I am delighted to be in this beautiful environment Mount Abu and interact with the BK Youth assembled here. When I see the Brahma Kumaris and Brahma Kumars, I see in them a model of discipline, serenity, selfless service and silent societal reformers.

Mission for BK

One of the important areas where I would like the BK to contribute is in the area of educating the people against female child foeticide which is prevalent in many parts of the country. In some of the States, there were 793 girls for 1,000 boys, down from 875 girls in 1991. The global ratio is about 1,005 females to 1,000 males. The conservative estimates suggest that prenatal sex determination and selective abortion accounts for 0.5 million missing girls every year. If this practice has been common for most of the past two decades since access to ultrasound became widespread we can assume that we would have lost over 10 million female children. There are stringent laws for eradicating this evil. I would suggest that the Brahmakumaris create a movement by which this tendency among our population is reversed. It will involve talking to the doctors, nurses, para-medical staff and mid-wives. They should be educated about the long term effect of this practice on the society and they should also be told that the technology must be used for the good of the humanity. It should grow the humanity instead of destroying it. One of the prime reasons for families to prefer a male child is the large scale prevalence of dowry. It is essential to educate the families to put an end to this practice. The third area could be the education imparted to the youth. The youth both boys and girls should be made aware of the long term consequences of this social discrimination. Once, they are convinced about its adverse consequences they should become the champions of this cause to put an end to female child foeticide. On the moral science the BK can propagate the doctrine ?No human has the right to destroy any life?. Since the Brahmakumaris have a large network spread in different parts of the country they can definitely launch a major programme in bringing about this aspect of societal transformation. Now, I would like to discuss about Conscience.

Light of the Soul

Conscience is the light of the Soul that burns within the chambers of our psychological heart. It is as real as life is. It raises the voice in protest whenever anything is thought of or done contrary to the righteousness. Conscience is a form of truth that has been transferred through our genetic stock in the form of the knowledge of our own acts and feelings as right or wrong. Conscience is also a great ledger where our offences are booked and registered. It is an unbiased witness. It threatens, promises, rewards and punishes, keeping all under its control. If conscience stings once, it is an admonition, if twice, it a condemnation. Cowardice asks, "Is it safe?" Greed asks, "Is there any gain in it?" Vanity asks, "Can I become great?" Lust asks. "Is there pleasure in it?" But conscience asks, "Is it right?" Why have we become deaf to its voice? Insensitive to its pricks? Callous to its criticism?

The answer is corruption. Corruption is an assault on consciousness. The habit of taking bribes and seeking favours has become very common. People holding important positions have developed inconsiderateness to their conscience. They pretend everything is all right. Do not they have idea of the law of action and reaction? Have they forgotten how impressions of the subconscious mind and their force work? If you take bribes, your thoughts and actions are registered in the subconscious mind. Will you not be carrying forward your dishonesty to your next generations causing them great suffering? It is a painful reality that corruption has become a way of life affecting all aspects of living, personal as well as social. It is not merely the pecuniary corruption but other forms of corruption such as female child foeticide.

A virtuous person alone can use the instrument of conscience. In a wicked person this faculty is missing. The sensitive nature of his or her conscience has been destroyed by sin or corruption. Hence he or she is unable to discriminate right from wrong. Is it not wise to have a clean conscience and enjoy freedom from anxiety and all kinds of worries?

If you do wrong actions and sinful deeds and treat them lightly today, you will not hesitate to perform serious crimes tomorrow. If you allow one sin to enter and dwell in your conscience, you certainly pave the way for the entry of a thousand sins. Your conscience will become blunt and lose its sensitivity. The habit of doing evil deeds will pervade the whole body like the poison of a scorpion. I would like to share with you the experience of Shri D.M. Sinha in promoting spiritual values in society whom I met very recently. After his retirement from Indian Civil Service, he settled down in Meerut and has taken societal transformation as his mission.

Household Centric Model for Spiritual Values

Shri Sinha has designed a model for individuals, their families and their dear ones. It nurtures a spiritual mindset out of which arises ethical conduct. In this model, love and affection is combined with spiritual knowledge in transforming the individual, families and the other people coming in contact with the group. Sinha household emphasizes on two parameters. First one, repetition and chanting the name of the God as the regular practice and the daily study of scripture by the family members collectively. Sinhaji also promotes joint family system. These two tasks enriches and empowers human life for working with dedication as an agent of God for the attainment of perfection at home, in the work place and in the society. Shri Sinha says that the thumb rule for practical ethics is ?desist from doing to others what you would not like to be done to you?. If we keep this principle constantly in mind, I am sure we will never do any harm to any one. Here, I am reminded of a great lesson taught to me by my father when I was nine years old.

Teachings of my father

I was a school boy at that time studying in fourth class in Rameswaram Panchayat School. Those days we did not have electricity and we used to study with the help of kerosene lamp. I was reading the lessons loudly and I heard a knock on my door. We never used to lock the door in Rameswaram in those years. Some body opened the door, came in and asked me where my father was? I told him that father had gone for Namaz. Then he said, I have brought something for him, can I keep it there. Since my father had gone for Namaz, I shouted for my mother to get her permission to receive the items. Since she was also on the Namaz there was no response. I asked the person to leave the items on the cot. After that I went for my studies. Later, my father landed and saw a plate kept in the cot. He asked me what is this? Who has given that? I told him somebody came and has kept this for you. He opened the cover of the plate and found there was a costly dhoti, angawastram, some fruits and some sweets and he could see the small chit that the visitor had left behind. I was the youngest son to my parents and my father, really loved me and I also loved him a lot. That was the first time I saw him very angry and was also the first time I had a beating from him. I got frightened and started weeping. Then he touched my shoulder lovingly with affection and advised me not to receive any gift from anybody. Receiving gift with a purpose whether the giving person or receiving person is a very dangerous thing in life. This lesson stands out prominently in my mind when people come with lot of gifts with varied purposes. The incident of 1940 when I was just nine, I had with my father, taught me a valuable lesson for my life. It has gone deep into my mind and prevented me from receiving any gift in future.

I would like to mention the writings in Manu Smriti which warns every individual against accepting gifts for the reason that it places the acceptor under an obligation in favour of the person who gave the gift and ultimately it results in making a person to do things which are not permitted according to law, in order to favour the person who has given the gift. Therefore it is necessary that the quality of not yielding to attraction of gifts and presents must be inculcated in individuals, so that he/she may develop immunity against the desire for receiving gifts. It is also said that "By accepting gifts the divine light in the person gets extinguished". I am sharing this, with all of you, to say that, not to be carried away by any gift with a purpose through which one loses his personality greatly.

Conclusion

Every religion has a central component - spirituality that is driven by compassion and love. Rationality and logic are intrinsic to science and spirituality. A spiritual experience is the goal of a deeply religious person whereas a major discovery or an invention is the goal of a scientific mind. If both the aspects are unified, amalgamated in our own patterns, we can transcend to that level of thinking, in which unity is a cohesive aspect. For this environment the two major components- the Science and Spirituality, have to interact. A Peace prayer can be the foundation for both.

Peace Prayer

"Oh Almighty, create thoughts and actions

in the minds of the people of the nation

So that they live united.

Oh Almighty, bless the people

To take a path of life with righteousness

as righteousness gives the strength of character.

Help all religious leaders of the country to

give strength to the people to combat the divisive forces.

Guide the people to develop an attitude to appreciate different

ideologies and transform enmity among individuals,

organizations and nations, into friendliness and harmony.

Embed the thought ?Nation is bigger than the Individual"

in the minds of the leaders and people.

Oh God, bless the people to work with perseverance to

transform the country into a peaceful and prosperous

nation and promote world peace.

We will be partners in building

a peaceful India, a golden India as envisioned."

My best wishes to all the Brahmakumari and Brahmakumar for success in their mission of evolving an enlightened society.

May God bless you.

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