TRUTHFUL LIVING IS THE FUNDAMENTAL FACT OF ETHICS AND MORALITY – DR JERNAIL S ANAND

TRUTHFUL LIVING IS THE FUNDAMENTAL FACT OF ETHICS AND MORALITY – DR JERNAIL S ANAND

RELEASES DR GURPREET KAUR’S BOOK ‘MORAL VALUES’

While delivering a lecture on Ethics and Moral Values, organized by the Dept. of English, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, Sr Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, an autonomous College run by SGPC, Dr. Jernail S. Anand, President, International Academy of Ethics, dwelt at length on the idea of ethics and morality, and quoting extensively from Gurbani, stressed the need for following Practical Ethics espoused by the great Gurus. He remarked that Gurbani gives the best words to the idea of Ethics: ‘Sachon ure sabh ko, upper sach achaar’ i.e. ‘The status of Truth is the highest, but Truthful Living is higher still’.

Dr. Anand drew a very graphic picture of the difference between Joy and Happiness and exhorted the assembly of faculty members and students running into more than 200 to understand the difference between the two. Joy comes from getting something, and happiness comes from giving something. He was critical of the education system which keeps the students busy with 3 R’s: Reading, Writing and Arithmatic. He wanted another R to be added: Raciocination. [clear thinking]. Only then, students can be taught the difference between right and wrong. He also maintained that it is not easy to call anything right or wrong because in between two extremes, there are so many layers where human consciousness operates. He also referred to the idea of Public Morality under which, ordinary people are expected to maintain high standards of conduct, but he countered it by introducing the idea of Prime Morality which governs the conduct of leaders for whom nothing matters except Sam Tam Dand Bhed. Dr. Anand lamented that our education, which is focused on information and knowledge, has failed to impart any sort of wisdom to our educated people. In an intriguing comment, he said, Knowledge was the desired domain of Satan, that is why he tempted Eve. Dr. Anand wished there had been a tree of Wisdom also. Dr. Anand, while referring to Victor Hugo’s great novel ‘Les Miserables’ also raised a finger on the wisdom of the law when it is applied blindly and feelinglessly, as in the case of its hero, Jean Valjean. Dr. Anand also referred to the Ethical Alphabet which the International Academy of Ethics has evolved for growing up young students.

Earlier, Principal Dr. Jasvir Singh welcomed Dr. Anand, and, winding up the lecture, thanked him for his erudite and scholarly oration.

BOOK ‘MORAL VALUES’ RELEASED

On this occasion, a book on Moral Values, translated by Dr. Gurpreet Kaur, Head, Dept. of English, was also released. Dr Anand congratulated Dr. Gurpreet Kaur and appreciated the decision of the College authorities to prescribe this book in the syllabus.

DONATING BOOKS TO THE COLLEGE LIBRARY

In a major initiative, Dr. Anand donated eight of his published books to the College Library. Among these were his Mahakal Trilogy: Lustus: the Prince of Darkness, The Nether World and the Ultronic Age. The books also included a translation of Lustus into Bengali by Dr. Tamali Neogi, Prof. Brahm Jagdish’s work ‘The Semantic Universe of Dr. Anand’ and Cijo Joseph Chennellil’s book ‘The Master’s Voice’ [which carries 200 poems by Dr. Anand with their critical appreciation] a work of philosophy ‘Where Angels Fear to Tread’ and academy’s production ‘A Handbook of Contemporary Ethics’ ed by Dr. Molly Joseph, Chief Coordinator.

It is pertinent to mention here that Dr. Anand, who has authored 170 books of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, critical theory, philosophy and spirituality, has donated 32 books to his alma mater SCD Govt. College, Ludhiana, and 130 books to the National Library, Kolkata. He is the only author in India, after Sh. Rabindra Nath Tagore, to be honoured by the Serbian Writers Association, with an international award Charter of Morava, and his name has been engraved on the Poets’ Rock in the heart of Serbia. He has also been conferred the Senecan Award Laudis Charta, by the prestigious Academy of Arts and Philosophical Sciences, Bari, Italy.

Prof. Randhir Kumar Gautam
Convener, IAE & Asstt. Prof. of Gandhian Studies and Sociology, ITM University, Gwalior.