A Truly Brave Person

The greatest among all the acts of bravery is the one in which we can earn the credit of correcting our own unrefined nasty habits. Other people could well help us when confronting with outside struggles or resolving others’ difficulties and they can also get us credit in one way or another. However, we will have to depend solely on our own personal efforts in carrying out the task of correcting our unworthy habits. For that reason, it has been designated as a mighty endeavor and anyone who undertakes it would aptly be called as a brave person in a real sense.

-Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya

सच्चे अर्थों में शूरवीर

पराक्रमों में सबसे अधिक महत्त्व का वह है जिसमें अपनी अनगढ़ आदतों को सुधारने का श्रेय पाया जा सके। बाहरी संघर्षों से जूझने और कठिनाइयों को हटाने में दूसरे लोग भी सहायता कर सकते हैं और परिस्थितिवश श्रेय भी मिल सकता है। किंतु अनुपयुक्त आदतों को बदलना मात्र अपने निजी पुरुषार्थ के ऊपर ही रहता है इसलिए उसे प्रबल पराक्रम की संज्ञा दी गई है और उसे ऐसे लोगों को सच्चे अर्थों में शूरवीर कहा गया है।

-पं. श्रीराम शर्मा आचार्य

Automation isn’t Bad but Morals and Ideals Must Prevail

Even Mahatma Gandhi regarded industrialization and automation as being necessary so long as they can be helpful in making human life easier. Automation isn’t evil in itself but it could really become so if prosperity starts being regarded as life-value, the sole aim of life. There is nothing wrong in anyone accumulating wealth and material comforts but they shouldn’t misuse them to impress others with their riches, pomp and superiority or to show that other people are not as good. One should acknowledge and face up to the fact that wealth and comforts are meant for life rather than the other way round. Life is the supreme and the most precious among all and its real worth lies in accomplishing our inner, intellectual and spiritual development. No other goal could ever make life as much worthwhile. Therefore, one must give the utmost priority to ideals and morals and should abide by them whilst embarking on or progressing in any field of the world.

-Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya

यंत्रीकरण बुरा नहीं पर आदर्शों और नैतिक मूल्यों को प्राथमिकता मिले

महात्मा गांधी ने भी औद्योगीकरण और यंत्रीकरण को उतना ही आवश्यक माना था जितने से कि मनुष्य का जीवन और सरल बने। यंत्रीकरण बुरा भी नहीं है, बुरा उस स्थिति में है जब समृद्धि ही जीवन दर्शन बन जाए। साधन-सुविधाएँ भले ही बढ़ाई जाएँ पर उनका उपयोग वैभव, विलास, बड़प्पन की धाक जमाने और दूसरों को छोटा सिद्ध करने के लिए नहीं किया जाए। इस तथ्य और सत्य को पूरी तरह स्वीकार और अंगीकार किया जाना चाहिए कि जीवन साधनों के लिए नहीं है बल्कि साधन-सुविधाएँ जीवन के लिए हैं। जीवन सर्वोच्च और सर्वाधिक मूल्यवान है तथा उसकी सार्थकता आत्मिक, बौद्धिक तथा आध्यात्मिक विकास एवं ऊपर उठाने में ही है। अन्य किसी भी रूप में जीवन की सार्थकता सिद्ध नहीं होती है। इसलिए आदर्शों और नैतिक मूल्यों को सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता देते हुए ही किसी क्षेत्र विशेष में प्रवेश और प्रगति के प्रयास करने चाहिए।

-पं. श्रीराम शर्मा आचार्य

Unique Reward of Moral Character: Fearlessness

Fearlessness, bravery or moral courage is a unique reward of integrity and character. A man of principles and good character is never afraid of anybody. He is fully confident of himself and of his own conduct; and knows that he will not do any wrong thing. The man who is well disciplined in thoughts, speech and deeds can never be influenced by a weakness called “fear”.
When the Pope Leo X started collecting money from people for pardoning them from their sins, St. Martin Luther strongly opposed him. When the Pope realized that his secret tricks are being revealed to public, he threatened St. Martin that his head would be cut off. To which St. Martin replied that he would not hesitate to sacrifice even one thousand heads in the reforms of religion and for creating awareness among people.

This courage of St. Martin emanated from his high morals and noble character. Any characterless person would not have dared to walk on such a revolutionary path of social reforms. And by chance had one started, he would have succumbed to the threats of the Pope. But the strong character of St. Martin is worth saluting, which made him so fearless and self-confident that he could very easily accept the challenge of the powerful person like the Pope.