Ego-Wise...: Immersion...!?!

On the auspicious occasion of Anantchaturdashi, popularly known as Ganapati Immersion Day, I would like to share my view of a most heated discussion about the proposition of Janlokpal Bill by Anna Hazare. I chose this day to bring on this topic for two reasons –

1. I am receiving a lot of response from the near-and-dear ones as well as friends, acquaintances and readers, both verbally and in writing, about my perspective of this activity.

2. It is the most apt day the ‘Immersion Day’ to bid goodbye to many things.

With all due respect to Anna’s credibility, intentions and fortitude, I will like to put up few points and stories that may elucidate my point-of-view of the happenings. I will not repeat the discussions about the way of Anna’s movement or the validity and anticipation of its outcome as these points have been discussed so many times till the moment that it would be waste of energy and time to do so again.

In philosophical, theological, or moral discussions, CORRUPTION is spiritual or moral impurity or deviation from an ideal. Practically, CORRUPTION is the abuse of power, position or resources by individuals and facilitating it for personal gain in any form, e.g. by extortion, soliciting or offering bribes. Now learn and understand this definition of corruption and, while understanding that it is not about the volume (quantity) but the value (quality), just do a little exercise of own retrospection.

Buddha addressing to an enraged crowd pelting stones at a woman accusing her to be sinner, said…

‘Indeed you must punish the sinner but just make sure before picking up a stone that you yourself have not sinned in your life. Those only should go ahead who are not guilty of any sin however big or small it may be…’

Mulla Nasruddin was to be tried in the court. He was charged with undermining the state's security as he admitted that he went about, village to village saying that the so called wise men in the king's court were all ignorant and irresolute as well as lacking clarity. The king asked Mulla to present his point first. Mulla asked some papers and pens to be brought and distributed to the first seven savants. He then asked them all to write individually in their respective piece of paper, their answer to the question, “What is bread?"

When the answers were all written down, the papers were handed over to the king who read them aloud, “Bread is food," the first had written.

The second said, “It is flour and water"

The third had his own version, “A gift of God"

The fourth one said, “A dough that is baked"

The fifth had noted down, “It has different meanings according to what you mean by 'bread"

“It’s a nutritious material" said the sixth while the seventh had expressed “Nobody actually knows!"

Mulla then turned to the king and said, “When they actually conclude what bread is, it only then be possible for them to decide on other matters"

Mulla continued to the king, “How can you entrust things relating to assessment and judgement to such people who have disparities in agreeing on the food that they eat daily, yet who uniformly say that I am a non-conformist..."

In this story OSHO points out the futility of following blindly what has been said, merely reproducing whatever was passed on. What can one know when one actually does not know oneself, the very substratum of all that is known? The mystery of oneself, the very nature and character of oneself, has to be unraveled first. Lest how can one be acquainted with others?

With these two stories I would like to conclude this discussion wishing the entire human race in general and Indians in particular to –