India, the world guru

Shining India! Sure. It is good to feel proud that we are on the cusp of becoming an economic superpower and have started getting the respect and recognition due to us.

But history will tell you that any individual nation’s economic—or military—power waxes and wanes. A better reason to feel proud would be India’s spiritual core and its insights into human predicament and destiny.

In the past century, which saw increasing interaction between various cultures of the world, many foreign thinkers and our own sages concluded that India’s true role is to be the guru of the world. Said Mahatma Gandhi, “India’s mission is different from that of others. India is fitted for the religious supremacy of the world.”

Why so? Osho pointed out, “God has been talked about in every corner of the world. Only India has established that God is within man. Aham Brahmasmi is perhaps the boldest statement ever made.” This is not theology, but the experiential reality of many people down the ages who worked in their inner laboratories.

Indian civilisation oriented its entire existence around the goal of God—or Self-realisation. From music, dance, art and sculpture to architecture, systems like ayurveda and astrology, transcendental paths like yoga and meditation—all were devised as aids to attain that one goal. And since we believe Divinity pervades all, everything is held sacred.

With rising concerns about the environment and given the tumult caused by technology, humanity is groping for direction. And India seems to have some answers for future human evolution. India’s task, even duty, is to spiritualise the world. But before that, we ourselves have to reclaim and revitalise our heritage.

Gandhi’s realistic observation and advice was, “India is in danger of losing her soul… She must not lazily and helplessly say, ‘I cannot escape the onrush from the West.’ She must be strong enough to resist it for her own sake and that of the world.” Our regained self-esteem is likely to ensure that.

Parveen Chopra