Indian Embassy Lecture by Swami Medhasananda
(2005 August 20)

Harmony

If there was harmony, there wouldn't be a need for such lectures.

Harmony cannot be established by giving lectures and passing resolutions, this we can see from our own experience. After World War II, President Wilson passed a 14 point resolution. When Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi was told about this, she said that it would be nice if these things were said from the heart and not only from the mouth.

We will see how harmony can be established.

This is the age of an Information explosion. Technology is advancing and there is the Internet. It seems that Information is progressing at the rate of Geometric Progression, whereas Wisdom is progressing at the rate of Arithmetic Progression. So a basic contradiction exists: Unless we grow in wisdom, this problem will exist.

Unless there is wisdom and people are mature in their thinking, and at the same time, ready to sacrifice, there cannot be harmony.

People are different. This difference cannot be eliminated. People are different in so many aspects - food habits, dress, thinking, etc. Think of India. So many differences in languages even. So, people communicate in English.

Variety. Should we try to eliminate it? No. For variety is the spice of life. Otherwise, everything will be monotonous. Rather, we should encourage variety.

Then, the aptitudes and power of men are so different. By power is meant not only physical power, but the power of assimilation, appreciation, digestion, intelligence, etc.

Now the challenge is: How to accept these differences and how to establish harmony at different levels of the individual, family, country?

Usually, by harmony we think of a group. But what about the individual's freedom? For an individual's growth, liberty is necessary. But a limit to this liberty is necessary too. With rights, duties should also be accepted. Our rights are based on others' duties. Similarly, our duties should cater to others' rights.

There is Darwin's theory which says that there is the survival of the fittest. This is O.K. at the physical level, not at the intellectual level. In Sanskrit, there is a term - matsya nyaya - translated it means the laws or the ways of the fish. Big fish eating small fish. At the human level this translates to anarchy.

Swami Vivekanada said that if you appoint one teacher for an intelligent boy, you should appoint seven teachers for an average boy. In this regard,  Marx's policy of 'each according to his need' is a good one.

Modern society teaches us to be so selfish and competitive. Terms such as "Rat Race" and "Cut Throat Competition" are commonly used. The Gospel of Selfishness is preached so much that we hardly think of others. Then, how can there be harmony?

For harmony, there should be sacrifice. Of what? Selfishness.

There exists conflicts of interests and ideas. At the root of selfishness is an inordinate desire for enjoyments. As Gandhiji said: there is enough in this world for everybody's needs, but not enough for even one person's greed. We have to think in terms of Management of Desire.

What is harmony?

In an orchestra, different musical instruments are played, but the result is wonderful, with enough room for the differences.

We have to learn to live with each other: agreeably, peacefully, happily and with some purpose, i.e., profitably.

Live and let live. This is a negative approach, so not a very high ideal. There is a difference between tolerance and acceptance. Swami Vivekananda preferred acceptance. Tolerance is negative, much lower; very fragile, can break at any moment. For harmony, we have to accept.

Unless there is a higher ideal for coexistence, this living together is very fragile. At the same time it is non-productive, if you are not willing to imbibe good points from the other community.

Acceptance is imbibing things which we lack and the readiness to give our good points to others.

Both Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore had this quality. Ready to give what is best in us to others. And ready to accept what is best in others.

When we look around, We see that we are already imbibing things from other cultures, communities, countries. We notice this in the globalisation of taste and food habits; dress; music; games and sports. Yoga and meditation are also becoming accepted global.

It is easier to establish harmony in physical and cultural fields. More difficult in relationships and ideas.

Think of a family. How difficult it is to establish harmony even within a family. This gives us an idea of the dimension of this problem! At such a micro level too this exists.

There cannot be harmony unless there is a spirit of sacrifice, patience, understanding, giving more and receiving less. Because this problem is related to our minds; it is not at the intellectual level.

Think of communities. Unless there is a sense of sacrifice, there will not be a harmonious solution. The re-unification of East and West Germany was possible as the people in West Germany were willing to sacrifice.

Now let us consider religious harmony. Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus - all only preached love and compassion. So why is there so much disharmony amongst religions? Meaning of Islam is shanti, peace. So, why are there jihad, violence, riots etc. in the name of religion? The reasons are: misunderstanding; lack of right practise; self seeking interest.

There is the concept of Plurality of Religions. Sri Ramakrishna said: As many faiths, so many paths. He echoed what is mentioned in the Rig Veda: Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuda Vadanti - there is one truth, sages call it by various names. Swami Vivekananda said: I am ready to pray with the Christian in the Church, ....

There is the seemingly incompatibility of worshipping God with form and a formless God. Sri Ramakrishna gave an example of water, ice and water vapour. The same substance - H2O - appears as a gas, liquid and solid.

Some suggest: let there be one religion. Some others suggest: let there be no religion. This is like saying, if we have a headache, let us cut off the head. Religion, apart from providing Spiritual Truths, has a sociological value also. It brings peace and joy for the people.

How can we really establish harmony - at the levels of the individual, family, community? What should be the philosophical basis?

We all are human beings. But this does not work because of the differences. The Indian philosophy is: The same Self is present in all. There is no difference.

The only basis of harmony can be our increased awareness of the same Self in all. Or, put in a different way, we all are the children of the same God. Then there cannot be any violence, hatred, jealousy, selfishness. The idea is: I see me in you, and you in me.

In the Self, there are no differences of race, sex etc. How to realise that? That is the real challenge. For that, deep thinking, analysis, meditation and deep concentration are necessary. We must analyse ourselves: who are we, who am I, who are you. Raman Maharishi would lay emphasis on this self enquiry - who am I? The Upanishads say: Know Thyself. This enquiry starts with the question: Who am I? And ends with the knowledge: I am the Self; and others too are the Self.

So, this is the philosophical basis. Initially, we have to understand these at the intellectual level.

Swami Vivekananda also said that there are various things amongst which harmony is possible: East and West; Past and Present; Science and Religion. All these and others can be Harmonious.
 
At our personal level, there are three levels: physical, mental, spiritual. Harmony should be established in all these three levels. Usually, what we say, we do not always do; what we think, we do not always say; and so on. Our speech, thoughts, actions contradict each other. There is contradiction both at the intro-level and amongst the three levels. Unless we harmonise these, there cannot be an integrated personality.

Unless we can establish harmony in our own self, we cannot establish it outside. This disharmony will reflect in our actions with our family, friends etc. This is at the micro level. The same we should try at the macro level. As Swami Vivekananda said: Be and Make. Try to establish harmony in ourselves and try to help others. ･