ANCIENT WISDOM FOR MODERN TIMES
With the beginning of the new millennium we are witnessing more
frequent and dramatic instances of Nature’s destructive power; the severe
earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan being the most recent. For many of us
these natural catastrophes, as well as manmade disasters, have caused deep
reflection on the age-old questions of life. If tens of thousands of lives can
be wiped out in an instant, without warning, what does it all mean? Life, as we
know it, is so fleeting—why are we even here? Is there anything permanent we
can latch onto in this world?
These events bring home the value and relevance of the great
mystical teachings, particularly the Vedanta philosophy of India as set down in
the Upanishads and The Bhagavad Gita. In an impermanent world
they speak uncompromisingly of that permanent reality we are all seeking
(consciously or not). In Vedanta that Reality is called Brahman and is defined
as eternal, immortal, unchanging, indivisible, beyond the pairs of opposites
and, according to mystics from all traditions, can be directly experienced by
us. Moreover, the purpose of life is to realize our identity with that Divine
Reality.
The Vedantic principles speak of the unity of all existence, the
universality of spiritual truth (that each religion is a path to God), and a
God that is not distant at all. Although transcendent, It is also immanent—is
the indwelling Presence that gives life. These basic truths are becoming more
and more part of our thinking. Evidence of this can be seen in the works of
great Western philosophers, scientists and writers. ‘What is India’ by Salil Gewal provides an extensive
compilation of what these influential, world-renowned individuals have said
about India’s contribution to science and spirituality. The wisdom of these
teachings also permeates the works of many modern spiritual writers and
thinkers such as Eckhart Tolle, Thomas Merton, and Don Miguel Ruiz. The
influence of these ancient Vedantic teachings of India started early in
American history and can be seen in the works of such great writers as Ralph
Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain and TS Eliot.
With technology fostering a global consciousness and change in
our worldview, we have a newfound sense of interconnectedness. Can it be a
coincidence that the Vedantic scriptures of ancient India, which speak of the
oneness of all life, are now available to us? It would appear that humanity on
a larger scale then ever before is ready to hear these crucial ideas. Fritjof Capra’s
world famous ‘The Tao of Physics’ is a successful attempt to validate the
ancient wisdom. He says ‘The two foundations of twentieth-century physics - Quantum
theory and Relativity theory both force us to see the WORLD
very much in the way a Hindu sees it.
The urgency of
our times makes the dissemination of these teachings of oneness, universality,
and acceptance of other paths imperative for our future existence. A great
thinker Arthur Schopenhauer exclaims ‘Upanishads have been the solace of my life,
it will be the solace of my death. They are the product of highest wisdom.’
India, the country
shaped like a heart, is the mystical heart of the world. It is the great
reservoir of spirituality for humanity to dip into whenever it tires of the
aridity of secular life and materialism, of doctrines and sensuality. Since its
precious teachings have been translated and given away to the rest of the world
over the last two centuries, perhaps it isn’t as necessary now to go to India
to discover them: India is a spiritual territory, a spiritual direction, not
geography. So in this text we will try to capture the spirit of India—the India
of the sages, of lofty thoughts, of the highest mysticism—and the essence of
that is called Vedanta. The author’s hope and
prayer is that the ideas, insights, and promising message of these marvelous
scriptures of India will inspire and encourage the reader to personally test
the validity of these universal truths. Thus Salil’s compilation will be a most
worthwhile gift to all of us.
Anna
Hourihan
Publisher & Editor
Redding,
California, USA