Here is a song from one of Mum's albums, 'Dur Nilimaye' (produced by BSP, 2003). Lyrics and composition by Subodh Ganguly. The song is titled 'Oi jhaubon painer phake phake'. Do check it once guys!!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
India... Yesterday.. Today.. Tomorrow?
I have a question. Why hasn't India produced any great sages in the past hundred years? Prior to that, there seems to have been a constant effluence of sages who shook the spiritual life of India. Has then, India forgotten its own self, its own culture, its own essence?
I think we have Westernized ourselves a little too much! We follow Western ideals, Western culture, Western fashion, Western food, festival and even Western freedom! I do not say that we should not follow any idea or ideal that is good, but we cannot afford to lose our very own self in doing so. We cannot and must not think our own ideals to be inferior to Occidental ideas. We have forgotten many of our own ideals in our trial to follow the West. And believe me, These ideals were good. They spoke of the heart, the soul, the infinity and eternity of God.
They taught us tolerance. Tolerance is one of the greatest virtues of the human soul. It teaches not only how not to fight, but also how to sympathize, how to accept. India has grown through the centuries based on this virtue. Our ancestors accepted all infiltrations to India. They never spoke against another religion. They accepted all and grew along with all. Today, we have, most of us, lost this virtue of tolerance, of forgiving. We think we are living our life, we ask for freedom. But we never learn to forgive. We try to take revenge. As Gandhiji said, "If everyone tries to take an eye for an eye, then the whole world would turn blind." It is not untrue. Revenge does not make man gain anything. Forgiving gives a man peace. We do not have the right to cause another pain. If a dog bites you, you cannot bite the dog back. Otherwise what difference is there between you and the dog?
That worst thing that could happen to India has happened. We do not believe in God any more. We have become the so-called Atheists. The masses say, "can you prove God?" No, we cannot. But then, how do we prove that we even exist? How do we prove that all that we are seeing is not a dream, that we may wake up from any moment? We cannot even prove that we are living! Has any of the so-called Atheists never prayed? In danger, it is that higher power whom we submit to. Every person does so. Then are we not being hypocrites?
We have forgotten even how to love. Above everything, we try to find our narrow gain. What will I gain from this? But this is not love. There is still eternal love that exists - the love of our parents. That never degrades. They can give up everything they have, even their life, for their children. They do not even need a reason to do so. But we have lost that love for our fellow beings. India, its religion, and its culture has always taught that love. A century ago, when a visitor came to the door, the common man greeted him with pure love from the heart. They could even give up their meal to feed their guest. Now-a-days, when we have a guest, we wonder why that person is budging in on our privacy.
Why are we submerging ourselves so much into another ideal, that we are forgetting who we are? We can only mimic others, we can never be them. We can be ourselves, though, and we can excel in what we are. Let us regain what all we have lost. Let us learn again to tolerate, forgive, love, respect. Let us be Indians once more. Our nation needs us. If we are lost in false attractions, then so is our nation lost. We cannot afford to lose what we have, because we have a treasure that no one else has. If we do not preserve it, then we are idiots. Let India rise again, in her own glory, and not in the glory borrowed from someone else. Let us be ourselves.
I think we have Westernized ourselves a little too much! We follow Western ideals, Western culture, Western fashion, Western food, festival and even Western freedom! I do not say that we should not follow any idea or ideal that is good, but we cannot afford to lose our very own self in doing so. We cannot and must not think our own ideals to be inferior to Occidental ideas. We have forgotten many of our own ideals in our trial to follow the West. And believe me, These ideals were good. They spoke of the heart, the soul, the infinity and eternity of God.
They taught us tolerance. Tolerance is one of the greatest virtues of the human soul. It teaches not only how not to fight, but also how to sympathize, how to accept. India has grown through the centuries based on this virtue. Our ancestors accepted all infiltrations to India. They never spoke against another religion. They accepted all and grew along with all. Today, we have, most of us, lost this virtue of tolerance, of forgiving. We think we are living our life, we ask for freedom. But we never learn to forgive. We try to take revenge. As Gandhiji said, "If everyone tries to take an eye for an eye, then the whole world would turn blind." It is not untrue. Revenge does not make man gain anything. Forgiving gives a man peace. We do not have the right to cause another pain. If a dog bites you, you cannot bite the dog back. Otherwise what difference is there between you and the dog?
That worst thing that could happen to India has happened. We do not believe in God any more. We have become the so-called Atheists. The masses say, "can you prove God?" No, we cannot. But then, how do we prove that we even exist? How do we prove that all that we are seeing is not a dream, that we may wake up from any moment? We cannot even prove that we are living! Has any of the so-called Atheists never prayed? In danger, it is that higher power whom we submit to. Every person does so. Then are we not being hypocrites?
We have forgotten even how to love. Above everything, we try to find our narrow gain. What will I gain from this? But this is not love. There is still eternal love that exists - the love of our parents. That never degrades. They can give up everything they have, even their life, for their children. They do not even need a reason to do so. But we have lost that love for our fellow beings. India, its religion, and its culture has always taught that love. A century ago, when a visitor came to the door, the common man greeted him with pure love from the heart. They could even give up their meal to feed their guest. Now-a-days, when we have a guest, we wonder why that person is budging in on our privacy.
Why are we submerging ourselves so much into another ideal, that we are forgetting who we are? We can only mimic others, we can never be them. We can be ourselves, though, and we can excel in what we are. Let us regain what all we have lost. Let us learn again to tolerate, forgive, love, respect. Let us be Indians once more. Our nation needs us. If we are lost in false attractions, then so is our nation lost. We cannot afford to lose what we have, because we have a treasure that no one else has. If we do not preserve it, then we are idiots. Let India rise again, in her own glory, and not in the glory borrowed from someone else. Let us be ourselves.
This post is influenced by 'To the Youth of India' by Swami Vivekananda - my pathapradarshak.
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