There are no easy solutions to human rights issues. But it won’t do us harm as people of a nation that is a Vishwaguru to look at the environment around us; and then within ourselves, to examine our hearts and conscience to find the answers to aberrations in human rights, if any, says OSWALD PEREIRA
India has bequeathed to the world great teachings, eternal philosophies, lofty thoughts and moral values that always make us proud to be Indians. One great philosophy or concept is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means ― so simply and yet so powerfully ― The World Is One Family.
Originally appearing in Chapter 6 of Maha Upanishad (VI.71-73)
अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् |
उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ||
Ayaṁ nijah paro veti gaṇanā laghuchetasām |
udārcharitānāṁ tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam ||
It means: Considerations like “he is mine or he is another’s” occur only to the narrow-minded person. To the broad-minded person, the whole world is a family.
The Bhagavata Purana describes Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam as the “loftiest Vedantic thought,” notes yogapedia.com. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam affirms the worth of all life ― human, animal and plants ― and the value of their interconnectedness on earth and in the universe, just as the goal of yoga is unity.
The great yogi Paramhansa Yogananda said that the wisdom garnered by India, the elder brother among nations, is a heritage of all mankind. He added that “Vedic truth, as all truth, belongs to the Lord and not to India.”
Yogananda’s mission to the West was to teach them how to find God within themselves through yoga and meditation, instead of seeking God the Father by worshipping in ornate churches. Yogananda also emphasised that “distinctions by race or nation are meaningless in the realm of truth, where the only qualification is spiritual fitness to receive” ― shades of the lofty ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
In a landmark speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in September 1893, Swami Vivekananda held the audience spellbound with his call for religious tolerance and an end to fanaticism.
The Parliament, attended by delegates of ten faiths, became a forum for inter-faith dialogue, where Vivekananda quoted a boyhood hymn: “As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”
Vivekananda said he was proud to belong to a religion (Hinduism) which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. He added: “We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth.”
The Parliament’s President John Henry Barrows said “India, the Mother of religions was represented by Swami Vivekananda, the Orange-monk who exercised the most wonderful influence over his auditors.”
Given that “India is the elder brother among nations,” and “India is the Mother of religions,” do other nations have the right to question our record of human rights, when their record of the same leaves much to be desired?
Can younger brother nations question elder brother and Mother? Isn’t this an interference in our internal affairs? But if the world is one family, then expressing concern about human rights and about each other doesn’t seem to be really out of place. Citing human rights violations of other nations doesn’t really reduce the seriousness of our internal record.
“The divine purpose of creation, so far as human reason can grasp it, is expounded in the Vedas,” said Yogananda. He said that the rishis taught that each human being has been created by God as a soul that will uniquely manifest some special attribute of the Infinite before resuming its Absolute Identity.
“All men, endowed thus with a facet of Divine Individuality, are equally dear to God,” Yogananda added.
Indeed, we all are equally dear to God. He doesn’t give us tick marks for being elder brother or Mother, but looks at our deeds, good or bad.
Spiritual arrogance and the belief that our human rights record is impeccable and beyond scrutiny is tantamount to adopting an ostrich-like approach to our problems.
There may be no easy solutions to human rights issues. But it may not do us harm as people of a nation that is a spiritual guru to the world to look at the environment around us; and then within ourselves, to examine our hearts and conscience to find the answers to aberrations in human rights, if any.
Oswald Pereira, a senior journalist, has also written eight books, including 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.
More Stories by Oswald Pereira
Featured Image by Madartzgraphic from Pixabay
Very beautiful, quite simple and yet forceful analysis of Human Right issue which as such is the only issue of Being Human on earth. For, by overlooking human right we naturally negate our very own right to speak about anything that concerns each and every one amongst us.
No doubt, the Vedic dictum: ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, however lofty as an ideal it may sound, in it’s actualisation as a conduct of life and living only one can reach the ultimate state of individuation as exemplified by Seers like Paramahamsa Yogananda and Swami Vivekananda. But, the irony is that we look at them with just awe and wonder as messengers of God and leave with that forgetting that it should be a driving as well as guiding force of our life on the plane of earth.
At this very point, I would not hesitate to say that, we, each amongst us are endowed with this very moral compass by the grace of the Creator and it reflects in the beauty of our harmonious coexistence with people of diverse faiths at least in India.
Here, I must mention that Mr. Sadique delivers my medicines at home over a phone call and Mr. Abdul, the laundry man unfailingly calls me on Saturdays to ask if he would come next day to collect our clothes. Is this bond merely formal?
Definitely not. Who comes in the way then to make us fight with one another on the pretext of a faith or religion??
Yes of course, it is vested interests only who foment the fire of intolerance and to that very end build a dehumanising ecosystem.
Human Rights violation is not limited to any demographic boundary, faith or religion but yes, it is deep rooted in human psyche and finds expression in organised violence in different forms.
No doubt it is very difficult to root it out but as it’s genesis lies in human mind, it can be addressed from there only and to that end, people of every political disposition should come forward as spokesperson and torchbearer of human values and more than that dynamically work upon it to safeguard the soul and spirit of our civilisation which is enshrined in our constitution.
Thanks again Oswald Ji, for this beautiful post.