Media's dharma is to cultivate values

( Amma's pre-recorded message aired during the launch of AmritaTV on 14 April 2005, Thiruvananthapuram. )

Amma bows down to everyone present, all of who are the very embodiments of Divine Love and the Self. Today, TV and newspapers have become indispensable parts of our life. There are already so many TV channels. We may question the necessity of yet another. We see so many burning problems all around us: starvation, unemployment, natural calamities, increasing violence, etc. It would be natural for one to think that alleviating the pain of those suffering from these myriad afflictions is the need of the hour.

But we should remember one thing: we alone are the ones responsible for many of these problems; we have created them. We can trace the origin of all problems to the human mind. This is where all problems start. Therefore, our primary dharma is to cultivate values in us. Media is one of the instruments to achieve this.

We surely need entertainment and enjoyment. Without entertainment, life is dry. To awaken our creativity, entertainment is necessary. But if we allow our entertainment to be devoid of culture, it will only lead us to danger. On the other hand, when culture and entertainment are blended together, life becomes a true celebration. When Amma talks about culture, She means goodness, values, sadachara [correct conduct] and dharma. To discriminate between truth and untruth and bring out the reality, to point out the right and the wrong—this is the dharma of the media. If it just voices one side, the truth will become diluted, like milk to which water has been added.

Today, society is as if half asleep. The media should help people to think and act with maturity. The goal of news and entertainment should not be to lull society into deep sleep. Just the opposite, it should be to rouse them to the eternal state of awakening.

The allure of a city is not only in the stylish fashions its residents wear or in the skyscrapers that mark its horizon. It is in the culture that has been believed, practiced and passed on there through generations.

Our land and the soil here have a unique fragrance. It is the fragrance of sacrifice (tyaga), love, austerities (tapas) and spirituality. The deep love between the parents and the children, the reverence held towards teachers and elders, the love between neighbours—these are our true wealth. In the same way, all our art forms are ways of worshipping God. Accordingly, we need entertainment and knowledge that accepts this culture and lineage. This is the only way for us to build a good society.

The media's dharma is also in finding and enhancing the beauty in human life and nature. What is true and auspicious alone can lead us to real beauty. We should not only consider what people like, but also what is good for them. The entertainment and enjoyment we provide should be based on cultural values. This is the only way for us to perceive truth and beauty.

May Amrita TV be able to achieve this. Amma offers this prayer to the Paramatman.

(Read the above message in Malayalam as Amma spoke)