DIVINE DISCOURSE ON 27.04.2008
By Swami
(In the inauguration function of Montessori Engineering college and college of P h a r m a c y , Vijayawada)
Today several people speak about the various ways to develop our country. All are forgetting one basic concept. The progress of a country is like the improvement of strength of a normal healthy person by giving various tonics. But, if the person is a patient of cancer, what is the use of talking about strengthening him without looking into the treatment of the cancer? Any number of tonics given to such patient becomes useless. Similarly, our country is not a normal healthy person, so that we can plan about the improvement of progress through several schemes. Our country is a patient suffering with the incurable decease of corruption. Unless this decease is cured, the country cannot progress by any number of schemes of education. The treatment for this decease lies only in the propagation of spiritual knowledge in the system of education.
Corruption is another form of selfishness. There is no dearth of dynamism in education and in practical implementation of scientific concepts. The only concept that is lacking is spiritual knowledge. It is the most unfortunate issue because this country is said to be the king of spiritual knowledge in ancient times. In such country, even the practical implementation of fundamental spiritual concepts is not seen today! West was looking to East for the spiritual knowledge. But, the bridge constructed by a western like Arthur Cotton is strong due to lack of corruption, where as the bridges constructed by Indians, the so called most sacred Eastern people, are disappearing in days! The process of eradication of corruption is based on the concept of the existence of hell.
Today our Indian brothers are so much educated in science to ask “Can you show me the hell in this cosmic space?” My reply to them is “Yes. I agree that I am incapable of showing the existence of hell in this space. But, can you show Me the boundary of this infinite space to prove the non-existence of hell in this infinite cosmic space? No. Now in this situation, the justified conclusion is the acceptance of fifty-fifty probability of the existence and non-existence of hell in this infinite space. This situation resembles to another situation, where a blind person is standing because one says that there is fire ahead and another person says that there is no fire before him. Now, if the blind person is wise, what shall be his choice? Assuming the existence of fire, the wise blind man will go back. By going back, there is no loss to him, even if the fire does not exist. But if the fire exists, there will be terrible loss to him.
Similarly, assuming the existence of hell, it is better not to do the sin of corruption or any other sin for that matter. If corruption is not done, there is no loss to you. Infact, there is an additional advantage of peace and courageous living of life in this world, which is good for your health, which is the best wealth! If the corruption is practiced, you will have to live with tension of its exposure and punishment in this world. Latter on, the torture in the hell is inevitable, if the hell exists in the context of fifty- fifty probability”. Such spiritual knowledge must be stressed every where in the system of education, so that a citizen with normal moral health is produced without the cancerous corruption. Then, all the plans of education will be successful tonics to improve the strength day by day. Today, everybody is neglecting the spiritual education everywhere in the system of education. They are concentrating only on the tonics and not thinking about the eradication of cancerous corruption that is induced into every future citizen.
Today, people are thinking that the stress on the spiritual education in the ancient education system given by the kings was a foolish unnecessary activity. This missing point in the education is the source of all the present social chaos and injustice. The Government should be wise to identify this missing significance of the burning point. Activity (karma) is certainly appreciable than inactivity. But, the inactivity is better than being active in wrong direction. The process of learning and earning is important. But to learn the art of stealing and to earn the sin is worse than not learning anything and not earning anything. The object is more important than the process of activity.
The founder of these institutions, Smt. Koteswaramma has shown tremendous progress. The source of success in her activity is the blessing of Shri Bhagavan Satya Sai Baba, who said to her “As long as you are selfless, nothing will stop you and you will receive the strength from God. Go ahead”. Such activity exists in several places in this country. But the activity, which is devoid of selflessness or corruption is always blessed by God here as well as there after the death of the human being. The life after death is again a matter of controversy with fifty – fifty probability because neither life after death is experienced nor the absence of life after death is experienced. Hence, one should be careful about the life here as well as there.