Opening Address

June 1978, Summer Course 1978, Brindavan

Published English.

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In this sacred country , the quality of forbearance has been the greatest of our traditions. Adherence to truth has been one other important ideal. What can be sweeter than the widely accepted custom in this country according to which, we respect the loving aspect of the mother. Further, our honour is more valuable to us than even our life. We are prepared to give up our lives to protect our honour. Alas! we are forgetting these ideals today and accepting in their place, foreign ideals. We have forgotten our own culture. What else can I tell the citizens of this country? Like an elephant which does not know its own strength, the citizens of this country do not know their strength.

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Today, in our country, spiritual values have disappeared, has declined, adherence to truth is not found anywhere, demoniac features like cruelty, unkindness, lack of truth and egoism have spread everywhere. At one time, this country was known all over the world for Dharmic conduct. Like the parents who feel sorry when they look at the improper educational attainments of their children, the motherland of India feels very sad when she looks at us, who have lost faith in our spiritual traditions. In order to pacify this motherland of ours, it is the duty of the young students to do service to the community and learn the right things which education is expected to teach them. The country does not merely consist of dust and land. It consists of people who live in it. Students should recognise that setting right the country means setting right the people and putting them on the proper path. The first natural outcome of education should be the ability to do some service to the country and re-establish the spiritual values in the country. We should thus show that we have a leadership of the world in this aspect.

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We should realise that all the leaders of today were at one time students. If you want to become leaders at a later age, the sacredness that will make you good leaders must be cultivated at this young age. Politics is good in its own way, but it is not good for young students. After you finish your student career, you can decide for yourself what is good for you. If you enter politics while you are a student, you will not be able to do well in either of the fields. This is neither right nor good for your conduct. In the political sphere, it is not as if there are no petty feelings like jealousy, ego or anger which drive you to a bad or a wrong path. The political sphere is such that it promotes differences between people. It is not bringing about unity among the people. Lust is like a demon, jealousy is like a madman and ego is dreadful. These have become a part of our daily life, and so we are not able to make much good out of our lives. Man is losing the human qualities inherent in him, because he is filled with ego. He does not understand his true form. He is also not making an attempt to understand his fellow human beings. This ego is such a bad quality that it has ruined even gods and angels and not only human beings. When this ego enters the minds of students, the very fundamental aspect of education disappears from them. Education gives you humility, and humility leads you to deservedness which in turn will give you wealth. Wealth should enable you to take the dharmic path. Therefore, students should first learn to be humble and conduct themselves with humility. Today, although the students learn very little, they feel very proud. Because of this, they are losing the broad hearts that they should have. Education is not intended to simply amass wealth. It is intended to reveal the true and sacred nature of life. Not only this, the respect that students can command and the honour which they have in the society will depend on the qualities which they exhibit. What is most important to man is his character. When the students can promote character in themselves, they will be able to do good to the country. I am also hoping and asking the education minister, who is present here, to see that in all spheres - the worldly sphere, the dharmic sphere and the moral sphere - that good things are taught and that the tender minds of the students are protected. The students today take a lot of trouble to acquire a degree but they use that degree for eking out a livelihood. Are they spending even a small fraction of their time for promoting good qualities in themselves? Do not be proud of your meagre education and think education is intended only to get you a degree. It is intended to enable you to do service without ego and help your country and your people to prosper. We are converting the sacredness of education into the form of a begging bowl. It is very necessary to inculcate a sense of values in the students and train them to smilingly and willingly sacrifice for the prosperity of the country. So long as we depend on the attractions of the world, we cannot escape the predicament in which we are today. When we are prepared to sacrifice fully, our prosperity will grow. We must become warriors who are prepared to do active work. The country cannot prosper by having a number of lazy people. Without wasting our time and life, we should be able to take to the path of spiritual enquiry and promote the sacredness of this great country of . After spending thousands of and giving a lot of trouble to our parents to get a degree, we are then turning this degree into a begging bowl, and we go from office to office for a job. We should become people who can stand on their own legs and resources. It is the first duty of the students to learn to value hard work. We must show our gratitude to our parents and then develop the determination to serve the community. The happiness and safety of the country should be your first aim. You must recognise that the true meaning of education is to give satisfaction to your parents and to your country. This will bring prosperity to the country.

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