Now that we have seen who a Hindu is and who Christ is (1st 2 blogs) we see clearly that a Hindu too can be a follower of Christ without having to become a Christian. To become a Christian means that one has to leave one’s birth community and join another community. It also means that one has to reject one’s culture (ones way of life). However it is not a necessity that to be a follower of Christ one has to become a Christian. This false teaching has come from the Europeans who saw the Hindustani life as demonic and convinced people that in order to become a follower of Christ one has to reject the Hindustani lifestyle and adopt a European lifestyle. However this is not consistent with the Word. Both in Mark 5 and Acts 10 we see that neither the demoniac nor Cornelius and his household were required to leave their birth community to follow Christ. Also in Acts 15 the decision taken by the Jerusalem Council was that Gentiles were to remain Gentiles practicing their way of life; only they were to refrain from practices which were contrary to the Word. Yes, a Hindu isn’t required to leave his birth community or reject his Hindustani culture in order to be a follower of JC. A Hindu follower of Jesus also known as a Yeshu bhakta (devotee of Jesus) stays in his Hindu community practicing his Hindustani culture and giving allegiance to Christ and Him alone. Just as in all cultures there are good and bad elements so too in the Hindustani culture there are good and bad elements. Therefore the Hindu devotee is required to reject all that is bad and to use all that is good to bring Glory to the Most High through Sad Guru Yeshu. The Hindu Yeshu bhakta practices ones faith while being in his own birth community and using all symbols and elements of his culture in worship to Sad Guru Yeshu. In the broad spectrum of Hinduism there is place also for a Yeshu bhakta amongst the many other faiths.
ऊँ Sri Yeshu Sadguruve namaha
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
CHRIST AND CHRISTIANITY
As surprising as this may be to some; it should be known that the historical JC wasn’t a Christian but a Jew. He was born into a Jewish family and followed all Jewish customs and traditions. The first 12 disciples and the 120 followers who gathered in the upper room on the day of Pentecost were all Jews; not Christians. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down upon Jews and not Christians. Paul (Saul) who was called to go to the Gentiles was a Jew. His Jewish name was Saul and his Gentile name was Paul. He and others like him only much later became known as Christians (little Christs).
The 1st century devotees of Christ were known by others as the ‘Followers of the Way’. These devotees didn’t follow the tradition of Christianity as we know it today. They didn’t celebrate Christmas or Easter. So what is Christianity? It is the European tradition of later century (3rd century onwards) followers of Christ, a tradition and custom not akin to the Old Testament or New Testament. Both Christmas and Easter were pagan festivals to other gods. These festivals were redeemed by missionaries who went to share their faith with these pagans. Hence Christmas and Easter were included into the tradition of following Christ. So Christianity is Christ + European tradition and in some cases only the European tradition without Christ. Therefore it becomes imperative to distinguish between Christ and Christianity. Christianity is Christ in a European dress. The blue-eyed and golden haired Christ is European; not even Jewish.
The cosmic Christ transcends all cultures and can incarnate Himself into all cultures because He died and rose again for all nations, peoples, tribes, languages and cultures. His desire is to incarnate Himself into each and every type of people ie. into each and every culture. Therefore when Christ comes to N India He comes not as the European Christ but as the Hindustani Christ. The Hindustani Christ cannot be blue-eyed and golden haired; He is brown-eyed, black haired, brown skinned and in a sanyasi dress (saffron robes). He is the Maha Rishi of the Himalyas, the valleys, plains, plateaus and the seas. He is the Sadguru; the true Guru who came to fulfill the cry of our for-fathers who cried “take me out of untruth and show me the truth, take me out of darkness and let me be in the light, set me free from this bondage of death and give me immortality.” The Sad Guru says “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. I am the Light of the world. He who walks after me will not walk in darkness but have the Light of Life.”
ऊँ Sri Yeshu Sadguruve namaha
The 1st century devotees of Christ were known by others as the ‘Followers of the Way’. These devotees didn’t follow the tradition of Christianity as we know it today. They didn’t celebrate Christmas or Easter. So what is Christianity? It is the European tradition of later century (3rd century onwards) followers of Christ, a tradition and custom not akin to the Old Testament or New Testament. Both Christmas and Easter were pagan festivals to other gods. These festivals were redeemed by missionaries who went to share their faith with these pagans. Hence Christmas and Easter were included into the tradition of following Christ. So Christianity is Christ + European tradition and in some cases only the European tradition without Christ. Therefore it becomes imperative to distinguish between Christ and Christianity. Christianity is Christ in a European dress. The blue-eyed and golden haired Christ is European; not even Jewish.
The cosmic Christ transcends all cultures and can incarnate Himself into all cultures because He died and rose again for all nations, peoples, tribes, languages and cultures. His desire is to incarnate Himself into each and every type of people ie. into each and every culture. Therefore when Christ comes to N India He comes not as the European Christ but as the Hindustani Christ. The Hindustani Christ cannot be blue-eyed and golden haired; He is brown-eyed, black haired, brown skinned and in a sanyasi dress (saffron robes). He is the Maha Rishi of the Himalyas, the valleys, plains, plateaus and the seas. He is the Sadguru; the true Guru who came to fulfill the cry of our for-fathers who cried “take me out of untruth and show me the truth, take me out of darkness and let me be in the light, set me free from this bondage of death and give me immortality.” The Sad Guru says “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. I am the Light of the world. He who walks after me will not walk in darkness but have the Light of Life.”
ऊँ Sri Yeshu Sadguruve namaha
HINDU AND HINDUISM
Hinduism isn't a religion; it is a parliament of religions. Others say it is a way of life. Hinduism is made up of different faiths; among the image worshippers are Shaivaites, Vaishnavs, Shakts, Tantriks etc. Among non-image worshippers on one side of the spectrum are Arya Samajis, Kabir Panthis, Brahma Kumaris etc. and on the other side are non-theists such as Communists, Agnostics, Atheists etc. Hinduism has no single scripture of authority nor does it have a single founder; the scriptures are various and the founders are many. The theologies and philosophies vary widely and in many cases in direct opposition to one another. Shaivaites vie for supremacy with Vaishnavs and vice-versa. Shankaracharya ji's philosophy of non-dualism is very different from Ramanujachara ji's qualified-monism . The Chaarvaks are completely on another plane being hedonistic in their thinking; eat, live and die.
The word "Hindu" cannot be found in any of the Hindu scriptures. Its first usage is to be found around the 8th century when Muslims settled in the Indus valley. "Hindu" is a foreign word and it comes from the Persian word hind or the Arabic word al-hind, for the area of the Indus valley. This word is in turn derived from the Indo-Aryan word Sindhu meaning 'ocean' or 'river.' Sindhu became Hindhu because those who used it weren't able to pronounce the 'S'; instead pronounced 'H' hence Hindhu. The Persians distinguished between the Muslims and the Sindhus (non-Muslims) who settled in the Indus valley therefore the word "Hinduism" is also a foreign invention. Swami Dayanand Bharati in his book "Understanding Hinduism" writes " "Hindu" phenomena have off course always existed in what is known of Indian history, yet "Hinduism" can be truly termed a non-Hindu invention, at the very least in the sense that the term "Hinduism" was never used until it's introduction by outsiders and popularizing by Western Indologists." The word "Hinduism" was a very late invention. Gavin Flood writes " Towards the end of the eighteenth century "Hindu" or "Hindoo" was adopted by the British to refer to the people of " Hindustan," the area of north west South Asia who were not Muslims, Sikh, Christian, or Jain, and the "ism" was added to "Hindu" in the early 19th century. Indeed Ram Mohan Roy was probably the 1st Hindu to use the term in 1816. The term became widely adopted during the 19th century in the context of establishing a national identity that would become opposed to colonialism and in the creation of a religion that could match Christianity and meet it on a basis of equality."
The basis for being a Hindu isn't because of what one believes in ie what ones faith is but based on which community one belongs to. Therefore a Hindu can have different faiths. In the broad spectrum we have the image worshippers whilst at one end we have non-image worshippers who are theists and at the other end of the spectrum non-theists. Yet none will deny that he or she is a Hindu because irrespective of their faith they all belong to the Hindu community by virtue of the fact that it is the community into which they were born. There are caste Hindus and non-caste Hindus. Even though the non-caste Hindu would not like to have this 'stigma' of Hindu attached to him he is still a Hindu because of his birth community. He may change his faith and reject his birth community but he cannot change his birth community because he can only be born once; it is set in stone and cannot be erased. Therefore by the virtue of the fact that one is born into a certain community one is socially and culturally a Hindu. Ones identity is ones birth community.
ऊँ Sri Yeshu Sadguruve namaha
The word "Hindu" cannot be found in any of the Hindu scriptures. Its first usage is to be found around the 8th century when Muslims settled in the Indus valley. "Hindu" is a foreign word and it comes from the Persian word hind or the Arabic word al-hind, for the area of the Indus valley. This word is in turn derived from the Indo-Aryan word Sindhu meaning 'ocean' or 'river.' Sindhu became Hindhu because those who used it weren't able to pronounce the 'S'; instead pronounced 'H' hence Hindhu. The Persians distinguished between the Muslims and the Sindhus (non-Muslims) who settled in the Indus valley therefore the word "Hinduism" is also a foreign invention. Swami Dayanand Bharati in his book "Understanding Hinduism" writes " "Hindu" phenomena have off course always existed in what is known of Indian history, yet "Hinduism" can be truly termed a non-Hindu invention, at the very least in the sense that the term "Hinduism" was never used until it's introduction by outsiders and popularizing by Western Indologists." The word "Hinduism" was a very late invention. Gavin Flood writes " Towards the end of the eighteenth century "Hindu" or "Hindoo" was adopted by the British to refer to the people of " Hindustan," the area of north west South Asia who were not Muslims, Sikh, Christian, or Jain, and the "ism" was added to "Hindu" in the early 19th century. Indeed Ram Mohan Roy was probably the 1st Hindu to use the term in 1816. The term became widely adopted during the 19th century in the context of establishing a national identity that would become opposed to colonialism and in the creation of a religion that could match Christianity and meet it on a basis of equality."
The basis for being a Hindu isn't because of what one believes in ie what ones faith is but based on which community one belongs to. Therefore a Hindu can have different faiths. In the broad spectrum we have the image worshippers whilst at one end we have non-image worshippers who are theists and at the other end of the spectrum non-theists. Yet none will deny that he or she is a Hindu because irrespective of their faith they all belong to the Hindu community by virtue of the fact that it is the community into which they were born. There are caste Hindus and non-caste Hindus. Even though the non-caste Hindu would not like to have this 'stigma' of Hindu attached to him he is still a Hindu because of his birth community. He may change his faith and reject his birth community but he cannot change his birth community because he can only be born once; it is set in stone and cannot be erased. Therefore by the virtue of the fact that one is born into a certain community one is socially and culturally a Hindu. Ones identity is ones birth community.
ऊँ Sri Yeshu Sadguruve namaha
MY STORY
I am a swami having my ashram in one of the most holy cities of north India. It is the land of my forefathers. My roots are embedded very deep in this soil of my Motherland. The rich, deep, vibrant, colourful and exotic culture courses through my very veins and arteries; it is in my blood and somewhere deep inside of my soul! I have found my home here. In 1997 when I first set foot on this soil I knew then in my very depths…I was home again after a very long absence. It felt good for my senses to be assaulted by the pungent odours of the food of the street vendors and stale urine wafting through the air; the cacophony of sounds of temple bells ringing and rickshaw walas calling; the vibrant yet non-bustling images of every day life. Yes, this is my home; where I truly belong! It was a Divine Voice that called me here.
I made my entry into this world in Durban, SA a long time ago. SA is a beautiful land but sadly it’s beauty is hidden by the deep scars it sustained during the battle for it’s ownership. It is ravaged and torn! There is much spilt blood; of the ancestors of the land who died trying to protect what was theirs and the blood of the white savages who tried to rip and wrest the land away from those who owned it by virtue of the fact that they were born in that soil, literally! There is hatred and bitterness! Violence ravages the people of this land! Darkness casts a huge shadow over all!
It was in this land that I tried to make an existence; existence is very apt because that’s all it was. It was no life; mere existence; shadows of what should have been my life! Broken images of a cracked mirror forever disjointed; never to be made whole again! I was dysfunctional and emotionally unbalanced. Inside of me there was a yawning chasm which needed to be filled; I tried to fill it with hard drinking and clubbing. The more I tried to fill it the more it wouldn’t go away! There is no reason to live…why was I born into this world? What is the purpose of my life? There is no purpose; only suffering! ‘You were born to suffer” is the only answer which came from inside of me time and time again. So why live? It’s better to die now and end all this suffering! My life was one big suffering!
Trying to make an existence in the land of apartheid wasn’t easy; it only complicated things. I hated the white man! Yes, every white person whether born in SA or outside of it. They could enjoy all the facilities and utilities which I was deprived of. Even though I was born in this land it wasn’t my right to enjoy these basic pleasures but others from outside could come to ‘the white man’s paradise’ and enjoy it to their heart’s content!
Is this not an injustice! Had I been caught sitting on the white bench in the park then I would have been booted about and fined. What was my sin? I was the wrong colour, man! My place was on the green bench.
Growing up in SA there wasn’t one day where I was made to feel that I belonged to it. The black man knew that this was their land; the white man was forcefully trying to make it his own. But I was brown; neither white nor black! In between; neither here nor there! We were always reminded that the Indian’s place was in the ocean because the Indian came from somewhere across the Indian Ocean. So, there was always the thought playing in our minds…we have to go back there from where we came; we don’t belong here! Yet, in my wildest imagination I never thought that some day I would make that journey.
I had reached the very depths of despair…my life was a deep groaning from inside. In my hopeless and miserable existence of stumbling and groping in the darkness…Divine Light shone brightly and the darkness was swallowed up! When I was wallowing in the stinking cesspool of iniquities Divine Grace reached out and pulled me out! I was calling out to Death to come and end my miserable existence…to squash out my existence as one would a cockroach by pressing it under foot. But Divine Life came and touched me and penetrated into the very depths of my spirit! Since I was born this was the very first time I felt I was alive; I was dead but now I am alive! My spirit was suffused with the Divine Spirit! Now hopelessness and despair fled away as Divine Hope and Divine Joy filled me! My mind was made new and Divine Knowledge obliterated all lies! My soul was filled with Divine Peace as Divinity filled me and penetrated every fabric of my being! I was made whole again! Divine Love entered my heart and all the poison of hatred and bitterness evaporated! Now there was only love for all of mankind irrespective of race or colour. Yes, even love for the white man!
I am rich; not with the riches of this world but with incomparable and unfathomable riches of Eternal Divinity! This world had only pain and suffering to offer me therefore I seek nothing from this world. The riches which I have this world can neither give nor take away! I am content in Divinity. Divinity is all the riches I need!
Divinity called me back to my Motherland to give these Divine Riches to those who are hungering and thirsting after true spirituality. The ashram is the place where people who come seeking are given freely these Divine Riches. Yes, Divine Grace is touching and mending many broken lives; they are whole again! Divine Glory is filling this place and Divine Praise is being lifted up by thankful hearts!
I made my entry into this world in Durban, SA a long time ago. SA is a beautiful land but sadly it’s beauty is hidden by the deep scars it sustained during the battle for it’s ownership. It is ravaged and torn! There is much spilt blood; of the ancestors of the land who died trying to protect what was theirs and the blood of the white savages who tried to rip and wrest the land away from those who owned it by virtue of the fact that they were born in that soil, literally! There is hatred and bitterness! Violence ravages the people of this land! Darkness casts a huge shadow over all!
It was in this land that I tried to make an existence; existence is very apt because that’s all it was. It was no life; mere existence; shadows of what should have been my life! Broken images of a cracked mirror forever disjointed; never to be made whole again! I was dysfunctional and emotionally unbalanced. Inside of me there was a yawning chasm which needed to be filled; I tried to fill it with hard drinking and clubbing. The more I tried to fill it the more it wouldn’t go away! There is no reason to live…why was I born into this world? What is the purpose of my life? There is no purpose; only suffering! ‘You were born to suffer” is the only answer which came from inside of me time and time again. So why live? It’s better to die now and end all this suffering! My life was one big suffering!
Trying to make an existence in the land of apartheid wasn’t easy; it only complicated things. I hated the white man! Yes, every white person whether born in SA or outside of it. They could enjoy all the facilities and utilities which I was deprived of. Even though I was born in this land it wasn’t my right to enjoy these basic pleasures but others from outside could come to ‘the white man’s paradise’ and enjoy it to their heart’s content!
Is this not an injustice! Had I been caught sitting on the white bench in the park then I would have been booted about and fined. What was my sin? I was the wrong colour, man! My place was on the green bench.
Growing up in SA there wasn’t one day where I was made to feel that I belonged to it. The black man knew that this was their land; the white man was forcefully trying to make it his own. But I was brown; neither white nor black! In between; neither here nor there! We were always reminded that the Indian’s place was in the ocean because the Indian came from somewhere across the Indian Ocean. So, there was always the thought playing in our minds…we have to go back there from where we came; we don’t belong here! Yet, in my wildest imagination I never thought that some day I would make that journey.
I had reached the very depths of despair…my life was a deep groaning from inside. In my hopeless and miserable existence of stumbling and groping in the darkness…Divine Light shone brightly and the darkness was swallowed up! When I was wallowing in the stinking cesspool of iniquities Divine Grace reached out and pulled me out! I was calling out to Death to come and end my miserable existence…to squash out my existence as one would a cockroach by pressing it under foot. But Divine Life came and touched me and penetrated into the very depths of my spirit! Since I was born this was the very first time I felt I was alive; I was dead but now I am alive! My spirit was suffused with the Divine Spirit! Now hopelessness and despair fled away as Divine Hope and Divine Joy filled me! My mind was made new and Divine Knowledge obliterated all lies! My soul was filled with Divine Peace as Divinity filled me and penetrated every fabric of my being! I was made whole again! Divine Love entered my heart and all the poison of hatred and bitterness evaporated! Now there was only love for all of mankind irrespective of race or colour. Yes, even love for the white man!
I am rich; not with the riches of this world but with incomparable and unfathomable riches of Eternal Divinity! This world had only pain and suffering to offer me therefore I seek nothing from this world. The riches which I have this world can neither give nor take away! I am content in Divinity. Divinity is all the riches I need!
Divinity called me back to my Motherland to give these Divine Riches to those who are hungering and thirsting after true spirituality. The ashram is the place where people who come seeking are given freely these Divine Riches. Yes, Divine Grace is touching and mending many broken lives; they are whole again! Divine Glory is filling this place and Divine Praise is being lifted up by thankful hearts!
Sunday, September 9, 2007
CAPITALISM OR ?
Ever stopped to think what the saying ‘have-a-heart’ means? It’s a pleading to be kind and benevolent; to bring out something good out of one’s heart. What is in the human heart? The human heart is mysteriously dark. It is deep and full of evil. Anyone who says they understand the human heart has to be lying. Only its Maker can understand it and gaze right into its bottomless depths. Is this not a harsh indictment on the whole human race? Well look around and what do you see? Capitalist pigs! That is what the communists and socialists are calling them. There is some truth in that but what about the communists and socialists? Are they any better? Was there ever a benign socialist or communist regime? History cannot produce even one. So capitalists, communists, socialists and fascists all have a heart full of poison. This is the human heart.
In Robin Cook’s fiction story of ‘Chromosome 6’ he put his finger on the human heart. The human heart was accused, put into the docks and wasn’t able to defend itself. It was found guilty as charged! In the story which is set in some African state scientists were experimenting with Bonobos (pygmy ape). The subjects were all put onto a remote island and their behaviour over a period was observed. Then the subjects were brought in and the chromosome 6 was crossed over with a human chromosome. The result; the bonobos started exhibiting human tendencies which they never ever showed before. They began to separate into factions and began to kill each other off. How is that for an indictment on the human race! They never became more benevolent and start to help each other. No! They began to see each other as rivals and began to kill each other off. Sounds capitalistic, right? Well, its human. And it includes capitalists, communists, socialists and fascists and all other –ists.
In just about every area of life every human being sees another human being as a rival. In the affairs of marriage partners, getting a job, education, sports etc, etc. What happens when a certain company advertises for a grand mega jumbo sale at greatly slashed prices? The entire town turns up and no order prevails; but chaos. It even leads to stampedes where people are crushed to death. Why? Each one is seen as a rival; each one is seen as competition. Talking about advertising; what makes a successful advertising agency? The agency that taps into the greed in man’s heart is the most successful today. Most people don’t buy what they need but what is dictated by their greed. That is why a successful salesman is the one who can sell ice to the Eskimo. Today the word ‘sports’ has lost it’s meaning entirely in the arena of world sports. The word sports used to mean a good-natured competition where the loser acknowledged that the winner was better. May the better person win had much meaning those days. The loser tried to better themselves with strict discipline and training and other fair means. Although it must be added that the East bloc countries had other ‘vaiz and meenz.’ Previously it was only in the combative sports that foul play was common. However, today even in the non-combative sports too there is so much of trickery and deceit. What the motive for the bonobos killing each other off was we cannot know but the motive for humans today seems to be one thing and one thing only; greed. Greed for fortune; greed for power; greed for fame and greed for satiating the insatiable desires is the motive. Today it is common that the way to get to the top is by trampling all those under you and climbing upon their sprawled bodies and making a scramble for the summit to make it before somebody else. And every unfair means and foul play is acceptable just so long as you don’t get caught. To do it is not a bad thing but to get caught doing it is very bad.
Somebody may define capitalism as a system in which the rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer. There is much truth in this way of thinking. Every capitalistic run country is a glaring proof of this. Is the answer communism or socialism then? History can show us that every socialist run country had it’s wining and dining bourgeois while the common man had to sweat his blood to make a living. And every communist run country had it’s caviar eating creamy layer while outside in the streets queues were formed for bread and potatoes. Then how can we reconcile capitalism (the lesser of the evils) with a system which is for the benefit of all its subjects? Is there such a system anywhere? Can there be a system?
We may have to accept the fact that just so long as the human heart is around we will not have a system. We cannot have a system because as long as the heart is around there will be greed and as long as there is greed there will be rivalry and as long as there is rivalry there will be the cutting of each others throats and the stabbing of each other in the back. And what will happen? The rich will get richer by unfair and unjust means and the poor will get poorer. One poor man looks down on the other poor man. The one slum dweller with plastic covering for a roof looks down the other who has only jute sack for a covering. We all seethe in anger when a greedy development land owner employs the mafia to use strong arm tactics on the poor who don’t sell to him. But the same poor man when fortune smiles upon him and he gets big does the same to those poor with whom he used to eke out a living. Greed is in all human hearts whether, poor or not so poor or stinking rich.
Isn’t is surprising that in just about every sphere of life there is rivalry to be found but possibly the one area where no rivalry is found is for God’s love. Its not common to find one another competing to get God’s love. Is it because sub-consciously we know that God is infinite and therefore His love is boundless; there is enough of Him to go around and we needn’t see each other as competition? Could the answer for capitalism perhaps possibly lie in there somewhere; enough for all to go around? Will there be enough to go around? Water shortage is going to be the cause of many a conflict in the very near future. There will not be enough water to go around. It will be the no. 1 cause in India. Just before the rains came in Australia the government was making a contingency plan to evacuate 11 million of its inhabitants. There will not be enough commodities or utilities to go around.
In Robin Cook’s fiction story of ‘Chromosome 6’ he put his finger on the human heart. The human heart was accused, put into the docks and wasn’t able to defend itself. It was found guilty as charged! In the story which is set in some African state scientists were experimenting with Bonobos (pygmy ape). The subjects were all put onto a remote island and their behaviour over a period was observed. Then the subjects were brought in and the chromosome 6 was crossed over with a human chromosome. The result; the bonobos started exhibiting human tendencies which they never ever showed before. They began to separate into factions and began to kill each other off. How is that for an indictment on the human race! They never became more benevolent and start to help each other. No! They began to see each other as rivals and began to kill each other off. Sounds capitalistic, right? Well, its human. And it includes capitalists, communists, socialists and fascists and all other –ists.
In just about every area of life every human being sees another human being as a rival. In the affairs of marriage partners, getting a job, education, sports etc, etc. What happens when a certain company advertises for a grand mega jumbo sale at greatly slashed prices? The entire town turns up and no order prevails; but chaos. It even leads to stampedes where people are crushed to death. Why? Each one is seen as a rival; each one is seen as competition. Talking about advertising; what makes a successful advertising agency? The agency that taps into the greed in man’s heart is the most successful today. Most people don’t buy what they need but what is dictated by their greed. That is why a successful salesman is the one who can sell ice to the Eskimo. Today the word ‘sports’ has lost it’s meaning entirely in the arena of world sports. The word sports used to mean a good-natured competition where the loser acknowledged that the winner was better. May the better person win had much meaning those days. The loser tried to better themselves with strict discipline and training and other fair means. Although it must be added that the East bloc countries had other ‘vaiz and meenz.’ Previously it was only in the combative sports that foul play was common. However, today even in the non-combative sports too there is so much of trickery and deceit. What the motive for the bonobos killing each other off was we cannot know but the motive for humans today seems to be one thing and one thing only; greed. Greed for fortune; greed for power; greed for fame and greed for satiating the insatiable desires is the motive. Today it is common that the way to get to the top is by trampling all those under you and climbing upon their sprawled bodies and making a scramble for the summit to make it before somebody else. And every unfair means and foul play is acceptable just so long as you don’t get caught. To do it is not a bad thing but to get caught doing it is very bad.
Somebody may define capitalism as a system in which the rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer. There is much truth in this way of thinking. Every capitalistic run country is a glaring proof of this. Is the answer communism or socialism then? History can show us that every socialist run country had it’s wining and dining bourgeois while the common man had to sweat his blood to make a living. And every communist run country had it’s caviar eating creamy layer while outside in the streets queues were formed for bread and potatoes. Then how can we reconcile capitalism (the lesser of the evils) with a system which is for the benefit of all its subjects? Is there such a system anywhere? Can there be a system?
We may have to accept the fact that just so long as the human heart is around we will not have a system. We cannot have a system because as long as the heart is around there will be greed and as long as there is greed there will be rivalry and as long as there is rivalry there will be the cutting of each others throats and the stabbing of each other in the back. And what will happen? The rich will get richer by unfair and unjust means and the poor will get poorer. One poor man looks down on the other poor man. The one slum dweller with plastic covering for a roof looks down the other who has only jute sack for a covering. We all seethe in anger when a greedy development land owner employs the mafia to use strong arm tactics on the poor who don’t sell to him. But the same poor man when fortune smiles upon him and he gets big does the same to those poor with whom he used to eke out a living. Greed is in all human hearts whether, poor or not so poor or stinking rich.
Isn’t is surprising that in just about every sphere of life there is rivalry to be found but possibly the one area where no rivalry is found is for God’s love. Its not common to find one another competing to get God’s love. Is it because sub-consciously we know that God is infinite and therefore His love is boundless; there is enough of Him to go around and we needn’t see each other as competition? Could the answer for capitalism perhaps possibly lie in there somewhere; enough for all to go around? Will there be enough to go around? Water shortage is going to be the cause of many a conflict in the very near future. There will not be enough water to go around. It will be the no. 1 cause in India. Just before the rains came in Australia the government was making a contingency plan to evacuate 11 million of its inhabitants. There will not be enough commodities or utilities to go around.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Democracy or Mobocracy
India today holds it's head high being proud to be the largest democracy in the world. During the PM's address to the US Congress he proudly said that US is the world's oldest democracy and India is the world's largest democracy. Pavan K Varma (and so we all should) in his book “Being Indian” asks the question how can a people who are of undemocratic mind-set be democratic? That is certainly a question we all Indians need to deeply ponder. How can this be so?
What are some of the principles which govern democracy? Freedom! Freedom to vote. Freedom of speech and expression. Freedom to practice and propogate your religion. Freedom of civil liberties. Freedom to choose. The word freedom conjures up some emotions of wild abandon. Abandoned to be yourself. The picture of a bird singing as it flits from place to place enjoying the wide open sky is the picture of freedom.
Former CM of UP attributed blame to the Election Commission for losing the UP elections to BASPA. There is an element of truth in this. The EC set an unprecedented standard of making sure that the elections were free and fair. And so it was. Goonda raj wasn't able to operate. There was none of the booth capturing which the UP elections are so notorious for. There were no threats to make voters vote for those they didn't want to. The heavy security force presence at polling booths and the police being kept away from polling booths made sure that the elections were free and fair. BASPA sweeping the board with an outright majority was a major surprise to all and sundry. Why? This time there was a difference. Voting wasn't done along a single cast line as was previously. There was a mixture of castes, Brahmins and Dalits. This time both Dalits and Brahmins voted BASPA. However, the point to note is that voting was still done along caste lines albeit a mixture of castes. Is this in line with democracy? The very idea of democracy is that voting should cut right across caste lines from one end to the other end of the spectrum, far-left to far-right . Be it UK, USA, France, Germany, Australia, SA,etc voting in western democracies is mostly done according to the acceptance or rejection of party policies. Will India ever get to that place?
It is enshrined in the Consitution that every citizen has the freedom to believe, practice and propogate the religion of his or her choice (Articles 25, 26, 27). All democracies have this enshrined in their constitutions and live accordingly. Where this freedom is infringed upon the perpetrators are brought to book and punished for this infringement. It can be very easily observed that those who infringe upon this basic human right are the Neo-Nazis and Fascist elements. In India it is very difficult to believe that this basic human right is enshrined in the constitution because the neo-nazi and fascist elements set themselves up as the moral police and make it seem as if it is immoral to believe and practice any religion besides their's. What does the law do? Most of the time the law is on the side of the violators of this basic human right because they confabulate some trumped up charges against the innocent. If you happen to be living in a state in which a fascist is the CM then beware. If you dare to be different your life can be made to be hell. Most of the time the fascist elements stir up the emotions of the people and march in mobs brandishing their weapons openly and then descending upon the so called guilty ones. What are they guilty of? Being different. Guilty of choosing a set of beliefs which are different to that of the fascist elements. The police is on the side of the rich and powerful and not on the side of the poor and voiceless. What does the central government do? Nothing. A mere rhetoric of being a secular rather than communal state when there is a flaring up of communal violence. The Gov has no backbone to stand up and come to the aid of those who have their rights infringed upon. It isn't a safe haven for minorities. It is embroiled in its own battle to try and stay in power. It cannot spare time for these trivialites.
When it comes to freedom of expression no artist, writer, actor or newspaper is spared. Like freedom of religion freedom of expression is a farce. The recent spate of cases against artists is a case in point. Renowned artist MF Hussain had his works vandalised and properties attached by court and cases of obscenity made against him. Other artists who have had their works vandalised have recently been at the sharp end of the trishul of the moral police too. Even those who stand up for the rights of the artists are punished by the court. If you stand up and protest then you can be hounded and attacked by the fascist elements for the rest of your life.
When some writer researches history and finds some not very complementary things about some past heroes then he is asking for trouble if he publishes this factual information. His office and the very centre where his research is carried out, housing a rich heritage of Indian civilization can go up in smoke in an instant while the rest of the property is completely destroyed by mobs baying for blood.
When an actress was the victim of racism in a celebrity program the whole nation was in uproar because the Indian sentiment was hurt. The same actress when during an HIV awareness campaign was the victim of being publicly kissed she and the kisser were both charged and summoned to appear in court for indecency. That was a laugh. Had it been 1st April all would have taken it to be an April fool's joke. But it was not April and no joke and no laughing matter. This was serious business of the moral police and the court.
This same Gov spends corores of rupees to attract visitors from all over the world to come to the tourist destination of the temples of Khajuraho, caves of Ellora and Ajanta to see the rich heritage of the land of India. The moral police doesn't bat an eye-lid when they stand in front of the statues in all kinds of indecent postures depicting nudity and sexuality. Is it because it is seen to be their gods? On the contrary it is touted as the rich cultural heritage of Bharat Mata. Why shouldn't it be...it fills the coffers of the Gov. Keep in mind this is the land famous world all over for the Kamasutra. In any other country these graphic depictions of sexuality of Khajuraho, Ajanta, Ellora and Kamasutra would be seen for what it is. Pornography. But breathe not a word of that sort here or you may have the wrath of the moral police come down upon you.
If there is any film which hurts the sensibilities of the moral police then the director making the film faces the wrath of the mob, most of whom don't even know why they are there, except to destroy at the behest of the moral police. If the film made it past the sensor board and is shown in cinemas then it is the cinemas who come under the brutal vandalism of the mobs stirred up by the fascist elements.
Here is something to think about. In the well known Sanskrit plays of Kalidasa the ladies are depicted as wearing very little clothing to cover themselves up. Some article of clothing on top covering the breast and something covering the bottom and a very filmsy wrap around. Hence much of the body is visible. Today the sari is seen to be the dress of modesty. Yet I sometimes don't know where to look when ladies wearing saris wear an extremely small blouse just covering the breast and tie the sari well below the navel leaving the entire area from the blouse to below the navel exposed in the front and much to be seen from the back too. I am surmising that modesty in clothing only came in with the Mughals. Hence the evolution to the sari from the sarong-like wrap around. However, even the modern sari still has marks of the immodesty of times of old. I wonder when the moral police will force all ladies to wear salwar-kamiz only?
Do we see the moral police lift one finger when Dalits are treated worse than dogs? Do we see them protesting against the female foetacide and infintacide and abortions? Do they do anything about the corruption in the police and judicial systems? Do they stand up for any travesty of justice? Did they stand up against the Nithari child killers? No! Why? Because it has nothing to do with their agenda. Their agenda is to bring everyone in line with their ideologies. Let corores rupees of food get rotten in godowns while the poor are dying of hunger and starvation. It isn't any of their concern.
What is ironical is that the fascist elements of India are the far-right and yet they are worse than far-left communist regimes of present and past.
Is India a true democracy or does mobacracy rule? Do you have the feeling of a bird soaring in the open sky or are you afraid there are fowlers out there who have set up their nets and they are waiting for you?
What are some of the principles which govern democracy? Freedom! Freedom to vote. Freedom of speech and expression. Freedom to practice and propogate your religion. Freedom of civil liberties. Freedom to choose. The word freedom conjures up some emotions of wild abandon. Abandoned to be yourself. The picture of a bird singing as it flits from place to place enjoying the wide open sky is the picture of freedom.
Former CM of UP attributed blame to the Election Commission for losing the UP elections to BASPA. There is an element of truth in this. The EC set an unprecedented standard of making sure that the elections were free and fair. And so it was. Goonda raj wasn't able to operate. There was none of the booth capturing which the UP elections are so notorious for. There were no threats to make voters vote for those they didn't want to. The heavy security force presence at polling booths and the police being kept away from polling booths made sure that the elections were free and fair. BASPA sweeping the board with an outright majority was a major surprise to all and sundry. Why? This time there was a difference. Voting wasn't done along a single cast line as was previously. There was a mixture of castes, Brahmins and Dalits. This time both Dalits and Brahmins voted BASPA. However, the point to note is that voting was still done along caste lines albeit a mixture of castes. Is this in line with democracy? The very idea of democracy is that voting should cut right across caste lines from one end to the other end of the spectrum, far-left to far-right . Be it UK, USA, France, Germany, Australia, SA,etc voting in western democracies is mostly done according to the acceptance or rejection of party policies. Will India ever get to that place?
It is enshrined in the Consitution that every citizen has the freedom to believe, practice and propogate the religion of his or her choice (Articles 25, 26, 27). All democracies have this enshrined in their constitutions and live accordingly. Where this freedom is infringed upon the perpetrators are brought to book and punished for this infringement. It can be very easily observed that those who infringe upon this basic human right are the Neo-Nazis and Fascist elements. In India it is very difficult to believe that this basic human right is enshrined in the constitution because the neo-nazi and fascist elements set themselves up as the moral police and make it seem as if it is immoral to believe and practice any religion besides their's. What does the law do? Most of the time the law is on the side of the violators of this basic human right because they confabulate some trumped up charges against the innocent. If you happen to be living in a state in which a fascist is the CM then beware. If you dare to be different your life can be made to be hell. Most of the time the fascist elements stir up the emotions of the people and march in mobs brandishing their weapons openly and then descending upon the so called guilty ones. What are they guilty of? Being different. Guilty of choosing a set of beliefs which are different to that of the fascist elements. The police is on the side of the rich and powerful and not on the side of the poor and voiceless. What does the central government do? Nothing. A mere rhetoric of being a secular rather than communal state when there is a flaring up of communal violence. The Gov has no backbone to stand up and come to the aid of those who have their rights infringed upon. It isn't a safe haven for minorities. It is embroiled in its own battle to try and stay in power. It cannot spare time for these trivialites.
When it comes to freedom of expression no artist, writer, actor or newspaper is spared. Like freedom of religion freedom of expression is a farce. The recent spate of cases against artists is a case in point. Renowned artist MF Hussain had his works vandalised and properties attached by court and cases of obscenity made against him. Other artists who have had their works vandalised have recently been at the sharp end of the trishul of the moral police too. Even those who stand up for the rights of the artists are punished by the court. If you stand up and protest then you can be hounded and attacked by the fascist elements for the rest of your life.
When some writer researches history and finds some not very complementary things about some past heroes then he is asking for trouble if he publishes this factual information. His office and the very centre where his research is carried out, housing a rich heritage of Indian civilization can go up in smoke in an instant while the rest of the property is completely destroyed by mobs baying for blood.
When an actress was the victim of racism in a celebrity program the whole nation was in uproar because the Indian sentiment was hurt. The same actress when during an HIV awareness campaign was the victim of being publicly kissed she and the kisser were both charged and summoned to appear in court for indecency. That was a laugh. Had it been 1st April all would have taken it to be an April fool's joke. But it was not April and no joke and no laughing matter. This was serious business of the moral police and the court.
This same Gov spends corores of rupees to attract visitors from all over the world to come to the tourist destination of the temples of Khajuraho, caves of Ellora and Ajanta to see the rich heritage of the land of India. The moral police doesn't bat an eye-lid when they stand in front of the statues in all kinds of indecent postures depicting nudity and sexuality. Is it because it is seen to be their gods? On the contrary it is touted as the rich cultural heritage of Bharat Mata. Why shouldn't it be...it fills the coffers of the Gov. Keep in mind this is the land famous world all over for the Kamasutra. In any other country these graphic depictions of sexuality of Khajuraho, Ajanta, Ellora and Kamasutra would be seen for what it is. Pornography. But breathe not a word of that sort here or you may have the wrath of the moral police come down upon you.
If there is any film which hurts the sensibilities of the moral police then the director making the film faces the wrath of the mob, most of whom don't even know why they are there, except to destroy at the behest of the moral police. If the film made it past the sensor board and is shown in cinemas then it is the cinemas who come under the brutal vandalism of the mobs stirred up by the fascist elements.
Here is something to think about. In the well known Sanskrit plays of Kalidasa the ladies are depicted as wearing very little clothing to cover themselves up. Some article of clothing on top covering the breast and something covering the bottom and a very filmsy wrap around. Hence much of the body is visible. Today the sari is seen to be the dress of modesty. Yet I sometimes don't know where to look when ladies wearing saris wear an extremely small blouse just covering the breast and tie the sari well below the navel leaving the entire area from the blouse to below the navel exposed in the front and much to be seen from the back too. I am surmising that modesty in clothing only came in with the Mughals. Hence the evolution to the sari from the sarong-like wrap around. However, even the modern sari still has marks of the immodesty of times of old. I wonder when the moral police will force all ladies to wear salwar-kamiz only?
Do we see the moral police lift one finger when Dalits are treated worse than dogs? Do we see them protesting against the female foetacide and infintacide and abortions? Do they do anything about the corruption in the police and judicial systems? Do they stand up for any travesty of justice? Did they stand up against the Nithari child killers? No! Why? Because it has nothing to do with their agenda. Their agenda is to bring everyone in line with their ideologies. Let corores rupees of food get rotten in godowns while the poor are dying of hunger and starvation. It isn't any of their concern.
What is ironical is that the fascist elements of India are the far-right and yet they are worse than far-left communist regimes of present and past.
Is India a true democracy or does mobacracy rule? Do you have the feeling of a bird soaring in the open sky or are you afraid there are fowlers out there who have set up their nets and they are waiting for you?
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Man - A Dual Personality
Man is extremely complex…nobody can claim to understand the workings of man fully. Man is not only male but female too. How different are they from each other…if we say poles apart we may not be wrong. But to plumb the depths of the difference between male and female is a task which cannot be accomplished this side of eternity. The difference between male and female, however is not what this discussion is about…this has to be left for the experts.
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