The Golden Days of the Raj

'Truth alone Triumphs.

Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people.

I bow to thee, Mother'

- Indian National Anthem

The land of ancient India - Bharata, Mother India, the Supreme Shakti. The ancient mystical land steeped in mysticism, esotericism, spirituality, philosophy, occult, superstitious ritual and ceremony, sprung forth from the Indus Khush Civilisation. The land where myth and mythology meet the physical reality. The land of the bygone era of emperors, empires and lost civilisations.The land of gurus, saints, yogis, sadhus, mystics and ascetics. The land that upholds the qualities of purity, piousness, devotional worship and prayer. The land full of seekers searching for nirvana, enlightenment and self - realisation. The land of the, exotic and erotic creative expression. The land of the Dieties and Devis. The land of sacred rivers, the Yamuna, the Ganga, the Sutlej.The land of the holy scriptures, the Tantras, Sutras, Upanishads the Vedas and ancient texts known as the Satapatha Brahmana. The land of literary masterpieces such as the Rig Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Siri Guru Granth Sahib. The land of the great epics the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The land of the sage Valmiki and Patanjali. The land of the ancient cities of Hardiwar and  Benares. The land where the festivals, Holi, Kumbh Mela, Vaisakhi and Diwali are celebrated. The land of the religions, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. The land of the writers, Yoganda and Tagore. A land steeped in cultural, ethnic, lingualistic diversity. With a dense population exceeding over 1.18 billion, spanning  over, a geographically varied landscape, from deserts, flora and fauna to the mountainous regions of the Himalayas.

Despite, India's rich cultural heritage and vast contributition to the sacred spiritual arts and literature. The Republic of India , Bharat, the most densely populated democracy is full of disease, corruption, manipulation, prostitution, child slavery and crime. It is saturated in debauchery and violence. The oppression of women, the maimed, the sick, the poor, the down trodden. The vast majority of people are subject to inhabitable living conditions with no clean water, food or shelter. The aborting of foetuses because mothers cannot feed their offspring, and have no amenities to look after them. Many live in houses made of cardboard that are, at the whim of the elements. Geographical areas of slums, shantytowns, and huts that are clustered around the landscape. Millions who are uneducated, impoverished and illiterate. Such cruelty, inhumanity, suffering and tragedy. A nation subject to political and economic misuse all influenced by greed, power and domination. Thus, forcing the poor masses to generate income through a multitude of sordid mechanisms.

'What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?' - Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandh more commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma translates, to Great Soul and   was born in 1869 - 1948. Gandhi was a forerunner in setting the foundations for democratic India. Gandhi was  a powerful and influential  man of high stature both morally, ethically, politically and spiritually. In 1928 Gandhi assumed leadership in the Indian Congress party and began a rigorous campain to end poverty, empower women, create a cohesion amongst the varied religions and overcome the lower caste issues. He also, wanted to end foreign domination by peaceful means. The India he envisioned, is a far cry from today's brutal reality.

'There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no causes that I am prepared to kill for.' - Gandhi

The science of war leads one to dictatorship, pure and simple. The science of non-violence alone can lead one to pure democracy. Power based on love is thousand times more effective and permanent than power derived from fear of punishment. It is a blasphemy to say non-violence can be practiced only by individuals and never by nations which are composed of individuals.The nearest approach to purest anarchy would be a democracy based on non-violence. A society organized and run on the basis of complete non-violence would be the purest anarchy' - Gandhi

Gandhi practiced Ahimsa and followed the precepts of the eight fold path of Yoga and was an advocate of Satya (the realisation of Truth). Gandhi strove to achieve self - mastery on every level of his being. He became a strict vegetarian, and conducted fasts, and eventually became, a disciplined celibate a Brahmcharya. As well as, abstaining from speaking one day a week. Thus, aiminig to achieve discipline over his thoughts, words and deeds.

When Gandhi was asked if he was a Hindu. He replied,'Hindu. 'Yes I am. I am also a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist and a Jew.'

Although, Gandhi was of Hindu origin and followed this belief system. He was an advocate of destroying dogma and hypocrisy in all religions. For Gandhi the infrastructure for every religion, were the precepts of Truth, Love, Compassion, Nonviolence and the Golden Rule (a law based on doing unto others as you would have them do unto you).

'Thus if I could not accept Christianity either as a perfect, or the greatest religion, neither was I then convinced of Hinduism being such. Hindu defects were pressingly visible to me. If untouchability could be a part of Hinduism, it could but be a rotten part or an excrescence. I could not understand the raison d'être of a multitude of sects and castes. What was the meaning of saying that the Vedas were the inspired Word of God? If they were inspired, why not also the Bible and the Koran? As Christian friends were endeavouring to convert me, so were Muslim friends. Abdullah Seth had kept on inducing me to study Islam, and of course he had always something to say regarding its beauty.

As soon as we lose the moral basis, we cease to be religious. There is no such thing as religion over-riding morality. Man, for instance, cannot be untruthful, cruel or incontinent and claim to have God on his side.'

- Gandhi

Gandhi was peaceful revolutionary, a pioneer in engineering the principles of pacificism. Gandhi can be heralded as a, 2oth century  Messiah for the masses. He gave the masses a vision, an ideal of equality, an ideal for striving to become better through social, economic and political reform. The tragedy in today's, India is that, the masses do not uphold the precepts of this great man as much as they need too. Whilst, many people of different ethnic origins have totally dishonoured all he did for India. They have no idea that if it was not for Bapu (father). Today's India would be governed by different forces without any individual choice per se.

Gandhi is a source of inspiration and strength. Through his ability to master his basic functions he was able to put an end to foreign invasion. Therefore, demonstrating the ability that little steps can achieve great things. That non - violence, peaceful means, and the capacity to harness strength were paramount. The ability to generate enthusiasm and energy.  The ability to put faith, in the right to live an independent, free thinking life is a basic right of every individual.

‘Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. When you are ignorant of the enemy, but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril.’ – Sun Tzu,  Art of War

We have a lot to learn from Gandhi and we can use his tactics, and employ them to our spiritual discipline and forge our character. That means abstaining from negative speech, disciplining the mind and body, controlling the thought processes and ultimately, achieving cohesion between the mind, body and soul in Truth. Eventually all of our shadows,  addictions, negativity,  all the unexposed parts of the psyche. All of the emotional and physical pain we are carrying around in our bodies, energetically, aurically, subconsciously, etherically, need an outlet. The internal darkness needs to sustain itself, it needs more and more energy to feed off and grow. Hence, the addictive, habitual, release, is sought. However, what meditation does is, is it breaks the loop of this vicious cycle. The monotonous humdrum of internal chatter, the varied voices all screaming for some attention and instant gratification. Meditation begins to silence the internal discord it acts like a breakbeat and enables the practioner to access a vast stream of inner knowing, and intuitive awareness. That, dear reader is the undeniable, Truth, call it what you will, the Atman the Brahma, the Source. When the internal light is accessed, it shines itself on all the shadowy aspects of the self and begins to dissolve them. It renders them powerless and void of any influences. When we feel heavily attacked by the foreign invasion of our shadow self. That is the time to seek longer discipline in meditation, to become mindful of our thoughts and actions. Meditation is a gift and an investment to ourself. No one can take away the earnings generated in the energetic investment, it is pure infinite, abundance, a goldmine.

Modern day India can learn alot from Gandhi's service, sacrifice and his programme to conquer the self. Gandhi's noble crusade to practice embody and manifest the Truth. Maybe, India needs to look at how it has prostituted itself to Maya, and take a look at it's fraudulent, corrupt ways. Where the oppressed poor live and die in pain, and the elite middle - classes relish in their decadence and debauchery. Maybe, India needs to strike a match and shed some light on it's wrong doings and ill- conduct. Perhaps then, India, has earnt the right to preach, and teach others about enlightenment, nirvana, self- realisation, spiritual affairs and ultimately, God.

Those souls who are the Mahatmas, great souls like Baba Ji, who  have earnt the right of Sainthood. Baba Ji washed, cooked, cleaned and served the pilgrims. He was always peaceful within his own being. Baba Ji attained self - mastery, on every level, of his being. Baba Ji, knew, that to know himself, was paramount. He attained victory over his being and as a result he become a Supreme Source, Self - Realised Being an Embodiment of Truth. That is the ultimate power of meditation and the resonance of the vibration of Truth. My only supplication to my Master, is too, make me like Him. Forever, in gracious submission to Baba ji, King of Kings.

''The whole of humanity, is my Temple.' - Baba Ji

Blissful Blessings

In Gratitude

Simran