Please report hacking of “Incredible India” Facebook page

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Harsh Vora

So, I created and administered a FB page called Incredible India (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Incredible-India/201064157358) currently having a base of more than 5.5 lakh fans! The page was hacked recently and the hackers have been posting nonsense stuff on it. I tried contacting FB security team and even the management but to no avail.

I’m a huge admirer of FB but this experience only reveals the potential pitfalls of dealing with the company on essential security issues. I do hope the management is able to resolve the issue soon.

To be specific, I sent an email to Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook through her address available here:http://onyoursi.de/wiki/email/facebook/

Also, many thanks to dear friend Sanjeev Sabhlok for helping spread the word. The page is crucial for promoting the noble activities of Sone Ki Chidiya movement among maximum people.

Here’s what happened:

I received a message purportedly from the FB security team saying I need to confirm my account by clicking on the link provided or they will delete the page.

So I clicked the link, which led me to an app on FB (also claiming itself to be representing the FB security team). It asked me to enter my email and password and then click Submit. I followed the mentioned steps since it all looked very real (see the screenshot of the message I received below). Following this, the next day my account was hacked and I was removed from the page’s admin-responsibilities.

If you can help in any way, kindly comment here so we can secure the page at the earliest.

Is Capitalism Compatible With Hinduism?

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Harsh Vora

Capitalism is about the individual. It recognizes the fact that a group is comprised of individuals who are anything but similar in nature. All policies must therefore be built by keeping individual rights in mind.

Since everyone of us is fundamentally different, capitalism allows us to act in accordance with our likes, dislikes, attitudes, beliefs, disbelief(s), tastes, and preferences. Bans or “fatwas” have no place in capitalism.

In this sense, capitalism is equivalent to freedom – freedom of an individual to pursue his own interest rather than conforming to the group as a whole. Please don’t get me wrong. Group is important, but only to the extent that it allows us to reach our desired end. Most companies, for example, are realizing the fact that individuals in a team only perform their best when they are provided autonomy and independence. The more control a superior wields on his subordinates, the less productivity he yields from them. Innovation only happens in a free, decentralized environment.

Does that mean we should be completely free, even free to harm others? A key principle of capitalism is accountability. No freedom is possible without it. We all are accountable for our actions. Freedom cannot be protected if criminals are allowed to roam free. They must be incarcerated and brought to justice.

Also, please note that capitalism ≠ crony capitalism. Crony capitalism (also referred to as corporatism) is the evil nexus between government and big businesses. Capitalism, on the other hand, ensures healthy competition. It makes sure even small businesses are given equal opportunities to compete through tax breaks, privatization, few regulations, enforcement of property rights, economic freedom, etc. so big businesses don’t thrive on political favors.

Hinduism, too, is about the individual. Like capitalism, it recognizes the fact that each of us is in a different phase of life and spiritual development and hence cannot be confined to a prescribed set of “commandments” which must be applied collectively. This individual freedom to pursue our own path depending on our personal suitability is one reason why we presently have so many sects, each interpreting Vedas according to their founder’s personal experience of Vedic knowledge. In other words, individual freedom has allowed Hinduism to become a bubbling cauldron of world-class philosophical ideas.

Vedas are the central books of wisdom in Hinduism. All existing sects today owe their basis to these books. And yet, they contain general principles (not strict rules or even history) for living a noble life. Most importantly, Vedas grant us the freedom to accept or reject their claims. Each of us is free to experiment. Free to question. Free to dissent in a dignified way. One one hand, we have had several theistic saints while on the other hand, we have also had the Hindu atheist Charvaka and also Buddha, the man who severely questioned (in a dignified manner) established contemporary interpretations of Vedic knowledge. It is this freedom that has allowed Hinduism to retain its robustness. And it is this freedom that we must protect.

Anyone who has even remotely studied Hinduism knows that we do not have a strict hierarchical system as found in most Abrahamic religions. Hinduism is antithetical to authority. It is antithetical to centralization. It acknowledges the fact that each individual soul is a repository of knowledge and power. And hence, all power in the hands of a few select individuals is to be abhorred.

Hinduism is based on merit. Through acquiring right knowledge and realisation, we must become rishis ourselves. We need not blindly follow anyone. As Vivekananda said, “You must not merely learn what the Rishis taught. Those Rishis are gone, and their opinions are also gone with them. You must be Rishis yourselves.”

In summary, elements such as individual liberty, decentralization, merit-based system and so forth are fundamental to Hindu philosophy which makes it perfectly compatible with capitalism. Socialism, on the other hand, is sacrilege. It represses individual potential and creates an unending cycle of poverty now seen in India and hence totally opposed to Hindu philosophy.

For further reading on this topic, pl. read this excellent collection of posts by Sanjeev Sabhlok: http://sabhlokcity.com/tag/hindu-capitalism/

Why higher taxes are detrimental to our economy (Part 2)

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Harsh Vora

There are innumerable reasons as to why imposing higher taxes on the rich is both disastrous and counter-productive. Earlier, I compiled a list of some arguments against taxes here.

Today, I came across another informational piece in Business Today. Wish to share it with you as well as record some of the excellent arguments provided in it for future reference.

As the article notes, “There is not one instance in history where taxing the super-rich has worked as part of the solution to an economic crisis. The evidence, on the contrary, shows that it has only compounded the problem.”

France example

“The new French President, Francois Hollande’s main election plank was to levy a 75 per cent tax on the super-rich. This has resulted in a mini-exodus from France to Belgium and even, of all places, to Russia.”

Germany example

“In a war-ravaged economy, Ludwig Erhard, who shaped the German economic revival after World War II, had the courage to adopt a regime of lower taxes and very few controls. Erhard famously said he would let the money and Man loose and they would make Germany great. England did otherwise and suffered the consequences. Instead of following the Erhard route which has worked, we insist on repeatedly following the path of increasing taxes.”

India example

“The practice of taxing the rich has been tried in India with disastrous consequences . At their zenith, income tax rates soared to 97.75 per cent and this achieved the unintended twin objectives of massive tax evasion with serious erosion of our national character. Large scale cash transactions became the rule, fueling a huge black market economy.”

Further, the article notes, “The theory of bringing in equality and equity to society by taxing the super-rich is similar to Marxist ideology. It sounds delightful on paper but is utterly unworkable in practice. Marxist practices have ruined the Soviet, Chinese and North Korean economies with the attendant slaughter of 60 million of their own people.”

Some more reasons against higher taxes (from the article):

Lower taxes = Higher revenues: “Another lesson of history is that rates of taxation are inversely proportional to the total collection of taxes. Lower rates of taxes have always resulted in higher revenues and greater compliance with tax laws.”
“Taxing the super-rich primarily involves increasing the rates of personal income tax or property taxes. It ignores what actually happens with the incomes of the super-rich. Higher expenditure on goods and services results in more revenue being generated through indirect taxes. And if the taxes are low, there is no incentive to conceal either income or the acquisition of goods and services. Beyond a point, most income is then invested with financial institutions which, in turn, helps fuel industrial and economic growth.”
“[Indirect taxes such as GST] has led to the practice of not reporting sales and purchases of goods and services. The introduction of GST will result in a huge boom in the black market economy.”
“If a man cannot become rich honestly, he will do so dishonestly. Alternatively, if he has a sense of values and ethics, he has no option but to escape to other countries. The migration of a large number of India’s brightest engineers and doctors was in no small measure due to our socialist principles and heavy taxes.”
Another article in Business Today read, “A higher rate of tax on high income group taxpayers is uncalled for as this would discourage entrepreneurship. It could lead to professionals relocating to low tax domiciles such as Singapore,” FICCI President Naina Lal Kidwai said.
On the issue, CII President Adi Godrej said: “We have said any increase in taxes (on rich) will create a negative perception on investment and therefore should be avoided.”

Republic Day and B.R. Ambedkar

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Harsh Vora

On Republic Day, it may serve us well to remember B.R. Ambedkar for his crucial role in drafting our Constitution. He was a capitalist, a free-market economist. Believed in minimum government.

He got his MA and PhD degrees in Economics from Columbia University and also received a DSc degree in Economics from the London School of Economics. It is owing to intellectuals like him that we enjoy our current form of democracy and freedom.

B.R. Ambedkar

Following are some of his ideas on economics, politics, and hero-worship (which we Indians seem to have become too comfortable with):

Ambedkar Against Civil Disobedience, Non-Cooperation, and Satyagraha

“If we wish to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, what must we do? The first thing in my judgement we must do is to hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives. It means we must abandon the bloody methods of revolution. It means that we must abandon the method of civil disobedience, non-cooperation and satyagraha. When there was no way left for constitutional methods for achieving economic and social objectives, there was a great deal of justification for unconstitutional methods. But where constitutional methods are open, there can be no justification for these unconstitutional methods. [Harsh: would Ambedkar have opposed Anna's methods?] These methods are nothing but the Grammar of Anarchy and the sooner they are abandoned, the better for us.”

Ambedkar Against Hero-worship

“The second thing we must do is to observe the caution which John Stuart Mill has given to all who are interested in the maintenance of democracy, namely, not “to lay their liberties at the feet of even a great man, or to trust him with power which enable him to subvert their institutions”. There is nothing wrong in being grateful to great men who have rendered life-long services to the country. But there are limits to gratefulness. As has been well said by the Irish Patriot Daniel O’Connel, no man can be grateful at the cost of his honour, no woman can be grateful at the cost of her chastity and no nation can be grateful at the cost of its liberty. This caution is far more necessary in the case of India than in the case of any other country. For in India, Bhakti or what may be called the path of devotion or hero-worship, plays a part in its politics unequalled in magnitude by the part it plays in the politics of any other country in the world. Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship.”

Ambedkar Against Centralisation

“By centralisation all progress tends to be retarded, all initiative liable to be checked and the sense of responsibility of Local Authorities greatly impaired…centralisation conflicts with what may be regarded as a cardinal principle of good government.

“Thus, centralisation, unless greatly circumscribed, must lead to inefficiency. This was sure to occur even in homogeneous states, and above all in a country like India where there are to be found more diversities of race, language, religion, customs and economic conditions.

“In such circumstances there must come a point at which the higher authority must be less competent than the lower, because it cannot by any possibility posses the requisite knowledge of all local conditions. It was therefore obvious that a Central Government for the whole of India could not be said to posses knowledge and experience of all various conditions prevailing in the different Provinces under it. It therefore, necessarily becomes an authority less competent to deal with matters of provincial administration than the Provisional Governments, the members of which could not be said to be markedly inferior, and must generally be equal in ability to those of the Central Government, while necessarily superior as a body in point of knowledge.”

Ambedkar Warns Us of “Great” Men

“I admit that we ought to be more cautious in our worship of great men. For in this country we have perhaps arrived at such a stage when alongside the notice boards saying ” beware of pickpockets ” we need to have notice boards saying “beware of great men”.”

Why higher taxes are detrimental to our economy (Part 1)

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Harsh Vora

I agree with Times’ view against imposing higher taxes on the rich. Higher taxes will discourage healthy risk-taking, savings, and investment. They will shrink our economy.

Even worse, raising taxes will provide tax collectors and officials greater incentives to carry out corruption through red-tape. It will not only discourage start-ups (what incentive do I have to pursue entrepreneurship if most of my income goes away in taxes to the government that does no good to its people?) but also reduce employment that otherwise could have been increased by the rich through further expanding their businesses.

Below are some of the main arguments presented by TOI. I’m reproducing the original story in a point-wise format for easy reading. You can read the article in its entirety (in essay format) here:

” .. reducing tax rates and expanding the tax base has reaped rich dividends in recent times. Though peak income tax rates have been sharply reduced from 56% in the early 1990s to 30.9% in recent years, income tax collections have gone up from Rs 5,371 crore (1990-91) to Rs 1,66,679 crore (2011-12). More importantly, the share of income tax in total tax collections of the central government has doubled from around 9% to about 18% now.”

Lower income tax rates are preferred for many reasons:

The most important is that they encourage people to take greater risks and earn more.
It also helps them to retain a larger part of their income and thereby boosts savings and investments.
Higher investments, especially private investment that is usually more productive than that of the government, lead to faster growth.
And faster growth, in turn, will bring in higher tax revenues.

High tax rates, on the other hand:

Encourage tax evasion
Often lead to a flight of capital abroad (Harsh: people move their investments abroad).
The super-rich have abundant opportunities to park fund abroad in low tax economies, or to otherwise structure their finances to escape taxes.
Moreover, high tax rates lead to corruption in the tax collection agencies.
Even if one assumes honest tax collection officers abound within the system, the cost of tracking highly mobile funds and enforcing compliance could go higher than revenues raised.

One shouldn’t blindly emulate American or French examples — history and circumstances are different in India.

Who is responsible for the incompetency of Indian businesses?

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Harsh Vora

There is a recurrent misconception, perhaps stemming from a lack of awareness and knowledge of the ground reality, that the blame for incompetency of our private sector lies solely with our businesses. Our companies are just not potent enough to stand on their own feet and compete on the world stage. Indians are not equally innovative and brilliant so as to be able to make hi-tech phones and tablets. Blah, blah, blah!

Nothing can be further from truth. I’m thoroughly convinced that we are no less competent or intelligent than any other race in the world. If India can have Tata and Infosys, it can also have the equivalents of Apple and Samsung. Of this, I have no qualms.

The real blame for the incompetency of our businesses lies with our governance system — the very system of socialism which shackles the potential of our entrepreneurs through unrelenting bureaucracy and red-tape. For example, according to the ‘Doing Business’ report, India ranks 182 among a list of 184 countries in terms of dealing with construction permits. To get this permit, one is required to undergo 34 procedures. It takes about 196 days! Mind you, this is only construction permit. The figure below mentions India’s ranking in terms of some other variables such as getting electricity, registering property and enforcing contracts. In almost all of these, India ranks above 100 and has only gotten worse in 2013 compared to 2012.

The entire report can be found at Doing Business’s website here. All of these problems can be eliminated by a well-incentivized system of governance, one which encourages our businesses through lower taxes, fewer licenses, better enforcement of laws, and less bureaucracy. As Gandhi remarked, “That government is best which governs the least.” We must believe in minimal government while simultaneously trusting the power of our entrepreneurs to increase employment, destroy poverty and to make India prosper.

Also, we must remember that most companies don’t want to bribe. They are forced to bribe. This is a harsh reality. For instance, Ratan Tata wanted to venture into the aviation sector in the 1990s. He could not enter because a government official in charge of issuing licenses demanded a bribe of Rs. 15 crore. Being an honest man, Ratan refused to bribe. As a result, he had to stay out of the industry. Here’s an excerpt from the article in The Hindu:

Was the story that someone had asked him to pay Rs 15 crore bribe to clear the Tata-SIA deal correct, the Tata chairman was asked during an interview.

He replied that the story was correct but it was not the then Civil Aviation Minister who had asked him directly to pay.

It was a businessman who “told me why don’t you pay. This is what the minister wants,” he said.

“I told him that you don’t understand. That is not how we do business. All he said to me was, ‘look if you want the airline, this is what you must pay. You know the minister wants that Rs.15 crore.’”

It’s unfortunate that India’s private sector remains shackled even after more than 60 years of independence. The key to our progress and prosperity, to becoming a ‘Sone ki Chidiya’ once again is to throw open these chains and unleash the repressed potential of our businesses.

Vivekananda’s 150th Anniversary: A Collection of His Most Inspiring Quotes

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Harsh Vora

Over the course of reading Vivekananda’s works, I’ve compiled a list of the best quotes by him. Today, on the eve of his 150th anniversary also celebrated as the National Youth Day, I wish to share these with you – a total of 101 quotes. They are bound to provide inspiration on any occasion. Personally, I read at least one quote by him almost everyday. As they say, “Only one idea is enough to transform your entire life.” Who knows, that idea could be right here in this post! Good luck!

You must have an iron will, if you would cross the ocean. You must be strong enough to pierce mountains.
He who always thinks himself as weak will never become strong, but he who knows himself to be a lion, rushes out from the worlds meshes, as a lion from its cage.
There is hope for all. None can die; none can be degraded forever. Life is but a playground, however gross the play may be. However we may receive blows, and however knocked about we may be, the Atman is there and is never injured. We are that Infinite.
Anything that is secret and mysterious in these systems of yoga should be at once rejected. The best guide in life is strength. In religion, as in all other matters, discard everything that weakens you, have nothing to do with it.
A brave, frank, clean-hearted, courageous and aspiring youth is the only foundation on which the future nation can be built.
If the suns come down, and the moons crumble into dust, and systems after systems are hurled into annihilation, what is that to you? Stand as a rock; you are indestructible. You are the Self, the God of the universe. Say — “I am Existence Absolute, Bliss Absolute, Knowledge Absolute, I am He,” and like a lion breaking its cage, break your chain and be free for ever. What frightens you, what holds you down? Only ignorance and delusion; nothing else can bind you. You are the Pure One, the Ever-blessed.
“Let positive, strong, helpful thought enter into their brains from childhood. Lay yourself open to these thoughts, and not to weakening and paralysing ones.”
Onward, my brave boys — money or no money — men or no men! Have you love? Have you God? Onward and forward to the breach, you are irresistible.
First, let us be Gods, and then help others to be Gods. “Be and make.” Let this be our motto. Say not man is a sinner. Tell him that he is a God. Even if there were a devil, it would be our duty to remember God always, and not the devil.
We want Shraddhâ, we want faith in our own selves. Strength is life, weakness is death. ‘We are the Âtman, deathless and free; pure, pure by nature. Can we ever commit any sin? Impossible!’ — such a faith is needed. Such a faith makes men of us, makes gods of us. It is by losing this idea of Shraddha that the country has gone to ruin.
Stamping down the weakness of mind and heart, stand up, saying, “I am possessed of heroism, I am possessed of a steady intellect…” Never allow weakness to overtake your mind.
We have seemingly been divided, limited, because of our ignorance; and we have become as it were the little Mrs. so – and – so and Mr. so – and – so. But all nature is giving this delusion the lie every moment. I am not that little man or little woman cut off from all else; I am the one universal existence. The soul in its own majesty is rising up every moment and declaring its own intrinsic Divinity.
But on the heights of the Himalayas I have a place where I am determined nothing shall enter except pure truth. There I want to work out this idea about which I have spoken to you today. There are an Englishman and an Englishwoman in charge of the place. The purpose is to train seekers of truth and to bring up children without fear and without superstition. They shall not hear about Christs and Buddhas and Shivas and Vishnus — none of these. They shall learn, from the start, to stand upon their own feet. They shall learn from their childhood that God is the spirit and should be worshipped in spirit and in truth. Everyone must be looked upon as spirit. That is the ideal.
Be not afraid of anything. You will do marvellous work. The moment you fear, you are nobody. It is fear that is the great cause of misery in the world. It is fear that is the cause of all our woes and it is fearlessness that brings heaven even in a moment.
I stand for truth. Truth will never ally itself with falsehood. Even if all the world should be against me, Truth must prevail in the end. – Sayings and Utterances. Complete Works, 5. 418.
Women will work out their destinies—much better, too, than men can ever do for them. All the mischief to women has come because men undertook to shape the destiny of women.
Each one of you has a glorious future if you dare believe me. Have a tremendous faith in yourselves, like the faith I had when I was I was young… Have that faith, each one of you, in yourself – that eternal power is lodged in every soul – and you will revive the whole of India.
Above all, beware of compromises. Hold on to your own principles in weal or woe and never adjust them to others’ “fads” through the greed of getting supporters. Your Atman is the support of the universe—whose support do you stand in need of?
This is the central idea of the Gita- to be calm and steadfast in all circumstances, with one’s body, mind, and soul centered at His hallowed feet!
Be free; hope for nothing from anyone. I am sure, if you look back upon your lives, you will find that you were always trying to get help from others, which never came. All the help that has come was from within yourselves.
We must have faith in ourselves first and then in God. Those who have no faith in themselves can never have faith in God.
Stand up, be bold, and take the blame on your own shoulders. Do not go about throwing mud at others; for all the faults you suffer from, you are the sole and only cause.
The world sympathizes only with strong and powerful.
Let people say whatever they like, quick to your own conviction, and rest assured, the world will be at your feet. They say, ‘Have faith in this fellow or that fellow’, but I say, ‘Have faith in yourself first’, that’s the way.
If you have not even a little imagination, you are simply a brute. So you must not lower your ideal, neither are you to lose sight of practicality. We must avoid the two extremes…. You must try to combine in your life immense idealism with immense practicality.
Advance like a hero. Do not be thwarted by anything. How many days will this body last, with its happiness and misery? When you have the human body, then rouse the Atman within and say-I have reached the state of fearlessness!…and then as long as the body endures, speak unto others this message of fearlessness: “Thao art That”, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached”
Be free; hope for nothing from anyone. I am sure, if you look back upon your lives, you will find that you were always trying to get help from others, which never came. All the help that has come was from within yourselves.
Worship of society and popular opinions is idolatry. The soul has no sex, no country, no place, no time.
Above all, beware of compromises. I do not mean that you are to get into antagonism with anybody, but you have to hold on to your own principles in weal or woe and never adjust them to others “fads” thought the greed of getting supporters.
“The earth is enjoyed by heroes”—this is the unfailing truth. Be a hero. Always say, “I have no fear.”
“The only religion that ought to be taught is  the religion of fearlessness. Either in this  world or in the world of religion, it is true  that fear is the sure cause of degradation  and sin. It is fear that brings misery, fear  that brings death, fear that breeds evil. And  what causes fear? Ignorance of our own  nature.”
You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.
“Be moral. Be brave. Be a heart-whole man. Strictly moral, brave unto desperation. Don’t bother your head with religious theories, cowards only sin, brave men never, no, not even in mind.
Go and preach to all, ‘Arise, awake, sleep no more: within each of you there is the power to remove all wants and all miseries.  Believe this, and that power will be manifested.
‘  Proclaim the glory of the Atman with the roar of a lion, and impart  fearlessness unto all beings by saying, ‘Arise, awake, and stop not till the  goal is reached’!”
No one was ever really taught by another; each of us has to teach himself. The external teacher offers only the suggestion which rouses the internal teacher to work to understand things.
I want each one of my children to be a hundred times greater than I could ever be. Everyone of you must be a giant — must, that is my word. Obedience, readiness, and love for the cause — if you have these three, nothing can hold you back.
“There is no help for you, outside yourself; You are the creator of the universe.” – Swami Vivekananda.
“God is true. The universe is a dream. Blessed am I that I know this moment that I [have been and] shall be free all eternity; … that I know that I am worshipping only myself; that no nature, no delusion, had any hold on me. Vanish nature from me, vanish [these] gods; vanish worship; … vanish superstitions, for I know myself. I am the Infinite. All these — Mrs. So-and-so, Mr. So-and-so, responsibility, happiness, misery — have vanished. I am the Infinite. How can there be death for me, or birth? Whom shall I fear? I am the One. Shall I be afraid of myself? Who is to be afraid of [whom]?…
Work unto death – I am with you, and when I am gone, my spirit will work with you. This life comes and goes – wealth, fame, enjoyments are only of a few days. It is better, far better to die on the field of duty, preaching the truth, than to die like a worldly worm. Advance!
What we want is muscles of iron and nerves of steel. We have wept long enough. No more weeping, but stand on your feet and be men. It is man-making theories that we want. It is man-making education all round that we want.
‎”…Fight it out, whatever comes. Let the stars move from the sphere! Let the whole world stand against us! Death means only a change of garment. What of it? Thus fight! You gain nothing by becoming cowards.”- Swamiji.
Every idea that strengthens you must be taken up and every thought that weakens you must be rejected.
So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold every man a traitor who, having been educated at their expense, pays not the least heed to them.
You are strong, omnipotent, and omniscient. No matter that you have not expressed it yet, it is in you. All knowledge is in you, all power, all purity, and all freedom-why cannot you express this knowledge? Because you do not believe in it… Believe in it, and it must and will come out.
Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong; that is what we need.
No one step back, that is the idea…. Fight it out, whatever comes. Let the stars move from the sphere! Let the whole world stand against us!…. What of it? Thus fight! You gain nothing by becoming cowards…. Taking a step backward, you do not avoid any misfortune.
If you are really my children, you will fear nothing, stop at nothing. You will be like lions. We must rouse India and the whole world. No cowardice. I will take no nay. Do you understand? Be true unto death!… The secret of this is GURU-BHAKTI-faith in the guru unto death!
Bold words and bolder deeds are what we want. Awake, awake, great ones! The world is burning with misery. Can you sleep?
Do not be afraid of a small beginning, great things come afterwards. Be courageous. Do not try to lead your brethren, but serve them. The brutal mania for leading has sunk many a great ship in the waters of life. Take care especially of that, i.e. Be unselfish even unto death, and work.
Pay no attention whatsoever to newspaper nonsense or criticism. Be sincere and do your duty. Everything will come all right. Truth must triumph.
The remedy for weakness is not brooding over weakness, but thinking of strength.
‎”To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will.”
“Let each one of us pray day and night for the downtrodden millions who are held fast by poverty, priestcraft, and tyranny. Pray day and night for them. I care more to preach religion to them than to the high and the rich.”
“The only saint is that soul that never weakens, faces everything, and determines to die game.”
Bear in mind, my children, that only cowards and those who are weak commit sin and tell lies. The brave are always moral. Try to be moral, try to be brave, try to be sympathizing.
If you are pure, if you are strong, you, one man are equal to the whole world.
“Truth alone triumphs, not untruth. Through truth alone lies the way to Devayana (the way to the gods).” Those who think that a little sugar – coating of untruth helps the spread of truth are mistaken and will find in the long run that a single drop of poison poisons the whole mass . . . The man who is pure, and who dares, does all things.
“We must travel, we must go to foreign parts. We must see how the engine of society works in other countries, and keep free and open communication with what is going on in the minds of other nations, if we really want to be a nation again.”
“If you have faith in all the three hundred and thirty millions of your mythological gods, and still have no faith in yourselves, there is no salvation for you. Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong; that is what we need”
“A nation is not to be judged by its weaklings called the wicked, as they are only the weeds which lag behind, but by the good, the noble, and the pure, who indicate the national life current flowing clear and vigorous.”
The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him – that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.
Do not say we are weak; we can do anything and everything. What can we  not do? Everything can be done by us; we all have the same glorious  soul, let us believe in it.
None will be able to resist truth and love and sincerity. Are you sincere? Unselfish even unto death, and loving? Then fear not, not even death.
To me the thought of oneself as low and humble is a sin and ignorance.
If you are really my children, you will fear nothing, stop at nothing. You will be like lions.
Anything that makes you weak physically, intellectually, and spiritually, reject as poison.
We have wept enough. No more weeping, but stand on feet and be men.
“Our first duty is not to hate ourselves, because to advance we must have faith in ourselves first and then in God. Those who have no faith in themselves can never have faith in God”
“Tell the truth boldly, whether it hurts or not. Never pander to weakness. If truth is too much for intelligent people and sweeps them away, let them go; the sooner, the better”
For a warrior, nothing is higher than a war against evil. The warrior confronted with such a war should be pleased, Arjuna, for it comes as an open gate to heaven. But if you do not participate in this battle against evil, you will incur sin, violating your dharma and your honor.”
I loved my motherland dearly before I went to America and England.  After my return, every particle of dust of this land seems sacred to me. “
I love my nation, I cannot see you degraded, weakened any more than you are now. Therefore I am bound for your sake and for truth’s to cry, “Hold!” and to raise my voice against this degradation of my race. Give up these weakening mysticism and be strong… The truths of Upanishadas are before you. Take them up, live up to them, and the salvation of Bharat will be at hand.
All power is within you.  Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak. . . .  Stand up and express the Divinity  within you.
Anything that makes you weak physically, intellectually, and spiritually, reject as poison.
We have wept enough. No more weeping, but stand on feet and be men.
Do not say, ‘You are bad’;  say only, ‘You are good’,  but be better!
Bold has been my message to the people of the west, bolder is my message to you, my beloved countryman.
Let the mind be cheerful but calm. Never let it run into excesses, because every excess will be followed by a reaction.  Complete Works, 4.11.
Stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibility on your own shoulders.
“Dependence is misery. Independence is happiness.” Advaita is the only system that gives us complete control over ourselves, takes off all dependence and its associated superstitions, thus making us brave to suffer, brave to do, and in the long run, attain to absolute freedom.
Be not afraid of anything. You will do marvellous work. The moment you fear, you are nobody. Be a hero. Always say, ‘I have no fear’. Tell this to everybody-’Have no fear’.
Strength is life, weakness is death. Strength is felicity, life eternal, immortal; weakness is constant strain and misery; weakness is death.
God is present in every Jiva; there is no other God besides that.  ’To serves Jiva, serves God indeed’.
The moment you fear, you are nobody. It is fear that is the great cause of miseryi n the world. It is fear that is the greatest of all superstitions. It is fear that is the cause of our woes, and it is fearlessness that brings heaven in a moment. Complete Works, Part 3. Page 321.
Everything will come right if you are pure and sincere. We want hundreds like you bursting upon society and bringing new life and vigor of the spirit wherever they go. Godspeed to you.  Letter to Dr. Nanjunda Rao. Written from USA on November 30, 1894. Complete Works, 6.281.
Take courage and work on. Patience and steady work–this is the only way. Go on. Remember–patience and purity and courage and steady work. So long as you are true and pure, you will never fail. Mother will never leave you. All blessings will be on you.
My faith is in the younger generation, the modern generation, out of them will come my workers. They will work out the whole problem like lions.
All power is within you.  Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak. . . .  Stand up and express the Divinity  within you.
Strength is Life, Weakness is death. Strength is felicity, Life eternal, immortal; Weakness is constant strain and misery. Weakness is Death.
What makes you weep, my friend? In you is all power. Summon up your all-powerful nature, O mighty one, and this whole universe will lie at your feet. It is the Self alone that predominates, and not matter.
Always keep the mind cheerful. Everyone will die once, but cowards suffer the pangs of death again and again, solely due to the fear in their own minds.
People will call us both good and bad. But we shall have to work like lions keeping the ideal before us.
“Arise, awake and stop not till the desired end is reached.” Be not afraid, for all great power, throughout the history of humanity, has been with he people. From out of their ranks have come all the greatest geniuses of the world, and history can only repeat itself. Be not afraid of anything. You will do marvellous work. The moment you fear, you are nobody. It is fear that is the great cause of misery in the world. It is fear that is the greatest of all superstitions. It is fear that is the cause of our woes, and it is fearlessness that brings heaven even in a moment. Therefore, “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.”
“Brave, bold men, these are what we want. What we want is vigour in the blood, strength in the nerves, iron muscles and nerves of steel, not softening namby-pamby ideas. Avoid all these. Avoid all mystery. There is no mystery in religion. Is there any mystery in the Vedanta, or in the Vedas, or in the Samhitâs, or in the Puranas? What secret societies did the sages of yore establish to preach their religion? What sleight-of-hand tricks are there recorded as used by them to bring their grand truths to humanity? Mystery mongering and superstition are always signs of weakness. These are always signs of degradation and of death. Therefore beware of them; be strong, and stand on your own feet.”
If you believe yourselves to be sages, sages you will be tomorrow. There is nothing to obstruct you. For if there is one common doctrine that runs through all our apparently fighting and contradictory sects, it is that all glory, power, and purity are within the soul already; only according to Ramanuja, the soul contracts and expands at times, and according to Shankara, it comes under a delusion. Never mind these differences. All admit the truth that the power is there -potential or manifest it is there — and the sooner you believe that, the better for you. All power is within you; you can do anything and everything. Believe in that, do not believe that you are weak; do not believe that you are half-crazy lunatics, as most of us do nowadays. You can do anything and everything without even the guidance of any one. All power is there. Stand up and express the divinity within you.”
Strength, strength is what the Upanishads speak to me from every page. This is the one great thing to remember, it has been the one great lesson I have been taught in my life; strength, it says, strength, O man, be not weak. Are there no human weaknesses? — says man. There are, say the Upanishads, but will more weakness heal them, would you try to wash dirt with dirt? Will sin cure sin, weakness cure weakness? Strength, O man, strength, say the Upanishads, stand up and be strong.
I am one of the proudest men ever born, but let me tell you frankly, it is not for myself, but on account of my ancestry. The more I have studied the past, the more I have looked back, more and more has this pride come to me, and it has given me the strength and courage of conviction, raised me up from the dust of the earth, and set me working out that great plan laid out by those great ancestors of ours. Children of those ancient Aryans, through the grace of the Lord may you have the same pride, may that faith in your ancestors come into your blood, may it become a part and parcel of your lives, may it work towards the salvation of the world!
For the next fifty years this alone shall be our keynote — this, our great Mother India. Let all other vain gods disappear for the time from our minds. This is the only god that is awake, our own race — “everywhere his hands, everywhere his feet, everywhere his ears, he covers everything.” All other gods are sleeping. What vain gods shall we go after and yet cannot worship the god that we see all round us, the Virât? When we have worshipped this, we shall be able to worship all other gods.
We Hindus must believe that we are the teachers of the world. We have been clamouring here for getting political rights and many other such things. Very well. Rights and privileges and other things can only come through friendship, and friendship can only be expected between two equals. When one of the parties is a beggar, what friendship can there be? It is all very well to speak so, but I say that without mutual co-operation we can never make ourselves strong men. So, I must call upon you to go out to England and America, not as beggars but as teachers of religion. The law of exchange must be applied to the best of our power. If we have to learn from them the ways and methods of making ourselves happy in this life, why, in return, should we not give them the methods and ways that would make them happy for all eternity? Above all, work for the good of humanity.
The next thing to remember is that the aim of this institution is to make men. You must not merely learn what the Rishis taught. Those Rishis are gone, and their opinions are also gone with them. You must be Rishis yourselves. You are also men as much as the greatest men that were ever born — even our Incarnations. What can mere book-learning do? What can meditation do even? What can the Mantras and Tantras do? You must stand on your own feet. You must have this new method — the method of man-making. The true man is he who is strong as strength itself and yet possesses a woman’s heart.

Vivekananda’s Thoughts on Gita – Part 1

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Harsh Vora

Vivekananda was truly a lion among men. Without doubt, he deserves the status of an idol for the kind of men we need Mother India to produce. Not only was he a true Rishi, but also a man of the highest order. He personified the teachings of the Upanishads. The more I read about him, the more I realise his greatness. And yet, I don’t follow him blindly. I seek out from his writings only what conforms to my reason. I think critically, and if something does not seem to make sense to my mind, I leave it aside (for the time being at least).

Recently, I looked up his views on Gita and expected a thorough interpretation by him. But seems like he only gave discourses on it. I understand that the actual essay (which appears in Vol. 4 of the Complete Works of Vivekananda) may be boring to some of you. So I took the “pleasure” of picking out relevant paragraphs and reproducing them below. Kindly have a read. It is bound to inspire you regardless of the profession you work in, for Gita was written for the common, working man. Not just for sannyasis.

Note: I’ve emboldened certain sentences to emphasise them.

(1) One thing should be especially remembered here, that there is no connection between these historical researches and our real aim, which is the knowledge that leads to the acquirement of Dharma. Even if the historicity of the whole thing is proved to be absolutely false today, it will not in the least be any loss to us. Then what is the use of so much historical research, you may ask. It has its use, because we have to get at the truth; it will not do for us to remain bound by wrong ideas born of ignorance.

In this country people think very little of the importance of such inquiries. Many of the sects believe that in order to preach a good thing which may be beneficial to many, there is no harm in telling an untruth, if that helps such preaching, or in other words, the end justifies the means. Hence we find many of our Tantras beginning with, “Mahadeva said to Parvati.” But our duty should be to convince ourselves of the truth, to believe in truth only.

Such is the power of superstition, or faith in old traditions without inquiry into its truth, that it keeps men bound hand and foot, so much so, that even Jesus the Christ, Mohammed, and other great men believed in many such superstitions and could not shake them off. You have to keep your eye always fixed on truth only and shun all superstitions completely.

(2) In order to remove this delusion which had overtaken Arjuna, what did the Bhagavan (God) say? As I always preach that you should not decry a man by calling him a sinner, but that you should draw his attention to the omnipotent power that is in him, in the same way does the Bhagavan speak to Arjuna.

(3) So says the Bhagavan: क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ — Yield not to UNMANLINESS, O son of Pritha. There is in the world neither sin nor misery, neither disease nor grief; if there is anything in the world which can be called sin, it is this — ‘fear’; know that any work which brings out the latent power in thee is Punya (virtue); and that which makes thy body and mind weak is, verily, sin. Shake off this weakness, this faintheartedness! क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ। — Thou art a hero, a Veer; this is unbecoming of thee.”

If you, my sons, can proclaim this message to the world — क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते — then all this disease, grief, sin, and sorrow will vanish from off the face of the earth in three days. All these ideas of weakness will be nowhere. Now it is everywhere — this current of the vibration of fear. Reverse the current: bring in the opposite vibration, and behold the magic transformation! Thou art omnipotent — go, go to the mouth of the cannon, fear not.

Hate not the most abject sinner, fool; not to his exterior. Turn thy gaze inward, where resides the Paramatman (God). Proclaim to the whole world with trumpet voice, “There is no sin in thee, there is no misery in thee; thou art the reservoir of omnipotent power. Arise, awake, and manifest the Divinity within!”

If one reads this one Shloka —क्लैब्यं मा स्म गमः पार्थ नैतत्त्वय्युपपद्यते । क्षुद्रं हृदयदौर्बल्यं त्यक्त्वोत्तिष्ठ परंतप॥ — one gets all the merits of reading the entire Gita; for in this one Shloka lies imbedded the whole Message of the Gita.

To read this in the original source i.e. Vol. 4. of The Complete Works of Vivekananda, click here.

Should People Be Allowed to Own Guns?

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Harsh Vora

I have long thought about the issue of gun control. It’s an important national concern, particularly given the controversial nature of this issue and its potential to either save thousands of lives or destroy them. Please note that this is not a pure black and white argument because there are cogent arguments both for and against the motion. Instead of taking positions from fits of emotional outbursts and sentimentalism, we must think rationally, debate, and then decide.

So, having read widely and thought critically on this issue, I have formed some initial views. I’m increasingly beginning to think gun control is unnecessary. I’m, however, open to both sides of the argument.

For the motion:

(1) Ashish Deodhar, a FB friend, made a fairly strong argument when he wrote:

As heartbreaking as the Newtown shooting was, one must think rationally when it comes to debating gun control laws – in the US or anywhere else in the world.

We could say that India has some of the tightest gun control laws in the world. And yet, patients were shot dead in a hospital in Gurgaon; a toll collector was shot dead in Delhi for simply doing his job; the story of the Delhi bartender Jessica who was shot dead for refusing to serve a drink after hours is known to us all…

What would have prevented these crimes? An armed hospital or an unarmed hospital? An armed bar or an unarmed bar? An armed toll gate or an unarmed toll gate?

Those who want to kill people will get their arms anyhow. I wonder if tighter gun controls would only prevent law-abiding citizens who want to protect themselves!

The last point is particularly interesting. Most criminals get their arms from black market despite bans. They want to kill, and they will find guns anyhow. So why snatch away arms from innocents who can protect themselves.

(2) Those who want to kill will kill even with knives. They don’t need guns to kill. For example, just recently “a man with a knife slashed 22 children and one adult outside an elementary school in Henan province . . .” In light of this incident, shouldn’t knives be banned too?

(3) Guns are a good defence against the State. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution supports a well-regulated militia — citizens armed with guns — in the rare case that the State (meaning the govt.) becomes the people’s enemy. In words of Sanjeev Sabhlok, “what would happen if ALL governments SHUT THEIR EYES to global deception and decided to impose their will by force?”

(4) Gun ownership has the potential to significantly reduce crimes. For instance, yesterday a girl in South Delhi, although accompanied by a male friend, was gang-raped by a group of five men in a moving bus. The group first attacked the boy with rods, following which they raped the girl and threw her out. Could the girl and her male friend have protected themselves if they had a gun with them? I think so! In the very least, the five men would have thought twice before committing such a heinous crime.

Also, we would be able to protect ourselves in the event of a robbery or theft in our houses. We are well aware that we live in a nation where Dominos arrives faster than an ambulance or the police. Imagine if all of us owned guns and knew how to shoot. The robber wouldn’t dare barge into our premises.

This was evident in an incident where a 12-year old girl shot an intruder to protect herself. When the intruder entered her house, the girl hid herself with a gun inside the closet. When she had gathered enough courage, she jumped out and killed him.

(5) This argument may be far-fetched, but I think a well-regulated militia could also significantly reduce our defence budget – or instead of reducing, would at least allow funds to be used in other defence areas. More research in this matter would certainly help.

(6) What about the recent Connecticut shooting of 22 school children? Such incidents are extremely heinous and unfortunate. What’s worse is the killer was a 20-year old who stole his mom’s guns (which she purchased LEGALLY) to murder the children. That said, please note that Connecticut law only allows gun ownership to people above the age of 21. So, the killer used a gun which was already illegal. Banning guns or legalising them hardly matters to criminals because by definition, a criminal is he who does not follow the laws. The Connecticut shooting demonstrates how the government had failed in its attempt to prevent illegal ownership of guns. Who knows, if even one teacher had a gun handy, she could have saved more children or prevented further violence!

Against the motion (please provide your views if you fall in this category):

(1) Yes, there is a possibility of accidental shooting. However, we must gauge the probability of such an accident.

(2) Is it more likely to misuse a gun than a knife? In point (2), I mentioned that a Chinese man slashed 22 children recently using only a knife. Most robberies in countries with tighter gun control laws happen at knife-point. Is knife less lethal than gun in committing crimes? If so, how? We must answer this question.

Whatever the case, we must carefully weigh the costs versus the benefits of gun ownership. I agree that a thorough cost-benefit analysis is perhaps difficult owing to the lack of sufficient research in this area. Plus, doing research is hard. How can we do research on a decision that involves human lives?

A Left Side Story

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Harsh Vora

There is truly no dearth of inspirational men and women in this world. Recently I came across the story of Alan Kempster, the man who rides his bike with only one leg and one arm. Not much is available about him on the internet. I was surprised to see there isn’t even a Wikipedia entry on him. Yet, I studied the available sources to learn about his journey so far. Hopefully, his biography will be updated with further details soon.

Alan met with an accident (hit by a drunken truck driver) while riding his bike in the 90s. Rather than giving up and accepting the “fate” as it was, he rose up to the challenge and learned to ride with disability. He also took to water-skiing (picture below). He rigged his bike to switch the throttle to the left and asked to be allowed to participate in the local racing competition. Initially, his request was taken frivolously. But he convinced the administrators and ended up winning the very first race.

Reminds me of a quote by Jaggi Vasudev (of Isha Foundation) I read some years ago:

“Nobody’s miserable because of a disability. Having one hand less won’t make you miserable. It is just that everybody has two hands, you have only one, that makes you miserable. Misery is caused by YOU, only by you. Isn’t it?” – Jaggi Vasudev

Although Alan may not have read these words, he personified them in his life. We are only as miserable as we think ourselves to be.

Watch the 4.5 min video (containing his interview) below. It’s titled Left Side Story. Guaranteed inspiration!

Some pictures:

Aryatva

In pursuit of everything noble

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