Rishi Chintan (ॠषि चिंतन)

We humans love to experiment. In times bygone, we have gained a great deal from these experiences and we have corrected our mistakes. With the right effort, we can yet again learn to walk straight. We dream of world peace; we can certainly be convinced to pay its rightful price. It is not an impossibility that mankind turns inward on a spiritual path, having closely witnessed the negative consequences of materialism. If we were to shift our perspective ever so slightly in favor of spirituality, even with vigor half as strong as the vigor of material pursuit, then would the divine dream of the new era remain just a dream? Would it not start to look like a possible reality? 

The credit of changing the direction of a boat lies with the rudders,even though they may seem secondary and inconsequential. The pressing of a small button is what propels powerful machines and motors to switch the running train on to a different track. The horse's halter, the camel's bridle, the elephant's goad, and the whip of the circus lion, they may appear to be nondescript, but are crucial to the steering and control of these powerful beasts. Our society is akin to a big powerful machine: it needs a helm. The world needs leaders who can be the rudders that steer the prevalent tendencies and patterns in the right direction. Definite success awaits when men of fine intellect pursue a goal with a true heart and tireless labor. 

Not every coal turns into a diamond, only the ones that endure long standing heat and pressure. The master human beings are committed to their ideals and they have great courage to defend and persevere in this commitment. Just like a diamond that shines infinitely brighter than a million stones, these precious few great souls shine like constellations in the universe of human history. They are not merely believers in what is right, they are intent on bringing their ideals into practice, and they are willing to endure unspeakable hardships in the process. They are the pillars of our society. Whether they become famous or not is a matter of chance. We don't look at the heavy stones that make the foundation of a beautiful building, we look at the exterior and the domes. The domes may change, break, or get replaced,but the foundational stones hold the building up and have a life much beyond even that of the building itself. These are the characteristics that define the great visionaries, those that define the age they live in and even the ages that come after. In the process of carving something beautiful, the stones that get established as permanent parts are the ones that are willing to endure the cutting, the force of the hammer, the constant chipping and honing by the artist. The ones that refuse often end up as discarded pieces. 

The transformation of our world into a new age is the biggest need of the time. The problems that are plaguing us, across the globe, can no longer be solved with stopgap measures. There is one thing and one thing only that will help. Until and unless we uproot the negative, fearful, and selfish tendencies of the human mind and until and unless we re-establish the positive, fearless, and selfless human tendencies, it will be impossible to truly and permanently solve even the smallest of problems. No matter who we are and where we are in our lives, we can always take small steps in this direction. The real question is: who amongst us will actually do it? The iron-men who could propel this transformation are nowhere to be seen, and things seem to be at a standstill. There are plenty who are on the lookout for some cheap fame and praise. There is no shortage of men who are involved with so-called charitable efforts in their quest for fake prestige. What is truly rare is human beings who are willing to give up everything, like a seed that sacrifices its very existence and melts away into the enormity of the tree that it transforms into. The foundation for the creation of the new era has been dug out, the space has been cleared out and prepared. The plan to build the beautiful new building is ready as well. The search for the foundational stones is on. We deeply believe in the existence of human qualities. We know that through the ages, mother earth has been blessed with those rare precious souls who listen to the call of duty and fulfill it, the seed of humanness is not extinct yet. 

Our global Yug Nirman Yojana movement has prepared the blueprint of the mechanisms needed for this gigantic task. The author claims that the train of progress will move at high speeds on this track. Other alternatives, while possible, will not take us right to our audacious goal of transforming the way we think and act. Time will tell whether this vision of the world materializes and whether it ends up playing a significant role in elevating human consciousness and thus preserving the humanness in human beings. May the future prove correct those who can sense our motivation and those who see glimpses of the vision behind this dream. 
 

-Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya

Translated from - Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya’s work

YUG NIRMAN YOJANA – DARSHAN, SWAROOP & KARYAKRAM -66 (4.2)

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