Gospel of prosperity and wellness

‘The evolution of the original Christian faith to its present state can be traced out in five important stages, as I see it. The first was the ‘Jewish phase’. The second was the ‘Greek phase’, then came the ‘Roman phase’. Much later came the ‘Colonial phase’. The latest is the ‘Commercial phase’…. 

‘The Jewish ‘creation mythology’ speaks about the ‘original sin’ committed by the first human parents, Adam and Eve. They were driven out from the ‘Paradise’ by God for this unpardonable ‘original sin’….

‘The Jewish people of early history had also believed that God would not forgive them their sins unless they made sacrifices to Him. Their God had preferred the sacrifice of innocent lambs…. 

‘Some of the Jewish communities even used to tie heavy bundles on innocent lambs and send them out into the dessert or jungle to die there or be eaten up by wild animals. This they used to do every year. The heavy bundle tied on the lamb represented their sins for which the lamb was being sacrificed!….

‘Unsatisfied with these kinds of sacrifices, their just and severe God finally decided to send His own only begotten Son to be sacrificed as the ‘Lamb of God’ for the sins of the world….

‘It was from this background that John the Baptist saw Jesus of Nazareth as the ‘Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world’. A large number of Christians are yet to outgrow this primitive Jewish phase of their faith. Even now many Christian Churches continue to live in this ‘Jewish phase’ seeing Jesus of Nazareth as the ‘Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world’……

‘The second phase through which the Christian faith evolved was the ‘Greek phase’ wherein Jesus of Nazareth was seen as the ‘Christos’ and ‘Logos’. The Greek term ‘Christos’ means ‘the anointed one of God’. The English word ‘Christ’ has come from the Greek, ‘Christos’. ‘Logos’ implies the ‘Primordial Word’. It is similar to our concept of ‘Aadi Sadba’. Christianity received its philosophical foundations from the Greek thought. Without this Greek philosophical support Christianity could not have grown as a world religion….

‘But it was the ‘Roman phase’ that saw the emergence of Christianity as a powerful world religion. This began when emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman empire. The titles of Jesus of Nazareth as the ‘King of kings’, ‘Prince of peace’, the ‘Lord’, ‘Saviour’ etc. came from this ‘Roman phase’. Wealth and power became central to the Church, and the Church also became the most powerful political force in Europe during this phase. Kings were anointed and appointed by the Pope..….

‘The ‘Roman phase’ contained within itself the seeds of the fourth phase, the ‘Colonial phase’. It was during this ‘Colonial phase’ that had begun from medieval Europe, that Jesus of Nazareth became the ‘only’ Son of God and Christianity became the ‘only’ true religion. The Bible also became the ‘only’ true Word of God during this phase…

‘Such exclusive claims were products of a colonial mindset which saw whatever the rulers said, did or believed as the ‘only truth’. All others were ‘pagans’. Their practices of prayer and worship were ‘pagan’ practices. Their religions were ‘pagan’ religions. It is unfortunate that this ‘Colonial phase’ of the Christian faith still holds its sway over many Christian missionaries all over the world even in this twenty first century….

‘But the latest phase of the Christian faith is the ‘Commercial phase’ wherein Jesus of Nazareth and his Gospel of light and love are made saleable commodities for wealth, wellness and comforts…

‘A ‘Gospel of prosperity and wellness’ is being preached during this latest phase of the Christian faith that had its origin in the United States of America. Preaching the Gospel is a multi-million dollar business there today….

Excerpts from Integral Revolution

GC 83 190517 Gospel of Light and Love

During the next Guruvar Satsangh Atma Prakash told his guruji about his longstanding prejudice towards Christianity. He requested the Baba to speak to him about Christianity and its relevance to the spiritual awakening and moral regeneration of India. 

The Baba replied:

‘Jesus of Nazareth the Christ, whom we refer to as Sadguru Jesus Christ, is the foundation of Christian faith, the basis of Christian life and the inspiration for Christian services…..

‘Let us, first of all, understand the key terms clearly. The term ‘Christ’ represents the ‘Word of God’ or ‘Sabda Brahman’ through whom all things are created. Jesus Christ is this ‘Word of God become flesh’ in human history. ‘Christian faith’ is the faith in the ‘grace and truth’ of God revealed in, with and through Jesus Christ. ‘God is Spirit’ is a truth revealed by Lord Jesus Christ. ‘Christ-Spirit’ is the Spirit of God ever active in human history in, with and through Jesus Christ. ‘Christian’ is one in whom the Christ-Spirit dwells and through whom the Christ-Spirit continues to work in human history. ‘Christianity’ is Christ-Spirit in action in the world through Christians. Church is a community of Christians. Catholic Church headed by the ‘Vicar of Christ’ on earth, the Pope, is the largest Christian community in the world... 

‘The Gospel of light and love of Sadguru Jesus Christ as it is recorded by Mathew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament is the basis of Christian faith and values…

‘But, at different stages during the last twenty centuries of Christian history, the path of light and love taught by Sadguru Jesus Christ came under the influence of many cultural and political forces. As a result, the original Gospel of light and love of Sadguru Jesus Christ is distorted beyond recognition. Mahatma Gandhi once had pointed out that ‘if Jesus Christ is to come again today, he is sure to reject the present Christian Churches and declare that he has nothing to do with them’!....

‘However, it is also a fact of history that the Christian values constitute the basis of the Constitutions of many countries in the world today, including that of India. Justice, liberty, equality and fraternity as we have included in the Preamble of our Constitution can also be seen as ‘Christian values’. Love is the core and peace is the goal of these Christian values that are all essentially universal values today…

‘The truth of these Christian values were embodied in the person, life and message of Sadguru Jesus Christ himself. Hence, he was able to say: ‘I am the path, the truth and the life’.... 

Excerpts from Integral Revolution

Political Parties in India

‘What role the existing political parties in our country can play in promoting the concept of ENP in India, guruji?’, Atma Prakash asked.

‘We cannot expect the large and centralized political parties in our country to follow the eternal values of truth, non-violence, sacrifice and service, and the national values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity that are basic to the concept of ENP. In fact, some of these political parties themselves are the causes for the crises facing the nation today. These parties do not seem to have the much needed dynamism and creativity for changing themselves for better’, the Baba replied. He continued further....

‘The older and larger an organization, the greater the difficulty for it to bring about any creative changes within itself. Such organizations also tend to become blocks in the path of creative changes initiated by others. They will be strong promoters of ‘status quo’ and will cause stagnation and decay in our national life. Just as stagnant waters breed mosquitoes and diseases, large and uncreative political parties and trade unions add to the problems of India and tend to block the path of development….. 

‘Some of the major political parties in our country today seem to have outlived their utility in the mission of nation-building. We will also have to aim at liberating India from the clutches of these corrupt and lethargic political parties and trade unions with their vested interests, hidden agendas and black money…..

‘However, the inspiring fact is that there are a good number of smaller value-based dynamic political parties and youthful ‘sovereign Indian citizens’ in our country today who are capable of standing up and fighting for the nation. ‘Sovereign Indian citizens’ means citizens who are value-conscious and who give greater importance to their Fundamental Duties than to their Fundamental Rights. They are called to enter the battle field of a new ‘Dharmakshetra-Kurukshetra’ to save Mother India from crime and corruption, and from other forces of adharma that are threatening to destroy her…

‘These youthful sovereign Indian citizens, and value-based dynamic political parties in India inspired by an enlightened political ideology, a common minimum agenda for socio-economic development of the last and the least in India, certain common minimum principles of enlightened governance and some common minimum parameters for MPs and MLAs can form themselves into an enlightened political alliance in the country or state and work together for the mission of building a hunger-free, caste-free and corruption-free India with the final goal of winning the economic, social and moral freedoms that are yet to be won for our motherland….. 

‘I have suggested the political ideology of ‘Democratic Federalism’, the common minimum agenda of ‘Gandhian Navaratna’, the 16 principles of Enlightened Governance, and the five minimum Parameters for MPs and MLAs as part of my vision of ENP. You can use them as they are. You can also modify them as you feel inspired. But let there be these four constituents. Only then ENP can achive its goal and fulfill its purpose….

‘The sovereign Indian citizens within this enlightened political alliance can contest elections as ‘National Candidates’. The dynamic political parties within this alliance can contest under their own banners…... 

‘However, it is very important that these political parties and sovereign Indian citizens joining this enlightened political alliance should be accountable and answerable to the nation in word and deed, and should be committed to the Fundamental Duties of Indian citizens as given under Article: 51-A of the Indian Constitution’. 

The Baba stopped for a while and looked at Atma Prakash.

The disciple was very carefully listening to every word his guruji said.

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution’

The Elected in Independent India

‘Members of our Parliament and Legislative Assemblies are elected by us to provide leadership to the nation and the states, and to lay down policy guidelines as well as to frame Rules and Laws for nation-building….

‘It has been found that the quality and caliber of MPs and MLAs in Independent India have been declining rapidly. There is an urgent need for improving the quality, caliber and performance of these elected representatives if they are to help us build a great new India free from the evils of hunger, caste and corruption….

‘But let us not forget the fact that our MPs and MLAs are elected by us. We tend to support those who are like us, and elect those who can help us to get things done by hook or by crook. Hence, the character and caliber of the MPs and MLAs actually reflect the character and caliber of the electing public. This means we need to improve the character and caliber of our people. This is an educational task……

‘However, it is also necessary to have certain minimum parameters for a citizen to become a MP or MLA. The five minimum parameters suggested by me for MPs and MLAs in India under the ENP will be:

1. ‘They should have proven social service record with integrity of character,

2. ‘They should be men and women with simplicity of life, devotion to duty and commitment to non- violence,

3. ‘They should possess good spiritual, mental and physical health and should be preferably below 65 years of age,

4. ‘They should be committed to attend a minimum of 85% of Parliament or Assembly Sessions, as the case may be, and their term of office should be limited to only two tenures, unless they prove to be very selflessly committed to the nation and are found to be useful to the mission of nation-building, and

5. ‘They should possess the ability to communicate effectively in the state language and should have working knowledge of Hindi and English…..

‘Here also, these parameters are only indicative. What is important is that we should have competent leaders with strength of character, courage of conviction and hard working spirit. We have to ensure that we vote only for such candidates who meet these minimum qualifying parameters. It is very essential that all citizens, especially the eligible youth in India, exercise their voting rights carefully……

‘It has been found that the educated elite in India often tend to refrain from casting their votes. But they also complain the most about political corruption and governmental apathy… “The ultimate tragedy of mankind is not the brutality of the few, but the silence of the many”, pointed out the great American civil rights activist and winner of Nobel Peace Prize, Martin Luther King Jr. … This is also the tragedy of India’.

The Baba stopped for a while and closed his eyes… 

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution

The Leadership

GC 80 210417 The Leadership

‘Now let me share with you, my son, the 16 principles of Enlightened Governance’ the Baba began their next Guruvar Satsangh.

‘First of all let us understand the term ‘Enlightened Governance’. Enlightened Governance in simple terms is effective governance which will ensure justice, liberty, equality and fraternity for all citizens of the country. These are the Constitutional values enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. This is only possible through a value-based approach without any fear or favour. This will also demand that the nation should have enlightened leaders with strength of character and courage of conviction. That is why we also need to improve the quality and caliber of our MPs and MLAs…….

‘Enlightened Governance within ENP, according to me, will have to be based on the following principles. I will only enumerate them. You have to study them carefully later on. Use the library. There are many books on Good Governance, Effective Governance etc.’ the Baba said. 

He then enumerated the following 16 principles of Enlightened Governance: 

1. ‘Let the heavens fall, justice must be done’

2. ‘Surety of punishment is a greater deterrent of crimes than the severity of punishment’.

3. ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’.

4. ‘Corruption and rape are crimes against God and humanity and should carry severe punishments’.

5. ‘Smaller the state, better it can be administered, and more citizen-friendly it can become’.

6. ‘Good governance cannot be a substitute for self-governance’.

7. ‘Providing quality education to all youth and developing technically qualified human resources constitute the two most important tasks in a nation-building mission’.

8. ‘Ministers and Government officials are meant to serve the citizens, not to rule over them’.

9. ‘Duties, not rights, will make a nation great’.

10. ‘Farmers and school teachers are to be respected and rewarded as the most important nation-builders’.

11. ‘Government is not an employment agency, but a law enforcing authority’.

12. ‘In a democracy public servants and political parties are subject to the law and accountable to the public’.

13. ‘Mother India’s future is in the hands of mothers in India’.

14. ‘Youth are the hope and the most precious wealth of the nation’.

15. ‘Democracy does not imply collective responsibility, but individual responsibility based on collective decision-making by consensus or consent’.

16. ‘The character and caliber of the leader will influence the character and caliber of the cadre’.

After enumerating the 16 principles, the Baba said: ‘These 16 principles of Enlightened Governance are also only indicative. One can add more or delete some. Effective and corruption-free governance whereby the Constitutional values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity are upheld at all times and at all places should be our goal. This is also the most important function of the Government within ENP’.

The Baba looked at Atma Prakash questioningly.

‘Yes guruji. I will study them carefully.’ Atma Prakash replied.

‘Now let us come to the fourth pillar of ENP: the minimum parameters for our MPs and MLAs’, the Baba continued.

“Yatha Guru, Thatha Shisya; Yatha Raja, Tatha Praja; Yatha Neta, Thatha Chela” 

says an old Indian dictum . It means ‘the disciples will be like the guru; the subjects will be like the king; the followers will be like the leader’….

‘The leadership is the most important element in any nation-building mission. Enlightened leaders are required to build a great new India. The first thing for us to do if India is to have enlightened leadership is to improve the quality and caliber of our MPs and MLAs…..

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution

Partners of a Nation

‘All of us will become old and will need the help of others to take care of us. Those of us who are fortunate will have our near and dear ones to take care of us. Those who are rich can afford to employ people to take care of them. But the poor often have none of these blessings. We as responsible and grateful citizens of India need to take loving care of the old and helpless citizens of India, especially our farmers who worked hard to feed us and the nation. We need to take care of them with love and gratitude during their old age…

‘Government servants in India earn monthly salaries many times more than the monthly income of our farmers who feed the nation with their own sweat and hard work. The government servants are also paid pensions till their death. They and their families enjoy many perks and privileges. The farmers’ families enjoy none of these…

‘My son, this agenda is only indicative. If you sincerely work to implement this agenda, you will be able to build a great new India of peace, prosperity and power. Begin with self, begin today and begin small. But, begin. Motivate others also to begin…….

‘The common minimum agenda may change according to the needs and conditions of the people and places. What is important is to have a common minimum agenda based on the needs of the last and the least. True development of a nation is to be measured not based on the GDP as we do today, but it should be measured by the living conditions of the last and least in the country….

‘Making Laws and Rules in Parliament and Assemblies by themselves cannot solve the national problems. Governments and political parties alone cannot build a great new India. Every citizen has a responsibility to work to implement those laws and rules, and to collaborate with the Government and other agencies involved in the nation-building mission….’ 

‘Study well this socio-economic development agenda. Give focus on Gandhiji’s vision of ‘Gram Swaraj’ and also study his constructive programmes for nation-building. He was able to involve all patriotic Indians in the mission of nation-building through his constructive programmes….

‘Nation-building means national involvement. All citizens of the nation should be able to become partners in a great nation-building mission..’

The Baba concluded.

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution

Gandhian Talisman Contd.

GC 78 070417 Gandhian Talisman Contd.

‘The third of this socio-economic development agenda is ‘working for agrarian reforms with focus on small and marginal farmers and promoting natural farming methods using modern technologies, and working to ensure appropriate prices for agricultural products based on the costs of production’. India is an agrarian country. Most of our farmers are holders of small plots of agricultural land. We need to make agriculture a profitable occupation. We also need to recognize the important national service our farmers are rendering by producing food items without which we cannot survive. We can survive without our politicians and government servants, but not without our farmers. But we give more importance to the politicians and government servants than to the farmers who provide us with food for our survival……

‘The fourth agenda is ‘working to ensure affordable quality primary school education for all children in India. Education is the basis of nation-building. We have the largest number of illiterates on earth. We cannot build a great new India with illiterate human resources….

‘We need to learn from countries like Japan, Germany and China. All these countries have become global economic powers by giving great importance to education and human resources development. Technical education and scientific development are very essential requirements for nation-building. So is the knowledge of Enligsh language today. English language is essential for development of Information Technology and scientific knowledge. India has to become a global power. She has a global mission to fulfill. This will be possible only by giving importance to Enlish language and scientific development in our education system….

‘In the multi-liguisitc context of India, English has also been serving as the common link. Without this national and global link language India cannot survive and grow as a living force ….

‘But first of all we need to focus on quality primary education for all children. This is by far the most important nation-building agenda. But this is also one of the most neglected areas in Independent India. All educated Indian citizens, especially senior citizens can take up the responsibility of educating one child. ‘Each One - Teach One’ has been a successful programme at many places in India...

‘Fifth of this nine-point agenda is ‘working to protect the life of all Indian citizens and the ecological harmony of Mother India’. Every life is precious, not only the lives of the rich and the powerful…The lives of the poor and homeless Indian citizens are also equally precious and important. They are also children of God and citizens of the Indian Republic…. 

‘Ecological health and harmony are very important requirements for the healthy existence of all living beings on this planet. Mother Earth is our common mother. We need to protect and preserve her health and vitality if we desire to lead a healthy and happy life on earth which is our one and only common planetary home in space. ‘Sustainable development’ can never be achieved at the cost of ecological health and harmony….

‘The sixth agenda is ‘working to promote effective governance and decentralization of authority and resources, and empowering Gram Panchayats, Gram Sabhas, Gram Adalats and other Panchayati Raj Institutions, and channelising our endeavors to contain corruption in public life and Government’. This decentralization, as we have already seen, is at the core of the ENP ideology of ‘Democratic Federalism’….

‘The seventh of our developmental agenda, my son, is ‘working to empower youth and women to become nation-builders’. The Youth are our hope and most precious wealth. The future of the nation is their legacy. Empower them to build a great new India. This is our most important nation-building task today….. 

‘Also, remember my son, Mother India’s future is in the hands of mothers in India. Great mothers give birth to great men and women who build great nations and great civilizations. By empowering the women in India we will achieve great and far-reaching goals. All women are mothers or potential mothers….

‘The eighth of my Gandhian Navaratna is ‘working to promote Responsible Citizenship and Value Education, and protecting the girl child’. Education is the basis of human development and national regeneration. ‘Character-building’ is the most important goal of education. Developing responsible citizenship consciousness and commitment to non-violence in our youth are also very important objectives of education. This can be achieved through ‘Peace and Value Education’ that can be taken up by all competent and responsible citizens, especially the well-educated and well-experienced senior citizens in the country who are retired from active employment. This will also provide an opportunity to these senior citizens to show their gratitude to Mother India for what they have received from her bounty… 

‘It is a tragedy that in India we speak very highly about women, yet,as we have seen, many families in the country mourn the birth of a girl child. Many even try to get rid of girl children, or kill them before they are born. We need to save and protect our female children with great love. They are potential mothers. They are the most precious gifts of God for the very survival of human race on planet earth...…

‘And the last and ninth of this common minimum agenda for nation-building is ‘working to provide loving care and grateful services to poor and old Indian citizens, especially to poor and old farmers in India….

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution

Gandhian Talisman

‘What is this Gandhian Talisman? Do you know?’ Guru asked Atma Prakash.

‘Yes, guruji. Let me quote Gandhiji’s own words: “I give you a Talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, you apply the following test. Recollect the face of the poorest and weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to Swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubt and your self melting away.” 

‘Very good’ the Baba congratulated his disciple and continued:

‘This means that we need to always keep the last and least in front of us when we make our plans and policies for national development…

‘I have termed the common minimum socio-economic development agenda as ‘Gandhian Navaratna’ because it is a nine-point agenda based on this Gandhian Talisman. …

‘Originally the term ‘Navaratna’ meant a talisman or ornament composed of nine precious gems. Later on this term was adopted by Emperor Vikramaditya and Emperor Akbar to represent nine outstanding men in their courts. In 1997 this term was adopted by the Government of India to represent nine Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) that could compete in the global market . They were given greater autonomy and support by the Government. These PSEs were supposed to build the economy of India. This model of development has not helped much in the development of the last and the least in the country ….

‘70% of Indian population still lives in the villages. Real India is rural India. True development of India is to be measured in terms of the living conditions of the last and the least in the villages of India. That is why Gandhiji gave us a Talisman. I believe this is something precious for India. That is why I have used the term ‘Gandhian Navaratna’ for the nine-point socio-economic development agenda of ENP…..

‘This Gandhian Navaratna consists of the following nine-point socio-economic development agenda for all responsible and patriotic citizens of India to take up and promote. It is not a suggested plan for the Government or ruling political parties to implement. Of course the Government and ruling political parties can and should take it up. But the Gandhian Navaratna is basically a plan of action for nation-building in which all India-loving citizens, religious communities, NGOs, political parties, civil society groups etc. are invited to take active part and make it their own. It is a plan of action with its focus on the last and the least in the country inspired by the Talisman given by Mahatma Gandhi….

‘The first of this agenda is ‘working to ensure food and water security for all citizens of India’. Food and water are basic necessities of life…Without them life will be impossible. More than 30% of India’s 127 crore population are living below poverty line, without being able to eat one nourishing meal a day and without hygienic drinking water. They are also our own brothers and sisters, our own children and parents. We need to work to ensure that they are provided with basic food and water security. This is hundred times more important to India today than providing our political leaders with ‘Z - Category’ security.….

‘The second is ‘working to ensure employment opportunities, and land and livelihood rights for all citizens of India’. We do not want a ‘banana republic’ built on charity, freebies and subsidies…. What we want is employment opportunities to earn our livelihood with dignity and with our own labour. We also want the land and livelihood rights of all citizens of India to be upheld and respected. Every one of us need a small house of our own to live in. 200 million Indian citizens have no place of their own to lay down their heads ……… (To be continued)

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution

Social and Moral Freedoms of India…..

 ‘Guruji, I am eager to learn the four pillars of ENP…’ Atma Prakash told the Baba next time they sat together for the Guruvar Satsangh.. 

‘Let me again begin again with Mahatma Gandhi’, said the Baba:

‘The Roots of Violence according to Mahatma Gandhi were, ‘wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principles’. We will accept them as absolutely true, not because Mahatma Gandhi said so, but because the truth of these statements can be tested and seen by all of us…

‘Any great nation-building political mission will need a shared goal ahead of it, and an enlightened political ideology behind it. It will also need a comprehensive action plan to realize its vision and ideology through a series of SMART goals based on that enlightened ideology. As we have seen, ‘SMART goals’ are those goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound….

‘A dedicated and courageous group of enlightened political leaders who can give practical expressions to the goal, ideology and action plan will be another important requirement….

‘The shared basic goal of ENP, as we have already seen, is ‘hunger-free, caste-free and corruption-free India’. The final goal is economic, social and moral freedoms of India…..

‘The ideology of ENP is termed ‘Democratic Federalism’. It is a political ideology that integrates within itself the Gandhian concept of India as a confederation of autonomous ‘Village Republics’ and the Constitutional concept of India as a ‘Union of States’. It promotes the vision of a great new India as a confederation of autonomous smaller states bound with a common vision, mission and ideology….

‘Under ‘Democratic Federalism’, the states will be as small as economically viable in order to make them better administered and more citizen-friendly. The State Governments will surrender to the Union Government only those aspects of effective governance, national development and national security that they cannot handle themselves. ….

‘True decentralization of authority and resources will be the most important feature of ‘Democratic Federalism’. Large states will have to be made smaller. Smaller states are often found to be better administered and more citizen-friendly. The tendency to cling on to the ideas of centralized power and larger states comes from a ‘sense of insecurity’ that is being suffered by many of us, and from the greed of our political leaders for more power…..

‘The unbridled greed of the privileged few for amassing more wealth also lies hidden behind our efforts not to allow any ‘division’ of a larger state. These efforts with the hidden agenda of ‘more power and wealth’ for a few are also given a patriotic garb by those leaders and parties with vested interests…..

‘Many of the economic problems and political agitations in India today are created by our tendency to cling on to centralized power and authority. Maharashtra in India now is a living example. Vidarbha is a region where the largest number of farmers have been committing suicide in India. The reason is economic poverty, underdevelopment and governmental corruption. If Vidarbha can be made a state, its economic development can be accelerated much faster. Though Vidarbha can be made a state without any additional expenses to build its capital at Nagpur, the ambitious political parties have been opposing it in the name of ‘unity’ of the state. But their hidden agenda is nothing but more power and privileges for themselves…… 

‘It is interesting to note that there is not a single agitation by the people of any state in India for uniting themselves to a neighboring state!..... All agitations are for decentralization, and for more power for the local people for their faster development….

‘The evolution of democracy is from the larger to the smaller, from control to sharing and caring ….Sharing and caring can be done effectively only in smaller states with smaller groups of people…. 

‘True democracy demands decentralization of authority and resources, both in letter and spirit, so that the citizens will enjoy the real power and authority for self-governance. Good governance cannot be a substitute for self-governance. Efficiency cannot substitute effectiveness…

‘Decision-making under ‘Democratic Federalism’ will be based

on ‘consensus’ or ‘consent’ which is the true democratic process of effective decision-making. Decision-making by ‘consensus’ is the best option in a democracy. The second best option will be decision-making by ‘consent’. It means that the ‘opponent’ also becomes a ‘supporter’ by willingly and consciously agreeing to accept the leadership of the other in the larger interest of the society/nation. This will mean that there will be no more ‘Oppositions’ in the Parliament and Assembly but only ‘Corrective Forces’….

‘The mockery of democracy and waste of national resources that are going on in India today in our Parliament and Assemblies in the name of democracy are shameful and destructive for the nation….

‘Centralized political parties that do not allow inner party democracy and refuse to be transparent and accountable to the public have been trying to capture power by hook or by crook in Independent India….

‘Centralized political parties cannot build a decentralized democracy. Centralized econimc enterprises and business establishements cannot build a decentralized economy. Liberating India from the clutches of centralized political parties and centralized economic enterprises and business establishements is very essential for the economic, social and moral freedoms of India…. 

‘Building a hunger-free, caste-free and corruption-free India, and gaining economic, social and moral freedoms for our country are goals in which all Indian citizens have to work and struggle together. ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together’ is an old dictum with great wisdom. India should always strive to ‘go together’ because we have to go very far…. 

‘Under the enlightened political ideology of ‘Democratic Federalism’, the Panchayati Raj Institutions will enjoy greater authority and autonomy. They will play important roles in socio-economic development, women and youth empowerment, education, vocational training, prohibition, enforcement of criminal laws, agricultural and ecological development, and in all such other areas that influence the social and economic life of the local population directly.’ 

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution

Enlightened National Politics

‘The ultimate goal of democracy will be the emergence of an Integrated World Order wherein every human person will be loved, cherished and respected by every other person as someone unique and precious, and wherein ‘love’, and not ‘control’, will be the basic governing principle…. 

‘The resources of the world will be shared by all human beings with mutual love, concern and respect. Then, only then, will the world enjoy a true democracy and abiding peace….

‘Enlightened National Politics, or ENP in short, my son, is a ‘millennium leap’ forward in our quest for a higher form of true and sustainable democracy. It is also a new step in humanity’s quest for transforming the world into a New Creation, a Navasrushi, of love, unity, peace and joy.”

He began: ‘ENP, my beloved son, is envisaged to be value-based and vision-oriented politics that will see the whole nation as one large family bound with a common destiny. It will be politics based on the values of truth, non-violence, sacrifice and service that are common to religions in India, and on the national values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity that are enshrined in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. 

‘ENP will be non-violent politics wherein the Fundamental Duties of Indian citizens will be given greater importance than their Fundamental Rights. ENP will aim at spiritualization and divinization of economics and politics in India….

‘We must remember that in a Sovereign Democratic Republic like India, economics and politics are interdependent and interrelated like two sides of a coin. As we had seen earlier, all economic decisions are political decisions, and all political decisions are influenced by economic considerations. One cannot be separated from the other. Both need to be made citizen-friendly, value-based and vision-oriented. Economics and politics need to complement and supplement one another…..

‘Winning the economic, social and moral freedoms that are yet to be won for India will be the final goal of Enlightened National Politics. We have seen what Mahatma Gandhi had pointed out in his letter written on 27th January 1948, just three days before his martyrdom. Let us recollect his words: “Congress has won political freedom, but it has yet to win economic freedom, social and moral freedoms. These freedoms are harder, than the political, if only because they are constructive, less exciting and not spectacular”…This unfinished task in fact, as we have seen, calls for a Second Freedom Struggle, an Integral Revolution, which will be much more challenging than the first that got us the political freedom from the British….. 

‘Though political power is handed over by the British to the Indian Government, it is still stuck there. It is yet to reach the people. The Government employees and political leaders are enjoying the powers and privileges of our political freedom…They also sometimes behave as if they are the rulers of Independent India, and that they own everything in the country… 

‘When the British were ruling India, people called the Government officials ‘Sahibs’ with fear and awe…Today also ordinary people call Government officials ‘Sahibs’… For them, the British ‘Sahibs’ are today replaced by Indian ‘Sahibs’…who are often more corrupt and cruel, and unapproachable than the British…

‘Political freedom means nothing to the poor millions of India. There are many old people in our country who wished the British to come back! They believe that the British ‘Sahibs’ were less corrupt and more friendly than the Indian ‘Sahibs’ today……. 

‘Hunger-free, caste-free and corruption-free India’ is to be the basic goal and motto of ENP….. The final goal, as I mentioned earlier, is the economic, social and moral freedoms of India…..The Fundamental Duties of Indian citizens as laid down under Article: 51-A is the Constitutional foundation of ENP…

‘ENP as envisaged by me will have four important constituents. These will be: an enlightened political ideology termed ‘Democratic Federalism’, a 9-point common minimum socio-economic development agenda termed ‘Gandhian Navaratna’, sixteen ‘Principles of Enlightened Governance’ and five ‘Basic Parameters for MPs and MLAs’. These four key constituents are like the four pillars of ENP……

Excerpts from ‘Integral Revolution

Miserably Failed!

‘All three predominant ideologies existing in the present world; Capitalism, Communism and Socialism; have failed to establish a peaceful and sustainable democracy anywhere on earth in the true sense of the term ‘democracy’. They are found to be sectarian and divisive in their very content and nature. All of them have outlived their utility today. None of them seems to be capable of leading us to true and sustainable democracy……..

‘Capitalism promotes cut-throat competition for profit and market control. It tends to promote the instincts of self-preservation and self-assertion inherent in the human nature. ‘Survival of the fittest’ which is the law of the jungle is also the basic law of Capitalism which had its use and need at an earlier stage in the evolutionary growth of human consciousness…. 

‘Communism is an ideology of violent class-struggle. It was born as a reaction to the evils of Capitalism. It calls upon the ‘proletariat’, the working class, to eliminate the ‘bourgeois’, the owning class, and establish a Communist utopia wherein the ‘state shall wither away’ in course of time…. 

‘As we had seen, more than ten crores of people were murdered just in two countries, China and the erstwhile USSR, to establish the Communist utopia. The USSR, the citadel of this failed Communist utopia, is no more in the world map…. Communist China has been gradually moving towards western Capitalism… This ‘Communist Capitalism’ will be more dangerous than either of them…..

‘Socialism advocates Governmental ownership and control of wealth and means of production. This Governmental ownership and control over human affairs will kill all individual initiative and creativity. The old dictum, ‘a committee of mothers will never deliver a baby’ holds good in all human enterprises. Conception and delivery are fruits of individual initiative. Others can only help. The Government is meant to protect and facilitate all individual initiatives and creative efforts of the citizens. Such individual initiatives and creative efforts are the essential prerequisites for entrepreneurship development which is the basis of any great nation-building mission…..

‘All these three ideologies promote centralization of power and resources, either in the hands of the rich and the powerful, or in the hands of the Government or the Party. Centralization breeds corruption, injustice and violence. Experiences of different societies and nations all over the world prove this fact beyond any doubt….

‘Humanity today is searching desperately for a new alternative to these divisive and destructive ideologies. An integral, value-based and eco-friendly democracy which can ensure and promote citizen-friendly and effective governance, as well as just and equitable distribution of national and natural resources is the crying need of the hour….

‘India, the largest functioning democracy and the oldest living civilization on earth, with her universal vision and ecological worldview, has a moral responsibility to strive towards developing and promoting such a higher form of democracy in the world…. ‘Enlightened national politics’, my son, is a creative step in this direction’, the Baba said.

‘But guruji, how will it work? How are we going to make it work?’ asked Atma Prakash

The Baba replied: ‘The present political and economic crises facing India are created mostly by the kind of corrupt party and power politics practiced in India today. The solutions for these crises cannot be found at the same level of party and power politics. These problems also cannot be solved by creating another political party or with more political power in the hands of the Government….

‘We need to expand our consciousness and enlarge our vision as pointed out by Dr. Albert Einstein who, in addition to his famous ‘Theory of Relativity’, had also made, as we had seen earlier, another profound discovery that said: ‘the solution for a problem cannot not be found at the same level of thinking that had created the problem in the first place’…..

‘One has to raise the level of thinking. From the economic, political and religious levels, we need to raise the levels of thinking to ecology, science and spirituality…. because the real crises facing the nation and the world today, as we have already seen, are not economic and political alone but are also moral and spiritual….

Excerpts from Integral Revolution

Freedom in Politics

‘The First Freedom Struggle of India was a political struggle in which lawyers, including Mahatma Gandhi, played the key role’, the Baba continued:

‘The Second Freedom Struggle of India will have to be an Integral Revolution for spiritualization of economics and politics. This will be essentially an educational mission in which teachers in India, especially the spiritually-oriented and value-conscious teachers in India, will have to play the key role. They will have to serve as enlightened leaders of the Second Freedom Struggle, of the Integral Revolution’. …The Baba concluded….

Atma Prakash was absorbed in the words of his guruji.

There was a fire of a new kind of revolution burning in his heart……. The fire of an ‘Integral Revolution’. From being a violent naxalite revolutionary leader, he is now being transformed into an enlightened leader and a prophet of an Integral Revolution… Enlightened National Politics.

‘What is this new concept? I have not heard about such a politics before. Can you explain it to me?’ Atma Prakash asked. 

The Baba looked at his disciple with great love, and said: 

‘Let me begin with a quotation from Mahatma Gandhi. As you know, I love Gandhi a great deal.. He is a role model for me in many things… though I have my serious differences with him in a number of issues…. He had said, I quote: “Today the system of Government is so devised as to affect every department of our life. It threatens our very existence. If therefore we want to conserve the welfare of the nation, we must religiously interest ourselves in the doings of the governors and exert moral influence on them by insisting on their obeying the laws of morality.”….

‘The Government is there to serve the citizens of India to govern themselves effectively based on the Constitutional values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity. But if it starts controlling all aspects of our lives, as it tends to do today, it will threaten our very existence. Hence, in order to conserve the welfare of the nation, we must sincerely and seriously take interest in the decisions and activities of the Government and exert moral influence on the decision-makers, especially on our MPs and MLAs, and ensure that they obey the laws of morality. Enlightened national politics, my son, is an effort to fulfill this our national responsibility as responsible citizens’ the Baba said and looked at this disciple.

Atma Prakash waited eagerly.

The Baba continued: ‘Politics can be defined as the art and science of nation-building through participatory decision-making and effective governance. Seen from this perspective, ‘democracy’ is the most advanced form of politics developed by humankind so far. How will you define ‘democracy’, my son?’ the Baba asked.

‘The concept of ‘democracy’ was defined by Abraham Lincoln as ‘the government of the people, by the people and for the people’. This is a definition well accepted all over the world today. ‘We the people of India’ have also accepted and adopted this definition of democracy, guruji’ answered Atma Prakash.

‘Quite right, my son’, the Baba said, and he continued: 

Excerpts from Integral Revolution

Time Wasted!

The Baba recollected something very interesting, and said: ‘I remember having read an interesting statistics about the time wasted in India because of the filing system that existed, and still exist in our Government offices. Files were tied with a ribbon and kept in cupboards. Only the peon or clerk concerned could get you the required file. For getting the file, of course, they would need a bit of ‘speed money’…. 

‘The concerned officer took 10 seconds to untie the file. After seeing the contents and writing his ‘note’ he tied the ribbon back. This tying back also took another 10 seconds. It means 20 seconds wasted on untying and tying the ribbon of a file. If the officer concerned deal with 10 files a day, he wasted 200 seconds, which was more than 3 minutes a day… 

‘If there were 500,000 Central and State Governments officials in the country dealing with files, it would still mean more than 25,000 hours wasted every day in the country, just for untying and tying the ribbons of files! A very revealing statistics, indeed….

‘As we have seen, time is the most precious gift of God, my son. We cannot regain even a minute of the time that is lost, whatever we do. Everything else can be regained, but not time….

‘We in India have not understood the value of time. The Government departments have no value for time. The citizens often will have to wait for hours together, or come again and again, for getting any small thing done from a Government department, though the salaries of the Government servants are paid from the various taxes that the citizens of India pay to the Government.…….

‘Even with computerization, the untying and tying of files go on in India. The Naxal movement also has something to do with the difficulties encountered by the poor citizens to get their files out of the cupboards and to get the government officials take action on them.…..

‘Corruption in the Government is a crime against the nation. It is an offence against God and people. It needs to be dealt with severely. Making the citizens waste their time in Government offices is also a serious form of corruption in India….. 

‘Hence, ‘hunger-free, caste-free and corruption-free India’ has to be the basic goal of the Second Freedom Struggle…..

‘Hunger, caste and corruption in India are also external expressions of the inner evils of selfishness, pride and greed that are lurking in the hearts and minds of ‘We the People of India’. Hence, the solutions for the crises facing India today are to be found not only through economic and political reforms but also through a spiritual awakening and moral regeneration of the Indian people. This spiritual awakening and moral regeneration of the Indian people is a religious and spiritual mission. For this we need enlightened religious and spiritual leadership….

‘An Integral Revolution in which politics and economics in the country are rebuilt on the strong foundation of the spiritual and moral values common to religions in India is the crying need of the era. That is the only way for realizing the vision of ‘Purna Swaraj’ for India as envisaged by Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters…... 

‘That is also the reason why enlightened religious and spiritual leaders in India must join hands with enlightened political and economic forces in the country for the Second Freedom Struggle to build a hunger-free, caste-free and corruption-free India. This is also what I mean by ‘Integral Revolution’. It is a revolution in which enlightened religious, spiritual, economic and political forces in India will work together to build a hunger-free, caste-free and corruption-free India which in turn will lead us to the Purna Swaraj of our dream. Do you agree with me, my son?’ The Baba stopped with a question.

‘Guruji I have gone through some books on our freedom struggle. I am fully in agreement with all that you have said so far.’ Atma Prakash replied.

Excerpts from Integral Revolution

The Second Freedom Struggle

‘Let me quote from a letter that Gandhiji had written from Delhi on 27th January 1948, just 3 days before his martyrdom…’ the Baba began…

‘Gandhiji had written in that letter: “The Congress has won political freedom, but it has yet to win economic freedom, social and moral freedoms. These freedoms are harder than the political, if only because they are constructive, less exciting and not spectacular.” …

‘Political freedom, economic freedom, social freedom and moral freedom were the four pillars of the ‘Purna Swaraj’ that was envisaged by Mahatma Gandhi and other ‘freedom fighters’ who had laid down their lives in the first Freedom Struggle of India…… 

‘We had won our political freedom in 1947. But ‘Purna Swaraj’ still remains a distant dream for us. We are yet to win economic, social and moral freedoms for India. This unfinished task calls for a ‘Second Freedom Struggle’ that will be harder and more challenging than the first. This is the historic mission bequeathed to posterity by those who had won the political freedom for India through their ‘blood, sweat and tears’- blood shed in non-violent struggle, sweat of hard work and tears of ardent prayer…..

‘Economic freedom begins with freedom from poverty and hunger. Even after half a century and more of political freedom, more than 300 million people in India still live below poverty line, not being able to afford one nourishing meal a day. Hence, freedom from hunger whereby every Indian citizen is able to have at least one nourishing meal a day has to be the basic goal of the Second Freedom Struggle….

‘Charity, freebies or ‘poor feeding’ cannot be the solution. We need to have a sustainable development strategy focusing on education, employment and empowerment….For this we will need entrepreneurship and employment-oriented as well as character building education. Are you with me my son?’, the Baba asked.

‘Yes, of course revered guruji.’ Answered Atma Prakash 

‘Now let us come to social freedom’ the Baba said after a pause. He continued: 

‘Social freedom cannot be won for India as long as the dehumanizing caste system continues to exist in our country. The caste system, though had a relevance in ancient India, has today become a curse on Independent India. We need to liberate the people of India, especially the political parties in this country, from their obsession with caste-class-minority ‘vote bank’ politics…

‘We need to see all Indians as children of the one true God and citizens of the one Sovereign Democratic Republic, and as members of one national family bound with a common destiny. Only enlightened leaders can have such an inclusive vision and undertake such a nation-building mission….

‘Social freedom also implies freedom from the all-pervasive ‘subject mentality’ in India. We were subjects under foreign powers for centuries together. As a result, we have developed a ‘subject mentality’ which is still predominant in our mindset…

‘Subjects always demand more and more rights and privileges for themselves even at the cost of national interests. Subjects have a tendency to steal and loot when they get a chance. They will not have any deep sense of nationalism or patriotism. Subjects will very seldom have any sense of responsibility and entrepreneurship….

‘Social freedom for India will ever remain a mirage unless India is liberated from the all-pervasive subject mentality. The late President of USA, John F Kennedy, had told the American citizens: ‘Do not ask what America can do for you, but ask what you can do for America’. We Indians also need to ask ourselves not what we can take from Mother India but what we can give to Mother India….

‘We need to develop responsible citizenship and entrepreneurial spirit in India, especially among the youth of our country’. The guru looked at his beloved disciple who was listening to his words very attentively.

The Baba continued: ‘Moral freedom for India has to begin with freedom from corruption in the Government. Government money is the citizens’ money. It needs to be used for the well-being of the citizens of India. Every rupee must be accounted for and used judiciously….

‘The all pervasive corruption in the successive Governments of Independent India has been the biggest block in the path of development in our country.’ The Baba stopped for a while and looked at Atma Prakash.

 

Excerpts from Integral Revolution