The vicissitudinous tides of time have posed two alarming challenges today: one, the need to eradicate the horrifying smog of the risks of total devastation of the world; and, two, creation of a new world order for a bright, progressive and happy future. These are Herculean tasks that may be likened to charring the giant kingdom of Ravana into ashes and simultaneously establishing “Rama–Rajya” – the ideal empire of Lord Ram.
Threats to Life on the Earth:
The prevailing circumstances on the global scenario indicate strong possibilities of hazardous conflicts and calamities, prominent among these are the threats of nuclear, biological and (variants of) star wars and another world war. If either of these materializes, it will lead to total extinction of the civilization and will also extinguish the chances of existence of life on this planet forever. Not only that! It might even destroy the very existence of our lovely planet and explode it into pieces like the debris of the tiny stars devastated after collision, which continues to revolve between the Mars and Jupiter. The danger of nuclear, biological or chemical warfare is more terrifying than all the combined demonic powers narrated in mythology. Even a thought of its likelihood would send shivers in the minds of anyone who knows the dreaded powers of these devilish tools. The sword of doom’s day seems to be hanging above every head. Who knows when the earth might be exploded into a comet of toxic smoke? The pathetic aftermaths of nuclear attacks on Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the state of affairs post wars in the gulf are sufficient to make us imagine the magnitude and nature of the hazards we are living with, noting especially the multi-fold sophistication and expansion of strategic weapons technology every day.
Another scarecrow that has spread its dark wings on the earth is environmental pollution. The blind race of materialistic gains and uncontrolled mushrooming of industries has proved suicidal in many respects. The toxic smoke of the factories and industrial waste has poisoned the air, water and soil. In the urbanized or industrially developed areas, we can’t even breathe fresh air. Ponds, rivers and even seawater are polluted. Global warming generated by atmospheric pollution has further augmented the scarcity of water for drinking and irrigation and compounded the negative effects. Use of chemical fertilizers, synthesized seeds and pesticides has ruined the fertility of soil and mutated the agricultural products. Detection of pesticides, carcinogens and other harmful chemicals in food grains, vegetables and fruits has become a common observation; at times these are even found much above the high-risk levels. Unchecked exploitation of geological resources has squeezed out the treasures of oil, petroleum and rich varieties of minerals beneath the earth on the one hand and also enhanced the propensity of earthquakes in several parts of the world on the other.
The third giant menace waiting to gulp us all is that of untoward radiations. As though the ultraviolet and other harmful radiations of the sun reaching us due to depletion of the ozone layer were not enough to increase our panic, our follies seem to ‘assure’ us of more tragic and painful suffering! The ever rising research and development activities in the field of nuclear energy – for production of the atomic bombs and generation of thermal electricity have, despite the much acclaimed safety norms, increased the radio-active radiations in earth’s atmosphere beyond the safe limits. This is a virtual invitation to diseases like cancer and debilitating disabilities and genetic aberrations of many kinds. We the grownups, we the intellectuals, the scientists, technologists, industrialists, developers, or administrators of today appear headed to creating a hell for our future generations. Instead of a rise in prosperity and happiness, we seem to be pushing our world to unprecedented pain and suffering, disabilities and adversity of Nature.
On the fourth front there is the dragon of population explosion! Just imagine, the world population was only 150 million about two thousand years ago. With a growth rate like compounded interest we have now crossed the figure of 6000 million! If this cyclonic trend continues, within less than half a century we will be more than 10,000 million!! It is impossible to fulfil the basic necessities like fresh air, water, food, housing, education, medical support and transportation for such a huge crowd. Economic and developmental growth would not be able to meet the demands imposed by the high fertility rate of human population. Even theoretically, no expert has been able to provide any magic idea or model in this regard. What will happen when the roads will be all the time flooded with vehicles and pedestrians? Will anybody be able to walk or move in any direction without crushing a few fellow beings? Like the hordes of locust, people would be virtually compelled to suicides on large scale. So even if one were able to survive the lethal pollution, radioactivity, and hunger, etc, he would die of suffocation or be mashed in the crowds rushing from all directions.
Ironically, none of the above is a natural calamity. These are all man-made blunders. In spite of the savants being aware of the acute dimensions of the problems, and in spite of brainstorming discussions and grand projects at national and international levels, there appears no satisfactory and feasible solution in sight. The hopes of rescue from the ‘death-valley’ remain grim. Why is it so? Why the modern world, so well-equipped with super-powers of science and technology, intellectual ascent and liberty of thoughts has trapped itself in the vicious cycle of suicidal follies, that too in the blossoming spring of its civilization and materialistic prosperity? In simplest terms the root cause is our ignorance and negligence of the soul. This indifference and disrespect towards the real self has also strengthened the nearest and mightiest but hidden enemy of mankind, which is – decline in moral values.
Fallen moral values and selfish attitudes have converted today’s man into an intelligent beast, a wealth-producing machine, and even into a demon in human form. Human values like goodwill, love, generosity, altruistic feelings, and sacrifice have become meaningless and obsolete in today’s society at large. Integrity of character, sacrifice for ideals sound imaginary to most people or have become the subject matters of fun and ridicule. Sensitivity of human heart is overshadowed by arrogance and avarice; thirst for sensual pleasure and blind race for superficial success, short-sighted ambitions and mean aims have suppressed all moral instincts and waned all memories of great characters. Cultural decline and crisis of faith is at its peak. In short, despite immensity of glittering resources we are shallow in personality. We are falling down along a slippery path in terms of real dignity. Our materialistic progress has reached sky high but the roots and fruits of progress have gone rotten. The gigantic skeleton of our development has drifted off from its foundation; it would fall any time and dump us in the ditch of darkness forever.
Each one of the above-described five threats is frightening and is sufficient to challenge our existence on the earth. How difficult it would be to tackle their joint impact should be obvious to anyone who thinks. Looking at the gravity of the threats and reviewing what the preventive and remedial efforts have been made so far by the governments and social organizations across the globe, it is apparent that much more is essential to be done on war footing. Considering the emergency of the situation and realizing the root of the problems, we need to harness the potential of the field of spirituality.
Spiritual Experiment to Counter the Threats:
The demon Vrattasur would not have been destroyed if Indra’s vraj (divine weapon) were not used. And what made this vraj so powerful? It was made up of the bones of rishi Dadhichi, which he voluntarily donated to save the world. It was the spiritual energy of the rishi that had made his bones so special. The dimension of the ‘Vrattasur’ today is manifold and much more gigantic. One vraj alone would not suffice to defeat it. Today, we require the elevated spiritual force, which is immense like the cosmic vibrations generated by evolutionary impulse (Mahakali Sakti) of the Omnipotent. This requires devout sadhanas in the high realms of supreme consciousness force. Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharyaji has endeavoured this epochal experiment in his subtle and astral bodies along with angelic rishis present in invisible forms in the intractable core of the Himalayas.
This unique experiment had commenced in 1984 with his “Sukämikarana Sadhana” which has continued with greater force since he voluntarily left the physical body in 1990. In his physical body as well, the life of this seer-sage, spiritual scientist par excellence had been a living monument of tapa–sadhanas of great intensity including twenty-four Gayatri Mahapuraächaranas for twenty-four years. He also pioneered mass-awakening and spiritual upliftment of the masses from all walks of life through the grass-root programs of social welfare, revolution of thoughts and dissemination of spiritual knowledge in scientific light. The seeds sown by him are fructifying with millions of people participating in the “Yug Nirman” mission of the Gayatri Pariwar propounded by him.
His unique spiritual experiment has churned and purified the sublime environment of life, consequences of which are clearly seen as the dawn of a golden future by the yogis and sadhakas who can perceive the horizons beyond the space and time limits. Rise in people’s curiosity and inclination towards spirituality, expansion in the reach of dedicated schools and organizations of yoga and spirituality to distant corners of the globe, and growing popularity of the constructive programs of these institutions is a definite indication of a positive change that we cannot ignore. This also signals that the smog of ‘crisis of faith’ is somewhat diminishing, and gradually the sunrise of moral upliftment will also appear in the clear sky.
The changes in the subtle ambience will materialize in entirety if we also put in our best efforts on what pertains to our immediate duties for the betterment of our world. There are five principal fronts where the current trends need to be set right; it is an exercise of rotating back the wrong side down and bringing the right side at the top. It will require reformative as well as reconstructive strives to rectify the errors and to accelerate the righteous efforts of ploughing, irrigating and cultivating the world-garden. This would turn a barren land, a stretch of filthy mire, into a green flourishing belt, a fragrant farm of sandalwood. Each of these fronts is like a stout pillar on which the architecture of the society, the nation, the world, resides. These are the five nuclei of power that shape the present and future of the people. It is up to the people to channelize these powerful streams. These five perennial resources are – (i) Government; (ii) Religion; (iii) Economy; (iv) Knowledge and (v) Talents.
(i) Government:
Government or ruling regime of a nation holds the key to its security, foreign affairs and major policy decisions. All resources and revenues of the country are mobilized under direct or indirect control of the government. It is a pity that a somewhat destructive and insensitive line of thoughts is dominating the approaches of most rulers. Advancement of strategic gadgets, secret intelligence and preparations for high-tech war are their prime concerns. Blame it on the system as a whole, cold war culture, conservative approach of some ‘superpower countries’, or religious fanaticism, the fact remains that most of the governments, due to whatever reasons they might try to justify, are responsible for fuming the human resources, financial, intellectual, scientific and technological powers and creative talents of their nations in the fire of defence-expenditures. It is not hidden from anyone that most of the countrymen – the common people are against wars and want to live peaceful and progressive life. Why then, there is a threat of war, or occurrence of war? Does the military on its own initiates it at random? Certainly not! We all know that it is their ‘high commands’, the handful of rulers – the policy makers, the decision makers, whose ‘vision’ and orders make all the difference. The loggerhead violent bullfight seriously injures and even kills the bulls and also ruins the plants and vegetation around. The battle of the ‘heads’ of the nations is more intense. It harms their own country more than the enemy’s.
Even if half the energy and other resources engaged for violence and destruction could be used wisely for constructive purposes, by now the malnutrition, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, would have been eradicated from this world. It would have also helped improvement of people’s health control over criminal mentality and activities. If there is positive transformation at the top (government, leading forces), amelioration of the whole system won’t be difficult. Farsighted wisdom, goodwill and righteous actions of rulers and leaders can bring revolutionary changes without any ‘revolution’ and accelerate the chances of golden future.
(ii) Religion:
The second foundational pillar of the human society is religion. The real meaning of religion is – linkage of consciousness with nobility; implanting magnanimity and human values in people’s hearts and minds; righteous orientation of thoughts, emotions and actions. Illusory doctrines and fundamentalist impositions in the name of religion or faith are mere offshoots of prejudiced communalism propagated by the few so-called ‘religious leaders’ or ‘extremist philosophers’ who exploit the simplicity and emotional softness of innocent peoples. Unfortunately, since several hundred years, these distortions have overshadowed the spirit and light of religion. This sheath needs to be peeled off at the earliest so that the immense power of spirituality could be used for self-awakening and moral elevation of the masses. This can’t be achieved simply by sacraments, grand ceremonial gathering, festivals, devotional songs or prayer meetings. Dissemination of the true meaning and purpose of religion and ethics of humanity can be executed by enlightening writings, discourses, art, culture, and altruistic deeds.
Literature, performing art, films, and above all, the media play a crucial role in moulding the tendencies of the masses. However, in the modern times, the web of consumerism and commercialization has entrapped everything so much that grabbing profit and power by easy encashment of beastly instincts and passions and by all (fair or unfair) means appears to have generally become the motto of success for the high flying masters of these fields. The corruption of these intense modes of wide-reach among the masses is responsible, to a significant extent, for declining standards of people’s taste and for moral devolution of the society. The most sensitive and intense root of debauching adulteration of people’s tendencies and consequent mushrooming of social crimes, terrors, addictions, perversion of youths, ethical anarchy, etc has to be ‘cured’ on war-footing. It is urgent like controlling the engine that has gone off the track and is about to fall in a ditch with the entire train. Rectification on this front and expansion of the light of religion should go hand in hand.
(iii) Economy:
The third vertebra of the spinal cord of our civilization is money-power – strong economy or financial resources. Indeed wealth is the most prominent source of materialistic development. From acquisition of bare minimum necessities of survival and essential worldly requirements, to glittering enterprises, gorgeous status, expansion of business and estate, and industrial growth, everything needs finance. Wealth could be used thoughtfully towards fulfilling essential requirements, raising family, contributing for social welfare, supporting philanthropic projects, rural development, setting up small or large-scale industries, generating employments, etc. But it can also be spent on lavish life-style, excessive possession of luxuries, sensual pleasures and passions and untoward addictions. Money can be stolen or grabbed by deceiving and extortion. But it can also be generated by industrious efforts, sharp business skills, sincerity and efficient management. And it can be put in use for constructive projects of strengthening the economic status of the society, of the nation, and thus directly or indirectly contributing to the prosperity of the world.
What we see currently is partly a mixed scenario on the front of wealth generation and utilization. However, dishonesty, shrewdness, corruption and selfish possessions are somewhat predominant on this front too.
Things won’t remain the same for long! Nature will set the clock right very soon on this relatively more visible and worldly front. As we all are experiencing, lavish food and luxurious life-style brings along varieties of psychosomatic disorders and weaknesses in return. Tensions and stresses also grow in proportion with thirst for money, ambitions of rapid accumulation of wealth, fast expansion of business, etc. The penalties are going to be stricter in the coming years. Moreover, those exploited or oppressed would not keep quiet any more. There are forums and organizations, which, for whatever vested interests or goodwill, often come forward to help the labours and others being exploited. Such efforts are going to gear up with fairness in fight for justice.
Global economy has become a reality today; for it to flourish further, all disparities and partisan approaches ought to vanish. Whether one believes it or not, the coming decades will witness a more balanced distribution of capital, cooperation and non-hierarchical collaboration between workers and owners. No wise man or woman would snatch or hold excessive wealth or worldly resources without investing them towards expansion of prosperity of many others. Those who will continue to stock hordes of riches for selfish means and passions will face the music. Nature and the society will teach them a good lesson in not too distant future. Those having wealth and also the wisdom and vision of the future will give due consideration to needs of the hour and orient their financial-planning and resources towards philanthropy and constructive projects of socio-economic development and welfare of more and more needy people. They will be the worthy contributors to the making of a prosperous world. Those who would grab wealth for narrow selfish purposes and pleasures will have nothing but repentance to own in the end.
(iv) Knowledge:
We are all aware that knowledge is the most powerful source of progress on the materialist and intellectual fronts. Ascent of our civilization and social development would not have taken place without knowledge. The past millennium has witnessed intellectual evolution that has propelled us in the present ‘age of knowledge’. However, much more remains to be done. So far, our knowledge has largely remained confined to ‘understanding of some facets of Nature’ and ‘information of the happenings in the world’.
Our learning or ‘knowledge acquisition’ is driven by our education system. School and university education has steered its dissemination in a formal way (siksa ) as per the trends of development and requirements of the society. The expansion of media and advancement of communication technology have led to a virtual explosion of information. But how much of that is really useful for refinement of personality? Knowledge of findings of natural and social sciences, information and contemporary analysis of the local and global events is no doubt essential for progress on the external domains of life. But what about the absolute knowledge (vidya), which enlightens the inner self, inculcates moral values and acquaints us with the purpose and grandeur of our lives? Is it only a subject matter of mystic philosophy or abstract religion? No, vidya is as vital to our happy progress as siksa. It is vidya that makes us, not only thinking ‘machines’, skilled professionals, and eminent scholars, but also sensitive and responsible citizens, good human beings and illumined great personalities. It is crucial for lasting happiness of the individuals and the society.
Today, as we find in India and in most of the developing or underdeveloped countries, education sector, even at the level of siksa alone has been in bad shape. Dependence on government alone for free or less-expensive education is not going to achieve the needful in the countries where more than half the population is illiterate. Every learned fellow, every literate citizen will have to bear his/her share of responsibility to educate others around him, to at least enable them read, write and be inspired to learn more. The ongoing efforts of night schools, adult education, informal and vocational education – including small scale, village and domestic industries need to be mobilized and expanded manifold along with education of hygiene, preventive medicines, behavioural psychology, communication, and mass awareness against blind customs and superstitions. Moral education, value-based development, cultivation of positive, eco-friendly and cooperating approach for everybody’s welfare should be an integral part of all educational projects. It sounds too ambitious today. But we are to strive for it our level best, because today’s world is moving along a thin and sharp edge. Our grand civilization, our very existence may slip anytime unless we create strong support on both sides. For this we will have to look forward in all directions, realize the necessities of tomorrow and exert our duties on every front of education and acquisition and augmentation of knowledge with enlightenment.
The new phase of evolution beyond intellect has just begun and is going to embrace the horizons of thoughts, emotions and inner sentiments. Awakened savants are going to disseminate vidya in all walks of life. Education system and learning is now going to serve the real purpose of knowledge-expansion via a confluence of siksa and vidya.
(V) Talents:
The fifth vital source for creation of brighter future is – channelization of talents and creative potentials. The talents of scientists, engineers, doctors, writers, journalists, lawyers, poets, singers, musicians, artists, etc are indeed distinct. They owe greater responsibility in developing, maintaining and beautifying this world. This moral obligation and goodwill of talented individuals was the secret of unparalleled development of science, arts and culture in ancient India. Talents if devoted to altruistic duties and noble deeds are like rishis, who are worthy of being revered like angels.
Unfortunately, large fraction of this elite section of the human society seems to have forgotten its duties or have preferred selfish gains, money and other favours in lieu of haute ethics of their own professions! If it were not so, how could the production of dreaded high-tech weapons be possible? How could there be injustice in the courts-of-law? How could the media be prejudiced? How could it allow advertisement and propagation of obscenity? Why art and literature would have been supporting eroticism, animosity and violence? Why would talented orators be misleading the masses for vested interests?
Indeed eminent talents can influence the mentality of the masses and drive it towards the right or the wrong. The argument of filmmakers, press, writers, etc that they have to go as per people’s taste and social trend carries little weightage noting that mob-psychology does not have any originality. Most people simply follow what has been hyped or repeated before them exploiting their weaknesses. Scientists, engineers, doctors and other professionals, intellectuals and talented personalities hold the key to economic development. Why don’t they join hands and come forward to compel the governments or rulers to rectify the wrongs? Why can’t the artists, actors and the media show some courage, sacrifice some of their quick-benefits and devote their time and skills to mould the interests of the masses towards non-beastly tendencies, positive attitude and constructive activities? Why don’t they be vigilant and support the organizations and people that are genuinely working for social-upliftment? Why don’t they compete to inspire people for value-based life-style?
It would need only a nudge of spiritual force, a flash of inner light to enable them to do all that which is ideally expected of them by virtue of their talents and creative potentials. Recall the examples of Valmiki, Angulimal, Bilvamangal, Tulsidas, Amrapali and King Ashoka whose course of life was reverted downside-up in no time by some incidents of being inspired by the rishis or some biting experiences that shook their inner selves.
Even tiny straws of dry grass and dust particles rise up to sky-heights in the immense storm of a Hurricane. Then just imagine the consequences of more intense spiritual cyclones! They can convert dullness into alacrity, insanity into sagacity and miraculously transform the flow of time and circumstances beyond any bounds. One doesn’t have to go too far to search for evidences! Just turn the pages of our recent history. It was not a mere coincidence that a galaxy of great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Bose, Tilak, Bhagat Singh, etc appeared in a specific period of Indian History for the same purpose. The silent spiritual sadhana experiments of Sri Aurobindo and Maharshi Raman and the consequent rise, the gigantic expansion and triumph of the wave of non-violent freedom-movement of India are testimony to the impact of sublime ambience.
This time the force of the spiritual cyclone is going to be far more strong and widespread. It is generated by the epochal suksmikarana sadhana of the seer-sage Taponishtha Vedmurthy Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya. Like the five Virabhadras of Lord Shiva the fivefold currents of its spiritual storm will ruin the five dragon-arms that have threatened the existence of life on this planet. At the same time, the evolutionary impulse of spirituality sparked by this sadhana will inspire the five principal sources of erecting the golden era of happy, prosperous and virtuous life.
Source: What is Spirituality ?
