Monday,
15th January 2018
Beloved Swamiji, I said, we remember you
again on this 12th January, as ever before.
Swamiji shook his wise head very slowly.
I continued, we feel proud describing your unbelievable
range of contributions. Knowing them in detail, no one can ever imagine that a
single person can demonstrate them all in such a short span of life. Unlike
Jesus Christ or Adi Sankara (both being your masters), you could witness the
remarkable influence you could initiate all over the world through your work.
Allow us to be proud of you, at least!
We have no time either to read you or to study you. (You are the one who had
read all the books in Calcutta National Library..!) No question of us living
your values unmoved, which was not for any religion or any section, but was for
the man-kind. You went to California as a Hindu monk, but talked as a human
being, talked for the man-kind. We travel everywhere just as human beings and
talk for our little sectarian interests!
You traveled in the spiritual path
following the unrelenting inner urge for that. We go to Yoga class to somehow
adjust a VISA to travel to abroad.
You are the idle and God for all the
petty groups, here. All parties, all sections claim you and quote from you. No
wonder. You have expressed various views, theories and approaches, according to
the circumstances; because you knew that the reality shines beyond all thoughts.
(When they asked you to sign your photograph, you did so with a sentence on it:
“one infinite pure and holy – beyond thought beyond qualities I bow down to
thee.”)
India which you represented has changed
a lot. We are now the 70 year old independent India. But we have become more
dependent than ever before, in all aspects, in even spiritual outlook and
lifestyle.
Politics changed. Economy changed.
Judiciary changed. Media changed. Art changed. Culture changed. Man, women,
children and even new-born-babies have changed. What is there unchanged? Yes; they
are unchanged! For whom you wept, for whom you advocated loudly, they are
unchanged. The poor, the downtrodden, the disabled, the marginalized, they get
the same treatment even now in free India. We still cry for them. But never act.
Once you said, “The miseries of the
world cannot be cured by physical help only. Until man's nature changes, these
physical needs will always arise, and miseries will always be felt, and no
amount of physical help will cure them completely.” We agree with you; but not
ready to change our nature for good.
We speak very high of your words and do
act against them. It is not our fault, Swamiji. This is what we are taught. We
are developing, Swamiji, developing!
The change that appears on the surface
is not a change. The change in only the attire and behavior is not a change. We
are the same. We are the same as you left us. (May be, a bit worse!) We have
not transformed.
The
words you uttered in the Parliament of Religion are still relevant. You said, “Sectarianism,
bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this
beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often
and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to
despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far
more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that
the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the
death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the
pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the
same goal.”
Despite the bells that tolled again and again, nothing seriously have happened. We still hold on to those sectarianism, bigotry and fanaticism, as our hidden agendas. We will keep your words relevant always with our self-centered style of black development in all directions. This is the word we offer you, Swamiji.
After listening this, Swamiji smiled and
replied thoughtfully, “At least, you have realized the situation. Now, child, there
is a hope for the real change in you!”
Observe
and Manage. (OM)
This
is the method.