Aura Of Light

1. Index

2. Preface

3. Introduction

4. Spiritualism (Religion) – Its Socio-Political Impact

5. Freedom, Democracy And Politics

6. Today’s Education And Its Effects

7. Materialism – Its Effects On Man And Society

8. Service Of Man As God – Its Relevance

9. Selfishness and Duty – A True Revelation

10. Destiny – The Ghost

11. Secularism – Its Effect On Society

12. Reservation – Its Socio-Political Effect

13. The Motherland

14. Faith And Strength

15. Miscellaneous

Preface

This book is a broad and brief outline of a vast subject. The main object behind the expositions made in it is to place and elucidate some of the basic thoughts of India and to bring them in focus to show their relevance and practicality for the personal and social life of the day. It is a small attempt to give an elementary general idea of the vast knowledge treasured in our age-old spiritual heritage in order to introduce the subject to those to whom it may not be known and, if possible, awakening in them some measure of interest which it rightly deserves.

I am conscious that while dealing with such a wide spectrum of thoughts many things may have escaped my compass or have been sketched in a rough manner and hence this work has no pretensions of completeness in any sense of the term. The necessary condensation has imposed on the author an onerous responsibility to attempt to come to conclusions which may serve the necessities of the present times.

I have also no pretensions of having propounded anything novel or presenting something unique as I have just tried to pick up some priceless pearls from the treasure chest of our heritage of eternal wisdom and have strung them into a garland to be put around the conscience of our people who under the spell of its life-giving influence will not only enlighten their own lives but also of their fellow co-citizens. It will not only beckon them to a life of fulfillment and bliss but will also work as a beacon light for the future generations to enliven and shape their individual and social lives leading to eternal happiness and inner-growth which will not only lessen the miseries and sufferings of all human beings but will also inspire them to attain the final goal of “freedom” in their present span of life itself.

My gratitude to Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta and Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay for allowing me to take or quote excerpts from the works of Swami Vivekananda and Swami Ranganathananda and my thanks to all who have helped me in this work.

Finally my greatest salutations to Swami Vivekananda on whose lotus feet I dedicate this book, not only for inspiring me to make this valiant attempt but also for igniting in me a never dying spirit and courage to work for the practical realization of the thoughts expressed hereunder in the residual span of my present physical life, so long it is given to me. Swami Vivekananda has been a constant source of inspiration to me. His enunciations are the most effective blueprints which can not only catalyse and refine our present morbid thoughts and mindsets but can also catapult India from the depth of disgrace to the acme of glory. His thoughts, words and deeds have made such an overriding and ever- abiding impact on me and have percolated so deep in my being that they have become the very pulsation of my heart and seem to be spurting as blood in my veins and arteries, nay, he and I have become one. Naturally, his mind and soul find such an intense reflection in this work that many of my lines are the Master’s words. It is my small tribute to the maestro, akin to “worshipping the Ganges with the water of the Ganges”. I have no desire to prove my credentials as a writer because the intrinsic object behind this endeavour is completely missionary, of the fulfillment and well-being of the people at large. It is my ever conscious concern for them which all the time spurs me with an unique zeal and fervour to think and work for them so that we can live behind a better tomorrow for our children, which if we fail to do they will never forgive. If this book may help to evoke in you even the slightest concern to do the same then I shall feel rewarded enough, as I don’t seek anything more.

Dear readers, now the fruit of this endeavour is in your hands and I will consider my labour well-spent if the book proves to be of some use to you as after all the final utility of these ideas and their inhered wisdom lies in the hands of the readers alone. But here I shall like to request you, not to read this book casually or in a haste like a novel or film magazine as the issues dealt with are very serious and extremely relevant to our existence as true human beings. The facts stated are not mere theoretical preachings but are perennial and tested truths practically experienced by a lot of people in the past and can also be done in present too by every and anybody. So it should be read when your minds are calm, free from routine disturbances and distractions. You are advised to read it over and over again and contemplate and earnestly analyze each point to get the maximum benefit from it.

I am open to all comments and suggestions by the readers and also to any further explanations or clarifications sought by an inquisitive and avid reader, which may be conveyed to me without any inhibition or hesitation. May you enjoy reading this book and benefit from this small effort.

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Introduction

1. As already made clear, the facts and statements put forward hereunder have all been propounded once for all thousands of years ago, and through all subsequent times they are being restated, illustrated, reiterated and clarified. I do not pretend to throw any new light on those all absorbing facts; but in the light of my own realizations and personal experiences, I only want to put before you the ancient truths in the language of the present times and environments, to speak the thoughts of the ancients in the language of the moderns, the thoughts of the philosophers in the language of the people, the thoughts of the angels in the language of men, the thoughts of the gods in the language of the poor humanity, so that all people can realize and get benefited by them; since the same divine essence from which these ideas emanated is ever present in every human being and therefore, everyone can always understand and try to pursue them. No doubt, man surpasses the past but only by thinking through it to new conclusions and not by ignoring it and starting de novo. Also it is a waste of efforts and time if we are to start once again from scratch when great ideas are at hand for asking. It is like each scientist ignoring all previous discoveries and starting afresh from a false notion of originality. It is better to launch into the future making them the launching pad for the present.

2. The ideas of the great seers can never be outdated and redundant. They are extraordinary in details and variety without any parallel anywhere in the world. There is hardly any height of spiritual insight or rational philosophy which has not been visualized and expounded by our ancient seers. The most ancient thoughts sometimes startle us by their strikingly modern character, for insight does not depend on modernity. They animate the progress that seems to kill them.

3. Though ancient, the truths which the Upanishads and the Gita have enunciated are thoroughly practical and relevant to the times in which we live as truths, by nature, are always infinite and eternal; they never decay, they are always the same, in tune and temper with times. Secondly, they are always universal and nobody’s personal property; no race, no individual can lay any exclusive claim to them as they are the nature of all souls and as such are meant for the all-round fulfillment and development of all human beings.

4. When we talk of spirituality, we cannot talk without referring to the Upanishads and the Gita because the Upanishads are the great mines of spirituality and the Gita is like a beautiful necklace bejeweled with the sublime gems of spiritual truths collected from them. The truths which they proclaimed ages ago, are and will be of contemporary interest in every age, for they are the fruits of detached and rational, sustained and sincere pursuit of truth and are addressed to men as such and not to any group or section thereof, and have profound bearing on his growth, development and fulfillment. They are the source of immense infinite strength being based on the wide experiences and matured reflections of the seers. They contain the timeless reality and provide the food of spirituality to satisfy our perennial hunger for the eternal truths. In their emphasis on the fundamental and enduring aspects of our lives, they not only ensure their immortal hegemony over our lives and destinies, but also impart to our culture resilience and adaptability, which makes it ever-aging yet never-dying.

5. The spiritual truths are ancient, eternal and ageless. They provide a rock-foundation to enable later centuries to erect a great and wide cultural edifice on it. The foundation so laid can impart to this edifice, an element of stability and resilience, ensuring tenacity to meet tension and steadfastness to meet strain. What can be the greater sign of the practicality of these ideas than our long standing nationhood in whose historical longevity, storms have blown over it, invasions have battered it, subjection has humiliated it; edifices elsewhere have tumbled and crumbled in the past under a fraction of such impact, but this one has not only withstood them all but every time has emerged stronger with a new burst of energy. Such is its value and relevance for all times.

6. Moreover, what can be a better proof of the practicality and relevance of these principles than to find that they were discovered by people neither living in caves or forests nor following ordinary vocations of life but by men, who we have every reason to believe led the busiest of lives, men who had to command armies, to sit on the thrones, to look after the welfare of the millions as the rulers of their kingdoms. Even the Gita, the crowning jewel of this philosophy and acceptably the best, the most authentic and comprehensive commentary on these principles has been proclaimed in the battlefield. In the opening verse of the fourth chapter the Lord Himself declares, “I gave this philosophy of yoga to men of responsibility, so that through it they will become strong to serve, protect and nourish the people”.

7. The philosophy of Vedanta, which India has nurtured since ages and has continued to re-authenticate down to our own times through a succession of great saints, sages and thinkers, has a tremendous relevance for humanity everywhere. It is not some dogma, magic or cheap mystery but is the only rational and most practical philosophy for total human evolution. Ironically, compared to India, the impact of Vedanta on other countries is tremendous, because we in India think that we know about it already. But what our people think, they know about it, is largely a mass of confusion, magic and superstition. The purely spiritual and philosophical dimensions of it are known only to a very few people. The vast majority is following their religion, its Bhakti and Bhajans, its dos and don’ts, its myths and rituals, even its magic and superstitions and believe that this is what it is all about. Though the modern spirit revolts against these populist notions of spirituality; yet the spiritual hunger of modern man remains unsatisfied and grows keener as years pass by, with no clue as to where to turn for spiritual nourishment.

8. This enrichment of the inner- life, this deepening of the roots to match with the widening of the branches, this strengthening of stakes of the tent along with the lengthening of its ropes, is the unique contribution of our spiritual heritage to human civilization. Steady wisdom and stable character are its watchwords making its message eternal and ever relevant. Under the guidance of Vedanta, science, politics and religion will function in harmony and co-operation to ensure total human welfare everywhere. According to Swami Vivekananda the aim of all three – religion, science and democracy, is the creation of a mosaic of human excellence and general welfare. Their synthesis alone can ensure for man that inner- enrichment and poise vis-à-vis external prosperity and progress.

9. The Upanishads and the Gita can equip us with steadier wisdom, which will stand us in all circumstances of life. It will provide us with that wisdom which is not only in itself steady but which will also help us to steady our feet on the slippery path of our lives; to steer the barks of our lives through the tempest of circumstances. Says Swami Vivekananda “the Upanishads are the great mines of strength. Therein lies strength enough to invigorate the whole world. The whole world can be vivified, made strong and energized through them. They will call with trumpet voice upon the weak, the miserable and the downtrodden of all races, of all creeds and all sects to stand upon their own feet and be free. Freedom – physical freedom, mental freedom and spiritual freedom – are the watchwords of the Upanishads!”

10. They light the lamp of wisdom in our hearts, which enables us to solve our own problems, to see the truth and avoid errors. They place a light in our hands by which to find our ways. They combine both philosophy and life, because it is life that needs the guidance of philosophy. Philosophy is not academic or to be pursued in leisure hours. It is pursuit of excellence in the midst of difficult situations and struggles of daily life. It gives us absolute calm and freedom from all external and internal conditioning and empowers us to keep our balance in all circumstances. This is what philosophy seeks to confer on life. The true test of philosophy is that it must be able to help us to pass through life’s struggles unhurt, to remain as fresh at the end of this journey of life as at the beginning, to live and die peacefully.

11. Many people think that spiritualism and work of life cannot go together simultaneously and that spiritual truths are not for practicing in this life but are only meant for some post-mortem salvation. But this is not true. In fact, spiritualism can be practiced more perfectly while living in this world as it is much more difficult to worship God living a worldly life than to give it up and lead a free and easy life. It is very much possible for a man to attain spiritual perfection, the highest goal, even while living the most busy life, running governments, commanding armies, working in offices and fields.

12. The Gita has tried to bridge this gulf between spirituality and practical life of the world through its philosophy of ‘Nishkama-Karma’. Amongst all the religious books, Indian or foreign, most of which deal with a man at worship, at prayer, at meditation or at rituals, this is the only book where central theme is work, man at work and man achieving from work double benefit namely, personal and social welfare outside and spiritual growth within. It is certain that where this yoga of double efficiency along with hard and earnest work is practiced, there shall be found victory, prosperity and general welfare, unwavering justice and ethical sense. The confluence of two energies is needed to achieve total human welfare; firstly the energy of yoga, the energy of vision, of calm spirituality and secondly the energy of intense efficient action. This represents the combination of contemplation and action, vision and implementation in every citizen.

13. In the past we mostly read the Gita as a pious act and for a little peace to a dying man. We revered it, worshipped it and memorized it as a book of religion and piety. We conceived it narrowly as outside our work and life situations and neglected to assimilate and implement its teachings in our daily life depriving ourselves of the benefit of this great book like the parable of Swami Ramkrishna which says, “some have heard of milk, some have seen it, some have touched it and some have drunk it. But the last one alone have been benefited from the milk”. We failed to realize its immense practicality and intrinsic value in helping us to create a society of fully developed human beings. If we can understand its great ideas and persevere for their right application in our lives, then it will help us to develop great character and work efficiency with an intense spirit of service and make us responsible citizens. The purpose of this great book is not to put us to sleep but to wake us up to our responsibilities and work for the well-being of all. It is not for giving peace and solace to the dying men but for the living minds. It has universal application for everyone in the world to enable each one of us to realize our fullest possibilities as human beings. It delineates a practical philosophy as how to handle this wonderful human situation by which we can develop our own spiritual consciousness within and can become instrumental to the happiness and welfare of the people around us.

14. In the Gita two ideals stand supreme, first the harmony of different ideas and second non-attachment. It is one of the few religious books in the world, which has not lost its appeal and relevance to the modern minds. It comprises a philosophy of life which requires no submission to the hard earned critical faculty of human mind. Therefore, it deserve to become the main text book of philosophy of administration for our personal and social life. It will re-animate our lives by inculcating in us those infinite and eternal ideas of life which have nourished and immortalized our national life from times immemorial.

15. Though not adequately realized in our present social-structure, Swami Vivekananda considered modern age as the time for the social implementation of the spiritual truths. According to him, spirituality is a great dynamic force expressing itself as an unfailing basis of continuous advancement towards the only human goal – total freedom – through varied activities on social or other planes. The wisdom of Swami Vivekananda lies in his scheme of practical Vedanta through his famous doctrine of service – the service of all beings looking upon them as Divine. Here the good of self is reconciled with the welfare of all. This attitude at once removes all the distinctions between the sacred and the secular. Now the time has come when we have to go forward and complete the practical realisation of the scheme of human progress that has been laid out by our ancestors as these truths can be realised by men in all possible conditions and stations of life. It shall no more remain in the caves and forests or the Himalayas with the monks but it must come down in our daily life. It shall be worked out in the running of governments, in the places of business, in the palaces of the rich, in the cottage of the poor, in the field of the farmer and by a beggar in the street, anywhere and everywhere.

16. One of the main contribution of Swami Vivekananda to modern thought was to show that though society may change in very many ways in response to historical necessities, but that is no reason why the eternal values underlying all human activities should be discarded or even changed. Nay, he was emphatic that these alone can ensure stability and at the same time evoke and stimulate the urge for further progress. That is why he strongly advocated that along with trying to increase the per-capita income and consumption of material things, we must also try to increase per-capita production and consumption of spiritual energy. He wanted India to retain its historically acquired hold on this unique science of generation and consumption of spirituality and to share it with rest of humanity, while learning from advanced nations the know-how of physical sciences and technology. He wanted India to achieve a happy synthesis of physical sciences and the science of man with a view to enrich man externally and internally, materially and spiritually. He has left a rich legacy both of ideas and ideals with a workable expertise as the valuable guideline for the coming generations, who by going through his literature would be moved to think and act with the same human passion that has exploded in him in the later part of his life.

17. There comes a time in the life of a nation when everything seems to be slipping between its fingers, the old systems and institutions are crumbling to dust, all its hopes blighted and gloom of despair is all around and the ship of the nation seems to be sinking. However this dismal state is always ephemeral, never real. It is the effect of the ignorance and fear of its people. Each of us is the heir of immortality, the substance of God Himself and we have not forfeited it but have just forgotten it. If we can remember and stick to our age-old and eternal spirituality then in fullness of time we shall definitely be able to emerge from the dross which has temporarily covered the genuine gold of our nationhood. When spiritualism will come our people will get a new hope which will help them to get over the idea of doom because as a rule spirituality brings a class of men who by their all powerful personalities and self-sacrifice salvage this position of utter despondency. These great souls though already free, they refuse to accept their liberation while the whole world is suffering. They come again and again, take a human body and help mankind. They know their life-mission and have tremendous spiritual power which we cannot resist from being dragged into and get liberated.

18. When we study the civilization of India, we find that it has declined and revived several times; this is its peculiarity. Most races rise once and then decline for ever. It has also experienced stormy periods in its long history and has responded successfully to all such challenges on the strength of its tenacious loyalty to the fundamental spiritual values, which it consequently placed at the foundation of its national heritage. It is this faith in spiritual values, which has been tested in good and evil fortune that is being challenged and menaced by the most powerful storm of the modern transition. All the previous challenges were mild in comparison, being only fractional, whereas this one is total. But we need not to be much perturbed about it as our age-old heritage has enough vitality and enormous capacity to welcome these new forces – the intellectual force of science and the social force of democracy, for if we can learn to assimilate our age-old values into our individual and social lives then we would certainly emerge more stronger and richer than ever before.

19. As a matter of fact, spirituality is the miracle, the secret of our immortality, the deathless potency of our nationhood despite so many ups and downs in our national life. It is the dominant characteristic of the Indian mind and naturally has a tremendous bearing on its culture, social life and intellectual thinking. Again and again our motherland has risen from the ashes, smashed the stranglehold of the evil forces and established the reign of righteousness. That glorious tradition continues unbroken to this day and will continue in future also provided we adhere to our age-old spirituality and have faith in the words of Lord Krishna proclaimed in the Gita, “whenever virtue subsides and irreligion prevails, I come down again and again in every age for the destruction of the evil and protection of the good, for establishment of religion. Therefore, when you see a great soul struggling to uplift mankind, know that I have come”.

20. Unfortunately today this age-old and glorious heritage is being condemned and brushed aside by its own people. It has become a fashion these days to deride our ancient ideals and traditions and talk of recasting our society in the mould of others, paying no heed to the natural blossoming of our innate character which can only result in degeneration. Already we are witnessing the signs of its dreadful effect on our society. Disorganised and diffident, our society has become an easy prey to all predatory forces prowling about under the garbs of various ‘isms’. How and what a society given to self-derision, weakened by all round disruption and dissipation, kicked and humiliated at every point by every and any bully in the world, can contribute to the progress of humanity?

21. Therefore, giving a spiritual orientation to our national mind is of supreme importance today. Loss of faith in the nation and its ways of life is the greatest source of weakness to any people. This gives rise to lack of seriousness and a mood of cynicism. These weaknesses have corroded the minds and hearts of many of our people even of the educated ones also. Many of them betray a negative outlook and intemperance; they are the products of a negative education. The study of their national history has not brunt into them the shame of subjection and the joy of freedom and the price to be paid for the enjoyment of the same. It is our duty to once again awaken a sense of discipline in them by improving their spiritual qualities and increasing their alertness and sense of responsibility. If our freedom becomes a pervasive spiritual stimulus then we shall certainly achieve all this and write a new and unprecedented golden chapter in our age-old history. The salvation of India depends on the strength of the individual and the realization by each one of us of the divinity within. In words of Swami Vivekananda, “De-hypnotise yourselves, the way to do it is found in your sacred books. Teach yourselves, teach everyone his real nature, call upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come and everything that is excellent will come when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity”.

22. The infinite power of spirit if brought to bear upon matter will lead to material development, made to act upon thought evolve intellectuality and made to act upon oneself make a God of oneself. India will be raised, not with the power of flesh, but with the power of spirit, not with the flag of destruction but with the flag of peace and love, as spirit is omnipotent.

23. Moreover, in the wider context, the spread of spiritualism will lead to a genuine feeling of identity born out of oneness of inner-self which will become a real driving force for our natural urge of human unity and brotherhood. These can be made real only to the extent mankind realizes the common inner-bond which alone can subdue passions and discords stemming from materialism. Spirituality will broaden the horizon of human minds and harmonize the individual and national aspirations with the welfare of humanity as a whole. Lord Krishna in the Gita says – “He who sees the supreme Lord dwelling alike in all beings, the Imperishable in things that perish, he sees indeed. For seeing the Lord as the same, everywhere present, he does not destroy the self by the self and thus he goes on to the highest goal.”

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