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• LEAD STORY Oct 2019

The legacy of wisdom 
More than a wealth or property will, a spiritual will can be of immense benefit to our progeny by instilling in them priceless values, says Jamuna Rangachari

Soon after my marriage, my late mother-in-law took me aside and told me that our family was all about promoting education. “Whatever else you may choose to do dear, please donate something to someone to promote education. This could be a book, school fees paid for a month, or the sponsorship of a child. It could even be you teaching someone on a voluntary basis,” she explained. This had actually happened in our family. My late father-in-law had sponsored the complete education of a house help, who is now employed in a bank and is always part of our family celebrations. I am proud of belonging to this lineage and would definitely wish to carry it forward.  Hence, every year, in my parents-in-law’s names, we try to focus on educating others in whichever way we can and have requested our children too to follow this family tradition. 

Most of us want to be remembered by our children and grandchildren for generations to come. We like to tell them how much they mean to us by leaving them valuables and assets before passing away. This is why we create a will mentioning who our possessions shall go to. While this is important, is it not more important to leave behind a spiritual will as well? 

Unlike an ordinary will, a spiritual will is a document that passes on wisdom and valuable experiences rather than money. In other words, it is about values rather than valuables. It is also called an ethical will. In the Hindu tradition, it is called pitru pooja (remembering our ancestors). The ethical will is also a Jewish tradition that dates back to ancient times and emphasises a legacy of transferring values over material things. Putting together this kind of will is powerful because it validates our lives. Sometimes people feel that they haven’t done anything interesting in their lives. However, taking stock of their lives can lead them to important insights.

Spiritual legacy
People tend to think that a legacy is something only the extremely wealthy or extremely influential can hope to leave. This is unfortunate because we all leave behind a legacy of one kind or another, whether consciously or unconsciously. Most traditions, rituals, or behavioural patterns that are observed in a family are passed down over generations. Therefore, it is important to think about the kind of legacy we would want to leave and then work toward that goal in a conscious manner.

Life is a process of learning. It always looks different when viewed from a spiritual perspective. Those with spiritual awareness recognise their negative patterns and strive hard to eliminate them from their lives. Looking at life from a spiritual angle transforms our inner state from fear to dignity, from anxiety to courage, from sorrow to fulfilment, and from anger to peace. We can surely pass on the spiritual lessons we have learnt to the coming generations.

A question we could ask ourselves is, “What am I doing RIGHT NOW to help my children know the truth and walk it?” After all, spirituality is not a goal to be achieved but a truth to be lived by consistently. 

Who are we?
We all need to understand what we as individuals and as a community stand for and decide what we would like to perpetuate here on earth even when we have passed on to the next world.

Sri Satishji, a spiritual teacher and an artist from Mumbai, is also the founder of Swarg Foundation. For the past few years, he has been sharing his teachings in a light-hearted manner with friends across the world through his Aatmic Awareness programmes. This has helped countless people to find inner peace and happiness in their lives. An essential aspect of this ‘Aatmic awakening’  consists of transcending our ego-based state of consciousness with the help of satvik food, yoga, pranayama, and meditation. He has created a place called ARHAM  (to heal mind, body, and soul) where he wants to share the truth of life and heal people through nature cure. He is also building a retreat for senior citizens—DIVYALOK: parenting the parents—and plans to build a gurukul for schoolgoing children.

He wants his work to continue even after he leaves this body. He says, “I want many sadhaks to join me and continue this work after I have left this body. We visit many old-age homes to share the understanding of happiness and conduct free workshops with Adivasi (tribal) and village kids to tell them how to grow in happiness. We are even starting a spiritual retreat for senior citizens, Vanaprastha Ashram, so they can be totally karma-free and happy before they leave the earth. An atmosphere is being set, and we want everyone to come and help the elderly by sharing their love with them. I want people to organise this kind of a plan in their cities to help the sick, the elderly, and children and bring them happiness.”

He is clear that the mind will never solve any problems but the heart will.

We all know that we have come back to earth to finish our incomplete work, our pending karma, and to correct and balance our wrongdoings. Your birth is an opportunity to forgive yourself and others, and tie yourself again with the sutra (thread) of oneness.  Through every act of ours, we are building karma, and we will have to face the results of our actions. It doesn’t matter whether you are doing good or bad—both have results. But there is one way by which you can build no karma, and it is the way of love. When you do your work with total love, without any expectations in return, as though you are working for the divine, it becomes karma yoga. Leaving a spiritual will by pledging to do selfless acts and creating a family tradition out of it is part of karma yoga.

Creating legacies
Sri Satishji is someone who runs an established organisation. However, individually, we too can create such legacies. Nandini Shah, an investment advisor, a kathak dancer, and a follower of the SSY (Siddha Samadhi Yoga) traditions, wishes to share all the values she has learnt at the SSY centre with the youngsters in her family. She says, “I would like the youngsters in my family to share some time with the aged, be it family or strangers who are in their silver years. Loneliness and boredom affect the elderly in a big way, especially when, physically, they cannot do as much as they could when they were younger and more agile.” 

She requests the youth to be compassionate caregivers, sensitive listeners to their experiences, and avid sharers of stories. She would like them to be care-buddies for the senior citizens, to help them banish depression. 

She continues, “Also, in my spiritual will, I would like the gen-next to contribute to cancer patients’ medical needs or sponsor a cancer coach who could help patients find inner strength to battle the dreadful disease, which is most often linked to past karma, for lack of a medical explanation.” She realises it would be unfair on her part to make such a will if she has not set an example. So, she tries to spend some time with the elders in her neighbourhood every evening. They are often found sitting on park benches, recollecting memories of their sons and daughters who have now settled overseas with their own expanding families, leaving them in the company of silent photographs, sent every now and then.

In another area, with a close one battling cancer, she tries to be the hope that can keep him spirited towards life. As Nandini is herself setting an example, her family is likely to follow her spiritual will.

Another such example is that of Naumrata Arora Singh, who is a writer and a seasoned workshop facilitator with the vision to awaken and galvanise the feminine spirit to engender the transformation of human consciousness. She has been delivering a variety of sessions on climate change and compassion to a global audience for almost 20 years and is the Founder of Life Beyond Motherhood and Zemyna Foundation (Zemyna means Earth Goddess). 

After doing all of this, she says, “I have a vision of opening a spiritual ecology centre or institute that collectively stands for what my close members have to offer: my father is an architect; my mom, a teacher; my sister is into sustainability; and I am into spiritual ecofeminism. (It is a branch of feminism that sees environmentalism and the relationship between women and the earth as foundational to its analysis and practice. Ecofeminist thinkers draw on the concept of gender to analyse the relationships between humans and the natural world). 

“I hope, at this beautiful centre set in nature, people will come, stay, and learn practices that help them connect with themselves and develop a deep connection with others as well as our planet. I am leaving behind my library of specially curated books and writings for my daughter. I am instilling in her human values of love and compassion for herself, others, and our planet.” 

Swamini Aaradhanananda, the editor of Chinmaya Mission’s inhouse magazine, is passionate about writing and espousing social causes. She says, “I would want my loved ones to restore the dignity of women who are victims of dowry or domestic abuse by empowering them in every which way. I also want to start an organisation called ‘Chittalekha’ to conduct writing workshops and publish the writing of excellent writers who can’t afford the means.”

When do we do this?
I begin this section with one of my favourite stories:

“Suzuki Roshi, I’ve been listening to your lectures for years,” a student said during the question and answer time following a lecture, “but I just don’t understand. Could you please put it in a nutshell? Can you reduce Buddhism to one phrase?”

Everyone laughed. Suzuki laughed.

“Everything changes,” he said. Then he asked for another question.

One of the foremost teachings of Buddhism is that everything in life is impermanent. This is what Suzuki Roshi (Shunryu Suzuki of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind) referred to by saying ‘everything changes.’ It is a deep teaching that encompasses everything. You can contemplate for hours on end and not realise the full magnitude of the principle of impermanence. You are impermanent, your loved ones are impermanent, your home is impermanent, even our planet is impermanent.

Why is this important? Because it teaches us that grasping onto things is one of the major reasons why we suffer. We need to be aware of the ever-changing nature of reality and appreciate the present moment. It’s not about letting go but more about not grasping in the first place. If we can learn to live in this way, we can find peace in everyday life.

Those who recognise the impermanence of material life also recognise that only spiritual values have eternal life. Nobody remembers the Buddha for his palaces, jewels, and power. Had he focussed only on them, his name would have gone to dust like many other rulers and kings. But his legacy continues to live and inspire millions, even 2000 years after his demise because he prioritised searching for the truth and then disseminating this knowledge amongst the masses over enjoying material comforts. His legacy continues to feed the evergrowing mass of human awareness and act as a lodestar to humans looking for guidance and direction. Even though he was initially hesitant to spread the knowledge he had gained, eventually, he gave in to the prodding of his conscience and began teaching people about the ways to find ultimate salvation. And the rest is history.

Walking on the right path now
Writing about what we would want our children to continue doing as part of family legacy can also guide us on the right path in our current lives. These actions create the blueprint for what we would like to be remembered for. When we think of our body as only a garment, we naturally begin to work for things that matter eternally and not for impermanent aspects of life like ego, wealth, and possessions.

This is perhaps the greatest benefit of working on a spiritual will or legacy, whatever we may call it.

Ameeta Sanghvi Shah, a psychotherapist from Delhi, says, “I think creating a spiritual will is a great idea therapeutically too. Getting people to write these in a session propels them to make the changes that are true to their ideas about creating a spiritual family legacy. This idea goes a step further from creating a mission statement that can guide us in creating our life path and awakening us to our life purpose.” It’s similar to what Stephen Covey says: “Begin with the end in mind. How would you like to be remembered? Imagine your funeral and imagine what people attending are remembering   you for. This idea can go down generations to guide your lineage and inspire them. It would include your life stories and life lessons that breathe life into values.”

However, many do not wish to ask anyone to do anything as this may seem like a forced endeavour.

Jayagopi Doss, an astrologer, says, “I would just like my children to remember that inner strength is the only strength we have. This is what I have tried to teach them always and hope they never forget this. Beyond this, I do not want to ask them to do anything as this shall surely come naturally.”

Rajeev Chaudhary from Delhi wants his children to remember him only for the values he espouses such as charity, compassion, and understanding. This is what most of us on the spiritual path also want.

On another note, Chitra Jha, a holistic healer from Delhi, feels we need not impose anything on anyone. She says, “My children can do whatever they feel like doing at that time. It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other. Left to me, I would prefer least issues; so I prefer electrical crematorium and putting the ashes in any nearby water body, if at all. What is more important to me is a living will, which would tell my loved ones that I opt for euthanasia and not to be put on any life support.”

Since euthanasia is a controversial topic and it is difficult to find acceptance for it in the Indian society, both legally and socially, I think it might take some time before we get to the space of leaving a will of this sort.

Gifting organs
Coming back to the spiritual will, a key area we all can explore is of donating organs. This is something that can live on for much longer after we have gone. According to me, it is one of the best gifts we can give to another person. There are some who do not agree with this, even quoting spiritual reasons cited by a few religions, but many believe that nothing can be more spiritual than donating one’s organs so that someone’s life can get benefitted.

For, while death takes you away, your organs can stay and save another life. 

The best gift of all
Very often, organ donation is done at a time when the entire family is in a state of anguish, which makes this act all the more great and noble. Let me share the story of one such remarkable family:

The life of Malkit Singh was cut short when he was admitted to PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research) on account of suffering a head injury due to a fall in April 2019. His family took the decision of donating his organs. Says his father, Naresh, “He died the same way he lived, by caring and giving. Compassion was, in fact, at the core of his being. During his life, he gave others the gift of life through his regular blood donations. In death, he became a saviour for many lives by being an organ donor. We could not be more proud of him.” The wailing mother, Nirmala Devi, said, “Strange are God’s ways. It was so sudden. In less than two days he was gone, and we were all left standing, dumb, empty-handed, not able to do anything.” The fact that they donated his organs despite their own sorrow says a lot about their inner strength.

A similar thing happened in Kolkata in 2018 when the first heart transplant surgery restored a person’s life completely. The recipient was from Jharkhand and the donor was from Karnataka. 

Essentially, every donor’s story is the story of resurrection. Out of death and despair comes a new life. Recently, Dutch lawmakers took a step forward in this direction by bringing a bill on a ‘yes unless’ for organ donation. If the bill becomes a law, it would make everyone in the Netherlands an automatic organ donor unless they request otherwise. This will make more organs available for transplant. “This is great news for everyone on the waiting list,” said parliamentarian Pia Dijkstra, who drafted the bill. “Every year, 150 people, who could have been alive with a donated organ, die.” 75 members of parliament voted for the bill and 74 voted against it. The bill will now move on to the upper house of parliament according to Dutch News. India, as a nation with a big population, can take a leaf from the Dutch and spread awareness about this cause amongst its people.

We all die and move on to a new world. This is the eternal truth. If we could only think about what we would like to leave behind as memories and a legacy, it can create a much better world. This act of leaving a spiritual will, will make us supremely grateful for the life we have been blessed with and automatically make us walk on the right path. Leaving behind a spiritual legacy underscores the point that we are essentially spiritual beings having a physical experience. 

The supreme gift of all: Organs
The need for organ donation has never been greater. More than half a million Indians are estimated to be in dire need of an organ transplant. 

In India, nearly 500,000 people die because of non-availability of organs, 200,000 people die of liver disease, 50,000 people die of heart disease, 150,000 people await a kidney transplant but only 5,000 get one, and 1,000,000 people suffer from corneal blindness and await a transplant. Yet, less than a thousand transplants from deceased donors are performed each year—an incredibly small and insignificant number compared to the statistics around the world. Some of these people will find a living donor who will donate an organ to them. The rest will probably die waiting for an organ.

To understand organ donation, it is first important to understand organ transplant. A transplant is a medical procedure whereby a person’s dysfunctional organ or tissue is replaced by a healthy one, thus restoring its function. In certain cases, despite major advances in medical science, transplant is the only alternative. Transplants drastically improve the quality of life of patients and give them another chance to live.

One organ donor can donate up to 25 different organs and tissues for transplantation. This can save up to nine lives! 

Organs that can be donated include kidneys, liver, pancreas, lungs, and heart, while tissue constitutes eyes, skin, bone, bone marrow, nerves, brain, heart valves, eardrum, ear bones, and blood.

Donating an organ is the greatest gift we can give to another person. As it is usually done for an unknown person, it is also the most selfless act of all.

My spiritual will
I thought a lot about what I would like my children to do after I move on and decided to request them to do the following. Just a request, no force.

• Plant at least one tree every year and take care of it to the best of your ability. This shall definitely make your life and that of society greener and more wholesome.

• Sponsor or help a child in getting educated. I would prefer this to be a child in India, my homeland.

• Donate all my functional organs to the nearest hospital. For this, some amount of research has to be done so that there is no delay as time is critical here and one needs to be prepared about what to do next.

What I do NOT want
I do not want any rituals in my name, year after year, after my last rites are performed. I would, however, like both my children to decide to meet on any mutually convenient day and remember our times together, along with their new families.

– Jamuna Rangachari