Each nation have inherent set of values and ethics which had evolved through centuries of life cycles. The set of values India have given to the world had inspired the elite thinkers from Greece in the East, to China in the west. Fortunately India was immune to attacks and unrest for long time due to her geographical advantages. When crusades and conquests were ruling the minds of west, men in India could peacefully contemplate and experience the highest truth humans had ever witnessed. Europe proclaimed their racial religious superiority over Asia and Africa leading to diabolical colonising. Meanwhile our nation accepted and assimilated various culture and stood for plurality which is the back bone of our culture. India's consciousness always pondered over one thing, How to assimilate the best from all spheres of life. The result is here, India has evolved and still evolving to a rich cultured society where you find fine examples in all ways of life.
Our philosophers in the past have envisaged a term which has no parallel in any other language, i.e. Dharma. What binds together the entire samaj as single unit, is one of the connotations of Dharma. There is a saying, Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha. Which means, Dharma has to be protected, So that Dharma Will protect You. In general people have to stay together and function towards accomplishing their virtues. Olden days the duty of the king was to assure Dharma is prevailing and permeating the entire gamut of life in samaj. There was even a ritual, where the priests will remind the king during his coronation ceremony by saying Dharma will punish the king if he/she malign the position he is upholding. Closely following the life of my people, they do things within the hold of some intangible or unseen phenomenon which even they are not explicit about. This has been the way of life in India for centuries. The life moves on with great resilience and samaj never took the route by breaking links with its deep rooted values and morals. India also had it's share of genocides and struggles from the days of Islamic conquest to date. Although this have wrecked the equilibrium of life very much, samaj has overcome all the mishaps successfully over a period of time. And now India is a metaphor for universal religion.
Mr. Nehru in his Glimpses of World History, mentioned the role India had played and going to play in the future. He stated India will function as the heart of the world. Needless to state what a heart does for the physical body, this land will purify the entire universe with her inherent purity. Sufism the mystic sect of Islam, flourished while coming in contact with India. It entered into new realm of spiritual heights in India. Likewise several major religions blossomed in this land and attracted the imaginations of people. Being an Indian, how am I defined by other nationalities? The answer could be, Seeking Oneness in Many..............
No comments:
Post a Comment