Religion : An Enemy of Progressive Human Culture?

Before the publication of his widely acclaimed book, "The Journey Home", Radhanath Swami talked with writer Joshua Greene at length about what prompted him to write the book and also the circumstances around which he took a daring trip to India in the 1960s. The interview also touched around the aspect of religion and renunciation - and reveal answers which are enlightening and broad. Some Excerpts from the interview.

Joshua Greene : Why do so many people seem to regard religion as the enemy of progressive human culture?

Radhanath Swami: There is a Sanskrit word saragrahi, which means one who seeks the essence in every situation. If we have an honest and sincere desire to grow in our character, in our devotion, our enlightenment, then we will always find the way to do so.

For those teachers who are honest and pure and true in what they teach and how they live, we can gain great inspiration and great knowledge and wisdom. But when we see there is hypocrisy or contradiction between what a person teaches and the real purpose of the message, there is also much to learn from that: to learn what we should be on guard against, to see how even religious leaders fall into pitfalls, the same essential as for all of us in different ways, and how we should be on guard and careful to protect ourselves from those pitfalls. We can learn and acquire great wisdom from properly applying spiritual truths to the mistakes of others, both today and throughout history. And those lessons are essential.

Q: You chose to become a renunciant. Do you recommend the path of renunciation?

 Radhanath Swami: Real spiritual life is not necessarily about changing our position in society. It is about transforming our hearts. One can be in business, in education, a mother or father, a farmer, a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer, a politician. One can even be a swami. But when we overcome selfishness and learn the beauty and art of selflessness—seva or selfless service—spirituality is meant to transform arrogance into humility, greed into generosity, vengeance into forgiveness, hate into love, criticism into appreciation, hopeless into hopefulness—it is meant to transform us into becoming instruments of the inner peace that is in our heart with God.

That is real journey home. The journey of transformation, of understanding that there is a power beyond our own, the power of God that can enthuse us, inspire us and empower us to be real instruments of change.

...To be continued....

Survival International's Amazing Cartoon on Tribal Development

Survival International is an international organization working for tribal people around the world, and help them protect their way of living,their lives, lands and help them determine their future for themselves and above all protect them from "modern" development, which in many ways divorces from their own culture and makes them unhappy.
Recently they released a cartoon book on tribal "development" which shows how multinationals and "civilized","modernized" businessmen, and so-called good samaritians, in the name of development and raising income levels of these "un-civilized","poor" tribals - ultimately only ruin their own sustainable ways of living and end up filling their own pockets.. Amazing Cartoon. In one of the pages, a economist(I guess he was economist!) remarks that "We tried income-generating activities...but some people seem satisfied with less than half a dollar a day!" - Talk of per capita income!
The cartoon book can be found here.

Chandragupta on Freedom - 340 B.C.

An extract from the T.V serial "Chanakya" - After freeing the republics of Artat and Malaya(now in Present day Pakistan) in 340 B.C - Chandragupta talks to the heads of the republics on the topic of freedom. Why do people want to be free? What actually is freedom? Is it merely the independence of the individual from societal controls and rules? Or is freedom more to do what with the ideas of living? The video is extremely insightful and  anyone who understands it will see how "Modern" India is still in bondage...

Bhisma's Wisdom

Generations in India have adored the epic figure, Bhisma, of the Mahabharata for his mighty deeds as well as his glorious qualities.Though renouncing the fulfillment of earthly love, he is renowned for his steady adhering to all the noble principles of life.
Bhisma's terrible vow of celibacy won him the name, which striked terror in the hearts of the enemies of Hastinapur. True to his vow, and as a warrior and upholder of the Kshatriya Dharma - he is as hard as ice. But he is also a sage, much known for his wisdom and upheld in great esteem by the Pandavas. As the most glorious and longest living mortal of his time, Bhisma is respected by everyone. However, it was tragic that Bhisma's vow of defending the prevailing King of Hastinapur forced him to fight against his own grandsons, the Pandavas, whom he had held in his hands as babies and showered love and affection. The intensity and ferocity with which Bhisma fought was only blunted and stopped by another of his vow: not fighting against women. In the end, Arjuna had to use this vow to stop his beloved grand sire's ferocious fight.
This particular dialogue between Bhisma and Yudhisthira begins, at the end of 18 day long Mahabharata war, with Bhisma laying on a bed of arrows. Krishna asks Bhisma to share all his timeless wisdom with Yudhisthira, to which he readily agreed. In the epic, this section is one of the voluminous one, with Bhisma teachings convering every expanse of human life. Here, it is presented in condensed form. Credit to Graham Bond.


 Bowing to his beloved Grand Sire, Yudhisthira began
"Please tell me, O son of Ganga, all that which you wish me to know
Honor us with the rich wisdom of all your long years, before you depart.
Can I question you on matters close to my heart?"
Bhisma nodded.

On Attaining the Highest Good
Yudhisthira began " Oh Grand sire, how can one attain the highest good?"
Bhisma replied, "One who practices universal compassion, and
Who controls lust, anger, greed attains to the highest success,
And the highest good of the human life."

The one who regards all creatures as part of his own self,
And practicses the divine virtue of universal compassion,
Leaving aside the vindictive rod of chastisement,
And subjugates his anger, will succeed to attain happiness.

On the Best Friendship
"O Sire", Yudhisthira asked, "Please tell me who is truly one's friend"
Bhisma replied,"One is born alone, O King, and one dies alone
One crosses alone through the difficulties provided to us to learn by.
No-one can really share the joy or misery destiny brings forth to us.

After one dies, one's body is abandoned by relatives and friends.
Only righteousness remains to comfort the soul.
So it is Plain that only righteousness is the only friend.
And that righteousness should be sought by all.

Between the righteous, friendship springs up, even though they
only exchange seven words or walk seven steps.
But friendship with the unrighteous is like sleeping with a snake.
One is inflicted with the poison of unrighteousness goes to hell.

On the Transmigration of the Soul
King Yudhisthira asked, "Is the Soul destroyed by death?",
Bhisma replied,"The moon, on the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight,
cannot be seen, however can you say that it has been destroyed?
The conscious soul is eternal, experiencing time and space.

When liberated from the body, it cannot be seen.
But like waxing moon, it obtains a new body and manifests once again.
Governed by the consequences of the many actions it has performed,
it takes up a body suitable to reap the fruits of those actions.

On seeing the Self
Yudhisthira replied, "So how can one obtain the eye to see the soul"
Bhishma answered, "If the soul is freed from the anxieties of desire,worry and fear
Then the soul can be seen through the eyes of understanding awakened by grace.
Like an image in a reflecting in a still pond, the Self reveals to himself to oneself.

Only a snake can see the legs that carry another snake,
One with a inner vision can see the energy of the subtle worlds.
True happiness comes in the contemplation of the spiritual realm,
And the Self reveals himself to the unperturbed soul of unwavering intent.

Blessed are those who cultivate a still mind and restrain their senses,
Through grace and practice, one obtains the eye which can see the inner Self.
Bhisma then paused, and then turned within to savour the experience he had just described,
And Yudhisthira watched in amazement.

Indian Farmer's Tryst with Harvard

Indian Kisan in a Harvard Classroom, giving tidbits on the reasons behind this success.
The entire article can be found here.

One noteoworthy point that comes out in the article is - one of the farmer was asked why big industrial houses in India such as Tata, Birla, Reliance, etc, were not doing such schemes for farmers. He said He can't answer this... yeh tau sahi sawal aap galat admi se pooch rahey hei (It's the right question but asked of the wrong man)!

The Vedic Lever : Exposing the illusion of choices and setting the priorities where they ought to be.

Much of print and electronic media has been devoted to delineate the positive as well as negative effects of modern civilization and the scientific revolution of the previous century. We have endless discussions and debates in our living rooms, schools, colleges, corporate circles, social bodies and the like, about the radical change that is taking place around us. Proponents of scientific progress and super-industrialization claim that the average man’s standard of living has improved dramatically and having sufficient means to satisfy his needs; he is, in general, happier in today’s age. With the policy of economic liberalization and capitalistic expansion being adopted by all major countries of the world, what we are experiencing is a proliferation of choices in practically every aspect of our life. There is also a firm conviction that everyone has in the scientific approach, the underlying assumption being that it is being guided by rational thought and foresight. Our intention at this point is to objectively analyze this assumption and agree upon a conclusive answer to the very pressing question staring us in our collective conscience: Is the power of choice presented by scientific advancement really a boon? And is our progress really guided by a rational thought process and prudent foresight?

To answer the question about choice let us first consider the hierarchy of needs, as the primary function of a choice is to satisfy a need; at a personal, familial, or societal level. Everyone has the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter and having satisfied them thus we have a longing for other higher things. We have an urge to get good education, good status, and a secure source of income. Ultimately the end purpose of all these needs is manifested as engagement (and consequently encagement ) in sensual pleasures and then having satisfied that, occasionally (or never in modern times) a quest for higher truth and purpose. This is just a subset of the hierarchy mentioned in the system of Vedic culture where the human life is divided into four stages, passing through which and adhering to the rules at each stage, each person can satisfy his bodily requirements and gradually become engaged in a quest for the actual meaning of life : “Athato Brahma Jignasa” meaning : “Now that you have this human form of life, you must inquire about the absolute truth”. Thus we see that the ultimate aim of human life according to these ancient texts of timeless wisdom is to develop curiosity about our actual purpose in life, so that we inquire about philosophical truths of our origin, destination and the supreme absolute truth. In order that a person may reach that stage of consciousness, they prescribe regulations (a limit on choices) for the needs that come lower in the hierarchy (food, clothing, lifestyle, sensual pleasure etc) and provide a wide variety of choices for needs that come higher in the hierarchy (Philosophical treatises in the form of Eighteen Upanishads, Four Vedas, the histories of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and ultimately the crown jewel of Vedic philosophy: The Bhagavad Gita), which conclusively and exhaustively describe the subjects about:

• The existence and symptoms of the soul (defined as a minute spark of spiritual energy which is indestructible and continues to be in existence even after the death of material body).
• The supreme absolute truth (the super-soul), the source of everything including us and our universe.
• Our real identity as eternal spiritual beings full of knowledge and happiness but trapped in the temporary and fleeting illusory material energy due to ignorance
• Nature and its laws, our relationship with the supreme absolute truth and nature.
• Laws for creating and governing a spiritually enlightened civilization, and all other fields of human knowledge.

Nobel-prize-winning chemist Albert Szent Gyorgyi remarked, "In my search for the secret of life, I ended up with atoms and electrons, which have no life at all. Somewhere along the line, life ran out through my fingers. So, in my old age, I am now retracing my steps."

Biologist Francis Hitching goes even further, "To put it at its mildest, one may question an evolutionary theory so beset by doubts among even those who teach it? It fails to explain some of the most basic questions of all: how lifeless chemicals came alive?"

So at this point for the sake of argument we can accept this definition of the Soul from the Vedic literatures and continue our march towards the truth. At least we now know from the experience of an eminent scientist that, not believing it in the first place, forced him to retrace his steps in old age and hence we can take a more informed decision. A principle that we can keep in mind is this: The existence of the soul can be substantiated based more on intuitive understanding of consciousness rather than direct perception, because by definition the soul is beyond our limited sense perception. Henceforth the term “Spiritual” will be used in relation to this accepted definition of the Soul from Vedic literature.

Physical Needs >>> Emotional Needs >>> Spiritual Needs

(Basic needs) (Love,Respect,Acceptance) (Answers to questions about God)

From left to right the importance and gravity of these needs increases.

This illustration can be compared to a lever mechanism which puts appropriate stress on different needs according to their importance so that the all important function of human existence is successful. In a nutshell, the entire process is: From the outside(temporary worldly pleasure, material acquisition, illusory sensory pleasure) to the inside (meditation on the soul, withdrawing senses, finding eternal contentment in the self without external aid). Seeing the futility of the inside-out scientific approach, the west is slowly turning to the east for this outside-in spiritual wisdom. Great physicists like Fritjof Capra have established striking parallels between the spiritual insights of the east and the insights provided by modern physics in his book “The Tao of Physics” after spending nearly a decade in researching the philosophies of the east.

A positive side effect of this Vedic lever is that the entire population is engaged in spiritual goals. Hence they reduce their material desires, and automatically learn to live in harmony with nature, being completely free from the exploitative and capitalistic mindset.

As rightly observed by His Holiness Radhanath Swami :

“The basis of all problems of economics, according to the greatest authorities in the subject, is — unlimited people with unlimited desires to enjoy limited resources. “

Thus we see that equipped with an attitude of frugality in the material sphere, spiritual seekers approach Nature only for maintaining a minimum level of bodily comfort, while a major portion of time and effort is put into spiritual propensities (Chanting, meditation, discourses and discussions about spiritual literature, astanga yoga practice which helps in the nine processes of devotional service etc). This subsequently results in knowledge of self-realization and a radiant peaceful health for the seeker along with balanced ecology characterized by peace and harmony. The possibility of conflicts and war is thus minimized and the civilization is evidently enriched in spiritual values having a common goal to strive for (Lord Sri Krishna). We have evidences and historical records of many such periods in our history when rulers governed their kingdoms based on these eternal and unchanging principles and consequently erected virtuous and prosperous empires (For example, the Gupta Empire and Vijayanagara Empire of Krishnadevraya. Their prosperity can be deduced from the fact that merchants and traders sold large quantities of rubies and diamonds openly on the street as they were available in plenty. This attracted people from every nook and corner of the world).

At this point, would it not be apt and rational to conclude that, if the general population is engaged in higher (spiritual) propensities then the lower propensities are taken care of automatically due to the balance with Nature, which in itself is bountiful and resourceful? Choices are a boon if given with the appropriate end in mind (spiritual elevation), for the appropriate needs (needs of the soul rather than the body.)

	Co operate	Compete
Cooperate	Win,Win	Win,Lose
Compete	Lose,Win	Lose,Lose

It’s a win-win deal for each and every component of the entire ecosystem, comparable to the optimum solution as proposed by the Game theory of the Nobel laureate professor John Nash, as illustrated in matrix above. When all the components in an interconnected and interdependent system choose to voluntarily cooperate, the result is a win-win situation for each one. Finally this creates a self-sustaining, balanced system which very effortlessly maintains its equilibrium over a long period of time. This is the prudent foresight with which the ancient Vedic texts have put forth the timeless principles to govern civilization.

Now compare this with the situation we have around us today.

When top scientific brains in top universities and top managerial brains in large corporations sit in front of their drawing boards, what is driving their thought process? All their intellect, all their energy, all their resources (which most of the time come from our hard-earned money in the form of taxes) are directed in which direction, to what end, for which purpose? Broadly it can be classified under material advancement only (Better missiles, more destructive weapons, greater reserves of oil, more profit, more acquisitions and mergers, greater GDP growth, greater and more sophisticated facilities for physical comfort and sensual pleasures) with little or no consideration for exploring the higher truths about life and the universe. The few enlightened scientists who do inquire into these superior topics are few and far in between (Albert Einstein, Fritjof Capra and some others). And most often their exalted insights into the nature of reality and truth fail to reach or connect to the masses in general, who are grossly engaged in material, and sensual existence. The superior science and philosophy about life is dismissed as an arm-chair philosophy, to be adopted only at the sag end of life. Little do we realize that it is a way of life (called “Tao”, or “the way” in Chinese philosophy or “Adhyatma” or “science of the self” in Vedic tradition) to be practised as much as possible on a daily basis to achieve the highest perfection and everlasting peace. As wisely observed by M.K Gandhi :

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.”

The proliferation of advertising in the form of print and electronic media, especially internet has given further impetus to this imprudent attitude which is completely devoid of rational foresight. Short term goals of excessive physical comfort and sense pleasure have assumed greater importance over long term sustainability and ecological balance. Nearly all messages portrayed in advertisements, movies, TV shows and the like, fuel this propensity for greater physical satisfaction, completely overshadowing our real spiritual needs. The psychological effects of such irresponsible acts have their greatest effect on growing children whose minds are most impressionable. They grow with the same hedonistic and exploitative outlook which measures success purely based on material acquisitions and creates unhealthy competition. Drugs, suicides, violence among the youths: isn’t our whole materialistically centered social set-up responsible for these anomalies directly or indirectly? In this fast-paced mad race towards an unworthy goal, we must stop for a while to ask ourselves and each other some simple but important questions: Where are we all as a people heading? Are the choices presented by modern civilization really as useful as they seem or are made to seem? Are we as rational and thoughtful as we think we are? Isn’t this a lose- lose situation for the entire ecosystem including ourselves if we keep feeding our irrational and unwarranted lower propensities and completely forget our higher goal in life as a human? Which is the correct approach: Hankering after illusory and fleeting happiness outside or turning inside and finding the true eternal treasure of happiness, bliss and knowledge?

We have thrived on materialism for long and seen its effects clearly. May be we all are victims of commitment bias to materialism. Despite experiencing the futility of material enjoyment, we keep committing ourselves to it again and again, chewing what has already been chewed many times over. Maybe now is the time to turn the lever towards spirituality and find the right balance in life!

Facing a Catastrophe, Silently?

Why should be a story of an individual cancer patient be of particular interest to anyone, and especially in a nation like India? After all, individuals are mere statistics. However the case we have here is instructive, as it represents the life threatening and destructive processes that we have set up on our self, in our quest to achieve material comforts and ape the West.

This cancer is closely linked with environmental pollution. There are numerous articles, movies and media which we may have seen or read about at some point in our lives – and yet public awareness about these issues remains limited and often ineffective in order to “get things moving”.

The poor, often more than the rich are the ones who suffer the most from rising environmental degradation. The elite of our nation have failed to internalize the ecological principle that for every small amount of poison we put back in environment, comes back to us, to the rich and the poor alike – into our air, our water and the food we eat. In our quest for increasing the rate of economic growth through rampant industrialization and consumerism, we are failing to recognize that it would be “us” who will have the foot the bill of environmental degradation. Ironically, while consumer durables like mobile phones, laptops, and other synthetic and artificial needs are easily available now, we cannot find clean air to breathe, clean water to drink or good, nutritive food to eat.

These poisons slowly seep into our bodies and take years to show up as cancer, as immune system disorders, or a hormonal or reproductive system disorders – affecting even the foetus. Is it not, therefore, imperative, for the society and the humanity as a whole to find a way to ensure that our urges for economic growth and material comforts are in consonant with the needs for natural and human health? For our lopsided “growth” and “development” is ruining the planet, our ecosystems, and in turn the very habitats we reside on – and the sources of our survival. In short, while we have advanced technologically and invented many devices for human comfort, we have failed to achieve a balance with nature – both inner and outer. A situation which is ripe for ever decreasing quality of human life in all fronts. Isn’t this something which we own to ourselves, our fellow creatures and to all our children? How is that we don’t have foresight to see the trap that we have set our self in, albeit with the co-operation and direction of all our “experts” and “commissions”?

To give an idea to the reader about the intensity of the relationship that the planet’s habitats share with each other, this example will be instructive. In 1995, researchers found that all the way upto North Pole, Arctic lakes were teeming with fishes highly contaminated with fishes Dangerous levels of pesticide Toxaphene were found in the lakes by these Canadian researchers – who were looking for the causes for pollution in surface sea water. They were baffled first by the presence of Toxaphene – for it had been banned in Canada more than a decade back. How did it make it way back into the Arctic Ocean?

Answer: The above scenario is the result of a process called “global distillation process” in which chemicals are vaporized from soils and transported back by wind to Cold Latitudes – chemicals sprayed in Asian and African countries were carried back to the North Pole! These chemicals later condense out, and through food chains enter the bodies of plants and animals alike.

Coming back to the issue of pollution: Cumulative effects of pollutants accumulating in water and air for years can result in reduced immunity, according to Industrial Toxicology Research Centre(ITRC).Thus environmental contamination can show up in the diseases afflicting population. Yet, there is no real concern in Indian mass or elite about clear air, water or naturally grown food – all of which are not just bacteriologically but also chemically contaminated now - and more so in our cities and industrial clusters

And the reason for “no – concern”? Our short sightedness, and our emphasis on short terms fixes and results than on long term implications. While bacteriological contamination shows up in acute epidemics and hence leads to “Breaking News” on our publicity –savvy news channels and public, chemical contamination takes years and years to show up in form of hormonal and reproductive disorders. But is this a good reason for ignoring this issue completely?

Unless we have very solid and strong campaign against pollution at all levels, and make efforts to inform the public about the health threats that it faces, there will be no pressure on anyone to do anything – neither on the regulatory authorities nor on the public to do something to protect the environment. But our inaction cannot be and will not be a reason for environmental disasters not to befall us.

Tailpiece – Mumbai, the financial centre of India, and teeming with a population of 1.2 crore is a classic example of lopsided growth Setting apart the fact that it teems with number of our "experts", and has number of “lakhpatis” and “crorepatis” – the air is so polluted that inhaling it is equivalent to smoking two packs of cigar everyday!

According to Maharashtra Pollution Control Board(MPCB), 75 percent of rivers in Maharashtra are polluted by industry. A good example is that of Pimpri, which has taken its toll on the river Mulla near Pune. The river is so polluted that it is not even suitable for survival of crabs, considered some of the toughest creatures when it comes to surviving water pollution. A 1997 study by University of Pune observed that the water of the river just before it entered Pimpri was potable, while at the point it left Pimpri, it was highly polluted. Yet there seems to be hardly any notable movement or protest against industrial pollution. And if there is any resistance, it either fizzles out in face of an insensitive government, or people involved in it abandon it halfway.