Practical Vedanta

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

On Mon, 17 May 1999, mmsudan wrote:

> >What are YOU doing?
>
> What do you know My Dear young man( I understand from your previous posting
> you are 28 years old) about my personal life and its optimism?

Ah but that's precisely the point.  I don't know.  Which is why I did
write after those words that it is not fair to ask that question in that
way.  But is it fair for you to ask in essence the same question of
others?  See what I'm getting at?

> I can only say
> that I have lived my 48 years with highest level of, truth, integrity and
> honesty in my personal life and how much spiritual benefit and satisfaction I
> have gained, there is no need for me to state all that.  Is looking at the
> dark side of one's own self, analysing it, understanding it  is pessimism?

No but this must be done with objectivity and dispassion.  You have
offered anecdotes (and I suppose so did Giri) but what are the actual
facts of the situation?  Responsibility for dealing with that dark side
cannot be shunted off onto religion, government, or any other external
force.

> Why are you afraid of that? One will  be able to remove darkness of one's own
> self and as well of the society  not by escaping and putting a lid on it, but
> facing it head on.

Head on does not necessarily mean via brute force.  There are more subtle
ways.

>  Well as a list organizer, since, you feel  uncomfortable, looking at the
> dark side of the life as described in my postings, I have no intentions of
> inflicting it on any one, henceforth, I propose to remain silent with my
> this last posting after conveying my dreams of optimism. You have the choice
> of circulating it or blocking it.
>

Rest assured the list policies (which are sent to every new member) do not
include censoring anyone who has a different viewpoint particularly over
such minor matters.  As to my personal comfort, I'm not the one who is
getting worked up over anything.

> Dear List members,
>
> I have a dream. On every working day I cross the River Yamuna atleast twice,
> in the morning and evening. It is one of the sacred River. On its banks at
> Vrindavan Lord Krishna played Flute. Every day We Hindus while taking bath
> chant and remember these holy rivers. For the shortcut journey I cross it
> from a boat bridge. I have to close the windowpanes of my car, because of the
> stink. Yes the river Yamuna stinks. In Delhi, today it is nothing but a
> sewage drain. The river that is sacred, the river that is part of our
> religious practices. The river that is as sacred as temple, is today nothing
> but a sewage drain in Delhi.
>
> I have a dream, Delhi has today a population of about 1 crore (10 Millions)
> and most of it is Hindus. but still the river Yamuna is nothing but a sewage
> drain. Who is to be blamed? I donot know? I am in search of answers. Can it
> be restored to its original glory? yes I have a dream. it is possible. We
> don't have any data but I believe there may not be less than 10000 religious
> institutions or temples in Delhi, where prayers are held  in the morning and
> evening. If our present religious order, the religious leadership wakeup to
> this ( which I term as Practical) need and make the devotees aware of the
> need and necessity to restore Yamuna to its original glory. Awakens the
> devotees to the danger of extinction of the river Yamuna as a threat to
> religion which should not be tolerated. Gradually the public opinion will
> build up, No government or the society worth its name will be able to ignore
> it.

This is a perfect example of what I mean.  Pollution is caused for the
most part by industrial waste.  It is much worse in India as opposed to
the West because Indian factories are out-of-date and inefficient.  The
government and public can make all the environmental laws they want but as
long as those obsolete factories exist, the problem will continue.  The
only way they will go away is through vigorous competition which forces
non-performing companies out of business.  A side effect of this will be
unemployment.  The compassionate caring people might then petition the
government to save these poor downtrodden masses via subsidies etc. but by
subsidizing inefficiency, they will only prolong their agony.  In fact
such turmoil will only be temporary as excess labor is absorbed by
expanding markets.  There is a role for public action in this.  A
completely laissez faire attitude is also not recommended but brute force
mass action simply will not work.  This is not an opinion but a matter of
historical and economic fact.

[...]

>I have full faith Some day another Shankra
> will arrive to take upon itself the task once again delivering us from our
> own ignorance.   Henceforth , I propose to remain silent on the List as
> stated above.
>

Whether one becomes ignorant, remains ignorant or is set free from
ignorance is entirely in their own hands.  This is the eternal teaching of
the shastras.  You need not wait for anyone.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>