Article on Gnana Chintane - Social Service a Necessity – Why?
in Kannada by Shivamallu, Environmentalist (Translated to English by Sri. RS Gopalachar)
The world has already advanced quite far in the field of science, and is still advancing using all the natural resources available. To keep himself in peace and happiness, man uses all his faculties scientifically, puts forth more and more efforts and thus becomes more and more prosperous materially.
Even today, putting forth a lot of effort, man is engaging the next generation also in the same task. But such efforts, man is becoming more prosperous economically, whereby he can afford to buy whatever he desired, to enjoy life. In this there is a competition between man and man, each trying to excel the other. In this struggle in life all he derives is the zenith of unhappiness and dissatisfaction in life.
Man who was earlier leading a happy and peaceful life i.e., in the education of our forefathers, they had Haribhaktisara (lesson in devotion to Lord), Bhagavadgeetha, epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Bible, Koran and moral stories leading to right thinking and living. These would instil into the younger generation, right from childhood the right knowledge, devotion to God, a life of truthfulness and right conduct, as also respect and regard for the elders, the feeling of oneness with people around, hospitality, the right knowledge for man’s survival and causes for degeneration with the knowledge and understanding, more than man’s physical body, his inner self and mental status were like a clean white sheet of cloth without any crease or stain. Each sharing the happiness and sorrows of others, discussing philosophy and God. He was feeling that he was a part of the divine, in all his activities. He was also feeling that any result accruing (good or bad) was bestowed by God.
Those days, man always thought, in his heart of hearts, of the existence of God. For example: ‘The sea has not form but taste (Saltish)’. But the salt prepared out of sea water of this taste of salt as God, the God has no form i.e., un-manifest. But if the multitude (Some 84 Lacks) of living beings created by God, enshrine the God in their hearts and understand that He is guiding our activities and adore others as much as they would adore God, they would lead a happy and peaceful life.
By struggling aimlessly, he spoils his healthy and starts using drugs and medicines prepared scientifically. He creates for himself artificially cool breeze and gardens. As the population increase, the production of food and other things also increased by scientific and modern methods. By using artificial manure, the vitality of food produced reduces and man gradually loses strength by consuming this and becomes weak compared to our ancestors, who were having unadulterated food, fresh air and physical exercise by means of hard work. Day and night, he works very hard in trying to improve his bad healthy and weakness. He feels that his application is for his happiness and satisfaction. But his mental peace and happiness are a hundred times further away compared to the improvement in life. This type of scientific and modern life can be compared to the life of the bullock tied to the oil mill. ‘The bullock of the mill gets tired going round and round and slows down gradually. Then grass is tied to a stick attached to the yoke; when the bullock sees the green grass it chases it forgetting its fatigue, so that it can eat it. But in vain. The bullock cannot avoid turning the mill without benefit’. So is the position of man struggling between ill health and misery and good health and happiness.
The factories and plants are churning out material goods on improved technology and the vehicles are spewing out smoke etc., pollute the atmosphere heavily and the rivers are polluted and poisoned by pollutants, leading to rapid deterioration of general healthy. Thus, as it goes on, man’s life gets filled with many worries; his physical and mental health also deteriorate badly. With this mental state, he makes a mountain of a mole hill as regards even his minor problem in life. As time goes on, mankind many perish. As a solution to all these problems, numerous laws and rules are promulgated, by which country and the individual will be lurking in darkness due to ill healthy, unhappiness and loss of peace of mind.
To overcome all the above problems and to lead a happy, peaceful and healthy life, we should first understand ourselves. As the adage goes, ‘Of what use is a man’s life, if he does not lead a pure life, in spite of his intelligence?’. We human beings, with all our intelligence, should strive to develop pure knowledge as otherwise we would be wasting our precious lives. We should be real human beings, useful to society and to ourselves and not be a thorn in the life of others.
We human beings, without intelligence, should develop proper human values and like our ancestors, should lead a life, developing equanimity and understanding with each other and not lead a life of selfishness pestered by miseries and unhappiness and we should go ahead with these in view.
Main, if he wants to lead a proper human life, having real happiness, peace and tranquillity and if he wants to attain salvation, should just follow the foot-steps of our ancestors and understood the causes for our miseries and degeneration and way to progress and also make own people and people around understand them. Then and then alone, there will be unity, each will understand the others and lead a life of peace and happiness.
If we should see that distress, ill healthy and unhappiness are to be eradicated from our society and country and peace, healthy and happiness re to be established, it is absolutely necessary that we should deeply think over and get the correct understanding and knowledge. With this through, man becomes a real human being with a good healthy, sound mind and divinity, leading to salvation.
With this, we sincerely appeal to everyone globally to co-operate with us in our endeavours to establish Health, Education, Peace and Happiness. The Bharatiya Samaja Seva Trust (R.)has come forward with several programs in three divisions i.e., 1. Health, 2. Education 3. Peace and happiness. Towards this we request your encouragement and support to establish the same.
