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THE TRUE FLAG OF VICTORY
Bhagawan Speaks on Bharat
Nearly two and half
decades ago while speaking to the students of His university on this day of
India's independence Baba clearly set forth before the young minds the
ideals and idols they should pursue. He also elucidated what independence
means in its truest sense. Here are a few excerpts from that revealing
discourse delivered on August 15, 1985.
One must learn lessons from one's
mistake, repent and resolve not to commit it again. The history of India holds
forth before us the folly of repeating the wrongs already done.
The French, the Portuguese, the
Moghuls and the Afghans have all warned Indians against this nature. French
Governor Dupleix has recorded that he was able to establish French rule in the
then Karnataka region with the help of the Nizam. Mir Jaffer helped Lord Clive
to conquer Bengal. Raghunatha Rao Peshwa helped the foreigner to conquer
Maharashtra.
Foreign rule was established in India, with the help of Indians themselves.
Inhabitants of an island, eleven thousand miles away, were able to conquer
India, sixteen times its size having eight times its population, and rule over
it for one hundred and ninety years, because of one basic defect - disunity
caused by mutual suspicion, selfishness and jealousy. Union is strength;
disunion brings disaster.
When Gandhi was twenty-four years
old, he proceeded to South Africa at the invitation of an Indian business house
to conduct a court case. There he witnessed the humiliation being heaped upon
Indian settlers by the Whites. Differences can exist between man and man in
health, education, wealth and temperament. But fundamentally all men are equal
and should be treated as such. But racial animosity was the accepted policy of
the White rulers in South Africa.
The Advent of
Sathyagraha by Gandhi
Gandhi stayed on among the
oppressed Indians and native blacks and devised the strategy of Sathyagraha
(passive resistance or civil disobedience) to end the exploitation.
When the movement showed signs of quick success, General Smuts invited Gandhi
for discussion.
Gandhi explained to him that he had
to resort to non-violent Sathyagraha since the inhuman policy of
insulting and injuring humans having black skins had to be resisted and
exterminated. General Smuts retorted by pointing out to Gandhi how millions of
Indians - human beings like the rest - were kept out of villages and condemned
as untouchables. The General's word acted as a bullet shot right at the heart of
Gandhi.
Gandhi felt that he had no right to correct another while he was himself
infected with the same evil. He decided to return to India and practise
the strategy of Sathyagraha for the removal of untouchability and other
social evils and to free his Motherland from exploitation by foreigners.
Sathyagraha was the
path of Truth and Love, of the means being as pure as the ends. Verily, he who
accepts criticism gladly and thanks the critic for his remarks is the one really
human. Since Gandhi was willing to learn
and had the humility to acknowledge criticism, he could mould the people of his
land and be hailed as the Father of the Nation.
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He looked upon the country as one.
He planted the seed of unity of all faiths and all communities, which under his
guidance grew quickly into a big tree. He built a great movement on the basis of
Atma bhalam (soul-force) that strengthened unity and self-confidence.
Selfishness that had possessed the nation as an evil genius and mined its
progress in material, moral, political and spiritual fields, was suppressed
while the movement was on. The people suffered
much but sufferings is the prelude to success. There is no rose without thorns.
Without giving, no one can gain. How can anything great be achieved
without overcoming internal and external obstacles?
The Meaning of
Swatantra and Swarajya
The independence we celebrate today
was finally achieved and proclaimed at midnight on August 14, 1947. What exactly
does the word 'independence' mean?
It means we are not dependent on
anyone, any longer. We are dependent on ourselves alone. The Indian word for
independence is Swa-tantra. It means 'our Tantra'. The word Tantra
means 'the Atma'... So Swatantra means independence from
everything except the Atma.
One should always follow only one's
heart; that is our only Guru and God. There should be no dependence on the
others. This is the stage of Swarajya, becoming the sole
monarch of oneself. The word Swaraj,
commonly used for an independent state, connotes only absence of worldly
dependence. Independence can be enjoyed by man only if he gets rid of bondage to
the senses which drag him into tantalising ventures. The attainment of
Yoga, involving sense-control, expansion of love, and cleansing the
consciousness, is the true goal. Only when this happens can God's glory be
reflected in the heart of every individual.
The True Flag of
Victory
Love for one's motherland is good.
But it should not lead to hatred towards the motherland of others. Your prayer
has to be, "May everyone everywhere be happy and peaceful." For, only when the
world has peace and prosperity, can India be peaceful and happy...
Your peace and happiness are linked with the
world's peace and happiness. Any act of hatred or violence committed by
you will pollute the atmosphere of the world. When you adore any living being,
the adoration reaches God, for He is in every being. Similarly insult to any
living being too reaches God. So, expand love towards all, everywhere.
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The flag is the symbol of victory,
of the joy of Independence. Each nation has a flag for itself.
Pay attention to another flag to symbolise
another laudable victory. And this is over one's lower instincts, impulses,
passions, emotions and desires. This is the flag which has to be unfurled
in every human heart. When you achieve this victory, you will become the true
inheritors of Bharatiya (Indian) culture.
- Divine Discourse on
Independence Day, August 15, 1985
at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute for Higher Learning, Prashanthi Nilayam.
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