QUESTION: How to
deal with a person who cheats us?
ANSWER: Why do you get cheated? You must be
vigilant and never get cheated. Sri Ramakrishna had once scolded one of his disciples
who was cheated by a shopkeeper. If you think that you have been cheated and if
you have means, you may punish the cheat by taking legal action against
him/her.
QUESTION: Sri Ramakrishna said that
'Service to man is service to God.' But, these days, we find people abusing us,
cheating us or suppressing us to go ahead of us. Should we consider such people
also 'Shiva' and serve them?
ANSWER: Sri Ramakrishna used to narrate the
story of the elephant and the Mahout. Both are Narayanas or Gods but we must
follow the instructions of Mahout Narayana and save ourselves from the mad
elephant Narayana. Sri Ramakrishna would say that although a tiger also is God,
we must make salutations to him from a distance and not go close to him.
We
should not confuse between absolute truth and empirical truth. The absolute
truth is that everyone is God. But, in practice
we must consider many factors. That does not go against the absolute truth that
everyone is God. We should be careful about dealing with people who are cheats
or who try to harm you; at the same time, consider in the heart of your hearts
that they too are forms of God. Divinity resides in everyone.
QUESTION: Sometimes we face certain
situations when we have to take tough decisions and people give various
suggestions. If Narayana is present in all, then whom to listen?
ANSWER:: While deciding anything, let us keep in mind time, place, person and situation. Let us not confuse our mind
with listening to everyone! That will be like going in different directions at
the same time.
QUESTION: What is
the most effective way to fight corruption?
ANSWER: One can think of various methods of dealing
with corruption. Government tries to solve it through laws and legal actions. However,
a spiritual person tries to solve the problem through individual
character-building and spiritual transformation. No amount of laws or acts can
solve the problem of corruption unless the citizens are themselves honest. Each
one must feel one's own responsibility in building a corruption free society.
There is a story which can demonstrate this point:
A
king wanted a tank to be filled with milk in the night by each citizen pouring
one
litre of milk into it. The next morning the tank was full of water. Everyone poured water
thinking that his one litre will not be noticed in the large amount of milk. If every person had considered that it was his duty to put milk, then the tank
would have been filled with milk
and not water.
That is the problem with the issue of corruption in public life.
QUESTION: Swami Vivekananda has said
that after Vaishya Yuga, Shudra Yuga will come. How?
ANSWER: According to Swami Vivekananda in each
society there are these four castes: Brahmin or the priest, Kshatriya or the warrior,
Vaishya or the trader and the Shudra or the labourer. These four castes rule
society in succession. He has also described the advantages and disadvantages of
each of the four yugas, dominated by these four castes. At present, we live in a Vaishya Yuga
where there is economic exploitation. This as well as the natural course of
events would lead to the Shudra Yuga.
QUESTION: What are the means of
avoiding or escaping the shudrahood of the Shudra age?
ANSWER: Swami Vivekananda has suggested two
means of dealing with such a situation. First, he declared service, seva, which
is considered the swadharma of Shudras, as the Yugadharma. He started service
activities run by the higher caste people. In the centres of the Ramakrishna
Mission, monks belonging to higher castes serve all, irrespective of their caste
and creed, with dedication and in a spirit of service to God. In this way, the
dharma or the special characteristics of the Shudra yuga is being sublimated.
Swamiji also envisages Brahmin Yuga after the Shudra
Yuga. Hence, he symbolically initiated a number of people belonging to lower caste
into Brahminhood by investing them with sacred thread.
Finally,
each one must understand his responsibility in making the coming age or
yuga more congenial for living by
leading a moral life dedicated to the twin national ideals of renunciation
and service to
humanity.
QUESTION: How to protect the Indian
culture from becoming materialistic at a time when globalization and
westernization are fast spreading?
ANSWER: Globalization cannot be avoided nor can
the influx of western ideas. Swami
Vivekananda wanted a combination of the
best of the West and best of East, especially of the Indian culture, combined
together.
Every
sincere person, while getting exposed to materialistic ideas, must hold on to
his ancient cultural values, and try to put into practice. Even in the West, people have got fed
up with materialism and are turning towards yoga. A number of westerners are
now sincerely studying various Indian religious schools. That must encourage us
to hold on to our cultural values. Although it is a fact that the onslaught of
materialism and westernization through the media is relentless, the condition
is not hopeless. Individuals or the groups of individuals can by sincere
effort, put the cultural values into practice. Regular study of Indian
scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and works of Sri Ramakrishna
and Swami Vivekananda can, to a great extent, help in this direction.
QUESTION: How to involve children in
the practice of meditation or various yogas as they want some incentives or
expect results immediately? How can we give them this value education?
ANSWER:We cannot blame children for their lack
of interest in yoga and allied subjects. Much greater responsibility of
inculcating values into children rests on the teachers and parents. Unless
parents lead a disciplined life, practice
yoga and meditation regularly, avoid seeing T.V. (which is a major cause of destruction of values) themselves, children
cannot learn by themselves. Children must be taught values through stories and
multi-media. The animation CD on Hanuman, for example, has become extremely
popular with children. Besides, there are a number of ways of motivating children
and the educationists know them.
A
number of religious institutions including some of the centres of the
Ramakrishna Mission have evolved various value education programmes. One may
approach them for help and guidance.
Above all, be a role model. 