Guiding Light: Independence and Interdependence

If you are always depending on everyone around you for everything, then there is no real independence because you’re not self- reliant.

Therefore, self-reliance is a goal worthy of working towards whether you’re an individual or a family, a state or a nation.

Self-reliance is of utmost importance. Otherwise one will be like a young teenager rebelling to get independence but not having the resources to be self-reliant.

No education, No job, No skills! Then how can the teenager expect to be independent?

Independence and self-reliance are flip sides of each other. Therefore, for a nation to be truly independent, one has to be self-reliant as well. Otherwise, one becomes beggarly.

At the same time, can a person, a family or a nation have all the resources, knowledge and skills to function, grow and develop? There’s no way that can happen.

Therefore, along with self-reliance, one also has to learn interdependence. As an independent being, one has to learn to work with and network with people, nations etc so that in a mutually beneficial relationship, everyone can grow.

In any relationship two independent people come together to achieve more than what they would be able to do, on their own. The same is true for corporate teams, teams in the armed forces extending to a national and international level.

Only independent, self-reliant nations can truly work with one another to achieve greater good for mankind.

We can see how independence and self-reliance go hand in hand. Besides learning independence, one learns to be interdependent as well. It is this interdependence that makes personal, professional and national growth possible.

These are not mere social or cultural values, but ethical and spiritual values because ultimately the aim of an individual is to grow to achieve your maximum potential and finally, truly become spiritual.

Without this base, an individual’s practice and spirituality stands on flimsy grounds.

The writer is the founder of Aarsha Vidya Foundation. You can write to him at aarshavidyaf@gmail.com