The importance of right citizenship for the future of one’s country

Our national election is fast approaching and all the candidates running for office are now working even harder to win the hearts of the electorate. Those of us who have weathered out several administrations of Philippine presidents are hoping and praying that all qualified voters will uphold the dignity of their right to vote and elect – intelligently, out of conviction and free from unjust pressure – upright, public-spirited and sincere leaders for our nation.

Annie Besant, second president of the Theosophical Society (1907 – 33) and founder of the Central Hindu College at Benares (Varanasi), was an outstanding orator of her time, a champion of human freedom, educator, philanthropist and author of 300 books and pamphlets. In her lifetime, she guided thousands of men and women all over the world in their spiritual quest, and also supported many noble causes including women’s rights.

In her book, Right Citizenship, Besant wrote: “The building of the character of an individual will aid in the shaping of a nation. You cannot build a great nation out of citizens with bad or indifferent character. The citizens ARE the nation, and their character is the character of the nation. Therefore, it is vital that the education given by any nation to its youth should include the building of character by religious and moral methods. For if a great nation is to be built, it can only be done by citizens trained along the right lines, by men whose character is noble, reliable, and trustworthy.”

Proverbs 14:34 tells us: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.” A nation then that is not composed of righteous or noble citizens is not one that has the possibility of enduring life.

The public spirit of patriotism

Besant wrote that public spirit is the manifestation of the noble emotion called patriotism, which she defined as the “love of country in which a man was born in, in which he received his infant nurture, and his youthful training. This is one of the feelings of the human heart called instinct, that is, the heritage of the past, born with the individual into the present.”

No one is without this love of country for out of this grows the all-embracing love of humanity. Besant explained this: “Love is an emotion that is ever expanding, but it expands from a center. Love of the opposite sex grows into love of family; love of family grows into love of community; love of community grows into love of province; love of province into love of country; and into love of humanity.” So it is safe to infer that a man who professes love of humanity, but does not love his country or his family should be distrusted. “His love is more a sentiment of the lip than a compelling motive in his heart.”

When the instinctive love of a man for his country grows permanent and action-compelling, then it results in public spirit. Public spirit is a steady patriotism in action, the service that grows out of love for the motherland. Without such love of country in the heart of its citizens, a country can never become a nation. We must love the Philippines as we love our mother who gave us our physical body. For has not our motherland given us our bodies; are we not born of her womb?

Watered by the mighty deeds of heroes in the past

Patriotism can be roused in the heart of youth, so that it may bear fruit in a useful life. How do we go about this?

Little children should be told the stories of the heroes of their past by their parents and grandparents. As they learn to know that story, a natural pride of race will grow within them, accompanied by a desire to emulate these great deeds. The schools should carry on the lessons of the home. Then, “the seed of patriotism watered by the rain of the mighty deeds of heroes in the past, and grows into love of, and pride in, the motherland, and the longing to be worthy of a land so great.”

Patriotism grows by a natural evolution into love of all nations, and nationality becomes internationalism. It is a step to the greater love, which is the love of all humanity.

If you want to truly love your motherland and do her service, then never hate the peoples of other lands nor use words of anger and contempt against them. Greater than patriotism is the love of humanity. It is not found among people who are indifferent to the country which gave them birth.

Education as the basis of national life

In 1898, Annie Besant founded the Central Hindu College and handed it over to the Banaras Hindu University in 1913, when she started the Theosophical Educational Trust. She established a new spirit in Indian education making the citizenship of young Indians more religious and more truly patriotic.

It is a mistake to say that an infant is born tabula rasa – empty vessel or shapeless clay. Mother Nature has “programmed” each baby with a unique potential, a product of the various genes of both parents, accumulated from his/her great ancestors.

All work is honorable

There is a tendency of Filipinos to only aspire to work in an office, so they look on manual work as degrading. Traditional education does not include practical work in their curriculum, instead it is directed to knowledge accumulation. As early as preschool, play is more emphasized. However, given a choice of water play to laundering, the preschooler would prefer the latter because each step has an intelligent purpose. A variety of work like care of one’s person and the environment can condition preschoolers to become orderly, concentrated and self-confident for a lifetime.

The Philippines needs industrial prosperity, and the foundation for that must form part of our education. But, Filipinos must learn that no form of work, which is useful to the Motherland, is dishonorable. Any work done well is honorable. The country cannot prosper if its skilled brains would say: “I am willing to undertake an industrial job, but I do not care to go through rough drudgery.” But “rough drudgery” is the preparation for a successful management work. How can a man control 300 or 400 workmen if he does not know the details of their work? How can he say that the work is done badly if he cannot say, ‘This is the way you should do it’? How can he discern between good and bad workers?

National unity, discipline and governance

A sense of national unity is needed. At present, our regions are divided by feelings of jealousy and distrust. Our OFWs tend to form small associations of Ilocanos, Visayans or Batangueños, instead of being united in one Filipino association like the Chinese or Japanese. It is therefore desirable for students of different provinces to come together that they may learn to love and cooperate with each other. Books may be used to inspire pride in a common past, making them regard all heroes in our history as a common possession, as the makers of the Philippines.

Another great virtue necessary for a national life is discipline. Schools, colleges and universities must instill this constantly. An example is the rigid rules that a sailor needs to follow during his training since lives of thousands of people are dependent on their obedience to the captain. Disobedience or carelessness could mean the death of thousands of passengers and crew such as the maritime tragedies or disasters of our ferries and ocean-liners.

Preparation for public life

An essential part of every high school should be the debating club. Students should take interest in the political issues of the day, read them in the papers, discuss and debate on them. They should learn the methods of carrying on public business. A well-organized debating club in which young people can learn to listen to the arguments of opponents without losing one’s temper, to see argumentative flaws, to be alert in attacking, in defending, is a splendid preparation for public life. Then, they would learn to be accurate with their facts and clear in their exposition. These discussions will force them to do research, so as not to look ridiculous. They will learn that fluency is not enough, and that knowledge should not outrun speech; ignorance should not be hidden with words.

In our Congress and Senate, we see a weakening of manners and it is worsening. What is the use of addressing them, “your honor”? For manners mean self-control and self-respect. They mean dignity and pride of honor. They mean due regard and consideration for others.

Practice self-sacrifice within little world of schools

Let me borrow from Annie Besant’s sentiments and address the youth of the Philippines: “The destiny of a nation is folded within its youth as is the flower, which blossoms and breaks out from the close embrace of the young bud. That which you are thinking today, the nation will think tomorrow.” Your characters: bold or timid, noble or base, generous or sordid, chivalrous or mean, pure or unclean, will show itself in the characters of our nation’s citizens in the near future.

Your present thoughts are creating the character of your adult life, shaping the citizens who shall be the Filipinos, when we, the elders shall have passed away. The Philippines gave you birth, she is your Mother, yet you shall recreate her as your daughter, in the years to come.

(Reference: Annie Besant’s Right Citizenship compiled by Idarmis Rodriguez)

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