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

Why did Kattappa Kill Baahubali?!

The much awaited SS Rajamauli’s magnum opus, epic fantasy, Indian blockbuster drama has finally hit the screen: Baahubali-2: the Conclusion. As it is breaking the records after records, the obvious question seeking answer, “Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali [Bahubali]?” is fading its attraction as it has already answered in the movie. I am not going to critique the movie here, rather trying to analyze ‘the Kattappas’ and ‘Baahubalis’ of our time. 

In the epic blockbuster, Kattappa is a loyal servant of the Mahishmati Kingdom. He is a servant, slave, loyal warrior, army chief, and a good sensible and loving human being who looked for the good of the people. Even when fighting against the enemies, he is trying to protect innocent people, women and children. On the other hand, Baahubali is an upright heir of the kingdom. But his cousin, Ballaladeva wins over the mother through crooked method and rules the kingdom. Jealousy and power craziness of Bijjaladeva and his son Ballaladeva could not resist the overwhelming popularity of Baahubali and not being able to resist it, orders Kattappa, the army chief to kill him. 

But, how can a morally upright person, Kattappa stab and kill a morally upright person, Baahubali, that too not from the front but from behind? If he does so, either there must be a real reason for it or he may be a morally right person from mere outer appearance. The second possibility is ruled out as he takes the side of justice towards the end of the movie. Therefore, Kattappa becomes a potential a victim of the political game played by the anarchists. This has to be underlined with bold letters from the movie. Thus, the movie has answer the question.

A cursory look into the plot would bring to the notice the war between Kaurava and Pandavas at the Kurukshetra battle field, a war between one’s own kith and kin for the sake of land and power, geared by selfishness and pride. At this point of view, Kattappa stands as a grand old seer, Bhishma. As an upright grand old man of Mahishmati he could not part away from the pledged loyalty when he sensed the plot to kill the upright man. How can he run away from the loyalty? He is tied down from two angles. Firstly, being a warrior and the duties arising from it. Secondly, his vowed loyalty inherited from the past. The second aspect is clarified from the name he is holding – Katta. Among Telugu people, Katta represents an OBC/SBC caste (see, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katta. I am sure, the director did not have this in his mind when he named the character Kattappa. Anyway, as the hermeneutical rule says when the author scripts a piece of idea, it becomes open for criticism). The general ethos of the epic time is, the people of the lower strata have their morality based on the people of higher strata. Due to this mental set up, the lower graded people remain where they are. Even if they are right, they have no voice. 

Can there be a hierarchical morality, a morality specific to specific order of people? If so, we need to redefine our morality. In other words, in such situation, can there be universal moral norms. As ordinary human beings we believe in some sort of universal moral law binding every one. When the justice is blind and legality is a utopia moral values ceases to exist. The colour blind person sees everything dark. This is nothing what is happening in our socio-political scenario. 

A group of anarchists, fundamentalists, Bijjaladevas and Ballaladevas are human shielding the innocent and righteous people in front of them to protect their machismo and chauvinism. They just order and celebrate the victory earned by their blood and head and finally play the dice of politics. Do they have any concern for the rage they face at the war? Absolutely no. Their chief concern is money, power and prestige. One may take the example of Kashmir issue, border issues, Naxalism and its combat, ethnic fights in many parts of the country etc. The farmer is squeezing his blood and sweat and tries to earn his daily bread for him and his family. What does he gain? A pittance! The market is ruled by the elite, price is decided by them, profit is for them, lion share of percentage is theirs, and what not else?! The poor farmer, looking at the sky, waiting for the rain, chasing the wild beasts, running behind the officers and offices for grants assured, is being squeezed like laundry clothes. 

Government needs land for development and it is the need of the time. But what kind of land? Whose land? Who needs? For what purpose? It is the land of the innocent. Government wants to give the land to Adani, Ambani, Birla, Tata and other hundreds of MNCs to put up their towers and companies. Will the real land owners benefit? They will never benefit. The companies will earn hundreds and thousands of crores per day, but the ordinary people will get only dust storm and polluted air, but not even an assurance of job in those companies. They will not get job offers, because they are not skilled workers! What a paradox, the company CEOs are looking for skilled artisanship from the poor peasant! They forget that the food they eat is the labour of their skills. In spite of this ill treatment, will the peasants stop cultivating? They will never stop, because they have pledged loyalty to their mother earth. They have pledged to feed the country. This pledge is made by their ancestors and the loyalty will continue till the end of humanity. Every suffering servant is crying out, “Why do you persecute me?” Will the authorities hear this silent cry of the peasants? Will their conscience get converted? If so when? 

If this is one side of the story, there is another side of the story which is still unheard of, the story of Baahubali. They are the people who fight for justice in somewhat visible way. They are the people like Gandhiji.

Baahubali literally means the person with strong shoulders. As the character depicts, Baahubali is not only strong in arms but also in head and heart. Baahubali depicts those people who have strong moral uprightness, sound philosophy, ethics and sound inter-personal relationship with humans and cosmos. They are the makers, care-takers and protectors of the society. They are the people like Gandhi. But, will their philosophy of non-violence, truth, justice, peace, harmony, brotherhood, goodness and social integrity be acceptable to all? It becomes a Platonic ideal for those who look for self-gain. A question can be asked here, “Why did Godse kill Gandhi?” Several answers may pop up and some may justify the act. But, the morally upright person will never justify the very act of Godse.

Today there are several Gandhians in the society. While some are being murdered, others are either silenced or threatened of their existence. Often times good people are brainwashed to perform heinous acts. One of the High Court judges recently said, “Terrorists are not born, they are made.” How true are these words! Several political leaders cannot live without having their own body-guards or their own ruffians to deal with the so called innocent rough people! Some are even more than this. Once a ruffian, and now becomes a political leader and eventually emerges as the representative in the democratically elected government to rule us all. Amidst these elements, will the real Baahubali survive?

The movie, Baahubali has offered us something to chew. As I congratulate the director, pause couple of questions to all my readers, “why did Kattappa kill Baahubali then? Why the Kattappas and Baahubalis are being killed in our societies today?”

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/

The Empty Tomb: Non-existence as Existence

Do not see Me where I am Not, see me where I am. When you see me there, you will be a different person.

Easter is crossing over. It is a crossing from one state of life to another. Symbolically, it is a crossing of the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds) from the land of Egypt (known to be bondage) to the land of liberty, the land flowing honey and milk, a land of prosperity, justice and peace. 

To understand this crossing over, we can consider a caterpillar eating the heavy stuff in the jungle and making its cocoon and after a period of time, comes out with a beautiful body, wings and flies around, pollinating the flowers, mesmerizing the children and assisting the plants to yield berries, drupes and fruits. The butterfly makes its presence felt. It is no more in the cocoon. The old life is a thing of the past and a new life has begun. Everyone hates the caterpillar, it is ugly, it is itchy, it is dangerous; but not the butterfly. Butterfly is a mystery revealed from the cocoon, it is a mesmerizing beauty to the poets, writers, children and the old. It is an inspiration to others to ‘become.’ 

Our past life is like a life of bondage in Egypt. It is a life of Babylonian captivity. It is a life of struggle in the desert, hungry, thirsty and tired. At times we felt, ‘God has forsaken us’ in our sojourn. We condemned our leaders who led us to the Promised Land. We doubted in our own inner beauty and strength. When we were thirsty for a drop of water, we fought wars with self and with each other. 

Then the days of life in the cocoon began. What were those forty days! The Lenten Days. Those were the days of fasting, penance, abstinence, prayer and reflection. 

One truth is learnt in these days for sure, as any motivational speakers who rightly say, “if I can today, I can tomorrow. If I can, I will. If I could in these forty days, I will in the next coming forty years.” Yes. Many of us were fasting from ill-speaking, back-biting, violence, destruction, lies, hatred, jealousy, avarice and the list goes on and on. Many were trying to overcome their addictions, addictions alcohol, drugs, sex, internet, pornography, whatsapp, facebook and what not! Many were atoning for their past sins and karmas. Many were practicing the virtues of service, benevolence, mercy and charity. For such people, Jesus has risen today. He has strengthened them for the last forty days and is continuing to strengthen now. If they have succeeded in the last forty days, they will succeed in the coming forty years as well. Change is possible. New life is possible. Resurrection is possible. Acche din possible. 

This does not mean that there will not be difficulties and problems in the future life. The fact that I have begun to live a resurrected life, is the fact that I am ready for the struggle within. But now the same struggle is with a positive approach and not with a negative, depressed and pessimism. The butterfly has to face the world. It has to face the bigger animals of which the prey it is. But now it is not afraid to face the reality. It lives till its last breath giving life to others, pollinating the flowers, cheering the children of the creation, and thus bearing a witness to the world. St. Stephan did it, St. Paul did it and many other eminent saints of the list. Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhiji, Oscar Romero, Rani Maria, A.T. Thomas, Graham Stains and their children and many more such people have done it in front of our eyes. If they have done, why can’t I?

Resurrection is Jesus becoming alive. He is truly resurrected. He will die no more. His presence cannot be reduced to the pages of the Bible or a statue in a church, or limited to the tabernacle in the church, institutions and building. He is no more confined to the limited space of our selfish desires. He is a living reality. We can encounter and discover him in the midst of our lives through the eyes of faith - in all our problems, struggles, crises, challenges, worries, dilemmas, difficulties, calamities, trials, risks, struggles, joys and sorrows, disappointments and frustrations. Because he lives, we can experience his peace in the midst of our disturbed and anxious minds, his providence in our deprivation, his support in our weakness and his outstretched arms in our faults, falls and failures.

Today the resurrected Jesus has to be seen not in the tomb where He was laid to rest. He is to be seen in the living people. He is that same Jesus in the farmer tilling the land in the remote village with the seeds of hope. He is seen amongst the slum dwellers who struggle for an inch of land and morsel of bread. He is seen in every mother struggling to feed her young one. 

He is seen in the hospitals in the nurses and doctors giving life to the patients. He is the same Jesus who is carrying the discarded foetus from our backyards and dustbins and nurture them with motherly care. He is the same resurrected Jesus in the old-age homes taking care of the chased out fathers and mothers from their homes. He is the same resurrected Jesus in the schools and colleges holding the hands of the tiny tots and teaching them the values of life. 

Jesus has Risen. I have seen him. I have witnessed his acts. I have seen his empty tomb. I also have seen his glory on the earth. Therefore, I have made a firm resolution in life that I will carry and witness this resurrected Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life to people around. 

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

Crucifying the Crucified: A Meditation on the Crucifixtion of Jesus

The term ‘Crucifixion’ means executing a death penalty by fixing on a wood. It may be on an upright piece of wood or a stake, or a cross beamed upright stake or pole. Usually it is performed to provide a death to a notorious criminal or a traitor in a most painful way and therefore the term in English ‘excruciating’, ‘a gruesome pain’. The execution is done in the public place where people can see and witness. Jesus is crucified on a wood that had horizontal beam which became the symbol of Christianity in the world eventually. 

Why is Jesus crucified? For the facts of the story—which the gospel writers everywhere try to belabor, are that Jesus was crucified for his God-like behavior and his outrageous claims to be God, blasphemy. Among the many sweet sounding clichés in our day, often known is that Jesus was killed for being exceedingly inclusive and kind. He was crucified for welcoming the outcasts, it is said. He was murdered for hanging out with prostitutes and half-breeds. He was killed because He was so courageously loving and his enemies just couldn’t take it anymore.

One may ask, ‘if Jesus were to be God, why did He die at all? Or can a God die?’ Letter to Philippians says, “Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage” (Phil 2:6). He is a primordial Word which became Human, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us (Jn 1:14). God became flesh because, he loved humanity more than anything else. His overflowing love and mercy made him to incarnate and live as one of us. 

Why then, Jesus had to die? Jesus’ death was an essential part of God's plan for our salvation. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice to atone for the sins of all people. Through His death, we are freed from the deadly grip of sin. Although we do not fully understand the how or why of Jesus' sacrificial death, it offers us a chance for salvation, and that is the central belief and hope of Christianity. 

The people responsible for Jesus’ death were not the people who devoutly followed Him. But the accusers were the people who were very much aware of his work and mission. They were the religious leaders, the chief priests, elders, scribes and the governing people of the time like Pilate. Jesus was the pricking thorn in the flesh of their self-righteousness. This is not uncommon even today. 

Today Jesus is represented by all those incidents and events of mercy, peace, brotherhood, harmony, equality, service, charity, humanness, justice and peace. Jesus is also represented by those people who serve selflessly for the last, least and lost. 

Today, this Jesus is being crucified every day and everywhere, socially, religiously, economically, culturally, politically, ideologically, theologically, and so on. When the self-righteous, selfish and idiosyncratic people do not recognize the rights and duties of the weaker sections of the society, Jesus is crucified in them. When the democratically elected government fails to recognize the plight of the common people and when it does not address the basic needs, Jesus is crucified. When the common man is unable to avail the basic needs like water, food, house, health care facilities, when he is dictated what to eat and what not to eat, where to go and where not go, what to do and what not to do, Jesus is crucified. Government has lots of schemes for the ordinary people – like free education, free medical facilities, free ambulance facilities, free of cost delivery care for the pregnant women, girl-child welfare schemes, subsidies for the farmers, stipends for the widows, widowers, retired teachers and soldiers. But the rampant corruption, grabbing mentality, unhealthy bureaucracy and materialistic life crucifies Jesus. Human dignity has become the word of the past. Rivers and animals are given human status, but humans are left to fend for themselves. 

A tribal man carries his wife’s dead body on his shoulder in Odisha shows the system:

the district hospital authorities allegedly refused to arrange hearse van for transporting the body 

The innocent people are made scapegoats for the sake of development in various parts of the country. The original inhabitants of the land who cared and loved from the very beginning are deprived of their right. Land is alienated or mortgaged to build factories, ‘fly-overs’, ‘hospitals’, ‘welfare’. Who are the beneficiaries? ‘Big belly Uncle Sams!’ What a paradox. The development is only for the ‘developed’. It’s my land, my money, my sweat and my people, but I am taxed for it. While the real beneficiaries look for few crumbs, the so called custodians enjoy the fruit of the labour. The best example is the food price and menu available to the ministers in the Parliament canteen, or their shooting salaries. Yes, Jesus is crucified today.

Religions who are supposed to be the custodians of faith, morality and devotions have become the centers of marketing institutions. Higher the tower, magnificent the building, greater the amount of silver and gold statues, bigger the collection boxes, louder the noise is understood to be the best religion. Preaching the Word of God has become a money making business. They have enough and more money to invest in the shares and mutual funds but not to the one who is begging in its porch. Is not Jesus crucified? 

Jesus is crucified even in our own communities and culture. The blood of caste and creed is very thick in our blood. Somehow, we are not able to come out of it, be it Christians or in any other religions. Jesus did not make any distinction between sex and creed. He wanted to annihilate all the differences. He tried to cross the boundaries of the dissention. Yet, he was accused. People are suffocating due to this sickness in our communities. Are we not crucifying Jesus again?

We are in need of Jesus’ resurrection today. The society is in very much in need of resuscitation. Jesus’s incarnation was to put an end to the physical, moral, psychological and spiritual suffering and thus to establish the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of peace and harmony. Where there is real a growth, where there is brotherhood and there is Jesus. The distance between the Good Friday and Easter is not a big one, just ‘three days’. This means, darkens, sin, our negative attitudes will not last long, nor should they persist. It’s my firm conviction and belief that whenever chaos reach to its zenith, the re-incarnation of God takes place in some form or the other, in the form of righteous people or the events. When one human being recognizes the other fellow human being as ‘brother, sister, mother, father’, Jesus becomes alive. This is the day of resurrection which I am longing for.

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

This article is also published in Morning India English Daily, Ranchi Edition, page no. 4,  on 16/4/2017. For the online reading click the following link. 

http://216.15.194.90/morningindia/pagezoomsinwindows.php?img=undefined&id=1604&boxid=138953482&cid=4&mod=1&pagenum=0&edcode=71

Lent, an Ongoing Meditation in Life

When we sit for meditation (preferably in Indian way of Meditation) adopt a way of arranging our hands, touching our index finger on the thumb and the remaining three fingers away from it. This posture (or mudra) is called Jñāna Mudra or Chin Mudra. This is very common in Yoga practice. This kind of practice is not alien to the Christian meditation. The saints of the West, especially the monks who engaged in themselves for the meditation have used in their prayer. If the fingers in the mudra held pointing upwards it is called Jñāna mudra and if it is reverted it is called Chin mudra. My aim is not to philosophize it, but to derive an existential meaning to it. 

The thumb finger represents God, the Supreme Being, whereas the index finger represents the Soul or the Human Being. According to the Indian terminology, it is Brahman or Paramātman and ātman or jīva respectively. It can also be understood as microcosm and macrocosm respectively (or lokāloka). The ātman could mean the entire universe. The union of two fingers is the ultimate aim of any sādhana, the spiritual practice. The end of every spiritual practice is the union with the divine. The union could be of human with the divine or the cosmos with the divine.

The second aspect one needs to note here is the inseparable relation existing between God and Soul (and world). They are very much close to each other. The relation can be better understood in the imageries such as soul-body relation or part-whole relation or the relation of one locus. Therefore, it is usually said, “God is closer to me than I am to myself.” 

Śaivism gives a symbolic meaning to the remaining three fingers. The middle finger represents āṇavamala, the ring finger māyamala and the little finger – karmamala. Mala means impurities or in our ordinary understanding the enslaving elements. Āṇava refers to the impurities at the atomic level. In other words, it is at the psychological level. It represents the very nature of our ego, the ‘I’-ness (mamakāra, svārtha, ahaṅkāra, etc). ‘I am superior’, ‘I am the best’, ‘I know it all’, ‘I did it’ and ‘I am doing’ kind of attitude is part of this nature. Māyamala is of the nature of delusion. It is the unseen desires of life like power, position, material gain, name and fame. The third kind is karmamala, the bodily desires, all sorts of physical pleasure or the material desires one is enslaved of. A serious look into these three impurities would tell us that these refer to three different modes of enslavement at the levels of our existence – psychological, social or material and physical. 

As a Christian, while meditating on the three temptations of Jesus at the desert (Mt 4:1-11; Mk 1:12-13; Lk 4:1-13), we come across the above mentioned three levels of impurities one is being tempted of in one’s existence. St. John the evangelist commenting on the temptation says it is, “the lust of the flesh [materialism], and the lust of the eyes [Hedonism], and the pride of life [egoism]” (1 Jn 2.16). The first temptation of Jesus was to turn the stones into bread to quench the physical hunger which Jesus overcomes with ease. The second was a still at the higher level, at the ontological level- the temptation of power and position. This too Jesus conquers. The third was at the psychological level. The very identity of Jesus is being at stake, “if you are the Son of God…” Jesus does not defend his position here, but categorically affirms that he is the Son of God. He affirms his position well, “do not put your God to test.” 

A similar test is being seen in the book of Genesis where the first parents were tested their faithfulness to God. The strategy of the Satan is clear. It is the same strategy that Satan uses with Jesus. The first begins with lowest one, the physical one “why don’t you eat that fruit”, then gradually moves to the higher level, a social level where a dialogical relation with the family members is brought in. And finally, the Satan enters the psychological level, “You will be like God”.

Our life also is like this. The physical or bodily desire leads a person to begin the crime, lose one’s integrity and morality. As the days pass on, the person moves into the second level and eventually falls prey to the highest level. It is here when the person reaches to the third level of sin, that person totally loses one’s identity, becomes like an animal. 

If the primordial parents could yield to the temptation and eventually were deprived of the divine joy, who am I to overcome it? Am I not born of flesh and blood? This seems to be an utopia, but not impossible to attain. We have a solution. We have an example to follow who could overcome the temptation. It is Jesus who overcame the temptation at the desert, before his public ministry. 

Lent is a season to retrospect and see as in which level of existence that we are in. It will be easier to embrace God if we are in the first level. If we are in the higher level, only grace of God can enable us to come out of it. That would be a miracle in our life.

Our life must be a constant meditation till we breathe our last. It should be a constant yogic practice to live as a limb of the body of God. If the limb is separated, the body is no longer called a complete body, nor is the limb called a fuller body. It is in its integrity a whole is realized. This does not mean, apart from me God is incomplete. He is complete without me, but I am incomplete without God. 

When God created me, I was the image of that invisible God. Due to my sinful nature, I have lost that original beauty. I have been losing my original identity at different stages of my life. I need to detach all that impurities estrange me, just like in the meditation mudra I detach three fingers from the union of index and thumb fingers. 

The meditation is not just for few minutes, but should be a reality through out our life. When I am able to do this, life becomes ever an Easter in my life. People like St. Augustine, St. Mary of Egypt, St. Angela of Foligno, St. Dismas, St. Thomas Becket, St. Philip Howard have done it. In our own time, people like Samandar Singh who murdered Sr. Rani Maria and is now witnessing Christ is a living example in front of us. May the Grace of God be with us to achieve this task. 

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

SOME TIPS WHILE WRITING A SCIENTIFIC PAPER OR DISSERTATION

1. Introductory Remarks

·                            ·         The paper must be clear, concise, accurate, well organized, and neat.

·    To achieve these, pay attention to the size and quality of the paper, the format, the language, and the style.

·         Print out dissertation on standard-sized white paper (A4).

·        As a general rule, use 1.5 line space) throughout the paper, except footnotes, bibliography and indented quotations.

·       Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides. If it is a long thesis, increase the left margin by ½ inch (or give half inch Gutter (page set up – margins – gutter).

·       Keep in mind your reader. Imagine that you are writing for a fellow student who is familiar with your discipline but does not know your area.

·         Use simple words, short paragraphs, and active voice, if possible.

·         Vary sentence lengths.

·     Use gender-neutral or inclusive language, avoiding such gimmicks as using he/she, but recasting sentences to achieve invisible gender neutrality.

·      Avoid negatives, especially double negatives. Write, for example, common instead of not uncommon and known instead of not unknown.

·     Place sequences in order (Avoid: “Before giving our critical comments, we shall discuss the salient features of Derrida’s deconstruction.” Say: “We shall discuss the salient features of Derrida’s deconstruction before giving our critical comments.”

2. Indentation

·       Indent the first line of every paragraph (in the modern style, indent is not given. Therefore, the student is free to give indent. However, be consistent).

·         Indent the footnotes five spaces from the left-hand margin (one tab or 0.5”).

·      Items in the Reference/Works Cited list use hanging indent, i.e., they have first line with the left-hand margin while the following lines are indented five spaces (or 0.5”).

·     Long quotations (more than 5 typed lines) are placed in indented spaces (or 0.5”) either only in the left or on both sides without quotation marks.

3. Pagination

·     Short Paper: Using Arabic numerals (1,2,3,4…), number all pages including the title page. You may choose not to show the page number on the title page (first page). To do this, double click on the footer or header you have generated the page numbers and select ‘different page’ form Design in menu bar.

·    Long Dissertation: All the pages before the first page of Introduction are numbered in small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv...). Beginning from the first page of Introduction till the end of the paper, including bibliography and appendixes are to be numbered in Arabic numerals.

·     For both short papers and long dissertations, numbers are placed uniformly either at the top right, or at the bottom right, or at the bottom center of the page.

How to give different page numbers?

·     To give different page numbers first give the Section break. Page layout, break, section  break, next page.

·         Then click insert, page numbers, edit page numbers

·         Click desired page numbers and then click from One

·         Insert page number, bottom/top/center/left/right

·         To give another different type of page number again give section break as said above

·     Click insert, page number, edit page numbers, click desired page number, start at 1 and continue like previous.

How to give different header/footer titles in different pages?

·         Give section break.

·         Double click on the header or footer

·         Navigation pane

·         Click on link to previous (this will disable the link from previous section)

·         Type your title

4. Subdivisions

Avoid single subdivision. To divide you always need at least two parts. This means, there can never be an “A” without a “B,” a “1” without “2,” an “a” without a “b.” For an enumeration having several subdivisions, one of the following schemes or notation and indentation could be used.

Scheme 1

I. Main heading

A. Subheading (level 1)

1. Subheading (level 2)

a. Subheading (level 3)

i. Subheading (level 4)

ii. Subheading (level 4)

b. Subheading (level 3)

2. Subheading (level 2)

B. Subheading (level 1)

II. Main heading

Scheme 2

1. Title

1.1 Subtitle

1.1.1 Subtitle

1.1.2 Subtitle

1.2 Subtitle

1.2.1 Subtitle

1.2. 2 Subtitle

2. Title

2.1 Subtitle

2.1.1 Subtitle

2.1.2 Subtitle

2.2 Subtitle

5. Table of Contents

·         It should include all the divisions that precede it and follow it except the title page.

·         Roman small numerals are given for the divisions that precede it and Arabic numerals are given to divisions that follow it. (In order to do this, give section break. Page Layout – Breaks – Section Breaks – Next Page. Then keep the cursor in the desired page, insert Page Number – Format Page Number – start at…)

·     It can be generated automatically in MS-Word. In order to do so, the different levels and headings are to be defined correctly.

How to define Table of Contents?

·                         ·       Select the Headings or keep the cursor point on the main heading (this amounts to the level  I. e.g 1.1)

·    Click Home – Style – Select Heading 1 (now right click on Heading, Modify, set the headings as desired like, Automatic, Times New Roman, font size. Then click on Format (see, at the bottom of the dialogue box), paragraph, adjust the paragraph space, line space, font, etc. Second time you define the titles, just click on the first level heading and just click on the Heading 1.

·        Click Ok, Ok.

·      For the second level or second heading (e.g 1.1.1), click on the Heading 2 from style and do complete the same procedure mentioned above.

·         For the Third level (e.g. 1.1.1.1), click on Heading 3 and it continues as per your levels.

How to generate the table of contents?

•     Keep the cursor in the page where you want to generate the Table of Contents.
•    Click on the reference, table of contents and select any one type

Editing the Table of Content format

·      You can edit the way you want to generate. To do this, you need to click on the ‘insert    table of contents’ form Table of Contents in Reference   

·    Increase levels (by default it is three levels). Increase the levels if you have more than three levels.

·  If your table of content comes all capitals, or All Bold, or All Italics, then do this following modification. Click on Modify. Then edit the table of contests selecting each table of contents entries by selecting (TOC 1, TOC 2, TOC 3…) and edit as per your need.

·     Generate the Table of Contents only just before taking the print of the final copy, because any change made after may result in the indication of wrong page numbers. 

·    Before taking the print out, type in title case “Table of Contents” or merely “Contents,” and center this heading. 

·    To remove hyperlink from the text, especially from the Table of Contents, the following methods can be used. Press CTRL+A to select the entire document and then press CTRL+SHIFT+F9. 

·    Removing the Link of the table of contents: in order to copy the table of contents from one document to another for the sake of publishing or for any other purpose, the link of the table of contents need to be removed. Following the method to do it.

          ·      Following the method to do it.

          ·     In all versions of Word you can remove the hyperlink attribute from the TOC field code using

               the following method:

o     Using the keyboard arrows, position your cursor just in front of the first TOC entry.

o   Right-click, then select Toggle Field Codes. The field code is displayed—it will look something like { TOC \o “1-3” \h }.

o     Delete the \h part.

o     Press F9 to refresh the Table of Contents.

o    Select the Update entire table option, then click OK. 

6. Frequently Used Abbreviations in Documentation

cf. = confer, compare

vol. = volume

Ibid. = ibidem, in the same place

n.d. = no date.

n.p. = no publisher, no place

ms. = manuscript

mss. = manuscripts

ed. = edition, edited by, editor

Trans. = translated by, translator.

ch. Or chap. = chapter

op. cit.  = opera citato – ‘in the work quoted’

loc. cit.  =  loco citato – ‘in the place cited’

7. Footnote and Bibliography Entry

Type of Entry	Footnote Entry		Bibliography Entry
Book, one author	Daniel A. Weiss, Oedipus in Nottingham: D.H. Lawrence (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1962), 62.		Weiss, Daniel A. Oedipus in Nottingham: D.H. Lawrence. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1962.
Book, two authors	Walter E. Houghton and G. Robert Strange, Victorian Poetry and Poetics (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1959), 27.		Houghton, Walter E., and G. Robert Strange. Victorian Poetry and Poetics. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1959.
Book, 3+ authors / Book in a series	Jaroslav Pelikan and others, Religion and the University, York University Invitation Lecture Series (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1964), 109.		Pelikan, Jaroslav, M.G. Ross, W.G. Pollard, M.N. Eisendrath, C. Moeller, and A. Wittenberg. Religion and the University. York University Invitation Lecture Series. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1964.
Book, no author given	New Life Options: The Working Women's Resource Book (New York: McGraw- Hill, 1976), 42.		New Life Options: The Working Women's Resource Book. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976.
Institution, association, or the like, as "author"	American Library Association, ALA Handbook of Organization and 1995/1996 Membership Directory (Chicago: American Library Association, 1995), MD586.	American Library Association. ALA Handbook of Organization and 1995/1996 Member- ship Directory. Chicago: American Library Association, 1995.
Editor or compiler as "author"	J.N.D. Anderson, ed., The World's Religions (London: Inter-Varsity Fellowship, 1950), 143.	Anderson, J.N.D., ed. The World's Religions. London: Inter-Varsity Fellowship, 1950.
Edition other than the first	William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 8th ed. (New York: Barnes & Noble, 1956), 62.	Shepherd, William R. Historical Atlas, 8th ed. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1956.
Reprint edition	Gunnar Myrdal, Population: A Problem for Democracy (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1940; reprint, Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1956), 9.	Myrdal, Gunnar. Population: A Problem for Democracy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1940. Reprint, Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1956.
Component part by one author in a work by another	Paul Tillich, "Being and Love," in Moral Principles of Action, ed. Ruth N. Anshen (New York: Harper & Bros., 1952), 663.	Tillich, Paul. "Being and Love." In Moral Principles of Action, ed. Ruth N. Anshen, 661-72. New York: Harper & Bros., 1952.
Electronic document: From Internet	William J. Mitchell, City of Bits: Space, Place, and the Infobahn [book on-line] (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1995, accessed 29 September 1995); available from http://www-mitpress.mit.edu:80/ City_of_Bits/Pulling_Glass/ index.html; Internet.	Mitchell, William J. City of Bits: Space, Place, and the Infobahn [book on- line]. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1995, accessed 29 September 1995; available from http://www-mitpress. mit.edu:80/City_of_Bits/Pulling_Glass/ index.html; Internet.
Encyclopedia, unsigned article	Collier's Encyclopedia, 1994 ed., s.v. "Mindoro."	Well-known reference books are generally not listed in bibliographies.
Encyclopedia, signed article	C. Hugh Holman, "Romanticism," in Encyclopedia Americana, 1988 ed.	Well-known reference books are generally not listed in bibliographies.
Interview (unpublished) by writer of paper	Nancy D. Morganis, interview by author, 16 July 1996, Fall River, MA, tape recording.	Morganis, Nancy D. Interview by author, 16 July 1996, Fall River, MA. Tape recording.
Newspaper article	"Profile of Marriott Corp.," New York Times, 21 January 1990, sec. III, p. 5.	"Profile of Marriott Corp." New York Times, 21 January 1990, sec. III, p. 5.
Article in a journal or magazine published monthly	Robert Sommer, "The Personality of Vegetables: Botanical Metaphors for Human Characteristics," Journal of Personality 56, no. 4 (December 1988): 670.	Sommer, Robert. "The Personality of Vegetables: Botanical Metaphors for Human Characteristics." Journal of Personality 56, no. 4 (December 1988): 665-683.
Article in a magazine published weekly (or of general interest)	Robin Knight, "Poland's Feud in the Family," U.S. News and World Re- port, 10 September 1990, 52.	Knight, Robin. "Poland's Feud in the Fam- ily." U.S. News and World Report, 10 September 1990, 52-53, 56.
Thesis or dissertation	O.C. Phillips, Jr., "The Influence of Ovid on Lucan's Bellum Civile" (Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago, 1962), 14.	Phillips, O.C., Jr. "The Influence of Ovid on Lucan's Bellum Civile." Ph.D. diss., University of Chicago, 1962.

Tips for Preparing a Research Proposal

1. Research Question

Prepare one question which will comprise the very problem that you are trying to find out or solve or to explore. Make it in the form of a single question.

2. Hypothesis

• Just write one sentence which will show what will be more or less your answer at present on the question. That is you bring out what is the answer for your research question.

3. Methodology

• What is the methodology that you are going to apply?
• Mostly as far a philosophy student is concerned it would be exegetical and hermeneutical. It can be descriptive or analytical or data collection.
• It could include whether are you depending upon primary sources or secondary sources.

4. Review of literature

• You have to indicate what all studies have done so far on the issue.
• Those philosophers (or authors) those who have worked on the issue that you are taking up and the important works that have come up.

5. What do you expect that you can contribute other than those who have done?

• Show your contribution that you expect that you can achieve.

6. Limitations

• What are the limitations that you expect that you may come across in your research?

For example:

• Lack of access to original primary sources due to inability to language, their availability, etc.
• You belong to one religious tradition and then studying the other, and such problems.

7. Working Plan

• A possible schema. How many chapters and what do you prefer to include in each chapter, etc.

8. The relevance of the topic.

• In the present context what is the relevance of your finding. In the society does it make a sense, in the religious field does make any sense. In the scholarly field does it bring any relevance, etc. 

Prepared by,

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

St. Albert’s College, Ranchi