Guiding Principles
Gopa Kuteeram is based on the two main guiding principles of Sri Swamiji
Humanity and Divinity are Inseparable
Admire All, Adopt One.
Humanity and Divinity are Inseparable
Sri Swamiji says, “Humanity and Divinity are inseparable”. This is one of the main guiding principles for Gopa Kuteeram.
Indian culture is that of ‘and’ and not ‘or’. We don’t see it as ‘head OR heart’. We believe it is head AND heart. A sharp intellect AND the integrity, honesty, truth of the heart. In the same vein, “Science AND Spirituality” is the spirit of India. The people we called rishis lived a life of science and spirituality. They lived a life of head and heart. And that’s the culture we have all come from. And, this is exactly what we are trying to impart in Gopa Kuteeram as well. We want our children to grow into a well-rounded individual and a responsible citizen and at the same time, nourish them spiritually as well.
Hence, Humanity and divinity are equally important. They are not mutually exclusive. When we grow in divinity, we also grow as humans. The transformation happens gradually.
When we chant the Mahamantra, sing kirtans, listen to the life-history of Bhaktas, constantly, it cleanses us from within and bestows clarity of mind. As a result, we slowly begin to see the hand ofBhagavan or Guru everywhere and in everything. We may have known this intellectually but now, we can truly begin to realize it in our hearts. When this happens, we are then motivated to conduct ourselves in a way that aligns in a way that pleases Bhagavan and Guru, not just in a specific place / time but everywhere and all the time.. As a result, we start feeling love towards all. We look at all the human beings, animals, etc with compassion. We wish to help those in suffering. We wish to serve the community. We become better individuals. Because it pleases Bhagavan and Guru.
Therefore, qualities like compassion for all, serving the community, serving the country, as well as emotional and mental strength too, are a reflection of an individual’s progress in spirituality. When we grow in divinity, we also grow as humans.
Another perspective of “Humanity and Divinity are inseparable” is that for an individual to succeed in life, both human efforts and divine grace are important. Once during examination time, a school kid came to Sri Swamiji and asked, “I have to study to clear the examination, right? If I have studied well and I have put in all the efforts, then what is the point of chanting Nama?” Sri Swamiji explained with an example. Let us say there was a farmer. He did not till the land or sow the seed but only prayed for rain. When it actually rains, (which is nothing but Divine grace), he will not be benefited. Since the land is not ready, of what use will the rain be? Now, let us say, there was a second farmer. He tilled the land and sowed the seeds but there was no rain. All his efforts would be in vain. So, in order to succeed, both human efforts and divine grace is needed.
Admire All, Adopt One!
As we saw earlier, Indian culture is that of ‘and’. ‘And’ nurtures an inclusive mindset whereas ‘Or’ leads to mutually exclusive options.
“As many faiths, so many paths!” say our mahans. Therefore, in Gopa Kuteeram we respect all faiths and do not speak negatively about any faith.
At the same time, we cannot remain lost in admiring the different paths. For our personal spiritual growth, we need to follow one path. This can be illustrated with an example. There was once a man who wanted to dig a well. He started digging at a spot and dug about 10 feet.
His neighbor saw what he was doing and suggested a different spot. The man decided to give that a try. So, he abandoned the first spot and started digging in the place where his neighbor suggested. After digging for 10 feet or so, another person came and suggested a third spot. The man now started digging in the third spot. This continued for a while. At the end of the day, there were only shallow holes in his field and no water! Instead, had the man focused on one spot and continued digging, eventually he would have found water and got his well. Similarly, for spiritual progress, it is important to choose one path and stick to it.
In Gopa Kuteeram, while we teach the kids to respect all faiths, we also guide them to practice the simple, easy path of Bhagavata Dharma, and stick to it.
