What is under Your Feet?

One day in the hot Arizona desert, when a lonely miner’s burro ran off, he thought the world had come to an end for him.  In a fit of anger, he reached down and picked up a rock to hurl after the fleeing animal. Feeling the weight of the rock, he knew he’d found gold and struck it rich.

The miner found what turned out to be one of the richest gold mines in what was then Arizona Territory. Would he have found the gold if the burro had not run off?  May be, and then may be not. 

“Sweet are the uses of adversity.” It opens our eyes to the opportunities ahead. But for the misfortune, we would probably be stuck for ever in the rut we have created.

Indian Thoughts Archives

The Last Law of Peace

‘The last and seventh law of peace brings us back to what we said in the beginning: ‘peace in the world is impossible without peace among religions in the world’. As seen earlier, more than 80% people all over the world still follow one religion or the other. In India it is more than 95%’. The Baba began, and he continued ...

‘For a deeply religious country like India with a diversity of religions, interreligious understanding and co-operative action are divinely ordained imperatives for her very survival as a living force…

‘There will be no peace in India unless religions in India learn to live in peace with one another. Development and prosperity will elude India as long as there is no peace and cooperation among religions in the country….

‘It is very important that religions in India understand the real crises facing the nation today and respond to them creatively and collectively…..

‘Peace among religions can be found only when they work together with mutual respect for a culture of peace in the world….. We had already discussed about this earlier…….

‘Gandhiji adopted a five-pronged methodology to promote inter-religious understanding and cooperation. Rootedness, openness, simplicity, prayerfulness and nonviolence constituted this five-pronged Gandhian methodology. This was found to be very effective in promoting mutual understanding and cooperation among religions. Hence, you can also adopt it in your mission….

‘This Gandhian methodology demanded that one be rooted deep in the truth, goodness and beauty of one’s own religious tradition. This will in turn help one to open his or her heart and mind to the truth, goodness and beauty in other religions…

‘We also need to be simple in our life-style. Gandhiji’s life was very simple. His needs were very few. Simplicity of life will help us to save on our expenses, and we will be able to spend more for others...

‘Prayerfulness implied depending on divine grace, more than on mere human efforts. It implies that we do everything prayerfully. Gandhi began and concluded his day with prayer. He launched and organized all his public campaigns prayerfully. This prayerfulness was the true basis of his non-violence. He tried to remain non-violent in his thoughts, words and deeds with the power of prayer…

‘This was the five-pronged Gandhian methodology for a culture of peace in the world, especially for peace among religions. We need to re-discover and apply this five-pronged methodology effectively in our present context.….

‘We have already studied carefully Dr. S. Radhakrishnan’s thought and philosohy. After a deep study of religions, he came to the conclusion that unity among religions can be found not through uniformity in code, creed and cult, but through a shared vision and mission…

‘An inclusive vision and a shared mission with a concrete action plan for the realization of that vision are needed to unite religions on a common platform for a great common nation-building mission. We had already discussed this in detail earlier……

‘In the present context of India, religions are also called to unite for the economic, social and moral freedoms that are yet to be won for our motherland. Without winning her economic, social and moral freedoms, the destined role of India on the world stage cannot be fulfilled.….

‘Winning the economic, social and moral freedoms that are yet to be won for India will need a Second Freedom Struggle much more challenging than the first that had won political freedom for us from the British in 1947.  In fact, I feel we will need nothing less than an Integral Revolution to achieve this goal…..

‘For details of this Second Freedom Struggle, you can refer to the book titled ‘The Second Freedom Struggle of India – An Integral Revolution for a Hunger-free, Caste-free and Corruption-free India’. You have already read it. No?’, the Baba concluded with a question and looked at Atma Prakash.

The Baba continued: ‘A socio-spiritual educational initiative to promote these seven spiritual laws of peace is necessary for developing and providing a strong inter-religious spirituality and philosophy for building a great new India of peace, prosperity and power…

‘All peace-loving and spiritually-inclined citizens and religious communities in India need to understand, practise and promote these seven spiritual laws of peace constituting the holistic philosophy of ‘Dharmodaya’.  This is an essential part of their nation-building efforts …..

‘These seven spiritual laws of peace, my son, are not exhaustive. But they contain within themselves the seeds of a great new India and of a new Wolrd Order of peace, prosperity and happiness…. 

‘Adherence to these spiritual laws will make one a sovereign spiritual person who will be able to transform the world into a ‘New Creation’ of love, unity, peace and joy. This is the vision of ‘Kingdom of God’ on earth. The future of humanity will be in the hands of such sovereign spiritual persons…..

‘You are called to be a great and powerful sovereign spiritual person, an instrument of God for a civilization of love and a culture of peace in the world… 

‘Keep these seven spiritual laws of peace close to your heart. Think about them, work on them…. Develop them further.. You will become a son of God…..

‘I have termed the spiritual philosophy represented by these seven spiritual laws of peace as ‘Dharmodaya’….Dharmodaya will provide a holistic and ecological socio-spiritual philosophy for the ‘Kingdom of God, ‘Dharma Rajya’, of our vision and for the Integral Revolution for a new World Order and for a great new India of peace, prosperity, power and happiness.... 

‘Go forth, my son, be a great and powerful sovereign spiritual person, and work towards a culture of peace in India and the world. You are the ‘crown prince’ of spiritual India....”

Excerpts from Integral Revolution

DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS

Abraham Lincoln, a great president of the United States of America, who successfully steered America during the very difficult civil war in the 19th century defined democracy very well as the “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”. It is the best form of government as the elected representatives chosen for a fixed term and responsible only to the people who elected them. While political freedom is of paramount importance, economic freedom, and other freedoms related to fundamental human rights such as equality, justice, freedom of speech and religions are essential for any democracy to thrive. Democracy is very weak where bribes, corruption and nepotism flourish. Especially in the modern times, democracy has been considerably weakened by wealthy donors, multinational corporations, and lobbyists representing vested interests to influence the outcome of elections. Infusion of enormous wealth, often unaccounted for, to influence elections has been of great concern. Great scandals involving unethical, immoral, and even criminal activities on the part of elected representatives who are supposed to model human values, cultural norms, courtesy, and civilized behaviors for ordinary citizens have inflicted in modern times severe wounds on democracy, and affected general morale negatively.

Democracy is best known for the smooth, orderly, and peaceful transition of power from one government to another. The best democratic traditions and conventions call for the loser to accept defeat with grace and acknowledge and accept the legitimately elected winner as the leader of the whole nation. By publicly not accepting this wholesome and healthy convention recently by one of the two presidential contenders in the impending U. S. presidential election, for instance, has caused great concern in a democracy that is widely considered to be a model for the entire world.  The American Civil War, the bloodiest battle in US history involving the deaths of about 750,000 soldiers that started in 1861 had its origin in the forming of the Confederate States with the intention of seceding from the US after the election of Abraham Lincoln as the President. So the repeated statements of the Republican contender about a rigged electoral system without any credible evidence is very troublesome. Interestingly he is going against his own party leaders to cause doubts in the minds of ordinary people.

  

To make democracy safe and secure, every person taking part in elections needs to be aware of the necessity of democracy for human dignity. Civic education to develop an enlightened electorate needs to be part of any basic educational system. Candidates need to be screened for ethical and professional behaviors related to electoral process and civil discourse. Victory in election should not depend on the amount of money raised in election campaign. For that reason, campaigns, that acquaint the public with salient features of the candidates, need to be based on policies and facts, and must be financed by public funds in order to provide equal opportunities for all.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

Gifts

One day a king stepped out of the gates of his palace and found a man standing there. The man had a plump chicken in his hands. On seeing the king he bowed respectfully and said: 'Maharaj, I gambled in your name and won this chicken. It belongs to you. Please accept it."

"Give it to my poultry keeper," said the king.

A few days later the king saw the man standing outside the gates again. This time he had a goat with him. "I won this goat in your name, Maharaj," he said after saluting the ruler. "It belongs to you."

The king was pleased.

"Give it to my goat keeper," he said.

Some weeks later the man was at the palace gates once again.

This time he had two men with him.

"I lost 500 varahas to each of these men while playing in your name, Maharaj," said the man. "I have no money to pay them." 

The king realised he had made a mistake in accepting the man's gifts on the previous occasions. Now he could not refuse to help him. He paid off the two men and warned the gambler never to play in his name

Indian Thoughts Archives

On the Greatest of Wars

The Baba then went on to discuss the next spiritual law of peace.

‘The sixth law of peace, my son, is: ‘peace in the world begins with peace within individuals and families’. It is very simple to remember and understand. Don’t you think so?’ the Baba asked.

‘Yes guruji. It is a simple yet a profound truth.’ Atma Prakash responded.

The Baba continued: ‘If there is no peace within the individual human persons there will not be any peace in the world. That is why the UNESCO Constitution begins by saying, “As wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that defenses for peace must be constructed.” Inner peace comes from purity of heart. It needs forgiveness and reconciliation…

‘Emotional and physical health are equally important in one’s quest for inner peace. Healing of the inner wounds inflicted upon one’s psyche is very essential to experience inner peace. A peaceless person creates a peaceless world. A wounded person becomes a source of woundedness in the world. Hence, the real starting point of peace in the world is the heart and mind of the individual….

‘The greatest of wars are to be fought not in the battlefields of the world but in the hearts and minds of people….

‘Family is the basic social unit. It is from our families that we learn the first lessons of life and love. Peace in the society and in the world has to find its strong basis in the family. Regeneration of India has to begin with regeneration of family values in India….

‘Respect for womanhood and motherhood is a very important prerequisite for regaining the family values. The families where women are loved and respected will enjoy abundant divine grace. ‘Yatra naryastsu poojyate, ramante tatra devata’. As you may know, it means: ‘Where women are respected there God is pleased to dwell’. This was what our saints and sages of yore had taught us…..

‘It is a very sad reality that in a country that speaks so highly about women, there exists even today the worst forms of atrocities and discriminations against them. Birth of a female child is often mourned in many Indian families….. 

‘Children are God’s most precious gifts to humanity. So are old parents. Love and concern for the children and for old parents are very important requirements for peaceful and happy family life. It is a tragedy that in our efforts to earn a good living, we often forget to live a good life….

‘In our eagerness to provide better living conditions for our children, we deny them the basic requirements of happy childhood which is nurturing love and caring companionship…

‘Husbands and wives also face similar crises in the ‘busy life’ of the modern world. As a result, members of the same family often live as strangers to one another under the same roof…. 

‘Upholding the sanctity of marriage and human sexuality are very important if families have to find peace and happiness. Sexual morality can also prevent the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases…

‘A large number of family break-ups happen due to marital infidelity. Premarital and extramarital sex are the two most common contributing factors for the spread of AIDS…

‘Sexual fidelity is at the core of marital peace and happiness. Peace and happiness in the world begin with peace and happiness in the families.’ 

The Baba concluded. ‘Do you have any questions, my son?’, he asked Atma Prakash.

‘No guruji. It is simple.’ Atma Prakash replied. 

The Baba blessed him and walked towards his cottage.

Excerpts from Integral Revolution

Pain Passes…

In 1954 the great French painter Henri Matisse died at the age of eighty-six.

In the latter years of his life, arthritis crippled and deformed his hands, making it painful for him to hold a paintbrush.  Yet he continued to paint, placing a cloth between his fingers to keep the brush from slipping.

One day someone asked him why he submitted his body to such suffering.  Why did he continue to paint in the face of such great physical pain?

Matisse replied, “The pain passes, but the beauty remains.”

(Anything of any considerable worth is the result of great strain be it in nature or human accomplishments. Diamonds are produced by nature under almost unimaginable heat and pressure. All the rest passes away but the brilliance and value of the diamond abides. To paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel Michelangelo had to remain for hours together in the same uncomfortable position inches away from the ceiling, straining his neck all the time. Nobody remembers the physical sufferings of Michelangelo, but everyone admires what he accomplished. A perfect example would be a mother going through the birth pangs. But once she has given birth to a new life, not even the mother thinks of the terrible experience she went through, but rejoices in the mere sight of her child. “Pain passes away; but the beauty remains.” Kaimlet)

Indian Thoughts Archives

A Parable of Church Workers

Fred Somebody, Thomas Everybody, Peter Anybody and Joe Nobody were neighbors, but they were not like you, I’m sure.  They were odd people and most difficult to understand.  The way they lived was a shame.

All four belonged to the same church, but you would not have enjoyed worshipping with them.  Everybody went fishing on Sunday or stayed home to visit with friends.  Anybody wanted to worship but was afraid Somebody wouldn’t speak to him.  So guess who went to church?  Yep – Nobody.

Really, Nobody was the only decent one of the lot.  Nobody did parish visitations.  Nobody worked on the church’s committees.

Once they needed a Sunday School teacher.  Everybody thought Anybody would do it, while Anybody thought Somebody would do it.  And you know who actually did apply for the position?  That’s right – Nobody!

Indian Thoughts Archives

Defining Love

‘Today we will discuss the fifth law of peace which is: ‘the path of forgiving, enduring and self-sacrificing love, taught and demonstrated to the world by Sadguru Jesus Christ, is the best and most effective way to promote righteousness and peace in the world, and to bring about a non-violent social transformation.

The Baba continued: ‘God is love. This is a truth taught by all religions as we have already seen. True love is forgiving, enduring and self-sacrificing. I have used the term ‘Sahana Yoga’ to represent such true love. The perfection of ‘Sahana Yoga’ is laying down one’s life for others with love…. 

‘Mother’s love is the nearest to God’s love that we can experience in this world. Then comes the father’s love, and the guru’s love. Hence, we in India consider mother, father and guru as channels of divine grace. ‘Matru devo bhava, Pitru devo bhava, Acharya devo bhava’ is the dictum given to us by the saints and sages of yore…. 

‘It is through the love-force that we can overcome the evil in the society. Mahatma Gandhi demonstrated to the modern violent and power-hungry world the real strength of the love-force. He was able to defeat the mighty British empire with this love-force. ‘Satyagraha’ was the Gandhian application of Sahana Yoga for the political freedom of India. It is the most effective method of non-violent social transformation ever discovered by humankind…..

‘Please read the book ‘Kingdom of God through Sahana Yoga’ for deeper understanding and effective application of Sahana Yoga. It is in shelf no.1 in our library….

‘Sahana Yoga can also be applied as a sadhana for the sanctification of the human soul following the example of St. Alphonsa, the first Catholic saint of India. I have termed this sadhana of sanctification of human soul as ‘Tyagarchana’... 

‘The term ‘Tyagarchana’ is comprised of two words ‘tyaga’ and ‘archana’. ‘Tyaga’ means renunciation or sacrifice. It is used here to mean voluntary renunciation or sacrifice of something that is dear to us. ‘Archana’ means an offering made to God with love. Willing and conscious acceptance of all pains and sufferings in our own lives and offering them to God with love for the redemptive purification and spiritual growth of ourselves and others following the example of St. Alphonsa is Tyagarchana of the highest order…. 

‘This sadhana of sanctification implies accepting all sufferings in one’s life and surrendering them to God with love as part of the ‘Cross of Christ’ for the redemption of humanity…..

‘St. Alphonsa did not go out to serve any one. She was sick and confined to her room all her life. But she accepted all sufferings and surrendered them to God as part of the ‘Cross of Christ’….

‘Tyagarchana is not to be confused with acts of charity or compassion. Charity and compassion do not always demand renunciation and sacrifice. They do not ‘hurt’ us. There is no ‘sacrifice’ necessary to give charity and to show compassion. Charity and compassion can also be hidden efforts from our side to compensate for the corruption, exploitation and injustice that are being perpetrated by us. Tyagarchana is primarily a spiritual regeneration programme for inner liberation of the individual from lust, selfishness, greed and pride which are the sources of almost all evils in the world. These evil traits are common to all human beings irrespective of their age, gender and religious affiliations. Hence, Tyagarchana is also a universal sadhana…..

‘Jesus of Nazareth the Christ is the Sadguru, true guru in whom the truth of his teachings is embodied, of Sahana Yoga. Mahatma Gandhi is an Acharya-Guru, the guru who practices what he teaches and preaches, of Sahana Yoga for the modern world. He defeated the most powerful empire of his time armed only with his unshakable faith in the love-force and in the doctrine of Satyagraha. Sahana Yoga is the ‘mukti marga’ that can liberate us from the forces of evil. It can also liberate us from the grip of ‘Karma’ and ‘Kismat’ which are holding India to ransom…...

‘India needs a ‘Sadguru Christology’…’ the Baba said and looked at Atma Prakash. He looked a bit confused.

‘What is it my son?’ he asked

‘Guruji, what does ‘Christology’ mean?’ asked Atma Prakash

The Baba replied: ‘The term ‘Christology’ means an understanding of the person, mission and message of Jesus Christ.….

‘Jesus Christ is the Sadguru of Sahana Yoga…..He is ‘the path, the truth and the life’ in our quest for realizing the meaning and purpose of our existence in this world through Sahana Yoga. As we had some discussion on this subject, I suppose this will be sufficient for today’. The Baba concluded and looked at Atma Prakash.

‘Guruji, you mentioned about ‘Sahana Yoga’ being able to liberate us from the grip of ‘Karma’ and ‘Kismat’ which are holding India to ransom. Can you please throw some light on this?’ he asked the Baba.

‘Yes, my son. ‘Karma’ for Hindus and ‘Kismat’ for Muslims and ‘Destiny’ for Christians often implies a law by which we are helplessly enslaved to our previous actions…

‘If we are to be judged and rewarded or punished by God based on them, most of us do not stand a chance of achieving ‘moksha’, ‘heaven’ or ‘paradise’….

‘It is here the importance of divine grace comes in. Divine grace can liberate us from the burden of destiny, karma or kismet, of sins, and help us grow in our forward, upward and Godward journey. ‘Sahana Yoga’ helps to purify ourselves, and enable us to become effective recipients of divine grace. With divine grace, we become truly liberated from all forces of evil and negativity.’ 

Excerpts from Integral Revolution

CHALLENGING TIMES

I have been in the USA since September 8, 2016. I am deeply aware that I am in the final stage of my life on our beloved planet. I am carefully sorting out things that I need to do before I say final farewell to my near and dear ones and to close associates. I had some deep spiritual sharing with Mataji about our tasks ahead in India and the US especially about our modeling and witnessing to life in old age. Not long ago a friend of mine asked me if I would like to be 20 years younger than I am. After brief reflection I replied in the negative. Tempting as it is to be younger by 20 years, I would still have to come to this point again. I must say in passing that this is the most exciting stage of my life. I have a habit of examining my life periodically to see if I could have done things differently and better. I came to the conclusion that I did everything with good intentions and the knowledge I possessed then. This is not to say that I did not try to fudge. But at such times I had problem sleeping. And I knew better: I managed to stick with my own conscience and paid dearly emotionally and financially in my life. I have not followed the popular and well-beaten paths in my life. That left me often alone in my journey. I have no regrets about how I lived and what I did so far. I stood my ground most of the times definitely and strongly, sometimes cautiously and not so vigorously.

I spend most of the time in solitude and silence in spite of tempting invitations for parties and visiting interesting places. I am very near the vast confluence of mighty Mississippi and Missouri with serene trails and thick woods along the rivers. Silence helps me to listen to the almost inaudible voice of my conscience that contains God’s tender and merciful but seemingly harsh communication. Solitude helps me to be more keenly aware of nature. I see the squirrels tirelessly collecting life-sustaining nuts for the impending harsh winter. As I refresh myself I am also storing up energy for my life back in the ashram in Munnar, India.

These are very challenging times. These challenges and choices call for clear decisions. Everything happens for a reason. Every age has its’ own challenges that can help us grow or stagnate and wither. Specifically I am very concerned about the national climate here in the US that has become recently very turbulent, nasty, and toxic. When I made some uncomplimentary remarks in my last article about the Republican candidate for the president of the US from a psychological perspective, I had no inkling of the depth of his major, tragic character flaw that the avalanche of revelations (on October 8, 2016) from a 3-minute videotape related to his predatory sexual behavior and bragging and sexual assault on women contained. As the top republican leadership of the party abandoned him as they considered the recent revelation to be indefensible, he is casting aspersions on democracy and the democratic electoral process of the leading democracy that is, imperfect as it is, still truly a model for the world. I do not want to dismiss his innuendoes and pronouncements as mere rationalizations of a mere frustrated, bad loser and spoiler as he has a hard core following that can cause serious damage. The fall-out coming out of the revelations of primitive, predatory, sexual behaviors has gotten women to go public and talk about abject sexual abuse that they suffered and lived through with scars in their life. When I talk about the treatment of women by men in the US, I am equally painfully aware of the way men treat women in India. May be it will take some twenty years before women in India will voice the sexual indignities they suffered and still suffer from men. 

While I am deeply concerned about sexual abuse everywhere, I take this opportunity to warn especially women in the US of having recourse to false sexual accusations especially in child custody battles in court. Currently some overzealous legislators in India are making misguided laws that women may use to trap men. 

There is no doubt in my mind that consciousness related to women being sovereign subjects need to grow fast in the minds of men and women. We need to thoroughly examine the child-rearing practices related to boys and girls. Boys and men should be severely reprimanded and punished when they prey on girls and women in places such as streets, school campuses, and shopping centers. The Republican candidate condescendingly dismissed his brutish, savage, sexual acting-out as locker-room behavior. If such behaviors take place in locker-rooms it is high time for any civilized society to stop it. But then we enabled and grew this monster and tolerated his many dehumanizing remarks and outbursts as our valueless culture allowed him to seductively titillate our baser natures. We need to become aware that we cannot let him flourish on scandalous wealth that he amassed from tax loopholes our unenlightened representatives created as we bear the burden of the government paid from taxes from our hard-earned money. He cannot be allowed to “buy” women at will.  Abuse of any kind anywhere will derail humanity, and delay unduly its arrival at the destination intended by God or the Force of evolutionary Consciousness. History amply proves that the more we allow humanity to be delayed in its growth of consciousness by a few seemingly powerful but ignorant misguided individuals, the less quality of life and bliss we will have in this world.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

Value-based Integral Education

The Baba continued: ‘Body, mind and spirit are equally important dimensions of the human personality. Their harmonious development should be the aim of any authentic system of education. India is counted among the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world today because of the neglect of value-based integral education in our schools and colleges….. 

‘Even though religion is the longest enduring aspect of human life, it is the most neglected and misinterpreted factor in India today. Religions play the most important role in promoting moral and ethical values in the society. But it is a tragedy of history that in India, which is a deeply religious country, religion is neglected and negated in our education system because of a western concept termed ‘secularism’ which had an anti-Church origin in Europe. ‘Secularism’ as it was developed in Europe has no relevance in India……

‘We in India waste a lot of our energies and resources interpreting and explaining this irrelevant concept of ‘secularism’. For some, secularism is keeping away from religions. For others it is keeping equidistance from all religions. Yet for some others, it is equal respect for all religions… 

‘India is a land of religions. All major religions of the world have their living presence in India. Four world religions are born in India. As we have already seen, art and architecture, music and dance… all have religion as its basis in India. Hence, what we need is not ‘secularism’ of various kinds, but a society where everyone respects the dignity and equality of everyone else, and where the Constitution of India is respected and upheld at all times by all religious communities. There cannot be any special privileges for any religion. The law of the land should be equally applicable to all citizens of the country; whether Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Jews… whatever….

‘The kind of technology used is also very important for peace and sustainable development in the world. Eco-friendly industries and environment-friendly technologies as well as natural agricultural methods using natural manure and pesticides are essential for sustainable economic growth and development…

‘India needs a new approach to development based on eco-friendly technologies and renewable energy sources. Indian economy is basically agrarian. Hence, it should have a greater deal of ‘village and cottage industries’ providing it a strong base. The ‘economy of permanence’ propounded by the Gandhian economist Dr. J C. Kumarappa, and E F Schumacher’s concept of ‘small is beautiful’ can provide a strong economic basis for the sustainable development of India. You will find these books also in our library….

‘Food and employment are the most important needs of the hungry millions of India today. To create employment opportunities for the unemployed millions, we need to promote ‘production by masses’, not ‘mass production’. This is one of the core concepts of Gandhian economics. All developmental initiatives should have justice and righteousness as their basis, and peace and prosperity of the whole nation as their goal. Real India is rural India. Villages will have to be brought back into the centre stage of planning and development in India….

‘Agriculture and animal husbandry constitute rural India’s main occupations and economic sources. Any sustainable developmental initiative based on justice and righteousness will have to give agriculture and animal husbandry great importance. Only then can India win her ‘economic freedom’…

‘With her religious and spiritual heritage and ecological worldview, India should aim at developing an eco-spiritual foundation for sustainable development. The world today desperately needs an economic system based on such an eco-spiritual foundation that can uphold the sanctity of the human person and of the human labour as well as the sacredness of Mother Earth, and the unity of all life’ the Baba concluded his discourse for the day.

‘Are these things clear to you, my son?’ the Baba asked his disciple.

‘Yes, maharaj. They are very valuable for me. ”

With folded hands Atma Prakash bowed his head and remained so for few minutes.

Excerpts from Integral Revolution

Assumptions

A married couple was returning from the funeral of Uncle George who had lived with them for twenty years and had been such a nuisance that he almost succeeded in wrecking their marriage. 

“There is something I have to say to you, dear,” said the man. “If it hadn’t been for my love for you I wouldn’t have put up with your Uncle George for a single day.” 

“My Uncle George!” she exclaimed in horror. “I thought he was your Uncle George!” 

This no doubt is an extreme kind of ‘Assumption’. But it brings out several salutary points.

1. Sometimes we assume things very blindly. Some times they are the logical conclusions we draw based on solid factors, nevertheless wrong. If we look back with an unbiased mind, we would realize that in ‘real life’ often logic does not work.

2. It also shows that when our love for someone is genuine we would not cringe from any sacrifice to safeguard it.

Indian Thoughts Archives (Curtsy Kaimlet)

Saints and Sages

‘But let us not lose heart… India is an ancient land of religions that has produced a great number of saints and sages who taught the people about the one true God beyond religious barriers, a Universal God whose grace and love is available to all human beings who surrender themselves to divine providence’ the Baba said. 

He continued..

‘We need to turn to the great saints and sages of our land for help at this crucial juncture in history….. 

‘All religions have produced such great saints and sages who deserve respect and reverence from all seekers of truth and grace. Sainthood and holiness are not the monopoly of any one religion. They are God’s common gifts to whole humanity…. 

‘All saints and sages of humankind, irrespective of their religious and cultural backgrounds, need to be revered by all true spiritual seekers. All of them are recipients and reservoirs of the grace of God. Sincere adherence to their noble teachings can help others also to grow in holiness of life and experience of God, which are the two spiritual attributes common to all true saints and sages of humanity...

‘India seeks for experience rather than knowledge in the spiritual field. ‘Anubhava’, personal experience of God, is the goal and core of India’s religions quest. It is to men and women of God-experience that the seekers of truth turn for guidance and help….

‘One also has to keep in mind that there is so much of goodness in the worst of us, and also there is so much of evil in the best of us….

‘It is said by the wise that ‘every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future’. …

‘Saints and sages can also have their negative and shadow areas. Their words and deeds may not be inspiring and exemplary sometimes….

‘The eternal values by which one lives can be the best test of one’s holiness and sanctity. A tree is known from its fruits…..’

The Baba stopped for a while and closed his eyes for a minute. There was total silence.

‘Have you understood this third spiritual law of peace, my son?’ the Baba asked Atma Prakash.

They sat in meditation for a while. The Baba then began to speak...

‘The fourth spiritual law of peace, my son, is that ‘the grace of God, once received, can be nurtured and nourished best by working selflessly to promote righteousness and peace in the world’. 

The Baba then continued: ‘Peace…Shanti… in the world needs righteousness, Dharma, as its basis. By working for righteousness and peace in the world we become true sons and daughters of God. There is no religious discrimination implied here at all. ‘Blessed are the peace makers, they shall be called the children of God’ taught Sadguru Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace….

‘Peace has psychological, sociological and ecological dimensions. It also has social, economic and political aspects and implications. The socio-economic-political systems and institutions need to be re-oriented towards a culture of peace. This is an important requirement for peace in the world. They have to be rebuilt on the strong foundation of righteousness. Righteousness, to be true, needs to be based on ‘justice’. Economic justice is basic to peace in the world…. 

‘A peaceful economic system should uphold the dignity of the human person and the dignity of human labour. Productive justice and distributive justice are integral to economic justice…

‘Productive justice’ means that the tools and means of production should not be owned only by those who invest the capital as it is being done today, but they should be owned jointly by those who invest the capital and those who invest the labour…

‘Distributive justice’ implies distribution of the profits equitably between those who invest the capital and those who invest the labour…. The larger share should always go to those who invest labour because they give from their life. Those who invest the capital only give from their abundance…

‘There should also be provisions for rewards, appreciations and encouragements for hard work and quest for excellence… 

‘Much of the violence in the world is caused by an unjust and greed-based economic system. For example, Communism, as we had seen, came up as a reaction against the exploitation of the workers by the rich capitalists, and against the hypocrisy of the Church. The naxalite movement in India, as you know very well, began as reaction against the injustice and exploitation perpetrated by` feudalism, and against governmental corruption. It continues in those areas where injustice, exploitation and corruption are still prevalent…

‘Any amount of ‘police action’ and any number of ‘special task forces’ will not bring peace unless the root causes, which are injustice and corruption, are removed and justice is ensured to the victims of injustice. Political centralization leads to centralization of power and perpetration of injustice and corruption…..

‘Centralization of political power further leads to economic centralization. This in turn will lead to more injustice and exploitation. Injustice and exploitation will surely invite violence and war. Without de-centralized political and economic systems there will be no lasting peace and sustainable development….. 

‘Justice is the first casualty in all centralized political and economic systems. Centralization also promotes corruption. In a centralized political system tru

e ‘democracy’ will remain a mirage and political leaders and Government servants will become masters, lording over the citizens. Effective and speedy justice can be meted out, and corruption can be controlled, only through decentralization of politics and economics, and localization of authority and power….

‘Though the British had left India in 1947, the Education system, the Judiciary, the Bureaucracy, and even the Police Rules imposed on us by the British, still continue as they were. We need to liberate India from these enslaving systems and structures. Education is the key for the success of this historic mission. India today needs an integral and effective approach to education for her regeneration and reconstruction’ the Baba paused and looked at his disciple questioningly.

Excerpts from Integral Revolution