Page 127 - SocialHarmony

21

Empathy, Not Sympathy

(On the occasion of the silver jubilee celebrations of the
Shram Mandir Trust, Singhrot district, Vadodara.
January 17, 2004)

The greatest problem with leprosy is that it is highly
misunderstood. Unfortunately, in spite of the spate of
advertising through media, we have not achieved any
satisfactory success. Even if we cannot do anything else, any
attempt to remove the misunderstanding surrounding leprosy
as a part of society would be a service to the affected people,
who have to undergo great trauma. It is not that family members
stop loving an affected family member, but the media can play
a positive role if it wishes to.

Noble activities are society-driven rather than state-driven.
The government may support noble causes but it should not be
dependent on the government. Organizations can function
better in absence of interference from the State Government.
Our forefathers had established a system which was created by
the capability of society and awarded by the government.
Maintaining this tradition can develop our potential.

Any unit which works with the support of the entire society
will always be stable and capable. These values flow naturally
and create a long-lasting approach towards society. Our
scriptures describe the responsibilities of a king as under:

Natvaha∆ K°mayÆ R°jya∆ Na Svarga∆ Na Punarbhavam.

K°mayÆ Du:Khatapt°n°∆ Àrtan°øanam..