We must awaken to our true self and live by our original values of peace, purity, love and joy, says Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj ji
The past few years have seen growing public recognition and discussion of the problem of corruption across the globe and in India. A general definition of corruption is the use of public office for private gain. This includes bribery and extortion, which necessarily involves at least two parties, and other types of malfeasance that a public official can carry out alone, including fraud and embezzlement. The incidence of corruption varies enormously among different societies, ranging from rare to widespread to systemic. If it is rare, it may be relatively easy to detect, punish and isolate. But, once it becomes systemic, the likelihood of its detection and punishment decreases and more incentives are created for it to increase further. While debate on the subject simmers, it is worthwhile to explore the issue of corruption from a different angle.
So what is it that makes humans corruptIJ Is it power, status, wealth or lack of these that makes them soIJ From a spiritual perspective, it is said that corruption has its roots in the soul, in the form of vices such as greed, anger and ego which have eaten into the vitals of the human soul, robbing it of its original qualities like peace, love and truth. So in simple words it can be said that human souls have become corrupt due to vices. At the root of corruption lie the vices of lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego, which give rise to the desires that drive people to amass wealth by wrong means.
The blind chase for wealth, power and fame becomes a vicious circle that feeds itself through more desires and indulgence. The temporary experience of joy or power one gets from these assets soon gives way to emptiness, insecurity and more desires and over a period of time, people then become slaves to their desires and vices, and totally impervious to committing wrong deeds.
Such viciousness stems fundamentally from identification with the body. When we identify ourselves with our role, status, fame, wealth or any other asset from which we derive our self-worth, we run after acquiring more of it to bolster our identity. When we see ourselves as physical and not spiritual beings, our entire perspective changes.
The body is mortal, so fear of death always lurks in the background of the mind. Following from this is the fear that everything one loves will come to an end with death. This gives rise to attachment or the desire to hold on to things and people who are a source of happiness, strength or support for us. This strong feeling of body-consciousness also gives rise to the belief that one should enjoy life so long as one is alive, which further leads to the desire for material possessions or sensory experiences that give us joy, pleasure or thrill, even if momentary.
Essentially, corruption began in the world when human beings fell from soul consciousness into body consciousness and started acting under the influence of vices. Hence, the remedy for uprooting corruption lies not in laws, regulations and political awareness but in spiritual empowerment.
We must awaken to our true self and live by our original values of peace, purity, love and joy. Today we do not experience these qualities of the soul all the time because we are always looking outside for these things. When we look inwards and become aware of our true identity and innate qualities, we begin to express and experience them in our lives naturally. A person who empowers himself this way, experiences contentment in life.
Such a person will never fall in the trap of sensory attractions and desires as it’s only when we are disconnected from our innate self that we feel empty inside and get attracted to external things for feeling happy or worthy. In soul consciousness stage, we are naturally aware of our virtues and we also understand the law of cause and effect - the law of karma. Remember, a soul that is aware of its spiritual identity will never indulge in corrupt actions as it knows that they will lead to suffering and degradation.
Considering one’s physical existence as the “be all and end all” of everything results in man adopting wrong values in life, which in turn leads to his committing wrong acts and consequently causes suffering to him. No wonder, in spite of striving hard, he is unable to avoid sorrow and sufferings in life. Hence, in order to live a peaceful, contented, happy and liberated life, proper knowledge of one’s real self, that is the soul, its functioning and its role in the world drama, is a “must.” So start some soul-searching from now onwards and embark on a wonderful journey of self-discovery.