Mother and Motherland

I am happy I have come to this place to see so many thousands from this and surrounding villages. Externally as well as internally, there is so much of festivity today, so much of joy and cool content. Cultivate this atmosphere of love and co- operation, and you can ensure joy for ever more. Do not seek arguments to keep away from others; seek rather ways of working together for the common good. Ahamkaaram and Mamakaaram — the sense of I and Mine – these scotch love and co-operation. Reduce them to the minimum and then start serving the needy and the distressed.

Service is best built on the strong foundation of Thath-thwam-asi — That and This are the same; That is This; This is That. There is no Other; there is only One. Kites fly high; but all are lifted and kept high by the same air, the same wind. The kites have no separate wills. The pots of water in which the Sun is reflected may be many, but the Sun is One and unaffected, when the pots break or the water is dried up. All help you give is therefore help given to yourself; all service is to the Self alone. When another is poor, you cannot be rich; when another is in distress, you cannot have joy. The same current runs through and activates all. Isaavaasyam idam sarvam – all this is God; Vaasudevassarvam idam — all this is Vaasudeva (God), nothing more, nothing less.

Revere your mother and Motherland

This is the lesson that Bhaarath has been teaching her children, since ages. The Vedhas say, Maathru devo bhava: Revere your Mother as God. This applies to the country which gave birth to you, also. So, you must revere the country and follow its culture. You must also revere your mother, who has brought you up with love, care and sacrifice. However famous a man may be, if he does not revere his mother, he does not deserve respect. A person whose heart is so hard that it does not melt at the pleadings of the mother deserves nothing but ridicule.

We have won freedom; the land has become free from those who ruled it for more than a century. But, though the rulers went, their influence still persists. The attitudes and habits of the West still dominate the mind of the educated and the leaders. We are still enamoured of the fashions current in the West, in dress, in language, in opinion, and in conduct. The dependence still continues, though we style ourselves as independent. The Sanaathana Dharma (Eternal Religion), which is a diamond necklace on the breast of the Mother, is discarded and a plastic necklace sought to be substituted. The authorities of this School and members of the Committee must resolve to see that the children passing out realise the efficacy of Sanaathana Dharma, to grant them peace, joy and courage.

We see missionaries inspired by Christ moving thousands of miles away from their homes into lands with alien cultures, strange habits of food, drink, and dress, speaking unfamiliar languages and starting schools and hospitals to propagate their Dharma. They come to this country too, from far off lands. But, children of this ancient Dharma ignore, neglect and discard it, losing the valuable heritage left to us by the sages.

Children in schools learn to recite, “Baa, baa, black sheep! Have you any wool?” in sheep-like imitation of English children. They are denied the chance to recite the sthothras (prayers) which the village schools of old encouraged children to sing. The sthothras were permanent possessions from which solace and strength could be drawn throughout life. “Baa baa, black sheep” is a ridiculous ditty, which has to be given up, as the child grows.

The source of strength is in yourself, the Aathman

This does not mean that you should cultivate a dislike towards any language. While you should revere your own mother-tongue and learn to use it well, you should not develop hatred against the language of others. Protect your mother-tongue and Motherland with all your energy. Make yourselves fit for this, by making the best use of the opportunities in the school. Progress as much as you can, without hesitation. Develop character as well as intelligence and health. The most reliable source of strength is in you, not in money, or kinsmen, or physical acumen, but, in yourself, the Aathman. Know it; delve into it; draw sustenance from it; see it in all; serve it in all.

This is the stage when you should learn the value of discipline. You can be disciplined only when the teachers, the parents, the leaders of society, all are disciplined. The entire nation must learn to control the wild nature of passions and emotions; yielding to them brings only ruin in its wake. Discipline, self-control, desire to serve — these are the weapons with which Pakistan and its ally, China, can be overpowered. This is the time for humility and prayer. In the altars of your homes, of the temples in your villages, of your own hearts, pray to the Almighty Lord to rescue and protect. That is a weapon that even the weakest can handle; that can defeat even the strongest enemy. I assure you nothing can bring harm to this ancient and noble mother of Sanaathana Dharma.