Address At The First Krishan Kant Memorial Lecture

Evolution of Enlightened Citizen

I am delighted to participate in the First Krishan Kant Memorial Lecture being organized by the Servants of the People Society. My greetings to all the distinguished participants and the members of Servants of the People Society. Krishan Kantji was born into a family of freedom fighters and his father Lala Achint Ram was one of the founder members of the Servants of the Peoples Society founded by Lala Lajpat Rai. Lala Achint Ram was a valiant and fearless fighter for India?s freedom and courted arrest many times and laid the foundation for the freedom movement.

Nobility in politics

Krishan Kantji participated actively in the Quit India movement of 1942, while he was a student. I understand, he first mooted the concept of providing the power of choosing ?None? in an election. He was also responsible for creating Sathya Mandir in many villages to promote the observance of truth by all the villagers. He proved that in political system nobility is possible. I have personally met him and his family a number of times; he was extremely helpful, forthright in his thinking and a man who practiced value-based politics. Krishan Kantji loved his mother Mata Satyavati. It is a great honour to have her in our midst who has herself done great contribution during our freedom movement. It was a moving scene, when Krishan Kant passed away; his graceful mother was sitting by the side of his mortal remains with great grief. He was a lovable human being. I pay my tribute on behalf of the nation to this enlightened citizen of the country.

For my address today, I have selected a few thoughts particularly to suit this occasion. The topic is ?Evolution of enlightened citizen?. First, I would like to share the spiritual pilgrimage that I experienced during my visits to Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir and RILA Monastery in Bulgaria.

My pilgrimage

(a) Bihar Experience:

When I visited Bihar, I was really moved by the way the land of Bihar emanated as an integrated spiritual entity. I saw, through my visit Apapuri the sinless town, a sacred Jain pilgrim center with a beautiful temple of white marble where Lord Mahavira had delivered his sermons. In Jal Mandir the place where Lord Mahavira attained Nirvana, I paid my respects in the temple while chants of religious slokas rent the air. At this time, I saw lotus flowers around me blooming in the Jal Lake. When my mind was engulfed in the flowers, I remembered a couplet written by a famous Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar 2000 years ago, which gives the axiom of life.

The couplet means: whatever be the depth or the state of cleanliness of the pond, the lotus flower springs out and blooms majestically looking towards the sun. Similarly the human living can be transformed into a purposeful high living, only when a great aim engulfs the mind of the individual. I also visited Bihar School of Yoga, which guides yoga projects and medical research association with prestigious hospitals drawing inspiration from Adi-sankaracharya. We visited Khanquah Rahmani a holy shrine established over 100 years ago by the eminent Sufi Hazrat Moulana Mohammed Ali. This shrine commands respect from both muslims and non-muslims. We went to Maha bodhi temple where Lord Buddha was born on a full moon day and attained Maha Nirvana also on a full moon day. We visited Takht Shri Harmandir Sahib, one of the holiest of five takht (in Patna City). It happens to be the birth place of Shri Guru Gobind Singhji. In all these places, I found great souls had propagated the philosophy of good life and above all these centers with multi religious environment provided a harmonious integrated ambience for the people to live in peace and happiness.

(b) J&K experience:

Similar experience, I had in Jammu and Kashmir where I visited the Mata Vaishno Devi Temple, where Goddesses Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Saraswati are venerated. The Hazratbal shrine on the banks of Dal Lake which houses the holy relic of the Prophet inspired me and gave me divine feelings. Gompa (Budhist Monastery) at Leh, where I met venerable Kushok Bakula Rinpoche who was recognized by the 13th Dalai Lama as a reincarnation of Bakula Arhat. Gurudwara Shri Patthar Sahib, where the stone thrown by the jealous demon on Guru Nanak Devji is believed to have turned into wax. In all these places I prayed for peace. When peace comes people will live in happiness.

(c) RILA Experience:

Most important event which I would like to share is the visit to a Christian Monastery in RILA located in the hills of Bulgaria. It is the biggest Bulgarian revival, spiritual and cultural centre with a 16,000 volume library including 134 manuscripts from 15th to 19th century. This holy site played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt later and is now surrounded by a big fort. While being in that divine environment amidst the Reverend Fathers aged between 80 and 90, I felt like praying. I went to the altar and asked permission of the Reverend Bishop to recite the part of the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. The prayer was repeated by all the people present in the Monastery.

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;

Where there is hatred let me sow love;

And where there is injury, pardon;

And where there is doubt, faith;

And where there is despair, hope;

And where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

For it is in giving that we receive;

?it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

? and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

The silent message in this prayer was felt by the Reverend Bishop, who blessed me by saying ?You work for world peace?. My dear friends, may this beautiful divine message of love, enlighten your life to work for universal peace.

These pilgrimages have given an experience of unity of minds, resulting in Surat Spiritual Declaration on 15-OCT-2003 evolved by the fifteen spiritual leaders/scholars.

In addition, interaction with Orphanages and large number of students also provided me an opportunity to understand the aspirations of people.

(d) Interaction at Orphanages:

Another series of visits pertain to orphanages in various parts of the country namely Dakshineswar Ramakrishna Sangha Adyapeeth and Calcutta Muslim Girls Orphanage at Kolkata, Shraddhanand Mahilashram at Mumbai, Sivananda Ashram near Kancheepuram and Ramakrishna Mission, Chennai. These institutions are a model of total integration of the society without regional and religious bias. They are attempting to mould the inmates as enlightened citizens through value based education. In some places the orphanages are so designed that it houses both orphan children and older parents. Both provide emotional support to each other.

(e) Interaction with Students:

I have also interacted with over four hundred thousand children of different age groups during my various visits. Every day at Rashtrapati Bhavan at least one group of children from some part of the country visit and interact with me. I could see in the faces of all these children a common secular feeling for seeing India as a developed nation at the earliest. Here I would like to give a message that a movement for the evolution of enlightened citizens is essential.

Evolution of Enlightened citizens

The evolution of enlightened human beings is indeed a big challenge for the world community. I was asking myself, what will be the components of such a mission? There are three components to that. The first component is education with value system, second is religions graduating into spiritual forces to bring universal brotherhood and the third is poverty eradication by attaining economic prosperity through a national vision.

Education with Value System

The best part for a person is his or her learning period in childhood at School. The prime learning period is 6th to 17th year of age. Hence, the school hours for children are the best time for learning, and need the best environment and mission oriented learning with value based educational system. This reminds me the echo from Bestolozzy, a great teacher's saying, "Give me a child for seven years, afterwards, let the God or devil take the child, they cannot change the child." That is indeed the power of the teacher. For parents and teachers, school campus and home have to have an integrated mission: education with value system. Twelve-year value-based education of 25,000 hours in the school campus is essential to establish an open and transparent society or a society with integrity. Up to the age of 17 years, the father, the mother and the teacher lead a child to become an enlightened citizen.

The Nations will target development milestones in a spirited environment instead of spending tremendous energy and time in problems initiated by small aims. This is the essential environment need for transforming India into a developed nation.

Religion transforming into spirituality

A message, I have received is that most Indians experienced and old, energetic and middle-aged, young and innocent, they all look to religion for solace and safety. I have also visited great many religious places and houses of worship throughout the length and breadth of this great country and I have met many of our religious leaders. The religions are like exquisite gardens, places full of surpassing beauty and tranquility, like sacred groves filled with beautiful birds and their melodious songs. I truly think that religions are beautiful gardens. They are enchanting islands, veritable oasis for the soul and the spirit. But they are islands nevertheless. How can we connect them so that the fragrance engulfs the whole universe? If we can connect all the islands with love and compassion, in a 'garland', we will have a prosperous India and prosperous world.

Poverty eradication through a national vision

Our nation is going through a major challenge of uplifting of 260 million people who are below the poverty line. They need habitat, they need food, they need health care, and they need education and employment and finally resulting into a good life. Our GDP is growing at more than 5% per annum. Whereas, the economists suggest that to uplift the people below poverty line, our economy has to grow at the rate of 10% per annum consistently, for over a decade.

Integrated action

To meet the need of one billion people, we have the mission of transforming India into a developed nation. We have identified five areas where India has core competence for integrated action:

(1) Agriculture and food processing

(2) Reliable and Quality Electric power, Surface transport and Infrastructure for all parts of the country.

(3) Education and Healthcare

(4) Information and Communication Technology

(5) Strategic sectors.

These five areas are closely inter-related and if well done would lead to national, food and economic security. This can be achieved only through righteous action by all of us.

Conclusion: Righteousness

Righteousness of the heart of the human being leads to a perfect life of an enlightened citizen. This is beautifully explained in ascent and descent phase of human life by Confucius. He states that ?People who desired to have a clear moral harmony in the world, would first order their national life; those who desire to order their national life would first regulate their home life; those who desire to regulate their home life would first cultivate their personal lives; those who desired to cultivate their personal lives set their heart to righteousness, would first make their wills sincere; those who desire to make their wills sincere would first arrive at understanding; understanding comes from the exploration of knowledge of things. When the knowledge of things is gained, then understanding is reached; when understanding is reached, then the will is sincere; when the will is sincere then the heart is righteous; when the heart is righteous then the personal life is cultivated; when the personal life is cultivated, then the home life is regulated; when the home life is regulated, then the national life is orderly; when the national life is orderly then the world is at peace. From the Emperor down to the common man, the cultivation of the righteous life is the foundation for all.

With this foundation, India can certainly emerge as an economically developed nation by 2020, with its civilizational heritage and value systems spreading harmony and peace to the world. My best wishes to all the members of Servants of people society and other participants.

May God Bless You.