A New Meaning of Bhaaratiiya Samraajyam

A new meaning of Bhaaratiiya Samraajyam

Back in June 2014, I was chatting with a colleague of mine in the US, who is a migrant from Ethiopia. I was probing him on their society, its culture and current affairs there. It is the same story of oppression, class conflict, dwindling of a highly cultured society's innate values by aggression from  culturally inferior peoples. I was very disturbed, and was wondering if it is high time for Bhaarata to wake up and be the counselor of the world. As soon as I returned from my US trip, I had to give a bouddhik on the occasion of the Hindu Samraajya dinotsav. That got me thinking - what does Hindu Samraajya mean? Why the world needs it? How does it differ from a Political Superpower status?

Here are some thoughts that I had shared during the Bouddhik on the occasion of Hindu Samraajya Utsav in Bangalore. These are not in a narrative style, but key points highlighted. I was meaning to convert it into a narrative, but due to lack of time, it was languishing as a draft for too long. So I thought of putting it out there as is.

I solicit viewers' comments and suggestions on how to take them into action.

What distinguishes a Bhaaratiiya samraajya from a prosperous state?

It is the distinction between raama raajya and raavaNa raajya.

The pinnacle of Bhaaratiiya samraajya is satya yuga (government by self-restraint and self-expansion). Some key characteristics:

• sama-rasataa - live and let live
• duShTa shikShaNa, aarta rakshaNa
• Science and spirituality given equal importance in society
• Unity amid immense diversity of faiths, opinions and pursuits
• Inner and outer cleanliness, purity

Vishva-gurutva: What can India teach the world?

• How to love, not just tolerate, those who think differently
• How to experience immense joy through adopting Sacrifice/yajna as a way of life
• Living for a principle as opposed to living for sense-enjoyment.

Why the world needs India to show the way forward

• Unable to reconcile diversity & freedom
• Why? because they equate freedom with sense pleasure
• Unable to grow above material consciousness
• Unable to reconcile development with ecological balance

Example of Ethiopia

• Four different native religions
• Religious oppression rampant
• Native religion is worship of nature as mother and psychic healing - very close to Indian concepts
• Completely swept out by Islam and Christianity - leading to intolerance and suppression
• Society reeling under oppression and exploitation - intelligentsia leaving.
• Shift to meat as staple diet with the advent of Christianity and Islam, despite fertile farm lands and a vegetable-rich diet just 50 years ago.

What can Bhaarat do?

• Only bhaaratiiyas can teach others how to practice their own religion more effectively
• Send Svayamsevaks to teach non-Indians how to live peacefully and harmoniously
• Mobilize public to fight against its own regional evils
• Teach society to untap its innate spiritual potential (without having to convert them to Hinduism)
• Make the world experience once again the joy of growth thru love and sacrifice. 
• Teach the world how to practise nishkaama-karma as a new paradigm for harmonious and inclusive growth.
• Bring religion back to its glory as the guide of life from its present state as a feel-good individual belief system.
• Expand the scope of Science to be more holistic - include study of non-material forces in Nature.

Bhaarat needs to be strong for the sake of the world

• Export teachers in all walks of life:
• psychological counselors, 
• religious consultants, 
• healers, 
• satyaagrahis, 
• not just intellectual laborers of the world.

What should be our next steps at an individual level?

• Practice simple, frugal living
• Practice confrontation of evil, not avoidance.
• Practice vrataacharaNa - to gain spiritual energy essential for the job.

Urgent areas crying for attention within Indian Society

As a preparation for Vishva Gurutva, we need to set our own house in order as follows:

• Counseling for child-rearing and resolving family conflicts
• Create and nurture family-to-family bonds within Indian society, especially in urban areas. Otherwise we're becoming a society of disconnected islands.
• Invent new stimulating physical activities to get people out of TV-watching to a more active lifestyle.
• Creative enjoyment - the lack of which leads to TV-watching, the biggest drain on human energy.