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Anil Rajvanshi

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Are tougher laws the answer to reduce corruption? Or should we reduce our greed by becoming more spiritual?

Recently India witnessed the power of non-violence pressure strategy mastered by Mahatma Gandhi. Anna Hazare with his 13 days fast unto death was able to persuade the Government to discuss and pass a powerful bill which will hopefully reduce corruption in the country with a strong hand. In a corrupt society who will man this body or who will bell the cat!

A superior strategy could be to look inwards and see why we become greedy and how to reduce our greed for resources. By following the creed of simple living and high thinking we may be able to reduce corruption and live sustainably. A recent public lecture outlined this strategy. http://www.nariphaltan.org/indsearch2011.pdf

Topics: Desires Greed corruption simple living spirituality sustainability
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    Salim Solaiman 50+

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    Sep 29 2011: Switzerland , Singapore, Sweden, Norway list can be longer how spiritual people of these countries are ? ......... everyone knows what's the level of corruption.

    Bangladesh, India , Pakistan, again list can be longer how spiritual people of these countries are ?............ Again it's evident the corruption level of these countries.......

    At least in my country I know the tombs of many spiritual leaders are den for corrupt people to make deal ..... as those places are considered sacred and general people holds great sentiments towards them ..... so those are really safe place for corrupts.

    While many spiritual leaders are sitting on heaps of money & property undisclosed though (only become open after their death when their kids & relative start fighting over property ownership) are they really greed free (please I am not talking about very very rare exceptions)
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    Sidharth Hariharan

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    Sep 28 2011: I prefer reducing greed rather than law..

  • Mr. Anony mouse

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    Aug 30 2011: Tougher laws won't likely solve much. As you need better implementation/enforcement for realisation of laws (if they are wisely set)!
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    Anil Rajvanshi

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    Aug 30 2011: Thanks Lynn, Ed, Tom and others for the comments. The higher thinking process that I am advocating is a long process but it should start with the children. Interaction with them in many colleges that I give lectures at, have convinced me that once inspired they want to do something wonderful with their lives. They have not tasted the consumptive lifestyle (at least in India) but are bombarded by the ever increasing media. Nevertheless their brains are at the maximum capacity and can be molded for higher thinking. Still it is an uphill task but it has to start somewhere.

    Movement of Anna Hazare showed that once a critical mass is reached new systems evolve almost overnight and are akin to branching in natural evolution.

    • Ed Schulte 50+

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      Aug 31 2011: Hello again Anil

      Trusting this finds your and yours well.

      yes there are collective (global) consciousness is rising ( and another very good indicator is the extreme egoic resistance which flares up from time to time) and to will show up in the lasting effect of Joy and Unconditional Love. Those lower levels, such as Happiness are egoic love, are well exposed as the short lived emotions they are.

      Your link dwells on "Desire" very well but I would like to skip ahead to your point…


      “A powerful mind is capable of finding enjoyment within and makes a person self-contented and happy. Thus the act of accumulation or hoarding of anything is a sign of a lower intelligence level since it is driven by fear complex of loosing out or not having enough.”

      One of the rare “powerful minds” in the west points out this by reminding that “power over others is weakness disguised as strength” and also reiterates a very very early Christian point “that which changes is not real. That which is Real does Not change,”

      So the “power” seeker in the former and your example “accumulation or hoarding”-er are essentially one and the same “lower intelligence” (some in the west name it “ego”) striking out in self defence----seeking more ( substitute “desire” coming in here) because it “Knows” it is not Real. IT can’t help seeing/admiting this because of the very fact that it is always in a changing state of happiness and never ending desire for more and surviving on opinions and vanity.

      A performance which is entertaining to watch if it were not so destructive. Will continue to review your words and see/hear/feel what else arises
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    lynn eschbach 30+

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    Aug 29 2011: I think power is an ultimate human goal since it means survival and surival is life's purpose, from the base to the shallow. Not that the Mother Teresa's and Ghandi's of the world should be marginalized. I think they keep the race at a pace that allows our intelligence to keep up with technology and the crooks.

    Let there be more Anna Hazares!

  • Ed Schulte 50+

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    Aug 29 2011: Ty for the link Anil

    Re "A superior strategy could be to look inwards and see why we become greedy and how to reduce our greed for resources "

    Yes but this requires shifting to higher consciousnes (as a direct result of the "look inwards") and little interest in that yet in Western - Material based Culture. Perhaps a good loooong recession will help push the "shift" along.

    Laws are based on the use & abuse of words, not that which is "Self evident" and until that changes ...more of the same old same old.

  • thomas duker

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    Aug 29 2011: I think that we need laws because it's in the nature of the human being to be selfish and attracted by the power. And we all know that money is power and people want to own more and more. This trend is underlined by the consumer society which make us victims of advertising and transform us in consumer machines attracted by the material side of life. Thus laws and education can change mentalities. But it's going to be very difficult !!!!
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    Debra Smith 200+

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    Aug 29 2011: Laws become necessary when people cannot find a common internal compass. I do not believe that you can ever cause all people to be spiritual or perhaps even to agree on what it means to be spiritual so in the absense of consensus we need laws. There are international agencies which rate the corruption index of different countries. Strangely, some of the countries that claim to be the most spiritual are also the highest in corruption.
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    Sanket Gupta

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    Aug 29 2011: Corruption is a natural product of greed which is a base human instinct. In order to win over this greed, just education or awareness is not enough. Being aware of other living breathing people around you is more important.

    I agree with you that being spiritual/ looking inward is the solution to overpower corruption. But how do you propose to implement it? The current education system is definitely not the answer. People are running after IITs and IIMs for getting better corporate jobs.

    How do we create a holistic system where youth can mobilize the people for a spiritual revolution?
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    joseph wilkins

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    Aug 29 2011: Could we reduce our greed, just by living a little bit moer like animals, who have no spiritual beliefs that we know of, instead of implanting a faith based system in spirits? i respect and love the indians who realized if their are no citizens to govern there is no need for government. i am an american half-citizen, i own no home or motor vehicle. i do not believe in retirement plans. i am all for simple living, but there is no where in america where there is a majority of this kind of thinking. the engineers and economists have got a strangle hold on the global population with the help of advertising. american babyboomers are about to be the majority. they will have the say in govt while their children and grandchildren work in resteraunts and factories or hospitals. has the earth ever tried to support this many people who cannot live without help from other humans? no. how has one country been able to grow enough food to overfeed itself and still give tons of grain to nations in need? america will havea violent revolution before a huingerstrike sadly. it happened over equaltiy.what does this say about our nation? people say its hard to live naturally. BS. man does not have legs and feet to push pedals. self entitlement and instant gratification have made this a material world. when men understand that religions are the same as economics, in that it takes people and faith for them to work, they still fail because they are not natural. just as getting behind the whell of a vehicle is un-natural. cultivation and procreation, with good spirits and ganja, plus some good music will SAVE our planet. these things without motorvehicls are nothing but a good ttime. in fact we drive to do these things. if any american reads this quit driving and walk. it is our equjivalent to a hunger strike. since so many americans feel it necessarty to drive every day, just walk everywhere for one week and see what happens.
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