Prepare To Win-Part II

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Institutions and programmes, public service both civil and military, leaders, workers, volunteers - all of them do at best, only direct the happenings of a nation, the aspirations of its people; the momentum of its history. But the true dynamism must spring forth from a united, inspired, heroic generation, that people the very country. All plans to generate such a national inspiration and to discover a fervent love for the country in the hearts of the people must be explored by all secular Governments, as their sacred duty, not only in peace-time but urgently so in wartime.

Incentives of economic and commercial profits alone may not help us much in this field. Any ideal preached can gather a vibrant assertion and a glowing beauty only when the preachers of the idealism come to live the very ideal in their own life. The average man ever seeking for himself and his family, social and economic security, is not readily available for making any personal sacrifice especially in the uncertain times of psychological storms and gloomy war-clouds, unless he sees that national idealisms vividly practised by those very leaders who are so vehemently preaching them.

The ideal of sacrifice may become a part of the national thought when large number of people voluntarily come to live values of thrift and austerities and yet, at best it can only be a dead habit and not a living, determined way-of-life accepted by the nation, timeless they are conscious of their rich past, proud of their national culture and feel self-congratulated by the achievements of the national genius. In short, the vastness and beauty, the depths and heights of our past must be brought vividly home to our people so that they may understand the sanctity and glory of their nation. Once the sacredness of our land is brought home to them they shall no more feel any sacrifice too great in protecting "their revered motherland.

Freedom, progress and glory can be only for a nation and not for a mutually bickering team of disunited smaller principalities. And a population is not a people; the former is constituted of numbers.

Today (in 1963) we are. four hundred and fifty million weak! In order to make ourselves a people inspired by one ideal and striving together to reach it is to make our country four hundred fifty Million strong! To shape a nation out of a country, to make a people out of a population is the achievement of the national culture. Where it is neglected for a long period of history disintegration starts and soon the rot reaches the core.

Spiritual knowledge and dynamic religious living as vividly expounded in the Bhagavad Geeta constitute the sacred culture that is rooted in the genius of our country. A revival of it should re-set the hearts of the people in the consciousness of our rich past. Over night we shall discover then that we have moulded ourselves into a people, mutually respectful and affectionate. Where hearts are blended, the hands shall achieve even the impossible through harmonious activities..

The only adhesive that can glue the different types of people that live our sub-continent is their national culture and to ignore it totally at all levels has become a fashion of the day. At least when our enemies are standing ready to pull down all our hopes of the future, let us throw up our unintelligent prejudices and take to remaking ourselves into a united people proud of our past, self sacrificing in the present and hopeful of the future. ...

Go back to the sacred scriptures, live the spiritual values, draw strength and balance from the philosophy of right living. In fact Satyameva Jayate - Truth Alone Wins - and the Rishis positively declare in the same breath "NaAnirtam" - never falsehood.

We alone shall ultimately win but we must prepare ourselves to win.

About the author

Swami Chinmayananda

Swami Chinmayananda the great master's lectures were an outpour of wisdom. He introduced the Geetha Gnana Yagna. He wrote a lot of books on spirituality, commentaries to Vedantic texts, children books etc. He then started spreading His teachings globally.....