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Saprem Namaskar
11 September - Universal
Brotherhood day is celebrated all over the world on grand scale. Mananeeya Eknathji,
founder of Vivekananda Kendra, named the celebration of 11 September – the day
Swami Vivekananda spoke first in the Parliament of Religions at Chicago - as
Universal Brotherhood Day. Universal Brotherhood is possible only in Sanatana
Dharma – i.e. in Upanishadic Principles. How is it so, has to be understood by
every one o
f us.
During all his lectures in
the west, we see that Swami Vivekananda propounded Upanishadic principles in
front of the elite of the world. When the elite in the West appreciated Swami
Vivekananda’s exposition, the elite in our country also was shaken out of his
slavish mentality. Therefore, it is those thoughts of Swami Vivekananda which
are to be presented here in the celebration of Universal Brotherhood day.
The Brotherhood is possible
based on principles and not personalities
We see Christianity claims
Jesus is the saviour of the humanity. But to prove that point – Christianity
has been exterminating communities after communities in the world. Millions
were killed in Europe, Americas and Africas in the name of Jesus. Islam talks
of brotherhood but no Muslim country or Muslims in any country stay in peace
with others. They are always at war. It is not possible to bring humanity to
the path of one God with one name. Diversity is the rule of nature. So how
humanity can be brought together in brotherhood? It is only in the unifying
principles which are beyond the apparent diversity that humanity can be made to
come together. Swami Vivekananda said, “I
have become used to hear all sorts of wonderful claims put forward in favour of
every religion under the sun. ..Let me lay before you my reasons why I think
that it is Vedanta, and Vedanta alone, that can become the universal religion
of man, and that no other is fitted for the role. Every one of the great
religions in the world excepting our own, is built on historical characters but
ours rest upon principles…It is in vain… to gather all the peoples of the world
around a single personality. …If it ever becomes possible to bring the largest portion
of humanity to one way of thinking in regard to religion, mark you, it must be
always through principles and not through persons.”
Compatible with modern
science
Our Sanatana Dharma – The
Dharma practiced by Hindus and so also called as Hindu Dharma – is based on
Upanishadic principles which are compatible with the science, with the rational
aspirations and convictions of the modern man. Swami Vivekananda said, “…The second claim of the Vedanta upon the
attention of the world is that, of all the scriptures in the world, it is the
one scripture the teaching of which is in entire harmony with the results that
have been attained by the modern scientific investigation of external nature.”
India: Where search of One
led to great principle
Swami Vivekananda explains
in one of his lectures how in the world history, the search for One was always
there whether in religion or in science. In other lands as different tribes
came in contact with each other, they were puzzled by existence of Gods of
others. Till then they used to think that their God is the only true and great
God. There could not be two rulers or two creators of the world! There has to
be only ‘One’, all
others have to be false. Only one has to be the greatest God. Who was it?
Naturally each tribe claimed that its God was the greatest. To prove that
started the wars of domination in the name of God, each group claiming its God
alone as the only True God, the Ruler of the World, the most powerful etc.
Swamiji asserted, “And I am sure, most of
you know the amount of bloodshed, of tyranny, and of brutal savagery that this
religious conquest entailed.” As we know, it still is the reason, whether
the wars in Iraq or Israel or the senseless bomb blasts by the Muslim
terrorists in Mumbai on 11 July 2006 or 11 September 2001 when the twin towers
of WTC were hit or the killing of Hindus at Pahalgam after asking their
religion, is because of the exclusive claims of the only true god. The search
for the One - greatest God has gone wrong. The claim of only One God being true
cannot bring peace or brotherhood; it has brought till now only bloodshed of
the innocent. This exclusivity then extended to social and political theories
too which are causes of tensions in many parts of the world.
In India, too, the search for the
greatest God - the One -started and fortunately for India and even for the
whole humanity, the sages here did not conclude that only our God had to be the
supreme most and so its authority had to be established. They saw it was One
which has manifested as many. Really it was the greatest discovery for the
survival and brotherhood of humanity. Swamiji says beautifully, “India alone was to be, of all lands, the
land of toleration and of spirituality; and therefore the fight between tribes
and their gods did not long take place here. For one of the greatest sages that
was ever born found out here in India even at that distant time, which history
cannot reach and into whose gloom even tradition itself dares not peep – in
that distant time the sage arose and declared, ‘Ekam sad
viprahbahudhavadanti’.- ‘He who exists is One; the sages call him variously.’ This
is one of the most memorable sentences that was ever uttered, one of the
grandest truths that was ever discovered. And for us Hindus this truth has been
the very backbone of our national existence.”
The spiritual oneness: The
basis of brotherhood and upliftment
It is not only the God is
One who appears as differently, or is called by different names by the sages,
but the man also though having separate body-mind complex is sharing same
spiritual Oneness
with all. It is that One which is expressed as many therefore though apparently
we are different, spiritually we are One. The real nature of each one of us is
Divine, is Ishvara. In this realization there is initially brotherhood at
behavioural level and after realisation Oneness with all. This great principle
of Vedanta we have to give to the world for ushering in Universal Brotherhood.
We have to apply this principle within our country to raise our masses, to be
one with them who were neglected for centuries during foreign invasions. Swami
Vivekananda said, “The other great idea
that the world want from us today …is the eternal grand idea of the spiritual
Oneness of the whole universe… It is the one great life-giving idea which the
world wants from us today, and which the mute masses of India want for their
uplifting, for none can regenerate this land of ours without the practical
application and effective operation of this ideal of the Oneness of things.”
The spiritual Oneness: The
Sound basis for Morality and ethics
The brotherhood is
possible if everyone behaves responsibly and with concern for others. A fear of
Satan or the commandments of any personage cannot make man to be moral and
ethical perpetually. The morality and ethics should have sound basis. Swami
Vivekananda said, “The rational West is earnestly
bent upon seeking out the rationality of all its philosophy and its ethics; and
you all know well that ethics cannot be derived from mere sanction of any
personages, however great and divine he may have been. Such an explanation of
the authority of ethics appeals no more to the highest of the world’s thinkers;
they want something more than human sanction for ethical principle of truth as
the sanction of ethics. …The infinite Oneness of the Soul is the eternal
sanction of all morality, that you and I are not only brothers but that you and
me are really One. …This Oneness is the rationale of all ethics and all
spirituality.”
Religious awakening means experiencing the presence of God in one’s own
self and in the world and not exploiting the world or bombing innocent women
and children out of existence. Understanding of spiritual Oneness makes one conscious of the divine within and urges him to work for its
unfoldment and enables him to grow spiritually. Simultaneously, it generates in
him a sense of Oneness with God’s creation and, consequently, an intense
fellow-feeling for the members of his own species – the human race – and
prompts him to work with zest for human welfare and progress. Vedanta
provides the sound and rational basis for ethics in personal and social life.
As the whole existence in interconnected, what one does to others actually heis doing it to himself,
thus it comes back to him. Therefore, one has to behave with others what he
expects others to behave with him, as others are not others but our own
extended self.
Thus, we see that
Universal brotherhood is rooted in Vedanta – in Sanatana Dharma. Therefore the
Universal brotherhood day is to point out two things - how exclusive approach
in religions lead to bloodshed. Secondly, it is to stress these life-giving,
inclusive principles of Sanatana Dharma. Howsoever great may be the message of Sanatana
Dharma unless Hindu society is strong and united to deliver it, it will not
make any impact especially on the people blinded with exclusive religions or
materialism. It was for that, Swami Vivekananda stressed on organization,
organization, and organization. It was for that, apart from carrying the
message of Sanatana Dharma, we also need to bring more and more persons in
organizational fold. Our work also should add to the efforts of
correcting the thinking of the Macaulites in our society as they are on the
forefront and also dominate the intellectual space in our country. Due to the
Macaulay education our capacity is impaired to understand our strength,
life-giving principles and the purpose of our nation.
So, let our celebration of this day be effective in
giving the message of Sanatana Dharma and let us involve ourselves in nation-building
activities. Let us make the younger generations to get acquainted
with thoughts of Swami Vivekananda in this great day.
Nivedita Raghunath Bhide
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