Showing posts with label Mukunda Rao. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mukunda Rao. Show all posts

2024/01/30

[Gandhi As I See Him] by Mukunda Rao [1:23:00 ] very low vol up to 2:00 min


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Gandhi As I See Him by Mukunda Rao

Azim Premji University
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Mukunda Rao talks about "Gandhi As I See Him " as a part of the Azim Premji University Colloquium series. October 4, 2019 About the Lecture The lecture reflects on what Gandhi means today as a living consciousness. About the Speaker Mukunda Rao is the author of several books fiction, plays, and philosophical works. His works of fiction include, most recently, Sky-Clad: The Life and Times of the Extraordinary Akka Mahadevi (Harper Collins, 2018) and Shambuka Rama: Three Tales Retold (HarperCollins, 2018). He has written two plays: Mahatma – Khuda ka Hijra (1988 and 2009) and Baba Saheb Ambedkar (2008 and 2014). His works in philosophy include Belief and Beyond: Adventures in Consciousness from the Upanishads to Modern Times (Harper Collins, 2019), The Buddha: An Alternative to His Life and Teaching (Harper Collins, 2017) and Biology of Enlightenment (Element, 2014). He has also edited The Penguin UG Krishnamurthi Reader (Penguin, 2007). He lives on a farm outside Bengaluru.

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How Did Gandhi Influence Me
3:03


Ashram
19:36


Metaphors for India
52:32


Fasting
1:07:02


The Mahatma
1:10:14


The Direct Action Day
1:10:50


Characteristic Characteristics of the Truth Seeker
1:20:07


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Transcript

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[Music]
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[Music]
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the city in three parts that we need over the shading my thoughts not so the
1:09
structure as disjointed statements might be forgotten
1:16
I tell you so East affairs to the first
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person share with you how I need to die
1:28
and the second part would be slightly intuitive software and effect on his
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face and lastly we'll see how Gandhi
1:46
with his work struggle and his I guess technically
1:52
offered a story so that first exam so
1:59
the research how
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national college have you heard of national college sand you seem nice to college but some goodie probably some of
2:16
you are all from outside that was a very reputed college during those days why reputed because 10 out of 10 ranks you
2:25
nope you see ranks came to national college I drink that water famous 11 but
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I like the teachers there I heard they were very good teachers and so I went
2:37
and joined and then I found that the principal happens to be a guardian by
2:44
then I had been already drawn to Gandhi and the principal will happen to be a
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guardian a very famous person called H Nelson Maya probably you know not many
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of you know so he was quite a legend during his lifetime when he was a
3:00
principal and how did Gandhi influence
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me I was really completely completely bowled over I took it to my heart and he
3:12
let me enter into into my heart into my being as it were so I used to wear caddy
3:21
pants khadisha hawai slippers no coffee no tea no sweets don't look at girls I
3:32
had told myself while I was in PUC but that I couldn't help because there were a lot of girls in my class no use to
3:43
feel guilty so it is that physical level you know one started imitating Gandhi
3:52
I'm not completely imitating you know he you know how he was just I didn't trust
3:58
that way I couldn't have gone to college that way but I tried to live that life I
4:04
had taken to that kind of a life where is really not to lead us into life in every
4:12
sense of the term and to be very truthful what did it mean for me you
4:18
know during those days to be truthful you know that you should be transparent
4:24
you should speak the truth you should not hide your thoughts from anybody so
4:31
this kind of a thing gadi I was quite so very deeply taken up
4:40
by Garvey and I started reading Gandhi I remember there was this book called mind
4:46
of maja the Mahatma you know it was some 500 pages book I don't see any new
4:51
edition of it these days must have taken about three months or so
4:56
to read and really he got into my system he got into my system so much in the
5:02
sense he became you our paradigm so to
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say so you looked at everything you assess everything in terms of you know
5:17
Gandhi's philosophy Gandhi's ideas you know in terms of his notion of truth at
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whatever level I had understood at that time his notion of Satya his frankness
5:30
his truthfulness you know so that was the level at which Gandhi influenced me
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and that was the time I I think not just
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I but my generation believed in the possibility of bringing about a
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transformation in society that that you know we have that responsibility and
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those days we really believe that we can create a caste less Society absolutely
6:02
no doubt about it and that we should get married within
6:07
our caste we should you know move out of our caste we should you know condemn
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caste system and really built a cashless society
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that is another thing another thing right in those days I learned was that
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all forms of protest must be combined with some creative action some constructive work I hold on to that mu
6:33
even today and and I find myself becoming very very critical of people
6:40
who are most of the time engaged in the protest mode you know then the whole
6:46
life is dedicated to protesting you know against certain things which is absolutely necessary you know we need to
6:53
protest but I think along with that I think we individual if he is the serious
7:00
individual you know and who is wants to work for this kind of a transformation must also be engaged in some
7:06
constructive activity so this is another very important element I learned and
7:14
doing physical work I think that's when I started doing my own dirty work not to
7:20
depend on them and doing you physical work you know not just the mental work you know the digging the sweeping the
7:27
mopping I this is these are the things I tell you you know when we went to Gandhi
7:34
he taught us all these things not just me my whole generation I am sure all
7:39
those who took to Gandhi very seriously you know he became your model he became
7:45
your teacher you studied him very closely and you you know you try to
7:51
follow these principles these values so that's how my journey with Gandhi began
7:59
and then of course I moved on to the other things you know the the spiritual
8:06
literature the philosophical things I didn't want to do science I wanted to do
8:12
arts and then I didn't want to do literature from literature I moved to
8:17
philosophy and and it went on that way and I ended up as a lecturer
8:24
from which job I retired quite some time ago how many years ago some maybe some
8:32
19 15 years ago so but what does Ghandi
8:38
mean you know what are the philosophical
8:43
along his philosophy his idea of activism so let's talk about that I
8:51
would like to talk now I think about two things to start with one his notion of
8:58
truth and the notion of a himself now by
9:03
truth I don't know what do you understand by truth it should have been so easy if you know nice if there was
9:10
some kind of an interaction you know with a with you guys so what do you
9:17
think of truth what is your idea of truth
9:26
the notion of truth from is the point of view of science from different religions
9:32
is there one truth or different truths many truths now this was central to
9:40
Gandhi first he started saying that God
9:48
is you know this is truth is God and then he shifted him to to the position
9:57
that truth no God is not truth is God he
10:03
moved from truth is God to God is true
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anyway his notion of truth is the most important thing and from its like the
10:18
great banyan tree from where proliferate all his other ideas so that is the
10:25
foundation on which his entire philosophy is constructed so to say his
10:32
notion of truth from which is derived in the notion of him sighs well now truth
10:40
is not something that is given the truth that religions speak about is not true
10:47
that is a matter of faith right you know what to talk about God you know creation
10:52
if there is a hell heaven you know you take it by faith I don't think you questioned it too much when you start
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questioning you drop these ideas but anyway they are all what you call the believes the faith and what religion
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gives us is not truth we need to examine them so what is true then is it a given
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thing no it is not a given thing what is truth then truth is something according
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to Gandhi we don't know we don't know the truth in the sense we don't know the
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absolute truth but we know truth we know the existence of truth we
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know the functional truth Nancy this this wood is hard you know you're all
11:43
students so these are all functional truths relative truths and there are so
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many such truths so all that we have are related truths even the idea of man for
12:00
instance the notion of man is a relative truth the notion of woman is also a relative truth the notion of God is a
12:08
related truth so what human beings have been dealing with over the centuries are these
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relative truths but the moment we absolute eyes these truths the problem
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begins messy so relate to truth is all
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that we have absolute truth I do not
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know to no absolute truth is to know God to know God is to become God is to
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become servant Allah you know but I do not know the truth so when I do not know
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the truth what do I do you know I want to know the truth you
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know he music he was a great question that way you know and to me to me even
13:00
today symbolizes that quest that question you know that quest after truth
13:07
yeah that is another thing that I learned from being is that I would go
13:13
often this truth that I would be committed to whatever I learned that I
13:18
would not compromise you know and I would not accept anything blindly I will
13:25
have to find out for myself I'll have to find out for myself in the context of my own experience that is it
13:32
another thing I learned from him because he would want to test put to test every
13:38
but you told him everything he learned from the scriptures from the religion
13:44
from politics everything had to be you know had to pass through the test of
13:50
experience and reason so now coming back to truth we do not know the truth all we
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know is the relative truth relative
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truth is all that we have and from relative truths related truth we move
14:09
hopefully that will be moving towards greater truth and greater truth you know
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I mean we are on this journey of the truth since I do not know I cannot act
14:23
like God I see I do not have the right to terminate somebody else that is where
14:32
the hymns are aspect emerges you see now
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I am sir traditionally meant you know avoiding conflict avoiding injury do not
14:45
hurt people and you know in Jainism himsa is a Mahabharata you know the
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ultimate authorities they you have heard of silicon a--there's Allah you know
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some people get into that stage where everything they renounce they are after
15:06
Nirvana and that is a time they starve themselves to death so that is the
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sallekhana so you avoid food completely you know even food taking food is in
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some way it means that you're committing
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committing violence somebody you know some some form of life is being you know
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killed you know this this you cannot avoid so therefore the ultimate act
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nonviolent act is you know you you deny
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food for yourself and you die and it's better to die that way you know
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and can reach nirvana that's their justification so there is a Mahabharata
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but in Gandhi's hand normal and became and interventionist
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politics you see nonviolent did not mean avoidance it meant engagement you see it
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meant engagement so in this pursuit of truth in this journey towards truth one
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principle you have to implement one
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means that you need to follow absolutely is the nonviolent means is there himself
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and in this journey I himself does not mean disengagement just avoiding
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violence you know or injury but it means
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engagement with society you know that you participate in society and through
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nonviolent means you know you see in what way you could transform because
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non-violence will keep both the the
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aggressor and the victim you know in an open dialogue it creates that
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possibility I have a problem with you through nonviolent means I still keep
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the relationship open you can see I don't terminate the relationship so here
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normally that sense creates a possibility of the growth for both the
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victim and the aggressor or the oppressor so that's how it is seen and
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it creates the more and more possibilities for society to move towards greater truth and greater truth
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and hopefully realize these great values you know value such as dignity autonomy
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you know justice and ultimately the spiritual liberation even for spiritual
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liberation even for moksha for nirvana you know you need to create an
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atmosphere you create you need to create an environment where the pursuit of this
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highest principle is possible and when
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there is violence when there is conflict when there is too much of chaos in a spiritual pursuit is not possible how do
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you do that so that way I see Gandhi as
18:34
a modern acharya you know when we talk about Sharia'a we talk of sankaracarya
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ramanujacarya and others the ones who interpreted the bhagavad-gita Brahma
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sutras Upanishads you know for us but I think he was a really great acharya
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acharya in the sense one who looked and
19:01
we looked at the indian culture indian philosophy and try to understand and
19:10
interpret the indian philosophy in the in the in the context of the present day
19:19
you know problems aspirations values goals so that way
19:27
he was a great arch area the kind of changes he brought about I think we need
19:32
to just dwell briefly upon that take for instance the notion of ashram now what
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is an ashram of course today's our sturms are you know it's almost a bad
19:45
word you know it becomes a centers of wealth and all kinds of things happen
19:53
but as from traditionally manteno space within society or outside society where
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you went to practice silence you know to study the the the spiritual texts
20:07
to us ah Donna but in God and the Gandhi's hand in Gandhi's hand ashram
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became a space within the society where you not only pursued your sadhana did
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your sadhana you might have done your contemplation your prayers and your
20:26
meditation but along with that you trained yourself versus a theory I see
20:31
you went to cook there you learn to mop the floor sweep the floor you learn to
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clean the toilet and see participating prayers learn to pray learn to write you
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did all these and trained yourself as a satyagraha so that was that's Rama for
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Gandhi you know and take the notion of Swaraj you know for Tillich and go clay
21:05
and a whole lot of leaders Congress leaders so adamant the political freedom
21:13
independence from the British rule Gandhi used this very notion and
21:18
inflated the notion of Swaraj to mean several other things like the political
21:27
independence the social the cultural and
21:32
the spiritual to kasi so freedom in proven freedom is not just one there are
21:40
different forms of freedom so all these forms of freedoms are absolutely necessary and as a matter of
21:48
fact if you were to I am sure you know find out as to how many hours he might
21:55
have spent in the political field in political activities and how many hours he might have probably you know spent in
22:03
the social cultural activities I am sure he is the mood
22:09
in bothering his head about the social problems social issues and attending to
22:15
these problems so he was that kind of Nigeria who gave this kind of very
22:24
radical interpretation of things in fact just recently while you know I was doing
22:33
some work and I was looking up at some material I found this very interesting
22:40
idea of Gandhi according to idea of God according to Gandhi you will find this
22:45
probably very interesting in some place he says you know he has different
22:52
descriptions his Rama was not the historical Rama his notion of Rama Rajya
22:58
is not some you know throwback to some mythical eh and about God - he stopped
23:07
quite a lot but this description I I was really drawn to this description he says
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I don't mind calling you know describing God as my god every word of this my dong
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open space open field hindi word my dong
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does it ring a bell no
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yeah but you see that connects Gandhi philosophically spiritually directly to
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the 12th century Watson acara's you have overcome a Devi but Salama Prabhu know
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one of the books there that's been passed around is on a comic arriving and
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yeah these are essentially what you call Wyatt's mystic Wyatt's very
24:04
revolutionary I think you should at some stage acquaint yourself with these times
24:10
particularly at Omaha Davey and Alamo Prabhu so the notion of Shiva there she
24:20
was not again the Shiva with snakes around his neck you see just slow was
24:27
very different for instance you have the Shiva Linga you know the Shiva Linga
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according to a whole lot of people exposed to Western education and anthropology would interpret that as a
24:41
phallic symbol which indeed it must have been no doubt but a simple also
24:47
undergoes transformations you know we charge these symbols with
24:52
newer meaning and your meaning that's what God they did know some scholar
24:57
might say even cross is a phallic symbol I have heard and have read all that
25:02
stuff see but when I a believing Christian goes to the church and looks
25:09
at the cross I think he comes about different emotions isn't it it triggers
25:16
something very different in him the same thing about to the Shiva Linga it might
25:22
have started as a phallic symbol but
25:28
later on you know it started meaning different things for the hwachun acara's 12 century virgin acara's shiva linga
25:35
meant the pillar of light i see the pillar of light is a symbol that
25:44
you know comes you you might see this coming up again and again in different
25:51
spiritualities of this country very interesting that is so shilling her was
25:57
a pillar of light for them and this Shiva was the absolute infinite principle not with an image and the
26:05
other word which was a very profound word as linguistically as profound as
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the word Nirvana and the unknown Shah even today I feel by aloo by Alou is the
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word they used by Allah means open field open space so in that sense you could
26:28
say that Gandhi connects with the 12th century what's in a car as when he said you know I I don't mind calling God
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Maidan because there is demise on the open space and there is this vast infinite sky to me that is good enough
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description of God that's what he said
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so this way he was a very revolutionary guy the way he turned certain things
26:57
topsy-turvy he's amazing you see
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and one can go into different things like his practice of brahmacharya and
27:09
other things and how would evolutionary very different he was I say when for
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instance birra goes to Varanasi when she goes to the one to go there there is one of these chaitanya mahaprabhu's follower
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she wants to go on meet him she he says he sends word saying that I will not
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meet I will not meet her I will not meet a woman and Mira sends back a message
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saying I thought God was the only man I didn't know you competed with him I see
27:46
so what was I saying see the notion of
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God you know given the notion of God for instance the way they talked about God
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very amazing he was not temple go well he didn't go to temples he might have
28:05
gone there sometimes to you know see the architecture and appreciated admire the
28:13
great construction and all that he was not a temple go well but today what we
28:18
have done is how a rebel Gandhi for
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instance you know has been domesticated for just such a pirate for instance you
28:33
know I think it is a brilliant moon in a way by somebody to not to reject Gandhi
28:42
not to keep in my way bring him bring him into this room make him sit here and
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we can talk about you know keeping the room clean keeping the campus clean such
28:56
of Herat you know not make you you know ask questions
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or you know rebelled against anything first of all don't ask questions so
29:16
now I think I'll come to the last part maybe it would be good if you have any
29:21
questions you know I would be too glad to answer instead of giving this lecture
29:28
does it mean anything to us today I think he means quite a lot to me though
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I don't talk in terms of relevance or new Elevens you know if Gandhi didn't
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mean anything I should be speaking about him at all you know it's absolute nonsense so these are all living things
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you know anyway this is the this is the the continuity of certain things this is
29:54
the rebirth now the ideas take rebirth in different minds to me this is the
30:01
rebirth real rebirth in so Gandhi in that sense you know is a living
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phenomenon for me you know he symbolizes that quest in me he represents that
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quest that I too have and this is
30:18
Rebelle Gandhi in fact when we talk of God in detail we distinguish between the
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England Gandhi you know and the South African country and you have the 1920s
30:32
Gandhi and the forties Gandhi you know
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the 20s Gandhi was a rebel Gandhi and extremely rebellious so this rebel he
30:45
has Gandhi today as I told you I think it's worth repeating there have been
30:50
there are attempts to domesticate this energy and you know make his relevance
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only to such Marathon things like that no I think he is one who really asked
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great many questions and some of them are very disturbing questions
31:12
you would know that when he was killed
31:21
not only a particular party headquarters they know members distributed sweets a
31:27
lot of religious centers ashrams run by upper caste Hindus distributed
31:34
sweets so he was he was seen a danger
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this is the whole problem you know he'd call him a Mahatma the one the ones whose heart you know he bleeds for the
31:47
poor no great soul the the Orthodox Muslims who wanted Pakistan very badly
31:56
they thought of him as an enemy of Islam you know they're very crafty Hindu a
32:02
veiled enemy of Islam the Hindus Orthodox Hindus especially the upper
32:08
caste Hindus sort of him as an enemy of Hinduism you know he's an enemy of
32:16
Hinduism and what is he doing to this great country you know they were deadly
32:23
against two things one they thought he was feminizing politics you know this is
32:31
again another revolutionary aspect of Gandhi I'm afraid I don't think we have
32:37
that much of time okay yeah
32:46
see his notes that takes us back to his notion of the human the notion of man
32:53
and the notion of woman and the notion of moksha or liberation as well he was
33:00
influenced by no doubt some of these rights and by you know during his
33:07
English and then maybe Tolstoy Ruskin
33:13
she was influenced by all these guys but the main influence the deeper influence
33:19
I think came to him from his deep and study and understanding of Indian
33:24
philosophy by Indian philosophy I include Jain philosophy Buddhist
33:31
philosophy or all the other different streams we have had hundreds thousands
33:38
of streams in this country you know and you have to let these streams be what
33:43
they are we need to have to you know put them all together and call it Hinduism even that is not necessary even that is
33:50
not necessary and he was for that kind of tremendous nihilism and he himself
33:56
represented in his life and living and struggled that tremendous Brutalism so
34:03
it was critical of his people he was critical of for instance the the
34:09
Orthodox Christians who were involved in conversions you know they felt very
34:14
uncomfortable with him very very uncomfortable with him because he challenged them and he told them why do
34:20
you do this live the you know the Spirit of Christ Jesus is missing in your lives
34:26
you will have to be living example of that that that love and compassion that
34:33
Christ represented instead it eases the way to carry the message of Jesus to
34:40
different corners of the world and the country they were involved in some of this conversion business and all that so
34:47
he was very critical he was critical of for instance women Muslim women wearing burqa
34:52
you know sometimes where he spoke where he was simple about these things and
34:57
once he was asked by some of this you know maybe some
35:06
moolah with some leader of the Muslim community you have no right to talk
35:12
about Islam you can go talk about your Hinduism and he said no because I am
35:22
also a Muslim because you'll have to be ready for this I am also a Muslim
35:28
because I'm a good Hindu and being a good leader I am also a good Christian
35:36
and a good Chris being a good Christian I am also a good Buddhist so his definition of you know religion was
35:44
really something very revolutionary and that's how it should be religion is not
35:50
the hey you know believe it is behavior how you behave yourself how you conduct
35:56
yourself how you sit touch another person speak to another person that is
36:03
your religion not the not the the you know the costumes that you wear or you
36:11
know the the different other adornments you have or the beliefs you carry no
36:16
behavior so when it comes to terms of behavior now what do you call so people
36:23
recognize this people recognize this and that's the reason why they said you know
36:29
if there were you know really true genuine follower of Christ Jesus this
36:37
was the man Yesi tsunamis and his
36:44
identity while he was asked okay what are you he said he might have said I'm a
36:50
Hindu in the beginning and then he I think he started saying I am as a not honest even the words are not honest
36:56
today is problematic hugely problematic because some groups are using the words Anitha needs to mean something else
37:03
you see s a not honest is one you know who belongs to the ancient times you
37:08
know the the timeless time as it were and and and and identifies himself with
37:15
all that is there and that's what he said in fact that he's the inheritor of
37:23
all the ideas all that the humanity has produced how can you deny that this is
37:30
it another thing that I learned as a student and I'm very profitable at it although I can't exercise that right too
37:38
much these days you know I can't interpret every one and every book you
37:44
know see that will not be accepted perhaps but I really believe that I am the inheritor of all these beautiful and
37:51
ugly things the world has produced what else am i I think that's a true fact to
37:57
call myself that you know because I am born in a Hindu family doesn't mean that I'm a Hindu my identity my personality
38:05
can't be circumscribed by this simple fact you know the historical or
38:14
sociological fact and the biological fact can't limit it you see it can't
38:20
limited so when he was that kind of a person that kind of a universal person he had absolutely no hesitation in
38:28
talking about you know all these things because he felt he had the right because
38:34
he felt really genuinely that he was a genuine Jew a genuine good Muslim a good
38:42
Christian a good Buddhist so that brings
38:47
us to what is happening with regard to the the problem of identity today I
38:52
think that is where perhaps we learn we could learn a couple of things from Gandhi you know I think these identities
39:00
are hardening today right they are becoming very hard and too hard I said
39:08
there's this beautiful book by a moccasin about these whole politics of identity it's a beautiful one so
39:17
identities are hardened any turning you know and creating this
39:22
exclusiveness and they're creating these huge walls of separation among us and
39:31
for instance just now I mentioned he says all these identities are functional
39:36
and dysfunctional identities have become absolute identities you see and he says
39:44
we are made of multiple identities but sometimes for different reasons certain
39:51
identities get privileged over other things and for political reasons some
39:57
identities are not manipulated used see
40:02
when you are sitting there coming to college carrying the bag books you're a student
40:08
don't you think of yourself as a student definitely think of yourself as a student but when you have an identity
40:16
with friends you have an identity tomorrow you go join an office and work
40:23
for a company you have an identity you have an identity you know given to you
40:28
by your language the language you speak so there are different identities you
40:34
are made of different selves as it were but these all these identities or
40:39
functional identities the absolute identity is again is something like
40:45
truth you don't know now frankly seriously do we know who we are
40:52
can you answer that question if I ask you what are you you know of course
40:59
that's a very deep philosophical spiritual question Ramana kept asking what are you who are you but ultimately
41:06
it's a very interesting question important question as well ultimately we don't know right but there are
41:12
functional cells these are all functional nothing wrong with it oh this
41:19
is beautiful but we are absolute izing that yes see once we absolute eyes these
41:26
identities you know put up walls these identities then the problem begins
41:35
so - Gandhi the therefore the notion of nationalism the the idea of a nation the
41:44
idea of man the idea woman they were all functional he believed that there was a
41:52
woman in him and for quite a number of
41:57
years it's a very interesting phase zero he was in search of himself as it were
42:03
you know the woman in him and try to bring the woman out of him
42:10
interestingly Manu Gandhi you know who's his grand niece who's written a book and
42:17
I about daddy what her this she's called the book my mother Gandhi my mother a
42:25
very interesting thing and for a whole lot of people he didn't seem like a man
42:33
you know this may sound a little out of the movie but it's quite funny and very
42:41
interesting I think one of the biographers recently I read somewhere and grew how could her little one
42:51
this was ages ago in her book she is written long time back a little one you know saw the picture of Gandhi and said
42:59
dad or mommy mommy you think he is he
43:05
has a vagina she asked when the father said no he has no vagina he has a penis
43:11
father said oh I thought he has a wiser now because he looks so nice and kind no
43:20
this is very interesting kind of you know little information like that for
43:27
the little girl for a lot of people
43:32
look as if he was that that man that manly feel no that could be the reason
43:42
why Minogue on D you know called him a mother my mother Nancy and we believe
43:48
that that again takes him back to the
43:53
bhakti movement you know the Vedanta you know during the bhakti movement lot of
44:01
even mail bhaktas what do they give up
44:07
they gave up their wealth they give up their caste they give up everything and
44:13
they give up their gender identity to Yesi they give up their gender identity
44:20
to the reason why I quoted Meera you know when the chaitanya mahaprabhu
44:26
follower said i can't i do i wouldn't meet a woman because god is the only
44:34
male so to say in some sense you know so a man but a male but the transforms
44:41
himself in such a way that he is no more a male so that he becomes fit enough to
44:49
meet his god you see because you have to give up all identities you will have to
44:56
empty yourself you should become my dung you know opens please to go and meet
45:02
with you know your God if there is one I think this is the most important thing
45:09
into which is tied up the other things I hope you got it now the identity thing
45:15
the truth thing and they are him such thing all these trees are tied up here now see if you really believe that truth
45:23
is something where we do not know but we consider something as truth as a match
45:28
of faith not because we have found out or because you have experienced it but
45:35
because it's just a matter of faith but actually speaking truth is not something that we know but we are after truth
45:44
we are all Questers all right but we do not know I'm therefore we do not have the right to put down somebody you know
45:53
to to terminate somebody's life to destroy things that right I do not
46:01
have and related to this notion of truth and I him sir is also the whole identity
46:06
question you know the identity also I
46:11
think is something that personally also am very interested is something that we
46:18
do not know about you know I think it would be much better if you call
46:23
yourselves the you know the child of the you know you are made of the star the
46:28
dust of star or something that's okay that's okay but these are all very
46:34
functional things you know the the religious identity even the gender identity and they're all functional
46:41
things so that way I think Gandhi's ideas the things he stood for challenges
46:49
today's some of the political structures some of the political discourses that
46:56
are you know in circulation today and more importantly I think this very ugly
47:06
politics of identity no this whole ugly identity business that is going on and
47:13
on and on I think it is dating our minds that in place and we need a broom stick
47:23
called Gandhi to clean this up I think there he can he will definitely be very useful 



=======
thank you very much if you have questions maybe I'll answer them
=======
47:42


a bad time to discuss because after lunch usually difficult No
47:55
the circuit
48:02
so so you I think you briefly mentioned but can you say sort of add in terms of
48:09
what what he or his the philosophies mean for today because in in today's times
48:15
what is its relevance and and what can we learn in in from him in today's times
48:24
[Music] now his whole understanding of politics
48:29
of religion and all of them or the pointers that is where we can learn from
48:37
you know you know about the politics the he would you you have heard this
48:43
talisman he gave you know you have so these are all the things you know that could really help us now whatever we are
48:50
doing is it going to be useful for the poorest of the poor would this step I am going to take wipe every tear from every
48:57
eye I think this is the litmus test this is the talisman so there are hundreds
49:04
and thousands like that and his whole idea of truth and non-violence to me are
49:10
very important and particularly his idea of truth I think all of us this is the
49:15
most to me personally also most enraging
49:21
thing when I meet with people when I see what is going on because we seem to have
49:26
arrived at some conclusion we know really don't you do you know what is it
49:31
that we know you know we don't know quite a lot of things but people you
49:38
know behaviors if they know everything and they are trying to impose whatever they think is right on the others so
49:46
that's why what I told you you know this notion of true the notion of identity is all tied up
49:52
it's all linked one leads to the other say one leads to the other these are all
49:58
like the different branches of his philosophy you know he's notional rostrum his notion of trusteeship if he
50:05
was not assassinated we don't know how more revolutionary you would have been I
50:11
would have really loud to know what you'd have talked about trusteeship for instance that's a new I don't think some
50:18
of you would know that therefore I am NOT going to go into a TIA please
50:28
the same trust trustees the issues that you are talking about I just want to
50:33
know if you can or if you find any
50:40
similar aspects in the truths the related liberated truths that Gandhi the
50:47
I don't know I don't know that - I don't know that Gandhi says and that I don't know that ug case is ug Krishnamurti
50:54
says so his most of the I don't knows you know all over the world has been
50:59
institutionalized the only I don't know that doesn't have been institutionalized is ug case so I just want to know how
51:07
similar the idea of truth may be relative or functional both Gandhian uzk
51:15
is that is there any similar similarity that you can ug I don't know many of you
51:22
may not know okay I'll give you two met of us maybe these two better has a good
51:28
enough serie so I one time we wanted to
51:33
write about India I know what what does India stand for is there such a thing as an Indian mine
51:40
what a K Ramanujan started that famous essay is there such a thing as an Indian mind you know Andrea domino Jen you know
51:47
talks very brilliantly about it it all depends on where you put the emphasis if
51:53
you put the emphasis on Indian Indian mind you know the answer will be different if you put the emphasis on
51:59
mind the answer will be again different you know the very question will carry different meanings
52:06
so wondering about all that you know I began but I couldn't continue maybe sometime later I'll continue this essay
52:13
I decided on how I should be end I'm
52:18
giving a very great secret to you but this is such a sacred thing for me and
52:24
when you share the sacred thing you know I think its value goes up it doesn't
52:30
come down I have these two metaphors for India Chandan brilliant metaphors
52:37
you heard of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Ramakrishna Paramahamsa I think really
52:44
stood for India I'll tell you how you see
52:51
you know he went through all emotions the whole gamut of the bhakti bhava you
53:00
know he wanted to experience all that he wanted to experience all that one time
53:05
he became a rama bhakta you know so he stripped himself naked climbed a tree
53:14
sat on the tree behaved like Hanuman can you imagine sir can you imagine somebody
53:20
being Glinka monkey you would call him a madman I'm calling out Rama Rama he
53:26
literally did this he embodied the feelings of Hanuman and he became human
53:32
as it were yeah then even wanted to
53:38
experience what this Allah is all about what Muhammad thought he went out of the
53:44
premises of the Kali temple where he used to stay you know and he wore the
53:51
dress suffered a Muslim I think it was an Arab dress and he did his namaz
53:59
whatever number of times for a week or he lived like in like a believing Muslim
54:09
and he had the experience of he calls it
54:15
as the experience of Mohammed and when he had behaved like Hanuman you know he
54:24
had the vision of Rama he had the vision of Sita then he wanted to understand
54:34
what Christianity is all about he behaved like a Christian and he had the
54:42
vision of Jesus Christ now do you know this part of the story
54:48
you don't know you haven't heard of so he went through all these emotions he
54:54
went through all these emotions and he became those things which he
54:59
adored you but my point he became all that he he worshiped he became all that
55:08
he worshiped he became muslim believing muslims he became a christ not just that
55:15
he had the vision of muhammad he had the vision of Christ he had the vision of
55:20
Rama he had the vision of Sita all these emotions he went through music so this
55:29
is India you know you absorb you take it is not para kya privation you don't enter into
55:35
his body you make that person that force
55:41
that power that beautiful thing whatever that is that life to enter him to you
55:48
you give space you know you like a Hanuman you tear open your chest and let
55:54
Rama and you know Sita reside in your heart so this is India I thought this is
56:02
a brilliant in you know image a metaphor for India it means everything it wants
56:09
to experience everything and make it its own by which it was enriched no doubt
56:16
about it and then you have the image of
56:21
you J Krishnamurti Mooji Krishnamurti went through a very interesting experience which he called it as saints
56:30
go marching out there is this famous Christian you know what Carol Saints
56:38
come watching him but he called her saints go marching out now when he went
56:46
through some biological changes and other great transformations took place for a number of days he started having
56:53
tremendous visions visions in the sense when he saw somebody he also became that
57:00
somebody they see and that is a time very interesting that is the time I
57:07
believe we saw two women absolutely naked two women and he told our guerrilla brigade
57:15
sir I saw these women and later on I found out these are all visions visions in the sense what has happened over
57:22
thousands of years of time is all they're embedded in memory you
57:27
understand you know he's like the hard disk is like the chip in which the
57:33
millions of bytes you know the memories of all human being not just human beings of animals
57:39
everything is embedded in this so we carry this memory and the Western
57:47
psychologist called it as you called it as the collective unconscious and all that so and these two men happen to be
57:58
in relation to the end acha mahadevi and he says he had the
58:04
vision of muhammad's i mean he had so how was maja but
58:10
somebody asked when you were selling that so every handsome guy sir he said very interesting kind of comments he
58:16
would me so he had the vision of Christ he had the vision of Mohammed he had the
58:23
vision of Buddha I believe the vision of Buddha lasted for a very long time maybe because of
58:29
the impact that Buddha has had on human consciousness what he says is these
58:35
figures who have had a great impact on human consciousness these are the
58:42
memories that are coming out and these memories came out like that the visions
58:47
happen and then they disappeared they disappeared they disappeared so the same
58:53
soil went marching out and he says you
59:00
know sir what was happening along these memories good bad ugly whatever
59:07
spiritual whatever all these are memories they must go and the
59:14
consciousness be must become empty then it becomes
59:19
really sacred it is it becomes empty and pure so he used the word flashed out all
59:28
the images were flushed out of his memory his mind his consciousness so
59:38
this is the emptiness that these guys have been talking about this may be too much bit of too much for you but let it
59:46
be there and you know you can put it in your mind in some corner and leave it there for now this is what all the
59:52
graces great Caesar's have talked about the emptying the my done you know by a
1:00:00
low junetta the emptiness or the
1:00:05
wideness so therefore what is the truth according
1:00:11
to it if we have to philosophize if I have to philosophize is something that
1:00:17
you don't know because how do you how do
1:00:23
you know what is knowing please understand this just one minute
1:00:29
give some thought to it all knowing is in frames and in binary forms right you
1:00:36
know is a positional black and white man woman good and bad happiness and sorrow
1:00:43
so your knowing your narrative your story construction you are talking to
1:00:50
yourself talking to another is framed in this language all-knowing so if there is
1:00:57
a truth logically you can appreciate this if there is a truth then the mind which is
1:01:04
caught up in this binary mode of thinking of black and white cannot
1:01:10
understand then how can it understand it cannot understand that it has to
1:01:17
understand when you understand that it cannot understand then it becomes what
1:01:23
it becomes quite when it becomes quite then the unknown is there the truth is
1:01:31
there now you got the secret of all these sages and philosophers so that's the secret so that is the ultimate thing
1:01:39
that we'll talk about later we will not go there now but that is the ultimate
1:01:44
thing at least intellectually you should be able to understand and appreciate this so - Gandhi - who belong to the
1:01:50
stream of thought truth is unknown you do not know once you really know what
1:01:58
feel that I tell you it makes you so humble it makes you humble it doesn't
1:02:06
make you feel inferior it makes you humble but it makes you tremendously active it makes you tremendous - you're
1:02:13
honest tremendously truthful now see because you don't know but you want to
1:02:18
know you will know but all that you know is by the limited mind what is this limited mind the binary
1:02:26
mind so that you know always and keeping that you move from truth to greater
1:02:32
truth you may - truth - relative truth hoping that you reach a place a point where the
1:02:39
whole thing will dissolve and then you don't know thank you sorry sir I didn't
1:02:49
answer your question directly
1:02:56
thank you for this talk many things that he said I'm sure they're very difficult
1:03:01
to understand but like you said maybe eventually they will bloom my some some
1:03:11
things so this I just wanted to ask would worded renunciation and fasting
1:03:20
mean to condi and and in his life like we like we spoke about how he took
1:03:27
things in the past and made it his own something that he said India also does
1:03:33
so what did this mean to him yeah thank you for asking such a wonderful question
1:03:39
you take this renunciation itself you know you you may ask this question and
1:03:46
you can amaze yourself by asking this question and knowing that Gandhi could
1:03:53
sleep well while his co-workers and associates you
1:03:58
know would spend sleepless nights you know bothering about this and that Gandhi in the thick of problems could
1:04:06
sleep well to me this is an amazing thing you know I can understand it Bhima I can understand the term the Rama's
1:04:17
brother kumbhakarna you know sleeping well you know the bhima's are the
1:04:24
bhima's you know you they eat well in the thick of battle field also you give them a pillow or no pill no they want to
1:04:31
sleep their sleep some are really lucky people like that you know but Gandhi who
1:04:37
was in the think of such politics I know I think he was a witness to some of the
1:04:44
most horrible crimes in this of this century you know I could sleep well he
1:04:51
could sleep well because to him renunciation meant renouncing the fruits of action the good guitar message see
1:05:00
that that's what he understood renunciation was not renouncing moving away from society I see and do
1:05:08
your tapas in fact once mihriban I think he tells her if I wanted I could have
1:05:15
gone to Himalayas but that is not what I want to do my search for truth the transaction for truth has to happen in
1:05:22
the thick of samsara because the notion of truth is also tied up with society I
1:05:27
see so the search for truth and the realization of truth cannot be outside
1:05:32
society it has to be within society so renunciation is absolutely necessary but
1:05:38
not renunciation from life from engagement but renunciation of the
1:05:45
fruits of action why you renounce the fruits of action but why you are not the
1:05:50
only one and you are not the only one responsible you do a certain act what
1:05:57
the consequence of that act would be is not going to be decided and try ly by
1:06:04
you or by the other person there are multiple hundreds of factors that decide
1:06:09
let it happen it's okay but I am NOT going to be attached to that you see
1:06:15
I'll still further work on it and keep moving ahead and ahead so now seeing the fruits of action
1:06:23
detached means not to be detached in a relationship but detached from yourself
1:06:33
from the possibilities of getting hurt because why do you get hurt because you
1:06:40
take things yourself too seriously you are here the cult clue you are the
1:06:46
doer no I am NOT the doer
1:06:51
see there is action under these consequences there is there no again
1:06:56
there are no actors here yes so in that sense yes he was and the other thing
1:07:03
fasting yeah how he turned fasting also as some kind of a weapon which others
1:07:10
called it as you know blackmailing sometimes but I would transform the people and when I was looking up today
1:07:19
children I believe in this man fasted literally thousands of people in the
1:07:26
country fasted you know families of the
1:07:32
families you know the whole family would fast maybe it may not be children the father mother grandparents they would
1:07:39
fast because once they heard the gandhi is fasting for some issue they could eat
1:07:44
so the whole country participated in this and how do you transform to them
1:07:50
you see transform them once you fast you know the kind of effect it has on me so
1:07:57
I would say please don't fast wait I'll come and sit with you let's talk it over you know like this this this is give a
1:08:06
simple example like a woman you know why who is been who was slapped by the
1:08:15
husband starts fasting she says I will not eat okay if you don't eat you know
1:08:23
the world is not going to fall I'll eat my lunch and he eats and the next day dinner also she doesn't eat and the
1:08:30
breakfast she doesn't eat and he you know that melts his heart and that exposes the brute in him the beast in
1:08:37
him and he becomes to see the beast in moon really the fasting of the human has
1:08:42
helped the man to see the beast within him the ones the moment he encounters the beast within him he goes and sits by
1:08:51
her if not at her feet at least by her and tells I am sorry that should have
1:08:57
done that together yes we can eat together so this is very small
1:09:04
I gave you you know so he explained this on a large scale this is what exactly
1:09:09
happened this exactly happened one man fasted and the in Calcutta
1:09:14
killing you know where hundreds and thousands had been killed just the previous two three days came to a
1:09:21
standstill which the Indian Army can do you know in other places because the
1:09:28
army was dispatched to put down the partition riots in 46 so fasting has
1:09:35
that again the fasting is tied up with your notion of truth you are himself
1:09:44
now of course people are saying fasting you know is very important to maintain health you should fast and things like
1:09:50
that that's a different matter perhaps that also has some valium
1:09:59
thank you if there are no other questions
1:10:07
[Music] he's wondering if you'd share with us what you will do with your play
1:10:13
he's written a play called the Mahatma I mean if I can yeah this the play is
1:10:19
based on the dark early days you know this 1946 riots before the you know
1:10:24
India Pakistan became independent and the riots broke out in Calcutta
1:10:30
you know what happened there was this clash going on between Congress party and the Muslim League the Muslim League
1:10:39
was you know was things were getting hotter and hotter they were not sure if
1:10:46
they would get there Pakistan so general went to the said you know we will have what you call the direct action day so
1:10:53
direct action day the Calcutta erupted into in flames a lot of killing and then
1:11:00
it went to now Kali where the Muslims were in you know in dominance and then
1:11:08
in Bihar you know all this happen so he first went to dark alley so that is a
1:11:14
very fascinating period because one because he brought some sanity into you
1:11:22
know this madhouse called India at that time really truly it's a fascinating
1:11:28
period because this is the last phase of his life and he felt deeply that he is
1:11:35
still far from God he still not come face to face with God why he has not
1:11:42
come face to face with God maybe there is a silly some ahankaara left in him maybe there is still some desire left in
1:11:50
him maybe there is some still some sexual desire left in him so therefore
1:11:57
if he is beautified all of all that then
1:12:02
he would have the spiritual power of a Mohammed he will have the spiritual
1:12:08
power of a Jesus Christ and the Buddha and the people will listen not only
1:12:15
and Gina even will listen and partition can be avoided so it's a really complex
1:12:23
situation that time he really believed that he's not pure enough so he got into
1:12:31
an experiment and this place more or less based on that face you know what
1:12:37
happened he and Manu Gandhi and other things all that was talked about openly
1:12:43
and done very openly like for instance Manu Gandhi and he
1:12:50
would sleep on the same bed merci now the sleep has a different
1:12:55
connotation a sexual connotation not necessarily they were lying together we could say no for others this became
1:13:04
something you know very scandalous thing why is he trying to do that and you
1:13:09
sometimes ask really apparently very silly question tomando Gandhi did you feel any did you
1:13:19
get any bad feelings he's an old man and she's just 18 years old girl no why will
1:13:26
she get bad ideas or feelings about but has this question and what I have done
1:13:31
in the play is this very important thing in the play which is also there in the
1:13:39
novel which I wrote on the on this period Manu Gandhi asks Gandhi
1:13:48
tell me one thing when you touch people I touch people
1:13:59
when we talk when we do all these activities we are all together I never feel that you're a man and I am
1:14:08
a good woman that's not there but Gandhi
1:14:14
Babu well do you want me to be a woman in this experiment he is blown away and he feels this is
1:14:23
wrong this is not correct and the whole experiment comes to an end I don't know
1:14:28
if that is how exactly it happened but I philosophy I know I thought I should
1:14:33
offer a philosophical truth in this historical narrative it was inevitable so the play is based on that so all the
1:14:42
time till is dead till is any you know even he's dead serve the purpose in and
1:14:50
I think he spoke to the effect that you know I'll be speaking from my grave when
1:14:55
he continues to speak from his grave even today so I will not go into the
1:15:02
details of the play this is what the play is all about so my question was
1:15:09
about this interesting kind of drawing on cultural resources that Gandhi was
1:15:14
doing so whether it is on renunciation or fasting or savathun Dharma or Ramraj
1:15:20
all of this existing cultural resources he was taking them experimenting they
1:15:25
were doing something else so selection uh for example or something else in a channel monastic tradition he made it
1:15:32
something else and he experimented with it and a lot of people kind of related to it because it was connecting to them
1:15:38
at a deeper cultural religious level the question that I have is also connecting
1:15:44
to now is when you draw on cultural resources you also know that they can be appropriated back in too many other ways
1:15:53
right it's not only an interesting experiment it can be a very problematic experiment also so now that lamb Raj has
1:15:59
been appropriated in a particular way is there a way reclaim it or is it when do we say that
1:16:06
now we cannot reclaim this this has just got such connotation such violent
1:16:12
connotation that now if we talk about Ramraj it's just impossible to similarly
1:16:18
with caste for example is just there were a lot of people trying to reclaim casts saying that oh let's not have the
1:16:25
existing let's call it let's have a different meaning to it but we will call it same but it has such deep meanings
1:16:33
that somehow some some things cannot be reclaimed also do you think yeah very
1:16:40
brilliant brilliant the way you asked to put the whole problem
1:16:47
you see we cannot run away from these such battles if Gandhi I appreciated
1:16:52
admire him for the way he renewed certain cultural values cultural
1:16:58
resources you know he picked from there and these symbols and icons were you
1:17:04
really wouldn't charge with newer revolutionary meaning you cannot deny
1:17:09
the try to somebody else they see but it has to be consistent it has to be
1:17:16
consistent this is what I see completely lacking I think putting down people
1:17:21
bashing up people intellectually I mean they bash up physically and we are to be
1:17:27
all the time the intellectuals are involved in intellectually bashing up somebody or the other I don't think this
1:17:33
is going to take us far Gandhi will do that Gandhi would say I would challenge you know come let us see history let us
1:17:40
see the books and there are attempts know for instance Prasanna has written this book called ramayana you know yeah
1:17:48
Graham in the Ramayana where he speaks about the environment there was this
1:17:54
tremendous awareness about the environment now I have written a story
1:17:59
called sambhoga Rama in that Rama is in search of himself my Rama is different you see there are
1:18:07
more who is in search of himself Rama who realises that the man
1:18:13
so inadequate and limited and he wants to grow beyond that he means sambuca and
1:18:20
sits of the feet of sambuca whom he is supposed to kill in valmiki here he
1:18:26
becomes his guru he wants to learn sit at his feet and learn a couple of things
1:18:31
so here is a rama who is like I don't know what this rama is I myself is the
1:18:37
Arthur but I don't know you know he's like a mystic he's like Gandhi who is trying to become
1:18:43
woman and then go beyond and become go
1:18:48
around the gentle what is this Rama trying to do in this story so there are
1:18:55
different or - I think we like to reassert that Pia said that I think it's
1:19:00
okay so long as you have your Rama who is with bond and the Lubin and all that
1:19:06
stuff aggressive Rama you have but you can't compel me to have that Rama
1:19:12
yes see I think that battle is still on we can't run away from that battle we
1:19:18
can't deny the right the right I have exercised they're the same right I cannot deny to somebody else so it's
1:19:25
going to be a long battle and Gandhi that did exactly that I think people
1:19:31
don't have patience and they are intellectually irresponsible I feel this is what I feel they are intellectually
1:19:37
really impatient and irresponsible you know this intellectual bashing it needs years and years of preparation you
1:19:45
know you will have to intellectually build this awareness it takes time it
1:19:50
takes time but you have you started the work I think some people like ours have
1:19:57
started the work I don't know about others thank you
1:20:03
[Music] so we spoke about the truths what are the characteristic characteristics of
1:20:10
the truth seeker and what actions one could take if one would want to walk on the quest of truth I think this is also
1:20:18
a very beautiful question because I love this question I will tell you why Baba these fellows who wear saffron
1:20:24
robes sit in the ashram is not the only truth seeker or the one who does this damn Azhar this white robe anybody is
1:20:32
everybody is a truth seeker I think you can wear the dress you want call yourself what you want but you can be a
1:20:40
truth seeker a truth seeker is one who I think this is how I characterize who is
1:20:46
brutally honest with himself and he is transparent he or she these are the two
1:20:54
qualities brutally honest with oneself because I think not with others with
1:21:00
oneself now why now unless you are honest but more brutally or honest with
1:21:08
yourself because you don't want to deceive yourself you don't want to deceive yourself people can go sit in a
1:21:15
corner meditate for 10 minutes come out and say I got such peace of mind you know you should also try meditation so
1:21:22
these are the lies we indulge in you understand I play a little game and say
1:21:28
it gives me tremendous pleasure did you really give you pleasure not that you
1:21:33
should go and keep broadcasting these things and talking about truth to yourself you should know where you are
1:21:40
what you are what your experiences are you should not lie to yourself if that
1:21:47
is taken care of I think truth will come seeking you you
1:21:53
know it is a way of saying don't take it literally if you are if I am very honest
1:22:00
with myself you see brutally honest with myself but then I will not fool myself I'll not put fools of any but somebody
1:22:08
else and it changes you it changes you in
1:22:14
that you yourself don't know I say it's like a power I tell you this
1:22:19
truthfulness this tremendous truthfulness is like a power that changes you that keeps you always alert
1:22:26
and open and you're never ashamed of accepting your mistakes so these are the
1:22:34
things some of these things that happen so that is characteristic of a seeker and that's how I understand Gandhi whoa
1:22:42
that is the reason why he let such an open absolutely open life transparent
1:22:49
life people who talk of truth I think should first start living the very
1:22:54
honest open life which is the most difficult thing that's what I think
1:23:00
characterizes a truth seeker and I refuse to associate that with religious
1:23:07
guys you know they are not the ones in fact they are the ones who have become
1:23:12
major obstacles thank you very much thank you for listening
1:23:19
[Applause]
1:23:24
[Music]

The Other Side of Belief: Interpreting U. G. Krishnamurti eBook : Rao, Mukunda

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Mukunda RaoMukunda Rao
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The Other Side of Belief: Interpreting U. G. Krishnamurti Kindle Edition
by Mukunda Rao (Author) Format: Kindle Edition


4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

Described as the thinker who shuns thought, U.G. Krishnamurti is the most enigmatic and iconoclastic 'anti-guru' of our times. His conviction that doubt is the other side of belief emerged from an uncompromising negation of everything that can be expressed, not from a desire for some 'comfy dialectical thesis'.
The Other Side of Belief Interpreting U G. Krishnamurti is a candid and refreshing chronicle ofUG's life and the evolution of his radical outlook and ideas. Tracing the development of UG's notion of enlightenment as a series of biological mutations devoid of mystical or religious connotations, Mukunda Rao weaves a complex portrait---of a man who doesn't hesitate to challenge and demolish society's most cherished and comforting values and ideals, but nonetheless commands a most fervent respect and veneration from multitudes of admirers.
UG has always been adamant that life must be described in pure and simple physical and physiological terms so that it is de-psychologized and demystified. He underwent, in his own words, a 'calamity': a series of bodily metamorphoses that catapulted him into the unique state of the 'declutched' mind. This book gives the reader a vivid description of UG's cellular revolution' and an intensely personal insight into UG's unflinching and relentless insistence on freedom from the 'stranglehold of thought.'
With a foreword by Mahesh Bhatt, film-maker and lifelong admirer of UG, The Other Side of Belief offers a searching exploration of the incredible charisma of a man who has transformed the lives of people all over the world.
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Print length

367 pages
Product description

About the Author
Mukunda Rao is the author of six books of fiction, two plays: Mahatma - Khuda ka Hijra (1988 and 2009) and Baba Saheb Ambedkar (2008 and 2014), staged in different parts of Karnataka and much appreciated, and six insightful philosophical works, among which The Biology of Enlightenment is a much-read classic that has become a cult book amongst spiritual aspirants. After his retirement in 2010 from teaching service in a college, he lives with his wife on a farm outside Bengaluru. is the author of six books of fiction, two plays: Mahatma - Khuda ka Hijra (1988 and 2009) and Baba Saheb Ambedkar (2008 and 2014), staged in different parts of Karnataka and much appreciated, and six insightful philosophical works, among which The Biology of Enlightenment is a much-read classic that has become a cult book amongst spiritual aspirants. After his retirement in 2010 from teaching service in a college, he lives with his wife on a farm outside Bengaluru. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B06XYR9PYQ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin (26 July 2005)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3151 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 367 pagesBest Sellers Rank: 852,042 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)11,424 in Memoirs (Kindle Store)
31,094 in Memoirs (Books)
142,595 in Humour & Entertainment (Books)Customer Reviews:
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 32 ratings

Mukunda Rao


Customer reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars

Top reviews from other countries

Sb
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well researched and written bookReviewed in India on 9 October 2022
Verified Purchase

This is my book number 8 on UG. There are details sprinkled in it that are new. Very well written. Rao is professor of English. It shows. And a words craftsman. He weaves through different subjects and aspects of UGs teachings smoothly. There is a typo on page 308, line 14 counting from bottom of page up. I ended up buying his two other books on UG. And three recent ones he’s written.

I hope the Shruti pipal tree has continued to take ever deeper roots. Love. Sb
Report

PG
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 July 2017
Verified Purchase

Delivered as Expected.
Report

Michael R. Young
5.0 out of 5 stars The most complete book on UGReviewed in the United States on 21 March 2013
Verified Purchase

If you would like to read only one complete book about UG or if you have read a few or even several books on UG then this book will either satisfy or serve as an introduction or fill in on his incredible story even more. On reading UG books in general they all have the same unmistakable theme there is nothing to think, speak, do, experience or know. Transformation is biological and having experienced it, according to UG, there is no reason now or after spiritual transformation (enlightenment, self realization, moksha, kensho, or as UG might say - "Whatever you may want to call it!";) to dwell on anything any sage or any book or tradition has communicated what so ever. "We are already in that state" according to UG and only a full physiological mutation purging our entire thought system must happen to experience it as he describes it. Obviously, if there is nothing to do, you then don't need to read any book about UG either. However, from my experience, reading his own words are unmistakingly convincing and in some sense shocking. No one I can think of, and I have read many books on the perennial philosophy, says it quite like UG. Even if reading multiple books is knowingly redundant on his main point to read it again in a different book format helps, in my opinion, the reader to begin to appreciate the depth, profundity and singularity of UG Khrisnamurti.

8 people found this helpfulReport

Manu
5.0 out of 5 stars Radical to the core.Reviewed in India on 15 April 2022
Verified Purchase

A different perspective. Take it or leave. However there are many areas that appeals to the logical thinker. But who knows if the person is thinking or thoughts just come and go according to a universal play!! But, definitely worth buying, reading and gifting 👍
Report

vijey18
4.0 out of 5 stars This is the book to put a full stop to ...Reviewed in India on 11 April 2016
Verified Purchase

This is the book to put a full stop to the so called spiritual search. The book is intense and is not for someone who is looking for another self help book that promises the sky. This book is intended to bring to surface all the unquestioned beliefs such as enlightenment, moksha and the likes and critically examine whether these things really exist.

Worth every penny. A must read for all "Spiritual Aspirants"

One person found this helpfulReport
====

From other countries
Sb
5.0 out of 5 stars Very well researched and written book
Reviewed in India on 9 October 2022
Verified Purchase
This is my book number 8 on UG. There are details sprinkled in it that are new. Very well written. Rao is professor of English. It shows. And a words craftsman. He weaves through different subjects and aspects of UGs teachings smoothly. There is a typo on page 308, line 14 counting from bottom of page up. I ended up buying his two other books on UG. And three recent ones he’s written.

I hope the Shruti pipal tree has continued to take ever deeper roots. Love. Sb
Report
PG
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 July 2017
Verified Purchase
Delivered as Expected.
Report
Michael R. Young
5.0 out of 5 stars The most complete book on UG
Reviewed in the United States on 21 March 2013
Verified Purchase
If you would like to read only one complete book about UG or if you have read a few or even several books on UG then this book will either satisfy or serve as an introduction or fill in on his incredible story even more. On reading UG books in general they all have the same unmistakable theme there is nothing to think, speak, do, experience or know. Transformation is biological and having experienced it, according to UG, there is no reason now or after spiritual transformation (enlightenment, self realization, moksha, kensho, or as UG might say - "Whatever you may want to call it!";) to dwell on anything any sage or any book or tradition has communicated what so ever. "We are already in that state" according to UG and only a full physiological mutation purging our entire thought system must happen to experience it as he describes it. Obviously, if there is nothing to do, you then don't need to read any book about UG either. However, from my experience, reading his own words are unmistakingly convincing and in some sense shocking. No one I can think of, and I have read many books on the perennial philosophy, says it quite like UG. Even if reading multiple books is knowingly redundant on his main point to read it again in a different book format helps, in my opinion, the reader to begin to appreciate the depth, profundity and singularity of UG Khrisnamurti.
8 people found this helpful
Report
Manu
5.0 out of 5 stars Radical to the core.
Reviewed in India on 15 April 2022
Verified Purchase
A different perspective. Take it or leave. However there are many areas that appeals to the logical thinker. But who knows if the person is thinking or thoughts just come and go according to a universal play!! But, definitely worth buying, reading and gifting 👍
Report
vijey18
4.0 out of 5 stars This is the book to put a full stop to ...
Reviewed in India on 11 April 2016
Verified Purchase
This is the book to put a full stop to the so called spiritual search. The book is intense and is not for someone who is looking for another self help book that promises the sky. This book is intended to bring to surface all the unquestioned beliefs such as enlightenment, moksha and the likes and critically examine whether these things really exist.

Worth every penny. A must read for all "Spiritual Aspirants"
One person found this helpful
Report
Paresh
5.0 out of 5 stars Flower
Reviewed in India on 8 July 2016
Verified Purchase
It's good book
I don't understand why author angage in comparison of 2 krishnamurtis

Sir ug is ug
Krishnaji is krishnaji
UG is final hump for understanding spirituality in fact
It's undoubtedly true that love, god, etc falsifying
It means if someone talking abt love no matter he is enlightened he is misguiding gullible people or seeker who believe in him

This is my humble review after carefully read
It is however a best book because you will really get understand spirituality who is being misguided.
One person found this helpful
Report
Manas Dutta
5.0 out of 5 stars Love UG!
Reviewed in India on 6 January 2016
Verified Purchase
Everything UG has to deliver. The Other Side of Belief: Interpreting U.G.Krishnamurti
Report
tarun
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking
Reviewed in India on 17 October 2016
Verified Purchase
The book has some moments of brilliance followed by moments of dullness.
UG forces you to re consider what ever you believed in . But to truly understand this work of fiction you need to question this one too.
2 people found this helpful
Report
R.N Mishra
2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
Reviewed in India on 30 December 2015
Verified Purchase
Worth reading but poor print and paper quality.
Report
======





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