20 topics about hindu civilization

[Guest guest]

Attached is a draft doc. to explain 20 slides. I will send the slides

(Arnett can add his own from his India Unveiled). Please feel free to

suggest corrections and edit as deemed appropriate. I am not sure if

the issues discussed in K1 to K12 texts are covered.

 

I am thankful to Bharat Gupt, Dahya bhai Patel, Vishal Agarwal and

Karthik Venkat for their great suggestions which I have incorporated

in the attached draft.

 

Dhanyavaadah. Kalyanaraman

 

Contribution of hindu civilization (Hindu-Jaina-Buddha-Khalsapanth

continuum) to world culture

 

Note: I suppose these thoughts can be conveyed through a power-point

presentation using 20 slides.

 

Introduction

 

Any culture should be understood in terms of the idiom and metaphors

evolved over generations by that culture. Same is true of hindu

civilization which has evolved since about 8500 years Before Present

in an astonishing continuum, indigenously evolved. (There is evidence

of a burial of a woman at Nausharo, 300 kms. north of Rann of Kutch,

wearing s'ankha â€" turbinella pyrum â€" ornaments including a cut,

wide

s'ankha bangle made of conch-shell, attesting to a continuing 8500

year old maritime s'ankha industry which survives even today in

Tiruchendur, Bharat, that is India with an annual turnover of over

Rs.

50 crores). This evidences ties-in with the rediscovery of Vedic

River

Sarasvati of Saptasindhu region and pancajana_h (five peoples).

 

I suggest that every presentation on hindu civilization should

include

the following civilization markers or metaphors: lighting a lamp,

prayers with flowers, distribution of vibhuti and sindhur,

bhajan/kirtan, puja vidhanam (demonstration of the performance of a

puja and the significance assoiated with each step of a_camanam,

arghyam, pa_dyam and a_ra_dhana). See the appended note by Shri

Dahyabhai Patel on his experiences in conveying thoughts about hindu

dharma and hindu civilization to children in the diaspora.

 

Objective of education about hindu civilization and heritage

 

The objective is to inculcate swaabhimaan, pride in being hindu and

being part of the legacy of a great civilization, the world's legacy,

represented by over 1 billion people (almost a sixth of the world

population). This will be achieved through a presentation of a

truthful and balanced account of the heritage of hindu civilization

and that unique contribution to the world, the value called hindu

dharma or sana_tana dharma (eternal order that sustains). This

value-based education is what saved the nation from the onslaughts of

invaders, marauders and conquerors. This comes from a tradition, a

parampara_ which also says: ma_tr. devo bhava, pitr. devo bhava,

a_ca_rya devo bhava atithi devo bhava: may mother be divinity, may

father be divinity, may a_ca_rya be divinity, may the guest be

divinity. Satyam jna_nam anantam brahma: brahma is the knowledge,

truth and infinity. There is the s'a_nti pa_t.ha at the beginning and

end of the Brahmaananda valli of Taittiriya Upanis.ad: Om sahana_

vavatu sahanau bhunaktu saha vi_ryam karava_vahai tejasvi na_vadhi_

tamastu ma_ vidvis.a_vahai om s'a_ntih s'a_ntih s'a_ntih: May we

both

be protected, may us both enjoy the fruits of study, may we both

exert

together to find the meaning of education, may our studies be

fruitful, may we not quarrel with each other, Om peace, peace, peace.

 

What are the issues facing the educationists of today?

 

The first point we should remember is that we are dealing with a very

young nation, with crores of children in the country. We should not

meddle with their process of development by temporary expedience of

politicking to win some headlines and punch-lines on TV talk-shows.

We

are a young nation because about 35% of the population is below 15

years of age, 54% below 25 years and 70% below 35 years. We have a

long way to go in making all the people of the nation literate (64.8%

literacy in 2001 as against 52.2% in 1991 â€" an impressive increase

of

12.6% in the last 10 years. We should note that it was only 18.3% in

1951 immediately after Independence). This magnificent achievement is

a tribute to the educationists of Bharat. For a young nation,

education should continue to the top priority.

 

The second point is that Government alone cannot produce a literate,

educated nation. This should become the responsibility and primary

task of the entire society, in all walks of life. Because, education

does not take place only in schools, it occurs in places of work. It

occurs by continuous training on work. It occurs by transferring

skills from master to student, be the work that of a carpenter, a

mason, a builder, an architect, an engineer, a water specialist, a

road-builder, a doctor, a farmer, a mechanic, an automobile engineer

or other experts and specialists.

 

The third point is that education also occurs through the power of

the

media, the television, in particular. Today, it is a common scene to

find grandmothers and mothers and children getting hooked on, almost

addicted to soap-opera serials on TV channels. In previous years, we

had the tradition of harikathas, burrakathas, dramatic troupes,

dance-dramas, folk artistes and performers going from village to

village conveying the messages from our bharatiya history, by

conveying the stories from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavatam and

Puranas. The temples used to be places where people gathered together

to listen to elders about dharma and right conduct in regulating

societal issues. We seem to be rapidly losing this great tradition.

 

Now, let us try to understand why these issues have gained urgency.

Principally because of the new ideologies which are sought be used as

a justification for changing textbooks in schools. It is being

suggested that books written by Leftists and Marxist ideologues are

the only true representation of reality which must be taught to the

children.

 

Our ancestors have gone through the trauma of invasions by intolerant

rulers and colonial regimes which looted the wealth of the nation. We

should learn the lessons from the experiences of our elders and

prevent the type of holocausts which ravaged our sacred land. Ours is

a land revered as a pun.yabhumi and everyone adores the tirthasthanas

ranging from Himalayas to Hindumahasagara. We are all children of

this

Himalay Parivaar and Hindumaha sagar parivaar. In fact, we have the

opportunity to create a Himalay Parivar and Hindumahasagar Community

as the Indian Ocean and Himalayan Community, to counterbalance the

European Community.

 

Education should not create a hateful set of students. Education

should create a vibrant, confident professional, technically

competent

and spiritually endowed community, ready to go, ready to contribute

to

achieving a One world order. We come from a tradition which calls for

thoughts to come from all sides: aano bhadra_h kratavo yantu

vis'vatah. Let us not demean ourselves by blinding ourselves with

blinkered or narrow vision. Let our vision expand into vasudaiva

kut.umbakam, the world as a web, as a ni_d.am, a web of interlinked

communities living in harmony and enjoying the fruits of human

labour,

with human dignity, ecological balance and spiritual oneness linking

the aatman with the paramaatman.

 

Traditional bharatiya education imparted not merely information and

skill set, but also a code of ethics and moral and spiritual values

for the benefit of the society and the nation. Education meant

knowledge which resulted in production of abundance, annam

bahukurvi_tha, prosperity and excellence for the benefit of the

ra_s.t.ra. A guru who imparted such knowledge was an asset to the

society and the nation. This is the reason why food, knowledge and

medicine used to be given free in our nation and the distribution was

need-based. It was given free because vidya_ was free and should be

accessible to all. Our society did not know hunger and whatever was

produced was shared with all through anna da_nam in the mandirams.

Our

contributions are not mere products of individual skill and

excellence, they are contributions made to building the nation and

contributions to society.

 

Our educationists have a great responsibility resting on their

shoulders. This responsibility includes the teaching of Indian

heritage and culture and integrating this culture as a spiritual

quest

to arrive at a full understanding of the paramaatman. Indian

education

system should march with the modern times and absorb the rapidly

evolving technologies. We have proved that our technologists and

scientists are second to none in the world in terms of competence and

commitment. Every one of the bharatiya experts is respected as a true

professional. The millions of Indians who are working with many

multi-national corporations and in many countries of the world have

earned laurels for themselves and made our country feel proud of

their

contributions to world heritage.

 

Let us produce about 10 textbooks for each class for each subject.

Let

the students and teachers choose the teaching material which appeals

to them. Let us not depend upon only government-authorized textbooks.

This should become a national mission to be undertaken voluntarily by

our educationists. Let us NOT do anything which will diminish this

great paramparaa, this noble tradition which can become a beacon of

hope for the future of the entire world community. Above all these,

there is one primordial value to be cherished by educationists.

Education should impart dharma, a unique contribution of Bharat to

world order. Dharmo raks.ati raks.itah Dharma protects those who

protect dharma. This protection of dharma will be the greatest

contribution that educationists will make to national security.

 

Bharat is a nation which has produced eminent thinkers of the world

who have contributed not only to Bharatiya civilization but also to

world civilization.

 

How many remember Aryabhat.a and Bhaskara as among the greatest

astronomers and mathematicians the world has ever known? How many

know

about Kapila as the great rationalist and materialist concerned about

objective, verifiable, falsifiable researches on phenomena? How many

are aware the shad. dars'anas as a methodological framework for

inquiry into problems of existence and for unraveling any research

problem? How many know that the Delhi Iron Pillar is a marvel, an

eighth wonder of the world in metallurgy, a pillar which has not

rusted despite a millennium of exposure to the ravages of time? How

many know that about 70% of the materia media in British Pharmacopeia

included herbal medicines mentioned in the ayurvedic texts of Bharat?

 

How many know that Vedavyaasa was sitting on the banks of River

Sarasvati and observing the celestial events as if they were the

celestial clock monitoring terrestrial events of about 3000 years

Before Common Era? We conducted an international symposium in

Bangalore, on this subject using planetarium software, which was

presided over by Dr. Raja Ramanna, our nuclear scientist. This makes

Mahabharata the sheet-anchor of modern Bharatiya Itihaasa.

 

How many realize that a true history of our heritage is being written

by our scientists, that submergenc of Dwaraka mentioned in

Mahabharata

has been substantiated by seismologista and ocean technologists, that

River Sarasvati has been discovered by multi-disciplinary scientific

techniques including use of satellite images from IRS 1-c satellites

of Indian Space Research Organization. How many aware that River

Sarasvati will flow again in our lifetime giving new life to 20 crore

people and become an impetus to create a National Water Grid to bring

Brahmaputra to Kanyakumari? Eight volume encyclopedic work on

Sarasvati has been published which will, hopefully, be read by every

educationist.

 

This rediscovery of Vedic river Sarasvati demolishes the claims of

Aryan invasion to be an indological myth. This Grid alone has the

potential to take Bharat to a developed nation status by 2020, by

doubling agricultural production and by empowering the villages for

grama swarajyam. How many know that the first stone dam built in the

world was by Karikaala chola, a kallanai, a Grand anicut whih is

standing even today after 1000 years as a testament to the

engineering

skill of the Bharatiya. We come from a tradition of Gangaikonda Chola

who conquered upto Ganga region but did not ask for tribute of gold

or

land but asked for Ganga waters and brought them in golden vessels to

be mixed the waters of the pushkarini in front of the Br.hadi_s'vara

mandiram and named it Chola Ganga. The skills of our sculptors who

built the Rames'varam Mandapam or the caves of Ellora and Ajanta are

monuments of unparalleled architectural excellence in the annals of

and the story of world civilization. The list can go on.

 

History in Bharat has always been an enterprise of knowledge.

Aryabhatiya was completed in 499 Common Era and included discussion

of

diurnal motion of the earth. Brahmagupta's Sanskrit treatise on

astronomy had been first translated into Arabic in the 8th century by

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Fazari. It was again translated by Alberuni

three hundred years later in the 11th century. Several works on

medicine, science and philosophy from Bharat had Arabic rendering by

the 9th century. Through the Arabs the decimal system and numerals

invented in Bharat reached Europe. India had long democratic

traditions as evidenced by the inscription found at Uttaramerur of

Chola kingdom, dated to 9th century Common Era, prescribing elections

and qualifications for candidates to manage local community affairs

of

maintaining irrigation and temple tanks, roads and gardens and other

civic amenities. Rabindra Nath Tagore wrote a monograph titled A

Vision of India' History. In a climactic passage, he observed: "The

India of to-day has roused herself once more to search out her truth,

her harmony, her oneness, not only among her own constituent

elements,

but with the great world. The current of her life, which had been

dammed up in stagnation has found some breach in the wall and can

feel

the pulse of the tidal waves of humanity outside. We shall learn that

we can reach the great world of man, not through the effacement, but

through the expansion of our own individuality. We shall know for

certain that, just as it is futile mendicancy to covet the wealth of

others in place of our own, so also to keep ourselves segregated and

starved by refusing the gift which is the common heritage of man

because it is brought to us by a foreign messenger, only makes for

utter destitution." It is time for Bharatiyas to write their own

history and remove the distortions introduced by colonial masters.

 

It is in conveying such historical truths and a spirit of inquiry

among the students that the objective of education will be realized.

The objective of education is to prepare future citizens of the

nation. Education should provide for a flowering of human personality

realizing the full potential of every child and preparing every child

as a future citizen of the country, proud of bharatiya heritage and

confident in contributing to the development of the nation and in

participating in activities for national resurgence. Such purposeful

education should be the focus of every educationist and every

policy-maker involved in formulating education policies.

 

Key characteristics and world-view

 

vasudhaiva kutumbakam, world as family; yatra vis'vam bhavati eka

ni_d.am (where the world becomes one web).

 

Hindu civilization is unique in expounding concepts which have

universal relevance and are relevant today to promote world peace and

harmony (sarve bhavantu sukhinah, 'let all beings be happy'):

sarve bhavantu sukhinah

sarve santu niraamayaah

Sarve bhadraani pashyantu

Maakaschit duhkha bhaag bhavet

May all be happy! (sukhinah)

May all be free from disabilities! (niraamayaah)

May all look (pashyantu) to the good of others!

May none suffer from sorrow! (duhkha)

The concepts which propound the hindu world-view are:

 

Satyam (Truth, free inquiry)

Dharma (Order that sustains; dharma is NOT religion. Dharma is a

R.gvedic concept.)

Rita (Cosmic rhythm)

Vrata (Human responsibility)

Rinam [bedrock for establishing human responsibility: Debt owed by

society to pitr. (ancestors), rishi (seers), deva (divine forces)]

 

tribhir r.n.ava_ ja_yate/

brahmacharyen.a rishibhyah, yagjnena devebhyah,

prajayya pitrubhyah//

(Vide: Taittriya Samhita 6.3.10.5, Satapatha BraahmaNa 1.7.2.1-6,

Baudayana Dharma Sutra 2.9.16.7, Purva Mimamsa Darsana 6.2.11, Sabara

Baashya 1.7.2.3)

 

The three debts are:

1. Rishi Rinam: Debt due to Rishis. This can be discharged by

Brahmacharyam and acquiring knowledge systems (The discharge of this

debt encourages a spirit of inquiry into truth, satyam).

2. Deva Rinam: Debt due to the Celestials: This can be discharged by

performing one or more of the Yajna.

3. Pitr. Rinam: Debt due to ancestors: This can be discharged by

begetting children, after duly getting initiated into grihastaashrama

(as Householder).

 

This logically leads to the organization of society into aashrama or

stages of life:

 

Brahmacharya: This is the first stage of life to learn about four

purusharthas, four goals of life: dharma, artha, kaama and moksha

(sustaining order, prosperity, enjoyment and salvation). Focus:

knowledge systems. S'ikshaavalli of Taittiriya Upanishad says: satyam

vada dharmam cara swa_dhyaya_n ma_ pramadah a_ca_rya_ya priyam dhanam

a_hr.tya: Speak the truth, walk the path of dharma, never swerve from

the path towards true learning and progress, give unto the teacher

what is pleasing to him.

 

The knowledge systems (s'a_stra) can be grouped into two types

namely:

a. The Vedas which are moola pramana (self-authentic).

b. Other texts: su_tra, smruthi, purana and Ithihasa.

 

Gr.hasta: The next stage of family life. Focus: discharge of human

responsibility, vrata.

 

Vaanaprastha: The next of withdrawal into contemplation. Focus:

meditation, yoga.

 

Contributions of: Yoga, Ayurveda, Zero as position value in

Mathematics

 

Sanyasa: The last stage of emancipation through renunciation of

worldly duties and following the path of spiritual enlightenment.

Focus: introspection, consciousness and cosmos. Vyragya and Ahimsa

are

two exclusive commitments for sanyasa and sanyasa is the exclusive

commitment for Moksha.

 

An extension of this concept of aashrama is varn.aashrama:

organization of society for managing social responsibilities:

bra_hman.a, ks.atriya, vais'ya, s'u_dra (thinkers, warriors,

merchants

and agricuturists-workers).

 

Janma: This division is based on the family in which the individual

is

born. There is no gradation of superior or inferior in the birth.

Guna: This division is based on the character or disposition of the

individual. For this the guna is classified into four corresponding

to

the four varna.

 

One' swabha_va (innate proclivities) and family traditions regulate

choice (varna), hence the choice of varn.a. Varn.a is NOT a status

based on birth. Nor is there any gradition or ranking in varn.a or

ja_ti in the hindu tradition.

 

This interpretation is exemplified by the absence of religious wars

and central heirarchy; capacity for internal reform, ongoing reforms

to eliminate untouchability and equality among hindu jaati.

 

Ja_ti is an extension of the responsibilities enjoined on members of

extended families and extended kinship groups with particular

reference to the performance of samska_ra, traditions related to

stages of life and homage to ancestors in the course of discharge of

the three rina-s (debts). Samska_ra relate to birth of a child,

puberty, marriage, child-bearing, cremation, s'ra_ddha (remembrance

of

ancestors). Ti_rthastha_na are an extension of this samska_ra paying

homage to the rishi-s and elders who have handed down the legacy of a

civilization and bharatiya ethos and traditions and a prayer to

mother

nature, mother earth for endowing the earth with the riches of water,

rivers, trees and mountains (ecosystem) to sustain and nurture all

living things. Ti_rthastha_na are a celebration of earth. So is the

metaphor of samudramanthanam, a celebration of riches of the ocean

and

mother earth and an exemplar of cooperation among asura and deva to

cooperate in harnessing the resources in a sustainable manner.

 

Equality of status of women

 

In the performance of vrata (human responsibility), the role of women

is emphasised; a married woman is referred to as dharma-patni

(partner

in dharma).

 

Karma and Reincarnation

 

Concepts of human effort and karma: imperative of moral actions

 

Mahavira propounded the principle of human effort (purushartha),

which

was not against the principle of karma. Karma is the result of

purushartha. The principle of transformation of karma is that with

evil practices, merit (punyam) can be turned to demerit (paapam), and

with moral actions, demerits can be turned into merits.

 

As the karma so the fruits one reaps.

 

The Four Noble Truths of the Buddha

 

1. There is Suffering Suffering is common to all.

2. Cause of Suffering We are the cause of our suffering.

3. End of Suffering Stop doing what causes suffering.

4. Path to end Suffering Everyone can be enlightened.

 

Noble eight-fold path of the Buddha

1. Right View. The right way to think about life is to see the world

through the eyes of the Buddha--with wisdom and compassion.

2. Right Thought. We are what we think. Clear and kind thoughts build

good, strong characters.

3. Right Speech. By speaking kind and helpful words, we are respected

and trusted by everyone.

4. Right Conduct. No matter what we say, others know us from the way

we behave. Before we criticize others, we should first see what we do

ourselves.

5. Right Livelihood. This means choosing a job that does not hurt

others. The Buddha said, "Do not earn your living by harming others.

Do not seek happiness by making others unhappy."

6. Right Effort. A worthwhile life means doing our best at all times

and having good will toward others. This also means not wasting

effort

on things that harm ourselves and others.

7. Right Mindfulness. This means being aware of our thoughts, words,

and deeds.

8. Right Concentration. Focus on one thought or object at a time. By

doing this, we can be quiet and attain true peace of mind.

Both Mahavira and Buddha propounded the imperative of dharma/dhamma

in

all walks of life.

Khalsa Panth to protect dharma against islamist onslaught, was

formally launched by Guru Gobind Singh Ji on Baishakhi (New year) day

in the year 1699. The new community was termed the Khalsa Panth or

the

'Pure Sect' as its followers were required to be far more strict in

observing the tenets of their reformed faith. The followers of the

Khalsa were required to observe five visible symbols of membership.

These signs as we know were: 1) Unshorn Hair (Kesha), 2) A curved

dagger (Kirpan), 3) A comb (Kangva), 4) A steel bangle (Kada), 5) A

pair of shorts (Kachha). All members of the Khalsa were required to

suffix their name with the term 'Singh' meaning 'lion'.

Punarjanma (Wheel of birth: Rebirth, reincarnation)

 

Samska_ra (traditions related to stages of life from conception of

life-forms to death and remembrance.)

 

Mahavira and Buddha propounded a breath-taking world-view that the

world survives on interdependence and emphasised mutual cooperation.

This was an extension of the vedic thought of ni_d.am, world as a web

(vis'vam bhavati eka ni_d.am).

 

Tolerance for variety of spiritual faiths and freedom of spiritual

expression/quests for jna_na and moks.a (wisdom and salvation)

 

Indian Ocean Community (spread of hindu dharma in Indonesia, Indo-

China)

 

What great thinkers of the world, Voltaire, Einstein, Lin Yu Tang

said

of contributions of hindu thought to world culture (See

tributetohinduism)

 

Present problems of global nature caused by clashes among faiths:

introduction of christism and islamism; contemporary persecution of

Hindu in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Kashmir (India), NE India

 

Tirthasthaana-s, mandirams, yoga (all as aids to concentration)

 

Bhajans, kirtan, music, bharata natyam and other forms of bharatiya

dance forms; spiritual in every act of life (kala_ sa_dhana:

spiritual

quest through art, dance, music, literature).

 

Role of Bhakti movement in protecting hindu dharma against the

onslaughts of christism and islamism.

 

Hindu contributions to the world of science and technology.

[Metallurgy: Delhi iron pillar, finds of iron-workings in Ganga basin

dated to 2nd millennium BCE, finds of copper mines in Sarasvati River

Basin (Khetri mines), indian alchemical traditions; architecture:

temple gopurams, Rames'varam mandapam, Ajanta, Ellora, va_stu and

s'ilpa s'a_stra; art forms: terracotta images from Sarasvati

civilization, sculptures on mandiram walls and gopurams, music and

dance forms: yakshagana, folk theatre, burrakatha, harikatha;

literature: Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, Tulasidas, Kamban, Panini,

Tolkappiyan; philosophy: Mahavira, Buddha, S'ankara, Ramanuja,

Madhwa,

a_gama; mathematics and astronomy: Aryabhata, Bhaskara, Varahamihira;

medicine: ayurveda herbals, surgery, inoculations, holistic medicine,

yoga therapy; education: gurukula system of tutorial and spiritual

disciples; ashrama; festivals and tirthayatra: kumbhamela,

celebrations of nature, deepavali, navaratri, river puja on Vasanta

Panchami (birthday of River Sarasvati); economic systems:

arthas'a_stra, organic farming systems and traditional knowledge

systems of farmins: krishi para_sara; war strategies: dhanurvidya,

Mahabharata, Ramayana, Vimanas'a_stra]

 

Ganga-Yamuna-Sarasvati. Himalaya. The rediscovery and rebirth of

River

Sarasvati in Bharat are historic events, epochs in the story of world

civilization. A civilization was nurtured on the banks of River

Sarasvati prior to 3500 Before Common Era and the civilization did

NOT

die and the cultural traditions continue even today in Bharat, that

is

India. Examples: wearing sindhur in the parting of the hair,

importance of s'ankha, finds of s'ivalinga in civilization sites,

importance of pus.karini-s as tirthasthaana, weights and measures,

epigraphs on copper plates, lamps held on terracotta images and

deepavali, chessmen, dice-games, maritime, riverine traditions.

 

Yogasutra: The "transformations of the mind-stuff or brain-system"

are

said to be five-fold, namely, "authentic knowing" (pramana), "error"

(viparyaya), "verbalization" (vikalpa), "deep sleep" (nidra), and

"memory" (smrti)(YS I.6). These five transformations or functions of

the citta are said to be "afflicted" or "unafflicted" (klistaklista)

(YS 1.5). The "afflicted" modes refer to the ordinary, intentional

awarenesses of everyday life, and these "afflictions" (klesa-s) are

also five in number, namely, "ignorance" (avidya), "egoity" (asmita),

"attachment" (raga), "aversion" (dvesa), and the "instinctive fear

of

death" (abhinivesa) (YS II.3-9). The ultimate "cessation," awareness

of the presence of pure consciousness (niruddha or

a-samprajnata-samadhi or the "clear discrimination,"

viveka-khyati, of purusa)(YS II.10-11).

 

Yoga is one of the six schools of hindu philosophical systems (s.ad.

dars'ana):

 

Six schools of Hindu philosophy or methods of research/inquiry

 

Among s.ad. dars'ana (nya_ya, vais'es.ika, yoga, sa_mkhya, pu_rma

mi_ma_msa, uttara mi_ma_msa), nya_ya is often recognized as the

school

of Indian logic. Vais'es.ika su_tra of Kan.a_da deals with atomism.

Kapila's sa_mkhya (I_s'varakr.s.n.a's sa_mkhyaka_rika_) postulates

duality of prakr.ti and purus.a (a_tman). Patanjali's yogasu_tra adds

the principle of i_s'vara (omniscient). Uttarami_ma_msa is the school

of vedanta. Pu_rvami_ma_msa interpretsthe veda as vidhi (injunction).

Indian logic, nya_ya dates back to 640 BCE (Gautama Nya_ya

su_tra).Anvi_ks.iki - the science of analysis, Indian logic developed

into the science of knowledge â€" Prama_n.as'a_stra and then into

the

science of

dialectics â€" Prakaran.a of Tarkas'a_stra.

 

In Yoga, four levels of knowledge are postulated: of the physical

body

(which is composed of matter); of the astral body (of thoughts and

emotions); of the causal body ( the reincarnating entity) and of the

universal spirit (parama_tman).

 

Contribution of jana-ja_ti in evolving hindu culture and hindu

systems

of thought: Use of taambula as affirmation of contracts among

families

(e.g. during marriage contracts), use of tulasi as divinity, Puri

Jagannath, Vittobha, Grama devata, Mother Divinity, s'akti peetha,

Gangasnaanam, kumbhamela, land as commonwealth to be shared by the

people, murtipuja, a_tithya, swaabhimaan (pride in hindu identity).

 

Ayurveda as a knowledge system

 

Ayurveda is a holistic healing science which comprises of two words,

Ayu and Veda. Ayu means life and Veda means knowledge or science. So

the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is the science of life.

Ayurveda is a science dealing not only with treatment of some

diseases

but is a complete way of life. Rishi-s saw health as an integral

part

of spiritual life. Knowledge of the use of various methods of

healing, prevention, longevity and surgery. Atreya, the school of

physicians, and Dhanvantari , the school of surgeons postulated

ayurveda scientifically verifiable and classifiable medical

systems.

Ayurvedic texts were translated in Arabic and physicians such as

Avicenna and Razi Sempion, who both quoted Ayurvedic texts ,

established Islamic Medicine.

This medicine became popular in Europe and helped to form the

foundation of the European tradition in medicine. In the 16th Century

Europe , Paracelsus , who is known as the father of modern Western

medicine, practiced and propagated a system of medicine which

borrowed

heavily from Ayurveda.

 

Atharva Veda CA.800 Years Before.Common era. : Lists the eight

divisions of Ayurveda - Internal Medicine, Surgery of Head and

Neck,Opthalmology and Otorinolaryngology, Toxicology, Psychiatry,

Paediatrics, Gerontology or Science of Rejuvenation and Science of

Fertility

Charaka Samhita CA.600 Years Before.Common era.: A major work on

internal medicine , written by the physician Agnivesa, modified by

charaka

Sushrutha Samhita CA.500 Years Before.Common era. : Sushrutha , a

surgeon who developed the operative techniques of rhinoplasty

(plastic

surgery), wrote the Sushrutha Samhita which describes a highly

developed surgery.

Samhitas of Vagbhata CA.600 Years A.D. : This text deals with all

aspects of life, health, disease and treatment.

 

Just as in nature, human beings too are composed of five elements:

ether, air, fire, water, earth. When any of these elements are

imbalanced in the environment , they will in turn have an influence

on us. The foods we eat and the weather are just two examples of the

influence of these elements . While we are a composite of these five

primary elements, certain elements are seen to have an ability to

combine to create various physiological functions.

 

The elements combine with Ether and Air in dominence to form what is

known in Ayurveda as Vata Dosha. Vata governs the principle of

movement and therefore can be seen as the force which directs nerve

impulses, circulation, respiration and elemination etc.,

 

The elements with Fire and Water in dominence combine to form the

Pitta Dosha . The Pitta Dosha is responsible for the process of

transformation or metabolism. The transformation of foods into

nutrients that our bodies can assimilate is an example of a Pitta

function. Pitta is also responsible for metabolism in the organ and

tissue systems as well as cellular metabolism.

 

Finally, it is predominantly the water and earth elements which

combine to form the Kapha Dosha. Kapha is responsible for growth,

adding structure unit by unit. It also offers protection , for

example, in form of the cerebral-spinal fluid,which protects the

brain

and spinal column. The mucousal lining of the stomach is another

example of the function of Kapha Dosha protecting the tissues.

 

We are all made up of unique proportions of Vata,Pitta and Kapha.

 

 

Other important basic principles of Ayurveda which are briefly

mentioned here are:

Dhatus- These are the basic tissues which maintain and nourish the

body. They are seven in number namely- rasa(chyle), raktha(blood),

mamsa(muscles), meda(fatty tissue), asthi(bone), majja(marrow) and

sukla(reprodutive tissue). Proper amount of each dhatu and their

balanced function is very important for good health.

 

Mala- These are the waste materials produced as a result of various

metabolic activities in the body. They are mainly urine, feaces,

sweat

etc. Proper elimination of the malas is equally important for good

health. Accumulation of malas causes many diseases in the body.

Srotas- These are different types of channels which are responsible

for transportation of food, dhatus, malas and doshas. Proper

functioning of srotas is necessary for transporting different

materials to the site of their requirement. Blockage of srotas causes

many diseases.

Agni- These are different types of enzymes responsible for digestion

and transforming one material to another.

 

All these factors should function in a proper balance for good

health.

They are inter-related and are directly or indirectly responsible for

maintaining equilibrium of the tridoshas.

 

Balance and Harmony of the Three Doshas

When the three Doshas are well harmonised and function in a balanced

manner, it results in good nourishment and well-being of the

individual .

Anything dry almost always increases Vata , anything hot

increases

Pitta and anything heavy , Kapha.

This leads to the development of vegetarian diets and formulation of

balanced diets.

 

Itihasa (lit. it, emphatically, thus happened) include philosophical

and ethical discourse. These are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, of

which the Bhagavad Gita is part and the puranas (including

Bha_gavatam

and Vis.n.u Purana). The "ha" in the middle of itihasa,

means "without

doubt", "truly". So an itihasa means a true story, also a

contemporarary account. Valmiki composed the Ramayana during the

lifetime of Rama. Vyasa, author of the Mahabharata, lived during the

time of the five Pandavas and was witness to the events narrated by

him in his epic. Mahabharata is the sheet anchor of the ancient

history of Bharat, that is India.

 

Itihasa combines both old happenings, as well as words of advice

regarding dharma, artha, kama and moksa: dharmarthakamamoksanam

upadesa-samanvitam, purvavrtta-kathayuktam itihasam pracaks.ate,

Mahabharata, Chitrasala Press Edn. The sloka has been quoted in V.S.

Apte's The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Revised and

enlarged

edn., Prasad Prakasan, Puna, 1957, under the entry Itihasa, and the

above reference has been provided there. It appears also in

Visnu-dharma, 3/15/1.

 

Itihasa as history in the bharatiya tradition is truly secular,

endowed with a PURPOSE, a life-mission, encompassing the spiritual

while in tune with an individual's faculties, potential and aptitude

to follow a path leading to the purusha_rtha: the goal of life.

 

Purana

 

According to Vya_sa in Chandogya Upanishad (7.1.4): itihasa-puranah

pancamah vedanam vedah, 'itihasa-purana, as the fifth branch of

knowledge, is the veda of the veda, i.e. grammar or vedic

literature).

 

In the Upanishad, Sanatkumara asks Narada to list all the branches

of

knowledge that he knows. Narada lists them by saying, 1. Rg Veda, 2.

Yajur Veda, 3. Sama Veda, 4. Atharva Veda, 5. Itihasa-Purana, 6.

the

Veda of the Vedas i.e. grammar, etc. He goes on to list other

branches of knowledge,

like Rasi, Nakshatra vidya, Kshatra vidya, etc.

 

3. After knowing all these branches of knowledge, Narada is still in

grief, and asks Sanatkumara to teach him. Sanatkumkara says: "All

that

you know till now, is nothing but a name. The Rg Veda is a name, the

Yajur Veda is a name,....., the Itihasa-Purana is a name."

Sanatkumara then proceeds to

teach Narada the secret of Brahman and Atman. He explains the

bhu_ma_n, the Infinite as I, and then as the Atman and as the whole

of

creation. TheAtman alone is all this, he says, at the end of the 7th

prapathaka of the Upansihad.

 

Chandogya-upanishad

 

SEVENTH PRAPATHAKA.

FIRST KHANDA

1. Narada approached Sanatkumara and said, 'Teach me, Sir!'

Sanatkumara said to him: 'Please to tell me what you know; afterward

I

shall tell you what is beyond.'

2. Narada said: 'I know the Rig-veda, Sir, the Yagur-veda, the

Sama-veda, as the fourth the Atharvana, as the fifth the

Itihasa-purana (the Bharata); the Veda of the Vedas (grammar); the

Pitrya (the rules for the sacrifices for the ancestors); the Rasi

(the

science of numbers); the Daiva (the science of portents); the Nidhi

(the science of time); the Vakovikya (logic); the Ekayana (ethics);

the Devavidya (etymology); the Brahma-vidya (pronunciation, siksha,

ceremonial, kalpa, prosody, khandas); the Bhuta-vidya (the science of

demons); the Kshatra-vidya (the science of weapons); the

Nakshatra-vidya (astronomy); the Sarpa and Devagana-vidya (the

science

of serpents or poisons, and the sciences of the genii, such as the

making of perfumes, dancing, singing, playing, and other fine arts).

All this I know, Sir.

3. 'But, Sir, with all this I know the Mantras only, the sacred

books,

I do not know the Self. I have heard from men like you, that he who

knows the Self overcomes grief. I am in grief. Do, Sir, help me over

this grief of mine.'

Sanatkumira said to him: 'Whatever you have read, is only a name.

4. 'A name is the.Rig-veda, Yagur-veda, Samaveda, and as the fourth

the Atharvana, as the fifth the Itihasa-purana, the Veda of the

Vedas,

the Pitrya, the Rasi, the Daiva, the Nidhi, the Vakovakya, the

Ekiyana, the Deva-vidya, the Brahma-vidya, the Bhuta-vidya, the

Kshatra-vidya, the Nakshatra-vidya, the Sarpa and Devagana-vidya. All

these are a name only. Meditate on the name.

5. 'He who meditates on the name as Brahman, is, as it were, lord and

master as far as the name reaches-he who meditates on the name as

Brahman.'

'Sir, is there something better than a name?'

'Yes, there is something better than a name.'

'Sir, tell it me.'

SECOND KHANDA

1. 'Speech is better than a name. Speech makes us understand the

Rig-veda, Yag-ur-veda, Sama-veda, and as the fourth the Atharvana, as

the fifth the Itihasa-purana, the Veda of the Vedas, the Pitrya, the

Rasi, the Daiva, the Nidhi, the Vakovakya, the Ekayana, the

Deva-vidya, the Brahma-vidya, the Kshatra-vidya, the Nakshatra-vidya,

the Sarpa and Devagana-vidya; heaven, earth, air, ether, water, fire,

gods, men, cattle, birds, herbs, trees, all beasts down to worms,

midges, and ants; what is right and what is wrong; what is true and

what is false; what is good and what is bad; what is pleasing and

what

is not pleasing. For if there were no speech, neither right nor wrong

would be known, neither the true nor the false, neither the good nor

the bad, neither the pleasant nor the unpleasant. Speech makes us

understand all this. Meditate on speech.

2. 'He who meditates on speech as Brahman, is, as it were, lord and

master as far as speech reaches he who meditates on speech as

Brahman.'

'Sir, is there something better than speech?'

'Yes, there is something better than speech.'

'Sir, tell it me.'

THIRD KHANDA

1. 'Mind (manas) is better than speech

FOURTH KHANDA

FIFTH KHANDA

1. 'Consideration (kitta) is better than will.

SIXTH KHANDA

1. 'Reflection (dhyana) is better than consideration.

SEVENTH KHANDA

1. 'Understanding (vignana) is better than reflection.

EIGHTH KHANDA

Power (bala) is better than understanding.

NINTH KHANDA

1. 'Food (anna) is better than power.

TENTH KHAIVDA.

1. 'Water (ap) is better than food.

ELEVENTH KHANDA

1. 'Fire (tegas) is better than water.

TWELFTH KHANDA.

1. 'Ether (or space) is better than fire.

THIRTEENTH KHANDA

1. 'Memory, (smara) is better than ether.

FOURTEENTH KHANDA.

1. 'Hope (asa) is better than memory.

FIFTEENTH KHANDA

1. 'Spirit (prana) is better than hope

SIXTEENTH KHANDA

1. 'But in reality he is an ativadin who declares the Highest Being

to

be the True (Satya).'

SEVENTEENTH KHANDA.

1. 'When one understands the True, then one declares the True.

EIGHTEENTH KHANDA

1. 'When one perceives, then one understands.

NINETEENTH KHANDA

1. 'When one believes, then one perceives.

TWENTIETH KHANDA

1. 'When one attends on a tutor (spiritual guide), then one

believes.

TWENTY-FIRST KHANDA

1. 'When one performs all sacred duties, then one attends really on

a tutor.

TWENTY-SECOND KHANDA

1. 'When one obtains bliss (in oneself), then one performs duties.

TWENTY-THIRD KHANDA

1. 'The Infinite (bhuman) is bliss

TWENTY-FOURTH KHANDA

1. 'Where one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, understands

nothing else, that is the Infinite.

TWENTY-FIFTH KHANDA.

1. 'The Infinite indeed is below, above, behind, before, right and

left-it is indeed all this.

'Now follows the explanation of the Infinite as the I: I am below, I

am above, I am behind, before, right and left-I am all this.

2. 'Next follows the explanation of the Infinite as the Self: Self is

below, above, behind, before, right and left-Self is all this.

'He who sees, perceives, and understands this, loves the Self,

delights in the Self, revels in the Self, rejoices in the Self-he

becomes a Svarag, (an autocrat or self-ruler); he is lord and master

in all the worlds.

'But those who think differently from this, live in perishable

worlds,

and have other beings for their rulers.

TWENTY-SIXTH KHANDA

1. 'To him who sees, perceives, and understands this, the spirit

(prana) springs from the Self, hope springs from the Self, memory

springs from the Self; so do ether, fire, water, appearance and

disappearance, food, power, understanding, reflection, consideration,

will, mind, speech, names, sacred hymns, and sacrifices-aye, all this

springs from the Self.

2. 'There is this verse, "He who sees this, does not see death, nor

illness, nor pain; he who sees this, sees everything, and obtains

everything everywhere.

'"He is one (before creation), he becomes three (fire, water, earth),

he becomes five, he becomes seven, he becomes nine; then again he is

called the eleventh, and hundred and ten and one thousand and

twenty."

'When the intellectual aliment has been purified, the whole nature

becomes purified. When the whole nature has been purified, the memory

becomes firm. And when the memory (of the Highest Self) remains firm,

then all the ties (which bind us to a belief in anything but the Selo

are loosened.

'The venerable Sanatkumara showed to Narada, after his faults had

been

rubbed out, the other side of darkness. They call Sanatkumara Skanda,

yea, Skanda they call him.'

 

Five characteristics of Purana

 

A Purana must have five characteristic features - (laksanas). The

first is "sarga" (creation of the cosmos); the second is "prati-

sarga"

(how eon after eon it expanded); the third is "vamsa" (the lineage of

living creatures beginning with the childrern of brahma); the fourth

is Manvantara (dealing with the ages of the 14 Manus, forefathers of

mankind during the 1, 000 caturyugas); and the fifth is

"vamsanucarita" (genealogy of rulers of the nation including the

solar

and lunar dynasties). Besides there are descriptions of the earth,

the

heavens the different worlds.

 

Purana are thus a quest, an inquiry into the osmos and an exposition

of natural and social history, not a mere chronicle of kings or

chronology of dynasties.

 

We started with an introductory statement that a culture has to be

understood in terms of the idioms of that culture. In the knowledge

systems of India, smruti is such an idiom. It is difficult to

translate this term, as exemplified by the following excerpts from an

article by Gerald James Larson (appended).

 

Dr. S. Kalyanaraman

3 Temple Avenue, Chennai 600015; Tel. 91 44 22350557

kalyan97@g... http://www.hindunet.org/saraswati

 

18 October 2004

 

The `Trimurti' of `Smrti' in classical Indian thought

by Larson, Gerald James

Philosophy East & West

Vol. 43 No. 3 1993 July

Pp.373-387

Copyright of Philosophy East & West is the Property of

University of Hawaii

 

THE `TRIMURTI' OF `SMRTI' IN CLASSICAL INDIAN THOUGHT

 

Introduction

 

S. P. R. Rose, in an article titled "Memory: Biological Basis,"

offers

the following observation:

 

Indeed memory is a portmanteau expression which includes within

itself

two processes and, by hypothesis, a thing. The processes are the

learning of some new skill, behaviour pattern, or piece of

information

(sometimes called the acquisition of the memory) and, at some later

time, the recall and re-expression of the skill or information

(sometimes called retrieval). The thing that connects the two

processes of learning and recall is a change in the properties of the

brain system so as to store the new information which the learning

represents, in such a form that it can subsequently, in response

to

appropriate cues, be searched for and retrieved. This change is

known

as the memory trace, or engram.[1]

 

I propose to suggest in the present essay that the classical Sanskrit

term smrti, usually translated as "memory" or "tradition," is

likewise

a portmanteau expression but in a somewhat different and broader

sense

than Rose's treatment of "memory" as an English expression.

Specifically, I want to call attention to what I am inclined to call

three "corporate" dimensions of smrti in traditional South Asian

thought, namely, (a) smrti as "synchronic phylogeny," (b) smrti as

"diachronic ontogeny," and © smrti as "precessional cosmology." All

three "corporate" dimensions of smrti are, in my view, unique to

South

Asian thought (at least in their intracultural relations with one

another) and thereby offer some interesting perspectives on the

subject of the symposium "Myth, Memory and History." Indeed, my first

reaction to the title of the symposium, as a student of South Asian

thought, was that in classical Sanskrit it would be possible, albeit

inelegant and somewhat unhelpful, to translate the title simply as

"Smrti, Smrti, and Smrti," for it is clear enough that the Sanskrit

term smrti can commonly mean "myth" or "memory" or "history," either

singly or in any combination. "Myth" in Sanskrit can be

puravrttakatha

(an old tale or story), puranakatha (an ancient story), or simply

purana (an old tradition), and such old stories or traditions are

included within a class of texts called itihasa-purana (from

iti-ha-asa, meaning "so indeed it was," and purana, meaning "of old")

that belong to a larger class of texts referred to as smrti, meaning

in this context something like the cultural discourses that

constitute

the "important corporate memory of the community" and that I shall be

characterizing as "synchronic phylogeny" in the sequel.[2] "Memory"

in

Sanskrit is usually smrti(or a related word such as smaratva,

smarana,

anusmrti, and so forth), from the root smr, "to remember,to

recollect,to be mindful or alert." Of particular interest in the

South Asian conceptualization of "personal" memory is the remarkable

claim that the memory of my present life is what could be considered

my short-term memory, whereas my long-term memory encompasses more

than one life or embodiment so that my "personal" memory is in its

way

as "corporate," if you will, as is the "corporate memory of the

community."

NOTES

 

This essay was originally presented at the symposium "Myth, Memory,

and History," held at the Center for South Asian Studies, University

of Virginia, in Charlottesville, March 1992.

 

1 - S. P. R. Rose, "Memory: Biological Basis," in The Oxford

Companion

to the Mind, ed. R. L. Gregory (Oxford: Oxford University Press,

1987), p. 456.

 

2 - The term smrti in this sense is to be contrasted with the class

of

texts known as sruti or authoritative, "scriptural" texts (the

Veda-s). The latter represent the direct knowledge of revelation in

terms of either

required ritual action or speculative knowledge or both, whereas the

former represent only a derived authority. That is to say, smrti or

the "important corporate memory of the community" can never

contradict

sruti(the special knowledge revealed in the Veda-s). If there is a

conflict, sruti always

prevails. In the event that something is mentioned in smrti that is

not mentioned in sruti, it must always be assumed that the warrant

was

there in sruti but that the appropriate sruti warrant has been lost.

For an

important discussion of the relation between smrti and sruti, see

Madhav Deshpande, "History, Change and Permanence: A Classical Indian

Perspective," in Contributions to South Asian Studies, vol. 1, ed.

Gopal Krishna (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1979); pp. 1-28; esp.

pp. 9-10:

 

http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-PHIL/larson.htm

 

 

IN MY OPINION

Winning the Hearts of Youth

 

When teachers become students, learning is fun

By Dahyabhai K. Patel

 

My wife Sushila and I conduct a youth program for teenage Hindus at

our local mandir (a Hindu worship center) in Berlin, New Jersey. When

we initially volunteered to perform this service in 1994, the program

consisted primarily of kids attending academic dissertations

presented

by respected scholars on topics related to Hindu religion and

culture.

 

Our classes took place from 10 am until twelve noon on the second and

fourth Sundays of each month during the school year. Although we were

very enthusiastic about our new project, it got off to a very slow

start. All too often, my wife and I were the only ones present at the

beginning of each morning session. The youth trickled in as late as

11:30 am, and the average class attendance had dropped to about ten

kids per session. Those who came did so only because their parents

told them to. It was not hard to foresee that this program in its

present form would most certainly self destruct within two or three

years. We had to do something fast.

 

First, we tried to understand the problem by understanding the youth.

After all, the classes were for them. Here were some of our insights:

1) Young people like to be given incentive; 2) They don't like to be

told what to do; 3) They enjoy a free learning environment in which

they are encouraged to raise questions and offer feedback, even about

the teaching program itself; 4)ÊAll youth are not the same--the

concerns of older teens, for instance, are far different from those

of

younger teens.

 

Keeping all of this in mind, we embarked upon making some fundamental

changes to the existing program. They were as follows: We cut the

length of the speeches in half, allowing thirty minutes for open

discussion. We replaced some lecture sessions with workshops on

cooking, arts, crafts, public speaking and more. We gave the youth

opportunities to communicate with newcomers and encouraged them to

make new friends. We rearranged our classes so that we were all

sitting in a circle, instead of in rows. This last change alone

solved

many communication problems.

 

With all these modifications, the youth started feeling much better

about the program. Actually, they became inspired beyond even our

highest expectation. Of their own accord, they began pulling in new

class participants with an assortment of innovative recruitment plans

including visiting and talking with parents, volunteering to help

with

youth activities, creating informational booths at local Indian

functions, talking to friends at school and communicating with their

own parents about what they were doing for the youth program.

 

My wife and I were so impressed. These kids were really taking the

classes to heart and working passionately to help them grow. After a

year, the class attendance rose to 85 and included kids as young as

twelve years of age. Now, Jain and Sikh children are joining in, and

parents are reporting that their children are looking forward to the

classes so much that they don't want to miss even a single session.

Today, one of our typical Sunday mornings includes prayer, worship,

yoga asanas, religious storytelling, chanting, games and scriptural

study.

 

The most important aspect of conducting a successful youth program is

recognizing that teachers are also students. Throughout this process,

my wife and I have learned to understand teenagers more deeply by

sincerely respecting their views, ideas, thoughts, opinions and

feelings. We have also discovered that successful communication with

youth is best accomplished by creating a warm environment with few

restrictions.

 

On my advice, all of them use simple questionnairs as icebreakers and

it works as good interaction tool for the topic.

 

My article in Hinduism today may give some idea for 13 to 18 years

old youth.

 

I know this is not exectly what you were looking for, but may be

there

is something that may be relevant.

Dahyabhai Patel

 

 

 

On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:39:41 -0700 (PDT), Shivaram Sitaram

<ssitaram100> wrote:

>

> Namaste KalyanRamanji,

>

> Where are you now ? I mean are you in Chennai?

>

> In Arsha Vidya meeting Sri Robert Arnett has

> agreed to produce a presentation "Hinduism Unveiled"

> which can be used by the parent volunteers visiting

> schools in USA to give presntation on Hiduism and

> India. he wants to get about 20 points which he needs

> to cover. We request your support in this, and please

> give us the the 20 important points which you think

> needs to be covered inthe school presentations. I will

> compile it and send it to R Arnett..

>

> looking forward for your help.......

>

> --- Srinivasan Kalyanaraman <kalyan97@g...>

> wrote:

>

> =====

> Regards,

> Shivaram

>

>

> _______________________________

>

> Declare Yourself - Register online to vote today!

> http://vote.

>

--- End forwarded message ---