Sisters and Brothers,
The entire life of an animal revolves around
filling the tummy and mating for
reproduction as per Nature’s impulsive
signals. Unless trained rigorously, it can
hardly do anything else on its own.
Biologically, humans are also part of the
animal kingdom. Anatomically as well,
physical body of a human being has similarity
with that of a Gorilla or an Ape. But a human
is different from the beasts, as his
consciousness is also evolved. He can think.
Most importantly, a human being also has
feelings/emotions, and sensitivity that
distinguish him from other creatures. The
level of sensitivity — love, compassion,
emotional depth of goodwill, of a person is
in fact the true measure of his evolution as a
human being.
In the tragic times of drought and famine in
his village/town, no sensible person would
be able to eat peacefully, even if he has plenty
of food. He would open up his stock of food-
grains and other resources to share it with
others, to distribute it among the worst
affected. If there is a fire in the neighborhood,
people around don’t simply watch or run
away; rather, they would leave aside
everything and rush to extinguish the fire, call
the fire-brigade, help rescue those caught
under the fire, etc. This is the true spirit of
humanity. By nature, a human being is social;
he cannot survive alone. Sentiments of service
and sympathy for others reflect one’s
humanness. Coming forward to offer timely
and voluntary help to others in the moment
of tragedy and dire need is a test of humanity.
A person, who, in spite of having the potential
and resources to do so, evades such duties and
remains pre-occupied with his utterly selfish
priorities, is a not a true human being. An
emotionless fellow is like a beast in human-
body or a demonic humanoid.
Critical Times:
The present phase of life on the earth is quite
critical. As such the sun continues to rise in
the East and sets in the West. You may also
be getting up, doing your chores more or less
routinely. Your family and friends might also
have been living without any noticeable
problem. That way, things may appear normal.
You or your acquaintances might not have
faced cyclone, flood or any other natural
calamity, not even had any first-hand
information of any such adversity. But this
does not mean everything is and will continue
to be so everywhere in the world or in the
invisible folds of Nature, and in the subliminal
environment of life.
If you care and focus your thoughtful mind
and sensitive heart to see what is happening
around, if you can feel the ‘pulse’ of Nature
in the present times, you will find that this is
a challenging phase for humanity, for existence
of human culture, and even for sustenance of
life on the earth.
Broaden your vision and sharpen your sight
and pay some attention to the changes that
have occurred or that are taking place on
different fronts of life across the globe. The
air you are breathing-in is getting more and
more polluted by toxic fumes, carbon and
other particles, and several other harmful
chemicals every day. Natural resources of
water are shrinking; industrial waste and
sewage water, all sorts of dirt including non-
biodegradable waste, and even dead-bodies
are being thrown in the rivers and other
healthy water-resources. Growing use of
chemical treatment of soil (by synthetic
fertilizers and pesticides) is gradually
converting our food into a slow poison and
also destroying the fertility of the soil. Nuclear
radiation is a well-known and dreaded threat;
adding to that there is also a risk of other
hazardous radiations that would further
enhance health-hazards to the extent of acute
mental and physical disabilities since birth.
Natural resources are being depleted at an
alarming rate; equally alarming is the rate of
population growth! It appears as if it is heading
for an explosion. Ever-increasing inflation rate
and massive hazards of adulteration (even in
essential commodities) have posed another
threat to sustenance of life on this earth.
Excessive use of plastic, other synthetic
substances, consumption of harmful chemicals
and junk food, emergence of ever-new strains
of microbes and viruses, coupled with rising
stress and expectations and consequent
occurrence of dreaded diseases and
psychosomatic disorders have posed serious
threat on health front.
Luxurious life-style of the haves and
unchecked industrialization and single-
tracked materialistic development have given
rise to global warming; the eco-system too is
severely disturbed. It has jerked the
equilibrium necessary for Nature’s normal
cycle; this in turn is going to disrupt the natural
occurrence of Seasons. Normal rainfall in
autumn would become rare; there will be
either floods or no rains; or there will be weak
monsoon during its natural season and heavy
showers in winter or summer, and so on; it
would be difficult to say whether it would be
cold in winter season or in summer, etc?
The scenario is gloomy and frightening on the
social front as well. This is a time of insecurity,
social disharmony, and rising terror. It looks
like nobody has any trust on others. While
walking on a road, you don’t know whether
and when someone will attack you and snatch
away your valuables; or when there would
be some gun-shots or bomb blasts! The moral
integrity of mankind seems to be diminishing;
growth of vices and corruption seem to have
no bounds. If the maligning and fall of
people’s character continues this way, one day,
there would be no room left for mutual
respect, trust, love and faith. Then, there
would be hardly any respect for brother-hood,
sister-hood; no family bond, no friendship,
nothing; there would be no values, no
humanity in the individuals and the society.
Will you remain a dumb observer sitting
quietly and watch all this happen? Do you
have no duties in these critical times to save
humanity, to save the biosphere? Don’t you
feel anything? Has your heart become stony
or hard like iron? No! I don’t think this could
be the case with all the people. But it looks
like that, in their blind race for progress, many
have chosen to block or ignore their heart and
many more are also being driven towards this
path of devolution. Despite being normal
humans biologically, they are gradually
becoming inhuman. At old age one often finds
it difficult to walk straight, with bent waist
he appears shorter in height, his eyesight also
weakens; he neither wants, nor is he capable
of (easily) looking at the sky. Today, most
people seem to have become so mentally and
emotionally. They hardly think or aspire for
higher goals or ideals and worthy
accomplishments in this precious life.
Possibilities for You:
I expect you all (who care for self-refinement,
and have come here for spiritual
enlightenment) have not lost the will and
ability to look at higher, nobler aims of life. I
hope in these critical times you will not spend
all your time in instinctive pleasures and
acquiring short term gains. Out of 24 hours in
a day, you can easily fulfill all your essential
worldly duties in 20 hours: broadly, 8 hours
for earning/income generation, 7 hours for
rest and five hours for household work. Thus,
if you adopt such an orderly routine, and are
vigilant to prevent loss of time in arbitrary/
nonproductive activities, you can save 4 hours
every day for the service of the society — take
initiative to do something to check the negative
trends, to allay the adversities in the offing,
to generate awareness and motivate more and
more people to join hands in this endeavor. If
you recognize your potentials and have a
strong will, you will find a way to take the
first step; if you are determined and sincere,
sooner or later, you will receive cooperation
and support from several directions. You
cannot wait anymore; you can’t ignore the call
of time. You will have to shrug off your
lethargy, get rid of your ignorance, and
overcome your selfish attachments and
weaknesses, and move forward to search the
path of light.
Do you doubt that you will be at loss or risk
in this venture? I can assure you that it will
not be so. Look at the life of anyone who had
dedicated himself for social uplift, for welfare
of the masses, you will find that they have
lived an enlightened life and also illumined
the life of many; they have risen above and
accomplished preeminent aims and also
enabled many to rise to reach great heights.
For example, look at the great personalities
like Gandhi and Vivekanand and so many of
their associates and followers! If Gandhiji had
continued with his profession as a lawyer /
advocate, how much he would have earned
and what he would have achieved? But when
he devoted his life to the service of the
nation, to the welfare of mankind, then?
Did he lose anything? Did he ever have any
scarcity? He did not grab or use the
enormous facilities or opportunities he
could have for personal gains; rather, he
chose to live in austerity. This way, he was
a true Brahmin. One becomes Brahmin not
by birth, rather by his altruistic principles
and deeds. Gandhiji indeed lived a
dignified life worth the glory of a great
human being.
If you realize the call of humanity in these
critical moments and contribute your time and
efforts for it, you would also be among those
who can mold the face of circumstances,
reverse the prevailing wrong trends, refine
and re-orient people’s mentality, and lay the
foundation of better, brighter, and dignified
future for humanity.
Several times I have appealed through my
discourses and articles that this is an
extraordinary time. You should not ignore
it. You might have seen that on the days of
solar or lunar eclipse, some hermits and
beggars ask for alms shouting that this
charity on such an occasion is a punya (an
auspicious action). In the present critical
times, humanity is looking at you with hope
for your help. You must donate at least a
fraction of your time, resources and efforts
to meet this unprecedented call of time. What
should you do? Time and again I have told
you that you should refine your outlook, your
thinking, and also disseminate the light of
righteous thoughts in all directions.
Have you ever paid attention as to what is
distinct and significant in a great person (as
compared to other fellow beings)? Is it the
body, its appearance, its structure, some
organs, blood, bones, muscles, flesh, or the
(bio)-chemicals? No! In fact, it is one’s
wisdom, one’s righteous thoughts that play
most important role in his life.
It is the quality and power of thoughts that
transform ordinary persons into great persons
like Abraham Lincoln, George Washington,
etc. If today’s man really had prudence,
righteous thoughts, and farsightedness, he
would not have invited the adversities and
threats to his own existence, would not have
created the tragic circumstance prevailing
today. The shape of the world would have
been quite different in that case. Then the
intellectual evolution and progress would
have ushered heavenly peace and happiness
in the world. Divinity would have been
reflected in the character and behavior of
humankind.
But where is that
thoughtfulness, where is that enlightenment,
the light of wisdom?
Awakening of wisdom is true ascent of
intelligence; clarity and maturity of thoughts,
positive outlook, farsightedness, awareness,
sense of responsibility, ethical integrity,
fearlessness and courage, are its natural
outcomes. In the ancient times, sagacious
saints, (true) Brahmins used to guide the
masses, disseminate the light of wisdom in the
society. I urge you all, all the responsible
citizens, the seekers of progress and wellbeing,
to bear this responsibility in the present times.
If you think money and materialistic resources
as the key to progress, you are wrong. Let me
tell you that in the future system of the world,
materialistic wealth will not be a personal
commodity; it will not be accumulated at any
(power) center, rather it will be a social
property to be used for collective good.
So you better cultivate spirituality in your
outlook, aspirations, thinking, and behavior.
This is the key to holistic wellbeing and
progress. It will nurture the sentiment of
selfless service, which in turn will bestow
enormous inner peace and unalloyed joy.
Spirituality is also going to be the source of
happy survival and future progress of human
society. Simple living and high thinking
becomes natural with the adoption of
spiritual outlook. Then you will find that
you have substantial time, potential,
talents/skills and resources left for genuine
social welfare. You can deploy these to
improve
the
ambience
of
your
surroundings, generate positive thinking,
and contribute to constructive efforts for
the upliftment of the needy around you.
You may motivate your like-minded friends
to also come along. You don’t have to leave
your home, your household responsibilities,
or duties at work-place for this. You only
have to realize the purpose, aims and
importance of your life, and carefully review
and modify your life-style, your time and
resource management. Continued endeavor
of self-refinement in the light of noble
thoughts, character and works of great
personalities should be integral part of your
routine from now.
If you want, you may come here for
guidance and also join suitable training
courses here at Shantikunj 1 , Haridwar.
Along with s3dhan3-sessions of self-
refinement and spiritual awakening, we also
offer regular course and training programs
designed especially for voluntary social-
workers who have different backgrounds.
No fee is charged here for any course; free
lodging and boarding is also provided to the
trainees. This ashram is a unique, spiritually
vibrant institute of character-building that I
envisage as a resurrection of the ancient
Universities of Nalanda and Takshashila
(Taxila), which were the preeminent centers
of global enlightenment. In essence, here
you will get live-experience and training of
Sanjovani Vidy3 — adept art of living a
worthy, progressive, and fulfilling life.
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