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The third meaning of religion is, of course, dharma, but as it is emphasized time and again, the highest form of religion is duty and integrity. You must have a basic sense of duty, together with dedication and commitment, and some fundamental ideas that you must be honest first of all to yourself, you must be honest with each other, you must not deceive anyone. There are people who try to take advantage of circumstances in order to cheat other people, and they are totally irreligious. They may do many acts of devotion, but they have no religion whatsoever. It is generally thought that India is a spiritual country, but this is a total myth and a total lie.
Previously India was a spiritual country. Previously India was a tapobhumi, but now India is not a tapo bhumi, now India is not a spiritual country. Until the 11th century of this era, as you see from the writings of foreign travellers, such as the Chinese traveller Huan Sung or the Italian Marco Polo, there were cities where doors were not locked, people left their doors open, there was no stealing. These two travellers were astonished that the people were so honest and so decent. But what do you see today? India is a religious country and that is alright. It was a spiritual country earlier and now it should be a spiritual county again.
This should be the fundamental mission of this instituiton, to develop a sense of duty, responsibility, reliability, a sense of ethics. Ethics or morality is not a mode of conduct at a given period of time in a particular society: Ethics is the heart of religion. If there is no truth, there is no religion.
As I told you, dharma is righteousness, truthfulness, integrity. That is what is called aachaara. Achara is conduct which is based on a great sense of duty, a great sense of responsibility and integrity, tempered with compassion. Remember please, these are fundamental necessities that we need to teach in all our schools, from the primary level, and at a more and profound level, up to the university stage.
I am not speaking of philosophical, abstruse teachings. These are, of course, available in the philosophical courses in Indian colleges. You have western philosophy and eastern philosophy, but philosophy is not so much the need of this country. Right in the primary school, in the secondary school, in the high school and colleges, and in the universities, you will need to know what is truth, what is responsibility, what is
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