By Salil Gewali
A person who does not properly know (a+b)2 and perpendicular should not speak about Integral calculus and Matrix Algebra. Unlearned political leaders with self-centered ambitions can hardly define Sanatan Dharma. Sadly, such immature people often hold sway over huge, unsuspecting masses in society. Such fanatic leaders, as in Europe’s post-medieval period, usually lead crowds into the darkness of ignorance.
Unlike in the West, “Dharma” (religion) in the ancient scriptures refers to a far deeper meaning. If you go into it deeply, you will be amazed to find that it carries under its wing the intellectual wisdom of the highest order.
Some ascetic said if anyone truly wants to know the depth of Sanatan Dharma, as enshrined in ancient texts, then he must go into solitude. Learning to swim in the “stillness” within the practice of meditation alone helps prepare one to feel what exactly Dharma is. As per the ancient scriptures, ‘Sanatan Dharma’ literally means “eternal and universal laws or principles” that govern everything and everyone, irrespective of culture, race, religion, belief, and practice. Dharmic or spiritual practices should not be touched by the blemishes of the material world. One has to transcend the mundane world and take flight to a higher dimension through self-practice. There is no question of hatred for others in Dharma.
A great American thinker, Henry David Thoreau, writes in his masterpiece walden: “In the Indian ancient scriptures, the idea of man is quite illimitable and sublime. He is at length lost in the supreme entity himself.” Therefore, there is a great mantra (mahavakya) in one of the Upanishads: “Tat Tvam Asi”, meaning “Thou Art That” — unity of an individual soul with “Brahman” — universal consciousness, we also call it God.
Of course, the scriptures of “dharma” not only speak of ethics, duty, the laws of karma, life, the after-life and reincarnation; but also expound with absolute precision the cosmic setup and infinite timeline. What is most intriguing is that those Indian sages who talked about mysticism also talked about subtle and fundamental principles that govern everything from tiny atomic particles to giant celestial bodies and their functioning and existential phenomena.
This very grand concept of Dharma and its allied intellectual wisdom bowled over scientists like Schrödinger and Oppenheimer almost a century ago. Schrödinger, in his deeper studies of “particle” and “wave function”, concluded: “The unity and continuity of Vedanta are reflected in the unity and continuity of wave mechanics. This is entirely consistent with the Vedanta concept of all in one.” Please note that Schrödinger’s “Wave Equation” revolutionized the field of quantum mechanics and paved the way for numerous technological advancements. Its application in understanding the behaviour of particles at the electromagnetic level has not only enabled the development of a plethora of modern electronic devices but also played a crucial role in satellite communication, Quantum enhanced GPS, space exploration, et al.
David Bohm, Eugene Wigner, David Josephson, Carl Sagan, Archibald Wheeler, Charles Townes, Jack Sarfatti, John Hagelin, and John Bells had already made attempts to plunge headlong into the cosmic sea of universal Consciousness of Upanishads – after realising the pulsating vibration of Quantum mechanic as the ultimate answer.
Here is another mind-blowing opinion by a prodigious American scholar, Huston Smith, who says: “While the West was still thinking, perhaps, of the 6,000-year-old universe – India was already envisioning ages and eons and galaxies as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. The Universe is so vast that modern astronomy slips into its folds without a ripple.” One of the most read scholars, Huston Smith’s “The Religions of Man”, sold over 3 million copies as of 2017.
Furthermore, after taking a dive into Indian scriptures, TS Eliot also exclaimed, “Indian philosophers’ subtleties make most of the great European philosophers look like schoolboys.”
What a paradox, that closer home, top intellectuals choose to just dismiss and belittle India’s intellectual heritage. And they do so without ever making an attempt to delve into ancient treasure troves. Therefore, in the advanced age of technology and breakthroughs in various fields of academia, certain people and certain leaders can still easily make the masses stand against the universal wisdom of India. Hope the laws of Karma will soon bring them to their knees.