The Rule of Righteousness

Mataji continued after a short silence: 

‘Peace in the society and in the world will ever remain a mirage without peace within individuals and families. Forgiveness and reconciliation are preconditions for peace within individuals and families ……This is possible only through love….. 

‘Just as justice comes from law and righteousness comes from faith, forgiveness comes from love, and only from love, my son.’ 

Mataji looked at Atma Prakash questioningly.

‘Will you please explain to me?’ Atma Prakash asked Mataji.

‘Justice is ensured through law, through enacting and enforcing laws based on the Constitution of the country. The Government, the Judiciary, the Police, the Bureaucracy etc. are there to enforce law and ensure justice. The Parliament makes the laws in a Sovereign Democratic Republic like India……

‘Suppose, there is a theft in your house. You file a FIR with the Police who will investigate and arrest the thief, when caught, and produce him in the Court. The Judge will ‘try’ the case and, if found guilty, award suitable punishment to the guilty. You can also get back the stolen things and money…. We can say that the law is enforced and justice is done….

‘Or suppose somebody encroached into your private property. You can approach the Court and get him evacuated, and recover your property. Justice is done to you based on the laws governing private property of citizens…

‘Or imagine that you lost your seniority in service because of the injustice done to you by the Head of Department or Vice Chancellor. You can approach the Court and regain your seniority and promotion. In all these cases we can say that ‘justice is done based on the law’.….

‘Now suppose another situation. You are walking alone on a lonely road in the night. There is a bundle of currency notes lying on the road. You pick it up and keep it for yourself. No one has seen you. No one will ever know. Police will never catch you. Under such a situation if you keep the money and use it for yourself, you can never be brought before the Judge or the law. In the eyes of the world you continue to be a just and respectable man…..

‘But if you are a man of values and faith in an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God, you know that God sees and knows everything. You cannot hide anything from God. Your conscience will tell you: ‘It is wrong to keep this money. It does not belong to me. I must find out the real owner and ensure that the money is returned to him’. You may give an advertisement in the local news paper about finding the money. You may inform the police and civil or religious authorities. You will ensure that the amount is returned to its rightful owner. This is the righteousness that comes from faith, faith in God and faith in values….

‘Righteousness cannot be enforced through law. It is beyond the law. It is above justice. It is based on faith and values. It is here religion comes in. Faith and values are the realms of religion. Whereas law and justice are the realms of politics and governance….

‘Law and justice constitute the minimum requirements for peaceful coexistence. This is the dividing line between humankind and the animal kingdom….

‘Whereas faith and righteousness come at higher levels of moral development. The degree of moral development of a nation or society can be measured in terms of the level of righteousness being practiced and promoted by the citizens of that nation or by the members of that society. Do you understand these differences, my son?’ Mataji asked Atma Prakash.

‘Yes, Mataji. I have understood the difference between justice based on law and righteousness based on faith very well. Please tell me now about forgiveness based on love.’ Atma Prakash requested Mataji.

 

Excerpts from Integral revolution

LIVING IN A WORLD OF CHAOS

The media bring bad news daily. The recent terror attacks in France, Mali, and Tunisia shake the world. I know how one terror attack that blew up the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in in New York in 2001 changed the air travel and negatively affected the entire world as we knew it. The recent downing of a Russian war plane by Turkey on the border of Turkish-Syrian border appears to inch the world toward the third world war.  The popularity of the leading Republican presidential candidate in the USA catering to the meaner side of humanity appears to change the national character of a country that has the best resources currently for leading and modeling a world hope. That a well-known celebrity who voiced growing intolerance in India, the largest democracy, is asked by certain political elements to leave his country on account of his religion is itself the height of intolerance. The report in the Hindu (November 25, 2015) of gory details of a mother’s cold-blooded murder of her adult daughter by strangling after drugging her, and disposing her body to destroy all evidence is certainly unparalleled. The daughter who was brought from her work by her boy-friend to her mother was aided in her murder by her own father who happened to be her mother’s ex-husband. To top it all, corruption and dissipated, purposeless living has become a way of life for a great deal of people in the world. Trust that is the foundation of freedom and human living is being dealt heavy blows every day. Our way of life and, above all, the civilization itself is in serious danger.

The scenario described above is very gloomy. The present status of the world can dishearten and drive us into despair or can re-double our effort to work for a better world. Humanity had in the past many ups and downs and innumerable scenarios worse than the one mentioned above. Humanity in its march toward its God-ordained destiny has survived the worst tragedies. Many of us in our own lives suffered small and big betrayals of trust and unnecessary human-made tragedies coming from the most unexpected quarters. Yet we did not give ourselves up to despair and distrust. We will survive this cancer of distrust and chaos if we do not give up our hope. There are many hidden agenda, many vested interests that parade in the guise of human welfare and common good of humanity. Beware of those who hurt or kill others in the name of their own brand of religion or their own self-righteousness. God’s good earth has been drenched with the blood of many innocent lives. Their silent voices as well as the voiceless voices of many humans suffering injustice in different parts of the world are clamoring for justice. It is for us to do a thorough self-examination and straighten out our own lives before we set out to reform the world. Once we become self-aware ourselves and boldly change ourselves and move ourselves from our fortresses of our own attachments and self-centered interests, the world will automatically change. No tidal wave of hopelessness or despair can stop us. If we stay determined and do the right thing, the temporary tide of inhumanity will blow over.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

Country, Religion or Species

I was seeing the response of people to a question asked in a multiple choice format. It was – “You are most proud of – a) Your Country b) Your Religion c)Being Human d)unable to answer. People from certain country mostly responded with answer a, while people of certain religion responded with answer b, irrespective of which country they lived in and a very small minority went for the answer c and d. The answer may not surprise many readers. What surprised me most was the clarity with which people answered between a and b. People are brought up in a certain way since childhood. Some people have a clear bent towards religion and some do not. Please wait for another real surprise. In another survey of similar kind, the answer c was changed with the word ‘Yourself’. Now the things changed drastically. The probability of answers being c or even d increased quite a bit towards higher side. That’s how we have fluid priorities. We are so fluid in our thoughts that we can easily be fooled by news reports, TV debates and even commercials of various kinds. Actually we do not understand much about need for favouring any particular choice. Every thing in our brain works like a pre-programmed computer. Good news is that we can be programmed in a positive way too. Let us do some introspection as a society and as an Individual to find the ways and means to do a positive wiring of our brain. 

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

The Deacon and the Preacher

There once was this deacon and this preacher, and they had been friends for a long time. One day the deacon got sick and was admitted in the hospital, so the preacher decided to go and see his old friend. When he walked into the hospital room, the preacher noticed all the hoses and medical equipment attached to the deacon. The preacher walked over and kneeled by the bed and asked, ''How are you?''

The deacon motioned at a pad and pen on the nightstand. 

''You want that?'' The preacher asked him, and the deacon nodded his head yes. So the preacher handed his friend the pad and pen and the deacon began to write. All of a sudden the deacon died.

At his funeral, the preacher was asked to deliver the service. ''He was a good man and I'll never forget him,'' the preacher said, ''I was with him when he died and as a matter of fact I have his last thought in my coat pocket here.''

The preacher reaches into his pocket and pulls out the paper. ''Please, get up! You're kneeling on my oxygen hose!''

That is what we sometimes do, with our unnecessary  and careless interventions we, sometimes,  block the life line for others.

Art of Cooking

Atma Prakash read widely on the themes of their discussions.  

But it was his discussions with Mataji that inspired him the most during the period. He found Mataji to be a very enlightened person.

Her words gave him deep insights into the nature of human beings and the purpose of human life.

‘Mataji, you cook and feed us with great love. You are always cheerful. You seem to be always at peace with yourself, and with everyone and everything. May I ask you, revered Mataji, what is the secret?’ Atma Prakash asked Mataji one day.

The Mataji was prompt in her response: ‘When we know our role in God’s will and plan, and surrender ourselves totally and unconditionally to it willingly and lovingly, we will find peace and joy in life, my son…

‘Babaji helped me find the will and plan of God in my life years ago. He is also my revered guru. He had initiated me when I was with him for my doctoral studies on ‘Enviormental Sciences’. I got into a teaching job in the University soon after my Ph.D….

‘I did not opt for marriage though there were a number of very tempting proposals. I decided to remain single because after my retirement I wanted to join Babji in this Ashram. I retired 3 years ago and ever since then I have been here to help him take care of the Ashram, especially to cook and feed him and the members and guests of the Ashram. I love to do it. I am a good cook…. But Babaji mostly is on raw food, as you have seen.’

‘Yes, of course, Mataji. You are a really good cook.’ Atma Prakash said enthusiastically.

‘Please remember my son, we human beings are body-mind-spirit entities. We need to take care of all these three dimensions of our personality…..

‘I help the members and guests to take care of the bodies with nourishing satvic food, raw or cooked. I serve them with great love in my heart. Babaji helps them to take care of their minds and spirits, teaching them and guiding them with great love.’ 

Mataji told Atma Prakash. He was all attention. He was wanting her to proceed further. 

Seeing his eagerness, Mataji continued:

‘It is in the human person, my son, that matter becomes alive, life becomes conscious, mind enters into the realm of spirit, and the spirit itself displays its divine potentials. In other words, we human beings are the conduits and catalysts for the spiritualization of matter, for the divinization of the material world, as our Babaji says’, the Mataji told him.

They were sitting together on the veranda of the kitchen.

‘The only means available to us to achieve this very meaning and purpose of our existence on earth is true love that is ever forgiving, enduring and self-sacrificing. This understanding brings us to the truth that human life can find its meaning and fulfillment in this world only through true love. It is from our mothers that we experience love for the first time’, she added. 

Mataji then continued further: ‘The physical, the psychological and the spiritual aspects of the human personality are integral dimensions of our total being. We cannot see them as separate parts, we need to see them in their integrity and totality….

‘Also, we are not islands in ourselves. We are social beings. We exist in relationship. We are integral part of the society in which we live. We are also part of the larger human family…

‘Earth is our common mother. Hence, we are integrally related to Mother Earth and all other forms of life. Thus, there are also the personal, social and ecological dimensions of our life that need to be seen as integral to life and existence.….

‘The present civilization is based on divisive specializations, and on self-destructive sensuality and sensations. The physical and sensual are ruling the world today. Our revolutions are also mostly at these levels. We have lost touch with the deeper spiritual and the greater universal dimensions of our being. As a result, our life and existence today have become ‘rootless’ and ‘roofless’ …. Do you understand this tragedy, my son?’ Mataji asked Atma Prakash.

‘Yes Mataji. Please tell me more’ Atma Prakash was eager.

Excerpts from Integral Revolution

Seriously

“Seriously”, he used to say after narrating his episodes of interactions with other amazing people. Actually the entire world was absolutely amazing for him. And today after the Deepawali festival hangover is over, I recalled him for an episode he narrated to me. He had been escorted to a place where a lot of clay idols were laying abandoned. He was told that these are the clay icons of idols people have worshipped this year or the past year and have now left abandoned near the root of the big tree. After seeing the pathetic conditions full of stray street animals and other litter there, he said, he wept loudly. After narrating this he uttered his favourite word, “Seriously”. 

His style was quite amusing but this time his utterance meant a lot to me. I have also seen such situations in my nearby areas. And as always happens my objections always fall on deaf ears. Seriously enough, we as a society have become careless about our customs and to this carelessness we have discovered a word called, “Bindaas or care freeness”. Neither we care for feelings nor do we care for environment. What we care most about is an evil called “Materialistic Success”. Many of us have forgotten that the very concept of Religion was built for the purpose of co-existence. So much so that what look different paths for different religions are actually preaching norms of co-existence? Religious customs in a way were meant to extend the “Survival of Fittest” war between species and within species. If this war is not extended long enough, the survival race can be won by few hi-tech crack individuals in just a day. Are we trying for quick extinction? Let us ask ourselves. Some people are abandoning their idols in a pathetic way and some others are openly breaking them in the name of religious extremism. It is high time we stop worshipping any idols in any form or we learn to pay right way of respecting at least our own sentiments. “Seriously” 

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Hereford Cows

An old-time rugged cowboy said he had learned life’s most important lesson from the ‘Hereford cows’. All his life he had worked at cattle ranches where the winter storms took a heavy toll among the herds. Freezing rains whipped across the prairies. Howling winds piled snow into enormous drifts. Temperatures might drop quickly to below-zero degrees. Flying ice cut into the flesh. In this maelstrom of nature’s violence, most cattle would turn their backs to the icy blasts and slowly drift windward, mile upon mile. Finally intercepted by a boundary fence, they would pile against the barrier and die by the scores.

But the ‘Herefords’ acted differently. Cattle of this breed would instinctively head into the windward end of the ranch. There they would stand shoulder to shoulder facing the storms blast, heads down against its onslaughts. ‘You most always found the Hereford alive and well,’ said the cowboy. ‘I guess that is the greatest lesson I ever learned on the prairies – just face life’s storms’.

How Can I Be Holy?

This is a question that every serious person asks at some point or other in one’s life. The interesting answer is that we are all holy in varying degrees. The two stories related to holiness that come to mind are those of Valmiki and St. Paul. One is from the Hindu scriptures, and the other from the Christian scriptures. Ratnakar, a highway robber, got converted due to sage Narada about to be robbed asking him if he knew his family for whom he robbed shared in the sin of his evil deed. The realization that his family did not share in his guilt opened his mind to repentance, conversion from his evil ways, and eventually to holiness. Ratnakar after his conversion became Valmiki. Saul a devout and fanatic Jew pursuing Christians to destroy them got knocked down from his horse and got converted through divine intervention to the way of Christ after hearing his reproaching voice, and became Paul. Both moved away from their evil ways, and became ardent devotees of God and their respective beliefs.

To become holy, one needs to distinguish between good and evil, and follow the moral path that leads to holiness. The easy and the broad path filled with temptations leads to perdition. The difficult, narrow path full of obstacles leads to salvation. The moment we know good and bad, our conscience comes into existence. With a comprehensive system of desirable and virtuous attributes or qualities that may be called values we live a spirit-filled life according to the promptings of our conscience to arrive at holiness. Good living is holy living that is based on a solid value system. Only holy living can give lasting peace and satisfaction. Thus holiness that is within everyone’s reach is a challenge for all of us.

Swami Snehananda 

Light

As I write this to you on the “Festival of Lights - Diwali”, I thought to write something about light itself. In my childhood days I read some dying quotes worth a note. For e.g. it was “Hey Ram” by father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi. The interesting one related to light was from a famous author O. Henry, It was; “Turn up the lights; I don't want to go home in the dark”. I was so touched with these words at the tender age of about twelve that till today I prefer to have lights on, even while sleeping. My wife always complains that I am wasting power. In front of her I easily accept it as my bad habit, but on lighter note I always tell her that liking of light can make me a great author like O. Henry. She has also read the famous story “The gift of Magi” by O. Henry and one thing at least we think alike that O. Henry was a great writer. Lighter notes apart, let me come back to the topic of Light in the context I want to write about. Many of us, rather most of us, in fact all of us must have had an experience of feeling of light that comes from within us. Some people say that when an Idea strikes, a thousand watt bulb glows in the mind. Some people term it as an energy coming from mind, heart or the whole body. Medical science has been using human bio-field in form of ECG and EEG since long. Recently researchers have been successful in driving equipments with thoughts. We have been seeing photos of many saints with halos coming out of their head. Do we emit light? Are we sensitive enough to understand someone else, based on the energy or some form of light he or she emits? The answers to these questions are not fully known as of now. But one thing is for sure, that we do have some energy based messaging systems, both, within and outside our body. Till the time we conclusively prove this, we have to keep working with current system of feelings only. One simple thought experiment I suggest, the moment you feel some kind of glow in your mind, when you think of something, note down about that moment as soon as possible in your diary. Few days later the enlightenment will start happening and new level of enjoyment is the most likely outcome. 

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

Success is failure turned inside out.

A city boy, Raj, moved to the village and bought a donkey from an old farmer for $1000. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. The next day the farmer drove up and said,

“Sorry Rajji, but I have some bad news, the donkey died while I was bringing him here.”

Raj replied: “Well then, just give me my money back.” The farmer said: “Can’t do that. I went and spent it already.”

Raj said: “OK then, just unload the donkey.” The farmer asked: “What you are going to do with him?”

Raj: “I’m going to raffle him off.” (Note: To raffle is like lottery – draw lot to a group of people each paying the same amount for a ticket and there is a big prize for the people who win.)

Farmer: “You can’t raffle off a dead donkey!”  Raj: “Sure I can. Watch me. I just won’t tell anybody he’s dead.”

A month later the farmer met up with Raj and asked, “What happened with that dead donkey?”  Raj: “I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at $. 10 each and made a profit of $ 4990 with the donkey worth $. 1000 as the prize.

Farmer: “Didn’t anyone complain?”

Raj: “Just the guy who won. So I gave him back his $ 10.”

No situation is so bad that it cannot be turned around. You need to just think hard. So look at your glass always as half full (positive attitude ) rather then half empty. Do not lose hope….......

Spirituality and Religions

Spirituality is universal; it is for all persons. Persons belong to different religions; religions are not universal. Spirituality is predominantly about mysticism that involves direct communion with the ultimate reality or intuitive experience of God. Religions are predominantly about asceticism that involves spiritual discipline, rites, and rituals that go with individual religion. While different religions and asceticism can lead to mysticism, a mystic has a subjective insight or experience that is unique. That unique experience needs not be specific to any religion. While mystics may engage in rituals that belong to the religion that they come from, they are beyond these rituals. Religions want their members to faithfully follow their teachings and rituals. Mysticism has no chartered course or program. Mysticism is widely open, and, in some way, mysticism begins where religions end.

All are called to be mystics. Mystics are such because they have gone through rigorous training and discipline either in institutions or society at large that include religions. Humans are born into and live in interactional settings that call for fundamental principles and basic regulations.    Those humans who are capable of mysticism have a clear conscience and are divested of their ego and egoistic attachments. They are altruistic and will not intentionally hurt another human. They will be very sensitive to their environment. Their union with the creator in their spirituality will imply everyone’s welfare as well as oneness of humanity. They partake in their own way in the vision and attitude of the creator, and want to deal with everyone and everything the way the creator deals with. They are not concerned about what happens to them as long as they know they are carrying out God’s will and plan for them the best way they understand. While they learn from everyone and everywhere in order to form themselves to be the persons the Great Consciousness and Supreme Truth wants them to be, they are beyond models and personalities of this world. Their identity is not based on any achievement or any connection outside of themselves.

Religions evolved from their founders or teachers or inspirers. Spirituality was from the beginning of creation. Spirit ordered life was imprinted in the humans right from the beginning. This spirit life was manifested through conscience especially to those persons who withdrew from worldly pursuits, who went in pursuit of truth, and who tried to unravel the purpose of creation, and who, above all, live according to the will of God at any cost. Purity of intention, empathy, and a spirit of reconciliation and harmony with the entire creation characterize the daily life of such persons. They withdraw themselves from the world to examine themselves in solitude, silence, and total inner freedom their relationship with God. Their union with God is marked by complete and unconditional surrendering. Religions came into being when humans lost themselves in the wilderness of disordered pleasures and inordinate affections. They point to realities beyond this world. Mysticism coming from spirituality is our end.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

Resign, Retire and Return

When I was still in school, one of the sports idol I used to follow was Bobby Fischer, the famous world chess champion from USA. He was one such player who resigned from active sports at the helm of his career. Later he remained an erratic personality and he even supported Osama Bin Laden towards the fag end of his life. Resignations, retirements and returning awards are probably at its peak in this season. Particular types of people who claim to be to be hurt by the current political scenario are putting an interesting show in the media. People in the creative field are considered as highly emotional people. Unfortunately in the modern times creativity is also very much linked with politics and religion. Without analyzing the background and reasoning given by such returners, let me put forth my perspective with an experience from my own journey of life. Those days I had just started my career in a public sector company. Annual DPC was the time which everyone used to wait quite anxiously. The term DPC, which expanded to departmental promotion committee was the way in our organisation to give promotions or increments etc.

 

I was a newly appointed officer, but as one of my first assignment I had to distribute DPC letters to people in my group, just because the Group Head was on leave. I started calling the staff one by one, gave them letters and started congratulating them on their promotions, merit increments or awards. I thought that it was the noblest work, I was lucky to have as my first assignment. But somehow, as the people started coming and going, I could feel that there is something grossly wrong somewhere. Most faces were either blank or upset. Rarely anyone was happy after receiving the letter of promotion, increment or award. Very soon I got the answer. Two people who were given awards came to me and declared that they want to return their letter of awards. When I enquired, I came to know that since some of their colleague has got a merit increment, they are unhappy with the fixed amount award. Similarly if someone had got promotion, he was not happy with the new salary he was fixed on as compared to someone else. Discomfort to everyone was invariably related to comparison with someone else in the department. So the lesson of human resource handling became clear to me in my very first year. First one is; A manager needs to act in a way that comparison can be avoided and the second one is; whatever effort or fairness is exercised while taking people related decisions, comparison based discomforts will always be there. When I apply the same lesson to the current scenario, I attribute such things to intolerance and discomfort amongst a section of people towards their decision maker. When the decision maker changes the set of people in this intolerant group also change. Anyway, if I need to oppose a decision or may be indecision, I would do it by using the skills I have. It could be either by writing or by making a film or by giving a new scientific theory or by mobilizing the people. Skill of returning awards I do not have, so no one will care about my voice, as would be raising it without using my right skills. 

Dr. Sunil Ji Garg

The best and the smart

At the Gatekeeper’s cabin he stopped, just to see if there were any mails for House No. A16. As he moved towards the letterbox, Srivasthava (that was the name of the gatekeeper) called him from behind. He turned back to hear, “I suppose you did not hear it?”

“What?” He asked him, a little anxious.

“Ramaji is gone. The body is there at A12.”

As he stood there in the mild shock of having heard about the sad demise of a good neighbour from the same apartment; thoughts of his company kept peeping in. Though Ramaji was 30 years older than him and was 76, he could always give him a good company, sometimes breaking great jokes and some times playing an experienced counselor. Ramaji is survived by his two sons, one daughter and their families. His son with whom he was is an officer in the state Health Department. Ramaji was abed since a week.

As he turned back slowly, Srivasthava added,

“He was a good man always buying the best.”

He told everything as it happened and asked me what a good man has got to do with buying the best. What I thought first was about the purpose of one’s buying something. A purchase can be for a short period or a long period. Long period clearly means that the purchaser has an eye on a chain of people who might use it or he is particular that everybody should have the best quality item. I told my friend that it makes a lot of difference. Purchasing always the best thing means that one has consideration for himself and his family, no doubt. Putting everything in another words, Ramaji should have been a person who loved himself and his family very much. I thought about the latest market trends and throw of articles that keep gushing into any market. Everything is smart. Doesn’t the word also mean short living? Smart things are not the best things at least according to Srivasthava, a poor village man destined to spend his life just opening and closing a gate. His definition of a good man could be ones’ love for others and never the smartness displayed somewhere.

 

Joseph Mattappally

Fear

Once a king was sailing on the sea with some his courtiers. There was also this young man who had never been to sea who got very frightened with all tossing up and down of the ship. He was so terrified by it all that he sat in a corner screaming and wailing. Many tried to calm him down, and the king himself could hardly stand it any more.

The king’s physician offered to cure the young man, if His Majesty would give the permission, which was promptly granted.

The physician ordered the seamen to throw the screaming courtier overboard. They were all so annoyed with the courtier that they promptly executed the order. Gasping for air, as you can imagine, the young man thrashed about in the water and cried for help. After he has had a few gulps of seawater, and was nearly drowning with fear, the physician ordered him to be pulled out. From then on he sat quietly in a corner.

The king couldn’t understand and so he asked the physician for an explanation. “He had never experienced the sea,” answered the physician, “and didn’t know how dangerous it can be. So he did not also know, how good it was to have a ship between himself and the sea.”

Our worries often result from a lack of appreciation of the blessings that we have.