A PRECEPTOR SPEAKS TO A PUPIL ... 2

A PRECEPTOR SPEAKS TO A PUPIL ... 2

The life of the Spirit is to be lived on the material plane --  this is the decree of the Divine. Education plays a major role in effecting this. The history of the happenings of human civilisation will have to be learnt and its significance comprehended. Only then will the aspirant succeed in discovering his place in the long tide of events. A severed asceticism is not worth much but far more is an associated asceticism worth. One must manifest one's spiritual powers to effect real changes in human society. This is the dialectical demand of the times and this has ever been the fundamental feature of human creative affirmation that has led to social change.

The West has liberated society largely and India has freed religion. The West has constricted religion within dogmatic bounds and India has harnessed society by a myriad priestly regulation. Now a world civilisation is necessary where society and religion will both be free.  These two complementary aspects of human life developing in isolation on opposite sides of the planet now seek a synthetic wholeness. This is the work before the world, the mission of future humanity. In it every conscious individual must play his part, every bit of affirmative action contributing to its final fulfilment. Thus, isolated asceticism and aspiration for personal liberation is to viewed as selfish engagement in this age when humanity seeks solidarity, the integration of interests for mass conservation. 

Action has been the key to human progress and it must ever be so. But it has to be guided action and not randomly sprayed activity resulting in nothing substantial. Our actions must be two-fold in their effect. They must conduce to human welfare and lead to Self-realisation. This is how Swamiji spelled it out in his epic formulation for the Age - 'Atmano mokshaarthang jagaddhitaayacha' (Engagement in services conducing to world welfare for the liberation of the Self). But this formulation has deep connotations which are lost on the individual owing to a dull interpretation and vested interests governing such understanding and propagation. The status quo of human society, the decadent, stagnating world of man which great thinkers, savants, sages and seers attempt to change unto a better order of earthly existence is not followed after they are gone and the old reactions set in, keeping up the foul order of things. The Church and the corporates and all such agencies that stand to benefit from the existent exploitative order become the barriers to socioeconomic changes. Aspiration for personal spiritual liberation in such a scenario where the masses suffer the ignominy of animal existence is not only the most selfish thing to crave for but, being so, is virtually impossible to attain. Hence, Swamiji's programme of work for this Age. This is the 'Yugadharmachakra' (the Wheel of Virtue, of Righteousness) that he has set rolling for us whose accelerated motion we must set our hands to. In it lies any chance, if at all, of becoming free from slavery to the senses. This is the Way now.

Written by Sugata Bose