India Should Spiritual Masters Voice Political Opinion?

[Kanwaljit.Singh]

More than 300 years after establishment of Khalsa, people are debating whether spiritual masters can guide people in political matters?

There has been an ongoing debate over whether spiritual masters should voice political opinion. While some feel they should stay away from political matters, a vast majority of people are of the opinion that spiritual masters ought to speak out on these issues -- whether of a local, regional or global nature. Perhaps masters providing insight would better enable people, including policy makers, to grasp the issue of the day and learn to deal with it in a fitting manner.

The Times of India's Chanakya forum, named after the guru who helped Chandragupta to found the mighty Mauryan empire and is among the earliest known masters to have dealt with economics and political philosophy, is an attempt to bring to you the views of spiritual leaders on political matters society is grappling with.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...iews-politics-corruption/masters/11021659.cms

Basic question relating to Lokpal now is, is there a solution to Corruption?

 

[Ambarsaria]

Kanwaljit Singh ji perhaps clarify the term "spiritual masters" with an example. It is pretty nebulous otherwise and difficult to comment. Sikhism does not divide or stop people from speaking on anything from what I know. Whether people will or should or do respect such speech is a different matter.

Sat Sri Akal.

 

[Kanwaljit.Singh]

For Sikhs the spiritual masters is Guru Granth Sahib ji. For many denominations of Hindus, there are many 'masters', most vocal being Baba Ramdev who was caught in a controversial escape from Ramlila ground.

The question is, is corruption a political problem or a spiritual problem? And how can it be solved?

My personal views are that corruption is a large scale nation-level 'crowd' problem. But solving the problem requires change and effects at each individual level.

PS:
The other thing am comparing is that Guru Hargobind Sahib started the concept of Miri Piri. Whereas now people are wondering if spiritually 'enlightened' people are worthy of jumping into the mess of politics and setting it right?

 

[Ambarsaria]

Kanwaljit Singh ji in such a case it is hard to say without understanding of the spirituality someone is following. There are issues in certain religious belief systems or such a proxy for spirituality for the same.

I believe the major issues probably arise when certain weaker statement or possible non-clarity or pseudo-doubts get further misinterpreted and used for exploitation or misguidance. This happens virtually in all Religions of the world irrespective of spirituality espoused.

I would call it further basic exploitation by people so choosing to do so.

Sat Sri Akal.

 

[Tejwant Singh]

Kanwaljit ji,

Guru Fateh.

It is the other way around in the Sikhidom. It is the political masters meddling into the Sikhi spirituality. Only our Gurmat wisdom can lead us to positive, sane political decisions once we stop using Sikhi as a weapon and start utilising it as a tool to make others' lives better for which the politicos get elected. After all that is what the concept of Miri- Piri is about.

Regards

Tejwant Singh