Colour Colours the Reality

In our childhood we have studied that there are seven colours in the Rainbow. There are three primary colours - red, yellow and blue; three secondary colours – green orange and purple and six tertiary colours obtained as a result of mixing the first two groups. All other colours are combinations and shades of these. According to the psychophysicists, human being can perceive almost 10 million colours. Depending on the viewing conditions, the perception varies. However, what I want to reflect is not the scientism behind it, but the phenomenology of colour in the socialism. 

If someone is asked a question, “which is the natural colour?” obvious answer would be “White.” However, white is not considered the basic colour. In the spectrum, white is the result of seven colours of the rainbow. On the other hand, the most hated colour is, “Black.” Can anyone call ‘black’ as a colour? It is colourless or at least the absence of colour. Scientifically, when a ray of light is absorbed and not reflected back, it is called ‘black’. Therefore, neither white nor back are colours!? Yes, very much debatable. I am not going into it.  

White is the colour some people are proud about and think that it is ‘pure’ and ‘black’ as impure and vice-versa. The world has seen many wars, fights, bloodshed ever since human beings began to reflect over ‘colour.’ In the past, some colours enslaved and colonized the other. The shame is, this even continues in today’s postmodern globalized society! Can one colour be superior to another? If one colour were to be superior to the other, the whole equilibrium of the nature would collapse. 

The colour dominance depends on the light availability, its absorption and reflection. Light availability in the Polar Regions and the Tropical Regions is not the same. The pigmentation in the mineral rich and natural places like dense forest regions and arid desert landscapes varies. Temperate and cold regions have different equation. Therefore, claiming one colour to be superiority in one region and applying it to all other regions is a sweeping generalization and argumentum ad ignorantiam (fallacy of appeal to ignorance). Can anyone say a brown cow is superior to the black-spotted red cow? Absolutely no. If so, why should some human beings are to be considered superior or inferior to the other? Superiority should be gauged not with colour but with the internal traits – ones character, nature, personality, culture and behavior. In other words, your greatness is measured not with the kinds of attire you have, but with your ‘softness of heart’. 

Colour garnishes the reality. Often, multi-colour is preferred over unicolour. If the nature had only one colour, like the Arctic region (in fact not the case there) full of white ice, there would not be any creativity and life. The more colours in the nature, life bubbles out with joy. Varieties of trees and their flowers, colourful birds and animals, varieties of climate and landscape speak wonders of creation. This verily applies to human society. Varieties of cultures, people, habits, way of life, languages, relations, traditions etc. add life to the earth. The more varieties accepted by each other, there emerges a better harmony and peace. The world becomes habitable and in its real sense can be called ‘the earth’. If not accepted, the earth becomes a battle field, a hell. 

Psychologist and Counselors speak about the ‘Colour Therapy’ to treat the ‘unresolved’ brokenness of the self. It is a therapy where by a disorder or ailment is identified with an unpleasant colour. As a treatment, a colour which is pleasant and healing is filled within or the person is immersed in the healing colour. Thus, the unpleasant colour is taken away or abandoned. This heals the person. If a culture or a tradition is not a soothing one, unpleasant or if it is not making one a ‘human being’ it needs to be discarded and a culture / tradition which makes the person ‘truly human’ is to be imbibed. Years of unpleasant and subjugated life will only add agony and not happiness. Increased dose of pleasant colours will make life palatable. 

Colour blindness or Chromatopsia is disease whereby the person is unable to detect a particular colour. It can vary in number of colours. In our social life, many are not just blind to colours but also blind to the reality. Having eyes and sight is not able to see and judge. Even within the family, children do not recognize parents and parents their children and often from such families elderly parents end up in the ‘old-age homes’. What a pity! One community of people, do not recognize the other community. Many are blind with culture and tradition. Some see only the traditional language and letters inscribed in the scriptures and are unable to translate them into the vernacular language and culture and end up as fundamentalists. This is not just the case with some religions, but seen within one’s own religion and culture too. Religion, instead of binding (re-ligare = to bind) the scattered, scatters the bounded. Should I call such religions as salvific? 

I do not want be a Christian if my religion does not allow me to relate with a Muslim.

I do not want to be a Muslim, if my religion does not allow me to relate with a Hindu.

I do not want to be a Hindu, if my religion does not allow me to relate with a Buddhist.

I do not want to be a Buddhist, if my religion does not allow me to relate with a Jain.

I do not want to be a Jain, if my religion does not allow me to relate with a Sikh.

I do not want to be a Sikh, if my religion does not allow me to relate with an indigenous.

I prefer to be an atheist, an agnostic, a Carvāka, an Epicurean, a Materialist and Irreligious, if my religion does not allow me to relate with the last, least and the lost of the society hailing from any traditional background.

I prefer to be blind than to see.

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

Picture source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/colours-important-trademarks-fashion-in-season-2019-a7705261.html

Statues and Statutes: Critique of a Propaganda

Years ago, I attended a psycho-spiritual integration seminar. Every day the seminar began with a meditation at the dawn, followed by what they called ‘processing,’ a special technique of knowing one’s own inner self. One of the meditations that shook my entire person was, “The Statue Meditation.” The meditation was very simple: falling into the meditation as usual, imagining that one is a statue, becoming one with it, and finally coming out of it. At the processing, one is asked to draw in a sheet of white paper with crayon pencils in the non-dominant hand the picture of the statue that we became with all the background and structure. Certain questions were asked by the guide and we just answered them in the same sheet. This opened our inner being. I am not further going to describe what the image I became or how I portrayed ‘my-self.’ What I want to critique is the recent phenomena of statue desecration in India.

The phenomena of erecting statues have been an age old tradition to immortalize a certain ideology. It is not seen just in one particular tradition, culture or ideology, but a world-wide phenomenon. The kind of statue one erects portrays the kind of philosophy it upholds. For example, the statue of Jesus the Crucified points out that one should love unto the last drop of blood for the good of the other without condemning anyone, even the one who wants to destroy you; Buddha’s mediation statue of shows his serene mind and invites us to be peaceful in all the circumstances; Tīrthankara Gomaṭeśvara or Bahubali’s statue teaches us not to have any attachment, even to the clothes, and face all the difficulties with courage and one-pointed devotion (ekāgracitta bhakti); Ambedkar’s statue with a book reminds us of the Holy Constitution of the Republic India and its significance for each citizen of the country; the statue of Gandhiji with a spinning wheel inspires us to be self-sufficient and self-reliant with things that we own, and so on. Thus, statues remind us what they boldly stood for something earlier.

Statue and busts of Vladimir Lenin, EVR Ramasamy or Periyar and Syama Prasad Mookerjee

But the recent phenomenon of destruction and desecration of existing statues in the democratic country is an undemocratic act. It is a condemnable act. The unceremonious demolition of the statue of the communist leader Vladimir Illych Lenin in Tripura after the landmark victory of BJP, the desecration of Periyar statue in Tamil Nadu, statue of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in Kolkata, Ambedkar Statue in MP, and some reported and unreported cases about Christian religious statues elsewhere in the country speak much about the new trends of statue vandalism in the country.

However, this trend is not something new to this time. In the olden days the kings after winning the war, the victorious king either desecrated or destroyed the chief deity of the rival kingdom. Partly because of the treasure they contained like gold and silver, and partly as a sign of defeat of the morality of the enemies. When the deity is destroyed, the identity of a particular kingdom associated with it is also understood to be destroyed.

What do these vandalized statues stand for? Lenin (1870-1924), the Russian communist revolutionary, politician and political theorist who unified the Soviet Union stands for the “Marxist ideology.” Though Marxism is not the philosophy of India, the Indians are very much influenced by the philosophy of ‘classless socialist society.’ We do not find ‘class struggle’ like that of Russia in India, but we do find struggle for equality, struggle for social status and such issues which force people to accept this ideology. Erode Venkata Ramasamy, was commonly known as Periyar (1879-1973) is a Dravidian pride of Tamil Nadu who launched movements against casteism. Being oppressed by the Brahminism, launched a political party to uphold the voice of the voiceless. Today, irrespective of Dravidian parities, he is hailed as a savior figure. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (1901-1953) was an Indian politician, barrister and academician, who served as the Minister for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet. After falling out with Nehru, Mukherjee quit the Indian National Congress and founded the right wing nationalist Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a predecessor to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in 1951. He was also the president of Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha from 1943 to 1946. Mukherjee strongly had opposed the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that gives autonomous status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Thus, Mukherjee stands for ‘one nation, one constitution, one chief and one symbol’ theory. This theory was also reiterated by L.K. Advani latter.  Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (1891–1956), popularly known as Baba Saheb, was an Indian jurist, architect of the Constitution of India, economist, politician and social reformer who inspired the Dalit Buddhist Movement and campaigned against social discrimination against Dalits, while supported the rights of women and labour. He is the face of Indian democracy, and justice and equality.  

The present vandalism seems to be an attempt to replace the constitutional statutes with ideological statutes of the perpetrators. The demolition of statues obviously is a violation of democratic statutes. The democracy gives ample space for individual and community rights. It upholds the freedom of speech. Diversity is the culture of the democracy. Singularity is alien to the democracy. In a democratic country like India, people have the right to form parties, social institutions, follow the creed of their choice, and practice and  propagate the faith one adheres to. Debarring this and attempting to follow one culture and one tradition is not the philosophy of Indian Constitution.

Often, Marxism is understood to be an atheistic tradition. But, in India this is not so. Indians are very much theistic and so too are the people who profess the Marxian ideology. Secondly, Marxian ideology is a socialistic one, which respects every tradition and culture. The pulling down of Lenin statute in Tripura amidst “Bharat mata ki Jai” slogans cannot be justified by any means. What Tripura Governor Mr. Tathagata Roy said, “A democratically elected government can undo what the previous government has done” is nothing but equaling apples with oranges. Does this statement approves such acts or at least condemns it? First of all, going against the sentiments of people even if they are minority, is morally wrong. Secondly, one cannot destroy other’s property, be it of an individual, or organization or of the public. Thirdly, in the democratic situation, even renaming a road, a heritage site or any other places has a process. Taking law upon oneself as a right to do anything is not freedom.

A sudden outburst of anger or destruction in any psychological situation is understood to be an ‘unconscious act’ of the person. Unconscious never errs. What we infer from the vandalism of the Lenin statue therefore, is the eruption of lava of fundamental ideology of the perpetrators and the people who poisoned their minds. The fascist forces were on work ever since CPM ruled the state. The only way they could make their presence felt was to divide the community, and spill the seeds of vengeance and hatred. It is often said, a repeated lie can make a person believe it to be true. Similarly, a repeated hatred towards someone can make people accept the other to be an enemy. But, I strongly believe, that the truth has the ability to withstand any communal or psychological aberrations. Only the truth will set the world free.

The vandalism that we saw could be an expression of cumulative anger over a dissatisfaction of a fraction of society. The dissatisfaction could be towards the previous regime, or caused by an indoctrination, or a fundamentalist weltanschauung. Cumulative anger could also due to unfulfilled promises of the past or the failure in keeping with the pace of the total growth. A group of people think that this way is the only available alternative and there is no other alternative ways. This way of thinking is not only wrong politically, but also morally.

History reveals us that those acts of felling the memorials are not pleasant to the ears. Though the statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled on 9 April 2003 in Bagdad, the memory of the dictator is still alive with people in various forms. Though the Taliban militants dynamited the world renowned 1700 year old Buddha’s statue in Afghanistan, the memories still linger on. This kind of vandalism only proclaims the type of philosophy such people are propagating. No civilized culture of accommodation can approve this. Indian culture, which we proudly say as “sanātana” was known for accommodation. It welcomed every culture, tradition and philosophy. It has no dogmas or heresies like any other religions. It can accommodate both theistic philosophies (like Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika) and atheistic philosophies (like Sānkhya) without any tension. From the kind of unbecoming wave that is being witnessed today, we cannot but affirm the death of Indian values and culture in the near future.

Could this be a strategy to re-write Indian History? Looking at the vandalism of statues of Periyar and Ambedkar, it seems to be so. These two figures symbolize equality and justice. The thing to be suspected here is the rewriting of the Constitution and the history of India in favour of Hindutva to make the country a “Hindu Rashtra.” This re-writing is possible only then when these saviour figures are systematically established as anti-saviours. The Reuters reports, “The government of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi had quietly appointed the committee of scholars about six months earlier.” The idea is to make a “holistic study” of the evolution of 1200 years of Indian culture, though the government has vehemently denied about the re-writing of history. RSS spokesman Manmohan Vaidya said in an interview, “The true colour of Indian history is saffron and to bring about cultural changes we have to rewrite history.”  If this happens, no doubt, the democracy will be a thing of the past.

India was a country of accommodation and it should be maintained by all means today and tomorrow for the good of our new generation. For this we need rationalists and thinkers, socialists and activists, educationists and scientists. Integrity and peace come before religious ethos.  Above all, being human and teaching others to be so, is to be divine. Let us strive for this.  

Raju Felix Crasta

Professor of Philosophy and Religion

Picture source: 

http://www.sirfnews.com/communist-monstrosity-larger-than-their-fallen-statues-governments/

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/on-vandalism-of-statues-home-ministry-asks-states-to-check-such-incidents-1820589

Let there be Light: A Message on Deepavali

In the beginning there was chaos and darkness and God said, “Let there be light” and there was light (Gen 1:1-4). Light destroys the darkness. Today the whole country irrespective of religions celebrates the festival of light, called the ‘Deepavali’ or ‘Diwali’. The word ‘Deepavali’ means the chain of burning lights. It is the festival of light. This day as the sun sets in, after paying obeisance to the Almighty, the lights preferably the earthen ones (diyas) are lit and celebration kicks in. Fire crackers are burst, sweets are distributed and people dance to their heart’s content.

The scripture tells us that the people kept awake lighting lamps in the streets and homes to welcome Rama after defeating Ravan. The event was no less than any festal occasion. Thus, the day of defeat over evil is celebrated as deepavali.

Light signifies divine or at least something positive in all the cultures. When a lamp is lit in a dark place it enlightens the whole area and dispels the dark. Darkness symbolizes all that is negative – ignorance, wickedness, violence, oppression, injustice, fear, lust, anger, greed, envy, illusion, desire, jealousy, etc. The glorious or victorious entry of the divine into our life after defeating evil is portrayed in the festival of Deepavali. In other words, it is sacred conquering over the profane.

Today’s world has become a materialistic one. The place of divine is taken over by the consumerist behaviour. Sacred and holiness have become least bothered item instead of primary goal of life. People want to sell out their product more than bringing people to the real divine experience or binding together. Deepavali is identified with artificial lights, polluting crackers and sound, than nature friendly homemade clay diyas, oil and wick and homemade food and sweets.

The real Deepavali should be the expression of internal peace, joy and brotherhood. Our biggest enemy is not the other but the self (I or ego). First and foremost I must conquer myself and kill all my internal enemies. These enemies are desires, lust, anger, envy, illusion, jealousy etc. Often we are blind towards others may be at the religious beliefs, social practices, economic conditions, political views, cultural diversities, etc. If one’s religion allows one to look down upon the other whatever the situation may, then it is not a religion at all. Religion by its very definition is binding (re-ligare) or accommodating. The accommodation is possible only when one kills one’s ego and conquers one’s self. This conquering of self brings internal peace, joy and brotherhood and then only the celebration of Deepavali has a meaning.

Real Deepavali liberates the bonded ones. Ignorance is the cause of every misery. Ignorance of education is what destroys the real development. Today we are focusing on consumerist education than on the value based, morally upright education. Educating every members of the family should be the first priority of all. Investing one’s resources on education is a guaranteed cheque of the future. The lack of proper education forces the people to work as bonded labour. When every member of the family is educated both in letter and spirit is indeed the Deepavali in their life. Liberation is also sought not only by those people who are suffering due to various kinds of injustice, cruelty, bonded labour, addictions, etc. but also their household people who either depend on them or part of their life. With the waywardness and suffering in such situations can they celebrate a meaningful Deepavali?

Some learned millionaires celebrate Deepavali with pomp and glory but in reality without bhakti. The actual devotion to God is nil, but show is more. There are people living outside their bunglows hardly with any clothes to wear and food eat hoping for few bread crumbs to fall from their table. India has in reality enough to feed and clothe every citizen but not to the greed of some people. Can Deepavali be a meaningful event to such people?

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Light”. Can each one of us who light a lamp on this day of festival take a resolution that ‘I shall be the way, the truth and light’ to a person living in darkness. Let each one of us according to our capacity be a Samaritan to the needy. There are millions of people who have hardly seen light in their life. They are the people living in slums, old-age homes, asylums, child-care homes, hostels, hospitals, the rape victims, the marginalized, the widows of the brave soldiers who laid their life for our tomorrow, the people affected by injustice of the situation in various circumstances, etc. They are waiting to celebrate this festival in their life. Can I lovingly share my one morsel of food with them and wish them Happy Deepavali? Let this Deepavali be a meaningful and different one for us all. Let the light we lit bring liberation, decorations meaning, presents be sharing of success, fire-crackers burn evils, sweets sweeten the achievements, and worship thank God.

Happy Deepavali.

 
Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

"I am coming, accept me and my offering"

His feet are beautiful who walks barefoot;

and not the one who walks with shoes.

His hands are beautiful who mucks in mire;

and not the one who counts the qwerty keys.

His lips are beautiful who sings the song of lament;

and not the one who sings the song of vengeance.

His eyes are beautiful who is blurred by the blurry world;

and not the one who shines with glittering eyebrows.

His back is beautiful who is bruised with marks of scourges;

and not the one who brushed in the gym.

His heart is beautiful patched by scars of thorns and marks of lance;

and not the one who wraps in the coat of gold.

It ain't a fashion parade, nor a fuller's museum.

It ain't a bundle of joys, nor a trap for prey.

It's he who tills the land, feeds the hungry.

It is he who walks miles and miles with feet uncovered. 

It is he who feeds the multitude with a grain of seed.

It is he who is bruised and broken with lashes out.

It is he who is lynched for your glory and pride;

murdered and killed for your whims and fancy.

Where's my freedom and my will?

Am I your servant to wash your dirty linen?

Am I a burden to you and all?

Have I no dignity, right, equality and sovereignty?

If not here, should I be there in the nether world?

Questions, Questions, Questions a thousands

and none to answer.

Let me be silent now, drink my tears and eat my spittle;

For I am happy in my mother's lap.

Let me look up to the sky and say, 

"I am coming, accept me and my offering."

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

I want to Study: An Inspirational Success Story

The Recent news from Rewari of Haryana shook the conscience of the education department. The news was about the Right to Education. About 80 girl students fearing harassment in travelling a long distance to attend the higher education after Matric sat for the hunger strike. On the fifth day, the education department came up with a written assurance of opening a Plus Two school for them. Well done the daughter of India. I was in goose bumps reading the news which enabled me to pen down these few lines.

Some want to educate themselves and be somebody in the society, while the others want to be where they are! It is funny and surprising that for over ten years government did not feel the need to address the situation in spite of the repeated request for the up gradation of the school, nor it heard the cry of eve teasing on the way to high school. Some raised the voice and closed their senses willingly and unwillingly. 

Who is to be blamed? Government? Education Department? Officials? Parents? Eve teasers? Village Sarpunch? Villagers? Children themselves? Should we blame our system? Each one of us is to be blamed. But some are to be blamed more and some less. 

Government officials say that they would consider the demand of the people. But the children are not satisfied with their oral recitation of assurances. This is just because, the people have lost faith in the functioning of the government. How will the people have faith? When the government gives only bold headlines in the newspapers and TV for the publicity sake and not doing anything at the ground level, funds meant for the education are diverted to the vested interest of the authorities, schools are closed for various reasons or the existing schools are used for the political publicity, the people will lose their faith in the authorities. 

Another jolt is on the minority educational institutions. For many political parties, they are money making institutions, centers of conversion and places of anti-social activities. A watchful look at the institutions where they are established will show that they actually cater the education of the last, least and lost. But the colour blind eyes of the officials find them as nuisance to the up growing elite and fanatically oriented institutions. Therefore, in order to put a check on these, government is back footing the funds, permission and needed recognition. Other kinds of harassment are uncountable. 

Consider the present education policy. School is not supposed to fail any student till the Matric, nor the teachers can give any kind of punishment for not doing the homework. What kind of psychological markup is promulgated here? “I don’t need to study, anyhow I will pass.” If we see the children of elite, majority of them are not studying in government schools. Rather they are in the highly reputed schools of the country spending thousands of rupees per day. It is Okay. But why are the ordinary people deprived of high standard education? There is a psychological reason for it. If the minority is educated and become somebody in the society, they will be a threat for the existence of the elite. Therefore, ‘it is better that they are where they are. Push them to periphery and do not allow them to reach the centre,’ is the ideology at work. 

Another reason that we have not yet become a developed country is the stigmata that we are carrying on our shoulders. It is the stigmata of “I am not able to do it”. For the centuries, we have been telling to ourselves that we are “like this only”. Our elders said the same thing, “We are fit for washing the dishes only. We are not supposed to study. Girls any way go to their in-laws house and so why to teach them? Women are for the sake of men….” We need to come out from this and boldly assert ourselves, “Yes, We Can. We Will. We are Able.” The power of positive thinking has enabled those girls from Haryana to take a revolutionary step and demand for right to education. Today their cry is heard. India needs several such daunting girls today. 

Did those children ask for something extraordinary? Did they demand gold, silver or wealth? They just asked, “We want to study without fear.” They asked for their right. Child has the right to ask for the basic necessity from its parent and it is the duty of the parent to provide what is moral and just. Government is the parent of every child. It has the duty to provide quality education and make the child grow in wisdom and knowledge. Today several children in our villages and slums are earnestly requesting the same, “provide us teachers, provide us education, provide us knowledge, provide us schools, provide us schools of higher learning, provide us opportunities to excel, provide us jobs, provide us our basic rights….” May our parents listen to us. 

For the news see, (See the news published in various national dailies, http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/may/16/haryana-girls-fearing-harassment-sit-on-hunger-strike-for-school-upgradation-1605377.html). 

Also Published in 

http://velivada.com/ on 2017/05/18 entitled "I Want to Study: An Inspirational Success Story". 

http://velivada.com/2017/05/18/want-study-inspirational-success-story/

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

Fear of Existence as the Suppression of Integration

The Article is first published in the following site. 
http://velivada.com/2017/05/17/fear-existence-suppression-integration/

Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain or threat. The fear could be real or imagined, often accompanied with increased autonomic activity. Seeing a rope lying on the floor at dusk one jumps over, gasping for breath, thinking that it is a snake which is about to bite. It takes few minutes before to know that it was in fact the rope. The imagined snake is verily, the stationary snake or it may be elsewhere! Some Psychologists claim that the fear is not real, only an imagination and while the others claim the contra view. Medically, it is an autonomic reaction to cope with an impending threat. Whatever may be the case, I am not reflecting in this line of thought. What I do draw from here is a reaction emerging from this threat. 

Fear of existence is the reaction drawn by the existence of the other who pose an imagined or real threat to the one who is frightened. The resulting reaction can move in two directions: either can challenge the other or can integrate the other. When it is challenged, the end result is devastating. When the other is accommodated, the fear changes into joy and peace. 

The inbreeding fundamentalistic tendencies, the growing anti-social hidden activities and agendas, ‘white-washed’ developmental projects of the state and the country are nothing but few traces of the alienation of the other. The existence of the one threatens the existence of the other. And this is the existential reality. 

Often it is understood as the dictum goes, ‘the might is right’. Powerful are the rulers and the powerless are the subjects to be enslaved. Be that, it might be. A question very well can pose here is, “to what does the present authority is threatened of?” Is it that it has no power to lord over, or is it that the purpose is to have a holistic development, or has it got any other agendas to accomplish? The very simple reason could be, the fear of the existence of the minority. Sounds very strange!

Muslim population in the country is just 14.2%, while the Christian population is just 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, Buddhism 0.8% and Jainism 0.4% according to the 2011 census. However, the threat posed to majority religion that form 80% of the total population is mostly by the first two minority groups. This is very clear from the number of atrocities and persecution done against Muslims and Christians. 

This difference in opinion towards the minority religion is due to the threat the majority religion is now facing, the threat of its existence. This threat is inflicted from three sides: i.) Materialism and agnosticism of the postmodern time and thus the declining religiosity, ii.) Growing world-wide minority population and strength creating certain uncertainty, iii.) Literary revolution which is creating a social awareness. 

The religion once ruled the whole nation without much struggle is at the verge of division and separation. Several vested interested groups and people are claiming to be the real custodians of the religion. At the same time, agnosticism moved by the postmodernism and materialistic culture is growing. While the other minority religions having distinct commander-in-chief guide the integrity of it, the majority religion of the county lacks it. Too many deafening and inhuman practices are being questioned by the educated society. And therefore, many opt to be ‘skeptics’ or ‘agnostics’. The literary revolution brought by Christian missionaries is yielding its fruit in the country. The opening of several educational institutions in the urban and villages have opened the windows to the new waves of thinking. Higher education has become need of the hour. What has made here is the growing rationality amongst the people to judge right from wrong (or at least from dangerous thinking). The existential awareness of the situation coupled with the education is not ready to accept anything for granted. The perceived threat here is not by the thousands of educated people but by a mere 2% educated think-tanks of the society. It is this minor percentage of educated among the total educated who bring out any change in the society. It is these 2% who think ahead of 20 years and bring out new vision for the society. Till 200 hundred years ago ordinary people simply followed word to word what the influential people said may be with or without reason. Today, even an ordinary person looks for justification of the such claims made.

Along with this the ruling elite is trying to silence the voices of the common man. The existential fear can be seen here in three ways: by ignoring the weak, by silencing the voices and by diverting the attention. As long as the oppressed people’s movements, voices and struggles are weak and imperceptible, the fearing elite will tend to ignore the weak. At times they will give an impression as if nothing wrong has happened or everything is normal. They will give such statements as if there is no hell on earth, everything is in its heavenly bliss. 

If this does not work, then they will go for the second option – silencing the oppressed. The main target group of silence is the leaders of the oppressed. Often, the demand for justice is brought into fore by some emergent charismatic leaders. Now the elite class will stifle the movement by neutralizing the leadership by hook or crook. They will allure them with money, power and position and if this plan fails, then the path chosen is physical elimination. This is followed by silencing the potential leaders of the group, if needed. 

At the failure of both the above plans, the third trick is put in to practice – diversion of the attention. It is scientifically proved that human memory is often short-termed. After a few days of the incident however brutal it might, the event is forgotten or at least bears less significance. Similarly, the fearful class when it senses mass movement, opts for a radical movement. It is a well-thought out diversions and distractions into the scenario that the original thrust of the movement and struggle are diluted. They effectively bring out ‘development-ism’, ‘regional autonomy’, ‘constitutionality’, ‘amendments’, ‘law and order’ etc. weapons to divert the issues. 

A genuine well-being will have no opposition whatever situation it might be or at least it will survive all the odds posed against it. The sixth sense of the beneficiaries will perceive the goodness by which it is implemented without having any issues. But today, most of the welfare schemes of the government however excellent, are not reaching to the ordinary people because of the motive with which they are prepared. We can note this very well in our own families. If the mother is full of vengeance towards a person, the child who sucks her breasts will constantly fall sick. From a positive thought, a positive vibration or aura and from the negativity only a destructive aura is created. 

The genuine integration safeguards every culture, tradition, ethnicity, identity, class and structure. The democracy and the constitutional rights are well protected in a genuine integrated system. The government has no moral right to imposes something on certain section of the society just because it needs to come under mainstream culture. One section of the society cannot uphold that it is the mainstream culture and others as primitive. Drawing one into other is not the integration, but the murder of culture. It is this psychological threat of existence of one’s superiority that takes up the drastic step to eliminate the other.

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

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Picture Source:    http://energeticsinstitute.com.au/fear-of-life-fear-of-anger/

My Personal World-View

COSMOTHEANDRIC UNITY

Human life is beautiful and wonderful. One cannot grasp the depth of it. One can choose to live for oneself or for others. Even if one chooses to live for self, has to relate with the ‘other’. The other can be his fellow being, the nature around or some supernatural reality. Being living on the earth, one ought to relate and depend on the earth and its essentials. These earthly and relational essentials support the person. This does not mean, that the person can fragment the earth for one’s greed and need. One may negate the existence of the Divine and profess to be an atheist, but cannot negate the transcendental or metaphysical existence which is still a mystery for humans. A person cannot exist without the help and support from 'the other.' The very birth of a person involves at least two individuals whom we call parents. Thus, this whole world is nothing but a ‘web of relations.’

This web of relationship is seen from the microcosm to macrocosm. Let’s take a tiny atom, say a Hydrogen atom. Within it, there is a proton, a neutron and an electron. All three are in perfect unity. A slight change in the spin of electron or position of proton, will affect the very nature and property of the Hydrogen atom. If just one electron is added to it, the whole atom becomes an inert atom, Helium. Similarly, in a large scenario, the whole universe is related to every single atom. The motion of planets, stars and galaxies too are in perfect harmony. A slight disturbance in the structure or movement of a star causes enormous harm to the stellar harmony. One cannot but wonder as to who is the master-architect behind this. Of course, it is not human being.

When we analyze our own surrounding, this beautiful mystery may unfold us. Let’s take a fresh water pond as an ecosystem to unfurl the inter-relationship. The pond may be naturally formed or human made. In any case, it supports not only human beings, but also hundreds and thousands of lives. There are living beings in the water, there are beings live on both land and water, and there are lives which depend on this pond for the survival but do not live in water. Even within the water there are fishes or living organisms that feed on other fishes or lower organisms. This relationship is intrinsically needed, if not the other living beings will multiply and cause greater harm. So the nature itself puts a restriction. In Darwinian sense, it is 'the Natural Selection.' The bottom of the lake is inhabited by certain molluscs, which feed on the dirt and thus reduce the harm done to the other living organisms living at the centre and periphery of water. If those molluscs were not there, the life of other organism would have been tough.

When there are lots fishes, the birds and other animals which feed on fish will find their homes around the pond. There will be water birds, wild ducks, sparrows, cranes, snakes, mongooses and other animals making their way. If there were no mongooses, the number of snakes would increase and that would create havoc for the humans. When there are more mongooses, the birds such as eagles and vultures will find their way. The same pond may be a life-line for humans who depend on it for the food and water. Not only this, it may serve food for the aesthetic hunger of many.

Human being is endowed with three essential things: Knowledge, Body and Spirit. Knowledge is related to reasoning and thus it represents the human aspect of the reality. The ability to think, reason out and the wisdom which he applies to the situations of life allows one to transcend from one sphere to the other. Body is the cosmic reality. It is the body which is the vehicle for knowledge. The divine aspect of the reality is Spirit. Human is both spirit and body. All these three things make a person human being. What lacks in other beings is the knowledge aspect which differentiates from the others.  

The web of relationship first and foremost makes a person aware of the potentiality and goodness one has within and without and at the same time teaches one to be the stewards of nature. Therefore, desecrating one’s body, one’s mind and spirit basically is a sin. This applies even towards the cosmos and divine. Any act of misuse of one’s potentiality is also a quality of unbecoming. In this regard, misuse of nature and natural diversity is a grave unpardonable sin.

The wisdom one has, need to be translated into our relationship with the ‘other.’ Thus, this inter-relationship necessarily becomes ‘spiritual’. This spiritual relationship enables one to lead a life of harmony, respect and love; to heal the wounded beings, assists one to listen to the groaning of the other with compassion which will enable to act concretely, reminds of one’s sacred mission and duty to be catalysts in becoming messengers of peace and above all invites one to abandon the destructive and disrespectful attitude towards one and all.

Thus, the world-view, I comprehend is of an inter-related, ‘cosmotheandric’ and pan-en-theistic. Every reality is relational. Even a leaf does not fall down from a tree without a silent knowledge and cosmic approval. It has its own significance in making the universe, an ‘oikos.’ Our spirituality, aesthetics, rituals, sacred and secular dealings find their expression here in making our earth, a Home of Love.

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

The Feminine Face of Discipleship

 

Human being whether male of female, is essentially divine. Often God is understood as male because of patriarchal nature of the society, and forget the feminine aspect, which is equally important than the former. In Christian literature also God is portrayed in the feminine qualities such as generative, sacrificial, loving, compassionate, tender, nurturing, service minded, dedicated and so on. These are also the explicit qualities of the balanced person. Jesus is no doubt a balanced person in all the aspects, who respected and upheld the human dignity at his time in the male dominated society. These are also the qualities Jesus imposes on the person who would like to be called his ‘Disciple’.

In the society we see women subjugated in various aspects. They bear the torture, undergo pain and become subjects of harassment. There are also women, amidst all these problems, bear the pain and ‘stand up’ in the situation. Women are also the ‘masterminds’ to uproot the societal evils. A true disciple of Jesus needs to know and learn these qualities so that he can be ‘another Christ’ for himself and for others and thus to bring the good News of liberation to all.

This is a small effort made to know the qualities of a disciple. It is noteworthy to find out that these qualities are also the qualities every woman possesses specially the women disciples of Jesus. A synthetic approach is being made in the conclusion to inculcate these qualities in the ministry entrusted to us.

1 The Discipleship

1.1 The Qualities of Discipleship

The call for a discipleship involves several aspects. They include, God calls and we accept the call. Once we accept unconditionally, involves our fuller commitment to our ‘yes’ to Him. Finally once when we say unconditional ‘yes’, comes the test, ‘to be identified with the master’.

1.2 A Call to follow

            Whatever we are, wherever we are, God loves us unconditionally, because he wants ‘everyone to be saved’ (1 Tim 2:4) and he ‘doesn’t want any one to be ‘lost’. With this motive, Jesus calls us to follow him. It is a call first and foremost to save my soul and secondly to save souls of the other. His call is a gratuitous call.

1.3 ‘Follow’ – a complete Commitment

God the Father gave the relay baton of salvation to his Only Son Jesus. He won this race through His utmost sincerity and commitment and now the same baton is passed on to me. As a true disciple I must be a person of total commitment and sincerity. For Jesus himself said, “once you put the hand in the plough and look back is not worthy to be my disciple”.

I had a dream of becoming an Engineer but that dream was shattered by the call of Christ. In my following Christ, some time in the middle I was shattered by the attraction towards opposite sex, but I was not shattered. Instead, she by knowing my real intention encouraged me with support and courage.

1.4  The Joy of Discipleship

The story of the Tax collector in Mt. 9:9-17 is a model for Jesus’ gratuitous call of those ostensibly unworthy of discipleship. It is a radical grace enfleshed in the radical demand to follow, a demand which is immediately obeyed. Even though unworthy at the call, after receiving it, the person becomes worthy. The person is spiritually healed, in the very act of physical healing. The inner peace resulting from such grace is noteworthy.

Jesus shows mercy, which is the essence of his messianic mission. He came to call sinners, which imply the recipient’s unworthiness to be called. Jesus shows mercy to Mary Magdalene and latter she becomes the ardent lover and follower of Christ’s mission and thus a role model to be followed by many.

1.5 The Total Renunciation – A Self Denial

The sending of the Twelve among the lost sheep (Mt 10:5-15), incorporates the traditional missionary charge as a sense of reverence and testimony. The rejection of Jesus in his own people and land shows the stringent situation where one needs to work. One is forced to provide new leaders for the shepherdless sheep of Israel.

Missionary needs only basic food and lodging that must be provided as the right by the ones they serve. Wherever they go, are not to seek out better lodging later. The worth of the host is no doubt to be judged by the acceptance of both messenger (hospitality) and the message (faith). Both of them go together.

1.6 Persecution, the Identification with the Master

     The cost of discipleship is the persecution and persecution is the identification of the disciple with the Master. ‘The disciple is no superior to his master. If they’ve called the master the house of Beelzebub, what will they not say his house-hold?” (Mt. 9:34, 12:24).

During the persecution one must not be fearful for He says. “Fear not for I am with you” (Jer 1:7-8). Dispite imprisonment, the persecution cannot keep the Gospel message hidden. It will be out in the light.

2. The Feminine Face of the Discipleship

2.1  Christ’s feminine face to follow

Christ is Son of God and Son of Man and yet He is both male and female. Isn’t this a paradox? Yes, it looks like a paradox. Carl Gustav Jung speaks of ‘self’ as ‘Androgyny’ which refers to the presence of both masculine and feminine qualities in an individual and the ability to realize both potentialities. Thus a human being is both masculine and feminine consisting of anima-animus, personal-shadow, body-mind and conscious-unconscious (Theories of personality by Barbara Engler). A balanced person knows to harmonize these qualities well in one’s life. All the qualities said earlier like mercy, sacrifice, self-denial, persecution, joy can be applied to a woman. She is an embodiment of all these characters. Jesus incorporated all these qualities in his public life, in his existential dealing with the reality, with both men and women.

2.2 The Feminine Qualities

2.2. 1 Courage

To follow someone breaking the boundaries of tradition and culture in the society amidst all the ups and downs needs courage and boldness. Some of the women have shown it like Martha, Mary Magdalene and Mother Mary herself (Mk 15:40-41, 16:1-7).

2.2.2 Self-Denial

‘If you want to follow Christ, leave everything, take up my Cross and follow me”. These words were very much true in the case of Mary Magdalene, the Samaritan woman etc. Once they knew Him, surrendered totally to Jesus. Samaritan woman goes a step ahead, ‘leaves everything’ and announces about Jesus in her village, Martha, forgets everything and chooses the right spot, ‘to listen’ at the feet of Jesus (Lk 10: 38-42).

2.2.3  Persecution

    Mother’s love to the child is unconditional. Likewise, Mother Mary loved her son unconditionally. From the conception till the death of Jesus, in all her sons’ good and tough situations, she was there to assist his son. As Simeon prophesized a ‘sword was piercing’ Mary’s heart at every moment of Christ’s hardship. This is nothing but the authentic example of true discipleship. Jesus moving with compassion for the trouble the women took, feels sorry for them and says at the way to Calvary, “Do not cry.”

2.2.4 Dignity of person

Society looks women down upon. This was true even to the time of Jesus. Knowing this reality, Jesus upheld the right of women. This is clear from the incident where Jesus raised the widow’s son to life (Lk 7:11-17), the story of Mary Magdalene (Lk 7:36-50), the healing of crippled woman on the Sabbath day Lk 13:10-17), woman searching for the lost coin which symbolize the search of lost humanity (Lk 15:8-10), and the widow demanding justice (Lk 18:10-18) etc.

2.2.5 Joy

‘Assurance’ of discipleship can be said to be fulfilled when the person receives inner peace. Because of the tremendous love and concern for the women and their dignity, Jesus blesses them and makes them as the first ‘Apostles’. It is none but the once sinner Mary Magdalene was sent as ‘apostle’ to proclaim good news to his brothers, and not the 12 who were always with him. It was when Mother Mary was present, the promised Holy Spirit descended upon them.

Thus Jesus had a balanced outlook of personality. By being male He had the characters of female. The qualities said to be feminine such as sensitivity, love, service, self sacrifice, or self-denial, hard work, tenderness, commitment were synonymous with his personality. Jesus demands these same qualities from His would be follower.

3. The Synthetic Approach to Follow Christ

The characters said to be feminine are also the characters needed to be a good disciple of Jesus. What Jesus did at His time in society is also demanded of today. Today’s society is mainly male dominated one, except for a few which see women as equal to men. But there is hardly any culture which see women as superior to man, they are always the weaker sex. Today the task given as St. Paul rightly pointed out is ‘to become another Christ.’ Therefore to become another Christ I need to inculcate a balanced personality within. I must have a balanced approach towards everyone.

3.1 Integration into the ministry

     If I go to people with my patriarchal personality, I will be a failure and if I go with the feminine personality I will be of no value. To keep the boat safe and keep going, I must first and foremost have a balanced approach.

There is always a growing tendency to get alienated from the opposite sex. My experience has taught me that ‘women can change’ the society more than the men. Therefore to bring a positive development in the society our main weapons are the women. Therefore to have a good rapport in the workplace, in the social sectors, I need to cultivate the qualities of love, service, sensitivity, joy, peace, perseverance, hard work, self-sacrifice etc which would enable me to be a better disciple of Jesus.

Discipleship is a deep experience or a deep relationship between the master and the disciple. A true disciple is one who follows the footprint of his master. A Christian discipleship is the ever-deeper growing life of faith in Christ or the experience of Christ, and its highest stage is to remain in faith and love with Christ. Thus a Christian disciple is the one who hears, follows, seeks, finds, comes, sees, and remains with him. The women disciples of Jesus in this sense were the true disciples. This fact challenges me to be an authentic person to like those women disciples.

Raju Felix Crasta