India for Freedom- Can We… Start with Self?

Make an honest reflection on our thoughts, words and actions... to modulate them for a better self... and making of a better society and nation.

By: Himanshu K. Gandhi

The greatest challenge to India’s future is not dwindling natural resources, or corruption, or divisively fractured political establishment, but deeply pervasive abject indifference of a wide swath of masses.

Those at one end of the pole with capacity and resources to make a change continue to maroon the trust and fabric of nation for their own unashamed lustful greed, scheming with corrupt bureaucratic setup for means unto themselves with abject disregard for morality, ethics and making of a capable nation.

While, for those at the other end of the same pole, daily struggle to cope with hyper inflation can barely make them ponder about the road ahead.

And, the growing glorified middle remains gruesomely detached from inner circles of power, almost scared to pit their head in the smoldering pit of ever growing underground economy with well entrenched politico-goons connections wielding control at local government establishments.

If there is only one area that we have failed miserably, as an individual and as a nation... it is, not living by our virtues. As, how can a nocturnal enlighten anyone in his/her circle of influence on beauty of a rainbow?

In India, like any developing/developed places, intellect has mostly gone awry to service fear or greed, or has succumbed to avarice. Culture of sympathy, tolerance, forgiveness and notion of for-the-greater-good need be taught, learned and practiced afresh. There is no other alternative.

Can we... all who care to see our nation free from corruption... resolve to not pay up into the demands of a bribe, and… resolve not to make way for our gain by aiding or abetting any corrupt practices, and… resolve not to engage in any transactions that cause or involve black money, or that are helped by seeking or giving undue underhand favors?

Can we... all who care to see our nation respect women... resolve to not pay up into the demands of a dowry, and… resolve not to engage in barter of dowry, which remains a root cause for female foeticide and female infanticide, and… resolve not to be entertained by sounds and images stocking carnal thoughts and insidious behavior?

Can we… all who care to see our nation clean and green… resolve to start with clean up of our own building, street, and neighborhood, and… resolve to grow and save vegetation in our sphere of influence?

Can we... all who care to see our nation lead into better governance… resolve to be more involved in public policy making institutions, processes and be willing to cross to the other side to face the music?

Can we... all who care to see our nation succeed... resolve not to disparage it and be part of the solution, and… resolve to pitch in with volunteering hours and any resources that we can spare... to work on common good?

Unless, we are honest with ourselves and care to start with self... we would have failed all of those that have sacrificed their lives to make this nation. And more regretfully, failed our children to leave behind a legacy to call their place a home… no matter where we live.

Extortion or any corrupt practices are a chase of those that feed on their greed, and our fear. We cannot curb their greed… but can work on our fear.

What we can certainly not do is to stoke those tendencies by essentially practicing in the same circle, for our own benefit... for instance:

Corrupt practices are rife not only in public sector, but widely prevalent today in private sector. Each and every honest businessperson in our nation will recount the magnitude and stifling hold of common place norms of deceit, vogue of black money and deeply ingrained culture of favoritism.

Large majority of transactions from real estate to purchase of goods & services are facilitated by, or engender, unaccounted or black money.

Very few make deliberate and conscious efforts to distance themselves from corrupt practices. In effect, make hay of them for own benefit, or surrendering their plight without honest efforts to resist.

Diminutive forces drowning our nation will become fearful once challenge to them becomes strong. Start inadvertently needs to be from somewhere where we are most uncomfortable with... our self. Only then will foundation of our challenge be strong enough to sustain long drawn on struggle... for real independence, and reverting to our heritage, as a virtuous nation.

About the author: Himanshu is based in Boston, MA and is an avid follower of Jainism. He administers a Facebook group ‘SSS… Solution Starts with Self’, where his effort is to support thoughts that enrich the base ethos of simple, straightforward and honest conduct, to break the pace of greed and vice, everywhere we see. To join the group or any comments email him at h.gandhi@samved.com.

Catharsis/Character-conduct workshop

By: Himanshu K. Gandhi

This is a step on to a journey to search within... to solve problems without. We all are starkly aware about abhors outside. Let's start inward and be brave to cure our own shortcomings. We are a fellowship, each one will support another. Our primary purpose would be to not stray from principled path in spite of daily travails and mercantile tendencies that we all are susceptible to. We resolve to introspect, practice true humility, promise to be selfless, truthful (without deceit) and inspire everyone in our circle of influence to do the same. The workshop is meant to be a critical introspection led confession, in secure settings, of ones own shortcomings, as measured by own self against guiding principles of a code of conduct available in any faith of his/her following.

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We all strive to be 'deliberate/purposeful'; about some activity, or some thing, or some goal in worldly pursuits that consume most of our available time, space, thought and action. And, often get involved in pursuits beyond our own, to those of our family and growing circle of influences. Eventually when one realizes that all these deliberate worldly pursuits have never ending cycle, we come back to the core... on path of self emancipation... where confluence of all emotions cease to matter, and we work towards equanimity with every being, increasingly unperturbed by every action around us.

One humble approach in this endeavor is ‘Character-conduct Workshop’. It will strive to embolden participants to share their experience, strength and hope with each other… that they may solve their own problem, and help themselves & others to strengthen character & conduct, in path towards observance of vows of one’s faith. And in doing so, lessen layers-on-layers of karmic dirt attached to our soul, or bring about catharsis of our soul.

General framework for ‘Character/conduct workshop’:

a. We are a fellowship, each one will support another. Each participant will take time to deeply introspect and gradually ferret out his/her own shortcoming as it relates to observance of the vows of own faith. This will mature towards bold but dispassionate self view and commentary. Each participant makes an honest attempt to look inside, identify his/her own short-comings, confronts it and exhibits courage to ferret that out in open, eye-to-eye with other fellow participants with a view to atone for his/her sins and create a situation where by, in future, he/she does not embroil himself/herself in those.

b. Basic qualifiers/pre-requisites for all participants:

1. We have made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

2. We have courage to admit to our fordmaker (Jina or God or Allah or Waheguru or Bhagvan or Buddha), to ourselves and to other human being, eye-to-eye, the exact nature of our wrongs.

3. We are in for same reasons and will respect each others privacy. Personal disclosures made herein are to be treated as pious and strictly confidential, permanently. Disclosing of any bit of discussion, even to a close kin/spouse, out of the confines of workshop will be akin to a theft from a place of worship.

4. Place principles before personalities; that we have renounced personal glorification in public and that we will practice true humility.

c. One of the ways participants stay on the path towards observance of vows of own faith, is by helping other brethren achieve the same. While a participant is expounding and introspecting on his/her own shortcoming fellow participants maintain supportive and attentive calmness which allows each of them to reflect in themselves. As he/she may have had similar transgression or realizes that he/she is susceptible to similar transgression. And, becomes more aware and thereby builds refrain against such. Thus allowing each participant to mutually and beneficially support each other and gain.

d. Participants will only voice their own short-coming without proscribing any remedy or solution or repentance for any other person.

e. Each participant declares his/her resolve to be on track of right conduct and in doing so establishes a symbiotic relationship with other such compatriots to create a cohesive, supportive and sustaining "ecosystem".

f. Workshop will be in secure setting, either in closed door or in open vast expanse of nature with no interference with or from outside world. There will be no written documents about ones short-coming shared or discussed, nor will anyone record or scribe any notes during the sessions. It will be pure simple self, confronting its own reality and allowing for solution to come from own self.

g. Supportive/fellowship setting will allow us to ‘let go’ of our outer charade and ‘to get’ glimpse of inner self, as we give light to layers of past deeds in action, thought or speech. These short-comings could be from past day, week, year, or several decades back. It will be pure simple self, confronting its own reality and allowing for solution to come from own self. The participants will only act as humble enablers to each other in the process.

h. Each Participant after expounding on his/her short-comings will dwell into how he/she dealt with those, or is atoning for those, or working on ways to de-bridge himself/herself from such thought, speech or deeds, or avowed resolve to reduce the gap.

i. One can use any guiding principles of code of conduct available in his/her faith, for instance Mahavratas or Anuvratas in Jainism. As long as a goal is identified one can then look inward and measure up against the same, with a deep resolve to close the gap and atone for each and every of his/her shortcoming.

j. Participation in the workshop is open to mature individuals from all walks of life. It will be in form of small groups of four to eight each, with women and men in separate groups. It will be open to all who satisfy pre-requisites & completely embrace the framework.

k. Every participant in workshop is an active participant… there are no passive observers.

l. This is a fellowship. There are no monies exchanged or fees charged. Each participant supports other in a self sustaining symbiotic relationship. The place for meeting of workshop can be one of the participants home, or a place of faith, or just an open expanse of nature.

It will require immense courage to venture into the act of "self-critic". Just as it is more difficult to commit crime in broad day light, it is extremely difficult to come open and accept in front of others. No one claims that ‘tapasya/tap’ (penance) is easy. We can view this "very humbling exercise" as an extreme ‘tap’, to lessen the burden of karma. Just as light eases out darkness, we will strive to revive our baby innocence. With our fellowship, we will endeavor to let go of our outer charade and to get glimpse of inner self.

As per Narendra Nandu (Mumbai), as we embark on this exercise, we should be aware that our past shortcomings or karmas are like a weed. Uproot it out and it is gone. But if we let that be, it will spread and grow. And, it will manifest itself in some way either in this life or down the cycle.

Confessions are antithesis to glory. We need to "let go” of glory. To "let go” is the most difficult act for us all, as we have grown to learn ways and means of accumulating. And, during this "humbling exercises" we will be forced to "let go" of our ego, which will allow for inflow of ‘vitaraga bhav’ (being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in ‘atma’/Self)

As per Manish Modi (Mumbai), this exercise is akin to "khara pratikaman” (true introspection).

As we gather courage to participate in this exercise, in complete and humble sense, we hope to see a positive change come about in ourselves… because, now we are not afraid to confront the truth. And, by doing so, we believe, our fordmaker will help us win over our kashayas (passions) of ‘krodha’ (anger), ‘lobha’ (greed), ‘mana’ (ego) and ‘maya’ (deceit).

Belief is, when one makes an honest attempt to look inside, identifies own short-comings, confronts it and exhibits courage to ferret that out in open, eye-to-eye with other fellow beings, he/she has already done the most difficult part, akin to the big thrust that a rocket needs to push itself out of the earths gravity. And, in doing so, the solution for repentance will naturally flow to him/her. Additionally, at a minimum, an acute resistance will gradually develop against embroiling in such or similar acts in future, to eventually control his/her own kashayas.

Knock off the pretense!!

… and face your shortcomings head on.

Lay bare your motive to free your soul

... and unearth layers of past misdeeds

You, my friend, now, have the power to set

… On to the path laid out by the realized ones.

About the author: Himanshu is based in Boston, MA and is an avid follower of Jainism. He administers a Facebook group ‘SSS… Solution Starts with Self’, where his effort is to support thoughts that enrich the base ethos of simple, straightforward and honest conduct, to break the pace of greed and vice, everywhere we see. To join the group or any comments email him at h.gandhi@samved.com.