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Mass education from religious platform (Dharma Chakra Pravartan Evam Lokamanas Ka Shikshana): Vangamaya Vol-36

Religion has an intimate relationship with human sentiments and hence has prominent impact on the course of life…It deals with intrinsic faith, inner aspirations, deep psychology, philosophical intuitions and realizations in the inner world of consciousness. The basic purpose of religion is arousal of people’s faith in divine values and inculcation of the divine sentiments existing in the deepest core of their minds and hearts….
Religion, in principle, may be defined as an ensemble of harmonious combination of spirituality, ethics and metaphysics of collective consciousness. Religion is not a set of rigid principles or dogmatic doctrines. Rather, it is a continuous flow of the nectar of ethical values and spiritual qualities which keep alive the linkage of individual consciousness with the omnipresent supreme consciousness and Nature. Any religious system or school of religious philosophy which emanates from the springs of this natural flow must be free from the bonds of rigid traditions, superstitions, prejudiced principles and narrow outlooks….
Liberal thinking coupled with the eternal sentiments of love, compassion and service – is essential for sustenance of the roots of religion in any system. Such a system not only supports the coexistence and welfare of all living beings, it also possesses the potential to guide and evolve the future development of the society, nation and the world as a whole….
Today, when the ‘crisis of faith’ and the ‘epidemic’ of declining moral values have emerged from all directions of life, the need for the refinement and revival of originality of religion has become all the more necessary. Realizing this and envisaging the impact of religion in the human society, Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya had endeavored both – refinement of the religious system and enlightenment of masses through this medium. His efforts in this regard remind one of the vedic era when the eminent scholars (the rishis) of yore had guided absolute education in the schools of life and Nature through the system of global religion.
This volume presents a sketch of Acharya Sharma’s thorough reviews of the different disciplines and modes of practices as taught by the rishis vis-à-vis their status and relevance in today’s society. His deliberations include wide ranging topics covering the purpose and original forms of the practices of pilgrimage, the festivals and fasts, the grand organized congregations during the religious fetes of Kumbha, etc. Here, Acharya Sharma has also offered adept guidance on how these ‘customs and traditions’ could be modified and made useful for the purpose of progressive management, refinement, education and elevation on the personal and social fronts.
The Sadhus and Brahmins (sages and saintly scholars) of the ancient Indian society used to constantly tour around different parts of the country for the noble purpose of social welfare and development via educating the people through the multi-disciplinary system of religion. Acharya Sharma has highlighted the importance of altruist service of this kind and emphasized the need of revival of this tradition. He considers this service as an excellent type of sanyasa (literally meaning renunciation of worldly attachments for holy purposes) which could be easily adopted by people who have fulfilled their responsibilities towards their dependents. He advises all those in the category of “grand parents” to come out of the thraldoms of excessive attachment with their grand children and also pay attention to the other needy children and people whose status of life might be improved with the help of their knowledge and experience….
Elimination of blind faith and superstition from the minds of the so called ‘religious’ people is itself a great social and religious service which the scientifically educated and liberal minded people could easily offer…. Prudent decipheration of the original purpose and forms of religious teachings is also essential for meaningful education from the platform of religion.
Acharya Sharma’s call for people’s participation in the above kind of noble mission was heard by many awaken souls and his own life had motivated many of the educated and talented people from different walks of society to join hands with him in this important task initiated by him some time in the early 1940s. The number of such dedicated members of his “Gayatri Pariwar” mission has been increasing constantly since then. These disciples of Acharya Sharma have indeed become the Purohits (guiding lights for the welfare and progress of the society) who have contributed towards the revival of the ideal traditions of the Sadhus and Brahmins.
It was for the first time in the post medieval era that the teachings of Yagya and Gayatri – the foundational elements of the Indian Philosophy and Religion – were reviewed in scientific light. Acharya Sharma’s original thinking and vision had made it possible… The “purohits” trained by him perform Gayatri Yagya and shodash Sanskaras (refer volume nos. 25 and 33 of this series for details) in ideal manner free of cost and without imposing any restrictions of creed, caste, community, sex or social status for participation of the masses in these religious programs. Through these programs they also teach the philosophy of ideal life and the art of refinement and escalation of physical, mental and spiritual potentials and talents.
The creative programs of mass education aimed at intensive training for the refinement and development of personality, progressive management of family and upliftment of the social system can be successfully implemented from the platform of a comprehensive religious system. Because, true religion, by its very nature has the power to reach and enlighten the inner domains of mind with divine glow and thereby arouse one’s internal strength and potentials in the righteous direction….
Other modes of teaching may serve the purpose of cultivation and development of specialized skills or talents and expansion of knowledge in the external domains of life. But, none can reach the inner world of individual selves. Therefore such modes cannot exert the kind of simultaneous impact in all dimensions of life which religion can. No system of law, education or externally imposed disciplines can awaken one’s conscience and mold his convictions, attitudes and mode of life unless an urge of this is educed from his own inner self. Religion certainly, if propagated and inculcated in its pure divine form can help ideal culmination of mankind.
Acharya Sharma writes –”In the ancient times, the Sadhus and Brahmins used to devote their lives for selfless service of the society. Whole world was like a family for them. Every living being was dear to them…. Such was the influence of religious inspirations that the Grihasthas – married couples engaged in the transaction of worldly duties, too used to dedicate precious amount of their time and material resources for altruist purposes and used to participate in the mass education programs. Materialistic, mental and spiritual progress of the fellow beings was desired by every citizen of India…. Selfishness and possessive mentality had no place in the society those days…. This marvellous inculcation of religious disciplines in people’s minds and sentimental cores had bestowed the honor of “better than heavens…” on the Indian society of yore. This was the time when every inhabitant of this land was equivalent to a divinely pure being. Which is why India was described in the scriptures as the land where 33 billion manifestations of God came into existence…..”
It is a pity that a sizable fraction of the Indian society today is still living in the state of ignorance and religious misconceptions influenced in the medieval era. Over eight million fake ‘Sadhus’ and ‘Swamis’ are flourishing on the alms offered by such people in the name of religion. The word ‘Brahmin’ has become a symbol of castism… The ‘Sadhus’ have exploited people’s faith and abandoned the liberation and rise of the present state of Indian society from the sorry state of cultural slavery and religious corruption…. Even many of the learned and materialistically progressive and forward looking people are seen wandering around some of the rich and mighty ‘Sadhus’ of this category….
The above scenario of bankruptcy, communalism and commercialization of religion had deeply agonized the saintly heart of Acharya Sharma…. He therefore had decided to create an ‘army’ of dedicated volunteers of high integrity and moral character who would set the live examples of what are true Sadhus and Brahmins…. Thousands of men and women – most of whom are grihasthas and are fulfilling their commitments towards their own families too, have been trained under his mission.
The mass education programme undertaken as part of the “Pragya Abhiyana” of his mission include ideal celebrations of popular festivals with emphasis on public awareness on – the purpose of these festivals, teachings of the symbolic rituals performed with them and overall benefits of fasting, alms, Yagya and prayers etc associated with them. Sincere devotion of a small fraction of one’s time, resources and talents for the welfare and enlightenment of others is propagated as the best charitable contribution here. Elimination of the weaknesses of one’s own character or malice of thought and sentiments and sincere adoption of a virtue – is described as the best kinds of offerings that should be made during the rituals of worshiping the God. Detailed analysis of authentic quotes and excerpts from the religious scriptures are also presented in the discourses or workshops organized along with above kinds of religious programs.
The sessions of public awareness on health, hygiene, literacy, removal of superstitions, avoidance of social anomalies like castism, dowry, feasts for the peace of dead relatives, etc, and discussions on relevant co-operative projects for the concerned village or society, etc, – are auxiliary to above programs as part of the social reforms pursued by Acharya Sharma’s mission. Arranging for good books within the reach of the masses and inspiring them to read the same to know themselves and the world in scientific and liberal light is also propagated during the Yagya programs as part of the “Vichar Kranti Abhiyan” of this mission.
How the visibly small efforts pertaining to the day-to-day life of people can lead to creative implementation of revolutionary changes in the society and lay the foundation of resurrection of human religion and divine culture – is guided in the present volume along with details on different aspects of the above programs of mass education from the religious platform. It is an open invitation for all of us to come forward and participate in this great endeavor of the millennium and thus contribute our level best in the annals of human history.