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* * *
Spiritual Harmony  

It is a divine boon and the privilege of man to nourish his mind with constructive thoughts, to purify his tongue through truthful words and to act diligently through his organs of action for the welfare of all in this world.

If in our society today, just a handful of rare intelligent men of wisdom were available, which is a must, they would have embellished this world with purities through all the media. But most unfortunately, this is not so. See the sorrowful state of the world today and particularly in our tiny island. Is it that man has lost his pre-eminence? If it is so, then the world is going to the dogs.

Vaidhika Sanathanam Dharma (the tradition of eternal wisdom) is a natural way of life. It teaches to man at large the goal which is the final beatitude, and also the means. Ahimsa (non-violence of the mind, speech and deeds) is its very substratum. It has solutions!

The Vedantic Knowledge is unique and it is a non-conflictual instrument. It has the solutions to all the conflicts and problems that one can find in the world. Those with divine grace alone have access through the gates of Dharma.

Now then, how is it that this horrible display of the evil, destructive and poisonous sore of casteism has its place in the scriptures? It is very easy for anyone to quote the scriptures with their intellectual and book knowledge. Have they understood and assimilated those subtle declarations and do they really live and practice this way of life? Are they continuously serving the people in order not to allow them to go astray?

Actions by themselves are neither good nor bad, superior or inferior. But it is the intention behind them which determines the nature of the action, please think! There is no such ‘sot métier’ in the tradition.

I, as a human being, am not an accomplished man in my day-to-day life, if I do not practise the following Dharmas:

(1) the Brahmana Dharma: having gone to a teacher, having received the teachings and dedicating my life according to what I have studied,

(2) the Kshatriya Dharma :to protect my mind from evil thoughts, irritable speech and devilish action,

(3) the Vaishya Dharma: not to dissipate my divine energy through extrovert, lustful life, and

(4) the Sudra Dharma: to keep the body, clothing and the environment clean and tidy.

Without the daily practice of these four Dharmas in life, men can only behave themselves as lower animals.

Hindus, please note: Know your culture and tradition so that you can behave yourselves properly through self-respect and respect towards others, whoever they may be, and so as not to indulge in this lower life of continuous conflicts among colleagues at work, in social and religious institutions, which are a disgusting display of mere ignorance.

In your ignorance, you allow others to have perverse opinions towards your culture.

Man’s essential nature is divine. May wisdom, peace and prosperity prevail among the human race.

At the feet of my master.

Om Tat Sat!

 

Swami Pranavananda
Spiritual Head, Chinmaya Mission Mauritius
chinmaya.mu@gmail.com

* * *

L’homme lunatique

‘L’homme est un apprenti. La douleur est son maître. Nul ne se connaît tant qu’il n’a pas souffert,’ a dit Victor Hugo. L’homme oublie vite son passé. Il oublie vite comment il a remué ciel et terre pour devenir quelqu’un, peut-être un homme de lettres ou quelqu’un d’autre qui fait honneur à son pays.

L’home peut être un écrivain. Mais quand il a la tête près du bonnet, il devient un écrivassier. Alors il cloue quelqu’un qu’il n’aime pas au pilori. Il devient un homme lunatique. Il empoisonne toutes les douceurs de la vie. Il a l’esprit agité comme un lac dans un jour de tempête. Dans cet état d’esprit il devient une proie à des pensées négatives. Il oublie que les pensées négatives sont le carburant qui alimente un esprit malade, un esprit dérangé.

Tant pis ! Car l’homme est le maître de son destin. Il est son propre ami et il est également son propre ennemi. C’est à lui de jouer le rôle du Christ ou de Judas.

Hurry Dev
Mahebourg

* * *

Unhygienic Conditions of School Toilets

As per observations made by staff working on school premises during the general election in May, and from the testimony of school children and teachers alike, we gather that the conditions in school toilets are appalling.

Many of us have grandchildren at these schools and are, therefore, seriously concerned at the lack of hygiene in the school toilets. The following are just some of the conditions that seem to be common to most, if not all, schools.

  1. Toilets in most primary and secondary schools are in an unbearable, unhygienic condition.
  2. Some schools only have part time cleaners.
  3. In others, the cleaning is not always up to scratch, perhaps due to lack of supervision and quality control.
  4. Many toilets have defective or broken flush systems.
  5. In many cases, the hand basins are in a filthy state.

Consequently, many children do all they can to avoid having to use the toilets. Many simply refrain from drinking any water; others just hold on until they get back home. In the latter case, the children must be in terrible discomfort due to a distended bladder, sometimes for hours. Medically qualified members also tell us that a lot of young people, particularly girls, suffer from constipation as a result of being dehydrated, probably due to lack of fluid intake over a long period of time.

Day in, day out, one comes across official exhortation on TV and radio about the need for washing hands and maintaining a good hygiene, because good health depends on keeping oneself clean. If we expect our children to follow the advice being given, we must at least ensure that the facilities provided are of a sufficiently high standard. Otherwise, all the official exhortation will be in vain.

We therefore, appeal to Minister of Education to take the necessary steps to redress the awful conditions prevailing in schools at the earliest.

B Rughoo
President

AB Goolamally
Secretary
St Jean-Sodnac Senior Citizens Association

* * *

Remembered

 

An old Indian melody awakens

the sleepy past;

And a musty window opens

out onto the long lost

vistas; they’re revived

in an instant.

faint feelings are reanimated;

Whilst the distant

scenes are brought near

and the many-hued moods

again appear

as the sentiments in all shades

of magical places-

from Notre Dame, a landmark

to Boulingrin, mysterious.

With the murmurs of summer

perennial, they speak

to the mind in a sweet manner.

* * * 

Vignette

 On sultry Sunday-

we languidly lay.

Under the orchard bowers

happy we were to stay

for hours.

We’d eye the sleepy geckos

and lithe green lizards,

creeping upwards

to a safe height.

Lying low, no words

uttered seemed right.

Across the privet hedge

the Xaviers had an edge

with their porcine business.

Of their ordure we had the privilege!

Uncle Saggar in all humbleness,

on his Humber would show up,

with a smile to make a bird chirp,

perhaps, to rally get-togetherness.

Meanwhle, if Uncle Taskmaster saw us,

we’d be shaken from our sloth

to sweep the yards clean

of their overnight detritus.

And, if Granddad chanced on the scene,

we’d be made to go on repeated trips,

to Andre’s store, for his cigs,

one at a time,

to be rewarded the odd dime.

A sluggish start

would unravel briskly into a tumult.

 Jeewan Ramlugun


* Published in print edition on 17 September 2010

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