Realizing Kali devi

deva-asura

In bharatiya samskriti, the tendency to benefit the world, enabling it’s sustenance, is termed deva; and that to self-aggrandize is termed asura.
Whenever asura tendency rose inordinately, and sustenance of Earth was threatened, corrective action was made to retain the balance of society and of Earth by the conscious bharatiya.

The world today

The world today is divided into two factions- the slaves of west, and the rest.
The slaves here refer to people who are already brought under western self-aggrandizing system. They are used to propagate western culture of self-aggrandizement further, imposing it upon the rest.
The ‘rest’ include the rest of the peoples who have still not been consumed by the voracious western system. These are largely confined to peoples living in close proximity to Nature in remote areas and a rare few who live amidst areas of western influence and rebel against western hegemonical imposition. Besides these, the ‘rest’ also include Nature- plants, animals, birds, environment and Earth.

The slaves

The slaves are further divided- those who willingly toe the line of western masters and collaborate in imposing western superiority and strengthening it, and those who, having interacted with westerners in equal manner, having seen them as no better capable than anybody else, refuse to accept superiority of the westerner and uses the positive characteristics and achievements of indigenous culture systems of their countries to claim equal recognition. They yet remain within the western system, indulging in the avenues of self-aggrandization provided by it, are an integral part of the western system drawing sustenance from it. All they want is a bigger share of the pie than they are currently provided with. These people may go on to develop clones of the specific western system that they are opposing, with features of indigenous cultures added.

The ‘rest’, by contrast, recognize the value of indigenous culture systems and live it. Their aim in life is directed by the indigenous systems and are non-aggrandizing. They are occupied in realization of their aims in the ways recommended by their ancient cultures.

The model slave

Within the western system, while every body is slave to the system, some are superior slaves- superiority based on utility of the slave to expansion of the system. Slaves who provide maximum benefit to the western system are rewarded and feted and projected as role model to others. They are provided with all material comforts that the system is able to provide, and are shown to live a luxurious life so that the rest are motivated to emulate such ‘achievers’ and similarly benefit the system.

The motivation

Western systems nurture narrow selfish considerations, motivate unbridled self-aggrandization, and constantly shape ideologies and create systems that enable it to trample upon what it considers as ‘others’, to mindlessly exploit Nature, and everything else.
They created an entity called ‘god’ that was designated as the creator owner of entire creation, and then appropriated for themself the rights to speak on its behalf. The Catholic Church led western society then decreed every ‘non-believer’ and all other living beings and Earth itself as having been created by that ‘god’ for exploitaton by ‘true christians’. That system of exploitation of peoples and other living beings have been continuing for millenniums. The selfish nature nurtured by that system invariably throw up tussle to claim the rights to speak on behalf of the mute entity ‘god’. That spawned clones of catholic church- protestants, orthodox, islam and their many variants. It also created aggrandizing systems for economical and political exploitation, such as Capitalism, Communism, Nazism, Fascism, Nationalism, Racism, Socialism, Democracy. These systems have been but tools for a few to fool the many, appropriate the resources of the world and to make the many slave for the few. The motive of selfish aggrandizement inherent behind these systems create unbridgeable chasm between their theory and practice.

me and mine

Western systems distinguish those who are part of it and the rest, by various terms that have changed over time. Once it was ‘roman’, and ‘barbarian’, then ‘christian’ and ‘pagan’, ‘muslim’ and ‘kaffir’, ‘christian’ and ‘heathen’. Later, ‘white’ and ‘native’/’indian’/’tribal’, ‘working class’ and ‘brougeoisie’. Currently it is ‘modern’ and ‘primitive’ in the ‘modern’ society.

The base of such labelling is narrow selfish mentality that distinguishes this is mine and this is not, described in a sloka of mahopanishad– “अयं निज: परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् ।”.
bharatiya samskriti recognizes such selfish behaviour as arising from narrow mindedness and cherish the next part of that sloka– “उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ॥”- for the wise, entire world is family.

bharatiya sampada

bharatiya samskriti is shaped by the realization- aham brahmasmi (yajur veda), prajñānam brahma (rig veda), ayamātmā brahma (atharva veda), tat tvam asi (sama veda).
This realization enabled bharatiya parampara to view all creation as one family- vasudhaiva kutumbakam. It also motivated respect for all beings, attitude of service, and recognition of atman as beyond physical.

Bharat today

The current lot in Bharat, however, have been educated under the western education system that inculcates self-aggrandizing selfish attitude within each person. That education system serves the purpose of turning human beings into willing slaves of the western aggrandizing system.
The ‘educated’ lot in India today thus are bereft of a sense of self other than identification with their physical body and material possessions, and a purpose of life other than to indulge sensual cravings and self-aggrandizing urge. These people, deracinated, willingly slave their lives away, amassing material possesions, and consider that achievement. Even when they rise against the injustice perpetuated by the western system, they remain within the system, use the tools provided by the system, are guided by the system itself and retain all the characteristics inculcated by the system. The alternative models they offer are therefore just another version to aggrandize and self-promote- a clone of the existing western system with a different appearance.

Therefore many of these people accept the label created by the westerners- ‘hindu’, and try to organize themselves under that label, defining it variously to suit current needs, and indulge in the ‘us’ vs ‘them’ practice of western system. In the western system ‘us’ and ‘them’ are ostensibly defined by identification with family, place of birth, community or politico-religious allegiance, and actually by the strength of identification a person shows towards such categorizations, unlike in bharatiya samskriti where it is the person’s sense of dharma that is the paramount criteria. This concept of bharatiya samskriti is even echoed by Jesus, who asked people to cherish their neighbour, defining the ‘neighbour’ with the story of a samaritan who helps a jew in distress, explaining that the ‘us’ is not defined by narrow considerations of family of birth, position in life, occupation, or politico-religious affiliation, but by the sense of rightness or dharma, that was displayed by the samaritan when he helped the jew, thus proving himself to be the true ‘neighbour’ of the jew. The parable by Jesus shows the samaritan as engaging in nishkama karma advised by Sri Krishna in bhagavad gita, when he not only tends to the injured jew, but also takes him to nearby inn and pays the inn-keeper for taking care of the jew.
Jesus was crucified by the aggrandizing romans, who then expropriated his ideas, established a church to cut off access to those ideas by lay people, claimed the sole rights to speak on behalf of Jesus, subjugated peoples for millenniums, spawned its clones in politico-economic field and continues to do the same even now. The present day ‘christians’, educated by such church, naturally display the selfish, materialistic aggrandizing behaviour of the romans, and are far removed from Jesus, just like the present day indians, educated by the british created education system, are strangers to bharatiya sampada.

Destroying the western Raktabija

Devi mahatmyam tells about an asura Raktabija who produces clones of himself with every drop of his blood that falls on the ground. Kali devi drank the blood of that asura, preventing it from falling on Earth. Thus sucked dry of the clone producing blood, the asura was killed.
The clone producing blood of the western systems are thoughts of narrow self identification and resultant urge for selfish aggrandizement. It is this that produces clones whenever a western system is attempted to be destroyed.
Thus while steps are taken to destroy the western systems, it is necessary to also remove the thoughts of narrow self-identfication and selfish aggrandization.
It is by thus drying up the clone producing thoughts of narrow self-identfication that world destroying western systems of aggrandizement can be destroyed.

Realizing Kali devi

Kali devi, the ferocious power that sucks dry the aggrandizing thoughts, arise from Durga devi, the strong sense of rightness, and is later stabilized by Shiva bhagavan– the realized yogi.

 

* namaste *

Notes:

1. In this text western systems have been identified as characterized by self-promoting selfish attitudes since the systems created by the west have consistently displayed such charactristic. The term ‘westerner’ is thus used for a person who behaves in self-aggrandizing manner. bharatiya samskriti calls such people mleccha. A person of non-western origin who behaves in similar way is also thus a ‘westerner’. Whereas a person born and living in the west, yet does not practice the self-aggrandizing ways of the west is not a ‘westerner’ in the context of this text.

2. The historic authenticity of person named Jesus is questioned by many people. However, the relevance of the parable of Samaritan and Jew used in this text is independent of historicity of Jesus. That is, the parable retains its meaning and relevance in the text  regardless of whether Jesus was a historic personality or a personalized concept of messiah.

Decision Making in Society

Decision Making in bharatiya parampara

In bharatiya parampara decision making occur at four different levels.

Level One. Follow another person or group. Do what s/he does on the assumption that s/he knows better, on the basis of life experience/knowledge level/ merely because it is easier to follow and/or because of being enamoured of the personality- kama.

Level Two. Decision on the basis of anticipated material advantage, artha.

Level Three. Decision on the basis of what is righteous- dharma. Choosing the option that sustain values in society.

Level Four. Decision on the basis of brahma-jnana. Decision taken with intuitive knowledge of brahma.

How the decision is taken reveals the varna of the person or group or the society.

Traditionally in bharatiya parampara decisions affecting society were taken by the kshetriya under the guidance of brahmana guru, criteria for decision being upholding of dharma. Such decisions encouraged dharmic values in society and fostered prosperity and peace.
Decisions on family matters took into account artha– material aspects, in addition, while on personal level, kama– personal preferences, were also considered.

Decision Making in Modern Democracy

In a modern democracy, it is the majority consent that decides matters at societal level.

Majority consent is shaped by public opinion formed on the basis of the following mediums:-

1. News Media– Television, radio, newspapers, magazines.

2. Art – Movies, TV serials, drama, songs, dance, sculpture, paintings, cartoons.

3. Academy– Educational curriculum, text books, classroom discourse, research programmes.

4. Government, including Judiciary- government sponsored schemes, information campaigns, policies, governmental institutions, offices, government servants, law and law enforcement agencies.

5. Political party/NGO activities– demonstrations, mass movements, public awareness programmes, personal interactions.

6. Commercial organisations– MNCs, private companies, advertisement campaigns

7. Religious discourse– Church, Mosque, Sunday Schools, Madrassas, Satsang.

8. Traditions and Culture.

9. Public personalities– Sports stars, movie/tv stars, Sant, Baba, ‘Intellectuals’, political/society leaders, artists, media personalities.

How each of the above mediums perform vis-a-vis the criteria of kama, artha, dharma and moksha, influences the shaping of public opinion and varna of society.

Tamas

News media that follows the lead of western media, Art forms that are shaped under western influence, Academy that looks towards the west for inspiration and direction, Government that is based on western model, Political parties and NGOs that are influenced by western discourse, Companies that function on the lines of western organisational structure and motivations, Religious discourse based on western thought, Traditions and culture of western origin and Public personalities under western influence. These help form a society that is tamasic in character, sudra in varna, that always seek to follow the lead of somebody else.
On occasions where no previous model exists to follow, such a society defers its decisions until passage of time throws up a default decision or presents an emulatable course to follow.

Tamasic Rajas

When the mediums that shape public opinion act with the motive of material gain, society acquires rajasic quality in addition to tamas. Such a society has media dominated by news of material nature, business and financial matters; Art forms exploring technical excellence, deficient in ethics; Academy oriented towards technological advancement, devoid of morals; Government actively involved in infrastructure building, economy, promoting consumerism; Political Parties, NGOs funded and sponsored by business houses. Commercial organisations dominating society; Religious discourse colored by material motivations; Traditions and Culture stressing on material accruement, and Public personalities selling products.

The discourse of such a society will be on material benefit. Decisions revolve around this criteria.

Sattvic Rajas

When the mediums shaping public opinion discourse on values, society acquire sattvic tinge along with rajas. Such a society will have news media discussing ethical ramifications while analysing current events, Art aimed at inspiring altruistic imagination in minds of the public, Academy oriented towards fostering moral living values in society, Government acting decisively to uphold righteousness in society, Law and judicial decisions reflecting dharma, Political parties, NGOs acting motivated by values, Companies producing goods for sustenance of society as well as Nature, Religious discourse directed towards righteous living in harmony with diverse viewpoints, Traditions and Culture promoting moral values in society, and self-effacing public personalities upholding dharmic values.

In short, rama rajya.

Sattva

When the public concentrates on moksha, the mediums that shape public opinion converge towards that goal. In news media, incidental nature of news lose relevance and karmic causes and ramifications are paid attention. Art forms a medium to experience and express realization. Academic pursuit, like all other, orient towards brahma-jnana. History is no more mere chronicling of incidents, instead record the eternal cycle of creations and dissolutions under karmic effect and their dharmic lessons provide inspiration and guidance towards spiritual living. Centralised government lose relevance as people govern themselves dharmically at local and individual levels. Companies shrink in size and number as materials required by society reduce. Religions disappear as people live spiritually. Traditions and Culture inspire realization and Personalities dissolve upon brahma-jnana.

Society Today

Indian society today, by and large, emulates western society and engages in material advancement at all costs to individual, family, society, nation and Nature. Thus it shows predominantly sudra varna that is transforming into vyshya.
Symbolically, India today is headed by people chosen for their sudra characteristic of followership, though trained to be vyshya – products of the british created education system designed to produce technically qualified workers for the empire.

Way Ahead

As rajas rises in society, represented by the transformation to vyshya characteristic from sudra, to check the deleterious effect on human psyche and on Nature, of unbridled rajasic indulgence in materialism, evident in human society today, and for long term sustenance, of individual, society, as well as Nature, tempering and channelization with dharmic considerations are necessary.

Increased deliberations on dharmic aspects at societal level impart kshetriya varna to society and raise sattvic characteristic.

Sustained rise of sattvic characteristic inspire brahma-jnana.