Shouldn't governance, academia, preachers, be mentors who can inspire society to strive to ‘know thyself'?
Sunil Kumar is currently member, managing committee, Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi. An engineer and project manager trained at Vickers Armstrong Engineers and Babcox & Wilcox, UK, he is a former general manager of The Projects and Equipment Corporation of India, Ministry of Commerce and Consultant, NIDC, Ministry of Industry. Sunil has been member of a high-power government committee for value orientation in Planning Commission and In-charge of Value Education Programmes of Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi. He has written books on Vedanta, managerial effectiveness – Indian Insights, human values, etc. His passion lies in applying Indian wisdom & Vivekananda's principles to managerial situations. His vision and managerial expertise led to the setting up of a unique PGDBM Management Institute in Delhi, called SriSIM, of which he was a Founder Trustee and Professor and which offered education in Indian ethos based Management. He is currently taking the message of Vedanta-centric human development to public servants through programs on 'Ethics in Governance. LESS ... MORE
1) 'Know Thyself': Isn't it surprising that neither scientists nor ourselves have ever tried to study, look within, know ourselves, even though we are also an integral part of nature, the same nature, Jagat, we are ever busy investigating! Who and where are the Mentors who can inspire us to reflect on 'where and what is it within each of us', that always remains as the unchanging 'Subject', that consciousness, which enables us 'perceive' both the ever-changing 'Internal thoughts, feelings within' and 'external changing objects of the world'!
'Know Thyself' is an age-old quest for the West, but the West got busy with industry, technology etc. and the leaders forgot this critical inner quest, allowing the philosophers, societies, preachers, religions, nations, to fight amongst themselves for answers; and aping them our modern permanent govt. machinery and democratic govt. machinery still remain in total ignorance of the age-old question of 'Who I am' and where are we supposed to grow towards as teachers, bureaucrats, preachers, or as individual citizens!
Perhaps governance machinery, academia, preachers, could be trained to be mentors and made responsible and accountable to guide all citizens to seek inwards, to 'know the infinite potential already within our Self'. As governance they're in any case entrusted with policy formulation, implementation, etc. And because they are selected from and as the 'best' and are 'permanent', they must be recruited, selected, educated, trained to be Mentors who can make long-term good policies and can learn to work together as Mentors to take us towards the 'best'.
2) The Idea of Karma Yogi, KYi – Syllabus for being a Mentor: Being a KYi in fact is the Critical Path to 'Know Thyself' and be a Mentor! Now that GOI has instructed that all Govt servants must be trained to be KYi & has created an Online platform iGOT Mission KYi for it, it is incumbent on all of us to plan how the spirit of Work as Worship and as Service to God in Man, is brought into mainstream academia and preaching.
Instead of keeping Religions away from Academia, it is our duty as Mentors to request various Religious NGOs to plan how we can all focus on providing Daily One-Hour for Self-reflection; self-study; Self-development practices focused on Imbibing the Spirit of Fundamental Duties; Commitment to Kartavya-palan; Spirit of more and more Selflessness, etc.
Thankfully in 1985 GOI has nominated Vivekananda as a Youth icon and now GOI brochure on KYi mentions 'atmano moksartham jagada hitaye cha' & 'Yogaha Karmasu Kaushalam'. Vivekananda's talks in inspiring English to Western audiences in USA and UK and his ideas on Practical Vedanta and Karma Yoga, etc. provide us the best contents, based on which academia and preachers can create a Syllabus and action plan to guide each citizen and all students and teachers to build powers of mind to walk-the-talk to 'Know Thyself'.
3) The Problem & Challenge: Globally, no nation today has clarity on what exactly is the aim and purpose of a permanent academia and bureaucracy, and so has the emerged the idea of democracy, where political parties become the bosses and pull societies towards their respective vision and interests, and individuals are left to seek their own path and answers.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the entire Western culture has remained focused on 'Knowing' and 'Enjoying' the ever-changing universe that we can all 'perceive' with our senses. We have Schooling focused on 'knowing-earning-enjoying'. To know my-self, we get Passports with Photo of our body; but the riddle remains! Am I just 'Body' that dies?
4) Fortunately, the right Questions were asked and also Answered by our forefathers and so as Indians we have a choice to choose and harmonize the wisdom of West to excel in 'work' and the wisdom of East, to learn to selflessly work as worship of God in man and in all Creation (KYi). In simple words that even a child can appreciate, Vedanta says that a Jivatma, living-being, is a visible 'body' (which is but inert-matter, as we see in dead-body) somehow enlivened by 'Life' or Consciousness or Spirit or Atman' or something like it! As Body we're separate but as 'Life' we're all One.
So, even a Child may question, what is Life? From where does it come, where does it go? Our ancients, whom we think as superstitious, uncivilized, etc. sought to know what 'Life' was all about; whereas today we accept 'Life' as it is without knowing it but instead seek to know Jagat of infinite Variety!
Our ancients strove not merely to 'Know' but to instill and imbibe righteousness, selflessness, virtues, character. Then with a mind purified by selflessness, etc. they strove to 'see' and directly realized and experienced the 'Self'… And all Religions, therefore, ask and exhort us to be good and do good; be selfless etc. We say work as worship of God in mana and in all Creation, because the same God exists in Me, You, in all and in everything as Consciousness. And thru' righteousness, self-enquiry, etc. we are meant to realize this truth of Truths. Science is now looking for 'consciousness' but still as an object, not realizing that it isn't an object to be known. I am always that singular Subject, Consciousness and mistakenly I got identified with changing body-mind … and Vedanta discusses and logically explains this mystery in detail!
Now it should be the task of us all to consider how we can help 'To Be & Make Mentors' and strive to explore and discover our Un-changing Self, our Swaroopa, 'who I am'.
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author's own.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
34 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Pakistan's 'what if China stops Brahmaputra flow' threat gets curt Himanta Biswa Sarma response
Reacting to a Pakistani official's threat that China can also halt the flow of the River Brahmaputra into India, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday described the remark as Islamabad's new "scare tactic" and said the water body grows after entering the country. He said China contributes only 30-35 percent of the river's total flow. Sarma's response came after a senior aide to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Rana Ihsaan Afzal, reportedly said that, on the lines of India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, China can take similar measures by stalling the flow of the river, reported ANI. Himanta Biswa Sarma said Pakistan is "spinning another manufactured threat". "What if China stops the Brahmaputra Water to India? A Response to Pakistan's New Scare Narrative. After India decisively moved away from the outdated Indus Waters Treaty, Pakistan is now spinning another manufactured threat: What if China stops the Brahmaputra's water to India? Let's dismantle this myth -- not with fear, but with facts and national clarity: Brahmaputra: A River That Grows in India -- Not Shrinks," he wrote on X. Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Brahmaputra swells after entering India because of torrential monsoon rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya. 'China contributes only 30-35% of the Brahmaputra's total flow, mostly through glacial melt and limited Tibetan rainfall. The remaining 65-70% is generated within India, thanks to: Torrential monsoon rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, and Meghalaya; major tributaries like Subansiri, Lohit, Kameng, Manas, Dhansiri, Jia-Bharali, Kopili; and additional inflows from the Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia Hills via rivers such as Krishnai, Digaru, and Kulsi,' he said. "At the Indo-China border (Tuting): Flow is ~2,000-3,000 m3/s. In Assam plains (e.g., Guwahati): Flow swells to 15,000-20,000 m3/s during monsoon," he added. He said the river is not dependent on upstream flow because it is a rain-fed Indian river system, which strengthens after entering Indian territory. "Even if China were to reduce water flow (unlikely as China has never threatened or indicated in any official forum), it may help India mitigate the annual floods in Assam, which displace lakhs and destroy livelihoods every year. Meanwhile, Pakistan, which has exploited 74 years of preferential water access under the Indus Waters Treaty, now panics as India rightfully reclaims its sovereign rights. Let's remind them: Brahmaputra is not controlled by a single source -- it is powered by our geography, our monsoon, and our civilizational resilience," he said. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty -- which governs the flow of water from India to Pakistan -- in April in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Gujarat last week that the stoppage of water flow had made Pakistan sweat. Pakistan, meanwhile, has said that "water is the country's red line", which mustn't be crossed. 'Pakistan will never accept Indian hegemony. Water is Pakistan's red line, and we will not allow any compromise on this basic right of 240 million Pakistanis,' Pakistan army chief Asim Munir said last week.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Will we get to see a Tharoor vs Bhutto? India and Pakistan delegations to be in US same day
NEW DELHI: The all-party delegation, led by , is scheduled to be in Washington, DC, on Wednesday—coinciding, perhaps not so coincidentally, with the visit of a Pakistani delegation headed by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While the Congress MP-led delegation is confident about getting India's message across, a Tharoor vs Bhutto might be on the cards. Talking about this Tharoor said that the presence of both the delegations would lead to an "increase in interest" as the States, whose president has repeatedly claimed credit for India-Pakistan truce, would get to hear two diametrically opposite views on the same day. "In Washington, we'll have the interesting phenomenon of the Pakistani delegation in America, and almost exactly the same days... Tomorrow almost they will be in Washington, while we are in Washington on the same date. So there's going to be perhaps an increase in interest because there are two duelling delegations in the same city," Tharoor told ANI on Tuesday. He further assured that even though India's side might not be a central agenda for the American media, the delegation would get the "message across very, very easily." "It's a challenging environment. America is a very crowded media space, the world's news generator. Therefore, our story may not be at the top of their minds. But if we can get the attention of those who care about South Asia, those who care about India, those who care about terrorism, we can get our message across very, very easily," he said. Tharoor noted that Pakistan's decision to send its own delegation is no coincidence, but unlike India's broader outreach, they are focusing only on countries they consider strategically important. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "It's no accident that the Pakistanis have also sent a delegation abroad, but they're not going to as many countries as the Indian delegations are. They're focusing on what they consider a few key capitals, namely, Washington, Brussels. London. That seems to be the thrust of the Pakistani effort. We have gone to all those capitals and more," he said. Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairman on May 17, revealed that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had entrusted him with leading a delegation to advocate the country's position amid recent escalations with India. The delegations by both the nations are meant to present their respective sides after they launched military operations against each other post Pahalgam terror attack.
India Today
41 minutes ago
- India Today
No one needed to persuade us: Shashi Tharoor shuts down Trump's India-Pak claim
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is leading an all-party Operation Sindoor delegation abroad, denied any involvement of a third party in the ceasefire understanding reached between India and Pakistan. Tharoor, who is currently in Brazil, made the remarks ahead of his delegation's visit to the United said India did not need any persuasion for a ceasefire as the country never wanted have enormous respect for the American presidency, and we will speak with that respect in mind. But broadly speaking, our understanding is a bit different... No one needed to persuade us to stop. We had already said to stop," he said. Tharoor said the Pakistani side must have needed some persuasion."If there was any persuasion by the American president or his senior officials, it would have been persuasion of the Pakistanis. They would have had to be persuaded. We don't need to be persuaded because we don't want war. We want to focus on development. That's the basic message," he Tharoor said that India never wanted the conflict to escalate but had to react because Pakistan says, ".... We had consistently said from the very beginning on May 7th that we are not interested in prolonging the conflict. This is not the opening salvo in some sort of war. All it is is retribution against the terrorists, period. If Pakistan had not reacted, we would not have reacted..."advertisementTharoor's remarks came in response to Donald Trump's repeated claims that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after four days of missile and drone strikes. Trump was also the first one to announce the news to the world and later Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held confirmed the same during a press India has categorically denied claims of mediation and said the understanding was reached after Pakistan's DGMO called his Indian counterpart. Both countries agreed to ceasefire on May 10 after Pakistan escalated following India's Operation Central government formed seven teams of leaders across parties to brief countries on India's Operation Sindoor and Pakistan's support for terrorism. Following the suite, Islamabad also planned the same move and handed the responsibility to Bilawal the delegations will be in the US at the same time. Commenting on Pakistan's move, Tharoor called it an "interesting phenomenon". "In Washington, we'll have the interesting phenomenon of the Pakistani delegation in America, and almost exactly the same days... Tomorrow almost they will be in Washington, while we are in Washington on the same date. So there's going to be perhaps an increase in interest because there are two duelling delegations in the same city," Tharoor said.
