenon of an inexperienced memory trying to be more exact than
it can be. That creates a hilarious confusion.
A classical example is there in Trollope. Mr. Septimus Harding is a warden in Hiram Hospitalin charge of eight retired wool carders, people who comb wool with a card. He
goes to Chapter Hotel in London.
He meets the clerk of the Attorney-General as a client to fix an appointment
for himself with the lawyer. The clerk is dull, but very obliging. He writes
down what Mr. Harding has said. He addresses him, ”Mr. Septimus Hiram ” Mr.
Harding corrects him, ”Septimus Harding. There are eight words in all –
Septimus, Harding, Hiram, Hospital, wool, carder, Chapter, hotel. This is too
much for the clerk. In reply to the clerk’s question about where he comes from,
Mr. Harding says, ”Barchester”. This adds one more word. The clerk is very
smart or trying to be so. He knows of wool gathering, but has not heard of wool
carding. So he replies, ”I have noted down the case of the wool gatherers ”
The warden feels crushed and gently stops him, saying, ”wool carders”. The
clerk replies, ”I shall send word to Barchester Hotel ” Mr. Harding is
dismayed, looks at him and says, ”Chapter Hotel”.
Again the clerk musters courage and says, ”Yes, Mr. Barchester.” The warden
gives up in utter despair. The clerk tries here to bring back to his mind the
eight words in four combinations, not knowing how to manage even four words in
two combinations. It is too much. I have seen lawyers and judges jumbling
‘Mother Estates’ and ‘Beauty Land‘ into Mother Landand Beauty Estates. When your whole property hangs on the memory of your lawyer
or judge, how can you ever survive? There is no human faculty that can serve
grave situations. Invoke the Spirit, call in Mother, be quiet, practise Silent
Will, resort to Faith, give up all reliance of capacity, things will go
smoothly.