How to Combat Corruption?

Definition of corruption:

Corruption is like a paralysis which severely hampers the growth of a nation. There are many definitions of corruption. According to Transparency International, an International body which monitors corruption across the world, corruption refers to the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. They classify corruption into grand, petty and political, depending upon the amount of money lost and the sector where it occurs.

According to them, grand corruption consists of acts committed at a high level of government that distort policies or the central functioning of the state, enabling leaders to benefit at the expense of the public good.

Petty corruption refers to everyday abuse of entrusted power by low- and mid-level public officials in their interactions with ordinary citizens, who often are trying to access basic goods or services in places like hospitals, schools, police departments and other agencies.

Political corruption is a manipulation of policies, institutions and rules of procedure in the allocation of resources and financing by political decision makers, who abuse their position to sustain their power, status, and wealth.

India is one of the chief victims of corruption. The corruption in India is rampant and widespread. There is not a single public office in India which is untouched by corruption. Such is the legacy of corruption is India.

Corruption in India. 

The corruption within:

If we trace the roots of all corruption, we will be astonished to find that the corruption stems from within. Before pointing out the fingers outside, let us examine ourselves. Are we corrupt? Corruption is nothing but the excessive engagement of senses in the sense objects. As soon as there is an excessive engagement in sense objects, corruption sprouts. For example, when we sleep too much there is corruption and when we eat too much there is corruption and when we talk too much there is corruption and so on. Because excessive engagement in sense objects results in addiction, and addiction, in turn, ruins the vital forces in the body. When man become bereft of these vital forces, he sways from integrity and truthfulness. And when he sways from integrity and truthfulness, corruption is the result.

Too much of sleep - a kind of corruption.

In corruption, a man begins to identify himself more of a body. He thinks that the sense objects can offer him more enjoyment and security, and therefore, engage in it unabashedly. All sense objects come with a price, and when it becomes ill-affordable, he resorts to illegal means to obtain them. He then hoards these sense objects for future use. Corruption is like an itch. Corruption is nothing but death. Corruption ruins the senses. When a man begins to fall more and more into this sense trap, death is the result. This kind of corruption is explained by Sri Shankaracharya in this famous verse from Vivekachudamani. He says,

शब्दादिभिः पंचभिरेव पंचपंचत्वमापुः स्वगुणेन बद्धाः ।

कुरंग मातंग पतंग मीन भृंगा नरः पंचभिरंचितः किम् ॥ 

The deer, the elephant, the moth, the fish and the honeybee - these five meet death because of their bondage to one of the five senses. What then is the condition of a person who is attached to all five? (76)

The deer gets captivated by the sound of good music. An untamed elephant gets attracted by the touch of a tamed one. A moth gets attracted by the sight of light. Fish gets attracted by taste and Honeybee by smell. All these attractions are fatal for these animals. The worst case is the man, where all the five attractions remain in its fullness and, therefore, are more fatal.

The moth attracted by light. 

How to combat corruption?

                The only way to combat corruption is by fasting. Fasting doesn't only mean abstinence from the intake of food, but it also means abstinence from the intake of food by all the sense organs. Fasting blunts the attraction towards the objects and thereby denying any chance of corruption by the sense organs. Fasting was used by some great men like Mahatma Gandhi and Anna Hazare, to combat political corruption.

India against corruption. 

                The other way to combat corruption is by following the middle path and resorting to meditation techniques. Meditation reveals the higher dimension in man. This higher dimension in man is beyond death. Sensuality offers the path of death. Whereas, meditation offers the path of immortality. The root of all corruption lies in the senses. Therefore, close the senses and go beyond death.

Thank You. 

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