Lecture 1 (22nd April 1965)
//A leading gentleman once suggested during a conversation that a joint front should be formed against Congress, so that a good fight could be given. Nowadays, political parties adopt this strategy. So it was not surprising to put forward this suggestion. However, naturally, I asked, “What
programme shall we adopt? If such a joint front is formed, some ideal of the programme is essential. What will be our economic policy? What will be our foreign policy? These questions should also be tackled broadly.” “Do not worry about them. Whatever you like, you can adopt. We are ready to support anything from an extreme Marxist to a downright capitalist programme.” The reply came as if this was natural. He had no difficulty in adopting any programme. The only object was that somehow the Congress should be defeated. Even now some declare that the Congress must be defeated even with the cooperation of communists and all the rest.//
The Root Of Our Problems – Neglect Of Self
//It is essential that we think about our national identity. Without this identity, there is no meaning of independence, nor can independence become the instrument of progress and happiness. As long as we are unaware of ou national identity, we cannot recognise or develop all our potentialities. Under
alien rule, this identity is suppressed. The reason why nations wish to remain independent, is so that they can progress according to their natural bent and can experience happiness in their endeavour. Nature is powerful. An attempt to go against nature or to disregard her, leads to trouble. Natural instincts cannot be disregarded, but it is possible to elevate this nature to the level of culture. Modern psychology informs us how a person begins to suffer from different mental ailments when his various natural instincts are suppressed. Such a person remains restless and dejected. His abilities slowly deteriorate and become perverted. The Nation too, like the individual, becomes a prey to numerous ills when its natural instincts are disregarded. The basic cause of the problems facing Bharat is the neglect of its national identity.//
Where Should We Start?
//The Nation is at the crossroads. Some people suggest that we must start from where we left off one thousand years ago, when foreign invaders disrupted our life. But the Nation is not an inanimate object like a cloth, so that weaving can be taken up after a gap in time. Besides, it would not be
rational to say that the thousand year old alien rule had interrupted the current of our national life so completely that, from that time to this day, we remained static and inert. The Nation has certainly put its genius to work, in the changing circumstances, to meet the challenges thrown at it. We have
struggled to continue our life forward and to wrest independence from the aliens. The current of our national life was not interrupted but has gone on ceaselessly. The task of turning the waters of Ganga back to some previous point would not be wise. The Ganga at Banaras may not be as crystal-clear
as at Hardwar. But still it is the same holy Ganga. It has absorbed numerous rivulets with all their refuse. However, these have no separate existence but have become the Ganga. The current of the Ganga must inevitably flow onwards. If this was all that happened, it would still not be a big problem. But there are other nations in the world. They have made phenomenal progress in the past one thousand years. Our entire attention was engaged in fighting for independence or staving off new hordes of invaders. We have not been able to contribute to world progress. Now when we are free, is it not paramount that we fill this deficiency at the earliest, and stand shoulder to shoulder with other advanced nations of the world?//
Lecture: 2 (23rd April 1965)
Western Versus Bharatiya View
Modern Versus Ancient
// Even after 17 years of independence we have still to decide what direction we should adopt to realise our cherished dream of all-round development in the lives of our countrymen. Normally,
people are not prepared to seriously consider this question. They think only of the problems which they face from time to time. Sometimes economic problems are viewed with concern and an attempt is made to resolve them,and at other times, social or political problems come to the forefront claiming
attention. Not knowing fundamentally the direction in which we all are to go, these efforts are not accompanied by sufficient enthusiasm, nor do they give a feeling of satisfaction to the people engaged in these efforts. These efforts produce only a fraction of the results that they ought to have produced.//
Learn, But Do Not Ape Others
//In brief, we must absorb the knowledge and gains of the entire humanity so far as eternal principles and truths are concerned. Of these, the ones that originated in our midst have to be clarified and adapted to changed times, and those that we take from other societies have to be adapted to our conditions.//
//The first characteristic of Bharatiya culture is that it looks upon life as an integrated whole. It has an integrated viewpoint. To think of parts may be proper for a specialist, but it is not useful from the practical standpoint. The confusion in the West arises primarily from its tendency to think of life in sections and then to attempt to put them together by patchwork. We do admit that there is diversity and plurality in life, but we have always attempted to discover the unity behind them. This attempt is thoroughly scientific. The scientists always attempts to discover order in the apparent disorder in the universe, to find out the principles governing the universe, and frame practical rules on the basis of these principles. Chemists discovered that a few elements comprise the entire physical world. Physicists went one step further and showed that even these elements pulsate with energy. Today,
we know that the entire universe is only a form of energy.//
Conflict – Sign Of Cultural Regression
//Unity in diversity and the expression of unity in various forms have remained the central thought of Bharatiya culture. If this truth is wholeheartedly accepted, then there will not exist any cause for conflict among various powers. Conflict is not a sign of culture or nature; rather it is a
symptom of perversion. The law of the jungle – ‘Survival of the Fittest’ - which the West discovered in recent years was known to our philosophers. We have recognised desire, anger, etc, among the six lower tendencies of human nature, but we did not use them as the foundation or the basis of civilised life or culture. There are thieves and robbers in society. It is essential to save ourselves and society from these elements. We cannot consider them as our ideals or standards of human behaviour. ‘Survival of the Fittest’ is the law of the jungle. Civilisations have developed not on the basis of this
law, but by consideration of how the operation of this law could be reduced to the minimum in human life. If we wish to progress, we have to keep this history of civilisation before our minds.//
Nature To Culture
//Human nature has both tendencies, anger and greed on the one hand, and love and sacrifice on the other. All these are present in our nature. Anger, greed, etc. are natural to man and beasts alike. For this reason, if we make anger a basis of our life and arrange our efforts accordingly, then the result will be a lack of harmony in our life.//
Principles of Ethics: Invention or Discovery?
Dharma: Law of Life?
Lecture 3
Harmony Between The Individual And The Collectivity
// “Society is a group of individuals who, having entered into an agreement among themselves, brought it into being”. This view is known as the ‘Social Contract Theory’. Individual is given greater importance in this view.//
Individual vs Society
//Society is self-born. Like an individual, society comes into existence in an organic way. People do not produce society. It is not a sort of club, or some joint-stock company, or a registered cooperative society. In reality, society is an entity with its own “SELF”, its own life; it is a sovereign being like an individual; it is an organic entity. It has its own life. Society too has its body, mind, intellect and soul.//
Chitti - Fundamental of Culture - Dharma
//If there is any standard for determining the merits and demerits of a particular action, it is this Chiti: whatever is in accordance with our natureor Chiti is approved and added on to the culture. These things are to be cultivated. Whatever is against Chiti is discarded as perversion, undesirable and is to be avoided. Chiti is the touchstone on which each action, each attitude is tested, and determined to be acceptable or otherwise. Chiti is the soul of the Nation. It is on the foundation of this Chiti (soul) that a Nation arises and becomes strong and virile. And it is this Chiti that is manifested in the action of every great man of a Nation.//
Multiple Group Loyality
//As an illustration, a man is the son of his mother, the husband of his wife, the brother of his sister, and the father of his son. A single individual is a father and also a son, he is a brother and also a husband. He has to maintain all these relations with intelligence, understanding and tact. Where a person fails to do so, there is conflict. If he sides with one party, the other feels wronged. The conflict between his wife and his sister, his wife and his mother, result from his inability to behave properly. Thereupon, some of his relations are strained. He is pained because his duties towards his mother and towards his wife clash. When he can resolve this conflict, and fulfil all his obligations properly, it can be said that his development will be integrated.//
Dharma Sustains the Society
//Dharma is not confined to temples or mosques. Worship of God is only a part of Dharma. Dharma is much wider. In the past, temples had served as an effective medium to educate people in their Dharma. However, just as schools themselves do not constitute knowledge, so also temples do not constitute Dharma. A child may attend school regularly and yet may remain uneducated. So also, it is possible that a person may visit a temple or mosque without a break, and yet he may not know his Dharma. To attend a temple or mosque constitutes a part of a religion, sect, creed, but not necessarily Dharma. Many misconceptions have originated from faultly English translations, and the most harmful of them is due to the confusion of Dharma with religion.//
Lecture 4: Economic Structure suited to National Genius
//In a modern state, the executive has the responsibility to execute the laws properly, but it does not enact laws. When the executive does not function with honesty and efficiency, the laws are entirely disregarded, as we may well see around us. And we can well say today, “Executive is responsible for the present evils to a great extent”.//
//We had evolved Panchayats and Janapada Sabhas. The mightiest of the kings did not ever disturb the Panchayats. Similarly, there were associations on the basis of trade. These two were never disturbed by the State; on the contrary, their autonomy was recognised. They devised their own rules and regulations in their fields. The Panchayats of different communities, shrenis, nigams, Village Panchayats, Janapada Sabhas and other such organisations, used to frame their own rules and regulations. The function of the State was mostly to see that these rules were observed by the persons concerned. The State never interfered with the affairs of these associations. Thus, the State was concerned only with some aspects of the life of the society.//
//Having satisfied the basic minimum requirements, the question naturally arises whether there should be more production for greater prosperity and happiness. Western societies consider it most essential, and even desirable, to go on continuously and systematically increasing the desires and needs of man. There is no upper limit in this context. Normally, desire precedes the effort to produce the things desired. But now the position is reverse. People are induced to desire and use the things that have been or are being produced. Instead of producing to meet the demand, the search is on for markets for the goods already produced. If the demand does not exist, systematic efforts are made to create demand.//
//A leading gentleman once suggested during a conversation that a joint front should be formed against Congress, so that a good fight could be given. Nowadays, political parties adopt this strategy. So it was not surprising to put forward this suggestion. However, naturally, I asked, “What
programme shall we adopt? If such a joint front is formed, some ideal of the programme is essential. What will be our economic policy? What will be our foreign policy? These questions should also be tackled broadly.” “Do not worry about them. Whatever you like, you can adopt. We are ready to support anything from an extreme Marxist to a downright capitalist programme.” The reply came as if this was natural. He had no difficulty in adopting any programme. The only object was that somehow the Congress should be defeated. Even now some declare that the Congress must be defeated even with the cooperation of communists and all the rest.//
The Root Of Our Problems – Neglect Of Self
//It is essential that we think about our national identity. Without this identity, there is no meaning of independence, nor can independence become the instrument of progress and happiness. As long as we are unaware of ou national identity, we cannot recognise or develop all our potentialities. Under
alien rule, this identity is suppressed. The reason why nations wish to remain independent, is so that they can progress according to their natural bent and can experience happiness in their endeavour. Nature is powerful. An attempt to go against nature or to disregard her, leads to trouble. Natural instincts cannot be disregarded, but it is possible to elevate this nature to the level of culture. Modern psychology informs us how a person begins to suffer from different mental ailments when his various natural instincts are suppressed. Such a person remains restless and dejected. His abilities slowly deteriorate and become perverted. The Nation too, like the individual, becomes a prey to numerous ills when its natural instincts are disregarded. The basic cause of the problems facing Bharat is the neglect of its national identity.//
Where Should We Start?
//The Nation is at the crossroads. Some people suggest that we must start from where we left off one thousand years ago, when foreign invaders disrupted our life. But the Nation is not an inanimate object like a cloth, so that weaving can be taken up after a gap in time. Besides, it would not be
rational to say that the thousand year old alien rule had interrupted the current of our national life so completely that, from that time to this day, we remained static and inert. The Nation has certainly put its genius to work, in the changing circumstances, to meet the challenges thrown at it. We have
struggled to continue our life forward and to wrest independence from the aliens. The current of our national life was not interrupted but has gone on ceaselessly. The task of turning the waters of Ganga back to some previous point would not be wise. The Ganga at Banaras may not be as crystal-clear
as at Hardwar. But still it is the same holy Ganga. It has absorbed numerous rivulets with all their refuse. However, these have no separate existence but have become the Ganga. The current of the Ganga must inevitably flow onwards. If this was all that happened, it would still not be a big problem. But there are other nations in the world. They have made phenomenal progress in the past one thousand years. Our entire attention was engaged in fighting for independence or staving off new hordes of invaders. We have not been able to contribute to world progress. Now when we are free, is it not paramount that we fill this deficiency at the earliest, and stand shoulder to shoulder with other advanced nations of the world?//
Lecture: 2 (23rd April 1965)
Western Versus Bharatiya View
Modern Versus Ancient
// Even after 17 years of independence we have still to decide what direction we should adopt to realise our cherished dream of all-round development in the lives of our countrymen. Normally,
people are not prepared to seriously consider this question. They think only of the problems which they face from time to time. Sometimes economic problems are viewed with concern and an attempt is made to resolve them,and at other times, social or political problems come to the forefront claiming
attention. Not knowing fundamentally the direction in which we all are to go, these efforts are not accompanied by sufficient enthusiasm, nor do they give a feeling of satisfaction to the people engaged in these efforts. These efforts produce only a fraction of the results that they ought to have produced.//
Learn, But Do Not Ape Others
//In brief, we must absorb the knowledge and gains of the entire humanity so far as eternal principles and truths are concerned. Of these, the ones that originated in our midst have to be clarified and adapted to changed times, and those that we take from other societies have to be adapted to our conditions.//
//The first characteristic of Bharatiya culture is that it looks upon life as an integrated whole. It has an integrated viewpoint. To think of parts may be proper for a specialist, but it is not useful from the practical standpoint. The confusion in the West arises primarily from its tendency to think of life in sections and then to attempt to put them together by patchwork. We do admit that there is diversity and plurality in life, but we have always attempted to discover the unity behind them. This attempt is thoroughly scientific. The scientists always attempts to discover order in the apparent disorder in the universe, to find out the principles governing the universe, and frame practical rules on the basis of these principles. Chemists discovered that a few elements comprise the entire physical world. Physicists went one step further and showed that even these elements pulsate with energy. Today,
we know that the entire universe is only a form of energy.//
Conflict – Sign Of Cultural Regression
//Unity in diversity and the expression of unity in various forms have remained the central thought of Bharatiya culture. If this truth is wholeheartedly accepted, then there will not exist any cause for conflict among various powers. Conflict is not a sign of culture or nature; rather it is a
symptom of perversion. The law of the jungle – ‘Survival of the Fittest’ - which the West discovered in recent years was known to our philosophers. We have recognised desire, anger, etc, among the six lower tendencies of human nature, but we did not use them as the foundation or the basis of civilised life or culture. There are thieves and robbers in society. It is essential to save ourselves and society from these elements. We cannot consider them as our ideals or standards of human behaviour. ‘Survival of the Fittest’ is the law of the jungle. Civilisations have developed not on the basis of this
law, but by consideration of how the operation of this law could be reduced to the minimum in human life. If we wish to progress, we have to keep this history of civilisation before our minds.//
Nature To Culture
//Human nature has both tendencies, anger and greed on the one hand, and love and sacrifice on the other. All these are present in our nature. Anger, greed, etc. are natural to man and beasts alike. For this reason, if we make anger a basis of our life and arrange our efforts accordingly, then the result will be a lack of harmony in our life.//
Principles of Ethics: Invention or Discovery?
Dharma: Law of Life?
Lecture 3
Harmony Between The Individual And The Collectivity
// “Society is a group of individuals who, having entered into an agreement among themselves, brought it into being”. This view is known as the ‘Social Contract Theory’. Individual is given greater importance in this view.//
Individual vs Society
//Society is self-born. Like an individual, society comes into existence in an organic way. People do not produce society. It is not a sort of club, or some joint-stock company, or a registered cooperative society. In reality, society is an entity with its own “SELF”, its own life; it is a sovereign being like an individual; it is an organic entity. It has its own life. Society too has its body, mind, intellect and soul.//
Chitti - Fundamental of Culture - Dharma
//If there is any standard for determining the merits and demerits of a particular action, it is this Chiti: whatever is in accordance with our natureor Chiti is approved and added on to the culture. These things are to be cultivated. Whatever is against Chiti is discarded as perversion, undesirable and is to be avoided. Chiti is the touchstone on which each action, each attitude is tested, and determined to be acceptable or otherwise. Chiti is the soul of the Nation. It is on the foundation of this Chiti (soul) that a Nation arises and becomes strong and virile. And it is this Chiti that is manifested in the action of every great man of a Nation.//
Multiple Group Loyality
//As an illustration, a man is the son of his mother, the husband of his wife, the brother of his sister, and the father of his son. A single individual is a father and also a son, he is a brother and also a husband. He has to maintain all these relations with intelligence, understanding and tact. Where a person fails to do so, there is conflict. If he sides with one party, the other feels wronged. The conflict between his wife and his sister, his wife and his mother, result from his inability to behave properly. Thereupon, some of his relations are strained. He is pained because his duties towards his mother and towards his wife clash. When he can resolve this conflict, and fulfil all his obligations properly, it can be said that his development will be integrated.//
Dharma Sustains the Society
//Dharma is not confined to temples or mosques. Worship of God is only a part of Dharma. Dharma is much wider. In the past, temples had served as an effective medium to educate people in their Dharma. However, just as schools themselves do not constitute knowledge, so also temples do not constitute Dharma. A child may attend school regularly and yet may remain uneducated. So also, it is possible that a person may visit a temple or mosque without a break, and yet he may not know his Dharma. To attend a temple or mosque constitutes a part of a religion, sect, creed, but not necessarily Dharma. Many misconceptions have originated from faultly English translations, and the most harmful of them is due to the confusion of Dharma with religion.//
Lecture 4: Economic Structure suited to National Genius
//In a modern state, the executive has the responsibility to execute the laws properly, but it does not enact laws. When the executive does not function with honesty and efficiency, the laws are entirely disregarded, as we may well see around us. And we can well say today, “Executive is responsible for the present evils to a great extent”.//
//We had evolved Panchayats and Janapada Sabhas. The mightiest of the kings did not ever disturb the Panchayats. Similarly, there were associations on the basis of trade. These two were never disturbed by the State; on the contrary, their autonomy was recognised. They devised their own rules and regulations in their fields. The Panchayats of different communities, shrenis, nigams, Village Panchayats, Janapada Sabhas and other such organisations, used to frame their own rules and regulations. The function of the State was mostly to see that these rules were observed by the persons concerned. The State never interfered with the affairs of these associations. Thus, the State was concerned only with some aspects of the life of the society.//
//Having satisfied the basic minimum requirements, the question naturally arises whether there should be more production for greater prosperity and happiness. Western societies consider it most essential, and even desirable, to go on continuously and systematically increasing the desires and needs of man. There is no upper limit in this context. Normally, desire precedes the effort to produce the things desired. But now the position is reverse. People are induced to desire and use the things that have been or are being produced. Instead of producing to meet the demand, the search is on for markets for the goods already produced. If the demand does not exist, systematic efforts are made to create demand.//
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