Lokpal vs. Shanti Sena

Was reading a book by Acharya Binova. In one of the articles in that he was describing about the novel idea that Gandhijee had called Shanti Sena (Peace Army)! There were many things which struck me while reading that article.

First of all, Gandhijee proposed of this thing as a replacement of state army and paramilitary forces. While fighting for independence, Congress promised people that the expenditure on defence forces would be reduced drastically after independence. Secondly, Gandhijee has always dreamed of a society with minimal intervention and control by the state. So he proposed this scheme of Peace Army, where the soldiers will be followers of peace and will be ready to do anything (peacefully) on the orders of the commander. And if they have to die following that order, they wont die with any remorse; rather they will die with kind compassion in their hearts!

Binova rightly termed this idea as a seed, whose time has not come. As a step towards it, he discussed let us first try to replace police force by Shanti Sena. And he went on to describe that Shanti Sena will be a Seva Sena on peaceful days, whose duty will be to serve the society. And if there is any unrest or trouble, they will go with love and compassion to control it. And to reduce state control, he even proposed that the cost of the "army" will be borne by donations from the community.

Reading it I strongly felt that this is fully realisable. Then I thought, why a veteral Gandhian like Anna Hazare is demanding for a state machinery of Lokpals? Can not we create a nonviolent morale police force? Leave alone a peace army, we seem to be unable to think of a morale army! If we can not make people stop corruption by love and compassion, then first of all how can we even think of controlling violence with love-n-compassion; and secondly there is something greatly wrong in our own national character.

Lastly, if ever it was the time for the ideas of Gandhi to come from seed to the form of a tree, now is the time; and we are the generation to make it happen!

Compassion of Christ

(This is something I heard from my father and am just putting down in my own words.)

Imagine the much told story of Jesus being crucified. What did Jesus thought of the guys who were punishing him? He prayed "Oh Father, forgive them as they know not what they do"! This is the height of compassion, to forgive someone who is killing you cold-blooded, that too using a horrific method like crucifying. But is it really compassion? Just a virtue, that one needs to inculcate? I think its bit more deeper than that. Lets try to see it for ourselves. What sort of person was Jesus? He was a kind saint who has never hurt anyone. All he taught was about loving each other. Can anyone in a sane mind even think of killing such a kind harmless person? What sort of person can plot to crucify this person? Definitely someone who is mentally sick. And once you realise that these guys were sick, would you hate them? Sick man definitely deserves compassion. And that's what Jesus found in his mind. Not that he was trying to inculcate any virtue. Its just that he could see the truth. And after seeing the truth (that those people were sick) even a child will have compassion for them!

Hence, its not important to cultivate virtues. Virtues can not be cultivated, and something that can be cultivated can not be virtue! One just needs an unbiased unprejudiced vision (without cluttered by ego or past). Rest all (virtue or vice) follows of their own accord!