The Supreme Being...!

Pandurang Shastri Athavale (Dada), a renowned Indian Philosopher, Social Activist and founder of Swadhyaya Parivar (self-study process) once was on a tour somewhere around Gujarat. There was a temple of Lord Krishna under construction and people were visiting the place and contributing to the project with a religious gratitude. A wealthy tradesman came along and offered to put a full-size pure 24 karat Gold Statue of the Deity to bring the glamour to the place. Dada humbly declined the luring offer by saying that if that happens, people will remember the sponsor of the statue whenever they will look up to the Lord and might just start worshipping him instead of the GOD!

It takes a deep understanding of human psychology and great vision to look beyond the future and the people, who have it, are the real social reformers who strive to put the things in the right context and resist formation of a basis that would lead to situation, dispute or chaos in future. Barring those chosen wise souls, the society in general has been hypocrite all the way long and tends to be so for its momentary conveniences over bearing a little discomfort for larger good in long run. Moreover, it is not only easy to criticize anything, offer quick-fixes and protest against some supposedly ‘insensitive issue’, but it also offers the rewards in return, of being celebrated as radical intellectuals concerned about the state-of-affair; win-win situation, you know!

While studying for my PMP, I learned various weird terms but the most fascinating I found and hence remembered forever was Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram! All the techniques like these were devised to conduct a ‘Root-Cause-Analysis’ of any issue at hand – the most logical and sensible approach to any condition, I believe. But its prerequisites being, believing in nothing but reason and logic, unbiased and rational thinking and preparedness to go to the depths of the matter without any evident self-gain; a stupid thing to do in the evolved humanity for sure…!

We, the human beings in general, have developed this tendency to look for our own benefit in everything that we encounter and have established this in our social structure to presume this ability as being wise. The wealth follows the wisdom and it is only the wealth that is worshipped in the consumerist world. So the WWW gets its different and elaborated meaning here… Wisdom Wealth Worship! Ahh… we have made a discovery in due course, it seems, should we patent it...?!?

There are about 17 Global Challenges as suggested by the Sustainable Development Goals and the issues posing threat to humanity and the planet are much more and dire than what are tangible and documented. However to counter any of it, a single approach is needed for resource mobilization (now this again is a quasi-occult term as seen from the development perspective!), that is finding the Root Cause of everything that is around and start the journey of eradicating it. It might take years together but what we will have would be a permanent solution and not a quick-fix. It would be prudent to understand here in this context that, no matter Allopathy offering instant relief (not recovery, mind you!) with antibiotics has its place and space in the modern lifestyle, the ultimate way of life could only be Ayurveda which is not a remedy but a way of life. Any medicine has a side-effect vis-à-vis any good habit that nurtures the being further. But what it requires is discipline, faith and tenacity; not convenience, money and hurry!

There are 3 occurrences on 3 levels that triggered (?) this post. On the International level, apart from Climate change and Global Warming, terrorism is the most perilous monster that needs to be tackled at all levels with all the might… peacefully. On the national level there is a yearly event of a popular sport for the entertainment of the bored souls at the cost of filthy rich elements of society that is being condemned for wastage of our most scarce natural resource – water. On the state level there is lot of hullabaloo going on about women equality on the backdrop of entry to the sanctum sanctorum (गाभारा) of temples – termed as 'Paradigm Shift' by its protesters.

Well, from a neutral, sane and sensible point of view, there is nothing to support or oppose any of it as - the best way to fight terrorism is to stop participating in it; if the democratic country confers the right of freedom of expression to its citizens, it goes without saying that they have all the right to entertain themselves with either the daily soaps or the colourful circus of sports or something else, all brought to them in an official, legal and most lucrative way by the Government itself and the progressive souls concerned about women equality should take-up the upliftment of women from their drudgery to disrespect by their worst halves that is omnipresent in the entire existence at various levels. Symbolism is good enough for the expression of the pseudo-intellectuals and celebrating being avant-garde, what matters is the change in the day-to-day life where actual life happens without the bliss or the curse of any deity.

The Deity brings me to the conclusion of this write-up… today is Ram Navami – the festival to celebrate the Purushottam (Supreme Being) Shree Ram, the highest regarded Deity of Hindus for his unmatched virtues like loyalty, integrity and fortitude, which is good enough… how many people remember that when Rama put an arrow in Ravana’s navel to put him down and while Ravana was about to take his last breathe, Rama advised his brother Laxmana to bow to Ravana and get some knowledge about life that Ravana had mastered being the Scholar (Pandit) he was? Respecting your enemy for their worth is also one of the greatest virtues of a being, not necessarily of Deities, I guess.

Water is the purest form of life and it is abundant naturally. It runs down by following the laws of gravity and never tries to defy them unless when it changes the form and vaporizes. It doesn't fight with what comes in its way but finds the ways to espouse the obstacle in its way ahead by embracing it. But if you try to collect the water, it reduces to the size shape and colour of its container. Water has not left its characteristics but it is being forced to become a bonsai miniature of what it was naturally. The moment we will realize what we are doing to all our legacy, right from Prabhu Ramchandra, who doesn't need a temple for being worshipped, to Architect of Independent India Dr. Ambedkar, who would be happier to see his believers walking his path instead of dancing their way and rising to the occasion in its most incorrect, undemocratic and repulsive way… alas, would be the moment of rising... above all odds and start our coexistence!

Hoping that the entire Humanity comes to its senses soon, Happy Ram Navami! 

रामो राजमणिः सदा विजयते रामं रमेशं भजे ।

रामेणाभिहता निशाचरचमू रामाय तस्मै नमः ॥

रामान्नास्ति परायणं परतरं रामस्य दासोऽस्म्यहम् ।

रामे चित्तलयः सदा भवतु मे भो राम मामुद्धर ॥

Rama, the jewel among kings is always victorious; I do devotion to Rama, hence to Ramesha (Vishnu) by singing a song of devotion

Army of nocturnal beings was destroyed by Rama; I bow unto that Rama

There is no better recourse than Rama; I am servent of Rama

Resting of my mind may always be at Rama; Oh RAma, please uplift me!

Still a long way to go…!