Ranchi is under a spell of spiritualism with Baba Ramdev's camp on yoga and Amrita Nandmai — better known as Amma — scheduled to hit the city next month to "enlighten" its residents. Spiritualism and materialism have been at war since the inception of human civilisation itself, and "materialist" communists are trying to dissipate the impact of the spell in their own ways. But the Brinda Karats and Khagendra Thakurs are proving too feeble to counter the "hypnotic" powers of the mighty babas and ammas.
Let me place myself in the bracket of "positivists", amid the raging debate between "materialists" and "spiritualists". I am interested only in positive and inspirational aspects of both the philosophies — be it materialism or spiritualism. As a "positivist" I am taking the liberty to intervene in the debate. Holding no prejudice against either party, I will rather that commoners like myself keep on swapping idelogies, using them according to need, in the quest of success.
I would suggest to my young friends that if Baba Ramdev inspires them, then they should go ahead and make themselves as powerful as Ramdev — making the chief minister and the VVIPs stand on their feet for hours if need be. If you find your idols among the communists, go ahead and be as capable as Prakash and Brinda Karat and have the ability to make others listen to you.
A tourist from Poland, Bill Aitkin was so heavily influenced by Indian spiritualism that he became a monk spending time at holy places in Hardwar, Badrinath, Amarnath, Kanyakumari and Ayodhya. In the process, Bill wore saffron robes like all Indian sadhus and ate khichri at the mutts and langars.
Ruskin Bond in his memoir recalls how Bill's alliance with spiritualism proved painful after he spent all his money even while living in wilderness. A vagabond as he was, he reached Mussorie and met Ruskin to discuss ways to wriggle out of the mess. Ruskin then suggested that Aitkin use his "spiritual experience for his material advantage" by chronicling his accounts of picturesque Badrinath, Kedarnath and Himalayas for the newspapers and periodicals. Bill obeyed Ruskin. After a few years, Ruskin himself admitted that Bill wrote more travelogues in a shorter span than he (Ruskin) had written over years. Aitkin went on to become one of the most sought after travel writers across newspapers in India and abroad in the 1970s. He went on to earn enormous amounts of money and lived life king-size.
A late riser, I cannot attend Ramdev's early morning camp. I don't fit into Baba's scheme of things: strict vegetarianism and all that, for I love my mutton and my drink. Still, I will praise Baba for his positive outlook of life. According to his own admission he was born in a poor farmers' family and even ploughed land in his younger days. Behold a success story of an ordinary man. I watch Baba as the "mighty" raja of Jharkhand, Arjun Munda, Assembly Speaker Inder Singh Namdhari, chief secretary M.K. Mandal and other top VIPs, touch his feet and follow everything he preaches.
Young Sumit Kumar, a fan of star wicket keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni stood in the blazing sun at the airport among thousands to see Dhoni. But Sumit failed to see him as Dhoni straightway got in his car. Sumit doesn't need to lose heart. Instead of waiting for Dhoni at the airport, Sumit should be in the field practising most of Dhoni's shots. Then he has a bigger chance of meeting Dhoni in a stadium and even play with him one day.
The crux of my contention is that try to be the best that you can be — be it in the field of materialism, spiritualism, writing or playing. Inspire yourself and then nothing is unachievable.
