Rashtra Chetana

Volume III Issue-I Website: www.rashtrachetana.com Email: rashtrachetana@gmail.
com
COMMEMORATIVE 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF RASHTRA CHETANA
NANDAMNANDAKARA PRASANNA JNASVARPA NIJABHVAYUKTAM | YOGNDRAMYA BHAVAROGAVAIDYA RMADGURU NITYAMAHA NAMMI ||
I CONSTANTLY PROSTRATE MYSELF BEFORE THE BLESSED GURU, WHO IS THE PHYSICIAN FOR THE DISEASE OF SAMSARA, WHO IS THE ADORABLE LORD OF YOGIS, WHO IS BLISSFUL, WHO IS THE SOURCE OF HAPPINESS, WHO IS ALWAYS PLEASED, WHO IS THE ESSENCE OF KNOWLEDGE, WHO IS IDENTICAL WITH THE REAL EXISTENCE.
Index
www.rashtrachetana.com Email: rashtrachetana@gmail.com
Article 1 Editorial Indias Gift To The World
Author
Page No 4
Dr M. Lakshmi Kumari Hari krishnan Bijay Kumar Banerjee Swami Narasimhananda N. Krishnamoorti
8 13 16 19 24
The Inexpressible - Beyond Experience Goal Of Human Life Young India The World Longs India Dreams
30
Making Sacrifice With Joy
32
Subhashitam Shanti Mantra About The Authors Feedback
34 36 37 38
EDITORIAL
DEVELOPMENT OF INDIA IN INTERNET AGE | ||
Unity is the strength of any society and it (society) is weak without it. Hence those who wish the good of the nation strongly praise unity. There is a very insightful story in the Hitopadesha (an ancient Indian book written as a guide to young princes). There was a hare sleeping peacefully on a tree when suddenly a thought occurred to him that he will die if the earth under him were to split into two. The thought frightened the hare so much that he woke up from his sleep. At the same time, he heard a big thud sound behind him. Already frightened beyond his wits, the hare started running without even looking back. While running, he saw another hare who asked him why he was running. Still frightened, the hare replied, "Dont you know, the earth is cracking into two and we are all going to die." Hearing this, the second hare also started running and soon all the hares in the jungle were running for their lives. Seeing the hares running, other animals, including deer, wolves, birds, elephants etc. started running until they came to the lion, who lived at the edge of the jungle. Seeing all his citizens frightened, the lion asked them the reason for their fear. Someone mentioned about the earth cracking open into two pieces. The lion, realizing what was happening, inquired about the source of this rumour which was finally traced back to the hare. The lion ordered the hare to take him to the place and took everyone to the place where the hare was sleeping. He found that a coconut had fallen on the ground where the hare was sleeping and the noise had scared the hare. The lion scolded the hare for frightening everyone and sent all the animals back to their respective abodes. Thus the power of rumours and misinformation is demonstrated through this tale. The lion ordered the hare to
take him to the place and took everyone to the place where the hare was sleeping. He found that a coconut had fallen on the ground where the hare was sleeping and the noise had scared the hare.
The age we are living in today has been rightly termed as the information age. There is no topic on which information is not instantly available today. At our fingertips, we have access to any piece of information, whether good or bad, helpful or harmful, true or false about any topic we wish. There is no information continuously hidden anymore. Thanks to the internet and the round the clock news channels, any event occurring in any corner of the earth is known throughout

in a matter of minutes. As a result of this, opinions, rumours and interpretations are abundant and often truth is sadly the victim. Any event, however simple, is filtered through the lens of those who are observing it, reporting it and watching it. Behind the series of multi-coloured lenses it is impossible to see the true meaning of anything. With this level of spread of information it is easy to lose track of what real and unreal about anything. The case in point is the recent occurrence of 'news' with images and stories that people from one region of the country (North-East) were being violently targeted throughout India as part of some systematic persecution scheme. Due to the fast spread of such news, there was widespread panic and mass exodus. Most of the confusion and Further investigation pointed that these stories might have been planted panic could have been by foreign powers with the intention of causing mischief and unrest in controlled if those giving the country. Not only does such an event point to the sloppy standards of journalism as well as the power of internet as an informationwidespread publicity to the emanating medium, but more importantly it also pointed out to the floating rumours had insecurities that lie in the minds of the people of North Eastern states attempted to check their vis--vis the rest of the country. Most of the confusion and panic could sources and confirm their have been controlled if those giving widespread publicity to the floating rumours had attempted to check their sources and confirm their facts. facts. A similar attempt A similar attempt against people from some other state may not have against people from some other been as harmful or divisive but it was helped by the already existing state may not have been as feeling of separation the brothers and sisters from Northeast feel harmful or divisive but it was towards their country. In such a state of confusion, what does a country and its citizens do to ensure law and order and harmony? Just like any other weapon the new information technology is being used by anti-social elements for their gains, meanwhile causing widespread unrest and panic. It has also been used several times by terrorists for their activities leading to deaths of scores of people. How do we as a nation survive this and several other threats to our unity as well as our existence as a nation? More importantly, what does India need to do to survive in the internet age?
helped by the already existing feeling of separation the brothers and sisters from Northeast feel towards their country.
The first and foremost defense against any weapon unleashed against a country is the unity of its constituents. Just like the age-old metaphorical tale where a single stick is easily broken by even a small rat stepping on it, but a bundle of sticks is unbreakable for even a mighty elephant; a country where there is unity among the people is naturally strong from both internal and external attacks. The subhashitam at the beginning of the article makes the same point. Unity is the biggest strength of society and it is weak without unity. When one makes that and only that as the foremost point in any national decision, it is easy to characterize any political issue as patriotic or unpatriotic and any decision as in favor of or against the country. The question asked on any topic of national importance should be, "Is this in favour of the unity of nation?" It cannot be if it is good for my city or a state or good for my section of people. It needs to be good for the entire country. A politician may be right in protecting the interests of a section of people from a state or religion, but if while doing so the nation is suffering, then the decision needs to be struck down. It is said that for a family a person should be sacrificed, for a city a family should be

sacrificed and for the sake of a nation, a city should be sacrificed. This should make any patriotic person sacrificial namely if the nation is being served by the sacrifice of self, it needs to be done and so on. The second requirement for unity in a country is acceptance. In India, there are often cases where we see strangers helping strangers as that kind of help and service has been imbibed in the genes of this country through countless examples of holy lives led by great men and women throughout the history. Every child is taught helping others, especially those in need, is a good thing. 'Paropakaaray punyaay, papaya parapidanam' - To serve/help others is meritorious, while hurting others is sin. Those are our guiding principles. We see these several times during unexpected times. When the rains in Mumbai stopped the traffic and all activity for several days a few years back, strangers were seen helping stranded people with food, shelter etc. We often see in times of floods, hurricanes and other natural calamities volunteers helping the affected people with basic necessities. While these acts of generosity are good in times of calamities, it is not seen in the normal day-to-day life. We are all untied when we cheer for the Indian team in a cricket match, or feel proud when an Indian wins a medal in Olympics. However, the same sense of unity is not seen in daily lives. For example, it is extremely difficult for a person from one state to find accommodation in a house in a different state. Even today, there is discrimination on the basis of one's caste or gender when it comes to daily activities such as hiring a help or finding new tenants. Marriages across castes, religions or even different states; while more common than a generation ago, are still not the norm and are usually frowned upon. Surprisingly, this is not the case only for the previous generations but also from the current generation to an alarming extent. In the If there is to be acceptance of recently disturbing case of violence against people from all Indians as our own, this North Eastern states, there were cases of discrimination discrimination needs to stop. based on the appearance. If there is to be acceptance of all Indians as our own, this discrimination needs to stop. There can be differences of There can be differences of beliefs, religions, beliefs, religions, backgrounds, backgrounds, cultures, food habits, dress codes and cultures, food habits, dress appearances. But as long as the differences are accepted codes and appearances. But as and cherished, they do not add to the dissonance of the national noise but rather each adds a different, sweeter long as the differences are note to the national voice. The underlying theme in all these cases is the lack of acceptance of the other person. India is a land of variety and varied culture. There is so much variety in India that it is often joked that no two households in India have the same recipe for the same dish of food! So the cultural variety is abundant. Usually, this variety is 'tolerated' as something that we live with on a daily basis. When we go to a different state or city, we expect things to be different. Similarly when a person from other part of country comes to your city, we expect him or her to be different. We usually tolerate these differences. There is very rarely however acceptance of the differences. A real acceptance would mean the person is as welcome in one's home as oneself, as accepted in a family - be it as a friend or in a marital relationship - as any other member of the same division. Pointing this fact about India, Swami Vivekananda urges us - "Our watchword, then, will be acceptance, and not exclusion. Not only toleration, for sowww.rashtrachetana.com Email: rashtrachetana@gmail.com
accepted and cherished, they do not add to the dissonance of the national noise but rather each adds a different, sweeter note to the national voice.

called toleration is often blasphemy, and I do not believe in it. I believe in acceptance. Why should I tolerate? Toleration means that I think that you are wrong and I am just allowing you to live." What we need is this universal acceptance. The last requirement for the nation to prosper in the current era is a sense of national responsibility. Today, we often hear one state or element in society boasting of progress while other states are reeling from natural calamities or other financial problems. The feeling of progress as a nation is often times lacking from the activities of the citizens as well as states. The individual states need to realize that they can prosper only when they are attached to the soul of the nation and ensure that all elements of the society are able to prosper at the same rate of growth. Just like a hand or a leg cannot move forward if the whole body is not moving, a state or an individual cannot move forward if the whole nation is not moving forward. This sense of responsibility needs to be a part and parcel of the education imparted to the children as well as imbibed in all those involved in decision-making. It is good to achieve personal success; it is better to achieve success as part of society or a group of individuals but unless all parts of a machine act in unison the right output will not be generated. While advancing at a breath-taking pace towards ours goals, we need to ensure that some section of the society is not trampled upon, neglected or left behind. Since the liberalization of resources 20 years ago, several instances have come ahead. Agriculture is ignored for the sake of industrialization; tribals are exploited for their lands and resources, natural resources are abused for personal or short-term gains and so on. When the feeling of national responsibility is fostered the exploitation will stop. Just like a member of family does not eat when another one is starving, one section of society cannot move forward when another is left behind. Today we live in an era characterized as the information age. The whole world is at a threshold of exciting opportunities. Technology has changed lives first in the second half of 20th century and then again in the first decade of 21st century. India has been at the forefront of the revolution and has been benefited from it immensely. However, the same advances have brought out several problems in the nation. Individual greed, lack of unity, lack of a common goal has resulted in a divided nation. It is time that India of the old rises again. This is a land where innumerable cultures were born and prospered, this is a land where from the time of rishis and Upanishads timeless principles of unity of all beings were discovered, this is a land where the original seeds of civilization were laid where every organism from the tiniest worm to the highest man were considered divine. It is time India rises again to spread the same message of equality, acceptance and divinity of all beings to the world and teach the world by example to build a just and prosperous society. ***************
INDIAS GIFT TO THE WORLD

Dr M. Lakshmi Kumari Introduction:
Indias message to the world is first of all blessing. She is returning good for the evil which is done her and thus she puts into execution this noble idea, which had its origin in India. So spoke Swami Vivekananda in one of his lectures at the Brooklyn Ethical Association in February 1895. The noble idea which further on clarified in his lecture was the Eternity of Truth. This is the first and foremost gift of India to the world. The entire Indian heritage has been built round this one concept of Truth and this is the key stone of the Vedantic Vision. This is the key with which we should open the heart of Mankind. Mankind today is reeling under the burden of untruth and its hand maidens of abstract and manifest forms of evils, implicit in the lives of people in multifarious forms, debilitating and degenerating man and his environment in every way. Who can release man from the clutches of these evil forces? What invincible weapon is there which can destroy the citadel of untruth, reinforced over centuries through mechanical and materialistic assertions of man. Knowledge of Truth which is our own Self and the correct vision of the Reality of the Whole that emanate from this comprehension alone can take up the challenge and guide mankind towards happiness and peace founded on true freedom of the human spirit. This is the valuable gift that Vedanta can share with world at this critical juncture of the impending paradigm shift. .Satyameva Jayate-Truth alone triumphs: Centuries back when the rest of the world civilisation was still in its infancy, the Indian seers were already well on their way searching for the stable Reality amidst the ever changing phenomena around. Not being able to discover it in the material universe they decided to plunge deep within, into the profundity of their own self and it was then that they stumbled upon the greatest of Truths the absolute ultimate Reality as ones own Self. This consciousness they found was the real basis and essence of existence, knowledge and bliss. It is eternal, infinite, unchanging, indestructible, as well as omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. All that exist in the universe are pervaded and perfused by this one glorious Truth and are therefore inter-connected, interrelated and interdependent. In that there is neither subject nor object or any of the dualities which man is used to. Truth alone triumphs Satyameva Jayate became the ultimate in realisation, the crest jewel of Indian thought. This One without a second is what Advaita points out. Realisation of this Truth is the be all, or end all of our existence, all our efforts and struggles. From many to the One, from the finite to the Infinite, from slavery to Freedom lies the path of true human evolution. Dharmam cara - From Truth to Action: The rishis did not stop with this abstract conceptualization. Their next attempt was to translate it into life principles energizing and integrating mans intellect, mind and body ennobling and enriching him and paving the way for a fuller and diviner life where he is at peace with himself and in harmony with nature all around. Marvelous had been the gains of these early Life- scientists in transforming this Truth into knowledge and then to emotions and actions, affecting the lives of each and every individual in the society and collectively binding them all under, that

most difficult-to-explain ideal of Dharma. The insight with which they have linked up Truth with action and created a super fine technology or life science of it has indeed been an invaluable contribution for the welfare of the entire mankind from the ancient Indian seers. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: On one side dharma prescribes unifying efforts to control ones inner nature through disciplines internal and external, so that every movement of spiritual energy comes under control of the self and on the other, it enjoins on man to transcend the barriers of sense based subject object differences and expand ones awareness to include all that exist in the Universe, living and non-living, as part of ones own consciousness. This expansion of mind reaching out to wholesome global awareness was brought under the highly comprehensive term Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the whole universe is one family). Thus in an extraordinarily meaningful, yet simple way, the interconnectedness, interrelationships and interdependences, which characterise the Whole have been brought home to the immediate and easy comprehension of even untutored minds. This utter simplicity of Truth with life linkage speaks of the genius of the great rishis of India, the clarity of their thinking and the universality of their approach. The great relevance of this glorious gift, an awareness of which can eliminate many an evil rampant in our society today, based on exploitation of man by man and of nature by man, can never be over emphasised. This is The day is not far when the unity probably the one panacea for the maladies of intolerance which we and universality of Truth would perpetrate in the name of religion, race, creed, colour, sex and so on come to be established once for all which are tearing apart the global civilisation, culture, peace and in our lives through philosophy of harmony. all religions or sciences or better still, through all of them. Then the Advaita in science: Search for Oneness world will realise the meaning and Modern science, despite all its most sophisticated instrumentations, far reaching implication of the calculations and logic, is only now, getting to comprehend the Vedantic saying Ekam Sat, Viprah ultimate basis of the phenomenal world which the ancient Indian bahudha vadanthi (Truth is one, the seers achieved with such precision and perfection employing nothing learned speak of it differently) other than their inherent power of introspection, analysis and above all intuition. It is commendable that at last contemporary modern science has started ridding itself its mechanistic and materialistic vestures and has started wending its way nearer and nearer to the fundamental concept of oneness, of Advaita. The day is not far when the unity and universality of Truth would come to be established once for all in our lives through philosophy of all religions or sciences or better still, through all of them. Then the world will realise the meaning and far reaching implication of the Vedantic saying Ekam Sat, Viprah bahudha vadanthi (Truth is one, the learned speak of it differently). Indias yet another magnificent gift to the world thinking. This, if accepted by all religions can ensure universal tolerance resulting from the acceptance of each and every faith as varied expressions of the One and the same Truth. In such an understanding lie the seeds for Peace and Harmony among the various religions, creeds, philosophies and all the multifarious human approaches to life. Indian approach-Vedic Vision for Global Mission The Indian approach which is better called the Vedantic approach, has been, from time immemorial based on the spiritual awareness of the Oneness that exists between the individual self and the cosmic whole. As the rishis started unraveling the mysteries of their own minds through the infallible system of yoga, they discovered that a pure disciplined and concentrated mind is itself a powerful tool to unravel not only the mysteries of life but also the hidden

secrets of nature. An egoless mind was found to be the very source of knowledge, wisdom and creativity. In the light of this self illumination every other knowledge stood revealed be it of stars beyond human vision out in the cosmic space or of the simple permutations and combinations of Prana life force within the human body. They also made the astounding discovery that with the recognition of the self within as the all pervading, omnipotent, omniscient, Universal Self, barriers between the inside and outside worlds collapsed and individual became One with the Cosmic While Vyasthi (micro) and Samashti (macrocosm) became merged into one. All the discoveries of modern science regarding the Reality, its Oneness, indivisibility, inter relatedness, omnijectiveness, etc can be found included in this advaitic vision. These revelations gurgled forth as the mahavakyas highly charged meaningful cryptic utterances like Thou are that (Tattwamsasi). I am Brahman (Aham Brahmasmi). Etc etc., Can anyone think of a greater and profounder unification and universalisation of Truth or a more rewarding scientific discovery?
On 19th September 1893 Swami Vivekananda spoke thus at the Parliament of Religion, presenting his paper on Hinduism. What Swamiji had predicted has come true. The sooner this knowledge of harmony of Science and Religion enters into our comprehension the nearer will we be to peace, and understanding at the global level.
Religion finds fulfillment in dharma: Can all this wonderful knowledge, practical wisdom, universal vision be grouped under one ism? When the awareness of Truth puts its impress on all aspects of human life, it is not just a religion; it is better described as Dharma. When that Dharma, has the Eternal Truth as its basis it becomes Sanatana Dharma which when practised establishes a rare unity, integrity, harmony and fulfillment in life. For a man of true his religion must manifest as life itself with all its varied aspects. Efforts to manifest truth in life developed into Adhyatma Vidya or Vedanta Yoga which stands recognised today as a Science of Human development, of human possibilities of human evolution. Such an all encompassing religion or dharma naturally becomes a strong force for character building and man-making as stressed by Swami Vivekananda again and again. Harmony of Science and Religion:
Science is nothing but the finding of unity. As soon as science would reach perfect unity, it would stop from further progress, because it would reach the goal. Thus chemistry cannot progress further when it would discover one element out of which all others could be made. Physics would stop when it would be able to fulfill its services in discovering one energy of which all others are but manifestations, and the science of religion becomes perfect when it would discover Him who is the one life in a universe of death, Him who is the constant basis of an ever changing world. One who is the only Soul of which all souls are but delusive manifestations. Thus is it, through multiplicity and duality, the ultimate unity is reached. Religion can go no further. This is the goal of all science. On 19th September 1893 Swami Vivekananda spoke thus at the Parliament of Religion, presenting his paper on Hinduism. What Swamiji had predicted has come true. The sooner this knowledge of harmony of Science and Religion enters into our comprehension the nearer will we be to peace, and understanding at the global level. Religion will not then be blind nor science lame any more. Religion of the future will have to be modelled on the basis of this mighty confluence of spirituality and science.
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The result, the world will get a faith which is not afraid of Truth, which is not afraid of the others, which is also not afraid of God sitting above us in Heaven. Rooted in the fearless pursuit of Truth man will attain a new dignity, new strength and greater fulfillment. Swami Vivekanandas teachings foreshadow this inevitable coming together of the objective scientific truths and subjective spiritual reality. Out of this synthesis must emerge a Universal religion urging man to manifest the Universal Self in him in place of his limited individual self. That would indeed be the crowning glory of religion and science. This grand teaching of the Oneness, making us ONE with everything that exists in the universe is the grandest lesson to learn in life. That is the teaching of Advaita Vedanta. When this is understood nothing more remains to be known. This is the true knowledge that would liberate man. It also forms the basis of Universal Brotherhood, Universal Religion and Universal God. Actions exemplifying this Oneness lead to peace, happiness and harmony and those contrary to this lead to dissension and misery. Herein lies the universal practicality of the Advaitic ideal, adopting which man can set himself on the path of further evolution. This is the message that the world is awaiting eagerly. This glorious undying gift of spiritual awareness Swamiji held out to the world when he spoke at Chicago in September 1893. Religion of the future: As the scientific vision of Reality matches more and more with the spiritual holistic vision of the Ultimate Eternal Truth and our religious sentiments turn more and more towards an awareness of the Cosmic and Universal within and without, we can hope to cut through the maze of dogmatic, doctrinated superstitious beliefs and evolve a truly scientific spiritual faith, resting in reason and inextricably linked with life in totality. Such a faith would be based on the recognition of the Ultimate Reality as One, as well as acceptance of its many and varied manifestations as true and necessary for the fullest expression of human potentialities. This was the vision of our Vedic Seers who translated it not only into our religious literature but also into music, various art forms, architecture, medicine etc. thus contributing to that rare Indian flavour which continues to attract discerning minds to our country even today.
Yoga a superfine technology: To realise the Unity in diversity through ones own self efforts were formulated the various systems of yoga, of Self analysis (Jnana Yoga) Self surrender(Bhakti Yoga) Self control (Raja Yoga) and Self sacrifice (Karma Yoga) to cater to all the different types of humanity so that through work (Karma Yoga), worship (Bhakti Yoga), Psychic control(Raja Yoga) or philosophy (Jnana Yoga) through one, more or all of them man can come to enjoy the real freedom of the spirit.
Yoga is a time tested super fine technology for integrating the Ultimate Truth with one life. Through yoga, search for Truth religion gets transformed into an intimate personal experience or self realisation. That is why in Hindu tradition religion is being and becoming and not just hearing and acknowledging. It is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes says Swami Vivekananda. Yoga is getting world wide recognition today as Indias great gift to man
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kind for self unfoldment and realisation and remains unparalleled as the finest technique for discovering the Truth hidden within the material vestures of human life and to manifest the divine possibilities inherent therein. Conclusion: In the face of overwhelming evidence from the field of Science, which has in modern times taken a quantum leap towards the advaitic vision of Reality, the need of the hour is to end all conflicts and fissiparous tendencies that divide humankind in the name of caste, creed, race, sex, religion and so on, and establish Universal Brotherhood based on the correct vision of the reality and usher in a new era of religious understanding, tolerance and assimilation, and forever eradicate religious persecutions, condemnations proselytisations and discriminations of all kinds. Let us strive to give ourselves a new faith, a new dharma simple and beautiful as life itself which can be summed in three words love (based on Oneness) Sacrifice (of individual for the whole) and service (of the One in the many). This is the essence of Indias marvelous spiritual heritage which She is ever eager to share with all. This is the enlightenment which human race is waiting to receive from our ancient nation. Thousands of years of spiritual experience have equipped us how to discriminate between the Eternal and the ephemeral, Absolute and the relative, Infinite and the finite. A great moral obligation rests on us of enlightening the world at this critical juncture of a Paradigm shift. We have to gear ourselves to effect a spiritual orientation to the blind material pursuit of humanity waking up to the call of Sri Ramakrishna-Vivekananda and assure that our Motherland reclaims the glory of being the Universal Mother and Guru and provides the guiding light for humanity in the centuries ahead.
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THE INEXPRESSIBLE - BEYOND EXPERIENCE

Harikrishnan H.
The above Sanskrit sloka is from one of the greatest of all Upanishads, namely Kena Upanishad. A simple translation of the sloka is as follows. The disciple asked: Om. By whose will does the mind proceed to its object? At whose command does the prana, the foremost, do its duty? At whose will do men utter speech? Who is the god that directs the eyes and ears? This is one of the fundamental questions which disturb every thinking person. From time to time people had been searching the answer for this question. Here the Upanishad as usual starts by asking questions. The beauty of Upanishads is that it makes its students think and persuades them to have a logical reasoning or a rational approach to the problem concerned. Upanishads had always kept this rational mind. Sruti(Vedas), Yukti(logic) and Anubhava (Experience) are the unavoidable elements in upanishadic teachings. The fundamental search for reality has been beautifully expressed in those four lines.
The behaviour of nature can be understood based on certain laws and principles of physics. But the question whether nature is deterministic or indeterministic remains as a debate even today. Heisenbergs uncertainty principle strongly supports the indeterminstic view while supporters of Einstein believe in a deterministic world. Einsteins belief of a God hidden behind the phenomena played by nature or Bohrs probabilistic nature couldnt give the answer to the question of Upanishad student. Whether nature is deterministic or not doesnt concern here. What that concerns is the underlying thing which causes the determinism or indeterminism. Some people came with the idea of involving Consciousness into quantum physics. Still, Consciousness is to be defined in an abstract way which is again a matter of discussion. Let us see what the Upanishad says.
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The teacher replied: It is the Ear of the ear, the Mind of the mind, the Speech of speech, the Life of life, and the Eye of the eye. Having detached the Self from the sense-organs and renounced the world, the Wise attain Immortality.
The eye does not go thither, nor speech, nor the mind. We do not know It; we do not understand how anyone can teach It. It is different from the known; It is above the unknown. Thus we have heard from the preceptors of old who taught It to us.
By these statements the Upanishads had declared it as that which is beyond, for eyes nor speech nor mind can go there. It is different from known and unknown. Human perception is incapable of understanding what it is. Upanishads had called this unknown reality as Brahmam. If it is beyond knowing how can one say that it exists? Who or what is the authority to say that it is the truth? The supreme authority in Vedanta is nothing but the Vedas. Vedas are the declarations which points to the truth revealed to Rishis at different points of time. Vedas say Truth is one without a second. What a remarkable statement! So beautiful but how deep to be thought of. Reality, that is proclaimed by the Vedas as one without a second is beyond knowing. One without a second or the Advaita is the ultimate truth taught by Upanishads. In advaita who is there to speak? Who is there to listen? What is there to be conveyed? Vedas call Brahmam as Sachidananda for it is existence, knowledge and bliss.
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He by whom Brahman is not known, knows It; he by whom It is known, knows It not. It is not known by those who know It; It is known by those who do not know It. It is known by those who do not know it. That is the statement of Upanishads. Brahmam is beyond all expressions. It is beyond experience (Swaanubhavaatheetham Brahma says Vedas). When one comes out of the world of sense perceptions and realize his self as the only truth then only one really knows it. One who thinks that reality can be reproduced in a laboratory experiment goes into the darkness of ignorance only. As previously mentioned having detached the Self from the sense-organs and renounced the world, the Wise attain Immortality. This is the essence of Upanishadic teaching. Detachment from sense and sensual world makes one wise. The wise attain immortality by the realization of himself as the reality beyond experience, the Brahmam , the inexpressible truth.
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GOAL OF HUMAN LIFE

Bijay Kumar Banerjee
The goal of human life is the realization of the ultimate reality which alone can give man supreme fulfillment and everlasting peace. The ultimate reality is one; but it is personal as well as impersonal and is indicated by different names in different religions. The ultimate reality can be realised through various paths taught in world religions. All religions are true in so far they are lead to the same ultimate goal. Purity of mind is an essential condition for the attainment of the Ultimate reality; real purity is the freedom from lust and greed. External observances are only of secondary importance. Through spiritual practice man can overcome his evil tendencies and divine grace can redeem even the worst sinner. Therefore one should not brood over the past mistakes, but should develop a positive outlook on life by depending on God. God realization is possible for all. The householders need not renounce the world; but they should pray sincerely, practice discrimination between the eternal and the temporal and remain unattached. God listens to sincere prayers. Life is an expression of the spontaneous creativity of God. Pleasure and pain, success and failure, etc are to be borne with patience, and one should resign oneself to Gods will under all circumstances. (Shri Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa) People in general are always searching the question about their goal of life and many of whom are finding the goal of their life as to acquiring wealth/or any of the matter in the world of illusion. These goals are temporary in nature, as once that would achieve there would be no purpose after acquiring these. These achievements may give transient happiness to the people but the ultimate peace & happiness lies in the knowledge. The goal of mankind is knowledge. Pleasure & happiness earned through wealth comes to an end. The quality of knowledge should be such that which helps a person to detach themselves from the material world and attach with the almighty. However, it has been proved that this knowledge is not being properly used by human being to face the challenges of world of illusion and got trapped in this Mayajal.
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Methodology to acquire knowledge of wisdom The following discipline one needs to maintain/follow to acquire knowledge of wisdom: Chapter I to Chapter VI of Gita, provides all the knowledge required for a person to lift off from the material realm to heights of Perfection. Read Gita regularly in a discipline way at a particular time of the day preferably Brahma-Mahurta (Between 4-6 am). If one is not capable to maintain the said time, then evening time may be opted. Make this knowledge integrated into your system by applying the concept in the activities of day-to-day life. Contemplation of the philosophy by thinking from various angles, learning from the mistakes of past and maintain consistency in the effort. While in action, the heart & mind of man should be directed towards almighty, the he will not lost in the world of maya. Hold this idea of Application of knowledge in the activities of life always in mind. Hold fast to that idea in whatever circumstances/situation you faced. Always keep the mental thought pure. This is very vital. Make the mind to stay in present and do not let it wonder for Past & Future actions. When the mind is conquered, it has reached the highest stage. The purer the mind, the easier it is to control. If one can observe strict continence, he can easily acquire knowledge of wisdom in a steadfast way. Continence has 3 parts Self command, Restraint of desires & passion and chastity.
Application of knowledge of wisdom in day-to-day life The following course of action is suggested in application of knowledge of wisdom: Chapter VII of Gita suggests that there is a huge gap found in between acquiring of knowledge and application of the same in practical life. One needs to ponder the knowledge to transform it to wisdom. The Gita suggests three phase of earning knowledge which helps in application of the same in effective manner:o Sravana: is listening/reading & learning i.e. steps of acquiring knowledge. Learning here means consistent systematic learning. o Manana: The acquisition of knowledge should be such that the mind is complete becomes doubtfree. One has to be reflected upon, contemplate on it, think over it from various ways in such a way that the knowledge will become part of your system. o Nidhidhyasana: - The last step of gaining knowledge is to begin to live with it and teaching becomes one with the learner. It is meditation which leads to self-realization.
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Treat every thoughts generated in the mind & activities/happenings in life as a test conducted by almighty to see ones reaction over it. Hence it is required to be always alert, aloof & detached, taking every opportunity as to gain experience, to improve oneself to reach next higher stage. Characteristic of persons acquired knowledge of wisdom The following are the some of the extracts of characteristic of persons who has acquired knowledge of wisdom, which would help the seeker to have benchmark while practicing self religious development: -
One who has attained absolute truth or knowledge remains the same under all circumstances; he is always calm and unchanged under all circumstances. He neither rejoices upon achieving something nor lament upon non-achieving of the same. Performance of duties in a best possible manner without attachment & without expectation of any results. When he is engaged in any work, he does not think of anything beyond that work. He does it as the highest of worship, and devote for the time being the whole life by applying his full of body, mind & soul. In this way doing the duty next to him by gathering strengths and go on until he reaches the highest state.
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YOUNG INDIA
Swami Narasimhananda (A monk of the Advaita Ashrama in Kolkata) Source : Prabuddha Bharata Vol. 117, No. 1 January 2012 Gunjan Veda is a voracious reader. She cannot think of a day without reading. Her work in the Planning Commission of India requires a lot of travelling. Away from her collection of books and libraries, she is deprived of books to match her reading pace. As a solution she founded www.indiareads.com an online library that delivers books to your doorstep. In her early thirties, Gunjan is the face of young India: energetic, enthusiastic, enterprising, innovative, and in chargeYoung and Responsible The young have always been labelled as irresponsible, immature, and lacking ideals. Growing years and greying hair have always been linked with maturity and wisdom. Old age may bring experience, but it also slows the brain! This conflict of intelligence and experience was aptly described by Lyman Bryson: The error of youth is to believe that intelligence is a substitute for experience, while the error of age is to believe that experience is a substitute for intelligence.1 From the state of there was nothing I could do and nothing I could say, as in the lines of the popular song Young and Foolish by Arnold B Horwitt, the Indian young Who is young? Does it depend have come of age and taken charge.
solely on age or are there other indicators? Youth is generally categorised as a non-adult phase of life, a phase of growth, and the young are supposed to be still growing, incapable of handling the mature decisions of life by themselves.
History shows that great people were always young. Jesus, Shankaracharya, Vivekananda, Einstein, or Alexanderall of them achieved greatness before they turned forty. The Upanishads speak of the young: In the prime of life, good, learned, most expeditious, most strongly built, and most energetic.2 That the young count is known but, what is so special about the Indian youth? They are the pilots of the development story of a nation with a chequered history of more than sixty years of independence. When speaking of Indian youth one can say Young India, or better still India is Young, because according to the 2001 Indian census, more than 69 per cent 0f Indians were less than 34 years old.3 Indias population has become younger only in the last decade.
Demographically speaking, India is the youngest country in the world. Any discussion or development plan for India should take into account this major chunk of its population. Before understanding the psyche of Indian youth, it will help to understand what being young is like. What is the concept of youth? Who is young? Does it depend solely on age or are there other indicators? Youth is generally categorised as a non-adult phase of life, a phase of growth, and the young are supposed to be still growing, incapable of handling the mature decisions of life by themselves. They are seen as babies sitting in cosy strollers having a peek into the garden of life. However comforting this categorization of the young may be to the old guardians of society, it is too simplistic and inaccurate. Youth is not a rigid concept but a very fluid one. The age of the phases of childhood, adolescence, youth, and adulthood vary from person to person. It also depends on social and cultural backgrounds. While adulthood takes its sweet time to appear in the life of the pampered child of a wealthy parent, it encroaches upon the childhood of the
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child of the pavementdweller. One is reminded of Swami Vivekanandas letter: The Chinese child is quite a philosopher and calmly goes to work at an age when your Indian boy can hardly crawl on all fours. He has learnt the philosophy of necessity too well.4 Poverty drove the Chinese child to learn the philosophy of necessity. The Indian youth too has been driven to a faster stepping into adulthood by poverty and changing demographics. Recent studies affirm that youth is a concept not dependent on biological age alone: Age is a concept which is assumed to refer to a biological reality. However, the meaning and the experience of age, and of the process of ageing, is subject to historical and cultural processes. Although each persons life span can be measured objectively by the passing of time, cultural understandings about life stages give the process of growing up, and of ageing, its social meaning. Specific social and political processes provide the frame within which cultural meanings are developed. Both youth and childhood have had and continue to have different meanings depending on young peoples social, cultural and political circumstances.5 If the Indian youth was immature and not ready for real life, the country would have been in chaos and would have come to a standstill, with more than 70 per cent of its population in such a state. A tourist coming to India gets to see only young faces all the time. From the cab driver at the airport to the staff at the hotel, from tour guides at historical monuments to the antique shopkeeper, it is young faces everywhere. Sometimes the tourist finds it difficult to find old people. Many business houses in India are headed by women and men under thirty. Some of them were born into great business families like Devita Saraf of Vu Televisions, Lakshmi Venu of Sundaram Clayton, Sindhuja Rajaraman of Seppan, and Alok Kejriwal of Contests2win. Others have built successful business stories from scratch like Phanindra Sarma of Redbus, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal of Flipkart, Suhas Gopinath of Globals, Ashwin Ramesh of DailySEOblog, Rajkumar Koneru of Indiainfo, and Sunil Dutt Jha of icmg. The list seems endless. Even in government and public sector undertakings, youth is at the helm of affairs. Indian politics too has a good share of young faces, with some of them even finding a place in the parliament. Indian Youths Psyche Therefore, the young in India are in charge. But, what is their psyche? What is their lifestyle? Are cent account of their lifestyle is not very encouraging: Welcome to the lifestyles of the young and the restless where the day never ends, just melts into one another. It starts at 9 a.m. with a hasty toothbrush and continues till well past midnight with a drag of a cigarette. For the average working youngster, this is routine. Add to that the consumption of junk food, smoking, and alcoholthe youth are happily and unabashedly ruining their health, albeit unconsciously. Not surprisingly, lifestyle diseases are on the rise.6 Though this may be the lifestyle of the urban youth, the rural youth has a different story. To toil or to study to ensure a comfortable future, the semiurban and rural youth has to work hard and travel long distances. Here too the day never ends, but instead of melting, it seems to drag from one problem to another, from one dream to another dreams that are uncertain of becoming a reality, but are the only solace in an otherwise drab existence.
Welcome to the lifestyles of the young and the restless where the day never ends, just melts into one another. It starts at 9 a.m. with a hasty toothbrush and continues till well past midnight with a drag of a cigarette. For the average working youngster, this is routine. Add to that the consumption of junk food, smoking, and alcoholthe youth are happily and unabashedly ruining their health, albeit unconsciously. Not surprisingly, lifestyle diseases are on the rise
Some thought leads to the conclusion that Indian youthurban, semi-urban, and ruralhave acquired their psyche from their parents. Who are the parents of the present-day Indian youth? They were born between the 1950s and 1960s in the infant independent India. New vistas were opening up and people were experimenting with new careers,
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away from the traditional mindset and established archetypes. This entailed migrations from the rural to the urban, from homeland to new places even outside the country. The joint family system was breaking up and so were the values and customs that went with it. It was to the parents of this era that todays youth were born. Indian children are seldom sent to grooming schools, and Indian family values and traditions were always handed down by grannies and grandpas. With none of them around and with both the parents working or striving hard to ensure a better life for their offspring, the children were not given indigenous grooming lessons. All they got was moral values from an education system that was and still is, to a great extent, a colonial remnant that apes Western cultures and remains dissociated from the Indian ethos. This has led to a situation where while the Indian youth is conversant with Mills and Boon, Tintin, Asterix, Alice in Wonderland, and Harry Potter, it is predominantly clueless about Kathasaritsagara, Hitopadesha, and Panchatantra and does not know much of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata beyond the version made popular by television.
Another development that significantly affects Indian youths psyche is the seemingly innumerable options available to them in terms of disciplines of study, careers to pursue, places to settle in, and also a more stable society supporting changes in career later in life. Their parentshave struggled hard to create a better world for them and have unwittingly made them unaware of the value of what they have got. An Indian mother laments:Our generation were told wed have to wait patiently for rewards whatever those would turn out to be. Work hard for the exams. Slog away, swot, swot, swot. Compete like crazy. Await results! Phew! First class in hand, work some more. Swot some more. Apply for a decent job. Keep your fingers crossed. Land the job. Continue slaving. Wait for promotion. Keep slogging. Spend fifteen years or more in the same job. But thats not how it works today. Kids want it all. And they want it now. And they dont all want to work that hard, either. Its about having chill time, personal time, a life plan that includes frequent holidays. Kids want to hang. And they want to connect. Mainly over the net. No personal contactor very little. No emotional investment. Or very little. Just lots of stimulation and virtual relationships that include virtual gifts.8 Society not only gives innumerable choices to the youth but also allows them to choose any number of methods of consumption or enjoyment, making them as
Indian family values and traditions were always handed down by grannies and grandpas. With none of them around and with both the parents working or striving hard to ensure a better life for their offspring, the children were not given indigenous grooming lessons. All they got was moral values from an education system that was and still is, to a great extent, a colonial remnant that apes Western cultures and remains dissociated from the Indian ethos.
In many senses Indian youth have spent their childhood away from their native place. A significant number of them are not comfortable with their mother-tongue and all they know of their traditional customs, beliefs, and culture is what little they acquired during annual vacation trips to their nativeplace, at the end of which they brought some keepsakes, less to cherish than to flaunt them to their friends. However, it is not that Indian youth do not want to know their tradition; they do want, as the huge demand for courses on Indian culture among youth evince. Compared to the youth of other nations Indian youth have a greater leaning towards their social mores. A recent study reveals: The family remains a key institution in the life-world of Indian youth. One could perhaps argue that even in a situation of expanded choice, youth in India, in contrast to the situation where conservative mores were regarded as a function of limited opportunity, would freely adopt conservative mores.7 But brought up in a setting where such values were not practised much, knowing the culture could be an intellectual curiosity instead of a priority.
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permissive as possible. What Swami Ranganathananda said about societies outside India four decades ago is relevant to India today: Children need loving parents at home. How can your children grow and unfold your possibilities without the love of a father and a mother and a peaceful home? But permissive societies and peaceful homes cannot co-exist. We must choose either the one or the other. In a permissive environment, children suffer psychic and personality privations and distortions, and the same children grow up and continue to deepen that malady of permissiveness, until the society becomes sick, and it decays and dies. Sheer pursuit of unchecked individual pleasure uninspired by any standard of ethical and moral values, lowers the quality of human life and human tastes, step by step, and brings about the ruin of a family, the ruin of a society, the ruin of a whole civilization.9 This permissiveness affects the mental and social health of the youth, who lose their ability to adapt to a resource-constrained environment. Social Impact Easy accessibility to various choices of life has led to a restless behaviour among youth. With advances in technology bringing means of pleasure close at hand, the youth become restive if they cannot access anything they want. Instant gratification has led to instant frustration. Patience, calm, and composure are soon becoming qualities found only in books. To make matters worse, the social system prepares the youth only for expecting and handling success, but not for handling failure. An increasing number of youth suicides bear testimony to the near absence of tolerance levels.
The young Indian is confused. But not angry. Angry enough, that is. Nobody reacts to atrocities any longer. One Jessica Lall murder investigation does not indicate change. By and large, there is widespread indifference in place of indignation.
Nevertheless, all is not bad with the Indian youth. While restlessness has brought about an increase in violence and substance abuse, a considerable number of the young are socially active and influence major social and political changes. Apart from the enormous political participation unseen in other countries, Indian youth have always been key social activists, as witnessed in the protests against the laxity of justice in the insane murder of Jessica Lall and the crusade against the insurmountable evil of corruption. These movements involved the entire nation, and the youth of rural and urban India came together and raised their voice, taking full advantage of print and electronic media. This is representative of the extent of influence the youth can bring on society by using the same technological advances that wrongly used bring about unrest. That said, the youth needs to have much more involvement in national matters. Patriotism is a dying virtue nowadays. A popular writer puts it this way: The young Indian is confused. But not angry. Angry enough, that is. Nobody reacts to atrocities any longer. One Jessica Lall murder investigation does not indicate change. By and large, there is widespread indifference in place of indignation.10 Some youth are indeed angry, though they prefer to show their anger in positive ways. The last decade has seen the emergence of various small and big youth leaders and icons in the country. To encourage such leadership qualities various organizations have instituted awards for social involvement and leadership of the youth. The Times of India Lead India Campaign and ibn Young Indian Leader Awards are two such. Some awardees are good examples of the factors of social change the young can effect. Take the case of Chavi Rajawat for instance, who being a graduate from Delhis Lady Shriram College and an mba from iimm, Pune, has worked with several corporate houses before she decided to join grassroots politics11 and is leaving behind the glamorous corporate world and the city arclights to head back to her village Soda in Rajasthan as its sarpanch (ibid). The mind of the Indian youth is fresh and open. All they want is progress, and a comfortable one at that. They have been caught up in the sudden increase of pace of the countrys development. While India was overwhelmed with local concerns a decade ago, today media and technology have flooded the popular minds with matters both local and global. Being a majority, Indian youth feel responsible, directly or indirectly, for the lack of even basic amenities for the countless in the country. They want to help, but their anxieties and aspirations are way too many, and the time
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and resources at hand too few. Only a synergy of thoughtful policies effectively implemented through youth power can lead to a smooth sailing of the nation, a sailing that includes young people at the stern. Though shifts in social and cultural framework have brought serious aberrations in their psyche, a little effort at attitudinal reorientation will still bring marvellous results, as they have tremendous energy waiting to be channelized. Swami Vivekananda said: I have faith in my country, and especially in the youth of my country.12 Though the prospects of Indian youth seem promising, it remains to be seen if they can vindicate Swamijis faith. References 1. 1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories for Preachers, Teachers, and Writers, ed. Edward K Rowell and Leadership (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008), 14. 2. Taittiriya Upanishad, 2.8.1. 3. See <http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Social_ and_cultural/Age_Groups.aspx> accessed 6 October 2011. 4. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, 9 vols (Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 18, 1989; 9, 1997), 5.7. 5. Johanna Wyn and Rob White, Rethinking Youth (London: Sage, 1997), 910. 6. The Times of India: <http ://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-22/ man-woman/29459727_1_lifestyle-diseasesnoncommunicable-diseases-lifestyle-disorders> accessed 6 October 2011. 7. Indian Youth in a Transforming World, ed. Peter Ronald deSouza, Sanjay Kumar, and Sandeep Shastri (New Delhi: Sage, 2009), xxiii. 8. Shobha D, Superstar India: From Incredible to Unstoppable (New Delhi: Penguin, 2008), 2034. 9. Swami Ranganathananda, Eternal Values for a Changing Society, 4 vols (Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1995), 3.369. 10. Superstar India: From Incredible to Unstoppable, 214. 11. IBNLive: <http://ibnlive.in.com/youngindian/winners.html> accessed 7 October 2011. 12. Complete Works, 3.320.
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THE WORLD LONGS INDIA DREAMS

N. Krishnamoorti SWAMI VIVEKANANDA PLANS Sowmya: Guruji! What is Mother Bharats vision of the world? How did Swami Vivekananda plan and work for that Mission? Guruji: There have been repeated attempts during historic times to unify the world. Alexander the great, the Byzantium empire, the Persian empire, the Turk Kingdom in ancient times and England and Germany in Modern times have tried to conquer the world and impose their life styles, lifes vision, civilization, religion etc., on the whole world. There is no tolerance for the variety and multiplicity of the people of the world, in these conquering countries. All those attempts have drenched the world in blood, destroyed civilizations, driven crores of people as refugees, razed down great symbols of human civil life. They have burnt down great libraries, to erase the cumulative wisdom of the ages. All these acts of violence ha ve pushed humanity backwards. Constructive work, peaceful life, creative developments of the human mind have been retarded and the very evolution of humanity has got stunted. Swami Vivekananda and other eminent thinkers such as ARNOLD TOYNBEE, WILL DURANT and other lovers of humanity despaired of this situation. If you read Swamijis Chicago address, he has said Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; Swamiji calls for ending all fanaticism, persecution and all uncharitable feeling. Swami Vivekananda recalls Indias spiritual mission whenever some effort is made to bring unity in Mankind. We find that whenever either by mighty conquest or by commercial supremacy, different parts of the world have been kneaded into one whole race and requests have been made from one corner to the other, each nation, as it were, poured forth its own quota, either political, social, or spiritual. Indias contribution to the sum total of human knowledge has been spirituality, philosophy. These she contributed even long before the rising of the Persian Empire; the second time was during the Persian Empire; for the third time during the ascendancy of the Greeks and now for the fourth time during the ascendancy of the English, she is going to fulfill the same destiny once more. Sowmya: But today man is cutting mans throat. Science and technology have been hi jacked by the Armies. In every country in the world, the best scientists, the best technologists, the best doctors have been purchased by the warring groups and are employed in destructive business. A survey in America has revealed that the purpose of that nation is TO KILL, to kill human beings, to kill animals, insects and birds and to kill trees and vegetation. Shall humanity survive at all? They say there are enough Atom Bombs to destroy the world 550 times. I do not how they will destroy the earth a second time? Guruji: Swamiji wants India to live so that the world can survive. He asks Shall India die? Then from the world all spirituality will be extinct, all moral perfection will be extinct, all sweet-souled sympathy for religion will be extinct, all ideality will be extinct and in its place will reign the duality of lust and luxury, as the male and female deities with money as its priest, fraud, force and competition its ceremonies and the human soul its sacrifice. Such a thing can never be, Arnold Toynbee the master historian echoes Swamijis thoughts. At this supremely dangerous moment in human history, the only way of salvation for mankind is an Indian way. The Emperor Ashokas and the Mahatma Gandhis principle of non-violence and Sri Ramakrishnas testimony to the harmony of religions; here we have the attitude and the spirit that can make it possible for the human race to grow together into a single family-and, in the Atomic Age, this is the only alternative to destroying ourselves.
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In the Atomic Age the whole human race has a utilitarian motive for following this Indian way. No utilitarian motive could be stronger or more respectable in itself. The survival of the human race is at stake. Yet even the strongest and most respectable utilitarian motive is only a secondary reason for taking Ramakrishnas and Gandhis and Ashokas teaching to heart and acting on it. The primary reason is that this teaching is right-and is right because it flows from a true vision of spiritual reality. Sowmya: Will humanity heed these voices of Sanity? Guruji: The alternative is total annihilation! Old terrorist - outfits are slowly recognizing the futility of violence. Only the newly initiated terrorists persist with destructive violence. Those who have spent 20-30 years in violent pursuits are saying, We are practicing violence only to bring the opponent to the dialogue table. Sowmya: Swamiji says that everyone approaches people of strength. Every one respects strength. Guruji: Swamijis concept of strength is multidimensional. He respects physical strength, advocates moral strength and proposes that India will conquer the world through her spirituality, spiritual strength. Sowmya: India has become strong physically also. Guruji: Yes. A country that has been invaded 69 times has to equip herself physically too. Our Defense Scientists talk about Minimum Deterrent Force. India is the only country in the world that has two Atomic powers as its neighbors. Defending the sacred borders of India is the most important duty of our Government and its people. Good fences make good neighbours. At the same time Indias message of spirituality, her message of Vedanta, Oneness of all existence, sacredness of Life, has to be taken to the far corners of the world. Sowmya: How does culture travel across National borders? Guruji: The most solid, substantial aspects of culture travel a short distance. Her leaders travel a bit farther. Her ideals, science, philosophy travel the farthest. This has been so in the past. Will Durant the eminent historian has said India was the Motherland of our race and Sanskrit the Mother of Europes languages. She was the mother of our philosophy, mother through the Arabs of much of our mathematics, mother through Buddha, of the ideal embodied in Christianity, mother through the village communities of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all. Sowmya: India was the mother of worlds nations in the past. Will she regain her old glory? Will the world accept her philosophy once again? Socially, economically what will be Indias contribution to the world! Some people feel India is too much other-worldly and it cannot teach the world how to live here and now. Guruji: See what Shri Aurobindo has said:- India has not only had the long roll of her great saints, sages, thinkers, religious founders, poets, creators, scientists, scholars, legists; she has had her great rulers, administrators, soldiers, conquerors, heroes, men with strong active will, the mind that plans and the seeing force that builds. India of the ages is not dead nor has she spoken her last creative word; she lives and has still something to do for herself and for human progress. Indias spirituality has taught her not only Moksha but also Dharma, Artha and Kama. Janaka, Ashwapati and Krishna have shown us how to reconcile prosperity and spirituality. Modern researches in History of Economics by ANGUS MADDISON have shown that from the First Century common era to the 17th, India was the RICHEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD producing anywhere between 25 to 33 percent of worlds total wealth, and her market share in business was between 25 to 33%, until the British came and destroyed our economic system. The world has learnt much in the fields of education, science, metallurgy, astronomy, chemistry, water management, soil science, steel making and gem cutting from India. One British soil scientist who was invited by the English rulers to advise the government on soil chemistry said that he learnt a lot of practical wisdom on soil chemistry from Indias farmers. One water Engineer invited by the Mysore Maharaja has praised Indias cheap, economic and efficient water storage system. Laurie Baker a Christian Missionary who came to India to
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convert, people got his heart changed and has praised Indias rural house building technique as the most MAN FRIENDLY AND NATURE FRIENDLY. India has never neglected her material welfare in the name of spirituality. The two went hand in hand. Sowmya: What is the source of Indias strength both in the spiritual and material spheres? Guruji: 1) Her love for truth, her desire for unifying various fields of study (what is called today INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH). Her capacity for connectivity, finding out the relationships between things, between people, between man and nature, between man and God, between man and man!
Sowmya: You have called this connectivity DHARMA. Guruji: Indias other strength is her family and social bonding, which provides an individual tremendous personal security and self- confidence. And above all comes Indias love of spirituality wherein man delves deep into the Wellsprings of LIFE and replenishes himself. It is gratifying to note modern science, the western science is slowly coming round to appreciate Indias tryst with TRUTH, the TRUTH ETERNAL. Sowmya: Are you sure sir that Indias spirituality and her prosperity are intertwined? Guruji: yes. Read Swamijis Paramakkudi speech. He says that whenever India loses herself too much in renunciation, saints come and teach her Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. When India becomes too materialistic, again saints come to teach her renunciation. The goal is to maintain the balance, Yuktahara vihara etc. (Gita 6/17) Sowmya: You were talking about Indias family structure. Guruji: The world is slowly waking up to understand the importance of family, the importance of human relations in the fields of health, capital formation through micro-saving and psychological strength of Individuals, in a family based culture. Sowmya: Guruji. I see a pattern in your speech. When I talk about individual men and women you talk about family, community and Nation. When I mention individual sciences, physics chemistry mathematics, you talk about Truth, integrating vision and interdisciplinary approach. When we talk about self-assertion you respond with the philosophy of Tyaga, surrender and sacrifice. Guruji: That is what Swami Vivekananda has taught us. He wants us to work with the whole picture in mind. He talks about KAVIS JNANA DRISHTI the integrating vision. One U.N. expert has said For too long the world bodies (like U.N, UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF) have attempted to aggregate the parts to make a whole. For too long, chasms and schisms been built first, divisions made and then bridges constructed. We have not begun as a world community by a concept as a whole, whether micro or macro, and then identified the parts. If man is the centre of Development, there cannot be a man without the totality of environment, natural, physical emotional and spiritual. Swami Vivekananda has said Religion is the manifestation of the DIVINITY already in man. Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man. But this is the environment that he now threatens to destroy. This may need a redefinition in terms of culture, education science-information, man media, and above all two crucial words Development and progress. Vivekananda was concerned with these problems even in his time. Sowmya: That is why he began his Chicago address Sisters and Brothers. Guruji: Yes. Totality first details later. The whole first, parts later. Sowmya: Then how do you reconcile his patriotism with his universality? Guruji: You will find this model as a recurring theme with all Indian saints and savants. In Swami Vivekananda, Shri Aurobindo, and Gandhiji, you will see it as a problem of unifying patriotism and universality. In Sri Ramakrishna you will recognize the Kali Upasana subsumed in Advaita. In the Vedic rishis vision you will see the pair as Vyaha and Samooha. The Hindu has learnt to see the universal in the particular. This is our secret of IDOL worship; we can see
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gravity in the apple. Jnaneshwara could see Advaita in Ganesha. For Adi Shankara Advaita and Shiva worship could go hand in hand. For Tulasi Dasji Rama was the Ishta Devata, But his philosophical position was Advaita. Sri Rama Krishna could combine Kali worship and Advaita. Appa pant could find common ground between Surya Upasana and Advaita. Arunagiri Natha was a worshipper of Kartikeya Muruga but was an advaitin. Kashmiri Shaivism is called Shiva advaitam. There is a concept of LALITA ADWAITA. Bharat has found that the ideal of Advaita and the respective Ishta of each of these saints are not contradictions. Similarly For Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo and Gandhiji, universal welfare and Partriotism are one and the same. Swomya: How do you say that Advaita is the ultimate message of India to the World? Guruji: Swami Vivekananda says Vedanta which goes beyond individual deities alone could be the universal religion. Further all other spiritual Swami Vivekananda has said Have systems can be explained through Advaita. Swami Vivekananda has the Faith, each one of you in yourself explained Vishistadvaita and Dwaita through Advaita principles calling that eternal power is lodged in every them stages in mans march towards Advaita. Modern science is slowly and soul and you will revive the whole of irrevocably marching towards, Advaitic interpretation of the creation. India. Aye, we will then go to every Armed with a universal spiritual philosophy, we can help and unite every country under the sun and our ideas religious philosophy of the world. In fact, every religion in the world has will before long be a component of the an element of Advaita hidden in it. But the cultural history, methods of worship and organizational structure have pushed the Advaitic element to many forces that are working to make the background in those religious disciplines. Ultimately every spiritual up every nation in the world. We must experience is only an Advaitic experience, though the adherents of various enter into the life of every race in India religions may speak a different language because of want of a advaitic and abroad; we shall have to work to vocabulary in their traditional fields. Further in India, Advaita has bring this about. preserved every method of worship without injuring the culture of the people. Advaita adds a new dimension to them and helps the sect to go to the roots of the matter. It is in this connection Swami Vivekananda has said Have the Faith, each one of you in yourself that eternal power is lodged in every soul and you will revive the whole of India. Aye, we will then go to every country under the sun and our ideas will before long be a component of the many forces that are working to make up every nation in the world. We must enter into the life of every race in India and abroad; we shall have to work to bring this about. Sowmya: Will the world accept this teaching? Guruji: We Indians have to bring alive these values and prove to the world that Advaitic unity can be practiced. Science and Communication technology will help us in a big way. Henryk Skolimowski has written an article Dialogue with Nandi in the magazine World Affairs. He says Indian boys and girls working as engineers and scientists have gone all over the world and have already started doing, Mother Indias Work, through Yoga, Vedanta Upanishads, Gita, the Mahabharata. Our Puranic stories, epic stories, Bharata Natyam, Meditation techniques are being taken across the seas by our educated youth. Sowmya: How will you sum up the situation? Guruji: 1) India has an excellent history of unifying the world through the Vedantic message. As Swami Vivekananda says during each of the four attempts made by the world to get united, India has always responded with the message of Vedanta. 2) Science and communications technology are taking the elements of Indian culture across borders. 3) Indias unique Advaita which adds experiential flavour to existing systems without destroying them will be acceptable by all. 4) Scholars have said that our Dharma is the natural system of evolution of the human species. There is nothing artificial or deliberately imposed about it. 5) Historians plead that in the era of Atomic war, the Righteous principles of tolerance propounded by India and exemplified by Sri Ramakrishna alone can save the world. 6) Our brilliant young men and women who have fanned across the world, have already started taking the vital components of our culture to foreign countries.
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Swami Vivekananda could listen to the voice of Destiny. What he set as the task for India towards the world community has been captured in the beautiful words of Roman Rolland. THE GREAT MESSAGE BROODED OVER FROM VEDIC TIMES BY THE DREAMING SPIRIT OF THIS ANCIENT RACE THE MESSAGE FOR WHICH IT, MUST RENDER ACCOUNT TO THE REST OF MANKIND. Sowmya: I remember Swami saying I do not see into the future; nor do I care to see. But one vision I see clear as life before me, that the ancient Mother has awakened once more, sitting on Her throne rejuvenated, more glorious than ever. Proclaim Her to all the world with the voice of peace and benediction.
Guruji: TATHASTU! **********
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MAKING SACRIFICE WITH JOY
A lawyer and a merchant, who traveled with a group that was going around the world. As they were visiting in Korea, they saw by the side of the road, a field in which a boy was pulling a crude plow and an old man held the plow handles and guided it. The lawyer was amused and took a snapshot of the scene. He turned to the missionary, who served as their interpreter and guide, and he said, "That's a curious picture. I suppose they are very poor." The guide replied, "Yes, that is the family of Chi Noue. When the place of worship was being built, they were eager to give something to it, but they had no money, so they sold their only ox and gave the money to the church. This spring, they are pulling the plow themselves." The men were silent for several moments. Then the businessman replied, "That must have been a real sacrifice." The guide said, "They do not call it that. They thought it was fortunate that they had an ox to sell." Swami Vivekananda has said: It is always for greater joy that you give up the lesser. This is practical religionthe attainment of freedom, renunciation. Renounce the lower so that you may get the higher. Renounce! Renounce! Sacrifice! Give up! Not for zero. Not for nothing, but to get the higher.
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SUBHASHITAM
Sloka-1
saptasgaraparyanta trthasnnaphala yath | gurupdodabindoca sahasrena tatphalam || Meaning: The baths taken in pilgrimages to the seven oceans bring only a thousandth part of the effect produced by drinking a drop of the water that is used for washing Gurus feet. Gu is darkness. Ru is its remover. Because one removes darkness, he is called a Guru Lord Krishna sat at the feet of his Guru Sandipani. Lord Rama who defeated ravana, was the disciple of Guru Vasishtha, Lord Hanuman who had surrendered himself in lotus feet of Lord Ram, Eklavya who unhesitatingly cut of the thumb and gave it to his guru Dronacharya. Swami viekananda who enlightened the knowledge of Vedanta around the world, was the disciple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. There is no word to explain the Glory of guru. One drop of knowledge from Guru removes the bondage of karmas. For the purpose of acquiring knowledge and dispassion, one should drink the water with which Gurus feet are washed, which cuts at the root of ignorance, which overcomes birth and the bondage of Karma.
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Sloka-2
yath yath jtyandhasya rpajna na vidyate | tath gurpadeena vin kalpakoibhistattvajna na vidyate || || Even as born-blind man has no knowledge of forms, so one cannot get the Knowledge of the Reality even in crores of creation-cycles, except through initiation by the Guru. People cross the ocean of Samsara by sitting in the strong boat of the sentence of the Guru, blown by the wind of the power of practice and past Samskaras, and steered by the pilot, Guru.The guru is an ocean of bliss, knowledge and mercy. He is the captain of your soul. He is the fountain of joy. He removes all your troubles, sorrows and obstacles.He shows you the right divine path. He tears your veil of ignorance. He makes you immortal and divine. He transmutes your lower, diabolical nature. He gives you the rope of knowledge and saves you when you are drowning in this ocean of Samsara. Guru is God. Worship your Guru and bow in his lotus feet with reverence.
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Shanti Mantra
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS Dr. M Lakshmi Kumari was born in Kerala in 1936. She obtained her Masters in Botany from Travancore University, PhD. In Botany from Madras University and did her post-doctoral studies from Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kiev. USSR (1968-1970). She joined the Vivekananda Kendra, founded by Ma. Eknathji Ranade and was unanimously elected as its President after his death in 1984 a position she held until 1995. She is also the founder and Chairman of Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation an organization started by Vivekananda Kendra at Kodungallur, Trissur District, Kerala. She is a prolific writer and has written extensively for the Vivekananda Kendra Patrika, Yuva Bharati and several other cultural and spiritual magazines in English and Malayalam. She represented the Vivekananda Kendra at the World Parliament of Religions at Washington, Chicago and Calcutta in 1993, at Cape Town, South Africa in 1999, and at the World Hindu Conference, at Durban, South Africa in 1995. She is also involved in various educational activities, including Sandeepani Gurukulam and Sandeepani Shashi Vihar, where Sanskrit education is imparted to students in the ancient gurukul style. Ailachary Vasunandi Ji Spreading the knowledge of spiritualism since more than 30 Years & had written more than 150 books on spiritualism & Jainism. His articles are also published regularly on magazine Sri Satyarthi Prakashan & Sri Sri Satya Bodh. Swami Narasimhananda is a monk of the Advaita Ashrama at its branch in Kolkata. Harikrishnan H. Completed post graduation in physics in 2008 and now work as a guest lecturer in the Dept Of Physics at National Institute of technology Calicut,Kerala.My interests are in Advaita Vedanta, Physics ,Photography and Indian Classical Percussion music. Email: harikrishnan001@gmail.com Blog: hari-mystic.blogspot.com Sri Krishnamoorti, a devotee of Holy Trinity and has dedicated his life for the Swamijis work for the last thirty odd years. a prolific writer in hindi, english, tamil, speaker, thinker. He is associated with the Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari. Bijay Kumar Banerjee, a devotee of Swami Vivekananda & Sri Ramakrishna , completed graduation in science stream, AICWA & also MBA degree from FMS, Delhi. He is now working in IOCL.
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We have been extremely fortunate to have several eminent authors contributing to this issue, for which we are very grateful to them. We look forward to several more contributions from them in the future. The basic thought behind Rashtra Chetana is make the young minds aware about the history and culture of India, and to inspire them to work for her future. With this objective in mind, we kindly urge you to read the issue, as well as forward the same to your friends or acquaintances. The aim of any new beginning can only be constant improvement towards perfection and this is possible with feedback from those for whom the endavour is undertaken. Hence we would also like to hear your comments, suggestions, thoughts or questions about the issue. These can be directed to rashtrachetana@gmail.com . If you would like to regularly receive the future issues of the same, please drop a line about it as well. Hoping the efforts behind this magazine will be blessed by one and all, Hari Om! Rashtra Chetana Team.
||Satyam vada, dharmam chara|| "Speak the truth, follow the path of righteousness". Om Shanti Shanti Shanti!
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Message of Rashtra Chetana
Let us join hands to make a strong chain and work together to build a powerful nation - as a land of people empowered by unity, morality, values, knowledge, learning & understanding. Let us come together to discover the lotus of knowledge, which stays in the heart of Mother India. For ages, this great mother of ours has been ill-treated by those who came from outside and didn't understand her divinity and purity. Let us raise her once again to her eternal throne as the spiritual guide and master of the world. Let us unite all Indians staying geographically within India, as well as those staying even outside the borders of the land and bring them together to worship the Mother. Let us make our nation proud with our work. This is the divine dream of Rashtra Chetana.
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Volume III Issue-I Website: www.rashtrachetana.com Email: rashtrachetana@gmail.

COMMEMORATIVE 4TH ANNIVERSARY OF RASHTRA CHETANA

NANDAMNANDAKARA PRASANNA JNASVARPA NIJABHVAYUKTAM | YOGNDRAMYA BHAVAROGAVAIDYA RMADGURU NITYAMAHA NAMMI ||

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Article 1 Editorial Indias Gift To The World

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Making Sacrifice With Joy

Subhashitam Shanti Mantra About The Authors Feedback

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INDIAS GIFT TO THE WORLD

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THE INEXPRESSIBLE - BEYOND EXPERIENCE

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GOAL OF HUMAN LIFE

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THE WORLD LONGS INDIA DREAMS

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Guruji: TATHASTU! **********

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