Eternal India Encyclopedia

Ancient Concepts, Sciences & Systems

Eternal India

encyclopedia

Vedas.

Thus we read in the

Mundaka Upanishad : "Tapasa

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,

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)

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

stories, rituals, injunctions , and so on. A Western scholar has

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