A spirituality for young and active adults?

This article has been written by Neema Majmudar for a Bangkok based magazine, Gita Sandesh. The text presented here has been edited slightly for this blog.

One may wonder what is the use of studying Bhagavad Gita in the present day. How relevant is it to modern life? And what value does it add to one’s life? It may also seem that studying Bhagavad Gita is meant only for people who are old or have retired. (…)

In this article, I have examined some commonly held misconceptions which lead people to think that Gita is not meant for youth or young adults who are starting their life. After having negated these misconceptions, I have attempted to give a right perspective on the teachings of the Gita hoping that more and more young people take advantage of the timeless teaching which has the capacity to transform our lives and bless us.

 (1)  Many people seem to think that Gita has only one central message- and that is- Lord   Krishna is asking Arjuna to do his duties. People may consider that they already understand the importance of performing duties and are already doing so in their daily life already.  They then conclude that they need not study Gita any more. What we fail to realize is that if this was the only message of Gita, it need not have had 18 chapters especially in view of the fact that Arjuna was a very brilliant, successful and versatile person. Arjuna would have understood one message of ‘do your duties’ very quickly and there was no need for such an elaborate teaching. If Gita is saying something much more than the message “do your duties’, then what is the teaching of Bhagavad Gita? The answer is, Bhagavad Gita is a book of teaching which makes us to explore areas such as: what is the real nature of I? What is the nature of universe? What is ones relationship with the cause of the universe? These are all very important and fundamental questions. Finding answers to these questions is truly connected to our giving real meaning and direction to our lives, gaining true satisfaction and contentment that we are all seeking.

 (2)  Some people consider that in Gita, Lord Krishna is asking Arjuna not to have desires. This misconception about Gita talking about ‘not having desires’ leads people to avoid studying Gita as they wonder how one can live ones life without having any desires? They may think – how can I study, get good grades, get good jobs and raise a nice family without having any desires. As a result of this misconception, they may consider Gita as impractical in this modern day context where so much depends upon satisfying ones desires for success and achievements. The fact is Gita is, not talking about having ‘no desires’. In our Hindu tradition desire is considered to be one of the great endowments and privilege of human being. In fact,  it is only desire to know that led Arjuna to ask a question to Lord Krishna. It is only desire to teach that made Lord Krishna to unfold this great vision of Gita so patiently to Arjuna. This shows how having a desire is not a  problem. If desire as such is not a problem, what does Gita have to say about desire? It says that one must have mastery over ones desires. What does it mean? It means that desire may occur, but whether to go along with that desire or not should be in your hand. You have to weigh whether the fulfillment of desire is going to unnecessarily harm anyone or victimize anyone. If it does, you should have enough space within yourself to say ‘no’ and not yield to the pressure that is created by these desires. For example, you want promotion, and it is legitimate to want promotion if you are working hard. However, if ones desire for promotion is so intense that you don’t hesitate putting your colleagues down in front of your boss then there is a problem. Gita teaches us how to discover this space within ourselves that we can fulfill desires in a legitimate way without disturbing the ethical order. Slowly by managing our desires effectively we can become a mature person and discover value for responsible and truthful living.

(3)  People often are also of the opinion that Gita is asking us to be ‘detached’ from the world. This also makes them turn away from Gita as they think that life can not be lived with a sense of ‘indifference’ towards your parents, spouse, children, society and humanity as a whole. The reality is that Gita is not asking us to be detached to the world. In fact, physical detachment from the world is impossible as we live in inter-connected world where actions of one affects the other. For example, what I do today as a parent is going to have an effect on how my children grow up as adults and interact with their own friends, spouses, colleagues in the future. Hence, physical detachment is not possible. Then what about emotional detachment? Even emotional detachment is not desirable. We are meant to show love, care and concern for our children, parents, society and humanity; we can not be indifferent to life. Gita does not tell us to be detached from the world and not have emotions. It shows us how to free our emotions of love and care from jealousy, envy, control etc. so they flow without any distortions and encompass the whole humanity.

(4)  Another misconception that is often held is that the study of Gita requires you to devote a lot of time to ‘spiritual pursuits’ and to disregard your ‘material’ accomplishments. This is not true either. Bhagavad-Gita teaches you to be alive to realities of existence- covering a very big picture about the nature of I and the Lord. It also throws light on how to live your daily life effectively by managing your desires, making appropriate choices of actions, ways to deal with difficult situations and managing your emotions. By exposing yourself to the teaching of Gita from the young age, you become a dynamic person who is alive to realities of existence, who acts responsibly, be a contributor to society without being overwhelmed or defeated by challenges of life.

 In fact, Gita is an incredible book because of its intrinsic value in solving the fundamental human problem. It shows us a way to live our life effectively. It will continue to bless people of the past, present and posterity, the only thing is that, one has to choose to expose oneself to it. I therefore request people of all ages to learn this book of amazing wisdom.

 I would like to end by saying that many of our present day problems can be solved or at least be mitigated by our gaining this wisdom. Today humanity is facing many challenges such as- global warming, financial crisis, wars etc. I think that becoming a mature and responsible person is very much part of the solution to many problems and challenges that we are facing in the world.

 For example, we all think that something has to be done about the environment, but we generally think that somebody else- private companies, governments, international organizations- should do it. The fact is that each of us can contribute something to solve, or at least mitigate, the problem. So often we seem to miss this point.

For example, by avoiding red meat everyone can contribute to reducing the emission of methane which is one of the gases which leads to global warming. Should we wait for governments to act or should we act like mature persons ourselves? The answer is obvious.

 As long as individuals do not take the responsibility to make changes in their behaviors, and make better choices, things will not change significantly at a global level. Mahatma Gandhi very rightly said, “Be the change you want to see in the world”. This point we seem to miss often in responding to many challenges in the world. Bhagavad Gita enables you to realize your potential to be that person who is mature and responsible, so please don’t wait till you are old to study this book that has a timeless wisdom. 

To know more on the Bhagavad Gita

You can watch the new series of 20+ videos on ‘The timeless teaching of Bhagavad Gita’  on

Our website page at http://www.discovervedanta.com/video.htm 
or our Youtube page http://www.youtube.com/user/DiscoverVedanta1
 
These videos unfold essential verses of the Bhagavad Gita in a modern, accessible and yet profound manner. These talks highlight how its vision is relevant to our contemporary world. It also shows how its teaching can help us to live a meaningful and objective life.

How can we speak about sustainability without speaking about the Sustainer?

An interesting article on spiritual ecology you can read at this link, from Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, sheikh in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujadidiyya Sufi Order .

I particularly like the following excerpts which emphasize the importance of also addressing the ecological crisis  at a root level, through a radical shift of consciousness. It can be accomplished by becoming alive to the presence of the sacred through out our planet and changing fundamentally how we relate to it, with the help of ‘the wisdom of our ancestors’ or various spiritual traditions.

We have to step out of our dream of separation, the insularity with which we have imprisoned ourselves, and acknowledge that we are a part of a multidimensional living spiritual being we call the world.

We may praise and pray to a God in heaven, but we do not understand how to welcome the divine into our lives. How can we heal and transform the world without the living presence of its Creator?

Spiritual ecology means reawakening our awareness of what is sacred in all of creation, and knowing that only if we work together with the divine in all of its manifestations can we hope to redeem what we have desecrated and destroyed through our greed and arrogance. It means to reclaim the wisdom of our ancestors who knew the sacred interconnections of life and the divine forces within it. Once again we have to relearn how to relate to the divine, how to bring an awareness of the many facets of divine oneness into our lives and prayers and meditations.

Be the change you want to see in this world – Mahatma Gandhi

In celebration of India’s 60th year of independence in 2008, the Times of India launched a search for a new generation of political leaders for a new India, men and women with another vision and ability to empower the country. A Lead India video contest was also launched and among the results is this two-minute video, “Tree”.

The message goes well beyond the frontiers of India…

Surround me with your presence & In amazement I wake up…Rabindra Sangeet

Two more poems of Rabindranath Tagore, that Nandita and Shubhra kindly translated from Bengali to English and shared with us. They are both from Gitobitan, a collection of songs written and put to music by Tagore, popularly known as Rabindra Sangeet.

The first poem is a prayer to the Friend which invites Him to ‘be in my heart’ , ‘through joys and sorrows’, ‘in all I do in this world’.

During meditation, by invoking Him and seeing very intimately its Presence in one’s life, one can assimilate  the knowledge of the nature of this all knowledge and power (Isvara) unfolded by the Upanishads. This is how we can make our understanding of Isvara complete, an understanding that sinks in, permeates our whole being and thereby transforms us.

Stay with me dear Friend,

In all I do in this world,

Knowingly or in prayer;

Be in my heart;

Come slowly dear Lord,

Through my joys and sorrows,

In my laughter and tears;

Surround me with your presence,

In all I do in this world;

Be in my heart through knowledge,

Or when in prayer.

In the second poem, the poet expresses his wonder as he sees the presence of all knowledge and power manifested in the form of the order pervading the sky and stars, his own body and the nature around him.

The sky abounds with suns and stars,

The world with life,

I have found my place in the midst of it all;

So in amazement my music blossoms

And I sing my song.

The rhythm of timeless time, with which

The universe swings,

Runs in my veins too, pulling me through,

In amazement, I wake up and sing my song.

I have tiptoed on grass, on my way to the forest,

Surprised by flowering scents,

Elated to see these joyous gifts strewn around,

In amazement I wake up and sing my song.

I have put my ears to the ground,

I have heard the music

I have poured my soul into the earth’s bosom,

I find The Unknown in the midst of all that is known,

In amazement my mind awakens and I sing my song.

What is limitlessness ?

This is the first video of a series we are planning to post soon on our website Discover Vedanta, the Yoga of Objectivity. Even if it can be slightly improved technically, it is worth watching because of the  striking simplicity and elegance of its content.

When one hears for the first time from the Upanishads ‘you are limitless’ it may seem preposterous. Watch how Neema Majmudar unfolds in a brief and powerful manner the vision of Vedanta about ourselves, just by looking into the word  ‘limitless’ (anantam in Sanskrit).

Notes :

1. All our thanks to Dino who shot this video last year in South India during our intensive retreat !

2. In case you’re having trouble playing a video on You Tube and it gets stuck at one point (and will not continue to load), or plays in a choppy fashion: please go the You Tube help at http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=74662

Non duality and cartoons…?

A friend of ours sent us a message with the title Non duality cartoons. When I saw the title,  I thought it was a totally crazy association of words and worlds… But it works ! Because of a great sense of provocation and humor…that any student or teacher of Vedanta will appreciate. It is a pleasure to see how Bob Seal can make us dwell and smile on some aspects on the teaching he is familiar with !

Omni present map - Copyright Bob Seal

Understanding I am - Copyright Bob Seal

To see more of Bob Seal’s cartoons, visit his collection at http://advaitatoons.blogspot.com/ and his website at http://www.bobseal.com/.

The beauty and delicate harmony of our planet – Home, a film by Yann Arthus Bertrand

For all those who have not yet seen this film (which was launched with a lot of media coverage in June while I was in Europe), please go to http://www.youtube.com/homeproject where you can view it on line, choose the language of your choice and also the quality (HD or normal).

It is an ‘hymn to the beauty of the planet and its delicate harmony’, it is about our home and our place on planet earth. It is about the way we as human beings are interconnected to it, how we are disturbing its delicate balance and also what needs to be done by us.  The quality of the images is just magnificent…

Watch the trailer of Home

Facing death, Two Poems from Naibedya, Rabindranath Tagore

These two poems are part of a collection of 100 poems called Naibedya, Dialogues with the Lord of the Heart, by Rabindranath Tagore.  This collection has been translated in English from Bengali by Shailesh Parekh and published by A Writers Workshop Saffronbird Book, 2002, Ahmedabad. They evoke in a few deeply moving words the way one can face death with an awareness of the presence of the Lord of Life and Universe.

Naibedya 18

Today, you have sent a messenger of death to my door.

Carrying your invitation, he has crossed the ocean and come to this shore.

Today, the night is dark

and my heart is anxious with fear.

Yet, with a lamp in my hands,

I will open the door and greet him humbly.

Today, you have sent a messenger of death to my door.

With folded hands,

I will worship him with my anxious tears.

I will worship him

by offering the wealth of my heart at his feet.

Carrying out your command, when he returns,

leaving my morning dark,

I will sit in my vacant place and offer myself at your feet.

Today, you have sent a messenger of death to my door.

Naibedya 1

O Lord of my Life,

I shall always stand before you.

O Lord of the universe,

with folded hands, I shall stand before you.

Under your endless sky,

in solitude and humility in the heart

and tears in my eyes,

I shall stand before you.

In your bewildering and varied hued world,

on the shores of the ocean of action,

amidst all the people of the world,

I shall stand before you.

When my purpose in this world is served,

O king of kings,

without a word,

I shall stand alone before you.

Some insights into karma

What a tangled web we weave... www.flickr.com/photos/pandiyan/110413900/

This post addresses the following questions about karma: “How to understand that there is an order of karma governing our lives? And how is it possible that billions of actions of human beings are interconnected across time and space? Is there an entity called ‘God’ who is ‘computing’ these actions to produce results we come across in our lives in the form of the pleasant and unpleasant situations (punya and papa)?”

Let us start from a broad perspective. The vision of the Upanishads is that all that is here is Isvara (which is all knowledge and power). The Upanishads do not say that there is God on one side and the world on the other side. It does not say that after having created the world, God stands separate from it, looks at our actions, and decides to reward or punish us accordingly. This idea implies that God, being outside the world in a remote place called heaven, watches over our actions and gives us moments of joy and suffering according to our behavior.

The vision of God in the Upanishads is totally different. It says everything is pervaded, sustained, permeated by Isvara, like a clay pot is pervaded by clay. It unfolds that every form resolves into another form (pot to clay, atoms, particles etc…) and ultimately there is only one “all knowledge and power” which arranges these particles and atoms in a given order so that this so called universe with varied names and forms can come about. When it is clear to me that there is only “all knowledge and power” which manifests in every form to make it what it is, from the infinitesimally small bacteria to the unimaginably large stars and galaxies, including myself and the events that occur in my life, it changes my understanding of the world fundamentally.  Let us see how at so many levels, the entire universe can be seen as this knowledge and power manifested in many different orders.

As our teacher Swami Dayananda says,

“There is a physical universe that follows a physical order which governs the position of stars, galaxies, planets etc. Even a dual phenomenon—the dual behavior of an electron, for instance—is a part of that order. The physical order also covers my physical body, my mind and my senses.

There is also a biological order because of which there are living beings in this planet. Even in another galaxy, life forms would follow a biological order. There is a physiological order because of which there is illness and health. There is genetics which connects our bodies with generations which past before us- from our great grand father to father etc. There is a psychological order as well. Your anxiety, worry and fear—all these follow a certain order. There is an unconscious in everybody, and that follows a psychological order. Our own psychology is dependent upon people we have met and interacted with and the type of mental framework they enjoyed. Every person’s behavior is within that order. A person cannot behave differently, unless he or she wants to change. Then there is also a cognitive order. The fact that we are able to know, or not know, any given thing reveals an epistemological order.

In addition to presence of all the above orders that are known to us, Upanishads reveal that there is an order of dharma, an order of right and wrong. This order is commonly sensed by all of us; we don’t require someone to preach to us that we should not hurt others. Every being is aware of that. I know very well that I do not want to be hurt by others, and that others do not want to be hurt by me. That I want others to speak truth to me is very clear, and that they expect the same thing from me also is clear. That I don’t want to be taken advantage of, taken for a ride, is very, very clear to me. And I know others expect the same. Law of dharma is the matrix that provides the necessary basis upon which human beings can conduct transactions and interact with the world. The order of dharma is necessary because we are not totally programmed. Being self-conscious, we have the freedom to choose. Our capacity to chose is guided by law of dharma which gives us the understanding of what is right and wrong. That also is part of the order. When you are acting against that order of dharma, there is a corresponding karma. There is papa—a result of your improper action. When you act in accord with dharma, you get punya, which would result in conducive situations. If you understand that there is a law of karma, then you are within order.”

It is true that the dimension of order at the level of karma and dharma seems more difficult to appreciate than the other orders. To comprehend these two new dimensions, what is needed is only to extend our understanding of the physical, biological, etc. orders to karma and dharma. The order of karma and dharma ‘connect’ all our actions, past and present, to those of billions of other human beings and provide us results in form of pleasant and pleasant situations that unfold everyday in our lives. There is here an incredible knowledge and power at work.

In fact every order, be it biological, psychological connects so many variables and events which occurred since the beginning of the universe around 14 billion years ago to give the present state that we are all experiencing. If order in every discipline connects events of millions years to give us the result of today, then when the Upanishads tell us it also includes karma and dharma, it is something that is very plausible, since it does not contradict reasoning and conforms with the way every other order works. I have no way to verify it, that is true, because I have no access to details, as people ask, of the way the whole thing is ‘computed’. But it is a possibility I can be open to, since it makes a lot of sense.

When this vision sips into me, and I am more in touch with realities of existence, then my perspective of life can change totally. As Swami Dayananda says,

“We don’t say God is infallible; we say the infallible is God. To say that God is infallible is problematic; it is based on a belief in God, a faith in God. One politician in India lost his wife. She was a great devotee of Ganesha. When she died, he said, “I don’t believe in God anymore.” Why? “He took away my wife.” That type of faith is shallow. You should not merely say that God is infallible. You have to see that the infallible is God, because he is in the form of order. No order is fallible. The physical order is not fallible. The biological order or psychological order—any order—is not fallible. That is why it is order. Therefore, we say the infallible is God. This cognitive change, this shift in the scales of your vision, gives you a capacity to relax. You can relax into the order.”

The apparent disorder and turmoil in my life becomes in order. My feelings of helplessness are in order as well. I can relate to the “all knowledge and power” which is manifest in the form of the universe and pray: ‘Isvara, grant me the capacity to understand how the events coming to me, unexpected, unwanted for are within an order that is not separate from you’. This gives me the courage and the serenity to accept situations as they unfold, because I know they are the result of an infallible order. It further enables me to assess the situation more objectively, and then act according to what I can do.

Surya Tahora & Neema Majmudar

To know more, some links to Vedanta, the Yoga of Objectivity:

[1] The equation ‘You are that’, the cause of the universe

[2] The equation ‘You are that’, the nature of ‘that’

[3] Article in pdf format, The vedic vision of God

[4] The crux of Vedanta, Orders of reality

Other links :

[1] Part 1 of Death, Rebirth, and Everything in Between- A scientific and philosophical exploration by Carter Phipps, What is enlightenment magazine.

Global Oneness Project : What Would It Look Like?

“What if the world embodied our highest potential? What would it look like?” This film is the brand new 25-minute retrospective of Global Oneness Project. It  “asks us to reflect on the state of the world and ourselves, and to listen more closely to what is being asked of us at this time of unprecedented global transformation.”

For more videos from this organization on “how the radically simple notion of interconnectedness can be lived in our increasingly complex world“, you can visit their site at http://www.globalonenessproject.org/

Some thoughts which came from a discussion Neema and I had after having watched this film are enclosed in this post. Do not hesitate to share with us your comments !

On ‘What would it be like ?’ of Global Oneness Project

Comments from the perspective of Vedanta

It is an inspiring film with powerful images and well chosen speakers. It is about time that people recognize the fact of interconnectedness and act on it. The present state of our planet is a truly global challenge and it needs increased awareness, across cultures, religions, etc. In that respect, this film contributes in making us see how different people from different cultures are committed to bringing about this change, based on a larger perspective of things.

As the movie explains strikingly, it is not an impossible task as it may seem at first sight. Many breakthroughs like going to the moon, or breaking an atom to use its energy, which seemed totally out of our reach, have been achieved in human history. Not only scientific achievements, but also social advancements have been made possible in the recent past like empowerment of women in different domains and equal rights for black. The fact is that societies are evolving, hence things can potentially change for better. This means, to believe that when you and other like- minded people do act for a social cause, we can definitely bring about a change.

Action is a power given to human being

I would like here to make a few comments on these ideas from the perspective of Vedanta. Indeed, among the three powers all human beings are endowed with, the power to desire, to know and to act, the power to act is very significant. We are placed in this universe not only to witness or watch what is happening but are meant to act and interact with the universe. We have been given a capacity to bring changes in certain situations that are unfolding everyday in our lives, at an individual or global level.

Dharma : the framework of action

When we act, the more we incorporate in our decisions the order of dharma or universal values that binds humanity together, more considerate and responsible our actions are. When we base our decisions not on a narrowly defined self interest but  on universal values of preservation of life, environment and diversity of cultures, the global state of affairs will certainly improve.

Expectations with reference to results of actions

This movie inspires people by emphasizing the role of action. Here, we totally agree that with reference to actions, we must necessarily exercise our free will and make more informed decisions. But if one has to be totally objective, one has also to consider some facts about result of actions. Once we understand the exact scope of result and action, we can sustain our enthusiasm for actions.

When I perform actions, for example, in improving the environment, maybe as a result of these efforts, private enterprises would realize the importance of using more eco-friendly technologies and we can achieve some significant improvement in state of environment. However, there is also the other possibility that things may not go in keeping with my expectations. When things do not happen either to the extent or at the speed with which I expect, I may loose enthusiasm.

I will continue to persevere if I recognize that I have choice over actions, but results of actions I don’t totally control. If I were really in control, I would always be able to get the desired outcome, but it is not so. I do not always know nor can I intervene on all the factors that enter into play into determining the outcome of actions. Hence, sometimes we get more or equal to what we expect. There is also a possibility that results are less or opposite of what we expected.

If I don’t control results, then what decides the outcome? Results are governed by an order which connects my actions, the actions of others performed in the past and present, and connects them to bring about the outcome. This order manifests in the form of certain laws which are never failing.

Problems themselves are a result of interconnectedness

The various problems that we are facing are themselves a result of actions that are performed by oneself and many others. So many people have contributed in the past and at present to the present state of environment. The order has taken into account  actions of corporations, individuals, politicians etc, in the past and present to bring about the present state of environment which has reached such magnitude and complexity.

Things may have started small when few industries started polluting the air at the beginning of the industrial age. Then more industries came and additional wastage led to further deterioration. One cannot say these companies were not responsible or evil entities. They were all providing employment, and contributing to overall economic development of society. But the neglect of environmental impact over the years led to the present state of environment. We individuals made choices, and the order has combined all these effects to bring about the outcome.

Youth dreams of an ideal society

The understanding of this relationship between action and result is very important to sustain my efforts towards bringing about change. Many of us remember that in our teenage years, we wanted the economic system to change, people to be loving and responsible, we were rebelling against corruption, wished to do something against poverty. We had all kinds of ideals which were very noble in nature. But many of us were not able to sustain these ideas with enough momentum. Why? Because we often became discouraged when we discovered that things do not always happen according to our wishes. We then joined the mainstream against whom we were rebelling earlier. In some cases, change for better may still remain a dormant desire but we don’t actively pursue it any more.

A complex process at multiple levels

In our effort to change things for better, another expectation which may discourage us to persist further is the expectation that as result of our effort, all people will realize the necessity for global change and act with the increased level of awareness. This expectation is not realistic. When we observe any thing in creation, there are no identical things. There are differences. We all are born with a psyche with certain possibilities. Each psyche can expand but to anticipate that all individuals will operate from the same level of awareness is unrealistic. Human beings at any given time are not all going to behave or think in an identical manner.

To keep the momentum going: bringing in the order

I do not mean to say that as an individual you will not be able to change anything or anyone. And you have to remain passive or inactive. One can certainly make a difference and one must act to bring about a desired change. But if your expectations are inherently unrealistic, then what happens is that the momentum for action soon goes away when things do not happen your way. If your whole focus and commitment is on the expectation of a particular type of result, you will be often disappointed. But when you focus on your actions and  you recognize that things happen according to an order, an immense network of different laws and possibilities connecting all human psyche, actions and results, then you continue your efforts in spite of shortfall. Once the recognition of order comes, you do not loose trust even when things do not happen at the pace or magnitude you are expecting. You have trust in the universe and its order that sooner or later, five or ten or hundred years from now, any well intended action, will be rewarded. This is how you keep going.

Then, the realistic position is, maybe each and everyone is not going to change, but you continue to act. Your action can very well inspire a portion of humanity; as a result, those human beings will be able to do things differently and things will change at a bigger level. Each of your actions will produce a result. Each of those small acts will be included in the network of laws and rewarded, no matter how small they are because they are all inputs which are considered in the overall arrangement or scheme of things.

To summarize, one is totally objective when one recognizes the scope of actions, the order governing results, and also the psychological order which make all our psyche different. Once we keep all these elements in mind, and focus on action, because this is what we can do, then we can really sustain all our efforts on a long term basis.

Recognizing our place of possible intervention

Another important element is the recognition of our place in the overall scheme of things. We all want to do big things. But we all have our own position of power and influence in the scheme of things, which determines our unique sphere of possible interventions. A politician, a scientist, a religious leader, a spiritual teacher, a school teacher, a house wife, a writer, a journalist, an architect, etc. do not have obviously the same scope for intervention in various domains. And within these groups, each individual will also have a different position of power or influence and set of skills from which he or she can intervene.  That position can of course change in the course of time and also with reference to the different roles we assume as a human being.

For example, even if you want to do something about global warming, you cannot as an individual change everything everywhere at all levels. Maybe world leaders can intervene in the current environment crisis as they have a much bigger sphere of influence than any other individual. Or a CEO of a company has a large domain of influence than what you have. Similarly concerted actions of groups, medias, advocacy groups and organizations have more influence than those of isolated individuals. However, the key to being a contributor is to identify what you can do realistically at any given point in time and take concrete actions towards achieving these goals.

The focus has to be on action

To conclude, in order to be effective in achieving some noble goals, I have to ask myself what is it that I can do tangibly at this point in time in each of the spheres of environment, poverty, religion, etc. given my position. In some spheres I can do a lot, in some I may not be able to do much but at the same time, I can definitely initiate things. I can identify some realistic goals for myself, work on it sincerely. For example, environmental goals for an individual can start by reducing usage of plastic, consumption of electricity or water, or walk instead of driving when possible etc. These small actions themselves are a contribution. The focus has to be on action.

Having performed these actions, we can have trust in the order. No good action gets unrewarded even if the results in the short run may not be what we expected. This is how we become objective with this idea of interconnectedness and make a contribution without loosing heart or momentum. When we have started in the right direction as a contributor, the order may keep providing us more and more opportunities to meet other individuals and groups who share our overall vision; and that has the power to make our earth a better place to live in.

Neema Majmudar & Surya Tahora