India, way forward
India’s true strength has always flowed from its spiritual roots, where service to humanity is seen as service to the Divine. Building a secure, compassionate, and happy society demands selfless leadership, collective responsibility, and a commitment to uplift every life. Through seva, humility, and inner well-being, we can restore the nation’s glory and create a future grounded in happiness, harmony, and purpose
India has always had power, and it is because of the spirituality of India. We need to bring forward the image of our nation as a secure and strong country. And it is everyone’s responsibility to work for the improvement of our society. We cannot say that we love the gardener (God), but we don’t like his garden (society). Nobody can say this. That is why Janseva (serving people) is Janardana seva (serving God). So, we should be involved in service.
Whosoever is given a position should remember that the chair is meant for serving the people, and not for selfish personal gains. The leaders of the country should live with humility and serve with dedication, just like a servant would.
God is said to be ‘Dasaanudasa’, which means the servant of servants. Lord Hari (a name for Lord Narayana) is said to be the servant of servants. God serves his devotees with utmost humility and love. So, we should also be like a dasa (always ready to serve), like the Divine, but we should not be udaas (sad).
We all have belongingness, humanity, and love in us. Now is the time to bring this out strongly. We need to meet people and communicate with them.We need to bring a wave of happiness to our society. Today, even the United Nations has acknowledged that it isn’t GDP (Gross Domestic Product) but GDH (Gross Domestic Happiness) that is more important. We cannot ignore this. Happiness is an important factor. Are people happy? Are they content? These factors are also being measured now.
Visit different places and sit with people. Inspire them and kindle their enthusiasm. Do satsangs wherever possible. Every 40 seconds, one person commits suicide. When we were young, we had hardly heard about depression and suicide. Our previous generation was very resilient. Where does depression come from? First of all, when energy is low, depression comes. When it goes down further, one loses one’s willingness to live. So, what do you do in such scenarios? Medicines work for some time. They aren’t the ultimate solution. Anti-depressants also have side effects. So, what else can you do? You have to raise the ‘prana’ or life force in you through exercise, proper food, meditation, pranayamas, and Sudarshan Kriya. All these techniques will help you bring up your energy level. You will feel happier and more enthusiastic.
Just don’t sit and think only about yourself! Are you going to be alive forever? Everyone who passes away tells you that this life is impermanent. What are you worried about? Every death should remind you that life is temporary. And what do you want to get from this ephemeral word?
Do money and fame support you in being happier? There is nothing wrong with wanting to be rich and famous. That is normal for people who want to progress in their lives. But if you think that you will be happy only when you become rich and famous, you are wrong. So you can be happy now in this moment and then work towards whatever you want to achieve in life. Don’t postpone being happy. Otherwise, it will be a continual postponement. When you are happy now, it will give you more energy and ideas to explore.
Seva (selfless service) is another technique to beat depression. Our first and foremost commitment is to do seva. When we make service our sole purpose in life, it eliminates fear, brings focus to our mind, purposefulness in action, and long-term joy. When we do seva, it brings naturalness and human values back into society. It helps in building a society that is free from fear and depression.
Bringing a wave of spirituality alone will make this difference. The transformation has already begun. Gen Z is becoming more service-oriented. They are more environmentally conscious. They are less consumerist by nature. Gen Z is intelligent, and intelligent people seek the higher truth. Hence, many are also walking the path of spirituality, which is a great sign. We need to keep up the momentum. I have the dream of a clean and beautiful society, where there is no crime. At one point of time, India had all these. Ours was such a glorious country. We need to restore our country back to the same state.
(Writer is a is a globally renowned spiritual leader, humanitarian, and peacebuilder. He is also the founder of The Art of Living foundation, according to the Art of Living)
