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

House on fire

Mulla Nasruddin’s house was on fire, so he ran up to his roof for safety. There he was, precariously perched on the roof, when his friends gathered in the street below holding a stretched out blanket to him and shouting, “Jump, Mullah, jump!”

“Oh no, I won’t,” said the Mullah. “I know you fellows. If I jump, you’ll pull the blanket away just to make a fool of me!”

“Don’t be silly. Mullah. This isn’t a joke. This is serious. Jump!”

“No,” said Nasruddin. “I don’t trust any of you. Lay that blanket on the ground and I’ll jump.” -                                                          - Antony de Mellow 

Believing or trusting everybody is dangerous; but believing or trusting nobody at any time is extremely dangerous.

Indian Thoughts Archives

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

ETERNAL LIFE

In a fast spreading consumer culture of death and destruction, power and pomp, eternal life is not on the mind of many people. Yet for those of who are not enamored by the fleeting nature of consumer life is very concerned about eternal life while we actively engage this world for what it is. Eternal life lies in this that there are certain self-evident realities from the beginning of the world. These are realities that you may already know as they have been told by sages years ago. In any case they need to be repeated time and again; we as humans need to be reminded of these truths. No one needs to belong to any religion; no one needs to go to a church, temple, or mosque to be saved. Yet it is good to attend these institutions, as humans by their very nature are social. We can certainly support and encourage one another. Though no rituals are essential, they, if meaningful, can help us to relate to one another.

Three essential requirements for Eternal Life are:

1. Ability to love others as oneself: Altruism and selflessness are very important. Loving others as one loves oneself is not easy. This is an ideal. It is not at all easy to achieve it. One has to be very vigilant to empty oneself of all selfishness that easily sneaks in and lurks in some dark corner. On-going examination of conscience is required to detect even subtle forms of selfish ways.

2. Having a duly formed, clear conscience: One needs to understand morality, ethics, and regulations normative for a society. One needs to look for laws, customs, and age-old sayings or practices that may be legal or practiced but may be immoral or discriminatory. An empathic examination by placing oneself in the affected persons’ shoes will certainly reveal selfish interests. Generally, fairness in dealings that comes from the norm that one treats others the way one likes to be treated, will enlighten one’s conscience.

3. A relentless search for truth: Truth alone can save us in all situations. For us humans truth alone is the visible God. One has to be constantly purified, reformed, unattached to attain finer truth. Nothing can replace the peace and satisfaction that come from rigorous devotion to truth. 

It is not that we are unduly concerned about after-life. It is not where we go from where we are. It is about engaging our present life fully, holistically, and spiritually. The abundant eternal life is guaranteed when we do all that we can with purity of intention. Eternal life is also continuous with this life.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti 

The Sinner

Ten Chinese farmers were working in a field, when suddenly the sky darkened. There was thunder and lightning. It began to rain heavily. The farmers, holding on tightly to their large straw hats, ran for shelter to the ruins of a temple nearby. Lightning flashed again and again and the thunder shook the walls of the temple.

“The gods are angry with us,” said one of the men, his voice shaking in fear. “Why?” asked another.

“Obviously, there’s a big sinner amongst us!” a third voice said with apparent panic. “We must find him and throw him out, lest we all perish!” “I have an idea,” said one. “Let us all hold our hats outside the window. Let the gods show us the sinner.”

So they all thrust their hats outside the window. Immediately a lightning cracked and instantaneously one of the hats was reduced to ashes. The owner of the hat was a quite, middle-aged man who had not uttered a word till then. Now he began to plead with his companions to protect him.

“I’ve a wife and three children and aged parents to support,” he said. “What will happen to them if I die?” But the others were merciless.

“Out, out with you!” they shouted and lifting him, they threw him out of the temple. The man scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could to the shelter of a tree some distance away. Hardly had he reached the tree, when a lightning struck the temple, which collapsed, killing all nine men inside.

Till then they had been protected by the presence of the only good man amongst them. God alone knows how often we are spared due to the goodness of others, whom we make scapegoats.

Indian Thoughts Archives

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

Married Priests in the Catholic Church

This is a very emotionally-charged, controversial topic. So I got up this morning at 5:30 and prayed so what I write here is specially approved by accounts given in the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, and, above all, my conscience. I have briefly broached this topic in my writings and speeches elsewhere. But here I want to bring insights gleaned from scripture, theology, spirituality, psychology and my life experience in India and the USA as a married priest in an ashram to bear on this topic. Needless to say I had 25 years of religious life as a Jesuit before I left the Jesuits while I was a professor training priests in Papal Seminary and De Nobili College (Jesuits) and other religious institutions that comprise Jnana Deep Vidyapeeth (JDV), Pune, India. With profound gratitude to the Jesuits for the opportunities I received, I want to say I am who I am today due to the solid training I got from the loving and caring Jesuits.

God created man and woman in his own image (Genesis, 1: 27). In the first and second chapter of Genesis the unique dynamics of the relationship between man and woman is described. God has put such yearning in man for the woman that he will leave even his father and mother, and will cleave to his woman (wife) to the point of both becoming one body (2: 24). The incomparable passion for each other from the beginning of creation is very clear. Now coming to the New Testament of the Bible, the first head of the Church, Peter, supposedly chosen by Christ, was a married man. The first Pope, Peter (Cephas) was a married Pope. Peter was such a timid weakling before Christ’s Resurrection that he even denied Christ thrice on the night of Christ’s passion. St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, (9: 1-7) wrote that all Christ’s disciples including Peter were accompanied by their wives. And they were provided food and drink. Paul in fact is complaining about being questioned, examined, and discriminated against precisely because he and Barnabas were not married. Christ said that from the beginning God made humans male and female, and a man shall leave his parents, and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh (Matthew 19: 4-6). Writing to the Ephesians Paul repeated the same message (5: 31). Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy (3: 2) that a bishop must be above reproach and the husband of one wife. 

Historically there were 7 married Popes of whom four are saints. There were three Popes who were sons of Popes. There were Popes who had illegitimate children. There were Popes who were sexually active during their pontificate. There was a teenager Pope who was elected Pope at 18, and died less than 9 years later of a stroke while in bed reportedly with a married woman. There was such gross immorality that some accused him of converting his Lateran palace residence into a brothel. The second Lateran Council in 1139 abolished married priesthood and made celibacy mandatory for all priests. Yet many priests continued their priestly ministry even though they were married. Some Popes in the 15th and 16th centuries were notorious for their sexual immorality. Pope Innocent VIII and Alexander VI are worthy of special mention. It is also good to remember here that there were also three laypersons who were selected to become Popes.

With the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine in the fourth century, the horribly persecuted Church by the Roman Emperors became the Church triumphant. Slowly the Holy Spirit began to be replaced by the Worldly Spirit. Christ had cast out the ruler of this world (John, 12: 31); the ruler of this world had no power over him (John, 14: 30; 16: 11). With the worldly spirit coming in, the ruler of this world began to revive. And currently he has great influence over the priestly class and the hierarchy that exclusively rules the Church. He is organizing the ultra-conservative, status-quo bishops, and cardinals, making life very difficult even for a moderate and compassionate Pope Francis. Yet Christ was a layman whose death on the cross alone satisfied Caiphas (John, 18: 14), the Supreme High Priest or the Pope of that time, even though, Pilate, a pagan Roman Governor found no crime in Christ (John, 18: 38; 19: 6).

Coming back to virginity or celibacy, the Council of Trent (1545-1563), largely a response to Protestant reformation, condemned anyone who held virginity or celibacy was not better than marriage (Canon 10). The belief that celibacy was considered to be superior to marriage continued till the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).The Second Vatican Council gave equal status to marriage and celibacy. After this Council there was a great exodus of priests to get married. Vocations to priesthood and religious life also continue to decline.

Spiritually, sanctity depends totally on a life lived according to God’s will. A married or celibate person can become a saint. Surrendering to God’s will is the key to holiness. Psychologically living a life in freedom for all is essential. Marriage is a fundamental human right. A perpetual vow of celibacy is meaningless unless it becomes perpetual due to ongoing, continual discernment and choice. No vow is a fundamental human right. One can make a vow if it helps to do God’s will or live in a religious congregation. Only the freedom to make a vow is a fundamental right. A person can change in freedom a decision once made in freedom if there is a compelling reason for it. Any change of a serious decision should only be made after due discernment in prayerful reflection. A vow like the rule of keeping the Sabbath is for human and not human for the vow.

It is interesting that a couple of days ago Pope Francis stated that a married person can become a priest. This is a welcome change in his thinking. This certainly can pave the way for married priests. This change, good as it is, is not good enough. But it is regrettable that he is not open to a priest currently in ministry getting married. He is gradual and cautious in his approach. So I will not be surprised about changing his mind on this. If he is not capable of making that decision, he needs to make way for someone who can. This decision is not at all easy. The entire Church needs to be gradually prepared for this decision. In the early Church elders presided at the Eucharist. And I do not have any difficulty in thinking that there were also some women elders who presided at the Eucharist. In any case there is no credible doctrinal objection to married priesthood or the priesthood of women. These changes are bound to happen in due time. No individual can stop them as long as the Holy Spirit is not against these changes. Due to rampant and widespread corrupt practices among the priests in the medieval times, powerful monastic orders arose as a corrective measure. Times have changed. Instead of keeping the Second Vatican Council in suspended animation, we need to revive it, and build on it with another Council long overdue. Imparting God-experience to all, this Council can usher the Church into the modern world, and can prepare the Church to deal with the materialistic spirit and challenges of this world.

Swami Snehananda Jyoti