You are the light that illumines the world

The Ramayana has a philosophical, spiritual significance and a deep truth to it. It is an epic story about King Dasharatha, who had three wives. He and one of his wives, Kaushalya, performed a ceremony called Ahswamedha, after which they had four sons. Medha means purification (ceremony); shwa means yesterday or tomorrow; ashwa means now, the eternal present. Medha also means intellect. Ashwamedha means bringing the intellect to the present moment, purifying the spirit and the body-mind complex by being in the present moment, going deep within oneself.

Dasharatha means one who can run ten chariots at a time. Kaushalya means one who is very skilful. So, when Dasharatha and Kaushalya came together to conduct the Ashwamedha yajna, which means purifying the present moment, Rama was born.

When medha (intellect) is so deep in the present moment, nothing can shake it. What can shake your intellect is only the past or future. If you can snap yourself out of the past and future every moment, you are free, and that is liberation.

The names of Dasharatha’s three queens are interesting. The first wife’s name is Kaushalya, which means skilful. The second wife’s name is Sumitra, which means good friend who takes you in the right direction. The third wife’s name is Kaikeyi, one who sacrifices herself and brings benevolence. Kaikeyi is one who stands by your side; although she appears differently, but deep within, she is benevolent. Kaikeyi outwardly may not be pleasant to you, but inwardly, she does what is good for you.

Your body is Dasharatha, the ten chariots, which include the five sense organs and the five organs of action. The five sense organs are eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. The five organs of action or karmendriya enable us to interact with material objects; these organs are hands, feet, rectum, genitals and mouth. The five organs of perception and the five organs of action take the mind into ten different directions, and make life go in ten different directions.

Ra means light. Ma means, inside me. Rama symbolises the light inside of us. Rama denotes the soul itself, the light within us. Rama had three brothers, Lakshmana, who is aware and awakeful; Shatrughana who has no enemies, and Bharata who is brilliant and talented. Ayodhya means that which cannot be destroyed.

Our mind-body complex can be understood as Ayodhya, the king of which is Dasharatha. When Sita (the mind), strayed away from Rama (the soul) then Ravana (the ego) kidnapped Sita. Then Rama and Lakshmana (soul and awareness), with Hanuman’s (life force) help, bring Sita back home to the self. Their homecoming is celebrated with lights as Diwali, where each lit lamp represents the light within us.

Just by lighting an oil lamp you will not have celebrated Diwali. You must become the light that guides everyone on the right path. When Rama returned home, people lit lamps in their houses to welcome him.

When the light of wisdom shines in one’s life, it lifts us up from stress, and we become free of hatred, jealousy and all those negative emotions and tendencies. Light the lamp of knowledge this Diwali. Be blissful, happy and share this happiness with others. Set all your differences aside. This is a time to be pleasant and share sweets. Wish all of you a very Happy Diwali, and may this festival fulfil all your wishes.

Diwali celebrates the light of knowledge

Diwali, the festival of lights, is celebrated on the darkest new moon night of the month of Kartik in the Hindu calendar. It marks the victory of good over evil. For Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, it also commemorates historical or mythological events that symbolise the triumph of knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.

Rituals associated with Diwali have deep spiritual significance. Before Diwali, people clean and decorate their homes and workplaces. On Diwali night, they light lamps in their homes and offer prayers invoking Lakshmi, goddess of wealth. These practices are ritualised expressions of rejuvenation of human soul in its journey through time.

The cleaning before Diwali symbolises cleansing that the soul must undergo to be able to receive and retain the wisdom and virtues that God gives. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi does not enter homes that are not clean, and so people get rid of clutter and make sure that every corner of their dwelling is clean before Diwali.

While one can hoard money and possessions in a messy house, the true wealth of the soul, which is wisdom, cannot be retained in an impure mind.

If the mind is polluted by vices, one will have no inclination to seek wisdom or cultivate virtues that make humans divine. Even if one is given spiritual knowledge, one will not be able to retain it, just as heavily soiled clothes do not absorb water and instead repel it. And an evil mind will use even the knowledge it has to achieve wrong ends, as illustrated by the story of the demon king Ravana, who is said to have been a great scholar.

The cleaner the mind, the more one is attracted to all that is good and noble, and such a mind seeks enlightenment.

Lamps that adorn homes during Diwali symbolise the light of knowledge. Just as darkness causes fear and brings sorrow in the form of mishaps, ignorance of one’s true identity leads to suffering, as body-consciousness gives rise to vices that corrupt our thoughts and actions. Diwali does not just mark the mythical victory of Rama over Ravana; it is a celebration of the light of spiritual knowledge dispelling the darkness of ignorance which masks one’s true identity as an immortal being.

Happiness is the fruit of good actions, which in turn flow from pure thoughts and feelings. Noble thoughts will come naturally to us only if we have cleansed our mind and cultivated virtues such as love, kindness, purity and truth which, like the fragrance of flowers, enrich human life and bring joy to relationships.

Deities invoked during Diwali are physical representations of virtues. Goddess Lakshmi, popularly associated with the festival, is shown seated on a lotus, holding a lotus blossom, one each in two of her four arms, while one palm is raised in blessing and another showers gold coins. The lotus is a symbol of purity, as the flower remains untouched by the mud in which it blooms. Blessings and gold signify generosity and abundance.

These are the qualities we need to invoke during Diwali in order to enrich our lives, as without them, no amount of material wealth can bring us true wellbeing and happiness.

125 years of Swami Vivekananda in the West

As the seventh convention of the Parliament of World’s Religions unfolds in Toronto, Canada, i am reminded of the first time the 29-year-old Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) took to stage at the Parliament in Chicago 125 years ago to share perspectives on diversity and coexistence with intellectuals from across the globe.

Swami Vivekananda made a sensational debut at the Parliament. He was initially nervous about delivering his speech but as he took the stage, he began by addressing his audience as ‘Sisters and brothers of America!’ The hall resounded with a long burst of applause at his words and he received a standing ovation from the delegates and the crowd comprising several thousand people from world over. Today, as we have become increasingly global, the expression takes a larger dimension and has transformed into ‘Sisters and brothers of the world!’

The President of Parliament of World Religions, John Henry Barrows later remarked about Vivekananda, calling him “the orange-monk who exercised the most wonderful influence over his auditors”. The media splashed articles and special features on him and he was labelled as the ‘most popular and influential man in the Parliament!’ In a world of strangeness and separation, Swami Vivekananda had touched the chord of familiarity and proximity, awakening a feeling of unity amongst his audience.

The mission of the Parliament of the World’s Religions is to cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world. Swami Vivekananda became the ambassador of this message of universal brotherhood at the Parliament. He was the first to introduce Indian philosophy to the West in this manner and received support, leading to the establishment of Vedic centres in the West. In his interactions, he extensively discussed tolerance and cooperation between communities of the world.

In ‘Letters of Vivekananda’, Swami Vivekananda outlined the bright future of India as a nation, to be shaped by two forces: Islamic Body and Vedic Brain. I would modify this and say that in order to create the future we all aspire for, we would have to resort to a blend of ‘Western Body, Eastern Brain’ – this is the only way we shall progress in times to come!

Swami Vivekananda was an ardent advocate of religious diversity being the soul of universality. His formula was, ‘Follow one, hate none’. This principle was based on an inherent understanding of the fact that this world is full of differences – family, society, religious communities and nations – difference is an integral part of each ecosystem. But differences are not evil; they are a blessing as they create challenges, which leads to development and progress in the world.

In my experience, too, this is the simplest and most natural formula – to follow one religion, and respect all. As a nonagenarian, i can lead a life devoid of any hatred and full of love and compassion. This is because i recognise, in my mind, in my heart, every person as a creation of God. Since every one of us is created by God, how can i hate anyone? There’s no difference between us. It is acceptance of this reality that can pave way for us to coexist and shall enable us to meaningfully adopt and leverage differences, rather than trying to eliminate or remove them!

Align yourself with the universal life force

The epidemic of ‘more’ is looming large over the world – we are struggling to fulfil our endless desires, taxing our bodies and minds, turning them into machines and pressurising others to follow a similar path. We think that experiencing intense pleasure, achieving abundant success, wealth and fame will bring us happiness. Eventually, we end up with a diseased body, wounded heart, perplexed mind, and an alienated spirit.

Having more or doing more is not always better. However, we ignore this fact due to our mental conditioning. Our mind argues that when the whole world is chasing success, we might turn loser by being content with having less or doing less.

Ancient Chinese philosophical traditions like Taoism encourage us to think otherwise. The profoundness of Taoism lies in its simplicity – it unveils before us what has always been there.  Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism says, “There is no guilt greater than to sanction ambition; no calamity greater than to be discontented with one’s lot; no fault greater than the wish to be getting.”

By being greedy, dissatisfied and ruthless we get disconnected from the universal life force; then we start leading an unnatural and false way of life that brings misery. Our very being is in a constant state of agitation, movement and exhaustion; it simply does not know where, when and how to stop. Several lifestyle diseases, psychological disorders, medical problems and relationship issues that we face today are caused by this distress.

The remedy is simple, according to Taoist sage Chuang Tzu: “Be all that heaven gave you, but act as though you have received nothing. Be empty, that is all.” He advises us to be full and empty at the same time by aligning ourselves with the universal life force. One way to do this is to remember how nature created us and stay close to it.

Just like plants, insects and animals, we too were created to be free. We did not enter this world with heavy baggage of acclaim, aptitudes, assets, or authority and therefore we need to become aware that these ephemeral entities are not important for our happiness. We can choose to be happy in their presence as well as in their absence.

The way of the Tao does not force us to undo development, retire from life and live as a hermit in the mountains. It only teaches us the importance of decluttering and simplifying our life. When we release the mental conditioning that clouds our thinking, we become aware that our need to acquire experiences and entities is unnatural and unwarranted. Realising this, we happily adopt an attitude of non-acquisition and let go of all unnecessary desires. Then, we eat only as much as our body requires, we work as much as we comfortably can, and we feel content with whatever the universe gives us.

This freedom to be heals, unifies and enlightens us. Then, we feel a oneness with the universal life force and there is no need to prove ourselves to anyone or to be anything other than who we are. The vital life energy then moves smoothly within us and we are in a state of perfect physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Know your position in the river of being

Touching the earth may look like a ritual, but it is not necessarily a ritual. There are times when you lie down flat on the earth and you surrender everything. The earth is my mother. I surrender myself entirely to her. I have come from the earth and I will go back to the earth. Lie flat on the grass and be one with the earth. That is touching the earth.

In Plum Village (where we live, in France) we practise the three earth touchings. I will first tell you of the first one – which is to connect ourselves with our ancestors and with our children and their children. A vertical line. In the position of earth-touching, you have to get linked to your ancestors and to your children before you stand up. You might use all kinds of methods, like the one I just proposed to you, “Father, I am your daughter, I am your son. Father, I am your continuation; I am you. Ancestors, I am your continuation. Ancestors, father, I vow, I promise that I will try to… end all afflictions, frustrations and open up for freedom and transformation.”

When you bow down like that and touch your ancestors, you see that you have lost your identity as a separated existence. Why? Because you realise your position in the river of being. You are only a continuation, a transition. Above you there are ancestors and below you there are children and grandchildren. So you become one with the river, and suddenly you lose your solitude of being a separated existence, because you know that you are your ancestors; you are your children. You become immortal.

First you might think that some of your ancestors are not to your liking. They made mistakes, did wrong things. Yes, but they are your ancestors. Your parents are your youngest ancestors. They may have done wrong to you and to other people, but they are your parents. You are not perfect. You have done good things, yes, but you have done also wrong things. Who are you not to accept them as your ancestors, as your parents?

The ancestors, I know, some of you are perfect. I can look up to you as my example, but some of you were weak and have made mistakes, but I recognise all of you as my ancestors. Because in myself, I realise that I have strength and also weaknesses. I also make mistakes. I also make people suffer; so who am I not to accept you? So you accept your parents, you accept your ancestors. So you feel much better.

If you suffer because of your children: first you think that your children will do exactly what you tell them to do, but finally you find out that they have their own ideas, their own desires and they do things not to your liking at all. You feel a distance, a separation between you and them.

Sometimes you say, they are not my children; my children are not like that. My children must be like this, like this, like this. Parents have a tendency to think like that. But in fact, if we look into ourselves we say, “Sometimes I did things that did not please my parents. I am not perfect. Why do I have to expect my children to be perfect?” So if you realise that you forgive your children, you will love them again, accept them again.

Evolve to be the best that you can be

When you wish to excel at anything in life, you will constantly strive for continuous improvement in your chosen field. And that is evolution. So what do we mean by evolution? In science, evolution relates to morphological change, that is not really in our control. When we talk of human evolution, we are talking of the evolution of our consciousness.

As human beings, we are made up of body, mind and soul. The physical body is made of the flesh and blood of matter. The subtle or astral body is energy and vibration – what we call the heart and mind. And the third body, the causal body, the soul or atman, is the centre/ base of our existence.

The physical body does not evolve much in this life. The soul is also unchanging. So what really evolves or transforms when we want to become a better person? It is the subtle body, the mind. Conscious evolution has everything to do with purification of the subtle body by removing the layers that surround it. This is how we evolve and expand our field of consciousness.

There are four main functions of the subtle body – chit, consciousness; manas, thinking; buddhi, intellect and ahankar, ego. They work together to make up what we know as the mind. Of these four, consciousness is our focus here, and the other three have their existence within the field of consciousness. Consciousness is like the canvas of a painter, and on that canvas the play of the other three subtle bodies is orchestrated daily.

What will consciousness, thinking, intellect and ego become at the culmination of our evolution? Consciousness does not evolve on its own, it evolves with the help of the other three. Intellect evolves into wisdom, thinking evolves into feeling, and ego is transformed into loving selflessness. As a result, consciousness is then able to expand from a static, narrow-minded state to become dynamic and universal in nature.

How does meditation help with this? Through meditation we are able to create this transformation by purifying the subtle body of all its complexities, thus stilling the mind. A disturbed, restless mind is like an ocean in a storm, pulled by wishes and desires, worries, fears and habits, in many different directions, turbulent and imbalanced. It is scattered in so many different channels, whereas a regulated, balanced mind is focused and promotes well-being. When we meditate properly, our mind becomes purer, simpler and lighter, so our consciousness naturally evolves. We are then able to dive to deeper and deeper levels of our existence, opening up more of our inner potential.

We then master the art of carrying that meditative state with us throughout the day, as a byproduct of a good morning meditation, so that the canvas of our consciousness remains unspoilt, fresh and clean. It is no longer disturbed by complexities, reactions and emotions that would otherwise destroy our inner calm and joy.

Wisdom blossoms in such a peaceful state. In wisdom we utilise all our faculties at their best. We have maximum output with minimum input. With minimum action we have the maximum result. By doing everything in our day-to-day life with such a meditative mind, we can excel and be the best that we can be.

Your only duty is to be happy

Swami Rama Tirtha said a hundred years back – ‘Your only duty is to be happy!’ Sages have been asking us to experience not just happiness but infinite happiness, independent of the world. They discovered the roadblocks that come in the way of happiness and prescribed methods by which these could be removed. They were intrigued with the concept of Perfection. Is it possible for the ordinary, finite human to transform into the extraordinary, infinite, superhuman?

They found the formula for Perfection. Human minus desire is God, the Perfect Person.  Desire comes in the way of success. And desire keeps you stunted, small-minded and powerless.

We are so caught up with desire that we cannot envisage a state free from desire.  The Bhagwad Gita does not ask you to give up desire. It only asks you to do what you are familiar with – just escalate to a higher desire, a more fulfilling one.

You have grown from infancy to adulthood by doing just what the Gita prescribes. At every stage you conceived of a higher state, struggled for it and achieved it. From having only a rattle for entertainment you moved to toys, bicycle, teenage delights and adult aspirations. You only have to revive this growth-propelling mode.

In Plato’s metaphor, while the rest of his people were content to live in a dark cave, one young man thought there had to be something beyond their little cave and decided to explore. He went on till he came out and found this beautiful, magnificent world. We live in ignorance, not knowing where we came from or where we are heading. We experience boredom, fatigue and depression. We suffer the pangs of attachment. We experience deprivation when we are blessed with abundance. We experience sorrow when we should be deliriously happy.

All we need is inspiration. A scientist who is on the verge of an important discovery rises above physical limitations as well as emotional hang-ups. Finally when you are consumed by the spiritual goal you smash through all barriers.

Move away from impulsive, thoughtless living to a life led by the intellect.  When the intellect is stronger than the mind you become more objective, powerful and in control of your life. The intellect is important in guiding you through sense enjoyment, emotional interactions as well as intellectual pursuits. Invest in fortifying the intellect.

While acting, move from being driven merely by self interest to accommodating the welfare of others. The higher the ideal you work for, the greater will be your success. Athletes experience incredible levels of performance when they play for the country versus just playing for personal records!  Selfishness gives sorrow. Finally, a selfless person is one who understands a supreme Force has gifted him the talent and dedicates his actions to that Spirit. This makes for excellence.

Emotionally, most people only love themselves. This leads to maximum conflict with loved ones as you ride on expectations and demands. When you genuinely love others and are able to set aside your desires for their sake, you live a happy life. In the end, when you are aware of a Power that has blessed you with a million things you develop gratitude and turn your attention from the world to the Beyond.

The intellect becomes sharp when you begin to reflect on the distinction between the permanent and the impermanent. Then you embark on the search for the Permanent. Even the journey is thrilling. The destination is infinite happiness!

Let us abandon hate and live in love

Q: Can you tell me in simple words, how to live in love and abandon hate?

A: The quality of one’s life is the quality of one’s communication. What we tell ourselves internally is more powerful than what we tell outside. Catch one’s inner self-talk. Anyone who says that the person has hurt me; abused me; insulted me and has put me down, such a person is living with such thoughts and lives in hate.

If one can abandon those thoughts of hate, of hurt and not entertain them, then one has abandoned hate.

Hate exists in your thoughts and not in the incident. Thought is past, and hate is held by thought and hence hate is from the past. I have unfolded how thought is past.

Somebody scolded you yesterday, and you hold it today by thought. So you are carrying this wound. Then, this wound is afraid that someone will hurt in the future. So hate exists in the past and future. But love is always in the present.

The quality of your life is the quality of your consistent emotion. First, be aware of emotion from which one is operating from. Whatever one does, just put in the feeling of love. Love energy is caring energy. Even when you are bathing, do it lovingly. You have to create that energy as you do in vocal music. Only then there is melody.

Love is freedom whereas duty is bondage. In the space of inner freedom, love is born. Love without freedom appears as love. Love is pure freedom. I am free to love, whatever be the situations of life; they don’t limit my love. Love is dynamic energy and hence cannot be bound by a person or situation. In a deep sense, love is a state of ‘Being’.

God is love and love is God. Love is just not a relationship, but it is a state of ‘being’. So let your approach to life be one of love. Love brings you harmony, peace and inner freedom. Meditative love is not a relationship but a space in which relationship happens. Love, therefore, becomes energy to bless the world. With this understanding, meditatively love and let your approach be of love. It has no name. We say we love money, love the country, love my opinion, love my sport.

Little Ram comes rushing to his mother, hugs her and says “Where is the moon; can you show me the moon”. Mother takes the child to the lake and points to the moon by holding his index finger in the direction of the moon. Both of them had their dinner and spent some time there. The child felt happy that it has learnt where the moon is. Next day the school teacher asked Ram “can you show me the moon”. Little Ram pointed at his index finger and said “this is the moon”.

Patriotism, nationalism and empathy

At a ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, took a dig at what are seen as the isolationist and America-first policies of the US president, Donald Trump.

The French leader made a distinction between two concepts which, only too often, are seen as interchangeable: patriotism and nationalism.

“Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism, it is a betrayal of nationalism,” said Macron.  He went on to elucidate his argument: “In saying ‘our interests first, and who cares about the others’ we erase what a nation has that’s most important: its moral values.”

Though aimed at the Trump administration, Macron’s words apply to other governments, in other parts of the world, who seek to promote a hyper-patriotism among citizens, at the risk of discarding the moral and ethical compass which not only all harmonious societies, but all enlightened individuals, must use as a navigational aid in charting their  course between self-interest and the recognition of a larger, more inclusive scheme of things, between the desires and devices of the ego and the awareness of a collective consciousness which inseparably binds the one to the many.

Patriotism – dismissed by Samuel Johnson as the last resort of scoundrels – has as its mantra ‘My country, right or wrong.’ Nationalism – as defined by Macron, on the other hand – is based on the moral imperative ‘My country, to which I can show no greater loyalty than to endeavour to ensure that what it does is that which is right.’

The difference between patriotism and nationalism, as set forth by the French president, is the difference between fake news and real news.

A morally-blindfolded patriotism which will back its country, irrespective of right or wrong, is jingoism based on deliberate falsehood.  A morally vigilant nationalism which actively upholds the civilisational values of all humankind is based on an unflinching commitment to truth.

Patriotism is confined within the changeable boundaries of artificially created political borders.  Nationalism owes allegiance to a commonality of ideals it shares with other nations and which represent a collective principle for all to uphold.

Nations, like individuals, don’t exist in isolation.  No man is an island, no nation is other than a passenger on the shared Spaceship Earth.

Patriotism at its chauvinistic worst has been responsible for crimes like colonialism, the assumption that my country is intrinsically superior in all respects to yours and has the right to rule your country, which is the justification the British used to enslave India and millions of Indians for 250 years.

It took the nationalistic movement of Mohandas Gandhi to break the shackles of colonial rule through the non-violent moral weapon of satyagraha, or truth force.

Patriotism has led to two World Wars, and countless conflicts across the globe.  Nationalism, which in order to respect itself must respect the rights of other national entities, has led to the creation of multinational trade pacts, non-aggression treaties, the International Court of Justice and the United Nations.

Greed has used the guise of patriotism – it’s my patriotic duty to enrich my country, never mind the cost to the environment – to poison the planet with pollution.  Our only hope of saving it is a cooperative pan-nationalism based on entente, the mutual respect of each other rights.

And the wellspring of entente arises from a transformative vision by which nations and individuals learn to see each other.  It’s the corrective lens of moral eyesight which changes everything, and it’s called empathy.

Guru Nanak Dev was a social reformer

According to Sikhism, no State has authority over an individual’s conscience and as such it cannot impose a particular type of philosophy – religious or atheistic – on the people through political force. Such an attempt can only create a monolithic society at war with itself. The duty of the State is to work for the greatest happiness of the people; maintain law and order, plan for progress and engage in social justice. In doing all this, it must be guided by ethics and this is what Sikhism advocates.

Sikhism’s governing belief in virtuous conduct is the guide to reach ultimate reality. Pride, infatuation, greed, maliciousness and other temptations are contingent; one should not cling to them, but embrace an altruistic life.

Moral rejuvenation and regeneration was the aim of Guru Nanak. He stated that life is a trust and it is to be spent in the love and service of humanity. Service to humanity is service to God.

Truthful living is the essence of God-consciousness and in achieving this, one’s company and association plays an important role. One achieves and grows into the supreme position by joining the congregation of saints, but one who is in bad company stands to face trial in the court of God. Guru Nanak says, “Truth is Supreme.”

Those who tried to disseminate divine knowledge faced strong opposition, and ill treatment including torture, but due to the strength of their character based on their truthful living, they never gave up.

The editor of ‘Sikh Review’, a journal of Sikhism, said, “Across the wide world, Sikhs know that the next calendar year, 2019, will mark the 550th birth anniversary of the founder, Sri Guru Nanak Dev. Sikhs, as well as others who have faith in the Guru’s teachings are anxiously waiting for the auspicious day to celebrate in a big way.”

Hence, the question: What would be the best way for both the community and individual to mark the anniversary? Should it be observed in the same ritualistic, traditional manner, spending huge amounts of money and energy with little or no positive outcome for the betterment of the community at large? Of course, kirtan darbars, prabhat pheries, nagar kirtans and also large scale langars will be performed to showcase panthic commitment, but will responsible Sikh institutions rise to the occasion and help to spread Guru Nanak’s humanitarian messages? If Guru Nanak could travel in four directions – across national boundaries – to disseminate the message of universal brotherhood in a simple but effective way more than five centuries ago, why should not the Sikhs continue that mission today?

When asked by Muslims in Madina, ‘Are you Hindu or Muslim’, Guru Nanak replied, “Na main Hindu, na Musalman, Nanak jagg ke jee pran” and he also said, “Ek pita ekas ke hum barak” – ‘We are children of one God’. Guru Nanak has always been performing different acts for the benefit of people and he always helped them overcome bad manners and degraded acts and encouraged people to think positively, free of grudges and prejudices.  He said in a shabad in Gurubani while praising the role of woman in society: “So kyun manda aakhiye, jitt jamme rajan’ – How can we criticise woman who gives birth to saints and avatars of all religions? 

Why we need secular ethics beyond religion

Clearly, something is seriously lacking in the way we humans are going about things.  But what is it that we lack?  The fundamental problem is that at every level, we are giving too much attention to the external, material aspects of life while neglecting moral ethics and inner values.

By inner values I mean the qualities that we all appreciate in others, and toward which we all have a natural instinct, bequeathed by our biological nature as animals that survive and thrive only in an environment of concern, affection, and warm-heartedness – or in a single word, compassion.  The essence of compassion is a desire to alleviate the suffering of others and to promote their wellbeing.  This is the spiritual principle from which all other positive inner values emerge.  We all appreciate in others qualities of kindness, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, and generosity, and in the same way we are all averse to displays of greed, malice, hatred, and bigotry.  So actively promoting the positive inner qualities of the human heart that arise from our core disposition toward compassion, and learning to combat our more destructive propensities, will be appreciated by all.  And the first beneficiaries of such a strengthening of our inner values will, no doubt, be ourselves….

Certainly religion has helped millions of people in the past, helps millions today, and will continue to help millions in the future.  But for all its benefits in offering moral guidance and meaning in life, in today’s secular world, religion alone is no longer adequate as a basis for ethics.  One reason for this is that many people in the world no longer follow any particular religion.  Another reason is that, as the peoples of the world become ever more closely interconnected in an age of globalisation and in multicultural societies, ethics based on any one religion would only appeal to some of us….  In the past, when peoples lived in relative isolation from one another – as we Tibetans lived quite happily for many centuries behind our wall of mountains – the fact that groups pursued their own religiously based approaches to ethics posed no difficulties.  Today, however, any religion-based answer to the problem of our neglect of inner values can never be universal, and so will be inadequate.  What we need today is an approach to ethics that makes no recourse to religion and can be equally acceptable to those with faith and those without: a secular ethics.

This statement may seem strange coming from someone who from a very early age has lived as a monk in robes.  Yet I see no contradiction here.  My faith enjoins me to strive for the welfare and benefit of all sentient beings, and reaching out beyond my own tradition, to those of other religions and those of none, is entirely in keeping with this.

I am confident that it is both possible and worthwhile to attempt a new secular approach to universal ethics.  My confidence comes from my conviction that all of us, all human beings, are basically inclined or disposed toward what we perceive to be good. Whatever we do, we do because we think it will be of some benefit.  At the same time, we all appreciate the kindness of others.  We are all, by nature, oriented toward the basic human values of love and compassion.  We all prefer the love of others to their hatred.  We all prefer others’ generosity to their meanness. … I believe the time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics that is beyond religion. Extract from ‘Beyond Religion,’ HarperCollins.

Social inclusion through spiritual vision

Most of us would agree that we face a crisis of character across the globe. Materialistic values and outlook have weakened the fabric of society to the point where selfishness has become endemic. Higher human values that spring from awareness of the spiritual basis of our being must be re-awakened if the crisis is to be resolved. To facilitate this reawakening, holistic education, encompassing spiritual, moral, cultural and intellectual development is required.

We find that health, wealth and happiness are inseparable; they all go together and cannot be enjoyed in the true sense if only some have them and others do not have them. We can progress only if divine virtues are ingrained in human character.

Religion is said to be the vehicle of spiritual awakening, moral consciousness and socio-cultural values that enliven a well-knit society. But polluted by brutal fanaticism, religion has lost its credibility as a peaceful path to harmonious progress. Instead of uniting people, religion has in itself become the major dividing force and impediment to social development.

Physical efficiency and intellectual alertness are dangerous, if spiritual illiteracy prevails. Feuds and agitations that are a common feature of modern society are the result of polluted minds untouched by spiritual lustre. Study of genesis and fall of different civilisations by historian Arnold Toynbee reveals that, “each time people lost faith in religion, its civilisation succumbed to social disintegration. The new civilisation that replaced such downfall was inspired by true religion through spiritual awakening.” Physical poverty is a curse and spiritual deprivation is worse. The human mind, therefore, requires a spiritual universe for itself.

The fundamental outcome of the UN Rio Conference held on 12 February 2013 for Sustainable Development was that we are heading towards a set of economic, social and environmental crises and the only way for a dramatic change is to change attitude and awareness and recognise it as a spiritual issue, a challenge that goes to the core of who we are as human beings. Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty and advancing economic growth, these are one and the same fight where spirituality could come to our rescue.

The Sant Nirankari Mission is of the firm opinion that every kind of discrimination or inequality, including socio-economic and gender can better be sorted out through spirituality.

He who is not spiritually aware about himself cannot have any peace and he who does not have peace cannot foster peaceful co-existence. Self-awareness is the outcome of Self-realisation. The same divine spirit permeates all, whether man or woman, rich or poor. Hence, it is incumbent to treat and love all alike as human beings. In the absence of actual knowledge, God is different for different persons and for the same person on different occasions. The concept of one God for all foresees the idea of one religion for all.

Capturing the roots of all inequalities and discriminations through Vedic philosophy, ‘vasudhaiva kutumbkam’, Sant Nirankari Mission guides the world towards an enduring relationship with God, so that the concept of oneness becomes a peoples’ mission and the feeling of ‘wholeness’ is inculcated along the feeling of ‘Oneness’, reaching the state where all feel, ‘Finally we are one family’.