Share, Care, and Be Aware

G.L. Sharma for Acharya Shri Maharshi

ABSTRACT

During difficult times, we should analyse our achievements and failures. It helps us find new

ways for improvement. Humanity is going through both the inner and outer turmoil. The

concept of Share, Care and Be Aware given by Sri Maharishi aims at calming down it.

The saying ‘Share, Care and be aware’ signifies a way of living that is comprehensive and

universal – dipped in bliss, fulfilment and meaningfulness. With these values, life attains

infinite expanse. And all – embracing love, compassion and empathy fall within its ambit. Everfresh as they are, ever true as they are – always assuming and unfolding newer meanings

compatible with the changing times, they can never be seen as an anachronism even in the

modern world of science and technology. They transcend the limits of time and place and

always hold true. If the human civilization or rather the universal equilibrium has to remain

intact, it has to be propped up by these time-tested values. Universal ideas do not spring

from strenuous intellectual exercises. It is the highest level of consciousness attuned with

cosmic energy and rhythm and the spontaneity of austere lives of the great seers that these

transcendental ideas take root in, which, in turn, nourish, flourish and blossom every atom

of the universe infusing them with zestful life and maddening fragrance. Anyone can feel

the inner ecstasies and peace by adhering to these ideals. The relevance of these ideas

becomes more prominent in difficult times, though they are always there with us to navigate

and guide us through thick and thin. Therefore, it becomes a little easier to understand the

true import of the wise words of the great seers at the time of crisis.

Indeed, are we going through a big crisis. Time is ruthlessly asserting its unpredictability. It

has ever since been asserted but this time in an unprecedented manner. We could never have imagined that physical distancing rather than proximity will be a buzzword all across the globe in a matter of a few weeks. Could we ever have anticipated a situation in which people will extoll confinement and exhort one another not to mix even with their loved ones – not even when someone is in acute pain – not even at the time of death. What a brutal turn it is! What hidden message lurks from behind what is discernible is yet to unfold.

It is, in fact, a tumultuous time. It is the times such as these when humanity is compelled to

pause for a while in order that it may take stock of its hitherto scaled heights or gropes in dark caverns. Difficult times develop deeper understanding and make us give second thought to what we have been hitherto doing.

It is the times such as these when we need to turn to our vibrant and dynamic legacy. But

legacy is often misconstrued in that it is believed to be just a set of rules bound to be followed without questioning. Any voice raised against these rules or injunctions laid down in books or embedded in tradition is regarded as rebellious thereby rendering it lifeless.

Stagnant water always tends to stink. Our legacy is not inert. It is full of life and dynamism as

it promotes free thinking and absorbs any nourishment that helps it flourish and thrive. It is

always open to changes and like a river always flows with majesty, always connected with its

source yet flowing freely forward. Its primary concern is to keep moving. We gain wisdom and draw inspiration from the past, live the present to the fullest and try to anticipate the future.

Sages and Yogis have ever since been fine-tuning societies to the contemporary needs and

challenges. Yogiraj Acharya Sri Maharshi is one of such seers. He belongs to the ancient yogic tradition of India. Yogis are always devoted to the well-being of the universe. Acharya Sri Maharshi's heart bleeds to see the plight humanity is going through. For him ecological wellbeing is far more important than individual salvation. Human beings have taken this

assumption for granted that they are superior to all other species and they have every right

to enjoy this universe the way they like and they are free to rule all other species.

Notwithstanding nature’s repeated warning calls, our false ego is not at all ready to give-in.

We have been ignoring man-made disasters for a long time and making a mockery of the

nature. This towering superiority complex seems to have shattered now with the advent of a

tiny virus, SARS-CoV-2.

Yogiraj Acharya Sri Maharshi's terse uttering “Share, care and be aware” has immense hidden meaning. An attempt is being made to decode his enigmatic words. It is not an easy task. However, I feel, this message can bring about a very positive change in the way people think. Therefore, it must be explained and disseminated. I tender my anticipatory apologies for the inadequacies and flaws which, given the limitations I have, may inadvertently creep in.

Although the words like isolation and distancing can be heard more than a thousand times a

day yet the world stands united in the fight against this tiny virus. As it wears a crown, it is

reigning the whole world, posing threat to kings and clowns alike. This virus does not have

the word ‘discrimination’ in its dictionary suggesting to the human beings that they should

also eliminate this word from their dictionaries too.

Shri Maharshi’s uttering begins with the word ‘share’. Today we share the same boat with a

threatening hole namely Covid-19. Nature has forced us to share the same lot. This is

compulsive sharing not impulsive or instinctive.

Adversity and helplessness are calling for sharing more than ever. Peoples all across the globe need help from one another. A few months ago, Canada was requesting U.S.A. to send masks, U.S.A. was requesting India to send it hydro chloroquine tablets. Some countries needed Personal protective equipment (PPE) kits and others needed ventilators. These requirements are still persisting. As soon as the second wave of this dreadfully dangerous pandemic set in, India, given its vast population, is already in dearth of almost everything – ranging from medicines to oxygen concentrators. The way help is pouring in from a large number of countries augurs well for humanity. But there is the other side of the coin also – a very dirty side indeed. Few people have been making the most of this pandemic. We have seen both the sensitivity and the insensitivity at their best.

However, collective medical research and mutual help are needed to combat this deadly virus. It has left us with no other choices but to share our resources and knowledge. Sharing, by now or rather long ago, must have been a virtue by default, had we heeded the wisdom we do have as our legacy. Let us wonder how our rishish, so long ago, exhorted humanity to be considerate and compassionate to one another. This message is not confined to any particular country, people, sect, religion or any other divisive identity for that matter.

The very first verse of Ishopnishad, thus millions of years ago, underlined the necessity of

sharing:

“ईशावास्यिमदं सवर्म् यित्कं च जगत्यामजगत्। तेन त्त्यक्तेन भुज्जीथा मा गृधः कस्यिसद्धनम्।।”

Whatever is dynamic in this world is permeated with God. Use sparingly what God has given. Don’t greed. Whom does this money accompany?

Share

Shri Maharshi underlines the need of sharing at four levels:

Material Level

The earth belongs to all species but a wrong notion has crept in that it is the sole possession

of human beings only. The sense of sharing has ceased to exist. We use the earth and its

resources at our own discretion. It is impossible for us to get along in isolation. Our survival is

not mutually exclusive. Ignoring even an atom exerts harmful impact on our well-being. In the bigger scheme, letting others enjoy their fair share is not an option but an obligation. For every creature on our planet has a specific role to play in the scheme of sustainable

development. If any one of them is deprived of the conditions conducive to its thriving, the

ecological balance of the earth gets disturbed. There’s a huge gap between the ecological

footprints of human beings and the rest of our flora and fauna. Only fair sharing of resources

will give them a chance to survive. We must accept the fact that the distress we create for

others always boomerangs.

Just as I was thinking about writing this article, a sad news broke that the finance minister of

Germany had committed suicide. Things have come to such a pass that our inner turmoil does not allow us to be at peace with ourselves even after grabbing the bigger chunk. We have already witnessed extinction of a number of species. They are not being allowed to share the resources. Their natural habitats are being usurped. Who entitles us to be the sole owners of this universe? Now a tiny virus has waged war against the whole humanity and our

helplessness is quite discernible. Just imagine it is invisible yet invincible. What if the whole

nature retaliates? So, giving other species a chance to thrive afresh is the need of the hour.

Emotional Level

Hierarchy in the name of caste, creed, nationality, or anything else for that matter has built

walls. The false tags fastened around our necks chock our throats thereby preventing us from

sharing our emotions with others. Our upsurging emotions do not find vent and pressure

inside creates an unbearable disturbance. Even relations we establish are reciprocal to utility.

Most relations are not spontaneous, they are being delicately and deftly maintained and

manoeuvred. This has led us to insecurity and faithlessness. Society as a whole is bound to

bear the brunt of it. Sharing your emotions with the innocence of a child is what Shri Maharshi is referring to.

Our emotional quotient (E.Q.) is gradually diminishing due to our self – centered and

mechanical behavior. Small worldly gains and a little social recognition and appreciation begin to gnaw at our lofty ideas. Greed too takes a monstrous shape. It admits of no sympathy or empathy in our lives thereby damaging the warp and the woof of our social fabric.

Intelligence quotient (I.Q.) is always dignified. It has been enjoying a very high status in

society. We have been entertaining a false notion that the greater the I.Q., the better the

man. Thus E.Q. remains unheeded. However, it is the lofty emotions that transform human

beings into a truly humane society. It is the refined emotions that make men feel for others.

It is the emotions that bind us together and teach us to live as families and communities etc.

I don’t intend to undermine the role of intelligence in human progress. It, no doubt, has its

own specific role in sustaining and advancing humanity. But emotions have a greater role to

play in that they inculcate in us a sense of compassion, coexistence and cooperation.

Emotions assisted by imagination create beauty out of chaos. They make our hearts pulsate

with awe excitement and wonder which, in turn, catapult human progress. They give us wings to fly high into the regions of exquisite beauty, peace and ultimate good.

Intellectual Level

We happen to be born somewhere and the viewpoint rampant there is gradually made to

seep within us. The ultimate aim of our lives becomes to sustain ourselves and defend that

viewpoint, no matter how quixotic it is. Different ideologies and isms have thrown the world

into a chaotic state. Man is perceived and defined with the facade he wears. As an unmasked

man, he stands nowhere. Some self-proclaimed custodians of various convictions have held

the people at large to ransom. Every effort is made to suppress their free-thinking. How-not-to-think education is supposed to be the real education. To remain stay-put in a coterie is

extolled and whosoever tries to break free faces absurd arguments and even threats. That is

how intellectual sharing is shunned. It is high time we all ventured into the vast treasure of

knowledge. There is nothing like unquestionably absolute knowledge. Its scope keeps

expanding with the passage of time. Sharing knowledge solves many social and ethical

problems. Let us break virtual walls and embrace knowledge, no matter where it comes from.

Let us share the perennial fountains of wisdom and inspirations, no matter where they flow

from. The point is they quench our thirst, make our quest for truth more intense, and assuage our unfounded divisiveness and ailments we have created for ourselves.

Spiritual Level

We do share a lot - our time, our discrepancies, our pranks, our hatred, at times love too, and many more things with the people around us or, if I may be permitted to say, with people connected with us on various social sites. We are busy with and curious about the people around us most of the time – posting, chatting, tweeting, instagraming and what not. But we shy away from ourselves. We do not share time with us. We look all around enamored of the beauteous creations but forget to take note of the best piece. We fear being alone. We need to enhance our intimacy with ourselves. It has to be an ‘I' to ‘I’ contact. Delving deep into our consciousness we need to uncover the ecstasies lying dormant hitherto. As we are in the habit of looking outside us, we get deprived of the ultimate beauty, ultimate peace, ultimate joy, and ultimate sense of fulfillment within. Therefore, without renouncing the world, let us spare a little time to share with ourselves and watch the wonders happen.

Care

Caring for others justifies and defines our lives not the heraldry, pompous power, the respect

you command, the wealth you amass and leave behind, the great success you enjoy, the mob that follows or extolls you. Being useful to others determines the true value of life. The

frivolous achievements that we are so obsessed with and enamored of do not add real value

to life. The forts and palaces so fondly erected by the regional kings all across India are now

lying vacant.

The care you take of the poor, and the down trodden is what brings blossom and fragrance

to your life. The motive, not the material matters the most. Care infuses a sense of fulfilment

in one’s life. While the things that nurture your ego slips away from your hands like sand.

Selfless care extended to the fellow human beings and our flora and fauna as well keeps

enhancing equanimity. The all-time ailments such as greed, envy, etc dare not enter a caring

person’s territory. Myriad hued beauties keep unfolding within his heart. Therefore, take care

of others and you will be automatically taken care of.

Every cloud has a silver lining even at a time of confusion and chaos, compassion and

cooperation, the inbuilt traits of Indian people have once again come to the fore. The

benevolence and generosity showed by Indian people at the time of crisis are not

unprecedented. It is in sync with our tradition. Time is beckoning to India to lead and show

the world the way of living.

Be Aware

Science and technology have changed the pace of life. We are always inundated with so much information that we seldom get a chance to be aware. The immensity of information thrust upon us always keeps us engaged. One might argue that the more the information the more aware you are; the more the business, the more the awareness. But being busy or gathering information does not boil down to being aware.

Let me tell you a short story to explain to you what awareness is all about. Once there was a

man. He wanted to have everything possible in his life. One day he happened to meet a saint. He requested the saint to fulfil his desire. The saint told him that there is a jewel at the

seashore. But it's lying hidden as there are innumerable pebbles at the sea shore. If you can

find that jewel, it will fulfil all your wishes. The young man became very happy. Having decided to find the magical stone at any cost, he went to the seashore and thought out a way to get it. He began to throw the pebbles one by one into the sea assuming that someday the jewel will be in his hands. He would go to the shore early in the morning and keep the stones throwing into the sea throughout the day. Soon it became his routine. A pebble in hand and then into the sea was what he began to do extremely mechanically even without thinking. He became so skilled in his task that he would do it quite absent- mindedly. And lo ! one day the magic stone did come in his hand but before he could realize it, he threw it too into the sea.

That is how we go on and on in our life; absent minded; unaware. People from time

immemorial saw fruits falling from trees absent mindedly. But it was Newton, who saw an

apple fall when he was fully aware. Awareness is perceiving what has not hitherto been

perceived. Awareness is deep perception. Awareness is to explore and visit the inner caverns. Flowing with the stream is being unaware.

Every effort is being made to sweep you along. Market strategists, custodians of dramatic

disciplines, political leaders and society all want you to follow them suit blindly. One may have one’s own experiences and convictions. They are free to share them with others. However, compelling others to conform to them without questioning is not acceptable. Perceptions and ideologies are often forced upon. How strange it is that we are not allowed even to size ourselves up. Others force upon their assessment of us on us and throw us into a false world of make-believe. Yet others pretend to be aware for us. You cannot hire or authorize anyone else to think for you or to be aware for you.

Now the choice is ours – we keep going the way we have been doing or mend our ways.

Nature has quite expressly given its message – we are in the same boat – each one of us

carrying his / her own oar to row – either we sail together in sync or sink together in

disharmony.