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Special Article
New
Delhi, 9 January 2012
Vivekananda’s Teachings
ADHERENCE CRITICAL TODAY
By Dhurjati Mukherjee
Recent developments in India decry the
country’s tradition of the appreciation and understanding of different
religious beliefs and customs and their common bonds. More than 60 years of a
democratic Constitution should have witnessed a steady expansion of the horizon
of tolerance more so because the Hindu ethos is inherently accommodating and
non-doctrinaire.
Over the years the country has witnessed
a growing trend of intolerance amongst different religions and the dangerous
mix of religion with politics. Subsequent elections, whether General or in
States have witnessed political parties reaching out to different communities,
castes and sub-castes for electoral gains. The religious divisions undoubtedly
will be there for all to see in the ensuing elections to five States,
particularly Uttar Pradesh, wherein secular credentials would take a
beating.
It is, therefore, imperative at this
juncture, that the relevance of Swami Vivekananda, whose 150th birth
anniversary is being celebrated this year, need to be reminded to our
countrymen and political leadership. This is because Vivekananda visualized
national unity and religion geared for the welfare of the people. Importantly,
inter-religious education and spread the message of goodwill and understanding
among students and youth is even more critical today.
Sadly, there is virtually no
endeavour in this regard with madrasas being allowed to teach Koran, missionary
schools Bible and Hindu schools (in the Hindi heartland) Gita and Upanishad.
Unfortunately, students grow up knowing about their faith and have no scope to
understand the points of convergence and synthesis of different religions and faiths.
Vivekananda visualized that people
of a nation can come together and remain as one through love and fellow feeling
when they have a common moral and spiritual heritage. When he was speaking of a
‘universal form’ of religion, people appeared somewhat confused in accepting it
to understand this idea.
In his address ‘The Future of India’
included in Lectures from Colombo to Almora,
Vivekananda observed: “The unity in religion, therefore, is absolutely
necessary as the first condition of the future of India. There must be the
recognition of one religion throughout the length and breadth of this land.
What do I mean by religion? Not in the sense of one religion among the
Christians, Mohemmadans and the Buddhists”.
Explaining the different approaches
of various religions, he said: “We must learn that truth may be expressed in a
hundred thousand ways and that each of these is true as far as it goes. We must
learn that the same thing can be viewed from a hundred different standpoints
and yet be the same thing”.
The foundation of this universal
religion, its sustaining belief is the philosophy of Vedanta, the monistic or
Advaitic idea of unity of all thought and action. It is pertinent here to
mention that when Vivekananda spoke of universality, he does not really exalt
Hinduism above other religions. It is the idea of the One which sustains
Vivekananda’s belief that if one religion is true, all others must be true.
It may be worth mentioning here that
no religious teacher in recent times, except Swami Vivekananda, had the courage
and conviction to declare the message of his Master i.e. the need for
“harmonizing the Vedas, the Bible and the Koran….. to attain THE RELIGION which
is oneness, so that each may choose the path that suits him best”.
Embedded in his idea of universal
religion, is the idea of national unity, which gains great relevance today.
Vivekananda never spoke of Hindu nationalism but contemplated a form of
spiritual unity that would lead to political unity. Romain Rolland, the
well-known philosopher, looked upon Vivekananda as the creator of a spiritual
nationalism that later inspired Mahatma Gandhi.
The modern world is growing
increasingly suspicious of politics as an instrument of human progress. This is
all the more true in the Third World where
majority of the people have been suffering from poverty and squalor. Karl
Jaspers, the German existentialist, urged a serious political approach to our
political problems as the only way of overcoming the crisis facing humanity.
All politics has become a desire for power and all desire for power results in
violence.
Vivekananda conceived a human
society free from the evils of State power and visualized politics based on
ethics, spirituality and morality. He conceived revolution as a spiritual
movement for the welfare and development of the masses.
Thus the type of Hinduism professed
and practised nowadays is far removed from the ideals of true Hinduism preached
by Indian spiritual leaders such as Vivekananda, Aurobindo, Mahatma Gandhi and
by our late President and eminent philosopher, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
For them spiritualism or religiosity
was far more important than highlighting any doctrine or dogma or ritual; the
ultimate aim was to have faith in each soul which is “potentially divine” or in
the “essential goodness of man” (Gandhi). Similarly Radhakrishnan observed:
“What we need is a religion of freedom, which stimulates faith not fear,
spontaneity not formalism, abundant life not the monotony of the mechanical ….
When one is in contact with the universal source of life, one is filled with
vitality and freedom from fear … and life becomes a pure flame full of light
and happiness”.
These values need to be cherished to
uphold religious bondage of the human race and carry forward our civilization
in the correct path. Religion must be oriented “to help mankind and “be ready
and able to help him in whatever condition he is, in servitude or in freedom,
in the depths of degradation or in the heights of purity; everywhere it should
be able to come to his aid”.
However, recent developments, both
in India and abroad, negates the lofty principles of religion – and also
Hinduism -- that is, pluralism, non-violence, tolerance and understanding,
compassion and love and the values cherished and propagated by our social and
religious teachers over the years.
Indeed, at this time, inculcation of
true secular spirit among the masses can bring about communal harmony and
strengthen fellow feeling of people from different religions. It is also
necessary that religious leaders should not meddle in politics or use State
power to mobilize people. The true spirit of ahimsa, dedication and sacrifice
should be the cornerstone of their teachings geared towards social uplift and
welfare of the poor and the underprivileged. As embodied in all religions, the
moving spirit should be of selfless sacrifice – far away from violence, hatred
and intolerance. Is it asking too much? –INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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