CHAPTER 20 - START A BETTER LIFE – LESSON 3 – (PART V) – WALK THE TALK

 

CHAPTER 20 - START A BETTER LIFE – LESSON 3 – (PART V) – WALK THE TALK

 

Rationalists, service oriented and devotion minded are the three ways to keep trying to control the organs and associated thoughts. So even if it is difficult to control senses, if every time we become aware of the need to control the senses, half the battle is won. The journey towards trying to control the senses physically and mentally is difficult but if we achieve through a medium of our bent of mind of being rationalists, service oriented or devotional then the same journey becomes joy filled and constructive. The attempts made to control the senses and attempts made to remain mentally unattached with the senses either by reasoning, or by indulging in serving or by devotion bears fruits which gives satisfaction, enhances mood and positivity, refurbishes self-esteem and brings in a state of happiness. Even the attempts in controlling give the satisfaction. 

 

All three mental makeups are capable of giving a person a direction so as to live a happy contended life. The paths chosen are equally good and give peace, joy and lasting happiness. What happens is either we falter in correctly identifying our mental makeup or we dither and don’t tread the chosen path sincerely. We don’t walk the talk. Consistency in approach is important.  There are no short cuts and there is no easier or difficult path. If we don’t choose path as per our mental makeup then we find difficulty in treading that path and we don’t get satisfaction.

 

Action leads to some kind of reaction. The after effect of action sticks and gives happy and sad moments. To avoid any happy or sad moments if action is shunned then also some kind of action takes place. If not anything the action needed to maintain day to day body needs such as taking food or having bath or even having daily ablutions is an action. Any physical activity can be termed as an action and it’s required to sustain our life. The minimum possible action brings along with it good and bad experiences making us happy or sad. The fact is one cannot shun action altogether. So instead face it in a different way by not getting emotionally attached to the action..........keep reading !!!!

CHAPTER 19 - START A BETTER LIFE – LESSON 3 – (PART IV) – SADHANA

 

CHAPTER 19 - START A BETTER LIFE – LESSON 3 – (PART IV) – SADHANA

 

The suffering starts with getting attracted to materialistic things and indulgence of sense organs. This desire then leads to an action with the intention of a favorable outcome. Action brings in contact with things which are external to self. Till the time the action leads to favorable outcomes we are happy and enjoy the outcome. When we don’t get what we desire makes us angry and frustrated. Anger is a side product of ego. Anger makes a person lose logic. Once the rational sense is lost, person gets into trouble. Trouble and unfavourable outcome makes the person sad and restless. This cycle keeps repeating. Every now and then the person hopes, he can get what he desires then tries to control things which are not in his control. He loses the sense of what he can control and what is not under his control. The truth is other than his mind to some extent, nothing is under his control. Actions emanating from the mind looking for a favorable outcome then end up in frustration as the outcome may not be to his likings. To lead a happy life there is no prior requirement of happy situations or conditions. A person can be happy in any situation. It is a choice and a state of mind rather than depending on external factors. Happiness is mind dependent and mind can be conditioned.

 

It is important to control our senses if we want everlasting happiness. We are under ignorance when we think we are happy by as a result of happenings in our lives which are external creations. Such kind of happiness won’t last long. In fact moments of happiness ends when the action ends and we start our craving for happiness and get more and more frustrated. Unless we control our sense organs our mind won’t be focused enough to see the happiness which is within.  Controlling sense organs is not easy. Even if physically we control them it is seen that thoughts about the indulgence of the sense organs and senses gives even more frustration and restlessness. Moreover action starts with appearing of thoughts and thoughts are the main drivers of sense organs. Actions are the result of thoughts driven fueling of organs with the aim of achieving some desired results. We have to control the senses, sense organs and the thoughts behind that. It is difficult but we have to keep trying it. This is called ‘sadhana साधना’...............keep reading...........!!!

CHAPTER 18 - START A BETTER LIFE - LESSON 3 - (PART III) - JOURNEY FROM DESIREFUL ACTION TO DESIRELESS ACTION

 

So even if a person who has achieved highest conscience don’t undertake any desireful action, the person still keeps carrying out righteous actions for the universal good. For one if he stops, the followers will stop carrying out actions. Ordinary people do what is done by the role models and leaders because it is seen that when a role model accepts a thing as correct, the same is followed by people.

 

As per mental makeup of the person, upbringing, experiences (bitter or good during growing up), influences and situations a person becomes a desireful action doer or desireless action doer. Desireful action results in suffering and desireless action results in mental peace. Although the desireless action is better as it takes a person on a higher conscience level, but majority of the persons are entangled in desireful actions for various reasons. They are either convinced or unknowingly follow that path. With desireful action the fruits are sweet as well as sour. Thereby making a person happy or sad depending upon the outcome.

 

A balanced person of higher conscience and a leader should not be in a hurry to change a person’s orientation from performing desireful action to desireless action. Let the person himself through the journey of life discover the futility of desireful action....... keep reading

CHAPTER 17 - START A BETTER LIFE – LESSON 3 – (PART II) – ACTION OR NO ACTION

 

CHAPTER 17 - START A BETTER LIFE – LESSON 3 – (PART II) – ACTION OR NO ACTION

 

 

A doubt arises that – if, a balanced mind is the only reason which results in a non-doing (desireless action) then why should there be an action at all. Only keeping a balanced mind is enough to attain higher conscience or salvation or release. A gyani/ jnanin is a person who has achieved a rational mind. Lokmanya Tilak in Gita Rahasya Book 2 pg 930 writes - “On a question asked by Arjuna to Krishna that - It is then not necessary for a person who has achieved a balanced mind (gyani/ jnanin) to personally perform any action; and it will be quite enough if he imparts knowledge to people thereby making them wiser. Imparting knowledge itself is an action! To this, the Blessed Lord replies that: ‘if knowledge is merely orally imparted to those persons, who have not got into the habit of righteous and desireless action, (most of the people belong to this category), cannot rise in attaining higher conscience nor can they experience bliss. Temporary happiness on favorable outcome and sadness on a setback is all that they get by listening to a spiritual discourse. Unless they walk the talk, joy is away and permanent bliss is unachievable. If a gyani/ Jnanin absolutely gives up all Action, that becomes an example or illustration for the Ajnanin or ignorant (A person who carries out action with attached mind) to remain idle. Therefore, the Gita has laid down the important doctrine that, it is an important duty of a man who is a gyani/ Janin, to remain himself in worldly life, for the purpose of ‘loksangraha’, that is, in order to make people wise, and put them in the righteous path of living a desireless action, leading to joy. Knowing the path and walking the path are two different things. A stable mind walks the path. keep reading .............

UNIFORM CIVIL CODE

UNIFORM CIVIL CODE

 

Part IV, Article 44 of the Constitution states that “The State shall endeavor to secure the citizen a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territory of India”

 

Courtesy – Wikipedia – “Personal laws were first framed during the British Raj, mainly for Hindu and Muslim citizens. The British feared opposition from community leaders and refrained from further interfering within this domestic sphere. Indian state of Goa was separated from India due to colonial rule in the erstwhile Portuguese Goa and Damaon, retained a common family law known as the Goa civil code and thus being only state in India with a uniform civil code till date”.

Why Uniform Civil Code (UCC)?

At present though IPC is present matters of faith, religions are allowed to manage matters such as marriage, property rights, adoption, maintenance, divorce. Having Uniform Civil Code would strengthen secularism in our country and make all the citizens equal having same rights irrespective of class, faith and gender orientation.

UCC is supported by liberals and opposed by conservative religious bodies for their personal narrow short term gain. For one nation there has to be one law. This will ensure fair treatment to everyone and ensure justice to everybody irrespective of his religious orientation, class, creed and gender. An apt example is of Shah Bano case where court could not give justice to the lady where she got a unilateral divorce based on Sharia. A 73 year old lady married for 40 yrs could not get maintenance when unilaterally based on triple talaq , her husband divorced her. The SC remained a mute spectator when Indian National Congress supported a bill to protect the muslim personal law and with the brute majority of congress the law was passed and the lady did not get justice.  To read more on it one may google it.

The constitution exhorts us to adopt it. It has been in the manifesto of some of the progressive political parties and was twice considered for tabling it in parliament. This monsoon season there is a strong possibility of it getting tabled in the parliament for consideration and Law Commission of India has asked for suggestions and inputs from individuals and organizations.

The suggestion window is open till 13 th Jul 2023. Giving here the procedure to register suggestions from progressive citizens of India   -

 

Go to the following site

https://lawcommissionofindia.nic.in/

GO TO

Click on Uniform Civil Code  - Public Notice (NEW)

This window will appear

Click on View

A public notice will appear like this

 Share your recommendations/ comments / suggestions at “click here” or email at membersecretary-lci@gov.in

 I am sharing the recommendations which I have shared to Law Commission of India on the topic.

 

SUGGESTIONS FOR UCC

There should be a common uniform code (refer to article 44 of our constitution) of civility based on sound ethics and values even though people are of different faith or different religious affiliations. The values and ethics may be based on best practices customs and traditions observed by persons of different faiths for the following

 

1. Uniform Property rights

2. Uniform policies on polygamy/ monogamy/ live in relationship allowance continuance and government subsidy cover to such families

3. Control of places of worship in terms of govt/ trust/ private

4. Uniform Divorce laws

5. Uniformity upto 10 th education wrt dress and appearance

6. Uniform laws for Madrassas, Gurukuls and other faiths’ open schooling not following CBSE/ NCERT/ UGC pattern

7. Subsidy / or no subsidy for various ' yatras' of various faiths.

8. More incentives for family with not more than 2 children, highest incentives for family with no children and no subsidies/ incentives for a family with more than two children belonging to all faiths.

9. Appointment to places of worships as Moulavis/ Pujari/ or religious teacher to be made on recommendations of the outcome of internal exams/ panel interviews or such boards regulated by apex body of respective faiths/ religious body.

10. Uniform policies for trans genders from respective faiths.

11. Abolition of certain inhuman (and hurting flora and fauna) customs / traditions across the faiths/ religious affiliations after due consideration by intelligentsia of the respective faith/ religions.  

12. Abolition of coercive conversion.

13. Abolition of any art forms, depiction of any expressions denigrating any faith / religion.

14. Abolition of any local kangaroo court based on faith/ religious beliefs such as Khaps, Fatwas and other exhortations by local bodies not having any legal standing or is not based on Indian constitution / IPC and other Indian jurisdictional proclaims.

15. Creation of apex body for each faith/ religious affiliation to be met every 5 yrs to weed out time barred customs / traditions and to welcome new ideas.

16. Strive to make a society where there are no castes in any religion/ faith. To start with try to abolish the Title/ Surname/ Last name from while keeping the names of the newborns. Over the period the caste impressions would get blurred.

 

  

अग्निपथ

There is a growing chorus in the society for conscription. Conscription would instill discipline and develop the personality of youth. Government cannot afford conscription. 

The pension in Armed forces is substantial. Every year the pension bill is ballooning and it eats into defence budget. It is necessary to have substantial pension for those jawans who have given their 17 - 20 yrs of prime youth for the nation. A jawan gets pension as he completes his stipulated 17 - 20 yrs of service. As he is in his late thirties, he along with pension takes up a second career to assist his family. The pension is for next 30 plus years and after him his wife / daughter gets the pension. 

With a change in policy, government can bring down the pension bill, make average age of the defence forces lesser and thereby infuse more energy and still give an opportunity to the youth to start a new career outside when they are young. This midpath would usher benefits to  the government, the defence forces and to the youth. When the youth comes out of Agnipath scheme, they would have 10 - 12 lakhs as bounty, a good personality with some softskills learnt as agniveers and a touch of discipline. With this capital they can make themselves employable. They would also get a preference in CAPF and other central paramilitary forces. The 25 % retention is a good carrot for them to get motivated and prove themselves. So the youth should start preparing for next 90 days to be Agniveers instead of getting swayed by the opportunist opposition parties and indulging in protests.  

The defence forces have their own think tanks and any policy is after deliberations at all levels. They have there own checks and balances and so nobody should think that it is a throttled decision. 

The youth of the country prepare and join the tour of duty  -  Agnipath.

समाजात सगळ्यांनी सैनिकी शिक्षण घेतले पाहिजे व सैन्यसेवा सक्तीची केली पाहिजे असे कित्येक लोकांना वाटते. अशाने जागरूकता येईल, शिस्त वाढेल व त्याच बरोबर तरुणांच्या व्यक्तिमत्त्वाचा विकास होण्याची शक्यता आहेच. पण लोकांना जरी वाटले तरी ते शक्य होणारे नाही कारण सरकारी तिजोरीत सगळ्यांना पगार देण्याइतके पैसेच नाहीत.

सरकारी सैन्यात पेन्शन खूप आहे व त्याचा खर्च इतका मोठा व दरवर्षी वाढत जाणारा आहे की सरकारला तो झेपणारा नाही. एक जवान २० वर्षानंतर पेन्शन घ्यायला लागतो (तेव्हा त्याचे वय साधारण ३६ ते ४० असते) तेव्हा पासून तो पुढची किमान ३० वर्ष पेन्शन घेतो त्याच्या नंतर त्याच्या मागे त्याची पत्नी किंवा मुलगी पेन्शन घेते. तो ३६ - ४० वर्षाचा असल्याने व सैन्यातल्या शिस्तीच्या सवयीने पेन्शन बरोबर दुसरी नोकरी पकडून चार पैसे कमावतो व घराला हातभार लावतो. सैन्यात केलेल्या १७ - ते २० वर्षाच्या सेवेबद्दल पेन्शन मिळालीच पाहिजे. 

आपल्या सेनेतल्या जवानांचे सरासरी वय कमी होऊन त्याच बरोबर सरकारचे पेन्शन बिल कमी होण्यास साध्य असे दूरगामी धोरण अमलात आणले तर दोघांचाही फायदा होऊ शकतो. त्याच बरोबर जवानांना बाहेर जाऊन दुसरा उद्योग धंदा किंवा नोकरी पण करता येईल. अग्निपथातून बाहेर पडते समयी तरुणांचे वय २२ ते २८ असणार आहे त्याच बरोबर हातात १० - १२ लाखाचा निधीही. परत २५ टक्के सैन्यात भरती होण्याच्या गाजराच्या आशेवर ते सैन्यात असताना काम पण चांगले करतील, पुढे केंद्रीय सैन्यबळात भरती होण्यास प्राधान्य पण मिळेल व काही जणांना तर १० - १२ लाखाच्या भांडवलावर स्टारटअप सुद्धा करता येईल. तेव्हा उगाच तोडफोड करून विरुद्ध पक्षाच्या लोकांनी ठरवून व लोकांना चिथवून अग्नीपथ योजने विरुद्ध निषेध करण्यापेक्षा ह्या योजनेचा तरुणांनी लाभ घ्यावा व येत्या ९० दिवसात भरती होण्यासाठी तयारी करावी. 

मराठी पत्रकार (सगळे नाही, पण बहू) जे अर्ध्या हळकुंडाने पिवळे होऊन स्वतःला पत्रकार समजतात व एका कोणत्यातरी पक्षाची री ओढत बसतात किंवा रक्षासंदर्भातला कोर्स करून सुद्धा फुसक्या राजकीय घडामोडींवर चार वाक्य लिहितात त्यांनी उगाच ताशेने झाडण्यापेक्षा ह्या योजनेचा अभ्यास करून लेख लिहिवावेत. उगाच मोदी आवडत नाहीत फक्त ह्याच कारणास्तव अग्निपथाचा निषेध न करता त्याचे फायदे काय आहेत, तरुणांना कसे भरती होता येईल हे लिहावे. अशा लिहिण्याला म्हणतात जबाबदार लेखणी. 

तरुणांनो उठा अग्नीवीर व्हा उगाच कोणाच्या चिथवण्यावर जाळपोळ व निषेध करून काही मिळणार नाही - आपल्या देशाला ह्याच पासून तर वाचवायचे आहे. अग्निपथावर अग्नीवीर बना व स्वतःचा जठराग्नी शमवा देशाचे भले करा.

CHAPTER 16 - START A BETTER LIFE – LESSON 3 – (PART I) – DUTY DOER’S NON DOING OR DESIRELESS ACTION!

Commentary – Every action elicits reaction. There are many types of actions which we undertake during our course of life. They are grouped as under -  

Unavoidable Action – This covers base of Maslow’s Hierarchy Pyramid starting with basic needs of physiological nature like food, water, sleep and safety needs like safety and security.

Desireful Action – These actions are performed in order to gain something. These are middle part of Maslow’s pyramid covering psychological needs of belongingness like relationships, relations and esteem needs like name, fame.

Desireless Action – At the crest of pyramid are the actions performed after self-actualization. These desireless actions are carried out for the good of the maximum.

Every cause has an effect. Every action leads to a reaction. Even if action is by self, its reactions may come from inside (body and mind) and from outside (by others). The reactions or effects gives us peace, joy or sorrow. Unavoidable actions result in effects of joy or pain. Desireful actions give happy moments on suitable outcomes and unhappy moments on adverse outcome. Even though there is an effect or reaction after a desireless action, the performer is insulated from any kind of suffering.

For the discussion when the word ‘action’ is used, it means avoidable, desireful and desireless action. Where specific action is intended there it is specified.

Desireless action or duty doer’s non doing (desireless action) results from doing work or duties with a balanced mind, resulting in righteous actions for the universal good of beings and non-beings....... keep reading!!!!!!