In a recent conversation with a fellow Hindu, I was not in total agreement with his proposition. While I tried to strike a compromise, he was adamant with his point of view. I then asked: “Which organization you are working with?” He responded: “ None. I work with all organizations.”
He is a straggler, that is some one who chooses to survive on the periphery and demonstrates limited commitment. Such a person goes to the mandir to relax, collect parsad and eat a sumptuous meal.
What is the underlying cause of this lack of commitment? I think it relates to a lack of personal ambition and goal. Having failed in their private ambition, they have no interest in the welfare of the wider community. No personal ambition and no community goals, these individuals can be miserable, which they reveal by abstaining from activities. It is definitely a reign of Tama guna or laziness!
Another possible reason is a lack of confidence. If confidence is lacking it would be impossible for them to be motivated. Arjuna was demoralized because of ignorance. He was the greatest warrior in the land but failed to see any reason why he should fight. Thankfully Sri Krishna was present to wake him up from his ignorance, thus the role of the teacher/guru in the community.
Another factor which keeps Hindus away from commitment is their ego, that is, they cannot appreciate diverse viewpoints. Many carry the false notion that their opinion on a subject must always prevail. This is a sin that mocks both the educated and the ignorant and shuts off reasoning and common sense.
Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader because of his humility. He was able to attract some of the brightest minds around him to defeat the British. Without a doubt he made mistakes that still haunts not only India but the entire Indian subcontinent and the world. We certainly can learn from the life of Gandhiji how to build bridges!
Most importantly, this malaise must be discussed openly by Hindu leaders. Training must be conducted to assist Hindus to overcome this ‘I-ness’ which is crippling the community.
A new trend is to find a scape goat and demand that such person be removed. This is a most simplistic solution to the problem. Nevertheless, a large number of intelligent people subscribe to such a view.
I want to take the opportunity to extend my congratulations to those who continue to serve in the mandirs. They are demonstrating a rare ability to burry personal ambitions for the greater good.
Working with others help to build team spirit, an essential component for success. And as the saying goes, “if you walk alone you walk fast, but if you walk together you walk far.”
In fact, most of the wealthy people of the world have a strong network that helps them to rise. The reverse is true for the poor as they have limited help available to them.
Unless Hindus learn to agree to disagree and build consensus, the community would not realize its fullest potential, much to its own disadvantage. It is never to late for all of us to make adjustments to our attitude so that we can realize not only our personal success but help us build a strong and resilient community that would protest us.