OUR COUNTRY,
ITS CULTURE AND CIVILISATION
Our country is an ancient country, with an ancient religion
and also an ancient civilization. Today, it is a free country once
again and it has a place of honour in the comity of nations. What is
this greatness and honour of our country due to? It is not because
of advance in industry that our country is being honoured but
because as compared to other countries, our country has had a very
ancient civilization and culture which can give peace of mind and
stability to every individual. In the spiritual sphere India is so
much advanced that one can get peace of mind very easily here. Peace
of mind is something, which cannot be purchased by anyone by just
paying a few rupees, but it has to be secured by each individual
through his own effort, and internal transformation. Such an
internal transformation can take place in our country because ours
is a sacred country. Not being able to get peace of mind in their
own countries, they come to our country to achieve mental peace and
spiritual transformation.
Similarly, foreigners come to our country also to study our
ancient language Sanskrit; and they try to imbibe our culture and
civilization and get peace of mind, because they have sraddha for
it. But what do we find in our country? Our people are being
attracted by the customs and manners and dress habits of other
countries. In fact, there is a craze or moha for foreign customs and
manners. The foreigners have sraddha or faith in our customs and
manners, while our people just try to ape their habits blindly. That
is why there is some kind of unrest and agitation going on in our
country. If we do not have peace of mind, how can we give peace to
others or radiate peace to them?
We have a national flag and a national bird, and there is an
agitation going on in regard to a national language also. In the
same way, we have to struggle to preserve our own ancient culture
and civilization as well. This is a task, which devolves on all of
us. Since politicians are not doing it, we ourselves have to do it.
All the people of our country have to do it. It is the bounden duty
of everyone to preserve our culture and civilization. Everyone
should take this solemn pledge, in fact, not merely take this pledge
but see that it is implemented as well.
In this task of preservation of our culture and civilization,
first we have to concentrate on the children, because they are going
to be the protectors of these in the future.
Sometimes, when we see our children these days, we begin to
wonder whether they have been born in our country or elsewhere. By
all means, let them study in any school they like, and wear whatever
dresses are prescribed for these schools and read whatever they
like. But at least when they come back to their houses, let them
wear the Indian dress and let them do everything according to our
tradition and culture. Outside they may wear whatever dress they
like, but at least in the temple they should wear their traditional
dress. Similarly, at the time of taking meals also, let them wear
their traditional dress. This should be taught to our children from
infancy. Otherwise, they will suffer very much in this Kaliyuga
whether they remain in our country or go elsewhere.
The householders have a great duty to perform in this
connection; particularly, the parents have a special duty towards
their children. An earnest attempt should be made by them to teach
their children Indian culture and Indian civilization. Our dharma
and our civilization have to be protected by us.
Often, the complaint is heard that enough time is not
available for this purpose. That is not true. Actually, for playing
games, for reading newspapers, and for doing ever so many other
things, people get plenty of time. It is only when it comes to the
question of practicing dharma or practicing religion that it is said
that they have no time. Out of the 24 hours of the day, even if
about 20 minutes could be spared for this purpose that would be more
than sufficient. That itself will start making a great difference in
their lives, and it will protect them in their present life and in
their future lives as well.
The first thing that everyone has to realize is what exactly
is our dharma, and what exactly our civilization is, and what
exactly our culture is. If the mother behaves like a daughter, and
the father behaves like a son, then the daughter will start behaving
like a mother, and the son will start behaving like a father, and
there will be an utter inversion of values and this will result in
the transgression of their respective limits by everyone. So, first
of all, it is the parents who have to develop sraddha or faith in
our culture and civilization. The mother should remember that she is
a mother first, and similarly the father should remember that he is
a father, and so on. Both should realize that they have a duty as
parents to their children. Similarly, a guru should behave like a
guru and a disciple should behave like a disciple and not vice
versa. It is only in this way that we can maintain some respect and
discipline in our country, and then only the restlessness of our
minds will go.
At present, what we find is that many people have some
parayana in their houses, do some puja, and worship some deities.
But merely doing these things without a deep-seated faith in the
living culture of India would be useless. If we leave off our dharma
and do worship, etc., then all that worship would be thoroughly
useless. Therefore, the first thing that we have to do is to
preserve our culture and our civilization, our achara and our
behaviour and conduct, our dharma, our Bhakti and our traditions.
These have to be protected in their own form and not in any other
form.
These are like flowing rivers. Unless we take care of them
and preserve their flow, they will become like rivers which may
start flowing fast initially with great gush of water but which
later on dry up into just a huge mass of sand only. It is only when
we preserve our civilization, culture and tradition that we can keep
the river of dharma flowing perennially without its getting dried up
in the desert sand of dead habit.
The first thing that has to be done in this regard is to cast
off our craze for the customs and manners and dress forms of other
countries. If we do not do so our life will be full of miseries and
difficulties.
From early infancy our children must be taught our dharma,
and they must be put on the right path. We cannot expect this to be
done by Government, nor can anyone expect this to be done even by
the schools. Therefore, naturally, this duty devolves on the
parents. The parents have to initiate their children into the path
of dharma, and the right path has to be taught to them. Often,
private tuitions are arranged for various subjects like physics,
chemistry, mathematics, etc., for the children. But nobody bothers
about arranging tuitions in culture and civilization and dharma for
children. We would suggest that some tuition should be given to the
children in the subject of Indian culture, Indian civilization and
Indian religion and dharma. First, the parents themselves have to
undergo this tuition and then they should undertake this tuition for
their children as well. If we do this is order to protect this
dharma, then that dharma itself will protect us. If we do not
protect dharma, how can dharma protect us? Some people bring up a
dog in their houses in order to get protection from thieves. But
unless they take care of the dog and feed it properly how can the
dog give them protection? In the same manner, we have to take care
of our dharma, so that dharma can take care of us. So, it is
said:
"vɨÉÉæ ®úIÉÊiÉ ®úÊIÉiÉ&"
If the parents do not take care of their children, then the
children also will not take care of them in later life and the
moment they get some money they will just run away from the family,
and in his old age, the father may have to go on working for earning
his livelihood throughout his life, and undergo the miseries of it.
If only the parents take interest and teach their children properly
today, then surely the children will take care of them during their
old age and feed them.
We have a very ancient heritage of great literature in our
country. We have Bhakti literature, Jnana literature and so on. Our
children should be taught a little bit about the lives of the great
saints and great thinkers. People from the West are coming to our
country to learn about these things, but we are not doing anything
to preserve our culture and tradition in our own country. Not only
should our children learn at least one song by each of these saints,
or bhajans by each one of them, but they should also be able to
speak about them. This will be their greatest treasure as in a bank,
and this will be their greatest capital for their future.
Often, it is said that the atmosphere for practicing our
dharma is not there. It is said that the atmosphere for following
our cultural traditions is not congenial and therefore we cannot be
virtuous and good, and, therefore, we tend to become bad and we
become corrupt and we become unrighteous.
In the previous yugas, God had incarnated in the form of
Rama, Krishna and others. But in Kaliyuga, there is no scope for an
incarnation yet. Out of the four quarters of the Kaliyuga, only the
first quarter is still going on. It is only at the end of the fourth
quarter that God will incarnate in the form of Kalki. But are things
really so bad? It is said that corruption is increasing,
indiscipline is increasing and is becoming rampant in all spheres of
life and people say that adharma is increasing and people are
suffering from various maladies, physical and otherwise; thus we are
told that the world is full of misery. And people often come to me
and ask “Swamiji, what as the way our? What is the solution for all
these problems”?
In my opinion, things are not really so bad. It is only when
adharma increases to unmanageable proportions and the evil forces
raise their ugly heads to an intolerable height that Kalki will
incarnate and not till then. After all, we are not so bad or
unrighteous at the present moment. It is because of the atmosphere
or environment that we behave in a bad way. If only we can create a
congenial atmosphere around ourselves, we can still remain good. By
being in the company of good and holy people, and by going to
temples and spending time there, we can still see that we remain
good and virtuous. It is only when we are in bad company or bad
environment or bad atmosphere that we tend to become bad. So, we
should attempt all the time to be in the company of good people;
only then can we continue to be good and virtuous.
Following the tradition of Sri Adi Sankara Bhagvatpada, who
prayed to Lord Krishna, the teacher of the whole world, the
Jagadguru, let us also pray to Lord Krishna to shower his blessings
on all of us. Lord Krishna has taught us so many things in the Gita.
But merely doing parayana or reading of the Gita is not enough. We
have to imbibe the message of the Gita in its true spirit, and make
it a practical reality in our daily life by practicing its teachings
as a true sadhaka.
May God shower his Blessings on all and lead everyone to
greater prosperity and well-being!
