2007-9-12

It is an age of alternation and conflicting between new and old thoughts in Russia, when Pavlov was a child. On the one hand, people believed that God was all-powerful; on the other hand, the natural science was developed with a fast speed, which impacted the existing theological thoughts in people's mind. Little Pavlov, at that time, was also branded and impressed by the times.
The father of little Pavlov, a priest, was respected by people in local area. In the mind of little Pavlov, his almighty father was able to relieve the soul pains of other people, and his father was always trying his best to help those in misfortune. Little Pavlov once dreamed to become a person like his father, the one who relieved the pain of others with power endowed by God. It was also a wish of his family, and finally Pavlov went to a divinity school as wished.
But one day something happened, which changed the image of his father in his mind, and also affected his future life.
On that day, someone asked Pavlov's father to pray. Little Pavlov, the future priest, was quite curious about his future job, and intent to follow his father there. His father, harassing with his request, finally brought him to the work place.
It was a last pray for a dying pregnant woman. In religion, it regarded that the last pray was to send the best wishes to dying person whose soul would, therefore, go up to heaven, and live a happy life in paradise. The patients, in their eyes, were not dead, but living a new life in another world.
The pregnant women was dying for dyspepsia. She was moaning on bed with her abdomen expanded. Little Pavlov, silently stood at corner, heard his father's prayer, hoping the prayer works to eliminate the pain of patient, or even save the life of the pregnant women and the unborn baby. However, the prayer of his father didn't work. The pregnant women and the unborn baby finally died.
The painful expression of dying patient deeply stabbed the spirit of little Pavlov.
Pavlov, out of patient's home, asked his father,'Dad, can you cure her?'¡¡¡¡

'No.'his father answered, simple and clear.
'And who can cure her?'
'That is doctor's job. I can only save her soul. She went to God with her kid, and she will have no pain in future.'

Little Pavlov seemed to understand his father's words, standing silenced with eyes blinking; but his brain did not stop thinking. He was thinking that, why didn't God save her for more days? and why was she that painful? He followed his father¡¯s steps, silently but thinking of father's words: That's doctor's job.
By now, his father's figure was not great any longer, and little Pavlov was even doubted about his future work.
'There is an evil amongst human beings, that is, ignorance. The only therapy for this evil is science.'incidentally, little Pavlov found the words, which reminded him of the dead pregnant woman, and of the question: did she die because of ignorance?
Besides, he was reminded of his favorite book of popular science named Physiology in Daily Life, in which, knowledge such as digest, breath, etc. is explained by interesting story and color illustration. He once loved this book because he was attracted by the funny stories inside, but now, what attracted him were the pictures of human organs, i.e., heart, stomach, etc. which were inviting him to explore the secrets of human bodies.
Finally, Pavlov abandoned theology and went to the opposite side but made great contribution to the science.