Acharya Tulsi
Culture is what rectifies life. Preserving culture means preserving life. For this it is not necessary to have divisions on the basis of country, society or community. But the human mentality to create divisions has divided culture too like many other things. That is why the entities of the Eastern and Western cultures emerged. The distinction between the Indian and the non-Indian culture too is the result of this mentality. In my view, culture is such an element which cannot be harmed by anyone else. There can be recourse to violent invectives during the controversies over religion and culture, and people may be terrorised, they may be mauled and maimed, even lives may be taken. But no one can turn someone against religion and culture. People who tend to succumb to circumstances may themselves turn against them. But that is different thing.
A person's faith and vigilance are armour that protects culture.
Once the separate identity of Indian culture is established in religious, social, practical and traditional form, it is essential to preserve its originality. One point of this originality is the awareness about vows or abnegations. Vows are a protection of values, ideals, good things. Restrictions and law can be violated. But while violating a vow taken by oneself and with the guru as the witness, one experiences a feeling of remorse. If, under some circumstances, the vow is broken, one continues to feel agonised deep within. Quite often one's resolve turns out to be like a ship almost sinking as it touches the shore.
A person resolved neither to kill an innocent being nor to commit suicide. But then he found himself caught in such a situation that living became difficult. Getting tired to life, he decided to choose death. To act in the light of that decision, he went to the seashore. He prepared himself to jump into the sea. But suddenly, his forgotten resolve, lying dormant in some corner of his heart, revived. T shall not commit suicide'—those words reverberated within him. He changed his mind. He reached home safely. That same person said, "While taking the vow I had wondered if it was necessary. But now I realise that it was this vow that saved me. If I had not remembered that vow, there was none else to divert my steps that were leading me astray."
Vows are a life current that keeps Indian culture alive. Keeping that very thing in mind, the anuvrat campaign was started. Vows are of two kinds—mahavrat (big vows) and anuvrat (small vows). The field of mahavrat is limited. But everyone cannot follow the path of mahavrat. Anuvrat is like a highway on which everyone can walk. Any individual can follow the path of anuvrat. But for that reason, it would also be incorrect to think that it is an ordinary path. A vow, however small it may be, becomes a test for the individual. In the absence of ill-power and self-confidence, adhering to even the smallest vow becomes difficult. By developing willpower and self confidence, even the smallest vow becomes difficult. By developing will-power and self-confidence, even the task which appeared impossible, becomes possible.
Anuvrat bring two results—perversities vanish and culture is preserved. To get rid one of the perversities that distort the human mind, let the path of anuvrat be followed. Anuvrat is such protective armour, which can protect not only the individual and the society, but also protect the glorious cultural heritage. If man realises this truth then it is possible to stall the perversions entering surreptitiously into the human mind and cultural purities.
