Acharya Tulsi
There was a time when morning song was sung to awaken the children. In this age, mother tells to awaken their children – Get up, Hurry up it is time for bath etc. Motivations of chanting ‘mantras’ and preaching All-Mighty God are dying out. The tradition of folding hands before respectable persons and Gurus and saluting them is being squeezed under the sheets of time. The culture of shaking hands, Ta-Ta, Bye-Bye is emerging. Such people think themselves to be modern. The illusive mentality to adopt increasing trends of up-coming new men is something like weevil which is gradually decomposing the cultural tradition.
The conflict between ancient time and modem time is not new. But this situation is not pleasing. Any tradition or material, being old, become useless—this argument» is not reasonable. Being modern, each tradition and material is acceptable—such thought does not seem intelligible. It is told about us that modernity. However, this idea is also appropriate. But to neglect those traditions which have the utility and also those ancient things which are useful. We never want that new idea and things are established in place of useful elements of old tradition.
Politeness and discipline are the basic elements of Indian learning. Spiritual learning cannot move forward without it. Our religious books are full of these elements. Unless the truth of religious books is not linked with life, they cannot be useful. It appears that instead of linking them with life, they are being waved out of life. Less attention is paid to prosper them. In the path of a student from school to college, how much these pure habituations are enriched. To answer this question accurately is very difficult. If the student inherits the healthy habits of politeness and discipline from the beginning, his life-style may be changed or improved.
In the sphere of object, art etc. the approach of man has changed. Now he is accepting old things in the name of modernity and fashion. There was a time when common man used to live rural life. In course of time civilization was pushed to the tracks of progress. Dress code changed, ornaments altered, food materials changed and trends of life also changed. In illusion of modernity, the things which were accepted lost their attraction. Then we looked forward to that direction. Whether this trend can be addressed as progress or decline? Alas! India could not safeguard its traditions. Who will think on this subject? Businessman thinks about his profit, agents look to their interest. Being attracted by new label and new name, men is stepping forward to his past.
Politeness and discipline are the eternal values of life. Negligence to these requirements is to neglect life. Indiscipline among the students, in the family, increasing trend of exhibiting ourselves in the society and the disorder spreading in the country, all indications of gloomy future. If man wishes that his present stage becomes better -than his old stage and his future is better than his present condition, he is to relate his life with politeness and discipline. The ceremonial festival of ‘Terapanth Dharma sangha’ is the symbol of politeness and discipline. On this foundation, the palace of solidarity can remain static and steady and will last long. Alike old garments and ornaments, if pure habituations of politeness and discipline are brought back, our era may go ahead towards new direction.
