Adapt Adjust Akshaya !!!!( all the time)
Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam
Aum Namo Narayanaya
I cannot but ponder at times if God has turned a deaf ear to
the pleas and cries from Africa. Evidently non bis in idem or double jeopardy
as we know it does not apply to the masses of African people. Persecuted for
centuries via various agencies, the continent now must face an unknown enemy
that has moved the goal post of development miles off.
Ironically when a step is taken to rise from the ashes of
oppression, subjugation or unleash economic emancipation on the fallen morale
of the nation we are reset to the start on the backfoot. Strangled and left for
dead, African nations have further suffered haemorrhaging through graft and
corruption leaving African people desolate and isolated save of taking aid,
baited with herds of conditions that once again leave us rendered fresh bait in
a shark infested tank. As South Africa commemorates Freedom Day tomorrow, we
acknowledge the vast amounts of work and effort put into addressing the plight
of the people, yet 26 years later it has still remained mere electoral freedom
for many.
When one is fully absorbed in the body consciousness and
when the pangs of hunger, pain and suffering have burdened the body for such an
extended period of time, it becomes involuntary to adorn blinkers on
utilitarian ideals and see to the needs of one’s own body comforts. Coupled
with greed, this dangerous combination has been the achilles heel in
positioning Africa as a force to reckon with despite her abundance of natural
wealth. Therefore, it is of vital importance in how your consciousness is
developed. This provides an understanding on how you would address challenges
in front of you.
Let’s not make the mistake to think that when we are devout
congregants of God that no challenges will present before us. That is why
Vedanta as a practical religion or should I say Vedanta as a skill set, enables
one to diligently and confidently pass through the phase of life breaking down
challenges piece by piece.
Swami Vivekananda who through my lens is the crown prince of
modern Vedantic thought said: "In a day, when you don't come across any
problems - you can be sure that you are travelling in a wrong path." A
little reading tracing history since civilisation would easily provide evidence
for the above statement. Great things are simply accomplishments against the
backdrop of challenges. Challenges are a reality and the way they are
manoeuvred determines the character of an individual or nation.
Conquering challenges requires innovative and lateral
thinking underpinned by boisterous confidence in yourself and in your ability
to outsmart the circumstances. This leads my thoughts to an exhilarating
episode within the plethora of Hindu literature. In the ensuing week or two we
will be observing the appearance day of Lord Narashima - an incarnation of Lord
Narayana. This most enigmatic yet mighty form of the Lord is a direct result of
a challenge placed by Hiranyakashipu in order preserve his life and prominence
in the world. He acquired out of severe penance the boon that he could not be
killed by human or animal, from inside or outside, by day or by night, and that
no weapon could harm him. Thinking that he had constructed a failsafe way to
protect his life and maintain his dominance over the earth, he began to wreck
unrelenting havoc upon the earth.
So, there is the dilemma - how does the Lord eradicate this
menace from the Earth without dismantling the rewards he had honestly and
sincerely earned. This is where the concept of innovative, inventive and
inspired unorthodox thinking comes to play. The Lord did not collapse into
despondency but having analysed the challenge at hand devised a solution that
resulted in unadulterated victory. Lord Narayana descended upon the Earth in
the form of Lord Narashima - a half man, half lion form - and grabbed
Hiranyakashipu to the centre of the doorway and using only his claws he killed
Hiranyakashipu in twilight (neither day or night). Without dwelling too much on
the literal aspect of this scene, one much try to derive the profound message
of heightened thinking.
Incidentally today is the holy Akshaya Tritiya wherein we
also celebrate the birth anniversary of Lord Parashurama who is also an avatar
of Lord Narayana who appeared in a time the Earth was overwhelmed by military
forces owned by ruthless kings. As his name literally means 'Rama with an axe',
he had to use force at a time when required, and the same Parashurama appears
as Lord Rama in another time armed with a bow and arrow and later as Lord
Krishna with a highly evolved mind and diplomatic skills - so the adaptability
of the Lord during the different circumstances guides us to evolve our own
consciousness to a point that we can also clearly identify the challenges and
conquer them with relative ease. We should never back down from a challenge.
Swami Vivekananda said: “Face the brutes." That is a lesson for all life -
face the terrible, face it boldly. Like the monkeys, the hardships of life fall
back when we cease to flee before them.
In concluding, I am convinced that it is our inability to
adjust, adapt and be agile in Akshaya( all the time or eternally) that has
failed to position the continent at the forefront. Currently in this crisis, I
am particularly proud of our President, His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, whose
utilitarian consciousness and good sound decisions are helping South Africa
with limited resources manage this pandemic. It is this type of leadership
under normal circumstances that can inspire and elevate a nation out of its
dipped morale. Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna said: "The winds of God's grace
are always blowing, it is for us to raise our sails.” As Africans, we need to
raise our consciousness to the reality at hand. Swami Vivekananda always said:
“Arise! Awake! Stop not till the goal is reached." Raise our consciousness
to awaken to the reality and stop not till the dignity and morale of every African
is raised through economic and spiritual emancipation.
