OSWALD PEREIRA discusses the importance of being Indian, both nationally and internationally
What is the importance of being Indian? Is it being a Hindu, the majority community in India, which by virtue of numbers seems to command the greatest power and influence? Far from it.
The importance of being Indian is: being a Hindu and being so broadminded that other communities are seen and believed to be soul brothers — created or born through the grace of One … only One God.
For a true Indian, more important than anything else is the spirit of inclusiveness, against the hollow claim of exclusivity, whose only outcome is discord and dissensions.
The importance of being Indian is not the religion you are born into, but the land you are born into. The land upon which descended great avatars like Rama, Krishna and Buddha, leading the world on the pathway of love, peace, bliss and divinity. Neither did Rama nor Krishna talk about Hinduism. The religion as we see it today didn’t exist then.
Swami Vivekananda, who is credited with raising the status of Hinduism to a major world religion in the late nineteenth century, was also a strong advocate of interfaith dialogue and harmony. He not only preached but also practised Oneness of all world religions.
Taking forward the teachings of his guru, the venerated Sri Ramakrishna, believed to be an avatar of Vishnu, his love and devotion for Rama and Krishna were matched by his adoration for Buddha and Christ.
He also saw a great synergy between the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and the Quran. On his travels across the nation and his trips overseas, along with the Bhagavad Gita, he always had with him a copy of Thomas à Kempis’, The Imitation of Christ. Vivekananda once said, “had I lived in Palestine in the days of Jesus of Nazareth, I would have washed His feet, not with my tears but with my heart’s blood!”
But Vivekananda’s belief in the harmony and oneness of religions was never at the cost of his strong belief in the goodness of Hinduism, whose world ambassador he was.
When overseas, he would often tell his Western audience of the devout Hindu’s adherence to the scriptures. Right from his birth till he died, a Hindu lived his life in accordance with the scriptures, Swami Vivekananda said, adding that the scriptures moulded every aspect of a Hindu’s life.
That, indeed, is the importance of being Indian. Living a life, based on the Indian scriptures that has never ever recommended exclusivity and instead has embraced people of all religions the world over, as one family, in the true spirit of Sanatan Dharma.
In his Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda said, “The wisdom garnered by India, the eldest brother among the nations, is a heritage of all mankind.”
In its role as spiritual world leader among nations, the importance of being Indian, extends beyond the country’s boundaries.
In this international mission, Bhagavan Krishna is the guiding light. The Lord’s immortal teachings on the science of yoga and soul-liberation are an eternal source of inspiration for all ages and all nations, as enunciated in one of the greatest scriptures of all times, the sublime and supreme Bhagavad Gita.
Oswald Pereira, a senior journalist, has also written ten books, including Beyond Autobiography of a Yogi, The Newsroom Mafia, Chaddi Buddies, The Krishna-Christ Connexion, How to Create Miracles in Our Daily Life and Crime Patrol: The Most Thrilling Stories. Oswald is a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda, and practises Kriya Yoga.
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Featured Image: Dalai Lama holding an interfaith meeting