Eastern
Philosophy Promotes Creative
Action in the
Social and Political Realms
Carlos Cardoso
Aveline
Vinoba Bhave (1895-1982)
The life of Vinoba
Bhave and the example left by him contain a key to the building of a new and better
civilization.
Born in India on September 11, 1895, Vinoba was a
spiritual heir of Mohandas Gandhi and seems to have been wiser than his master.
In his youth, Vinoba asked Gandhi to accept him as his
spiritual son. Gandhi answered with
these words:
“Your love and character overwhelm me and I accept the
role. A truthful father should produce a more truthful son than himself. In
your case, through no effort of mine, I see that this has already happened.” [1]
A biography published by the government of India says
that although Gandhi was much older and more experienced than his disciple, he
regarded Vinoba as spiritually superior to himself.[2]
Using non-violent methods, Mohandas Gandhi formulated
the project of political independence of India. He created a victorious
movement of freedom from British domination. To reject, however, is easier than
to build. In the struggle for independence, the creative aspects of Gandhi’s
philosophy received less attention and made relatively little progress.
For Vinoba, the main priority was constructive action
from the beginning. He created a vast movement for social reform whose
propelling force consisted in the feelings of compassion and brotherhood.
In numerous regions of India, Vinoba obtained land
donations from big owners for the creation of co-operatives and productive
communities in rural areas. Vinoba inspired people “to make a gift of land,
gift of labour, gift of money, gift of tools, gift of knowledge”. In terms of
land, five million acres were distributed among poor rural communities.[3]
The spiritual and social philosophy of Vinoba is far
from limited to the Indian context. Its point of view is universal. In any
country or culture, the basic challenge is not in struggling against that which
we do not like or consider unfair. Such a task is of secondary importance. The
main duty of good-willing persons is to organize the effective building of that
which is good, true and morally beautiful, and to establish a historical and
social trend that goes away from conflict and toward solidarity.
A creative process is largely silent, while
destruction makes noise. Vinoba may be more advanced than Gandhi as a soul, yet
his life did not create the same amount of noise and crisis.
Vinoba said:
“Love is more powerful than hatred. Harmony is more natural. Spirit can move
mountains. (…) The principal task (before the nation) is to purify the
atmosphere of hatred which has pervaded the country. It is not possible to do
that with forces of counter-violence and stronger hate. Love alone can purify
it. The power of the State cannot bring it about. Only the people outside the
official world can do it. The State can keep them. But the burden lies upon the
people themselves.” [4]
In the absence of optimism and generosity, the
“struggle against injustice” can only talk about problems and mistakes,
producing more anger than justice.
The automatic mutual opposition of political and
social organizations reduces the chances of a change of view. It destroys the
feeling of respect for truth and establishes a sort of trench warfare in which the apparent dialogue is but a void ritual,
and no one really believes in it.
The constructive effort prevents the mistake of
fighting one form of selfishness with another form of egocentrism. A project
based on solidarity fights the wrong thoughts by replacing them with right
thoughts, and has Ethics as its foundation.
Criminal actions must be punished. Every fraud has to be unmasked. It is
necessary to ascribe due responsibility to thieves and corrupt individuals,
making sure the law is enforced. It is also important to go beyond the justice
of punishment. The patient intention of building correct social relations
generates an enduring balance on the basis of one’s inner syntony with the
ideal of human progression and perfection.
According to Vinoba, the building of good will is
almost always more important than talking about mistakes and failures. Every
vibration attracts similar vibrations: to think about Ethics makes Ethics grow.
One correct action inspires another right action and thus a trend is generated.
He wrote:
“The light cannot see darkness because it lights up
all it looks at. In the same way the good man sees only goodness around him.
But he does not live in a fool’s paradise, for his work rouses, sows, and
gathers the goodness he wills to see everywhere.” [5]
The notion that there are opposite interests between
different human beings or social sectors is false, and Vinoba wrote:
“The principle of Sarvodaya
is that the good of all is contained in the good of each. It is impossible for
the real interests of anyone person to clash with those of others. There is no
opposition between the real interests of any one community, class or country.
The very idea of conflicting interests is a mistaken one; one man’s interest is
another’s, and there can be no clash.
But if we look upon evil as our good, and consider that our welfare
consists in what is really injurious, then our ‘interests’ will come into conflict.”
[6]
Through self-knowledge, human beings learn to
transcend the struggles produced by the egocentric illusion.
Vinoba wrote these words on the conditions necessary
to real learning:
“The gift of education is not a matter for pride, in
fact an essential condition for being able to receive it is that we should grow
in humility. In our ancient books vidya (education) is equated with vinaya (humility); vinaya, in Sanskrit, is a synonym for education, and a student who
had completed his studies was called vinit
- perfected in humility. This humility is the fruit of true education. The
teacher must be ready at all times to serve his students in humility; the
students must learn humbly from the teacher. Teacher and student must each
regard the other as a fellow worker.” [7]
The correct state of the soul is found within each
individual. No political or religious leader can cancel the need for an arduous
struggle of each human being with himself, in order to obtain eternal wisdom.
The pilgrim who expands his contact with the inner
source of unconditional happiness becomes free to build in the external world
that which is good and true, and which reflects the state of his soul. Such a
construction begins on the plane of thought and feeling, before unfolding on
the level of outward action.
NOTES:
[1] From the text “Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1895-1982), a
Philosopher with Reborn Ideas”, issued by the Research and Reference Division
of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India, on 16 November 1982, with
five pages. I received the article in 1983 from the Embassy of India in Brazil,
upon request. See page 3.
[2] Document mentioned in the previous note, see the same
page 3.
[3] “The Intimate and the
Ultimate”, Vinoba Bhave, edited by Satish Kumar, Element Books, Great Britain,
1986, 113 pp., see p. 2.
[4] From the document “Thoughts of Acharya Vinoba Bhave”,
issued by the Research and Reference Division of the Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting, India, on 13 November 1982, 4 pages. I received a copy of it
in 1983 from the Embassy of India in Brazil, after requesting information on
Vinoba. See p. 1.
[5] From “Thoughts of Acharya Vinoba Bhave”, text by the Research
and Reference Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India,
13 November 1982, 4 pages, see p. 4.
[6] “The Intimate and the
Ultimate”, Vinoba Bhave, edited by Satish Kumar, Element Books, Great Britain,
1986, 113 pp., see p. 41.
[7] “The Intimate and the Ultimate”, Vinoba Bhave, p. 21.
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The above article
is available in Portuguese language at our associated websites under the title
of “Vinoba e a Vontade de Construir”.
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