JALLIKATTU - A CHANGING COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS.

That there are two sides to Jallikattu, those who are for and those who are against, only shows that India is both global and updated. If we walk back to the past, sensitivity to torture of any kind is a rather contemporary phenomenon, showing up in first in the nineteenth century. Till then, worldwide, the torture of both humans and animals was taken as normal. Between 1807-50, as if making up for past injustices, our collective consciousness suddenly woke up to ethically question the torture of all living beings. Is it just coincidence that around this time, in Britain for example, slave trade was abolished, the 1832 Reform Act was passed, and after baiting, even dog fights, became illegal?

Conferring respect on ordinary electorates was accompanied by a ban on cruelty to animals and people, as if one entailed the other. Till then, voters were limited to a select few and hanging was a popular town square event. Likewise, to set dog against dog, or bear against dogs, were huge draws often patronised by the rich and powerful. Elizabeth I, reportedly, could not tear herself away from such spectacles. It would appear then that with the increase in democratic awareness, we also became mindful of animal life. Decades before Darwin came on the scene, 19th century attitudes were inclined towards accepting humans and animals as somewhat continuous creations. Therefore, what applied to us was now being extended to include other living creatures too. By this token convicts, their wickedness not-withstanding, deserved consideration as well.

Again, it was in the mid-nineteenth century that the hangman's rope was lengthened so that death would be quick; the earlier short drop left the condemned person dangling for long. Crucifixion, stoning or the Chinese practice of Li Ching, where the convict's flesh was slowly sliced off (hence the phrase, death by a thousand cuts), were no longer considered civilised. Likewise, in 1839, Britain banned punishment by drawing and quartering as this involved the strewing of the dead person's body parts. All of this is crazily off the charts today, but in the past they were seen as normal, even fun. Though we still continue with capital punishment, yet we strive to make it as pain free as modern medical knowledge will allow - enter the lethal injection. No more howling and cheering from a frenzied crowd; the sentence is now delivered within prison confines.
All these changes have happened in recent times as old fashioned torture is no longer acceptable. Humans and beasts, individually and singly, are not to be put in pain, and if they have to die because we must punish, or we must eat, let us deliver the blow as softly as we can. Yet, when man and beast are performing together in acts that involve pain, sometimes death, there has been much stronger resistance against banning them. This is true of jallikattu, the bull fight and the fox hunt. All these three were once banned and then un-banned. On these matters, the struggle between status quoists and change agents has been very contentious and bitter. The Catalonia region of Spain disallowed bullfights, but the Spanish Supreme Court ruled against it. The fox hunt likewise won judicial approval and, for the time being, jallikattu has also earned a reprieve.
Unlike dog fights or bear baiting, these are no longer instances of outright animal torture as humans are also involved. This is what makes jallikattu and bull fights appear sporty for now there is an extra aura of uncertain outcome, though highly controlled. Consequently, guilt is replaced by participatory euphoria and it is this that gives them the look and feel of being cultural and harmless. If, however, only the rich participate in the sport, as in the case of tiger hunts, then such acts do not become'cultural', deserving of popular approval. Fox hunting was never passionately defended as long as it was limited to the aristocrats. From the 1950s on numerous fox hunting clubs, with middle class membership, sprang up all over Britain lending this activity a democratic character.
The Spanish bull fight has always been a spectacular public sport, not just because it entertained large crowds but also because matadors came from the ranks of ordinary people. It is this as well as their skills that together made bull fighters like Antonio Ordinez, Luis Dominguin, and Manuel Benitez (also known as El Cordobez) such super stars. Jallikattu still does not have its home bred heroes, but it too is a popular sport that has become culture as it pits man against beast, rather ordinary men against ordinary beasts. It is almost as if we are compelled to demonstrate our mastery over nature at regular intervals. But because we are blessed with cunning, a trait that animals do not possess, we pick on four-legged creatures that are not carnivores, nor are naturally dangerous to us. We hunt foxes, that attack poultry, or we fight bulls that have no quarrel with humans. Nobody would like to take on tigers or grizzly bears and then call it culture.
As humans we need to show off our cultural might and we do this best by fighting the weak, never the strong, not even those who are our equals. This is what prompted the anarchist Peter Kropotkin to remark that nature is not 'red in tooth and claw', but people are.
C.S. Chakravarthy
H. No. 12-13-302, St. No. 9,
Lane. No. 1, Flat. No. 203,
Satya Classic Apartments,
Opp. Narayana High School,
Tarnaka, Secunderabad - 500 017
Telangana State.
e-mail: chakkuresearchscholar13@gmail.com
cell: 09985732397.
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MOTHER TERESA - SAINT WHO SERVED INDIA AND HUMANITY.

Mother Teresa was ordained a saint by the Pope in a well-attended ceremony at St. Peter's Square on Sunday. It has been a while since the 'angel of mercy' was seen as a saint by many worldwide, well beyond her adopted home in India. This was to be the highlight of the Jubilee Year, which Pope Francis had proclaimed would be on the theme of mercy. There is an aptness to Saint Teresa being canonised now: she was the very embodiment of the spirit of compassion for fellow humans, caring for the terminally ill with a devotion that is hard to achieve for most people. Her Missionaries of Charity has been a beacon of light for the poorest of the poor for decades, another reason why there's universal appreciation of the Vatican's decision. There has been an eruption of joy in India where she was revered long before the world had heard of this nun from Macedonia who settled down in this country after a moment of epiphany while on a train journey. 

The worldwide jubilation as Mother Teresa was ordained Saint Teresa of Calcutta is a genuine tribute to the Nobel Peace Prize winner having become one of the most influential women in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. As the Pope himself said, it might take a while for people to forget her honorific of 'Mother' since she was such a ministering angel to the poorest of the poor, most of them residents of Kolkata's most crowded slums. Known to be pushy in getting her work done, Mother Teresa was an active fundraiser for a noble cause. The Pope's words couldn't have rung truer than when he said Saint Teresa had shamed world leaders for the 'crimes of poverty they themselves created'. The world's inequities never stand out sharper than when we consider how she reached out to the poor and dispossessed abandoned by society. It's a pointer to the complexities of human thought that even at a beautiful moment like this, criticism is heard about some of Mother's deeds, her ways of collecting money for charity questioned, also her treatment of some of the terminally ill. The point is that the totality of an individual's contribution is important: when someone has served humanity to this extent, it would be pointless even to take note of such criticism, even if it comes from those who only question some of her methods. The right-minded wouldn't carp at a time like this, when a venerated figure who embraced India and served it well attains sainthood. Also, this is not the time for a discussion on miracles and how these are recognised. Those are really matters of faith. The joy of worshipping a saint is a reward in itself.

Mother's elevation to sainthood has been accompanied by a vigorous debate on the 'Saint of the Gutters', as the revered nun was known, on her methods and her achievements. Mother Teresa - or simply 'Mother T' to generations in Calcutta - has had her adherents and her sceptics. The argument between them is entirely appropriate, and in keeping with the classic process of canonisation. In Catholic practice, when a candidate is presented for canonisation, a 'devil's advocate' is tasked with putting forth reasons for not going ahead or revealing flaws in the would-be saint. Sometimes the points are merely rhetorical; occasionally they have been meaningful.
Mother's critics come from multiple positions. First, there are Calcuttans to whom she has become a source of the negative perceptions of their beloved city, from a once enlightened, culturally-rich metropolis to a byword for misery. Second, there are those who see her methods as inadequate. The compassion of the Missionaries of Charity, they contend, does not take away from the fact that medical services and palliative care for the dying in Mother's homes were absent or rudimentary, at least till recently. Third, some of those who see her as a Christian nun are unhappy that her dedication to God and her faith is being overridden into presenting her as a multi-cultural and multi-faith icon, which she himself would have been uncomfortable with. Fourth, still others remain mystified that she accepted donations and money from a variety of disreputable sources and people. Fifth, the evidence for the canonisation - miracles that will not stand scientific scrutiny - will leave many squeamish.
While there are strong elements to all those charges - to the devil's advocate and his case against Mother Teresa as it were - there is also another side to the story. Mother's compassion and desire to help people she felt were in trouble or forsaken by family and society was absolute. Let there be no doubt about that. She was a strong and practicing Christian and never once forgot that. She was a fundamentalist (in the literal sense of the term) on issues such as abortion and divorce and probably gay rights. She would have liked it if those she met and interacted with and help converted to Catholicism but there is little evidence that she forcibly converted or agreed to help the infirm and the destitute only on that condition. In fact, quiet to the contrary, she didn't ask questions about religious identity before helping.
Did Mother embellish Calcutta's reputation or take away from it? Frankly, that is a ridiculous question. If one gets over the emotionalism, it is fairly obvious that Calcutta was falling to pieces by the early 1970s for reasons that had nothing to do with Mother: the collapse of industry and the absence of a post-industrial economic idea; the crippling of the city's educational institutions; the Naxalite violence and counter-operations by the state; the influx of East Pakistani refugees. It was all this that very visibly enhanced the poverty and homelessness and bleak and want on Calcutta's streets. It was there and it was undeniable; Mother Teresa had no role to play here. She didn't invent Calcutta's troubled landscape.
Finally, there is the paradox of how Mother Teresa, a staunch believer as a religious person, was so agnostic in accepting help from even crooks and dictators. It is important to see this as part of a pragmatic instinct in her that made her different from conventional nuns and priests; she was resolute enough in pursuit of the larger goal. It helped her build a network of facilities for the poor across the world, from Calcutta to Budapest, to take a random example, replicating her methods everywhere - from seeking help from the wealthy to asking restaurants to donate left-over food each evening.
It is this work and this institution-building that is her true legacy and her true miracle. It is far more real and tangible than the alleged miracles cited as justification for her sainthood. If one could draw an analogy, the remarkable network of hospitals and public institutions, of building a massive drinking water supply project across undeserved rural areas of Andhra Pradesh, is what is Sathya Sai Baba's true legacy and lasting achievement. It is not the controversies surrounding his conjuring of valuable gifts; those convince rationalists as little as the miracles being attributed to Mother Teresa do. As a footnote, one may point to an unusual diplomatic implication to Mother's passing in 1997. When she was given a state funeral that September, many Indian ambassadors faced the same puzzling question from interlocutors: "But why have you given her a state funeral? You are not a Christian country". Hidden in that query was such a confusion and an admiration of India's bewideringly diverse society.
Among those who turned up for the funeral was Hillary Clinton, then the First lady of the United States. India-US weren't exactly swimming. President Bill Clinton's first term (1993-97) had seen India policy being driven by Cold War warriors and Kashmiri separatists disguised as state department officials. India was often talked down to end its potential and successes were just not acknowledged. Ms. Clinton's visit went some way in changing White House perceptions. Of course, genuine change had to wait a year till the Atal Behari Vajpayee government came to office and the aftermath of Pokhran-II forced the US into an enlightened and pragmatic understanding with India. Yet, her recce in September 1997 convinced Ms. Clinton that a largely Hindu country that could fairly non-controversially give state honours to a beloved Christian nun, where democracy and its discipline were rooted enough for the two largest parties (BJP and the Congress) to sit it out while a smaller party led a coalition and threw up Inder Kumar Gujral as Prime Minister, and where political differences were openly argued out, was a country worth engaging with.
Following her assessment of the symbolism of the funeral (facilitated by a supposedly Communist state government) and her conversations with Prime Minister Gujral and other Indian dignitaries of the time, Ms. Clinton went back with much to tell her husband. It got him to pay attention to India. For once, White House pillow talk was useful. In death as in life, Mother Teresa had served India well.
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REMEMBER YOURSELF.

The Zen monk Zuigan used to start his day by saying out load to himself, "Master, are you there?" and he himself would answer, "Yes sir, I am".

Then he would say, "Better sober up", and he would reply, "Yes sir, I will do that".

He would also say, "Look out now, don't let them fool you", and he would answer, "Oh no sir, I won't, I won't". This Zen anecdote looks absurd but it is very meaningful. Zen meditators create very strange practices so as to startle the mind and stop its chattering. The monk is calling himself to check whether he is present or not. In fact, all of us have to do this exercise several times in a day for we work continuously, always focussed on outside, completely forgetting about ourselves. We think we are awake but we live in a hypnotic trance and the mind takes control of our actions. This diffused awareness is not enough to live life to the fullest. Life is an intense flame, it is stormy and chaotic, if we have to live it fully, we have to be equally intense and sharp. But most people are bored and their body translates the boredom as tiredness. We really have to wake ourselves like this Zen monk. And how can we do it? There are small Osho keys that can help in awakening. The first and foremost is: Remember yourself often. Usually we get lost in the outside world and forget ourselves. We have coffee breaks, in the same way try to have an awareness break.

Whatever you are doing, stop for a moment and remember, "I am", it will immediately change your energy. You will get disconnected with the outer and will connect with the inner. This shift is very important because constant focus on the outside depletes energy. One of the reasons why people get exhausted at the end  of the day is that they disconnect themselves. These reminders of "I am" will keep you fresh and energetic.

Another Osho key is: Stop verbalising experiences all the time. Feel more, think less. Someone touches you, or a breeze comes in, or fragrance is wafting in, don't think, feel it. This way your heart will start functioning more. You are walking under the trees: feel the greenery, the touch of breeze on your skin and the freshness in the air. This is the world around you, be aware. Stand for a moment and suddenly remember that you are. Just feel that you are. This non-verbal feeling, even if for only a single moment, will give you a glimpse of the real. For a single moment you are thrown back to the centre of your being.

Osho says, "Meditation cannot be a fragmented, it should be a continuous effort. Every moment one has to be alert, aware and meditative. But you meditate in the morning and then you put it aside; or you pray in the temple and then forget it. Then you come back to the world, completely unmeditative, unconscious, as if walking in a hypnotic sleep. This fragmented effort won't do much. Consciousness is a continuum; it is like a river, flowing constantly".

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THE FAILURE TRAP.

How difficult it is to take failures, even small ones, I realised once again last week. After having driven cars for nearly forty years in India and abroad, the examiner in Vienna failed me in my driving test. While some labelled it as a case of 'anti-foreigner' syndrome, I painfully discovered how the feeling of failure and rejection dominated the rest of my day. Though not always easy, fortunately there is an in-built mechanism in us human beings to defeat our failures and rejections for we are all part of God's beautiful creation. The prayer of the Psalmist in the Bible reminds one, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Prophet Isaiah expresses his experience of God even more beautifully: "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you". The famous Dutch Catholic priest Henri Nouwen who combined psychology with theology and worked with mentally and physically handicapped people, wrote, "The real trap, however, is self-rejection. As soon as someone accuses me or criticises me, as soon as I am rejected, left alone, or abandoned, I find myself thinking, "Well, that proves once again that I am a nobody..."

[Based on an article written by Father Dominic Emmanuel, a founder-member of the Parliament of Religions, published in Deccan Chronicle dated 24th May, 2016 (Tuesday). He can be contacted at frdominic@gmail.com]. 

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RAGHUNATH KI KAHANI; EPIC FOR ALL TIME.

The Ramayana is one of the most popular epics of India. Ramayana-lovers are to be found all over the world. All are not necessarily followers of Hinduism. With its engaging storyline, it holds readers of all denominations and backgrounds spellbound. Narrated in an engaging fashion, the story of Rama entertains as well as informs, while presenting to us the model of an ideal human being. Ramayana traces the story of Rama, prince of Ayodhya - his birth, childhood, the circumstances leading to his fourteen-year vanvas or stay in the forest, the abduction of his wife Sita by Ravana, the demon-king, and the fall of Ravana's empire after he suffered defeat at the hands of Rama, and Rama's return to his kingdom of Ayodhya. Rama, the king, established an exemplary and ideal system of democratic governance based on popular support, making no distinction of class or creed. The system of Ramrajya was founded on the principle of righteousness and mutual love, affection and respect among the populace. Ramayana is a word composite of Rama and Ayana. Ayana means abode, path, mobility, speed, a state of life and dynamism, time and age, the Sun's relative position with respect to the earth and so on. With all these different connotations and meanings, the reach of the word Ramayana expands to include a huge and charming panorama of an eclectic spiritual landscape of thoughts done with a kaleidoscope of colours and themes.

Tulsidas, the saint poet, mentions that there are a billion infinite Ramayanas. The idea behind this statement is an attempt to identify innumerable living beings and organisms and non-living objects of Creation with Rama, each having a naturally potent-instinct of enacting as many Ramayanas. Each one has the basic potential of living a Ramayana of its own. Each one of us has the right and the freedom to work towards attaining a greater spiritual status and to get closer to this objective, provided the inherited tendencies support the seeker. The Ramayana establishes a wholesome philosophy and style of life that sets forth a number of benchmarks for behavioural dignity and social decorum and sets limits to our mutual interrelations and interactions. To illustrate, the legendary Rama, while in the exile, asked Maharishi Valmiki to suggest to him a temporary abode where he (Rama) could spend a few days. The Maharishi was perplexed because he did not know of any such place that was not already known to Rama and that was not occupied by him. He therefore tells Rama to live in the hearts of those who possess and practice virtues, do good to the deserving, show kindness towards all and believe in righteousness. 

Rama and Ravana are two aspects of the same entity; the point of demarcation between them shall keep on shifting according to the state of changing social values. Ravana adored Shiva. Ravana adored Rama too, as far as the value based perception of the Brahman was concerned. But what he did not believe was that Rama, the son of Dasharatha, was Rama, the Brahman. In Lanka, not all deserved condemnation. Most of the courtiers and warriors, women of the royal family, Vibhishana, Mareecha, Kumbhakarna, Queen Mandodari, Meghnad's wife Sulochana and many others knew very well the true meaning of Rama and what it symbolised. They upheld high standards for themselves but as far as Ravana was concerned, they had no control over his ego which was very powerful indeed.

Rama finally chose to accept and purify the egoistic Ravana just as he killed the ego not only in his own devotees but also in the own devotees but also in the devotees of His elemental part in Lord Shiva whom he himself always worshipped.

C.S. Chakravarthy

H. No. 12-13-302, St. No. 9,

Lane. No. 1, Flat. No. 203,

Satya Classic Apartments,

Tarnaka, Secunderabad- 500 017

Telangana State.

e-mail: chakkuresearchscholar13@gmail.com

cell: 09985732397.

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METALLURGY OF SOUL: BACK TO NATURE.

Studying Jain holy scriptures, I found I could draw a parallel between the behaviour of matter or non-living substance and the soul which is a living substance. Souls are infinite in number: Some are pure and liberated; others are unliberated and live a bodily or embodied existence. Pure souls possess properties or characteristics comprising infinite knowledge, vision and bliss and are quiet different from unliberated, mundane, souls which have limited knowledge through mind and sense organs, experiencing birth and death. Unliberated souls retain all worldly imperfections like anger, pride, delusion. Each soul, according to Jainism, can attain liberation by annihilating all the karmas attached to it through knowledge and by meditation and practicing self-restraint and austerity. During my long association with Hindustan Zinc Limited, a company engaged in the production of zinc metal from its natural ore through mining, ore concentration and smelting processes, I realised that the entire process is similar to that narrated in Jain scriptures for attaining liberation of the soul.

Zinc metal is found in soil as a mineral which includes sulphur (zinc sulphide) and is associated with a number of other elements like silica, graphite, iron, copper, cadmium and silver. Zinc is also seen in its other forms like Zinc Oxide, Zinc Suplhate, Zinc Chloride, Zinc Phosphide and Brass due to its affinity to different elements. Because of this attachment to other metals, Zinc loses its intrinsic properties. To regain its true nature Zinc has to detach itself from all other associated materials or impurities. The mining, one beneficiation or metal concentration of ore and smelting process breaks the old and strong bonds of Zinc with Non-Zinc substances. Slowly, these substances are removed until finally, zinc is isolated as pure metal, true to its original self. In other words, Zinc attains liberation at this point.

Jain scriptures say that the soul or jiva dravya is also found in nature in impure or combined form in association with non-living matter called karma. This karmic bondage leads to the destruction of inherent properties of pure soul. The old karmas are shed after yielding their fruit and new karmas get attracted to the soul because of continuous attachment due to worldly desires through mind, body or speech. The soul experiences pain and pleasure of different intensity depending on the degree of karmic bondage. Jain scriptures describe seven main tattvas, the knowledge of which is essential for attaining liberation. These are jiva - soul or the living; ajiva - non-living or matter; asrava - influx or karmic matter into the soul; bandha or bondage of soul with non-living karmas; samvara - stoppage of the karmic influx; nirjara - partial dissociation of acquired karmic matter from the soul, and moksha or complete liberation of soul from karmic bondage. 

A soul with attachment binds karmas while a soul free from attachment becomes liberated from them - so bondage and liberation lies within the self. Jain ethics consider liberation of soul as true happiness, and is the ultimate goal. Unfortunately, we are not aware of our true nature as we are satisified with the present status that's like impure Zinc Ore. Once we recognise our divine self as pure matter, the process of purification can begin, revealing infinite peace, knowledge, happiness, putting an end to the cycle of birth and death. This can be achieved by practicing virtues like forgiveness, humility, charity, truthfulness, renunciation, detachment and continence.

(Based an article written by V.K. Jain published in The Times of India).

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RELIGIOUS HARMONY IN BUDDHISM.

In the wake of the new interest in religion manifested in many parts of the world it has been agreed that fundamental to religion is the belief in God - a belief which can be harnessed to serve the goal of social and cultural harmony in a multi-religious society. Each and everyone of us belonging to a particular religious denomination, has our own concept and belief on this intricate subject. The Dictionary description of God is the self-existing supreme deity, a divinity. This description is popularly accepted by the major religions of the world. Buddhists respect other co-religionists in their religious concepts and beliefs. Buddhism, as a most tolerant religion, enjoins its followers never to belittle the religious beliefs and Buddhism advocates a process of mental purification, at the spiritual level, through the performance of selfless service and dedication through the individual's efforts in the practice of morality, concentration and wisdom.

In this context, in our multi-religious and multi-racial society, our fellow Buddhists, working hand-in-hand with other co-religionists, striving for the peace and harmony of our country, can be in no disagreement whatsoever with the believers of other faiths in the concepts on the subject of 'Belief in God' - It is accepted that such a belief and concept does help to create a spirit of religious awareness that would mould the individual, the society and the community towards a more humane feeling for one another and generating a spirit of tolerance and understanding, thus kindling the torch, not of hatred and discrimination, but of world peace and harmony for all humanity and for all time.
Not in Rivalry but in Unity: All religions exist for the good of mankind. All religions teach and exhort mankind to live and behave as decent human beings. It is incumbent that all religionists should consider getting together, not in rivalry but in unity, cooperation and understanding to make people realise and appreciate the value of spiritual aspects of life, the value of devotion and the basic principles of religions such as the ideal of truth, justice, dedicated service, charity, loving kindness and goodwill towards mankind. These concepts and principles are universal in character and should be generally acceptable to all religionists.
Freedom of Worship: Although Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, freedom of worship and religious beliefs are enshrined in our country's constitution. We are allowed to be free thinkers or to follow any religious denomination. We are not compelled to toe any particular line of religious worship or belief. We cherish this freedom. It is to be hoped that this freedom of ours would be maintained and sustained for all time and that it would not be marred or destroyed by the moves of any fanatical religious group or organisation. Fanaticism, in any form or from any quarter, is inimical to peace and harmony in any society.
All of us are perpetually seeking for peace and harmony. We want peace and harmony for our family. We want peace and harmony in society. We do not want inter-religious clashes, nor do we bargain for inter-racial conflicts. We want to live and let live. To achieve these, we should uphold all that is ethical. We should practice patience, tolerance and understanding. We should befriend one another, helping one another wherever and whenever the need arises. We should discard racial and religious discrimination. Irrespective of race or creed, we should regard one another as brothers and sisters in a happy family and as law-abiding citizens, striving for peace and harmony. This should be the resolve of all co-religionists in a multi-religious society.
Be Considerate: Whilst appreciating the fact that in this country, we are privileged to carry out our respective religious rites and practices without any hinderance, living in a multi-religious society means that we should try to be considerate at all times in whatever we do. We must not forget the feelings of our neighbours who are followers of a different religious denomination and who may not appreciate certain ritualistic performances foreign to them. We must be considerate. We must not be egoistic and think of ourselves and our needs only. Because of a certain special occasion or happening in our home, sad or otherwise, we wish to perform certain religious rites and rituals in accordance with our tradition and cultural background; be fair and considerate by not overdoing things and causing hardship and annoyance to our neighbours. Whatever religious practices are performed they must be done within reasonable limits and within the confines of our homes without causing undue disturbances to the peace and serenity of our neighbourhood. If we dogmatically insist on the right to perform our rites and rituals, however noisy, cumbersome or irritating to others, without caring for the feelings of our neighbours, we would definitely be courting trouble or particularly in a multi-religious neighbourhood. Consideration for the well-being of others, even under difficult or trying circumstances, is the key to peaceful and harmonious living in a multi-religious society.
Universal Common Ground: Admittedly, we have our differences in our various concepts and beliefs, nevertheless, we have a vast universal common ground - the eradication of evil, the spread of goodwill amongst men, and thesearch for peace, eternal bliss and salvation. These are common aims of all religions. Many of the intrinsic religious principles are also similar in character. To achieve unity, it is necessary that all religionists should shed their cloak of egoism and superiority and deliberate in the spirit of tolerance, patience and mutual understanding. It is our duty to respect the other man's religious belief whatever our religious belief may be: religious tolerance is absolutely essential and necessary for the sake of harmonious and peaceful living.
Essence of Similarities: Instead of castigating and portraying certain religious differences in a humiliating manner, it would be a wonderful achievement if our religious leaders and all religionists could make a study of all religious beliefs and practices and portray the essence of similarities in all that is good and worthwhile for the common consumption of all religionists. 
Buddhism says: "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful".
The Taoist says: "Regard your neighbour's gain as your own gain, and your neighbour's loss as your own loss".
The Bible says: "All things whatsoever ye would that man should do to you, do you even so to them".
The Muslim says: "Do unto all men as you would they should do unto you and reject for others what you would reject for yourself".
The Hindu says: "Let no one do to others what he would not have done to himself".    
Honour the Founders: Buddhists are taught to respect and honour the founders and teachers of other religious denominations and their teachings. It is appreciated that all religious teachers have dedicated their lives for the sake of human welfare and well-being. They deserve respect and honour for their selfless services and devotion for the good of mankind. This is another significant aspect of religious tolerance exemplified by Buddhists. Tolerance, particularly religious tolerance, is a virtue that each and everyone of us must inculcate as a way of life. Just as good begets good, respect begets respect and tolerance begets tolerance.
Religious Tolerance: Without tolerance, we will be going back to the law of the jungle where chaos reigns and where might is right. This is not good for the society. This is not what our country wants. All of us, irrespective of race or creed, want to live in peace and harmony. We want to co-exist with one another - for the good of one another. Therefore, it is incumbent that we should not only preach tolerance but we should practice tolerance, particularly religious tolerance. We are proud and happy to note that as far as our country is concerned, religious tolerance is being practiced and upheld by our religionists to a high degree. Many visitors to our country have noted with pleasant surprise the existence of a Mosque, a Church or a Temple, in close proximity with one another in many towns in Malaysia with devotees of various religious denominations streaming in and out of their respective places of worship without any interference whatsoever. This is religious tolerance as it is. The authorities  concerned are also actively promoting inter-religious harmony by sponsoring regular meetings of religious leaders of diverse denominations to deliberate on various religious issues for ensuring goodwill and the maintenance of peace and amity in the country.
One False Step: Whilst we are living in peace and harmony, the world today lives in constant fear, suspicion and tension. This is due to the existence of deadly weapons that could cause unimaginable destruction or annihilation within the space of minutes. Brandishing these awful instruments of death, the super powers are threatening and challenging one another, boasting shamelessly that one can cause more destruction and misery in the world than the other. They have travelled along this path of madness to such a point that, now, if one false step is taken in a certain direction, the result will be nothing but mutual annihilation along with the total and complete destruction of humanity.
Intrinsic Religious Principles: Human beings, in fear of the situation they have themselves created, would want to find a way out, and ask some form of solution. The solution is difficult to find except through religion and the spiritual development of man, harnessing intrinsic religious principles to counter the evil intent of the war-mongers. All the religionists of the world have an important part to play. The role of the various religions must be collaborative and not competitive. The Buddha's message of non-violence and peace, of love and compassion, of tolerance and understanding, of truth and wisdom, of respect and regard for all life, of freedom from selfishness, hatred and violence, delivered well over two thousand five hundred years ago, could be utilised with the basic principles of other co-religionists, to dispel the fear, suspicion and tension prevailing in this world. Seen in whatever light, the Buddha's message cannot be considered as narrow and restrictive but universal in character and application.
Spiritual Re-Armament: Religious harmony and spiritual re-armament should be nurtured as a spiritual force to counter the madness of today's armaments race for the total and complete destruction of humanity. To establish real and lasting peace, it is necessary that ways and means must be found to eliminate the root cause of war. Men and nations must renounce selfish desires, racial arrogance and the egoistic lust for possession and power. Greed, hatred and delusion must be done away with. Materialism alone cannot ensure real happiness. Religion alone can effect the spiritual change of heart and bring about the disarmament of the mind - this is the real and lasting disarmament.
Youth and Religion: It is noticed that in many parts of the world, many young people are turning away from religion. They maintain that religion is not important for their daily existence and that religion is an unnecessary burden for mankind. They consider that religion hinders a man's thinking  power. These young people intoxicated with modern concepts of materialism and modern trends of enjoyment, feel that they can do very well without religion. This is a sad state of affairs, apparently depicting the failure of world religions to guide and influence the young people to a path of spiritual emancipation. It is time that responsible religious leaders and responsible thinking people of the world should get together to ascertain the root causes of the failure of many of our religious missions - causing our young people to stray away from time - honoured religious principles, beliefs and concepts. Efforts must be made to convince and persuade the younger generation to appreciate and realise the important role that religion and religious emancipation can and must play in their daily lives. All religions have one common aim - to be of service to mankind and the spiritual upliftment of humanity. All religions preach goodwill and proclaim the brotherhood of men. These common aims and ideals, for the good of humanity, should transcend whatever differences that may exist in respect of religions beliefs, concepts and practices. There must be unity in diversity. We must not try to ridicule the man with the mote in his eye, forgetting the beam that is obstructing our own eyes. All religionists should try to seek a common platform and work in unison for the spiritual upliftment of humanity so that religion may contribute to the perfection of human nature and a noble humanity to the perfection of religion. All religionists should stretch out their hands to their fellow religionists with genuine feelings of goodwill, sincere friendship and brotherhood, with respect and reverence for each other and for each other's religions to strive for the achievement of a noble common cause in the spiritual upliftment of the individual for human well-being, justice and peace.
Divine Qualities: "Fundamental to religion is the belief in God". Apart from the single concept of 'Belief in God', fundamental to religion should be the observance and putting into practice of all the intrinsic religious principles enshrined in all religions in our search to find godhead or divine qualities pervading our life, in thought, word and deed.
C.S. Chakravarthy
H. No. 12-13-302, St. No. 9,
Lane. No. 1, Flat. No. 203,
Satya Classic, Tarnaka, 
Secunderabad - 500 017
e-mail: chakkuresearchscholar13@gmail.com
cell: 09985732397.
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DO NOT GET BLINDED BY YOUR OWN CONCEIT.

One of the cardinal rules of success is to have faith in oneself. Indeed, it is a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy that you cannot succeed, if you do not have belief in yourself and your abilities. The more common situations that one comes across are of people who lack the confidence, or the drive or the ability to propel them to the shores of success. But as always, too much of a good thing is not good either. So there are also quiet a few instances of people who are so full of themselves, that they are blinded by their own conceit and they inevitably stumble on their faces.

It is the fine divide between confidence and over-confidence that is being referred to. Healthy confidence is essential in whatever we do. But brashness and cockiness is just a step away from arrogance, and it is such hubris which is the precursor to an imminent downfall. It calls for a lot of maturity to keep such hubris in check. Indeed, the truth is that even if one has talent, or is gifted, one needs to constantly work on one's talent to keep improving. And what is most important is to take criticism in one's stride and keep improving with each outing. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for some of those who meet with early success in their vocation to believe that they have arrived. That is why such talent soon fizzles out.

What has contributed to the spread of such an attitude is the success and big salaries that come easily to younger people these days. And with their wallets filled - and their brains proportionately swollen - it is not easy for these youngsters to keep in touch with sobriety. let alone listen to critical evaluation. Mind you, people do not have to be successful to fall into this trap of conceit.

There are several students who have got entrance into prestigious academies of learning, or into the hallowed cadres of the Central Government Services, who acquired on elitist mindset and thinking that they are no longer ordinary mortals.

A person had a serious problem of obesity, conquered it with a closely monitored regimen of rigorous exercise and dieting. He was now filled with contempt for anyone with a weight problem. He considered himself superior to them since he had got on top of his fears. He believed that the rest were sissies without any will power!

There can be no doubt that such attitudes warp personalities and lend a false sense of reality to their victims. The more one achieves, the more there is to achieve. And there is always scope for improvement. But such progress is possible if we listen to our loved ones who are our best intentioned critics. And not pull the blinds down over our heads.

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HAPPINESS AND PEACE IN EVERYDAY LIFE.

Elderly people everywhere are under tension because they may be asked by their children to go to Old Age Home any time. The middle aged men are stressed as they are apprehensive about loss of their jobs and offer of Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS). Their wives are under stress because of the high cost of living, managing the home within the limited budget, managing the husband, children and the in-laws. A very young girl was under tension because she stood first class first in Junior KG and now in Senior KG, her mother wanted her to repeat the same accomplishment. Thus tension is everywhere at all levels. There is no proper communication or relationship between husband/wife, parents/children, brother/sister and with in-laws and relatives. Because of mental disorders and high rates of suicides, psychiatrists are in great demand in the western countries and Japan. Japan overtook United States of America in economic development some years ago. But a study showed that forty-two percent of Japanese executives over forty-four years suffered from mental disorders. "To Have or To Be", a book by Erich Fromm says that man has himself become a commodity because of mass consumerism.

The popular notion is that 'H' is proportional to 'M', where 'H' is Happiness and 'M' is Money. But what is the Reality? The three countries with the highest per capita income are USA, Japan and Sweden. The same three countries have the highest rates of suicides and psychological patients, making the equation now as 'H' is inversely proportional to 'M'. In a Happiness survey carried out by London School of Economics a few years ago, it was discovered that the happiest country in the world was Bangladesh, having a very low per capita income. India was fifth. USA and other developed countries were far behind.

Some time back, Oxford Dictionary included a new word 'Affluenza', which means a tendency of acquiring more and more goods for comfort, creating more and more tension and lack of peace of mind. In USA, the parents have formed 'Affluenza Resistance Society' to protect their chidlren from falling prey to this syndrome. These parents take their children to villages to show the living conditions of the poor to create awareness amongst their children and cut down on their pocket expenses and wasteful spending. In India too, the dowry custom has resulted in the prospective bridegrooms getting literally auctioned. Money is no doubt important for happiness and to enjoy life, but money alone cannot buy peace of mind. The purpose of earning money is to enjoy the comforts that money can buy. But presently money enjoys us. We have become slaves of money.

There is a story of a fisherman who was sleeping in his boat at noon. A consultant came around, woke up the man and asked him why he was sleeping when he should be fishing. The man said that as he got a good catch in the morning, his quota of earning money for the day was over. The consultant advised him that he should go for fishing again, catch more fish, make more money to buy a bigger boat and then a trawler to catch more and more fish to make more and more money and then he would advise him to invest that money in very good schemes. The fisherman then asked him what he was supposed to do after earning all that big money. To this the consultant said that he could then rest and relax. The fisherman then retorted that he was already sleeping and relaxing and it was the consultant who had disturbed his sleep. The moral of the story is obvious - 'the aim of life is to have happiness and peace'.

Vedanta says that instead of searching for peace outside, we should look for infinite joy and peace which is already within us. Kabirdas also said that fools search for happiness and peace outside, instead of searching within. We should look for consciousness behind the consciousness. We are like fish out of water. The very nature of fish is to remain in water and it is restless outside water. Similarly, our very nature is 'sat-chit-ananda' - infinite truth or existence, infinite consciousness or knowledge and infinite bliss or enlightenment. If we have not realised that, we are restless like the fish out of water. External or Supreme reality is present within each one of us, irrespective of caste, creed, colour or religion. Everyone wants unlimited or infinite happiness and peace and that supreme reality is within each one of us. The external sense objects bring only temporary happiness which does not last long. For infinite and everlasting happiness, joy, peace and bliss, we have to search within. Most of us are like the Himalayan musk deer which kept searching for the source of the musk fragrance it was getting and it kept running round and round getting dog tired and dying, without realising that the musk smell originated from its own navel. In the same way, we are unaware od the hidden happiness within us.
Sri Ramkrishna said that our human birth is in vain if we do not realise God. God, divinity, reality, happiness, peace, joy or bliss resides in everybody's heart and we have to manifest the same. The veil or screen of ignorance keeps us unaware of the presence of God or divinity within us. For removing this veil of ignorance we have to practice four yogas in daily life. Each soul is potentially divine. The goal of human life is to manifest this divinity within, by controlling nature internally and externally. For this, one has to follow any one of the four yogas - Karma, Bhakti, Jnana or Raja. In Karma yoga, the path is through selfless action and service. In Bhakti yoga, love and devotion are the paths chosen. In Jnana yoga, reading of scriptures and good books with positive thoughts is the path whereas in Raja yoga, it is mental, mastery through Ashtanga yoga. The more we practice the four yogas, the more we will become divine. We can remain in this world and still carry out our worldly duties in a spirit of detachment. 
Sri Ramakrishna very aptly put it by saying that we should live like a maid servant who was hired by a rich, fat lady in the city for looking after her son Hari. The maid kept looking after Hari with full sincerity and devotion, giving him bath and feeding him regularly, but she was not attached to the child. She knew that this Hari was not her own child, her own child lived in a remote village. She was seeing her own son through the rich lady's son. One day, when the maid was scolded by the rich lady for breaking a precious crockery item, the maid simply packed up her belongings and walked away without any bitterness, as she was never attached to the house, the lady or her son. She could easily pick up another job.
Attachment is the source of all pain, misery and suffering. Therefore, we must have as much power of attachment as that of detachment. Unselfishness is the test of religion. Even if a person has not gone to any place of worship, not read any scripture, not practiced any fast or other rituals, but he is so unselfish as to sacrifice even his life for service of others, he is the most religious person. Unselfish prayer such as 'Let all in the world be happy, let all be peaceful', done regularly, will result in our being happy and peaceful. Just as the law of gravity is supreme in the physical world, the law of Karma is supreme in the spiritual world. 'As you sow, so you reap'. These are the light house principles.
In the book 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People', Stephen Covey describes the light house principle. The captain of a ship sees approaching light in the darkness which is all around and someone says that a ship is approaching them. He then orders on the wireless set that the approaching ship should move by twenty degrees to the right. The reply comes on the wireless that the captain should move his ship be twenty degrees. The angry captain asks - 'Who are you?'. The reply comes - 'I am the humble light house operator'. So we will have to suffer if we do not follow these light house principles. Let us do good to others, good will come to us, not now, but later, just as when we sow a seed today and the fruit is borne many years later. Japa, prayer, worship, reading good books and meditation bring peace of mind. 'Brahma Muhurat', (which is about an hour before sunrise), is the most beneficial time for practicing these due to the spiritual ambience at that time. It has been scientifcally proved that meditation brings down blood pressure and is a stress buster. Most diseases are psychosomatic in origin and hence the relevance of yogic practices and meditation. We must read good books and contemplate on them.
Sri Mahendra Nath Gupta (Master M) was the head master of a school. Due to various family problems he was a broken man and was contemplating suicide. On the advise of a friend of his, he reluctantly visited the place nearby where Sri. Ramakrishna was speaking to his devotees. He immediately felt great tranquility of mind, gave up ideas of suicide and continued to visit. This totally transformed him. He had made notes in his diary of the conversations of Sri Ramakrishna with his devotees. The diary was seen by Swami Vivekananda who instantly realised the wealth of the nuggets contained in them. He and Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi persuaded 'M' to get the diary published. It appeared as Sri Ramakrishna Kathamrita in Bengali. It got translated into English as 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna' and further into many Indian and foreign languages and millions of copies were sold. In 1933, 'M' passed away.
"This life is short, the vanities of the world are transient. They alone live who live for others; the rest are more dead than alive" - Swami Vivekananda.
In the late nineteenth century, John D Rockefeller was the richest and the most famous oil magnate of U.S.A. He was very restless, contemplated suicide and was advised by a friend to visit an Indian monk, Swamy Vivekananda, who was staying in Chicago in 1894. Though skeptical, one day he went to Swamiji. He was told to wait as Swamiji was deeply immersed in his study. The impatient and arrogant Rockefeller forcibly went inside the study room and announced that he was Rockefeller. When questioned by Swamiji as to what he wanted, he replied that he did not want anything. Then Swamiji simply asked - 'Then why have you come here?' Swamiji then asked him to sit down and narrated many incidents of Rockefeller's life which were of a very private and personal nature that none other than he knew. Rockefeller then asked Swamiji as to how he came to know of these incidents. Swamiji said that he could see through the mind of Rockefeller as though it was a glass almirah. He advised Rockefeller thus - 'You are not the owner of all your wealth. You are only a custodian. If you do not want to be restless adn wish to get peace of mind, utilise this money for serving the poor and needy'. Rockefeller walked away in a huff. After a few days, he returned to Swamiji and handed over a paper which stated that a very huge amount was being donated by Rockefeller for public cause. He then wanted Swamiji to thank him for this generous act to which Swamiji said - "On the contrary, you must thank me for giving you this advice for getting peace of mind". Later on, Rockefeller went on to become a great philanthropist by establishing Rockefeller Foundation for research in Engineering, Medicine and Higher Science Subjects, immensely benefitting mankind all over the world. This is the Trusteeship Managment Principle. This principle is based on the assumption that the whole world is one and if somebody is  suffering, we will also suffer directly or indirectly, as it is a holistic universe, as proved by the modern quantum mechanics. So, if we want to be happy, we should make others happy.
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AN INTERVIEW WITH SWAMI VISHWANANDA ON THE ADVANTAGES OF VEGETARIANISM.

(1). You never fail to promote the cause of vegetarianism. Why is being vegetarian so important?

(1). Meat is full of enzymes; it is infused with negativity and fear. When animals are brought to the abattoir or slaughter house, they know they are going to be killed. Automatically, they are overcome with fear, worry and unhappiness. These feelings spread all over their bodies. As a result, they secrete adrenalin which enters the blood stream. And everything is programmed to become negative. You can cook the meat as much as you want but you cannot destroy these qualities. These get into the cells of the animal. Ingesting such meat as food, there are chances that you absorb that negativity; it could even make you ill. Hindu scriptures inform us that once you are on a spiritual path, you must learn to respect nature and everything else around you. You need to have reverance for other living beings.

(2). What is the scientific proof of what you said?

(2). Scientifically, our teeth are not designed to eat meat. Nor are our intestines naturally designed to digest meat. When we eat fruit, we digest it in one hour; vegetables are digested in two hours, whereas meat takes 72 hours to get fully digested. When meat remains for so long in our intestines, it could become toxic and that could be one of the reasons why there are so many illnesses around us. There are exceptions. Regions like the North Pole have no vegetables, no plants and the only food available there is meat. The indigenous populations there have no other alternative than to hunt animals and eat their meat. But in Europe and India, a variety of vegetables are available.

(3). Yet, meat-eating is an ancient practice among human beings and we have survived, is it not?

(3). We are so quick to take a life. Tell me, can we bring a dead being back to life? What gives you the right to take the life of an innocent animal just to please yourself? How can you take a lamb away from its mother and kill it? When it happens to human beings, everyone will start screaming but when it happens to animals - who cannot express their feelings to us - we do not mind. We forget, there is a higher law and these animals express their feeling to their Creator. Sacrifice does not mean we sacrifice animals. Sacrifice means we sacrifice our base instincts.

(4). How can we ensure that the message to turn vegetarian has an impact?

(4). Unfortunately, the meat industry is one of the biggest industries in the world. It is destroying our forests in the name of growing crops to feed animals. We do not have to depend on animal meat for our source of protein. Protein can be found in nature, in soya, grains, lentils and many other foods.

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CALL OF THE DIVINE.

Every individual soul is indefinitely divine and yearns to seek this divinity. But this yearning is suppressed by the delusion caused by the dominant passions of the temporal world, such as desire, anger, ego and pride. Moreover, divinity is on a totally different plane and beyond the finite range of human thought, emotion and faculties. So, when the soul merges with the bliss of the divine, it reaches its highest privilege and attainment. This is possible only with Divine Sankalpa is exemplified in the case of the Gpois during the Raasa Lila episode. 

It is a unique night in Brindavan, one that never was earlier and never will be again, when Krishna chooses to grant this attainment to the Gopis. Each one of them is involved in their household chores which sage Suka describes in detail. That night, though Krishna's divine music is heard by all, it is meant to attarct the devout Gopis alone. They run to Krishna without any other thought in their minds.

Krishna asks them if it is right on their part to be with Him when their household duties demand their attention.

The Gopis reply that devotion to one's duties is no doubt a means to attain the goal of moksha; but now when the goal is directly available to them, is it not time to turn one's back on worldly pulls and seize this chance to experience God realisation, a state which even sages steeped in meditation find difficult to attain?

The human goals of Kaama, Artha and even Dharma interpreted as one's commitment to duties have to be given up in the pursuit of Moksha. This is an attainment beyond human endeavour, but can happen by the Lord's grace.

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ENLIGHTENING LESSONS.

Here are six powerful lessons that enlightened spiritual masters of both East and West aimed to teach us:

1. Separation is an illusion: Everything in existence is connected to everything else. All duality is nothing but an illusion and unless we break free from it, we will never be able to live in harmony.
2. Simplicity is Key: A wise person throws away what is unessential and keeps in his heart only what is of true importance.
3. Attachment brings suffering: The more attached we are, whether to people, possessions or circumstances, the more we are bound to suffer, since all those will sooner or later be taken away from us.
4. Pain is a messenger: People avoid pain but pain is there to teach us something important, and unless we pay close attention to it, we will never be able to learn and grow.
5. Compassion creates peace: Compassion is the only thing that can help people unite and work together towards creating a more beautiful world for all beings in existence.
6. Freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility: Responsibility might at times be a heavy burden to carry, but it's the only way to live mindfully and be free.

Reform Yourself: We demand intelligence, kindness and honesty from others, but it does not occur to us to wonder what we ourselves are like. So, before trying to educate others, look after your own education, otherwise it is like trying to remove a speck of dirt from a friend's face when your own hands are dirty. Leave everybody else alone, therefore, and concentrate on improving yourself. What is the point of moaning about the imperfection of mankind? Give all your attention to getting rid of your own imperfections; in this way, you will have less to worry about, you will stop wearing yourself out and your evolution will progress much more rapidly, because you will be concentrating on perfecting yourself. It is you who must become an example for others. You will never reform others by preaching to them, however eloquently; but if you are an example, they will folow you in spite of themselves. This is why, instead of expecting harmony to reign in your family, your neighbourhood and your place of work - and complaining when it doesn't - you must begin by achieving it withing yourself.

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POWER OF FORGIVENESS.

The power of forgiveness as a means of conflict resolution or transformation was emphasised by thinkers like Hannah Arendt as it allows human beings to come to terms with their undesirable past, thereby changing the rule that governs the power relationship between the former victimiser and his victim. The application of ideas and beliefs that are relevant in the personal and religious realm into politics is however a project that many political realists would find difficult to agree. Forgiveness, in short, seems to represent the personal, the private, the spiritual. It is the encouraging results from the experience of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the revival of the Christian idea of forgiveness that also finds reflection in most religions in one form or the other, which made the concept popular in recent years. Some even see this as a sort of opportunity for national self-reflexivity and social healing.

Conflict resolution deals with how people resolve their disagreements, often emanating from mutually incompatible goals. Such disagreements entail not only fights, but also negative emotions that persist. The resolution of conflicts through various rational strategies such as negotiations, mediation and facilitation might yield positive outcomes. But conflict resolution focused on the issues that give rise to conflict cannot often address the rupture in human relations that takes place.

Hence forgiveness can play a role in conflict resolution when the parties accept that the conflict is a relational phenomenon and is the result of failed interaction, that both sides have a roel in reconstructing the relationships, and in so doing, reconstructing their identities, which results in the restoration of humanity of both. It is now widely recognised that communities that have experienced violence of serious proportions either from different identity groups or from an ethnicised state cannot achieve sustainable peace without a process of social healing. Although it is not easy to let the past behind us, we have the capacity to do so. Hatred and the search for vengeance can consume people and unless people manage to forsake their determination to get even, there can be no transformation of relationships and no possibility for a shared future.

Relationships remain central to peace building because it provides the template in which cycles of violence happen and the means to transcend them, for it brings people into the pregnant moments of the moral imagination: the space of recognition that ultimately the quality of our life is dependent on the quality of life of others. Although punishment for past wrongs may not take place, the acknowledgement of guilt, naming and shaming the culprits who abused their fellow beings contains a form of justice. Every wronged person of community's initial reaction is that the offender should be punished for the offence. Here justice traditionally understood in a retributive sense may have to give way to the creation of an atmosphere for the rebuilding of community peace. It is in this context that the role of restorative justice as a means to address the problem through measures such as truth recovery, reparation, restitution and so on becomes important.

At the same time, it creates a space within which the perpetrators of crimes might rejoin the community; they can be helped to regain something of their lost humanity and re-establish their connectedness. A forgetful person cannot forgive because he cannot remember. Without remembering, forgiveness as a conscious act is no longer 'forgive and forget', but 'remember and forgive'. Unilateral measures, which have a strong Gandhian tenor about them, are based on a deep belief in the goodness of human beings and a notion of self that embraces the other. It is more through an internal process that the forgiver is transformed, so also the forgiven, if he is able to receive the gift of forgiveness.

Philosopher Trudy Govier has suggested, no one is absolutely unforgivable, whatever he may have done in the world, becuase to deem unforgivable the perpetrator even of heinous and repeated atrocity is to ignore his human capacity for moral choice and change, which is the very foundation of human worth and dignity. The ultimate purpose of forgiveness is restoration of relationships and the re-establishment of connections with the community. Public apologies and seeking and granting of forgiveness create a new dimension to repairing fractured relationships.

A culture of forgiveness or the development of habits of the heart should also constitute an essential element of a culture of peace and one of the goals of peace education. The recent shift in emphasis from conflict resolution to conflict transformation is certainly a welcome development in that it seeks to incorporate forgiveness and apology as key elements of reconciliation. 

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