Eternal India Encyclopedia

Ancient Concepts, Sciences & Systems

Eternal India encyclopedia

Vedas. Thus we read in the

Mundaka Upanishad : "Tapasa

commented that the ancient teachings are even embodied brilliantly in the Panchathantra - tales of life and conversation in the Animal Kingdom — a fascinating way to teach morals to children and adults alike. However, it has to be conceded that Indian literature is so vast, complex, and confusing to ordinary minds that one gives up in sheer bewilderment. Crude forms of rituals and exaggerated praise of nature are at one end, and the most abstract and abstruse speculations on issues of life and death at the other. India is considered to be Punya Bhoomi : and also Deva, Tapod Karma and Dharma Bhoomi. That is why perhaps literally hundreds of saints and sages are born in India. Even in this century, we had Aurobindo, Ramakrishna, Ramana and Shirdi Baba — all considered to be incarnations of God. Sathya Sai Baba — now 68 years — has devotees all over the world. Millions consider him as an incarnation. After Jesus, nobody else has displayed supernatu- ral powers as Sai Baba, who has been materialising objects and curing thousands of serious ailments. So there is something unique and spiritual to India, which is relevant to people all over the world, regardless of race, religion, nationality, caste, creed or sex. One special feature of India is that secular and spiritual aspects of life are invisibly and manifestly integrated. Spirituality is all- pervading. Unfortunately, the secular movement in the West has separated the two. Religion is considered as a personal affair between individuals and God, while secular concepts govern all social relationships. While Europe had to go through conflicts and confrontations between the state and religious leaders, it was a unique situation in India. Janaka, Sita's father, was considered a Rajarishi. He was both a Yogi and ruler. In the West, philosophy is a separate discipline, while in India it is part of spirituality which has mysticism and metaphysics as an integrated part. Psychology is part of religion in India, while it is a secular subject in the West. In the West, psychology is the study and manipulation of the mind, while in India, it is purifying, quietening and silencing the turbulent mind to go beyond mental consciousness. All these show the wide diversity and gaps between the Oriental and Occidental approaches to life. All these are ascribed to Hinduism, an all-embracing term used now to describe Indian thought and wisdom. It is not really correct to call Hinduism a religion, of the Semitic type — like Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All the three were founded by Prophets, or established in their name by followers, which drew inspiration from the life and teachings of the Prophets contained in their holy books - the pid Testament, The New Testament and the Koran. The whole edifice, sanctity and sanction of these three religions depend on the Prophets, to whom teachings were revealed from God. CONTRAST In absolute contrast, Hinduism is not a religion at all like the Semitic ones. It has neither founder Prophet nor single books. It has no historical beginning. Its teachings do not depend upon a belief or dogma which must be accepted on faith. In its purest form, it does not postulate even a God. It is more a view of life and a way of life. It is universal. While Christianity and Islam believed in saving non-believers and infidels, Hinduism does not believe in conversion from other faiths. Thousands of sages and philoso- phers have contributed to its teachings, each based on his own understanding, direct experience of truth and reality. It offers its ideas to all faiths, and leaves them for their adoption in order to

Cheeyate Brahma, Tadonnam Abigayate". The belief in Europe even during medieval times was that the Universe was created 4,000 years prior to Christ, and that too out of nothing. With faculties which transcended the five senses, India’s saints and sages conceived of many theories, such as no beginning or end, reincarnation, cause-effect relationship as the cause of diversity in the planet, the soul as distinct from the body, soul and awareness are the same in all beings including the God principle Brahman, evolution from matter, life to mind and thence to Godhood or Divinity. Modern science is proving that India’s ancient peoples had in- sights into the mysteries of creation, nature, life and so on. They did not lean on dogma or creed, but insisted on direct experience, that is Darshana, meaning seeing. Epistemology and logic were highly developed. Hindus look to science to check their postula- tions. India's sages gave equal importance to Para Vidya (spiritu- ality) and Apara Vidya (empirical sciences). The theology of Semitic religions did not include metaphysics. But in Indian thought, metaphysics occupies an important place. Philosophy and mysticism are two sides of the same coin. Secular and spiritual aspects of life are integrated. All these thoughts are contained in the four Vedas and several Upavedas, the 108 extant Upanishads, the two Ithihasas of Ramayana and Mahabharata, 18 Puranas, the Bhagvad Gita, Bhramasutras as well as the innumer- able commentaries by sages and saints, philosophers and scholars. It would need several lives to read through and understand their purport and significance. MISTAKEN IMPRESSION There is a mistaken impression that India’s scriptures are other-worldly, and have no relevance to modern life. On the contrary, Indian philosophy and teaching are essentially meant to guide mankind here to lead a purposeful life with less of sorrows and sufferings, and more of happiness and mental peace. Kena Upanishad says these spiritual truths are known here itself for man’s welfare. Ethics and morals are more or less common to all religions and cultures. But Indian thought gives the rationale as to why one should observe righteous codes of conduct and behaviour. Further, the teachings suggest innumerable ways (yogas) to rise to a higher state of being. Indian thought believes that it takes about eight million births - janmas - to rise from the lowest level of life to be a Man. All are different not only in looks, size and structure but differ widely in intelligence, tendencies, values, etc. - - all differentiated by the way they think and work in each cycle of birth and death. These tendencies are carried on in successive janmas . Therefore, each needs a different route to reach Godhood. Nobody is condemned; all are proceeding in the same direction; some go fast and some others slow. Therefore, provision is made for the nomadic tribal at one end and the highly evolved person at the other. All such thoughts are contained in thousands of pages of teachings, most of which are in verse form, that is slokas. Some of the Puranas have 80,000 slokas . The vastness of literature in beautiful verse form is really a wonder. Unlike the Zend Avesta, Bible and Koran, which are in a few hundred pages, Indian thought and wisdom are spread over thou- sands of books in varied forms — poems, slokas , prose, aphorisms v stories, rituals, injunctions , and so on. A Western scholar has