Mahatma Gandhi's 135th birth anniversary

[Guest guest]

Light and Love

Spiritual circles over the world and especially over India marked on the

2nd October Mahatma Gandhi's 135th birth anniversary.

Sathya Sai Baba, Mahatma Gandhi - teaches/taught 'God is one - his names

and manifestations are many'.

 

A tiny selection of Swami's quotations.

 

"Gandhi directed the movement for Indian independence along spiritual lines

which drew courage and confidence, and communicated both to the people, from

Naamasmaran, the recitation and reflection on the names of God. He cleansed the

heart of the nation, of hatred and envy, of fear and doubt. He stuck to the

ideal and the path; you too should do the same. A student has study, as his

ideal and his path. That study cannot be postponed or done slipshod. So,

whatever the obstacle or temptation, it must be overcome." (Sathya Sai Baba.

Discourse "Tonic for Youth." Summer Showers in Brindavan, 31 May 1972).

"Intelligence, intellect, intuition - these three govern the thoughts and

actions of man. One leads to another. This is the significance of the prayer

with which Gandhi awakened the urge of liberation in this vast country;

liberation not only from alien rule but also from alien tendencies and trends

of thought. He caused the reverberation all over the land from a million

throats of the prayer, "Sab Ko sanmathi dhe Bhagavaan" - "O Lord! Grant every

one the equipment of beneficent intelligence". Once that is assured, progress

is certain." (Sathya Sai Baba. Discourse "The Three Bodies." 23 November 1972,

Prasanthi Nilayam).

"Gandhi used to go round the country praying ... "O Lord, give every one,

give all, goodness of mind." You who are attending this Yajna dedicated for

the welfare of the world should pray likewise and, yourself entertain only

Sanmathi, so that the world will profit by the example." (Sathya Sai Baba.

Discourse "The Vedhic Rite." 10. October 1974, Prasanthi Nilayam).

"When quite young, Mohandas Karamachand Gandhi witnessed along with his

mother a drama on "Sravana and his devotion to his parents" and he resolved

that he must also become a Sravana. He witnessed a play on Harischandra and

that drama impressed him so deeply that he resolved to become as heroically

devoted to virtue as Harischandra himself. These transformed him so much that

he became a Mahatma. Gandhi had a teacher when he was attending school who

taught him wrong paths. But Gandhi did not adopt his advice. As a consequence,

he was able to bring freedom (Swaraj) to the country. There are in this land of

Bharath thousands and thousands of prospective Mahatmas. The examples we have to

hold before them are of those men and women who have learnt and practised

spiritual education (Atma Vidya)." (Sathya Sai Baba. Vidya Vahini, p. 25).

India's President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on

Saturday led the nation in paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi on his 135th birth

anniversary.

"The Times of India," Editorial, The Speaking Tree (Saturday, October 02,

2004 12:00:42 AM) honoured Mahatma Gandhi with abridgment "Ideal of Simple

Living And High Thinking" made by T N Khoshoo from TERI's "Mahatma Gandhi: An

Apostle of Applied Human Ecology:"

I decided to share this article with you as Gandhi's ideas are today even

more actual the during the life-time of the Great Saint. India needs

eco-friendly development. Mahatma Gandhi said that economic development becomes

relevant only when it is based on principles of environmental conservation and

harmony, and equity with social justice.

Equity has an ethical content in the real world: It would involve sacrifice

on the part of the privileged in favour of the less privileged.

Gandhi conceded that a certain degree of physical harmony and comfort is

necessary, but above a certain level, it becomes more of a hindrance.

So the ideal of creating an unlimited number of wants and satisfying them

seems to be a snare that lures us away from the pursuit of the ideal of plain

living and high thinking.

Our happiness really lies in contentment. Gandhi often said that an ounce of

practice is worth more than a ton of preaching.

Industrial countries on the fast track will eventually become ecological

security risks, because they will not easily give up their present-day

unsustainable lifestyles.

In his essay The economic possibilities for our grandchildren, Lord Keynes

said in 1930: "For at least another hundred years we must pretend to everyone

that fair is foul and foul is fair; for foul is useful and fair is not.

Avarice, usury and precaution must be our gods for a little longer still. For

only they can lead us out of the tunnel of economic necessity and into

daylight."

We need to usher in environmental education with regard to long-range

ecological security. Natural, agro and industrial economic systems have to be

both conserved and used in a sustainable manner.

There has to be a healthy blend of environmental, social, developmental and

economic imperatives.

 

A sustainable society has faith in science and technology as an instrument

of environment-friendly social and economic change - because economic growth

should not be at the expense of ecological assets.

We should work in partnership with nature and conserve non-renewable

resources and energy and reduce wastage.

We must believe that the earth's resources have to be protected and

sustained not only for humankind, but for other species, too, for present and

future generations.

We need to share our resources across species as we are all inter-connected

as one giant living orga-nism. The guiding principle of economics has to be the

meeting of needs, and not greed.

 

Gandhi said: "The earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but

not every man's greed."

This age of consumerism can lead to over-extraction and over-consumption,

resulting in pollution and eco-degradation, with serious environmental impact.

Market economy must include both the present and future costs of pollution

and eco-degradation to help conserve our collective home.

Using the polluter-pays-principle, the costs must be met by the

manu-facturer and/or country concerned for failing to use enviro-friendly

technology.

 

Gandhi said: "Whenever you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much

with you, apply the following test: Recall the face of the poorest and weakest

man you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to

be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to

control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj

(self-rule) for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will

find your doubts and your self melting away."

 

Quotations of M K Gandhi printed in "The Times of India" Sacred Space on

Saturday, October 02, 2004 12:00:31 AM). "Ahimsa... is not merely a

negative state of harmlessness, but a positive state of love, of doing good

even to the evildoer" (M K Gandhi, 1920).

 

"Non-violence is a power which can be wielded equally by all —

children, young men and women or grown-up people — provided they have a

living faith in the God of love and have, therefore, equal love for all

mankind" (M K Gandhi, 1936).

 

PS:

On 8 - 9 Oct 2004 at Memphis, Tennessee will go on The First Gandhian

Conference on Nonviolence, "Teaching to Practice Gandhian Nonviolence:

Perspectives from Academics and Activists."

The First Gandhian Conference on Nonviolence is co-sponsored by the Gandhi

Institute for Nonviolence, the National Civil Rights Museum, and the National

Conference for Community and Justice.

Conference is Hosted by Christian Brothers University and Rhodes College.

Proper information:

http://www.gandhiinstitute.org/NewsandEvents/Event.cfm?EventID=1607

 

This conference is a nice example how to put in practice and spread the

human values by Gandhi and Swami's Teaching.

 

Namaste - Reet