The Nava Bharat Times of Bombay had published sometimes before a news from Mount Abu dated 18th Nov. 1958 where our Prime Minister Shri Nehru had spoken of misuse of public fund in the name of religion. It is rampant all over the country nay all over the world as much as there is misuse of public fund in the name of political progress. We have a number of cases of this nature in the High Courts of the State in which both the religious heads of Mathas and Temples have been heard to be complicated in criminal offenses. And in the same way politicians, ministers, secretaries, police-custodian were caught red hand and some of them resigned from the respective posts and some of them were punished by the court of justice. We have now very recently some glaring examples of these cases in the political groups of ministers' sinister activities in one of our neighbouring countries and they have been charged with many criminal allegations as well as that of misusing the public funds.
If a statistic is prepared, however, comparatively the so-called religious heads will be lesser in number of being complicated in criminal offenses than the political heads of the state. But that does not mean that the religious heads of Mathas as well as temples shall be allowed to collect fund in the name of spiritual activities and then apply the same in the matter of their sense gratification.
As the statutory Government has right to collect taxes from the citizens for their welfare, so also the statutory ecclesiastical order has the right to collect taxes in the shape of alms for the citizen's spiritual well being. The principle is that the state tax is inevitable for the material welfare of the people and similarly sacrifice for God's service is essential for the spiritual welfare of the same. The state and ecclesiastical orders are essential services for all round welfare of the people. And if one of them or both of them are vitiated then the people become the sufferers in all respects. Such a state of affairs have already come into stay at the present moment for want of standard knowledge of the human being and the result is all round unrest, scarcity, disturbances, diseases and lamentation.
Pandit Nehru is right to warn such religious heads of temples and Maths but this warning or punishment upon them will not be sufficient discharge of duty unless there is a thorough reform of the whole management of spiritual institution with full cooperation of the political heads. Like other various departmental ministries in the cabinet there must be a 'Bhagwat Geeta' ministry for spiritual upliftment of the people without which other department will be a combination of zeros in the long run. The Bhagwat Geeta ministry will not at all collide with the secular state as the spiritual science is meant for all living being including the animals and others in the lower rank.
Taking all these matter in consideration and to cure this headache of Pandit Nehru regarding the activities of the religious heads of Maths and Temples sometime before we had to invite him to join hand in an organised spiritual propaganda for reforming all people including the so-called sadhus and politicians. The copy of the letter is as follows:
"My dear Panditji, please accept my respectful Namaskar. I beg to inform you that your speech on 2nd August 1958 at the Gurukul University Hardwar has given me some inspirations to inform you something about Indian culture. The principle of Indian culture is spiritualism which defies the external attraction of phenomenal materialism. You are thinking of adjusting western ways of material advance with Indian spiritual culture and I beg to give you herewith the clue that materialism conducted with an aim of reaching spiritual perfection is the right adjustment of human activities.
"If the aim of spiritual realisation is missed, the whole plan of materialism is sure to be frustrated and that is the law of Nature. The law of nature is so made by a superior brain and authority that nobody can surpass the intricacies of material nature simply by partial and sporadic adjustment of material science. The history of the West beginning from the time of Greek and the Romans down to the modern atomic war-is a continuous chain of sense gratificatory materialism and the result is that the Westerners were never in peace within the memory of 300 years of historical records. Neither it will be possible for them at any time in future to live in peace till the message of spiritualism just suitable to the present age does not reach their heart.
"Therefore, India may not waste her time in imitating the western way of life. You have admitted it that the India's culture is of very high order. But at the same time you want to bring in material prosperity of India by scientific advancement of knowledge. And what is that scientific knowledge? Spiritualism is also advanced scientific knowledge. You cannot give even the desired material prosperity to the people in general without spiritual help. Swaraj of Mahatma Gandhi was adjusted more in spiritualism than by materialism. Do you think that horseless carriage or telephonic or radio communication or any other such ephemeral facilities of life can bring in material prosperity? No it cannot. Material prosperity means that the people must have sufficient to eat or to maintain the body and soul together in sound health for further development in spiritual consciousness which is conspicuous by its absence in the sense gratificatory life of the animals. Do you think that your different plans have brought in that standard of material prosperity or that modern western civilization can bring in that ideal prosperity? Even they are given all the facilities of material needs yet the unrest will continue to grow till there is spiritual satisfaction of life. That is the secret of Peace.
"Both the Americans and the Russians are better materially advanced and although they have different political philosophy of life, still they are not materially happy and peaceful because both of them are unconsciously hankering after spiritual realization as the child cries for the mother without expression of language. You can help the people of the world for satisfying their spiritual needs as the true Indian messenger of peace. The world has recognized your sincere effort for endeavouring peace in the world and this is the suitable time to help your friends and at the same time glorify the standard of Indian spiritual culture in scientific advancement of knowledge for world peace. Please take up the matter in cool brain.
"Poverty means poverty of knowledge. Prime Minister Chanakya Pandit used to live in thatched house or cottage but he was the dictator of India in the days of Emperor Chandra Gupta. Mahatma Gandhi, your political Guru, voluntarily accepted the ways of the so-called poor Indians and still he was the dictator of India's destiny. But was he actually poverty stricken on account of his plain living with the primitive Charkha? He was always proud of spiritual knowledge. Therefore it is the spiritual knowledge which makes a man really rich and not the radio set or the motor cars etc. Please therefore try to understand the position of Indian culture and try to give it to the western brothers in the prescribed standard method of the liberated persons and that will be an exchange of Indian culture with western material advancement necessarily; this will bring in a happy life in the peaceful world."
This letter was not even acknowledged by his secretariat. And after reminders only the letter was acknowledged as follows:-
"Dear Sir, please refer to your letter dated the 30th August, 1958 was duly received here. S /-D.P. Chopra Private Secretary to the Prime Minister."
Unfortunately the Pandit had no language to reply this letter because of his lack of spiritual knowledge and he thought that this institution might be something like the so many mathas and temple which have become the source of headache for the Pandit.
It is said that an unfortunate man who was cheated repeatedly with counterfeit coins concluded that there is no genuine coin in the market (?). Our Panditji has at his heart an impression like that. He thinks that any spiritual organization whatsoever it may be is a dungeon for accumulating public funds and then misuse it for questionable purposes. He however approves of the so-called Sadhus who does social service and talk nonsense in the spiritual science. This is so because he has no depth of spiritual knowledge for himself although he is Brahmin and Pandit. Ignorance in spiritual knowledge is the qualification of the Sudras or the labouring class. Intelligent class of men or the Brahmins must possess spiritual knowledge as a matter of necessity otherwise they will be unable to execute business in the proper channel for everyone's welfare.
The League of Devotees stands to fight out spiritual ignorance of the intelligent section of people in human society, modern philosophers and religionists. We have no sympathy for the so-called Sadhus or stereotyped ecclesiastical order nor we have any sympathy for the fallen politicians who capture political powers simply by voting strength. Neither we have any special love for any particular country, community, caste or creed. We stand to save all people, all philosophers and all section of religionists in all countries at all times from a dangerous type of Godless civilization. There is no good for patch up treatment without knowing the root cause of the disease. One Postmaster friend asked what is the need of acknowledging or worshipping God if a man is honest, benevolent, good in dealing etc. We replied that a man who does not love God cannot be an honest, good and benevolent man. In the Godless civilization everyone is a diseased fellow. The so-called Sadhus who say that "the world is false and the absolute is truth" and the impractical politicians who say the "absolute God is nowhere and only the matter is all in all" are all fallen in the estimation of the approved spiritual knowledge. As such we think that the politicians are in the same category like the so-called heads of Mathas and Temples because both of them want something in return for self aggrandisement. Every politician is ambitious to become Prime Minister or the President of the state while everyone of the so-called renounced order of Sadhus wants to sit on the throne of Narayana (?) the Lord of the Universe. That is the policy at heart of every Godless creature and all such mentalities are subtle form of material diseases. All such men hanker after something for self aggrandisement in the name of service to God or to the people. And so long this feeling of sense satisfaction will prevail all of them are sure to misuse public fund improperly. How misuse of public fund at the disposal of the state exchequer is being done will be clear from the recent inquiry report to the Union Home Ministry. The Hindusthan Standard of the 22nd September 1958 writes as follows:-(Ref. Truth Vol. XXVI No. 24 D/3-10-58 page 378.)
"The existence of a network of Pakistani spies in West Bengal is understood to have been referred to in a secret intelligence report sent to the Union Home Ministry.
"In the report it has been stated that well educated persons are engaged in anti-state activities which have for some time past been confined to border areas of the state.
"These persons suspected to be the leaders of Pakistani agents in this state include one member of the Lok Sabha, three members of the state legislature, four trade union leaders, some religious leaders of the labour and police departments of the West Bengal Government and some members of the management of several journals published in the state.
"It has been pointed out in the report that some influential member of a particular community in this state have been financially helping the Pakistani agents. The nerve centre of this network is located at a secret place in central Calcutta. Quite often some high officers of the West Bengal Government have been found to visit this centre.
"One important centre of this agent is stated to have been situated in the Calcutta dock area. This centre it is alleged has the active support of one officer of the State Government. Rejection it is understood has also been cast on the moral character of this officer."
Honestly speaking Pandit Nehru should also warn his own henchmen more sternly than the religious heads of Mathas and temples. The so-called Sadhus may fall down from a high spiritual order for want of sufficient spiritual strength but such acts as illicit connection with woman, but still it will take some time to convert them into political spies while in the service of the Government.
We would once more request Pandit Nehru to have some careful reading over the pages of Bhagwat Geeta which was the life and soul of Mahatma Gandhi and thus reform the whole polluted situation of a Godless civilization. Our beloved Panditji is very much afraid of the word "God" or Krishna but we can assure him that there is no such cause of fear because Krishna is everyone's friend and the best sincere friend able to render real help to everyone who seeks bonafide help from Him. When Arjuna sought help from Him in his bewildered condition Shri Krishna began His instruction to Arjuna like this: [Bg. 2.11-12]
Ashochyan nanvashochstvam prajnavadashcha bhasase
Gatasoonagatasoonshchananushochanti Panditah
Natvebaham jatu nasamna tvam neme janadhipah
Na chaiba na bhavisyamah sarbe bayamata param
All the Pandits worth the name must know it certainly that every living being is eternally existent and therefore they have some eternal duty which is completely different from the present occupations in relation with the temporary body and the mind. Therefore there is no use simply warning the occupants of the Matha and temples like a pedagogue. The best thing will be for the physician to heal himself first. Because in Godless civilization, while the occupants of the Mathas and temples have been the cause of headache for the Pandit, the same thing under a different label have become the cause of headache for other European and Asian statesmen. The unbridled youngsters of those countries under the names of "Teddy Boys" in England, the "rebels without cause" in America, the "Half Strong" in Germany, the "Leather Jackets" in Sweden, the "Children of the Sun" in Japan, and the "Style Boys" in U.S.S.R. are some of the by-products of a Godless civilization. And that is the root cause of all headache. That requires a thorough treatment.
According to the Bhagwat Geeta these unwanted children of all countries are known as the Varnasankara. In the present day in order to check the over-growing population of the world they are all anxious to make propaganda of family planning or in other words the married couples do not want children but they want to enjoy life (?). This enjoyment against the laws of nature is the cause of Varnasankara. And when there is over population of the Varnasankara type of citizen the whole world becomes unfit for habitation by the saner section of human kind. Practically the whole world is turned into a dungeon hell. Chastity is the only means to check an overgrowing population of the Varnasankara class. And if you have no respect for chastity you must suffer the consequence of the Varnasankara population.
On the whole the conclusion is that the root cause of all troubles in the world disease is the mistake of accepting matter for the spirit. This is a false background of the modern civilization. The foundation of life being built on the surface of sand, the whole structure on it is sure to collapse. Because every living being is a spiritual spark, he can be happy only when there is spiritual engagements. India's basic principle of civilization was to keep people engaged in spiritual activities according to different modes of life and therefore India's cultural life is so lofty and valuable which is admitted by our Pandit Ji. As such no amount of material plan can satisfy the spiritual spark and that is the secret of treatment for the world epidemic.
We requested Pandit Ji to join hands for combating this infectious disease but he silently refused to accept this. Will he therefore once more reconsider the offer for his as well as all others well being? We pray to God that good counsel may prevail upon him.
[By His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,From Back to Godhead Magazine,Volume 3, Part 18, April 20, 1960]
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