India is the crest jewel of civilization. I try to teach my bed wetting America-born kids that the wisdom of the India should always be guiding principle of their lives. There is no better insurance policy better for them than the wisdom of India. So, I try to connect my kids to India by chanting verses from the best of books from India at their bed time.
My kid inspired me today to read to him a book in Bengali (with English translation) from Navadvip, Bengal from 1500s; I do not know Bengali. This book deals with the most sublime and deepest subject: Love. I ran across something touching today and feel like sharing something.
India is a poor, corrupt and disorganized country. But if one digs deeper, one would come to the conclusion that India is culturally the richest country. America is rich, strong etc., but the social fabric of the young American civilization is collapsing. While America is successful, it is not really a beacon shining to give way to the world. In contrast, India was a shining object of civilization for the last 5000 years. It will likely continue like that for the next 5000 years like that. The curse of India is that the modern educated elite don't quite appreciate the depth of the Indian culture.
Roman civilization peaked and died. American civilization is too young (and not promising). Egyptian civilization peaked and died. Incas, Mayas etc. died. European civilization is all about money and exploiting Mother nature. But, that does not satisfy the Self. The most fundamental hankering of humans, animals and plants is Love. This understanding is missing in Europe. By and large, Asian civilizations --- India, Chinese, and Japanese (ignoring Korea, South East Asia for now) are the civilizations that survived the test of time. West Asia is a disaster. Just look at fighting between the Sunni, Shia, the Wahabis of Saudi Arabia. The best thing out of China and Japan is Zen meditation, which again is inspired by Lord Buddha's realizations in Pataliputra (Patna, India). In this sense, India influenced even China and Japan. (Technically, it is a part of discussion between Siva and Parvati.) It is highly likely that even Lord Jesus had spent 12 years in India. All the great people of the last 5000 years have either visited India or been inspired by it.
The teachings of the the sages of India have the ability to appeal to the deepest hankerings of the human kind. Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great American Transcendalist, summed it up: "it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed the same questions that exercise us." Henry David Thoreau summed it up as: "in comparision our modern world and its literature seem puny and trivial."
The philosophies of India have inspired Schrodiner on his quantum physics work. Actually consciousness is the blindspot of Physics. Indian philosphers have come up with a reasonably concrete model for consciousness five thousand years ago sitting under trees. In contrast, a model for consciousness is missing in modern Physics. Modern physicists would benefit from following the likes of Henry Stapp in studying these models to improve Physics. The best thing quantum mechanics has to say is that universe came out of nothing and that there is no meaning to anything; just like my computer popped up out of nothing and just like love and hunger pangs do not mean anything. The weakness to quantum mechanics hypothesis is that they presume a very deep mathematical model for how the universe started out of nothing. This model is definitely not nothing and if anything exposes the flaw in the modern quantum physics view that the universe came out of nothing.
It is true that Chinese medicine system is probably more advanced that western medicine in its understanding of the lymph nodes. Chinese understanding of human body is comparable to India's Ayurvedic understanding. India did not have acupuncture (Interestingly, I have heard via my friend Mike Mooney of a very credible claim of a western medical doctor seeing open heart surgery on done on acupuncture for anesthesia). But, if you look beyond these weaknesses, the understanding of India about consciousness is outstanding. The most fundamental needs of humans, animals, and plants is Love; this Love is different from sex gratification. Real Love is satisfying the Lover's senses even to your detriment.
More importantly, the Bengali/Sanskrit books from India appeal to the deepest hankerings of the world and civilization. The imagination and intellect of the authors is well beyond anything else outside India. The likes of Shakesphere, Illyiad, Homer, though good, are no match for the depth and sublimeness of the Indian authors. Just listening to theirs works purifies the minds of our civilization. That is the secret behind the Indian civilization. Just as the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, listening to the works of Indian authors (500 years old or 5000 years old literature) naturally purifies our minds and existence. The side effect is that automatically the hearer moves away from ignorance and passion and moves towards bliss and knowledge --- our eternal nature. This is causeless and cannot be obstructed in anyway. That is our essential nature.
Automatically, tendencies towards quarrel will decrease. While one could quibble whether the stories actually happened and how they are true and how they are impossible, if one is humble and prays to understand, the serenity will be revealed. This serenity will bring peace and tranquility to you, people around you and the world. In contrast, our model science, medicine, neurology and psychology do not even discuss tranquil mind.
Wake up India. You have been sleeping for too long. Take pride in yourselves. Take pride in your ancestors! Become ambassadors of world peace. The world is thirsty for the wisdom of India. The biggest charity anyone can do to anyone is to help others appreciate the intellect and serenity of the works of Indian sages. The happiness from this beats the happiness from performing sacrifices, undergoing austerities, giving charity, pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. It beats the happiness from sex, alcohol and money.
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