Adapt Adjust Akshaya( all the time)

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.