"Integrity means much more than just honesty. The real test of integrity is to be honest even when no one is looking.' writes Vikas Swarup in his book The accidental apprentice. Integrity reflects a deep sense of right and wrong. It seems that we might be able to pin point todays world problems to this trait. History chapters reveal that people have attempted earlier to bring equality in this world by introducing communism or welfare system. It seems that neither have helped. Communism gives no incentive to those who wish to work harder and welfare system encourages people to cheat by showing lower income and appearing needy. Despite the faults in the mentioned systems, it can't be proven that economic systems promoting profit are healthy either. Earning super profits might be justified in a democratic society on the basis of existing laws, like Bill Gates once said on Australian TV - don't blame me for paying lower taxes, blame the law. He laughed when he indicated to change the law to get more tax out of his company but who passes legislation, the politicians who relay on big businesses donations to win the elections/ How can they pass any taxes that will cut the pockets of those who supply the politicians/ You have seen the fate of an Australian PM who tried to tax mining industry's super profits. Defaming a pawn is not a difficult task for financially powerful. Neither is it too difficult to replace the seat with another pawn.
The issue I struggle with regarding super profits is that when one earns super profits, someone definitely loses, may it be the present employees or the next generation. It may be an issue of moral compass but that is something invisible like integrity. Like the the write further explains the dilemma of his character in the above mentioned book, 'There is no software, no device that can reveal a person's true feelings with hundred percent accuracy'. So we can't judge anyone without knowing all of their actions. They may be earning super profits and then giving back to the society in the form of charity, or free vaccination. We are not God, so we can't judge others.
Guru Nanak also tried to create a fairer society when he gave away free food for the first time in life and later when he bought land and allowed anyone to join him to farm it and shared the produce with all. The ideology behind Guru Nanak's actions, I believe, was that sunshine, air, water and land to produce food should be available to all and those who don't have the physical or mental capability should be supported by those who can. So he did believe in welfare state in one way but also believed in working to earn honestly. He didn't accept super profits as honest living as he believed in sharing equally with all workers and those that are incapable.
The software that reveals a person's true feelings is called the soul. Soul never lies, only our brain does. I had one such experience when I was forcing meditation upon myself to fulfil my goal of achieving enlightenment before I turned 40. The urgency was that if Guru Nanak was enlightened in his mid thirty, 33 years and six months precisely according to one source, Buddha was also younger than 40; then I must do it before my chakras naturally become too slow due to age factor and diminish my chances of succeeding in this life time, even though I started the journey late.
It had been at least a couple of years since I had been on this mission and I was getting impatient
with my progress when one day I heard in meditation, a voice said tomorrow is your day. I knew clearly it wasn't a voice of my own desire, I have heard a distinct voice before. I know when its my own and when its not. I got so excited as I understood my day means the day I will be revealed the secrets of the universe in a big way, much grander than the little bits of information I have received and the visions I have seen. Just then my soul spoke, 'but I am still greedy' and I heard my mind got agitated and growled at my soul, 'couldn't you keep quiet, you have lost my only chance that I so longed for.' Then my analytical self woke up and started making sense of it all and only got more confused. Which one of those voices was the real me, amazed at the fact that there is something within me that stopped me from achieving my goal by revealing a truth that I had hidden so well even from myself. I had truly believed that I was turning so spiritual then and was shocked at the revelation that I was greedy inside. It took me months to ponder over my life and work out why my soul believes I am still greedy.
One thing was clear from this experience that we can cheat the whole world in believing that we are nice but the soul has the integrity and alliance with God source within us that it never cheats, not even when your brain tells it to. That might be why they say, 'Sir dhar tali gali merit aao'. If you want to precede on the path of God / Truth / righteousness, then give up your brain and follow the heart and the Guru / inner guidance's teachings. It's not an easy path because the brain gets in the way, who by nature is competitive not fair.
The issue I struggle with regarding super profits is that when one earns super profits, someone definitely loses, may it be the present employees or the next generation. It may be an issue of moral compass but that is something invisible like integrity. Like the the write further explains the dilemma of his character in the above mentioned book, 'There is no software, no device that can reveal a person's true feelings with hundred percent accuracy'. So we can't judge anyone without knowing all of their actions. They may be earning super profits and then giving back to the society in the form of charity, or free vaccination. We are not God, so we can't judge others.
Guru Nanak also tried to create a fairer society when he gave away free food for the first time in life and later when he bought land and allowed anyone to join him to farm it and shared the produce with all. The ideology behind Guru Nanak's actions, I believe, was that sunshine, air, water and land to produce food should be available to all and those who don't have the physical or mental capability should be supported by those who can. So he did believe in welfare state in one way but also believed in working to earn honestly. He didn't accept super profits as honest living as he believed in sharing equally with all workers and those that are incapable.
The software that reveals a person's true feelings is called the soul. Soul never lies, only our brain does. I had one such experience when I was forcing meditation upon myself to fulfil my goal of achieving enlightenment before I turned 40. The urgency was that if Guru Nanak was enlightened in his mid thirty, 33 years and six months precisely according to one source, Buddha was also younger than 40; then I must do it before my chakras naturally become too slow due to age factor and diminish my chances of succeeding in this life time, even though I started the journey late.
It had been at least a couple of years since I had been on this mission and I was getting impatient
with my progress when one day I heard in meditation, a voice said tomorrow is your day. I knew clearly it wasn't a voice of my own desire, I have heard a distinct voice before. I know when its my own and when its not. I got so excited as I understood my day means the day I will be revealed the secrets of the universe in a big way, much grander than the little bits of information I have received and the visions I have seen. Just then my soul spoke, 'but I am still greedy' and I heard my mind got agitated and growled at my soul, 'couldn't you keep quiet, you have lost my only chance that I so longed for.' Then my analytical self woke up and started making sense of it all and only got more confused. Which one of those voices was the real me, amazed at the fact that there is something within me that stopped me from achieving my goal by revealing a truth that I had hidden so well even from myself. I had truly believed that I was turning so spiritual then and was shocked at the revelation that I was greedy inside. It took me months to ponder over my life and work out why my soul believes I am still greedy.
One thing was clear from this experience that we can cheat the whole world in believing that we are nice but the soul has the integrity and alliance with God source within us that it never cheats, not even when your brain tells it to. That might be why they say, 'Sir dhar tali gali merit aao'. If you want to precede on the path of God / Truth / righteousness, then give up your brain and follow the heart and the Guru / inner guidance's teachings. It's not an easy path because the brain gets in the way, who by nature is competitive not fair.
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