A REQUEST TO INDOCTRINATING PARENTS AND RELATIVES

A REQUEST TO INDOCTRINATING PARENTS AND RELATIVES

Do not poison the minds of your children with doctrinaire hatred of infidels. We are all human beings with a common ancestry and a common final destiny. Let us reject the irrational elements of faith and build a harmonic human family with reason as our guide and realisation the ideal.

Written by Sugata Bose

GROWING ATHEISM IN THE WAKE OF SCIENTIFIC ENLIGHTENMENT

GROWING ATHEISM IN THE WAKE OF SCIENTIFIC ENLIGHTENMENT

With the spread of rationality through scientific education the number of atheists is ever on the rise the world over and there are so many ex-Muslims who are now preaching the gospel of reason as opposed to the clerics who preach hateful fanatical doctrines that have neither validity in truth nor positive application today.

The same is the case with Christianity, especially in Europe where humanism, atheism, agnosticism and anti-theism is on the rise and attendance has drastically dropped in churches. All this in a sense augurs well for the future of humanity as it shapes up to adopt a rational stance in life en route to absorbing the higher spiritual principles of the Vedanta which do not contradict reason but rather transcend it to lead one to unitary Self-experience.

Faith-based Semitic religions of Abrahamic origin, namely, Judaism, Christianity and Islam are now going to be subjected to increasing scrutiny before the searchlight of reason and they will find it hard to survive the scars thus suffered. All this augurs well for the Indian dharma traditions as they will allow thinking humanity a rational philosophical base to rest their reflections on before they are ready to storm the citadels of the heavens in their own divine selves and come to the ultimate objective of life on earth, Self-realisation. The religion of the rishis is about to triumph.

But, first, materialism in these partially awakened personalities will have to be overcome through fulfilment of desires to an extent and simultaneous discrimination on the transitory nature of earthly existence. That will prove a big hurdle, though, and will take time to reach its natural end-point. However, the first major step these daring souls have taken in rejecting all that is irrational in the belief-systems that had been thrust on them by regional and familial culture. They now stand on more secure ground and may think out their way ahead in their own way. After all, spiritual enlightenment does not come overnight. Let them tread their own paths in their own way with reason as their sure guide for the while.

When the thirst for solving the riddle of existence develops deep in their beings, they will be ready for the Vedanta in real earnest. Till then, at least, they have done the world a world of good in rejecting their exclusive fanatical faith and openly exhorting others, who are similarly disposed but are yet standing on the fringe of desertion of faith, to do the same and join their community of ex-Muslims.

Written by Sugata Bose

SUSTAINED CHANTING DOES NOT LEAD TO BRAINWASHING BUT PURIFIES ONE UNTO EVENTUAL ILLUMINATION

SUSTAINED CHANTING DOES NOT LEAD TO BRAINWASHING BUT PURIFIES ONE UNTO EVENTUAL ILLUMINATION

Chanting the divine mantra is not an exercise in self-hypnosis of a derogatory kind that is aimed at stifling rational thinking but is intended to transcend the boundaries of the intellect and lodge oneself in the blissful consciousness of the Divine. Prolonged daily chanting, the right spiritual exercises to accompany it and the proper associated diet and habits develop overtime a finely tuned subtle system that is geared to receiving the higher impulses from within oneself which may be termed spiritual. The body changes and so does the mind as the mantra through reverent repetition gradually brings about a total transformation of the psycho-physical system. Higher perceptions of the spirit are now possible and the consciousness of man is lifted to a level that is healthy, blissful, wise and loving with all negative attributes having been replaced by affirmative traits and attitudes, a comprehension of life and the environment in a higher light and an overall exalted state which undeniably is elevating and inspirational for oneself and for others who associate with such a one. The focus from attachment to sensory material gratification has shifted to attachment for the Divine and the mind rests in peaceful reflection of the eternity of existence.

It is such an altered condition with respect to what materialists experience in their desire-driven life of physical needs, emotional attachments, cultural accomplishments and intellectual attainments that they are apt to misunderstanding it as so much derangement of the nervous system consequent on protracted brainwashing through sustained chanting of powerful sound symbols called mantras. But while charlatans may abuse the ancient spiritual practices of India to their malefic advantage, to label the practice as downright offensive brainwashing that leads to rational impairment for good and psychological debility is to be not quite discerning in objective criticism. As such greater exposure of these critics of Indian spirituality to reputed and authentic spiritual masters would do the requisite clarification of their muddled conception of the same.

It is here that the world needs to read the works of Swami Vivekananda, especially, his authoritative literary renditions of the four yogas, Jnana, Karma, Bhakti and Raja respectively. Vivekananda's presentation of Hinduism is so scientific and simple that everybody on reading will get a clear conception of the essentials of Hinduism. 'The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda' are, therefore, highly recommended for intellectual satisfaction of sceptics across the world and for seekers of spiritual light as well. 

Written by Sugata Bose 

Photo : Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with his disciples and devotees.

THE INDIAN DHARMA TRADITIONS MUST GO GLOBAL

THE INDIAN DHARMA TRADITIONS MUST GO GLOBAL

The message of the sages must go global. The Indian dharma traditions must be patronised effectively for their spread across the world.

Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism, despite some differences, have originally the same roots in Indian thought springing from the Vedas. Although, Jainism and Buddhism reject the Vedas as spiritual authority, they nonetheless, did spring as reactions to the prevalent spiritual aberrations of the day and, as such, have close ties to Vedic thought of liberation from the cyclical transmigration of the soul. They rely on the Theory of Karma as well and, so, have deep embedded Hindu roots. So does Sikhism in an even more closer kinship to the mother religion whence it arose.

Keeping this in mind, we should as a people promote the dharma traditions of India across the world. In it lies national welfare and in it lies the well-being of the world.

The present thrust on divisive secularism is eating into our vitals as an ancient race with a rich cultural heritage and is producing a nation of either imbeciles or mischievous intellectuals, ignorant thoroughly about all that is glorious in our spiritual tradition. This must go and it will only do so if from the governmental level measures are adopted --- despite opposition from quarters with vested interests --- that will educate the children in their national heritage, groom them in their national culture such that they grow up into fine human beings imbued with patriotism and a sense of sacrifice for the common weal that is at the heart of all genuine spirituality.

A rootless people can never become great and care must be taken that our children do not grow up to be so. Seven decades and more have passed and, yet, no such education system has been yet put in place in our country. The delay notwithstanding, it is high time to implement measures that will redress this imbalance and set the agenda of national development straight and in line with India's hoary tradition.

To that day we aspire for and with longing hopes linger in our gaze at the foggy future that ought to clear in the dawning sunshine of the morrow.

Written by Sugata Bose

NETAJI NEVER MARRIED NOR HAD HE ANY PROGENY

NETAJI NEVER MARRIED NOR HAD HE ANY PROGENY

I simply cannot conceive of Netaji as being married. His face glows with childlike purity and innocence despite his political involvement in the emerging order of the world then.

And there is no clinching evidence, too, to suggest that he ever married and fathered a daughter. So, why ought I to subscribe foolishly to this fantastic marital claim of no documentary substantiation?

To me Netaji remains the eternal celibate dedicated to the motherland's freedom, a relentless pursuit for which he derived power from strictest brahmacharya (continence) in line with his spiritual mentors, Ramakrishna and Vivekananda, to whom he dedicated his spiritual self. The motherland remained with him his 'queen of adoration', if I may be excused this pilferage from Nivedita when she described thus her spiritual master, Vivekananda.

Written by Sugata Bose

EQUIP THE ARMED FORCES BETTER FOR THE SECURITY OF THE NATION

EQUIP THE ARMED FORCES BETTER FOR THE SECURITY OF THE NATION

A powerful nation, if it chooses to be, may be peaceful but a weak nation will ever be subject to internal disturbance and external aggression. Thus, India, even if she has to pursue her policy of peace and non-violence as her ethical and spiritual aspiration and ideal, will have to be militarily strong. This will give her protection from external aggression and internal instability, not that I thereby suggest military rule instead of democracy but that I believe that the strong alone can sustain peace. It is, therefore, meet that the government allocates large funds for equipping the armed forces well with the latest technology and state of the art armament.

India's global role can only then be optimally possible when the world notices her growing military strength in addition to her prosperity and cultural progress.

To top it all, spirituality, pure and not pretentious, shall be the ground on which the motherland will forever stand as she embarks on her mission as the spiritual preceptor of the world. With the dharma she shall bring clarity and character everywhere till the world resonates to the tune of peace.

But practicality must not be deemed as being of little consequence. Idealism and practicality must go hand in hand as the spirit and matter in harmony lend the motherland her preeminent place in the comity of nations.

Written by Sugata Bose

SPARE THE CHILDREN SCRIPTURAL INDOCTRINATION THAT BREEDS FANATICS

SPARE THE CHILDREN SCRIPTURAL INDOCTRINATION THAT BREEDS FANATICS

A generation of liberal education can create peace in the world while a generation of theocratic indoctrination will necessarily breed fanatical violence in its wake. It is up to the moderate section of the adherents of exclusive religions to determine what they wish to do with their future as a community and how they wish to influence society at large. Their decision to remain noncommittal can prove dangerous for the emerging world while their active participation in liberalising the global discourse on terror and its theocratic basis can prove crucial to the establishment of world peace in so far as religion is concerned.

If scriptures cannot be amended, being the inviolable word of God, then they need to be reinterpreted in modern terms to suit the exigencies of the times and if such a course is not possible at any rate, then these passages of fanatical intent need to be discarded from the daily discourse and need not be recited as part of ritualistic prayer. What is needed is peace, and peace must be the priority to be pursued at any cost whether it pleases God or not.

Humanity, today, is at the crossroads of civilisation and the path it chooses to take will determine its destiny for good or for ill. Knowing that this is the case, this is what we are all faced with, everyone must take a deep look at these fanatical propensities of the mind, fuelled as they are by scriptural exclusive violent injunctions of medieval times, and come to a peaceful settlement that will conduce to the good of humanity and usher in a golden period of global civilisation after its deranged violent past.

Written by Sugata Bose