Chapter 9 - Combating Corruption
Day 18
The big °C' of corruption can be countered by five other C's. Let us look at these other C's.
1. Connectedness - A lack of connectedness or sense of belonging breeds corruption in the society. That is why people often look to form connections, to avoid corruption.
That explains why corruption is at its lowest in the villages and much greater in the cities where there is, at best, a poor sense of community and minimal interaction between people.
Creating this sense of belonging is one of the greatest ethical challenges we face as a society. Corruption cannot be rooted out without this bonding.
Today, we do not believe in investing in friendship. We only believe in investing in currency notes. Our security has shifted from friendship to currency.
Half a century ago, a person would feel very secure when he had a lot of friends. Friends were his constant social support system, so he was not easily corruptible.
He did not depend on just a l few bills to get by. He said to himself, "There are people around me who are going to help me out." Today, due to a lack of connectedness, you fear whether your own children are going to care for you or not.
Because of this sense of isolation everywhere, the only feeling of security you find is in telling yourself, "Okay, amass more wealth," and you keep it all in your personal account.
Money has become the sole source of security. This is not just an individual phenomenon or way of thinking. It has become a collective phenomenon.
Naturally, corruption is on the rise because we do not feel connected with people around us. Basic human values such as spirituality, brotherhood, friendliness, compassion.
All these have either decreased, or in some cases, dissolved entirely. So the only thing that is there with us any longer is money, money and more money.
2. Courage - Another reason for corruption is a lack of self-esteem and confidence in one's own abilities. Corruption can be minimised when a person finds a sense of stability and safety in his own abilities and self- confidence.
It's the fear and insecurity in people which makes them more susceptible to corruption. And then they try to find security in money and this does not really work, as we discussed above.
They do acquire more money but the sense of insecurity stays on. We must focus on creating courage in a person, courage and confidence in his abilities and skills, and in the laws of nature.
3. Cosmology - An understanding of cosmology is essential - looking at one's own life in the context of extended space and time. A human life span of 80-100 years is so short in the context of the billions of years that have passed since creation.
Scientists estimate that the earth is 15 billion years old. Everything in this creation is recycled. The air we breathe is old. Every cell in our body is old. The oxygen and hydrogen available is old and this cycle will continue.
Seeing life in the context of our vast universe and the limitlessness of time will deepen one's perception of life and broaden one's vision and mind. It is sure to enrich one's
heart.
4. Care & Compassion - These virtues can infuse more dedication into society. A lack of dedication sows the seeds of corruption.
To give you an example, in 2001, there was a huge spiritual gathering in India where 30 million people participated. On one particular day, there were 3 million people gathered in one place.
And there was not a single robbery or act of violence. People were staying in tents and mingling with each other, but no crime occurred.
It was January and bitterly cold.
I went to volunteer, to take care of the people gathered there, some of whom were very poor and could not bear the cold, as they had come from warmer climates.
At midnight, the volunteers were distributing blankets. The temperature was close to zero degree Celsius. They offered a blanket to a certain young man in his 20s.
But he declined it and said that it could be given to some elderly women who stood nearby instead. He assured us that he could handle the cold. That's the kind of compassion I am talking about.
That kind of care, compassion and understanding that somebody else may be needier than us, can help us root out corruption. When there is a sense of community, especially inspired by a spiritual cause, crime rates come down drastically.
Somebody asked me, "Gurudev, please address the basic issue of corruption. We are forced to bribe people, if we do not bribe some people, our industries suffer. This is the sad but unavoidable condition here in India. What do we do?"
If you can bridge your company with the society around you, you have the support of this society that you are a part of. You can minimise these hostile conditions to a great extent with your inclusive attitude.
5. Commitment - An individual sense of commitment to contributing to society is essential to combat corruption. When a person has a goal and a commitment to a higher cause in life, then there is a shift from receiving to giving.
In a society, if everyone keeps thinking about what they will gain rather than what they can
contribute and how they can be useful to people around, then corruption cannot be rooted out.
A few years ago, there was an earthquake in Gujarat. An elderly lady lost her entire family. One of our Swamiji who had gone to be of service at the time, met this lady. She wanted to donate 10 rupees.
He told her that he had gone there only to give and not to take. But the lady replied that she had lost everything and her sense of giving should not be taken away too.
The sense of contributing to society has to be re-awakened among us. And this is impossible without individual spiritual growth and a personal sense of belonging to the whole world.
The globe has become a village. We have globalised everything except wisdom and think this is one of the causes of terrorism and unrest in the world today.
We accept food and music from every part of the world, but when it comes to wisdom we shy away. If every child on the planet learns a little bit about all the different cultures and values, (religious, moral and spiritual) the whole scenario will be different.
A lack of this kind of education has caused too many problems in the world. One of my teachers was the personal secretary to Mahatma Gandhi.
When we were young, he would tell us stories of his life and of how Mahatma Gandhi inspired people to do selfless service by his own example.
That impression stayed with us children for a very long time, that sense of commitment to service and the feeling of belonging to everybody.
I think all religious leaders, business establishments, political establishments, social workers and NGOs around the world should come forward and bring out this message of unity. The world has become one family.
