01 September 2022

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

 

NISHKAMA KARMA WORKED THE IMF DEAL

Yesterday, in response to my article about the 6^th Amendment to the Constitution, a Tamil Diaspora leader responded as follows:

‘Oh Gaja Acca, we know how you  took on a huge ride your husbands family. Proof of the pudding is in the eating. Truth is god and pretending to be truthful is devil’

My response was as follows:

[It was because I took on the lead role from the sister rejected by the owner that his positive karma got elevated  as per the law. Left to the sister – the brothers would have been cheated.  This would have been in breach of the fundamentals of Thesawalamai law. The Australian law has similar safeguards but in different form. Looks as if you got dowry as well as Muthusum. If not for my action an unmarried young female member of the family would have become dependent on her married brother]

 Later I read the article ‘Wisdom of ‘Nishkam Karma’: Much in demand for an authentic revival’ by Ajantha Dharmasiri at https://www.ft.lk/columns/Wisdom-of-Nishkam-Karma-Much-in-demand-for-an-authentic-revival/4-739207 -

As per this article – ‘Richard Daft, a well-known management author speaks of a four-way test, which is globally advocated by Rotary International. 

1. Is the decision truthful?

2. Is it fair to all concerned?

3. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

4. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

In terms of the above mentioned family matter which is of common value to most Tamils, my response would be ‘yes’ to questions 1 & 2 and ‘no’ to 3 & 4.

Let us now go to Nishkama Karma. According to the above mentioned article:

[A verse in Bhagavad Gita enunciates the principle of Nishkam Karma as:

“Thou hast a right to action, but only to action, never to its fruits; let not the fruits of thy works be thy motive, neither let there be in thee any attachment in inactivity.”]

This is also my understanding as per my knowledge as a Hindu. Beyond that is my experience based wisdom.

In terms of the Estate of my brother in law, I got involved because my husband asked me to. At that moment he asked me to – he stated that the distribution ought to be as per Thesawalamai law. Both of us knew about the law but we did not have knowledge  of it in regards to distribution of wealth.  Later, we realised that my husband Param had become the medium through whom the common power expressed Itself. In Tamil this voice is known as asariri (Tamil), literally meaning "voice from the sky"

By studying the law with respect to those from whom we inherited the law, I began to appreciate more and more, the equanimity of our ancestral mind, which was the base of ‘Equal Opportunity’ theory that Thesawalamai law upheld. As per this law, there was Separation of powers between males and females, due to the diversity in the form of karmam (work) performed. Hence males inherited from males and females from females. Had Jaffna Tamils genuinely practised this law, in relation to dowry system, we would have not needed to claim ‘separation’ at physical level. In terms of dowry, the above mentioned Tamil wrote:

[No way Gaja. No dowry at all. Never spoke of dowry when we married. That is true marriage and not a business as others who fight each other for money and inheritance. This fight is very common among Yaalpana Tamils]

My response to this was:

[The real value of dowry is confirmation that the bride is valuable to her parental family. The money represents that ceding of the Bride’s sovereign rights. This is ceremonially confirmed through kanniga thaanam / giving away the bride]

I have stated above ‘If not for my action an unmarried young female member of the family would have become dependent on her married brother’

My actions thus prevented dependence and upheld the sovereignty of unmarried females in families governed by Thesawalamai law.

Hence I would suggest changing  the question ‘Will it be beneficial to all concerned?’ to

Will it facilitate Equal Opportunity to all concerned?

And the question ‘Will it build goodwill and better friendships?’ to:

 ‘Will it connect us to the minds of those who uphold the Universal Dharma / Righteousness that will support us (includes those who believe in us) any time, anywhere when we have a need that no one else has satisfied?

The author shares with us in this regard:

[I came across a text titled, “summer showers in Brindavan” which further upholds the virtues of Nishkam Karma]

As per my knowledge, the ‘Summer Showers’ are the discourses by Sri Sathya Sai Baba. Swami came to me when I was in deep pain after being denied the opportunity to uphold the democratic resource management structure I had developed at the University of NSW – for which purpose I was recruited. I resigned in protest – after Ms Pauline Hanson asked us migrants to ‘go home’. The Sri Lankan parallel is Sinhalese politicians asking Tamils to go back to India. Thereafter I provided ‘service’ free of any remuneration. On 05 November 1998, kunkumum – the red holy powder, appeared on the picture of Sri Sathya Sai Baba – given to me by s devotee. Back then, I was not a devotee. On that day – the Sydney Morning Herald published the Auditor General’s report upholding my own findings. One of the staff who believed in me drew my attention to it. Later I realised that that was confirmation of my true service. These are the ‘indicators’ through which an owner is informed.

We often turn to god / truth when we are genuinely in pain. When we do turn to god / truth the value is the connection to the invisible Universal power of the Absolute. It was this power that worked through Ranil who was failed by the people who elevated the Rajapaksas. Ranil was the best leader in Parliament who was open to IMF system to be worked democratically. To me, that is the parallel of my husband asking me to use Thesawalamai law in the case of his brother’s estate. Ranil himself would not have the answers. Each one of us in need would find our own answers through IMF system which is global. The deal with IMF has prevented us from further weakening our Sovereignty. Those who were protesting to defend their own sovereignty, will find the solutions they need. Not those who were merely complaining.