Happy New Year 2018 : Practice is the Mantra!

The New Year arrived and knocked at my door and asked me what I am thinking. It came to me as bright as sunlight and lightened my chamber. It looked straight into my eyes and asked what I am thinking. A single word came from my mouth:

PRACTICE!

The new year smiled and said, yes, it is PRACTICE. Let it be the mantra of the new year!

We say many good words, but do not translate them into action. More we say, the more the gap between our words and our action!

We do not practice what we say. We say something and do something else.

Two days back, I watched the movie Swami Vivekananda (1998). In one of the scenes, the wandering monk goes to a temple and finds a Pundit preaching. The Pundit was preaching service to man is service to God. A disabled person passed through the temple and fell down, but the preacher did not care. The Swami comforted the disabled and helped him sit down. The Pundit realized his mistake and said, ‘Now I realize the gap between words and deeds. Simply preaching is not enough.’

This is a message that the wise across cultures delivered. Whether East or West, North or South, this great message has been vibrating since centuries.

Whether in our individual and family life, or in our community, or in our society and the world, we can see the gap between thought and practice, between words and deeds. This gap in its train brings innumerable suffering to us.

It is only practice, not preaching, that there can be enduring peace within and without. An individual who is tumultuous inside cannot establish peace outside. An individual who is truly peaceful inside can only practice what he preaches.

What is true peace then?

Peace is a state of mind. When the mind does not need external props to remain happy, true peace dawns. When the mind depends on external things to remain happy, true peace does not happen.

Let the New Year be peaceful!

Let us practice the good things we have learnt. Let us practice them every day.

The chasm between words and deeds, between theory and practice, has created much of the tumult in individual life, and in the life of larger formations – whether community or the state or the world. 

When in the individual life, this chasm between words and deeds directly affects the individual and his family, in the case of society and the world, this chasm produces wars and other kinds of violence. We see this in action in various parts of the world. Leaders preach peace and meet at high tables to negotiate peace, while their actions promote narrow interests.

It seems as if the noble sayings, ‘let truth alone emerge victorious’, ‘service to mankind is service to God’, ‘different religions are but different flowers in a beautiful garden’, ‘love thy neighbor’ ring good to the ear, but are alien to practice. That is the challenge before us. Unless we practice the universal values that transcend divides, there is no meaning preaching them.

At least we can try to reduce the chasm in our individual life. If each one of us think this way and resolve, ‘we will practice the good words we say, we will walk our talk’, we will help create a better year, and a better world, ahead.

Wish you Happy New Year! May this year fill our life with true joy and happiness! May we move swiftly to bridge the gap between our words and deeds, and see everything in a new light! 

International Yoga Day: Some Reflections

The Yoga lovers all over the world celebrated International Yoga Day today. I participated in a Yoga event in Boston, organized by an India-based organization. The participants came from different communities. I will focus more on this particular event later.

Last year, the UN declared 21 June as International Yoga Day. The Yoga lovers all over the world rejoiced at the UN declaration.

Let me briefly analyze what I understand by the term Yoga. The term has two aspects: narrow and broad. This is a simplistic categorization as I know Yoga is a much more deep term. A person with Yogic bent of mind, or rather a person who is true Yogi, can better define Yoga. In the narrow sense, as understood by most people, Yoga is equivalent to Asanas and similar body exercises that are reinvigorating. Asanas are different from body exercises in gym such as lifting weights or rising high on bars. Asanas usually do not need props. One can do it on an open space; one does not need to go to gym. The point is, for Asana, there are no special requirements. One should have a healthy body - that is most important requirement. I would say it is the cheapest, and at the same time priceless, exercise that keeps body and mind active and peaceful. The healing power of Asana is indeed great. One of the pioneers of Yoga in India, B. K. S. Iyengar who as a young boy had been suffering from diseases cured himself by practicing Asanas. World wide, there are various Yoga centers by enterprising professionals, who try to innovate and add one or two new techniques to make it popular, and earn good money.

Yoga developed in ancient India. The founder of Yoga was Patanjali. It is difficult to exactly trace his time period, but it would be fair to say that Patanjali was before Chirst, perhaps much before Christ. His book, Yoga Sutra is considered one of the major books on Yoga. One of my friends gifted me this book, when I was a college student in India. I read the hymns and tried to fathom their depth, but it was difficult for me that time to understand them.

Patanjali’s definition of Yoga is indeed a broad one. He says, “Yoga chitta vritti nirodha”. The literal meaning of the hymn is: to control the movements of mind is Yoga. This definition may seem too simplistic for the uninitiated, but too profound who understand the true import of Yoga. This definition has parallels with Gita’s hymn: “karmenye vadhikaraste maa phaleshu kadachana”, and “sthitaprajna”. In the hymn, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna, who was bewildered to see cousins on the rival side, “you have right to perform actions, but not to fruits of actions”. Sthitaprajna implies a state of mind – a composure in which the Yogi, the practitioner of Yoga, adopts same posture at good news and bad news, at success and at failure. This is certainly a broad definition as it does not talk about Asana or Pranayam (control of breathing for particular effects) or meditation (concentration of mind on divine or divine thoughts and words or on a particular point). Yoga includes all, and goes further. 

Yoga literally means addition or joining of one thing with some other thing. The spiritual connotation of the term is the joining of the individual soul with the universal soul. To put in a different language, it implies the joining of the individual soul with God. Even if we take out the religious interpretation, the term has profound secular meaning. It is by practicing Yoga the individual can widen his or her narrow self, and think broad and universal. Yoga can elevate an individual, whether religious or not, from his or her narrow selfish cocoon to the universal platform. One does not necessarily need to be religious to practice Yoga, whether in the form of Asana or Pranayam or meditation. Yoga is scientific and one can see its result after practicing.

One can know the value of Yoga only by practicing it, not by preaching it. Yoga is certainly an instrument of practice. A person who practices Yoga everyday would be jealous enough to give it up at the insistence of a misguided one who declares it an instrument of a particular religion.

In Hindu tradition, there are many types of Yoga. Yoga in this religious tradition is a means to realize God. In Hindu religion, there are six kinds of Yoga: Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Prema Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raj Yoga and Tantra Yoga. In short: Jnana Yoga emphasizes on the means of knowledge and wisdom to realize God. Adi Shankara was one of its key proponents. Bhakti Yoga emphasizes on devotion to realize God. Sri Chaitanya was one of its key proponents. Prema Yoga emphasizes on love to realize God. Mira bai was one of its key proponents. Karma Yoga emphasizes on work as a key means to realize God. Gandhi was one of its key proponents. Raj Yoga emphasizes on Pranayam towards realizing God. Swami Vivekananda on his book Raj Yoga elaborated this Yoga. Tantra Yoga emphasizes on occult practices to realize God. Gorakhnath was one of its key proponents. Sri Aurobindo says it is not necessary that one must practice a particular Yoga or all Yogas to realize God. He suggests one should practice any of these Yogas, or a combination of them that suits a his or her aptitude and constitution.

Sri Aurobindo’s definition of Yoga is: All Life is Yoga. Perhaps this is the broadest definition of Yoga. It seems confusing. How can all life be Yoga? When I was a student at a university in New Delhi, I had a debate with one of my friends on this issue. My friend said: how can it be possible that Yoga will be the guiding principle of life? How can whole life be Yoga? It can not be. We have to do so many things – we have to study, watch TV, have some fun, and also Yoga. So, Yoga is one part of our life activities, not all activities. His argument apparently contradicted Sri Aurobindo’s definition. As a person he has every right to cling to his argument.

A person who has understood Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy understands the true import of his definition. In fact, this definition summarizes his whole philosophy. All Life is Yoga. He simplifies: the human life follows a path of evolution, human being moves towards God, and if not today then tomorrow he will reach God. This is certain, he says. And a person who understands this, and realizes this that he or she is born on earth to realize God, he or she would then adopt a Yogic perspective on life. Whatever he or she does, she would do that from that consciousness. That consciousness entails: I am here on earth to realize God, earth is the playground chosen by God for me, God is the guide, and everything that I do, I do for God. I am studying – I am studying for God. I am playing football – I am playing for God. I am dancing – I am dancing for God. Sri Aurobindo would say when one adopts this approach to life and actions – for him all his or her life, all his actions, will be Yoga. He would grow towards God, and his consciousness becomes God-consciousness. It is a difficult process as there is almost an eternal pull of base elements to obstruct this growth of human being towards God. Hence, Sri Aurobindo says doing Yoga is like walking on the edge of a sword.

We conventionally understand Yoga as doing Asana or Pranayam or meditation. And the International Yoga Day is intended to celebrate and promote these practices, which are enormously helpful for body, vital and mind.

Some people oppose Yoga. I came across a blog, which says that in India there are millions of people who do not get two good meals a day, so what is the fun of doing Yoga or promoting it? His concern for the poor is justified, and I hope the concern is genuine. But, he fails to explain how doing Yoga increases poverty, or contributes to poverty in India. These two issues are unrelated. Did the government of India divert millions or billions of dollars from welfare activities such as poverty eradication to Yoga? If yes, then he has a point. If not, then he is making an argument, when there is actually no argument.

Some people object practicing Yoga and term it religious, particularly Hindu. It is like saying flying in an aeroplane is Christian as Wright brothers made it. This objection simply does not stand rational scrutiny.

If we apply a sheer utilitarian measure (Bentham’s theory that pleasure can be quantified), Yoga is utilitarian. It makes the functioning of the body better, or even corrects/heals some of its malfunctioning. It brings calm and peace to our mind. If done properly, Pranayam and meditation increase mental power. What is the cost? Almost nothing, if you are not going to a professional Yoga teacher. Where is religion here?

I liked the event today. There was a discourse on Yoga. The speaker told about Yoga, and its various advantages. There was group meditation with soothing music in the background that continued for about one hour. At the end of the event, the organizers offered sweets and a card with a good message. One of the organizers asked me: how was the event, did I like it, or do I practice Yoga differently? I replied, the event was good, but I was expecting the meditation would be shorter than one hour. I know how it is difficult to meditate for one hour at one stretch. Few participants were dismayed as they came with their mats for doing some guided Asanas, which did not happen.

PM's Independence Day Speech

I listened to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on India’s 68^th Independence Day. Here I elaborate some of the points in the speech which I find inspiring for India’s growth. Modi’s emphasis on Shastra instead of Shastra (both words can be written same in English but their pronunciation and meaning in Sanskrit and Hindi – in which Modi delivered his speech – will be different: one is, for the sake of differentiation, Shaastra – meaning broadly book of knowledge and wisdom and the other is Shastra – meaning weapons) is the need of the time. Not only India and other countries in South Asia, but also most parts of the world, are affected by violence. Whether it is militancy and terrorism in India, or the Maoist problem in its east and south, or the problems in Afghanistan, or West Asia, or former Soviet space – all are marked by bloodshed. Geo-strategies and power politics have further contributed to bloodshed. The wisdom from the great books can guide us towards peace. It is time to give up guns and cultivate the inner virtues of human beings.

The replacement of a gun by a plough on the shoulder of a militant will cause much good to India, Modi believes. I believe in this too. We have seen many guns, wars, fear of guns, and their consequences. Guns have not resolved conflicts, not provided food and not brought peace and security to a nation-state or the globe. Now the time is for peace and economic development without the aid of a gun. I hope Modi will follow this principle while making decisions and implementing them.

The prime minister vigorously pitched for a India which has all means for economic development. He specially appealed to the youth of India. Here, it was the pro-business, pro-development, Modi was at his best. Modi is known for using new slogans. For the development of India, for increasing its exports, he gave a two-fold slogan ‘zero-defect, zero effect.’ He called the entrepreneurs, including the young entrepreneurs of India, to bring India’s name to the front not as an importer but as an exporter of qualitative goods. Zero defect implies that goods must be produced without any defect; they should be of best quality. This will ensure India’s global prestige as a quality goods producer. Any defect will bring bad name to India. Similarly, Modi called for production and export of goods which have least negative effect on environment. They should not prove environmental hazards.

As a tech-savvy politician, who uses social media for publicity of his policies and actions, Modi gave the call for transforming India into a ‘digital India.’ A digital India will cure many of the evils from which the Indian political system suffers. The idea of digital India also includes the idea of e-governance, which for the prime minister not only implies easy governance but also good governance. I agree with the prime minister that much of the red-tapism, which haunts India’s governance system, will go away if digital governance is practiced. India has required technological expertise to usher in digital governance. It has perhaps the largest number of IT professionals than any other country in the world. Hence, it is absolutely possible to embark on e-governance, which will cater to the needs of the people without the aid of the middlemen.

To fight the menace of middlemen, the prime minister announced a program under which money from government will directly reach the needy. Without such a provision there is rampant corruption in welfare programs launched by the government. Go to any village and talk to the people below poverty line, they will tell you clearly how they have suffered in the hands of the middlemen. Whether is rural employment guarantee scheme, or old age pension, Indira Awas Yojana (in fact there are many welfare programs, which were certainly initiated with the aim of helping the poor), the hapless victims are the rural poor who have no recourse to justice against corrupt middlemen. Under the new program announced by Modi, a recipient of welfare benefits will have a bank account to which government will send money directly. The recipient will have a debit card to withdraw money easily. The prime minister rightly pointed out an irony that there are people in India who have mobile phones but not bank accounts. The governor of India’s central bank, Reserve Bank of India, has also made a resolve to fight crony capitalism. The new program will help fulfill this resolve.

About gender insensitivity and discrimination against women, the prime minister made a strong pitch for gender equality in all walks of life. Drawing from the tradition, he urged the parents to give moral education to their children. He rightly pointed out the rapist is somebody’s son. I agree with him that moral education by parents can help develop the character of a child and make him a responsible citizen of the country. Modi argued against female feticide and cited the recent Commonwealth Games in UK in which women got a good number of medals. Women and men are equal and there should be no discrimination on the basis of gender, the prime minister appealed to the people of India.

Modi also pointed out other evils that eat into the vitals of an emerging India. The main among them include communalism and casteism. He appealed to the people of India to rise above these evils and fight them collectively. He cited a Sanskrit hymn that we should walk together. It is when we think and work collectively as a nation that many of the problems we confront will wither away. He applied the same yardstick to other evils such as corruption. Selfishness is the main mover of corruption. One should not only think about his ‘self’ but also the ‘self’ of the society, of India as a whole. Here comes to my mind the Gandhian dictum: the nature has for everybody’s need but not for anybody’s greed. The famous Gandhian talisman read: when an individual is in confusion as to whether he should take a particular action, he should think about the most miserable person on the earth he has seen and think whether the action he is confused about will help that person. If the answer is yes, he should initiate that action otherwise not. Perhaps Modi has in his mind this talisman when he urged the people of India to think of India as a whole, as one family. 

Modi also evoked the spirit of Gandhi when he was talking about cleanliness. India is one of the dirty countries in the world. Go to any city, town or public places, or to India’s rivers, the sight says it all. Modi said, we are going to celebrate Gandhi’s 150^th birth anniversary in near future, but we must remember Gandhi’s emphasis on hygiene. He rightly pointed out that government will not be able to carry out this mission without the support of the citizens. He is right in this. Government is of the people and for the people and by the people. Without the support of citizens, the government efforts will be vain. The people must take care of their house and make it clean, and the same logic they need to apply to their neighborhood, and public spaces like parks, markets, tanks and rivers. Unless this happens, India will remain dirty and dispel the investor who wants to invest in India, dispel a person who wants to be an India lover and wants to say India is my home.

Besides Gandhi, Modi also evoked the names of Maharshi Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda. In his message on India’s first Independence Day in 1947 Maharshi Aurobindo had elaborated his five dreams. Among them included a strong and vibrant India, and emergence of India not only as a developed and harmonious nation-state but also as a teacher (Guru) of the world. Swami Vivekananda gave the call to the youth of India to march ceaselessly till the goal is reached. It may not be an exaggeration to say that Modi drew heavily from India’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage while speaking from the Red Fort. 

On the New Year

It may seem odd to write something on the New Year when the year is shedding one of its twelve legs. I understand that this perspective applies to the English new year, as there are many other new years which are yet to come – the Chinese celebrate it on 5th of February, the Hindus some time in March, etc. In that sense all these celebrations, if I may say, fall into a cycle – the cycle of new years or what I call the cycle of life. 

When I am talking about life, my mind goes to the saying of one of India’s celebrated philosopher, social servant and freedom fighter – Gopabandhu Dash. Dash (1877-1928) was fiercely independent in mind and spirit and despite having university degrees in those days and having opportunities to enjoy the life of high class preferred to be a dhoti-clad social reformer going from door to door to serve the poor. When the devastating flood affected the coastal Orissa Dash came out of his house to distribute relief to the victims. At that time his only son was bedridden with serious illness (those days medical facilities were horrible). His wife requested Dash not to leave their sick son on the verge of death, to which he replied (and I paraphrase), ‘thousands of my sons are afflicted by flood – whom should I serve: to this son or those thousands of sons suffering outside home?’ Gopabandhu left for serving the victims, and his son died. 

This is a brief background of Gopabandhu’s life – I have no intention to go into detail of his life, which is available in internet. I want to quote his message, which is quite apt for the New Year. Dash wrote in his poetic style, manav jeevan nuhain kevala barsha masa dina danda, karme jien nara karma eka tara jeevanara manadanda. To translate: the human life (and its worth) can not be measured by years, months or moments (which he lives), but only by the work (used broadly service to society) because human life can only be measured by the work he has done when alive. Dash not only wrote this but also walked his writing. I had already given one example. There are thousand such examples in his life. In the Gandhian language – his life was his message. He lived his philosophy. 

By bringing Gopabandhu to life on the occasion of the New Year I intend to do one thing – to remind myself and to my friends who read this – to think how far can we think and act in his way? How do we live our life worthy of a vision which we cherish – and which our successors will proudly remember and say that this person lived a worthy life – the life of a Gandhi, or Gopabandhu or Mandela or King Jr, or Newton, Einstein, or Wittgenstein – the examples are numerous. We may not want to be one of these worthy offsprings of the world, but we can be creative, productive, and humble in our own way. To argue in a lighter way, I bring here the famous song acted by Raj Kapoor, ek din bik jayega mati ke mol jag mein rah jayenge pyare teri bol, duje ke hontho ko dekar apne geet koi nisani chhod phir duniya se bol…(roughly translated - one day this fragile body will melt away (meaning death), but your actions will stay. Share others’ joy and pain, and in that do something for the world). Another song, acted by Kapoor, kisi ki muskurahaton pe ho nisar kisika dard mil sake to le udhar, kisiki vaste ho tere dil mein pyar jina isika naam hai bears similar message. Come here Swami Vivekananda who mightily pronounces: as you are born a human – leave an indelible mark on earth. 

I am reminded here the English film Death Has Become Her, which I watched few years ago. In that movie one of the protagonists Ernest denounces a magic potion, a drink of which makes human being immortal. There is a famous dialogue – Ernest to the prodding to drink the potion says I do not want to live artificially; rather I would live my life and die. These are not the exact words but something like which he said to his opponents. This is like Socratic way of saying (when the Greek philosopher Socrates was administered hemlock to die without his fault) – by dying I will remain alive and this jury will die while alive. There are many hilarious moments in the movie. (If I remember correctly) one of the women who had drunk potion met an accident and her body became scattered, she then collected her body into one. A movie full of comedies but with messages.

This is in brief my New Year reflections. I do not recommend that everybody must follow the example of Gopabandhu ditto – that is not the message. It is also not possible. The idea is to follow the spirit that guided Gopabandhu or Gandhi or Newton. If we can follow their examples in our own way and remain active, vigilant with seriousness to our work and surrounding and with compassion towards all, we can reasonably say that we can effect something positive in our life as well as for the world. I strongly reject the spirit of fatalism or a lazy attitude to life and in believing that a superior power will do everything for us – that is something I call negativism. Also, God does not help them who do not know how to help them. 

When I look at India, the place of my birth, I find (using the language of biology) malnutrition of these great spirits and surfeit of evil spirits – in terms of corruption and corrupt leaders, crime, religious orthodoxy, class and caste antagonisms. Field a few of Gandhis, Gopabandhus and Vivekanandas – all these problems and problem makers will vanish. There are attempts in this direction in recent months. We need more vigorous attempts. I am optimistic and positive about India’s future. Did not the great philosopher Sri Aurobindo proclaim during his message on the eve of India’s Independence that India is destined to be the Guru (leader) of the world? That leadership is the spiritual leadership, not a leadership backed by gun.

When I write these things on the New Year I may appear to lecture or give sermons – I actually look at things in a different way. These are messages to me as well. Human beings need guides like Gandhi but Gandhi can not lead human beings unless the human being wills to be led or to be changed. What I mean is: social transformation or change in the world is a collective effort, in which all, including I, have acts to perform.

Dying the 'Religion' Way?

Last month more than 100 people died in a stampede in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The dead when alive were devotees. They went to the Ratangarh temple on the occasion of the Durga Puja, one of the important Hindu festivals. The dead mostly included women, children and old men. 30 children died. Seven years ago stampede had taken place in the same place, but no lessons were drawn.

It does not need any hard evidence to point out that most of the people who died were poor. For thousands of devotees, there were only one sub-inspector and nine constables to maintain law and order. The top officials of the district were busy in elections, or were simply careless. Had the Chief Minister of the state, forget Chief Minister, had a senior bureaucrat of the state been visiting the temple, the law and order could have been better maintained, perhaps the stampede could have been avoided. Perhaps religious festivals should be graced by the so called elite people so that lives of the poor people could be saved!! 

I am particularly sad for the children who died. Perhaps they could have preferred to play in their house yards than visiting temples where most of them could little understand what is going on. These children died, and with them a portion of future India is lost. The tradition of visiting temples on religious occasions might be a good thing as it might bring solace to mind and heart, but if stampede and death would be the consequence then I would prefer to worship my God in my house than visiting to a temple and get killed. I remember reading news that one family who went to a religious place to celebrate the birthday of their only son lost all lives in a road accident on return. Perhaps we need better roads, better law and order, and better discipline before visiting temples and offering prayers. 

The excessive reliance on tradition may not be always helpful. There needs to be a distinction between superstition and tradition. As I interpret theology, God does not demand that one must go to temple to reach Him. There is God in human being and when the human being realizes God in him and identifies him with Him, then there is realization of God and liberation, for that it is not necessary to go to temple. Swami Vivekananda, one of the great religious and social reformers of India, argued that it is better to play football than to read Gita. He was at remorse at the poverty of India, the malnutrition affecting her children. He argued, with which I agree, that without a healthy body and mind, an individual can not be true follower of God. An emaciated body will devote most time thinking about food than God. And a corrupt mind can never lead us to God even if we sit and stand 24/7 before the statue of God in the most famous temple. 

Marx is right when he argued religion is the opium of the masses. It teaches subservience and fatalism. I know that this is a negative aspect of religion. In its positive aspect, religion has many utilities both for peace of mind and for spiritual progress. Let me talk about this negative dimension. Fatalism induces in the recalcitrant a sense of apathy towards affairs of life as he believes that the God will do everything for him. This enabled the colonial powers to easily dominate the God-believing people as fatalism induces in them the belief that it is what God wants. I read somewhere that when Abdali attacked India, he had an easy run in some places in killing people as many of them under the spell of the Bhakti movement did not counter the attack. If that is religion, then I would better disavow it. 

A religion devoid of courage, vigor, devoid of life and dynamism, devoid of progress and adaptation, is no religion as such but a dying creed. At least that is not Hinduism. Perhaps decay has gripped the religion. Particularly in the context of Hindu religion, there are no stalwarts in the image of Shankara or Ramanuja or Swami Vivekananda or Sri Aurobindo who can guide the practitioners of the religion. Now-a-days in India we have a lot of talk about religion, but not for internal illumination but external embellishment. It is no surprise that the so called God-men and God-women are morally corrupt. External preaching without internal purity has almost created a miasma over the true tenets of the religion. The old ritual persists but the spirit has seemed to evaporate.

I am not at all amused with the death of the innocent on the bridge over the Sindh river last month. Though the religion occasion coincided with my birthday, I felt helpless as on such an occasion I heard people dying. Goddess Durga, whose temple the pilgrims thronged must have not desired such a scene. Though it would be both futile and irrational to study the mind of the Goddess, but if we apply the human reasoning it would be appropriate to say that the Goddess, whom we worship as mother, must not rejoice at the death of her children.

The basic tenet of Hindu religion is perhaps best captured by the 15th century Gujarati philosopher, Narsinh Mehta, who sang, ‘the devotee is he who understands and cares for other’s pain’ (Vaishnava Jana to tene kahiye jo pir parai jaane re). If service is one pillar, then sacrifice is certainly the other. But service and sacrifice demand courage and preparedness. A person who is filled with vices can neither perform service nor sacrifice. And the vices can be individual as well as collective. When a religion is gripped by the vices with majority of the practitioners believing that religion is just a ritual, and nothing more, then there is no end to perdition not after this life but in this life.

Some people believe that if a person dies on an auspicious religion occasion, then he directly goes to heaven. Perhaps this belief persists in other religions. I strongly disapprove such a belief. Such a belief justifies all kinds of death on these occasions, including the stampede that took place in Madhya Pradesh last month. I would rather let the people stay at home and pray from there rather than letting them to become victims of a poorly organized festival, irresponsible administration, and deadly rumors.

Yoga for Peace

The idea of peace through Yoga may at first sight appear trivial or religious or mystic, but a closer analysis will reveal that this is a practicable idea – the cost of which is trifle but the benefits are immense. It is neither related to religious beliefs nor mysticism. A practitioner of Yoga knows its powerful and sobering impact on mind, and also knows how it can bring peace in mind and consequently on action with bearing on society. Yoga implies many things. There are many types of Yoga. Here, my focus is not on its typology or its origin or religious significance as my purpose is different. My purpose is to demonstrate how Yoga can dispel violence from human mind. I will focus on a particular kind of Yoga called Raja Yoga, which mainly involves breathing exercises. Yoga, derived from Sanskrit, means ‘join’ or ‘connection’ – the spiritual implication is joining God in individual to the God in universe. 

Swami Vivekananda in his book Raja Yoga, first published in 1896, elaborated this Yoga. He argued that Yoga is scientific. Even an atheist by following the rules of Yoga can sharpen his mind, increase his mental power, develop a healthy body and maintain composure in worst situations. The main component of this Yoga is called Pranayam, which can be roughly translated as breathing exercises. This Yoga is mainly based on the premise that control of our breathing not only helps us control the inflow of oxygen into our lungs or outflow of carbon dioxide from a mere physiological point of view, but also helps control our mental activities with far reaching psychological and psychic implications. A simple test demonstrates that – a deep breathing, deep inhaling of oxygen into the lungs, has a soothing impact on our body. It is suggested by well wishers that when we get angry, or anxiety grips us, or we get nervous, we should take a deep breath and it helps. This is true. This is a rudimentary example. 

Yoga is based on this simple principle but it can gradually acquire a higher pitch. Instead of doing this breathing exercise in case of ‘emergency’ or ‘necessity’ its proponents will suggest to continue this breathing exercise on a regular basis by following its rules. Any haphazard practice may have negative impact on health. As Vivekananda argued, Yoga is scientific and demands certain rules and procedures, and once these rules are followed Yoga can have transformational impact on the practitioner. 

Like various kinds of Yoga, there are various kinds of breathing exercises or Pranayam. I will elaborate here the Anulom Vilom Pranayam. It is also called alternate breathing exercise. Any casual search of internet sites including YouTube will flash hundreds of video clips on this particular Pranayam. This exercise is simple – one has to breathe in one nostril and inhale maximum oxygen to lungs while closing the other nostril and exhale the air through the alternate nostril, and the next time air must be inhaled through this alternate nostril while keeping the other nostril closed but to exhale air through it. This breathing exercise should continue for some time. There is no fixed time for completing this exercise. It mostly depends on the practitioner and his or her comfort level and practice. The best time for this exercise is morning or evening; preferably the stomach should not be full or empty; the health should be in a good condition – the person should not be suffering from cold or fever or any health problems which create difficulties for this exercise. All these rules and procedures are amply available in internet sites. 

What is the cost of this exercise? Nothing. I would suggest one should learn from a person who is already practicing this exercise. One may practice at will, and give up practice at will. The basic credo of Yoga is voluntary practice as any compulsion defies the very purpose of Yoga – peace and happiness. In the initial period it may appear difficult, but with few days practice it will be easy. Patanjali defines Yoga as ‘skill in works’. Yoga is always enabling, not obstructing. Everyday practice for about 10 minutes of Anulom Vilom can have lot of positive impacts on mind. 

Am I writing something which is useless or unproductive from a peace perspective? I disagree. States spend billions of dollars to craft peace in conflict zones. They send emissaries to conflicting parties and invite them to negotiating table to achieve modicum of peace. They spend a lot of money in projects in academics and in civil society to conduct research, roundtables, and workshops, fact finding missions, working groups, conflict analysis and assessment. All these methods have their importance. If Yoga can be a priceless armor in this weaponry of conflict management/transformation/resolution process, then what is wrong?

Not that there has not been any application of Yoga in conflict transformation. One of the leading figures of India, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of Art of Living Foundation, has applied his version of Yoga in conflict ridden Kashmir. His foundation imparted lessons to people in the region. He also applied these lessons to other conflict regions such as Sri Lanka. These can be replicated elsewhere. And the cost of such exercises is trifle. I will add that besides the youth, the leaders of the conflicting parties need to be convinced the utility of these exercises and its impact in soothing the tensions of mind. Tensions, anxiety, and insecurity breed and intensify enmity. These have sources in human mind, and once mind is composed and calm, these negative aspects can be fought more easily. This fighting will be inner than outer. And in this process Yoga can help. I emphasize that leaders or persons in high positions, whether in conflict regions or peace regions, need to practice Yoga.

In Afghanistan billions of dollars have been invested in crafting peace. Mediating powers have admitted that they have spent lot of money in bringing peace and stability in the war torn country. In this process they have bribed rebel groups like the Taliban and the government officials to build peace. This method of peace may have some tangible effects, but it is difficult at present to predict its long term impacts. My argument here is that unless these conflicting factions, whether the ruling establishment or the Taliban or other myriad ethnic factions, and external players, change their minds, peace will be a difficult enterprise. The parties consist of human beings, and unless these human beings change, the achieved peace may be a fractured or a negative one. I agree that achieving peace is a complex process. Hence, I argue to achieve positive peace all methods irrespective of their source or reach need to be used. Yoga is one.

Dualism Persists

In the context of human society and human relations, an idea cropped up in my mind when I was watching TV in a friend’s house while staying for few days. It is the concept of duality, or dual lives, or dual personalities (it is different from the psychological concept of split personality). This dualism is deliberate, selfish, and constructed by human being to live in this world. This I came to conclusion while watching religious channels like Samsakara and Astha in TV. The preachers say beautiful, soothing things to the ear. They say some great things, and which are actually needed by the tormented human society, afflicted by the issues of deception, trickery, greed and the vices which humans love to domesticate and love to nurture in own beings. The speakers picked up a theme from Hindu mythology such as Ramayana and Mahabharata and contextualize them to cater to the needs of the present society. A good thing indeed. They preach non-violence, selflessness, social service. They also talk about how to have peace in mind, how to have devotion to God, to have meditating mind and so on. They narrated the stories of Hanuman’s devotion to Rama, and love and surrender of Radha to Krishna and so on. These are really good, and not only that, I am reasonably sure, if a person follows these words sincerely, then there will be great improvement in him and surroundings, no doubt.

But when I think about the practical implications of such an exercise, I find myself dismayed. The analogy narrated by Swami Vivekananda often comes to my mind in this context. He differentiated between a pundit and a yogi. A pundit reads so many things, he is a good narrator, good orator, quotes from scriptures like Vedas and Upanishads with full authority, but while coming to practice he is a nut. While he teaches others to control over their anger, he is an angry man, for example. While he teaches others to conquer desire, he in fact is a slave of this vice, for example. Swami Vivekananda says it is better to be a yogi, than to be a pundit. Yogi is not a scholar, is not well versed in scriptures. But whatever, however few, noble things he knows or learns, he practices. He learns anger is not good, and now he is a man of peace. Now he knows desire has to be conquered, and he conquers it. Hence, while yogis are a rare species, pundits are numerous. While a yogi like Ramakrishna Paramahansa is a rare sight, we find hundreds and thousands of pundits (even I doubt whether all of them have mastery over scriptures) flock our streets, TV sets, and wear the clothes of yellow, and portray themselves as yogis. Some of these pundits do not forget to give them a facial in a beauty salon before public appearance. If preaching for them is a profession, then they are job holders, doing their job, as we do in our work places. But to be a yogi, to be a preacher of noble virtues, one has to be in ‘job’ 24 hours and throughout the life. Putting in the language of Sri Aurobindo, 'all life is yoga.' It is not like preaching for the record, and in the next moment you become a person of all ordinary desires and vices. Ramakrishna was illiterate, and could not write his name correctly, but we all know how great he was, how saintly he was.

But the dualism concept goes much deeper and much farther. This is not confined to the preachers, but spread to the people, including the organizers, who come to listen to the preachers. While these pundits and so called pundits may number hundreds and may be thousands, the people who flock to listen to them number hundreds of thousands. Let me talk about organizers. They are usually rich people. I understand that. Without money power, it is difficult to organize huge events like these ones. Arranging the venue, providing all the facilities like carpets, chairs, etc. to carry on the activities or arranging media and recording system and air conditioning or fans, and to look after the pundit and his group, all need money. The organizers provide money, and also raise money from the listeners and followers. I have no problem, no objection with that. I am concerned with how far these organizers follow the teachings of the pundits. We all come across stories how these people become rich by following foul means, by following short cuts (by avoiding routes of hard work and efforts, while I am saying this obviously I am not referring to all organizers, there are always exceptions). There is also a familiar story how a businessman was putting sugar particles into ant holes, so that the vice he earns by adding sand to sugar in his grocery shop can be compensated by putting few sugar particles into ant holes, for the vice of adding sand to sugar, or stones to rice, can be compensated /balanced by offering alms to beggars or putting sugar in ant holes and so on.

My central question is: are the organizers or the people who contribute to these events are motivated by this spirit of ‘balance’ and ‘compensation?’ If that is the spirit, if that is the underlying motivation, then the whole price in organizing such events is zero, as it is seen, viewed from a commercial, business point of view. It is like killing an animal, and to balance the sin, you nurture another animal. In fact, the concept of fear in religion that if you commit sin you will be punished in after life, and if you commit virtue you will be suitably rewarded in after life is so strong, so motivating, that I see in most of these events, most of these organizations, there is a sense to capitalize on this fear factor. They are motivated by this end game of ‘balance’ and ‘compensation.’

Then what is the end result? It is like coming back to square one. The pundit says you remain calm, think ill of none. You listen to it carefully, and also you know that it is a great thing to practice in life, but the moment the pundit jumps to the second sentence, you forget it, you think about humdrum daily life. It is like Guru Nanak finding a person performing Namaz on the street, while actually thinking about his lost flock of sheep while performing the prayer. Hence, this is the dualism, which must be avoided, curbed and nullified. The only positive thing I can see in these activities is just diversion of time in some harmless things. From that point of view, it may be a fine thing. But, I do not think that is the sole purpose of organizing these events, where millions of people spend time and huge sums of money.

At the end this dualism persists. Leo Tolstoy says, the ‘kingdom of God lies within you.’ Unless the human being realizes the God ‘within,’ all the ‘outside’ practices such as listening to pundits, or going to temples, mosques, gurudwaras, churches and synagogues will be vain. It is the ‘within’ or the inner self of human being that is reflected in his ‘outside’. Unless that realization comes in thought and practice, this dualism will continue with all its vigour, prompting a great soul like Adi Shankara calling the activities of the world as Maya or illusion, because that is not the truth as we see, that only pushes us to live in a world of dualism, in which the outer self, the show, the veneer predominates over the subtle, the inner and the soul.

Birth Anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna

This year we are celebrating the birth anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna. It is the 175th birth anniversary. Though it is the 175th, I feel Ramakrishna and his messages are still alive and much relevant in today’s turbulent world. Last year when I visited Belur Math, and also the Dakshineswar temple, both situated at the opposite banks of river Ganga (locally called Hugli), I could still feel the marvels created by the great souls like Ramakrishna, and his disciple Swami Vivekananda. Hundreds of thousands of people throng to these places every day, and seek noble teachings preached by them, and ennoble their lives.

Ramakrishna did not know how to write. He was in the conventional sense an illiterate. He could not write his name correctly. The museum in the premises of Belur Math show how he was born in a modest family, a family of priests (if I remember correctly), and he did not have enough means to realize the dream of being educated and being a babu. I read somewhere when as a child he was walking in the field, he saw a group of birds flying in the sky and he had a divine realization. There are many such interesting stories one can come across in the life of this child, later one of the greatest apostles of truth, honesty and innocence.

After Ramakrishna’s death, when his wife Sarada Devi, in order to follow Hindu tradition, decided to wipe out the red vermillion on head, and taking out bungles, Ramakrishna suddenly appeared alive and said to her that I am not dead, I am alive; the Lord that is Rama, the Lord that is Krishna, in this body is Ramakrishna. Hence, no need to appear like a widow. The great soul, the image of simplicity, even his saintly frame, as I see in photographs and paintings, his discourse with his disciples, his gestures in the air showing three fingers, are something which are markers of the great mysticism which Ramakrishna embodied. And this mysticism is not something pure chimera or fantasy, but something that changed and moulded lives of millions, including the atheist Narendra, later became Swami Vivekananda. There is a story that whenever Ramakrishna touched coins, he felt pain and his fingers became crooked. His yet to be disciple Narendra doubted this, and put a coin under his bed, and the Saint pained and his fingers became crooked. These are some of the stories, which invoke curiosity towards further delving deep into the lives of these great men. The western philosopher Romain Rolland has written a beautiful book on Ramakrishna. Ramakrishna himself has told thousands of stories, with full of meanings, full of lessons for his followers, and even non-followers to learn and mould their lives.

The great saint was no preacher of fundamentalism or exclusivism. There is a beautiful story how this great saint practiced all religions. He practiced Christianity and Jesus came to him. He practiced Islam and realized God, and then he could realize and preached that God can be realized in every religion. It is not the religion but the individual’s faith in practicing the religion that is more important. He used o say – to realize God, one needs to have a child like simplicity. He, in this context, used to give the example of a baby cat or a baby monkey. In the case of baby monkey the mother cat bites and lifts the baby gently to shift it from one place to other. The baby is not afraid, and is fully dependent on her mother. Similarly, the seeker must have complete faith and surrender that whatever the mother, the God, will do, will do for the good. The baby monkey clutches the mother’s body so tightly that it goes with mother from branch to branch without falling on the ground. Similarly, the seeker must have that much unshakable faith and that persistence in God that she will go wherever He takes her. Ramakrishna used to say if you have absolute faith, even an iota of absolute faith; you can jump the Himalayas or swim across the seas. It may appear churlish to the cynic, but it is the fact which Ramakrishna realized, and also realized by his disciples and followers.

Here I remember the concept which Plato gave, that we know everything innately, but gradually we come to know that we know things. Ramakrishna was the messenger of God, who had realized God directly; hence for him the formal education, formal initiation was matter of no importance. It is said that while his guru Totapuri took 40 years to realize God, Ramakrishna realized it only in three days. He was the person beyond the images of the world, beyond the human calculation; he was in fact Jivan Mukta, to quote Shankara’s terminology. He was in this world, but beyond this world. When I visited the temple he was the main priest in later part of 19th century, and when I saw his room, he was staying; it was the experience that made me realize that we have the world where such people came and went, but they left an indelible print, a rich heritage for future generation to follow and cultivate. Perhaps, on his birth anniversary, it will be the greatest tribute to Ramakrishna, to believe in honesty, truth and virtues, and then try to implement those values in our lives.

Dialogue with God

I want to write on something called ‘Dialogue with God.’ Is it possible to have a dialogue with God? I think it is possible. We can have conversation with God, as we have dialogues with our friends, fellow human beings, our surroundings, as well as our inner selves. The most important thing that we need in this context is that we need to have faith, a firm faith, that there is God, and He is close to us, and we can have conversations with him. In this context, I remember the famous Saint of Kolkata (then Calcutta), Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, whose 175th birth anniversary is celebrated this year. Ramakrishna was famous for his dialogue, his conversation with Goddess Kali. And when his yet to be disciple Narendranath Dutt, later famous as Swami Vivekananda, did not believe the popular saying that the saint in Kali temple has seen and conversed with God, Ramakrishna made him realize God there. On another occasion when penury succumbed to the family of young Narendra, he went to Ramakrishna to seek wealth, and Ramakrishna sent him to Goddess Kali to ask whatever he wants.

My point here is that the once atheist Narendra became a strong believer in God, and a famous preacher of Hindu religion, starting from his famous Chicago address in 1893. Hence, the first requisite to have dialogue with God is to have the firm belief that there is God, who is all ears to us, kind and compassionate, and our friend , philosopher and guide. The second most important prerequisite is our sincerity that if I ask something God in earnest then he will reply. That seeking must be there. If I believe in God’s existence, but does not believe in God’s kindness, his eagerness to help us, his all attention to us, then there is no possibility that one can have dialogue with God. It needs the devotion and love of a Mirabai, or the kind of faith of Aranyaka or Upamnyu, that can lift one to the level, or to the sphere when one can have dialogue with God. And third most important prerequisite is that the seeker must not have any narrow mind, or narrow thinking that seeks God’s blessing for personal benefit. It is like asking for a penny, when the king is ready to offer his kingdom. Unless the seeker rises above petty thinking, above the circle of petty desire, and all its attachments, then it will be difficult to have dialogue with God. It will be like marching fast on the road towards the goal, but the feet are hanging on the air, which is an impossible proposition.

There is the famous case of Mahatma Gandhi, when he says that he received Adesh (order) from God to stop non-cooperation movement, or civil disobedience movement during the Indian freedom struggle. He used to say that he always listened to the inner voice, not to bland arguments of reason or logic. Similarly, the well known freedom fighter, and later yogi and philosopher, Sri Aurobindo, who left Kolkata for Chandan nagar (then a French colony) in 1910, he was saying that he suddenly left the place because there was the divine command, not any personal calculation was involved there. We have seen the results in both the cases.

Hence, there can be a dialogue with God. As there was a dialogue of Nachiketa with Yama, the God of death, similarly there can be a dialogue with God. Again this is not something which can be measured by means of reason and logic. When the Greek philosopher told the great Alexander not to come in front of sunlight to his request for bestowing everything, it is not something which can be explained very rationally.  Hence, I believe, it is absolutely possible to have dialogue with God, as we have dialogues with ourselves, with our inner selves and surroundings.

No doubt, it will be a very beautiful phenomenon, experience to have dialogue with God. It is the dialogue between ignorant and omniscient, between weak and oppressed (not by lack of wealth, but by many other evils) and the omnipotent, and between the brittle beings and transient beings with omnipresent. That will be a wonderful experience, perhaps the most wonderful, even than the great wonders of the world. Even if we think that way, and guide our actions and words in that way, as if there is a God who is looking us and our actions, who is more powerful than us, and always eager to protect us, then perhaps most of anxieties and sufferings that have grappled human beings will vanish. When the greedy will think that God is more wealthy, and it is not material wealth, but wealth of peace, wealth of happiness, that can give the true comfort to mind and body, then the greedy will not be greedy, but rather a servant of mankind as a servant of god, because he will rise himself above individualistic thinking, and guided by universal thinking. It is not foolishness or madness; rather it is the larger freedom, larger and wider than the freedoms offered by capitalism or socialism, which can make human beings wiser, healthier, and happier.