Observations & Views:
1. Politics without principles
2. Wealth without work
3. Commerce without morality
4. Education without character
5. Pleasure without conscience
6. Science without humanity
7. Worship without sacrifice
- Mahatma Gandhi
(Based on an article published in SARVODAYA JAGAT, July 16, 2003)
Mahatma Gandhi deemed that the ancient virtues of truth, nonviolence, chastity, non-stealing and non-possessiveness are essential for spiritual uplift. His views on two of these virtues, non-stealing and non-possessiveness are enlightening.
Mahatma Gandhi regarded that non-stealing and non-possessiveness are imperative for conservation of natural resources and preservation of the environment. Non-stealing is not limited to refraining from taking any material without the owner's permission. It entails abstaining from exploiting natural resources beyond one's minimum basic needs. The fact is that available natural resources are just sufficient for the basic needs of all living beings. Therefore, if one usurps more than one's fair share, it constitutes stealing from others. This applies to all individuals as well as societies and nations.
According to Mahatma Gandhi, non-possessiveness is merely an aspect of non-stealing. Non-possessiveness entails that one should not accumulate nonessential money and material. We should not acquire a chair we could do without. A practitioner of non-possessiveness lives a plain and simple life, free from pomp and show. Maybe our religious institutions should be models in this regard for the community to follow.
It should be pointed out that one's body essentially constitutes possessions and certain material possessions go with one's worldly existence. As one minimizes one's needs and possessions, one turns inwards - towards one's soul. In such a state of mind, one remains content with or without food, clothes and shelter. This is the way to spiritual progress.
(Names have been changed to conceal the identities)
A few days ago, a little girl, Mona, in five-year-old Pooja's class was misbehaving, hitting other students and even the teacher. Pooja decided to try to help solve the problem, on her own (with no outside encouragement), by going over to Mona to try to play with her. Mona hit Pooja, too, but the little angel was not daunted. She went over to a few of her friends in the class and brought them over to try to play with Mona who was upset. Mona was acting up and so she hit one of Pooja's friends.
The following day, that same upset little girl, Mona, behaved much better in class. Pooja's family can take some credit for providing an atmosphere that instilled decency in the child, and, perhaps all of us, including the world leaders could learn a lesson about interacting with angry people from the delightful little angel, Pooja.
The basic rules of the world remain as they've always been: The rule of law for the weak, the rule of force for the strong. The traditional task remains: to shape past and current history in the interest of power or to challenge and unmask illegitimate authority.
- Professor Noam Chomsky