winds of change

[Guest guest]

Musings

 

Hari Om! Let all noble thoughts come to me from all over the universe.

 

Thinking good of others is noble, while self-centered thoughts are

ignoble. Remaining in a closed room is living in ignorance, opening the

windows to breathe in the fresh air is wisdom. India remained confined

within itself for too long a period and hence its philosophy was

shrouded in doubts and deviations. When one does not know much about the

neighboring dwellers one starts gossiping about their intentions and way

of thinking.

 

The Europeans and Muslims conquered India because she never opened up

its doors to look into the outer world. The upanishadic teachings, which

were indeed universal in appeal, got thwarted and degenerated into

ritualistic isolation. The wisdom was lost in the exploitation of one

caste by the another. The result could not have been different, for the

outer fresh air, which always seeks new vistas, easily overpowered the

damp and suffocating landlocked culture of the East. Indians suffered

physically, mentally, and spiritually. However, interaction by way of

the teachings of eastern religions and spirituality, of ahimsa and

renunciation, of truth and discrimination, as expounded by Sri Krishna,

Lord Buddha, Mahavir, Sri Ramakrishna, and others helped soften the

aggressive traits of the religions of the west.

 

The world as a whole was exposed to new currents in philosophy of

evolution of spirit. Many pondered over the ideas like: Is it possible

to accept 'as many faiths so many paths', are 'all religions, although

individually inadequate, really true and lead to the same God'?

 

Swami Vivekananda, the modern Hanuman, jumped in the name of Sri

Ramakrishna to reach the shores of modernity and science, materialism

and declining Christianity, the land of prosperity and literacy, and the

land of modern culture and thought - the USA.

 

Many know the history from here, from 11th September 1893 onwards, when

in that historic World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, he pronounced

" Brothers and Sisters of America " . The standing ovation of 7 thousand

gathering by way of uninterrupted clapping for three minutes is the

testimony to the human desire to accept new currents of fresh air.

Only thing this time the direction was reversed; the eastern wind

tending to freshen the damp and stale air of western materialism.

 

C S Shah

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