– Swami Harshananda
This is a story of hoary antiquity. But, the lesson it teaches us, especially the people of the Hindu society, is valid even today.
Long long ago, in the ancient city called Sanatanapura, there was a huge Banyan tree, of gigantic proportions. Nobody in that little town knew how old it was. The general belief, however, was that it had been planted by an ancient sap, may be Vasistha, may be Visvamitra or even the four-faced Brahma himself!
This mighty tree was so strong that even if a hundred elephants tugged at it simultaneously, it would not budge an inch. It was standing still, for ages, giving cool shade and protective shelter, to hundreds of living beings. It has usually been seen in this small world of ours – that is what it is when compared to the galaxy in which it exists – that greatness in one, often makes the small ones smaller still. Out of petty jealousy they react trying to besmirch the great ones. Though the great ones face every situation created by them in a way that befits their greatness – sometimes becoming martyrs even – the small ones do great harm to the society through their sinister manoeuvres.
This is what happened to that great Banyan tree one day. A small little worm, a poisonous one at that, and no bigger than a mustard seed, bored a hole in that tree and laid a few eggs. These eggs hatched into worms. These worms again bored more holes and laid more eggs. This ‘chain-action-reaction’ of eggs, worms and bores, went on ceaselessly for months on end.
All the while, the tree appeared to be mighty from outside; but, inside, it was gradually becoming empty, being sapped of its sap. And then, one day, as soon as a crow sat upon it, it just collapsed, unable to bear its weight. The mighty Banyan tree which did not budge even an inch by the tug of a hundred elephants, bent and broke under the burden of a tiny bird!
This story has a great lesson for us, the Hindus of India. True it is that our society has been like that mighty Banyan tree. Invasions and attacks from outside by thousands of barbarians and marauders often shook it and bent it but could never break it.
However, there is every possibility of its now becoming an easy prey to internal worms, poisonous and dangerous bacteria, against which eternal vigilance is urgently needed.
What are they?
Ours religion has withstood the test of time. It has produced innumerable saints and godmen. However, our Hindu society has not been able to rise to the level that is expected of it. We have no faith in ourselves, in our religion and culture. Then, what to speak of righteous pride?
This is the first ‘worm.’
What are its offshoots? Some of ‘our own’ people who style themselves as secularists and rationalists raise a hue and cry against our religion, write articles using intemperate language, deride our deities and even dare to caricature them on the screen, big or small. (Will they dare to do it against other religions, especially of the Semitic kind?)
And we? We hear them, read the articles, see the cinemas paying money and then keep stoically quiet or just remark that it is better to ignore the prattling of these people who do not know the greatness of our religion!
Have you ever seen the followers of certain religions of non-Indian origin taking things lying down when their religions are criticised? Should we not, at least, learn the spirit of virile faith in one’s religion, society and culture from them?
The second ‘worm’ is the tendency to change our religion, as easily as we change our shirt, and get converted to other religions, especially of the aggressively proselytising type. The main reason seems to be the attractions offered by them – ‘woman and gold,’ to put it in the language of Sri Ramakrishna – in the form of material benefits or pressurising tactics, often too subtle to be noticed. It is a well-known fact that these proselytising missionaries are too scared to approach certain other groups, whose swords will come out, no sooner than they are touched.
It will not be out of place here to quote Swami Vivekananda from his lecture delivered at Detroit in America: “One thing 1 would tell you, and I do not mean any unkind criticism. You train and educate and clothe and pay men to do what? To come over to my country to curse and abuse all my forefathers, my religion, and everything. They walk near a temple and say, ‘You idolaters, you will go to hell.’ But they dare not do that to the Mohammedans of India; the sword would be out.”[1]
Is it not inspiring to remember here, the great Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur, (A. D. 1621-1675) who refused to get converted to Islam, but declared that he would rather give up his life than his religion?
The tendency to quarrel in the name of our caste is the next, the third, ‘worm’. All of us are super-Vedantins, freely meting out the advice that all are equal from the standpoint of the atman or as embodied humans. (However, in practice we are a little more equal than others!)
While feeding a hungry soul or helping one who is in trouble or favouring one who is in need of it, caste-consciousness gets the upper hand! Objections to this behaviour are easily warded off with the universal declaration that the former is philosophy whereas the latter is the usual custom which cannot easily be brushed aside.
No doubt that great persons from Buddha (560-486 B. C.) and Basavesvara (12th century) right up to Mahatma Gandhi (A. D. 1869-1948) struggled their whole life to reform the Hindu society into a casteless mould. Can we too not add our efforts to theirs, at least to lessen, if not eliminate, the caste-based animosities?
It is easy to add more ‘worms’ to this list. But, it is not going to help us much. Let us wake up at least now, diagnose our internal illnesses first and the worms responsible for them. Then, take effective steps to destroy them.
If and when we stop quarrelling in the name of castes, cults and groups, if and when we remember the great Guru Teg Bahadur’s inspiring last words, if and when we develop tremendous faith and pride in our religion, culture and ourselves, a righteous pride that brooks not even the least humiliation to these, then and then alone, our Hindu society that has been like a vast and extremely strong Banyan tree, will regain its past strength, glory and beauty which no power on earth can dare even to try to uproot.
Will you actively and willingly participate in this great revival movement started by a galaxy of warrior saints led by Vivekananda?
I am sure you WILL!
(Swami Harshanandaji is the head of Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Bangalore.)
1. The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol. 8, p. 211-212, Calcutta, Advaita Ashrama, 1977.
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