Why is paternal rule an ideal form of government in Divine kingdom?

Contents

• 1. Shortcomings in some prevailing forms of government
  • 1.1 Communism
  • 1.2 Capitalism
  • 1.3 Ridiculous democracy
• 2. Extraordinary significance of Righteousness (Dharma) and Spirituality in social life
• 3. Reinstatement of Divine Kingdom
  • 3.1 Evolution of the individual and society - the aim of restructuring the nation
  • 3.2 Who are the reinstators of the Divine kingdom?
  • 3.3 Path to the reinstatement of the Divine Kingdom
  • 3.4 Various aspects of the Divine kingdom

1. Shortcomings in some prevailing forms of government

1.1 Communism

Feudalism occurs when the sattva predominant attitude in man’s antahkaran (mind) is replaced by the tama predominant one. In this system, injustice is inflicted upon the downtrodden to procure worldly happiness for the self. Feudalism was prevalent for a great period of time. The average man was so suppressed with feudalism that he forgot the religious belief that happiness and unhappiness as well as riches and poverty were a consequence of the past deeds. People forgot that their own unhappiness was due to lack of love for one another, instead attributed it to inequality of wealth. It is to destroy this feudalism totally or rather to curb it that the philosophy of communism dawned.

The aim of communism was that everyone should be equally happy. However, equality is not seen anywhere in Nature, so obviously communism is unnatural. Even the five fingers of our hand are not alike, let alone the trees, birds and animals. As communism was unnatural, it led to a lot of unhappiness in society. If the concept of communism is delved into, then it is noticed that there is only proclamation of equality. Attempts to suppress an individual’s freedom (vyashti) for the sake of social equality (samashti) or meting out punishment to bring about equality can never succeed. Hence, communism never took firm roots in India. Today, communism in Russia and Eastern Europe has almost become obsolete. In China too, it is gradually decreasing in intensity.

1.2 Capitalism

Communism is meant for the society whereas capitalism focusses on the individual. In communism, the common man became unhappy as his individual life was devastated for the sake of society, whereas capitalism became so individual oriented that even the family structure did not last. Capitalism which is solely individual oriented, too will not last because it is only materialistic whereas true happiness is not obtained from experiencing material pleasures but from their sacrifice. ‘प्रापणात्‌ सर्व भोगानाम्‌ परित्‍यागो विशिष्‍यते |’ means sacrifice is superior to experiencing pleasures.

Both, individual and society oriented lifestyles made human life sorrowful because they were incapable of guiding man towards attainment of everlasting Bliss. As against this, in Spirituality the individual can obtain Bliss even by living in a socially conscious society which undertakes spiritual practice. Hence this is the ideal social structure.

1.3 Ridiculous democracy

If the democratic slogan ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’ is analysed in the context of the present Indian scenario, then it proves to be ridiculous. Some shortcomings of democracy given ahead and its degradation in India will illustrate this.

• Superiority of the majority over the minority: People firmly harbour the notion that ‘democracy means taking all decisions based on a consensus by the majority’. Though taking decisions based on a majority vote simulates a true democracy, in reality it is not true democracy as it does not always guarantee the welfare of a majority of the people. Often there is permanent discrimination in society such as capitalists and labourers, Hindus and Muslims, Shiyas and Sunnis, Catholics and Protestants, etc. It is therefore but natural that some class will be in a majority. Thus this class will always dominate over the rest as decisions are taken by the majority vote. Hence in our country, vote banks exist even in the name of religious orders.

• Non-certainty that the decision of the majority will be always correct: At times some decisions are taken without studying the topic adequately purely on the basis of majority. Consequently, they prove harmful to society.

• Not a democracy but a rule of elected representatives: The injustice caused through decision making by elected representatives of the people and not by the people themselves is even more grave.

• Improbability of election of the most eligible candidate: Today, in no country is there such a system through which one can be certain that a person or a group which is most chaste, most visionary or having the highest cultural values will come to power. On the contrary, the people electing the most eligible candidate have to be equally virtuous. A democracy can become successful only if the people are patriotic, selfless and rational. Our country on the other hand, has people who will vote for candidates who offer money and will provide rice at the rate of rupees two per kilogram! Besides, muscle power is also used during elections. People are psyched using slogans and won over with flowery speeches.

• Indian democracy being caught up in the web of dynastic rule: After gaining independence, the first dynasty in power originated on a national level. This commenced with the Nehru-Gandhi family. This tradition of dynastic rule has now spread not merely to various states, but at the gram panchayat level too. The family members obtained indirect mileage from the leader who had acquired fame due to his work or his popularity among the masses. After the political tenure of that leader, the leader’s position or other political post began to be acquired by his wife, son, brother, etc. It is not conceivable as to how the standards of merit of that political leader are applied to his relatives who assume power subsequently. We will not come across such an ignorant society anywhere in the world which elects a candidate based on the fame of his family rather than his qualifications or his social work.

2. Extraordinary significance of Righteousness (Dharma) and Spirituality in social life

The word dharma (धर्म) has been derived from the root ‘dhru (धृ)’. ‘धृ धारयति’ means to bear, to support. ‘धरति लोकान्‌ ध्रियते पुण्‍यात्‍माभि: इति वा’ means Righteousness is that which sustains the people or that which is supported by evolved souls. Evolved souls support Righteousness implies that Righteousness has the sole support of evolved souls and saints. Shri Shankaracharya defines Righteousness in an expansive way thus - Righteousness is that which accomplishes the three tasks of bringing about the worldly and spiritual progress of every living being as well as keeping the social system in an excellent condition.

A. Non-duality between Righteousness and God: Sweetness is the quality of sugar. That which possesses the quality of sweetness is sugar. The relationship between God and Righteousness is akin to that between sugar and its sweetness which are inseparable. God is the righteous one and His quality itself is called Righteousness. Since God’s code of Righteousness cannot be varied ultimately there is only one code of Righteousness which is to bring about worldly and spiritual progress of all living beings and support the society.

B. Following Righteousness

• The four pursuits of human life are Righteousness (Dharma), acquisition of wealth by honest means (artha), desire for physical and mental happiness (kama) and liberation of the embodied soul from the vast ocean of materialistic life, that is attainment of the Final Liberation (Moksha). By following Righteousness one acquires wealth, fulfillment of desires and attains the Final Liberation. Righteousness is not only useful in this world but also in the other subtle worlds too.

• धर्म: एव हतो हन्‍ति धर्मो रक्षति रक्षित: | - महाभारत ३.३१३.१२८

  Meaning: The one not observing Righteousness is destroyed while the one following it meticulously is protected by Righteousness (that is God) Himself. - Mahabharat 3.313.128

C. Spirituality alone is essential for holistic social development:

• Ideals placed by spiritualists before the society: The concepts of the other subtle regions, renouncing worldly life, becoming detached from society, meditation in seclusion, unconcern about the material world, etc. are generally associated with Spirituality. Hence, several revolutionaries and social reformers consider Spirituality as an attitude contrary to progress and as a type of escapism. Nevertheless, it would be improper to consider Spirituality as basically antisocial, as time and again spiritualists have placed high ideals before society and appealed to the society to strive towards that ideal. Some such examples are Swami Vivekanand and Yogi Aurobindo.

• Balanced social structure is possible only by adopting the principle of pure Hinduism: Hinduism means undertaking spiritual practice. Pure Hinduism is the very foundation of our nationalism. People who think only about their own selfish interests are termed as sinners and thieves in Spirituality. Vedic doctrines state that God exists among all living beings. Could there be a better balanced social structure than this? This itself is the social system based on principles of Hinduism which our ancestors have referred to as the principle of socialism.

D. Existence of a nation depends on following Righteousness (Dharma): A society comprises of people with varying qualities, defects and temperaments. Several social groups are formed on the basis of language, culture, region, lineage, etc. The collective union of all these social groups is referred to as a nation. A nation is a living, collective psychological unity whose eternity depends on its moral and spiritual base.

Only a nation which has blended totally with Righteousness, becomes wealthy and eternal: A nation is the very soul of society. If the society becomes devoid of the soul then it will certainly be doomed. Hence social life is entwined in the longevity of the nation. We can refer to the nation as divine because it is a true creation which is eternal. Righteousness is the very life of such a nation and it attains eternity only if social life is based on Righteousness. All the countries in the world which are effulgent follow Righteousness. However, sorrow is mounting there because simultaneously they are becoming as materialistic as they are righteous. Though the life of these nations is Righteousness, since it is not divine it is not pure. It cannot therefore be called Righteousness because eventually the basic characteristic of Righteousness is to impart the spiritual experience of Self-realisation. Such a non-divine nation is destroyed over the passage of time. When the entire human race follows Righteousness, there will be only one nation on the face of the earth, as in the Satyayug. Then there is non-duality between the nation and Righteousness and only such a nation becomes eternal.

‘On realising that a nation’s happiness is a result of observance of Righteousness, the nation wherein those following Spirituality can live without obstacles becomes righteous and consequently becomes prosperous. Thus it never faces a crisis. Such a nation never perishes and this itself is the secret of universal peace, is what our Aryan culture preaches.’ - H.H. Kane Maharaj, Narayangaon, Pune district, Maharashtra

3. Reinstatement of Divine Kingdom

The Western concept of progress is to try to find materialistic means to achieve greater happiness. That is why only intellectual, political, social and economic spheres are the fields of their progress. The greatness of such nations is judged from their economic or military might. Contrary to this, our worldly and scientific progress will be based on spiritual tenets. We want worldly happiness but just as much as to fulfill our personal needs. However, attainment of eternal Bliss, that is God realisation will be the ultimate aim of our lives.

3.1 Evolution of the individual and society - the aim of restructuring the nation

The true medium of progress is always the individual. It is the individual who obstructs the progress of the entire society. Progress, growth, realisation of the expansiveness of life all endows man with supreme happiness. Peace and health are both dear to society. So long as a nation is not acquainted with its soul and social life simply means material and economic unity, till then there is always a conflict between the individual and the society. It is necessary that one analyses the nature of this conflict. Self-reliance on one hand and expansiveness on the other are the two seemingly mutually opposing aspects of the fulfillment of individual life. That is precisely why man revolts against social circumstances which encroach on his individual freedom and progress. Just as he does not accept the control of one social class on another, so also he does not accept the control of society over him. The conflict between an individual and the administration too, is of a similar nature. On one hand, the ideal of complete development of administration and its dominance upon the individual is before us whereas on the other, the ideals of unrestricted freedom, Absoluteness (Purnatva) and progress of the individual lie before us. Time and again we see a constant duel between a radiant personality and the administrative machinery.

For holistic growth of the individual and society, establishment of cordial ties between them proves essential. The individual can bring about his development by using his body, mind and intellect to lead a life which fulfills his mission, duties, knowledge, discrimination between right and wrong (vivek) and faith. Similarly, the society can use its social, economic and political systems to achieve progress in the fields of philosophy, education, planning, law, international relations, arts, knowledge, literature, Righteousness (Dharma), morality (niti) and organisation in an appropriate manner, to foster a pleasant environment conducive for a progressive life through the development of a culture and tradition. These objectives are fulfilled by an interaction [sacrificial fire (yadnya)] between a progressed individual and a developing society and can bring about true happiness. This is the very aim of our mission of restructuring the nation.

3.2 Who are the reinstators of the Divine kingdom?

Only saints and seekers are capable of reinstating the Divine kingdom.

Importance of undertaking spiritual practice: A seeker will require an expansive and analytical intellect to comprehend the situation in the mission of reinstatement of the nation. The sattvik (sattva predominant) intellect is of this very nature. Along with this, to realise future events in the world, one will require a seer who can foresee the future. Seekers who can foresee the future to some extent by crossing the barrier of time are themselves seers.

The Lord assists only a seeker in reinstatement of the Divine kingdom: ‘The Lord does not incarnate when the nation is in a crisis or comes under a foreign rule. He incarnates only when His devotees are harassed by evildoers. That is precisely why we Indians should become His devotees. Only then will we be able to fulfill our dream of reinstating the Divine kingdom with the blessings of The Lord. Otherwise it will be just impossible !” - H.H. Kane Maharaj, Narayangaon, Pune district, Maharashtra

Only seers are able to lead a nation: We remember dictators like Aurangzeb and Hitler because of the inhuman atrocities which they have inflicted upon mankind. Consequently, we unknowingly tend to equate a dictatorial regime with cruelty, injustice and tyranny. But the ideal of paternal rule for the benefaction of the people (pitrushahi) laid down by rulers like King Dasharath, Lord Rama, Lord Krushna in the ancient times and King Shivaji in the recent times is remembered and is revered.

3.3 Path to the reinstatement of the Divine Kingdom

Reinstatement of the Divine Kingdom should not be based on emotion but on science (of Spirituality): The restructuring of the Nation should be as perfect as the science of Spirituality. Only then will it last for at least a few centuries. The restructuring done on an emotional level gets destroyed in a few years as in communist Russia.

Not revolution but evolution is desired: The problems faced by our Nation are so difficult and deep-rooted that many feel ‘there is no alternative to a revolution’. India’s history and tradition however testify that our life is more suitable for evolution rather than revolution. Evolution and rejuvenation are based on life. They do not cause devastation of life or property, rather uplift them. One can bring about evolution only through the practice of Spirituality. It is therefore essential that we preach about Righteousness (Dharma) in society.

Uniting Hindus under the banner of social and national well being: Only Muslims have the capability to unite under the banner of religion, not Hindus. To unite Hindus an emotional base is required. Social and national problems prove useful in this context. Hindus who come together for this cause will later unite for the purpose of Righteousness (Dharma) as well.

How should the Constitution of a nation be?: We do not want a Constitution written on the inappropriate lines of Western constitutions which are devoid of moral values and have only law and not God as the focus of the social system. The Constitution should be written taking into consideration the main objective of a Constitution of propagating Righteousness among the subjects so as to make the attitude of the entire society sattva predominant. In fact, the Constitution should be based on holy texts such as the Ramayan, the Mahabharat and the Shrimadbhagvat. Such a Constitution will ferry across not only India but all other countries on the face of this earth.

No elections: Elections have absolutely no role to play in Indian culture. Since majority of the people in the society are average people, they do not know what is real happiness. Hence elections have no importance. If it is decided to find the worth of a jewel or a beautiful piece of art, what is the use if thousands of blind men are brought to do it? Only one with vision will be able to pass a proper judgement. This is an example of gross vision. One who is blessed with gross vision and the vision of knowledge will be able to come to a better conclusion. However one who possesses the vision of Righteousness will be the best judge. Only seekers who possess the vision of all these three types will be able to provide the best leadership to the country.

3.4 Various aspects of the Divine kingdom

• Financial: ‘धर्मेण अर्थ:’ means acquiring wealth by righteous means and not by corruption.

• Educational: Education to realise God. Universities of Spirituality will have to be established at various places for this purpose.

• Health: 80% of man’s physical, psychological, financial and other problems occur due to spiritual reasons. They can be overcome or alleviated by undertaking spiritual practice. Hence stress will be laid on the practice of Spirituality.

• Judiciary: Judges will be seers in the Divine kingdom. Hence present day issues such as being deceived by lawyers, hearings getting delayed for years together, getting cross-examined, appeals being made in higher courts, etc. will not occur in the Divine kingdom. Whether the accused is present or not, the judges will know the truth and give an instant verdict.

• Art: Fostering of art will not be merely for its sake rather it will be practised to realise God. This shall be the basic principle behind learning art.