Excerpts from the Book - India Unveiled By Robert Arnett

[Guest guest]

Greetings:

 

I have enclosed excerpts from the book "India Unveiled" by Robert Arnett

who has written this book after spending a considerable amount of his

time in India. I attended recently his lecture in Washington

Metropolitan where he made a slide presentation of the pictures that was

taken for the book. His lecture and the slide presentation was quite

impressive and a large number of copies of the book were sold on that

day. I want to thank Bob for permitting me to forward these excerpts

to you. These excerpts contain lots of subtle spiritual messages and I

suggest that you visit the Home-page and please don't miss the photo

gallery! The book will be a valuable treasure for your library.

 

Hari Om

 

Ram Chandran

List Moderator

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Excerpts from the Book - "India Unveiled" by Robert Arnett, Atman Press,

Price: US $ 45.00

 

Email Address of the author: robertarnett

Web Site Address: http://www.india-unveiled.com

Contact the author by Email or you can order the book through the Web

Site.

 

The Journey is Set...

 

On a business trip to Detroit, Michigan, in 1969, I met a young man

at an exhibition of Far Eastern Art. Our conversation turned to a

discussion of Indian philosophy, about which I had very little

knowledge. The exchange intrigued me, and as I would realize later, I

was at a crossroads on my life's journey. My new acquaintance

suggested that I read Autobiography of a Yogi. He then invited me to

accompany him to a yoga service the following Sunday. My first

meditation experience brought me to a level of consciousness which I

had never known. It was the impetus which led to my in-depth study of

Indian philosophy and the sacred science of Kriya Yoga. The more I

learned the more I sought to know. I felt very strongly that I needed

to return to a place I had never been. In December of 1988, destiny

set my path toward India. Without itinerary or expectations, I began

the first of three solitary journeys, each of which would last for six

months.

 

Withstood the Tests of Time

 

This book is a tribute to the traditional values of India. For thousands

of years, the basic cornerstones of Indian culture had changed very

little, and probably account for why some historians believe India to be

the oldest continuously surviving civilization on earth. Modern India,

like the rest of the world, is in a state of major transition as her

people grapple with the enormous task required to balance science and

modern technology with the inner peace of the soul. Although Indian

culture has had the resiliency to withstand over 300 years of Mughal

conquest, I wondered if it could survive the effects of Western

materialism on its growing middle class. I now know that my concerns

were unfounded. My travels throughout India revealed that Hindu values

are deeply ingrained in its society. Not only will India be able to

assimilate Western technology into its own culture, but will be stronger

for it. Long after the modern buildings in cosmopolitan Bombay have been

reduced to rubble by time and the elements, the eternal verities of

village India will be as vibrant as ever.

 

Incident Proves Prayer is More Powerful than Protest

 

When I am asked what impressed me most about India, my reply is the

peaceful demeanor of her people and their openly expressed devotion. The

following story will illustrate both characteristics. After a four-hour

bus journey from Madras to the South Indian town of Tirupathi, our guide

informed us that we would not be able to continue our trip to the nearby

holy mountain of Tirumala. A local labor strike prevented our going

further. Because Tirumala is one of the more important pilgrimage

centers in all of India, the passengers were very disappointed, yet none

complained. Most were tranquil as we sat together in a group waiting to

see what would transpire. We realized that missing our visit to the

magnificent statue of Sri Balaji, the deity to whom the temple was

dedicated, would be a great loss to us all. Hindus believe that prayer

requests made standing before this statue will be granted, which

explains why an average of 30,000 pilgrims visits there on any given

day. I struck up a conversation with one of the passengers who saw the

labor strike as a man-made adversity that could serve as a spiritual

challenge for all of us.

 

His insight inspired me and I joined the others in praying silently that

our pilgrimage to Tirumala would somehow be completed. At that moment

such peace came over me that I had no doubt that God would grant our

request. Shortly after lunch, we were told that the strike had been

canceled and the buses would transport us to the mountaintop. Through

God's grace, I had been able to tap into the collective devotion of the

pilgrims and to feel their all-pervasive love, which I believe changed

the course of events. I learned a great lesson that day: Prayer is more

powerful than protest! In a similar situation in other countries, most

people would have complained vehemently. But not these pilgrims. Because

of the value and historical proof in Indian life that prayer has worked

for millenniums, there was no discussion and it was a given that prayer

was the natural and proper course of action. More than in any other

culture I know, Hindus have connected God with their daily life.

 

Devotion Expressed in Everyday Life

 

Another revealing incident took place while I was traveling in the

modern city of Bangalore. I visited one of its oldest temples, known as

the "Bull Temple," which is named after a huge monolithic sculpture of

Shiva's bull, Nandi. A little boy standing in front of the altar was

too short to see the image of the deity. He kept tugging on his mother's

sari until she could ignore him no longer. When she lifted him up for a

peek, he leaned over and lovingly kissed the statue.the child's

adoration was not unique, and I witnessed similar occurrences at several

other shrines. I remembered the comments of a Hindu doctor whom I had

visited in Western India. He told me that "Because of the devotional

nature of the Hindu people, the foremost thoughts of the mother and the

father are of God. This devotion manifests itself within the mother's

womb during pregnancy through the influences of the parents' conscious

and subconscious thoughts, and when the child is born, devotion is part

of its nature."

 

Can Love Save a Life?

 

Devotion expressed itself outwardly in various ways, including the

strong sense of responsibility that individuals exhibited for their

parents and members of their extended family. A man I sat next to while

traveling told me a poignant story. His mother had been in a coma in a

Bombay hospital. Against all hospital regulations, the man's wife

insisted on staying in the same room and even slept on the floor to be

close to her mother-in-law, ensuring that she was timely bathed and kept

in clean clothing. Doctors and even her husband's relatives told his

wife that his mother would not survive. But against all odds, she did!

His mother had a total recovery and now lives happily again with her son

and daughter-in-law. He commented: "Loving feelings can save a life."

 

Loyalty to Family

 

The deep loyalty that exists between husbands and wives and other family

members serve as a living example from one generation to another. An

Indian doctor whom I had met told me that his father, a man of modest

means, had paid his college expenses. The doctor, who had a large

practice said, "I am a doctor and a man to day because of what my father

sacrificed for me. If my father ever needed me, I would close my

practice, withdraw my children from school, even if it meant their

missing important exams, and take my family the several hundred miles to

my father's home to care for him. I would not allow a servant to touch

my father in my presence." To bathe and otherwise assist his father was

the doctor's pleasure and duty. His children would see him serve his

father, and in turn they would serve their father, and their children

would serve them. The elderly die peacefully in India, surrounded by

their devoted families, and in the familiar setting of their own homes.

They have a "soft" death and pass on fulfilled. To me, this is the quiet

beauty of India.

 

Dharma

 

It is impossible to understand India unless one understands the concept

of dharma. Dharma has many meanings to the Hindu. No single English word

can summarize all of its connotations. Within an individual's own life,

it refers to one's inherent duty to live in harmony with the eternal

principals of righteousness that uphold all creation. Thus, the social

and moral implications of the Indian philosophy of dharma are reflected

in the highest virtues expected from each member of the community. It is

seen most clearly in village India. I recall once in a small town in

Rajasthan, a young boy saw me drop my wallet which contained a huge sum

of money by his standards. When he came up to me to return it, I tried

to offer him a few rupees, but he would accept nothing. I asked someone

nearby to explain to the boy why I wanted to give him something for his

act of honesty. After talking to him, the man explained to me that the

concept of accepting a gift for doing a good deed made no sense to the

child. Dharma is a noble act and needed no outside reward.

 

Promises are Kept for Life

 

I learned in a most unexpected way the life-long commitment a Hindu

woman takes into a relationship. When visiting Indian friends in Central

India, a 15 year-old girl asked if I could get her a pen pal in America.

When I was preparing to leave a week later, she had not returned, so I

sent for her. As she handed me her address, she confided that the reason

she had not come back was because she was not sure that she could commit

to writing to someone for the rest of her life!

 

Indian Values Revealed

 

When traveling on a train one day, I met an Indian who asked me if I

thought I would ever marry. I answered, "Yes, if I ever met someone with

whom I had soul unity." Looking at me with a smile he replied, "Soul

unity comes through many years of marriage." After lunch, my host took

me to the home of one of his neighbors. While there, I admired some

crafts. As we were preparing to leave, the young artist offered to give

me a large porcelain vase, but I explained that I could not accept it as

it would get broken. She then brought me a small bouquet of artificial

roses. I told her that I would use them for my daily meditation in front

of my travel altar. Leaving the room abruptly, she returned with a

bottle of perfume. She sprayed the artificial flowers so they would

smell good for God. Though their fragrance has long faded, the memory of

her simple gesture is perennially present.

 

Sincerity of Action

 

After visiting with many Indian families over a period of years, I am

impressed by the sincerity with which each family member accepts his or

her familial responsibilities. Duties were not discharged from a sense

of obligation as if they were burdensome. An Indian I met on a bus

explained that "Duty is performed from love and affection, like a mother

taking care of her child." He said his mother and wife still serve in

that spirit. Though there was some inconvenience caused from three

generations living together in his home, he stated that his wife did not

feel burdened by a house full of people and seemed to thrive on her

selfless duties. He was emphatic that "Action must be supported by

feeling. Once it becomes a duty performed mechanically without feeling,

the tradition ends!"

 

Traditional Versus Modern Values

 

I do not suggest that Indians or any peoples of third world countries

should deny themselves the material benefits of Western civilization,

yet it seems to me that many young Indians (as well as the youth in much

of the rest of the world) are forgetting the true values of the family

structure. The attributes of duty, loyalty, and service are often

forsaken in favor of selfish considerations and monetary gain. Many are

moving away from their ancestral homes, opting to live even in the slums

of cities or moving to other countries, in search of treasures without

value. As the twentieth century draws to a close and a new millennium is

about to begin, it is my hope and prayer that all of us will do our part

to strengthen our individual families, and by extension, the family of

man.

 

India's Ecumenicism Offers Hope for World Peace

 

Though turmoil often exists in India between different factions, her

religious communities have lived harmoniously in spite of some zealots'

selfish motives. Because of the tolerance of Hinduism, I believe that

eventually India will become the example for global ecumenicism, showing

today's multicultural world that peace is possible amongst diverse

populations. I witnessed Hindus and Muslims sharing the same shrine in

Gwalior, Hindus and Buddhists worshiping at the same religious site in

Darjeeling, and Hindus and Christians praying together at the Church of

our Lady of Good Health in Velakanni in South India. Guru Nanak, the

founder of the Sikh religion, is revered by Hindus and Muslims as well

as Sikhs. If different religious communities can worship together in

parts of India, surely the rest of India can do the same.

 

Sharing the Best Between India and America

 

When Albert Einstein said, "Science without religion is lame, and

religion without science is blind," he could have been describing

contemporary American and India. India has become overbalanced

spiritually and cannot adequately provide for the material needs of its

own people. America leads the world in consumer comforts, but has veered

sharply off course morally. Each culture would benefit from adopting the

best qualities of the other. It is my belief that the United States and

India can give the world a new direction: a materially efficient

democracy that is spiritually guided. For this to become a reality, each

of us must do our part.

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