Hindu Contribution To the World

 

Brahmarishi Vishvatma Bawraji on his tours abroad pays regular visits to the center at Kitchener. During his stay he delivers discourses on subjects related with Vedanta Ideology and science of Yoga. These discourses are recorded, transcribed and published as books and brochures to disseminate this highly secret eternal spiritual knowledge. These are also translated in English for the benefit of the English knowing devotees and other readers. Some of the English translations already published are: Essence of Gita, Science of Absolute Knowledge, Principles of Yoga, Meditation Technique, Our Ideal-Bhagawan Maruti. This brochure titled "THE HINDU - HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD" is an addition to this important publication project.

THE HINDU - HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD

This text is the message given by His Holiness Shri Swami Vishvatma Bawraji Maharaj to the natives of Holland in 1986. This was originally published in Hindi. An English version is now offered. Shiam Sehgal

My dear souls,

While offering my pranams, reverential salutations, to the Supreme Lord, the indweller in all hearts, first of all, I salute ad infinitum Lord Shri Krishna. Today is the auspicious festival of Janmashtami – his holy birthday. The subject of my talk today is: "What has the Hindu given to the world?"

When I carefully see the history of the world starting from the Vedas till today, a question arises in my mind. Considering whatever is essentially necessary for the humanity, out of that, which is the thing left out that the Hindu has not given to the mankind in the world. The Hindu has not only given knowledge, wisdom, ethics and morality to the humanity, he has also given them the right direction for evolution and perfection of life in all its facets, there is no doubt in it.

First of all, the Hindu gave Veda to the world. We call Veda the lexicon of all knowledge. Fortunately for me, besides philosophy and ethics, I have studied the historical aspect also. I can tell you with utmost confidence that from the point of language, the most ancient grammar of the world is the Sanskrit Grammar. It has been accepted by the learned community of the world that till now there is no language like Sanskrit and no grammar like Sanskrit Grammar in any other language and that a grammar better than the Sanskrit Grammar can not even be imagined or thought of. This is the contribution of the Hindu. Along with this, the Hindu also gave Sphotavada, the principle source of Shabda Vigyana, the science of words. Spotavada determines the position from where each word is to be pronounced in the vocal system. The Hindu also gave the knowledge of Anka Gannita - Mathematics and Rekha Gannita – Geometry. The word 'Geometry' is the corrupted form of the Sanskrit word ‘yamita'. Science of mathematics was propagated initially from India to Persia and from Persia it went to Greece. The Greeks gave it the name ‘Hindsa', meaning that it had its origin in India. In other words, the Hindu has given both these sciences to the people of the world. May be any science, it cannot stand by itself without the science of mathematics and geometry. It means that the Hindu provided the feet, nay the ground, for the development of the complete field of science to rest on.

We have four Vedas and for comprehending the Vedas, we have six other scriptures. Out of these six, four are related with language only. These are Shiksha – educational institution; Grammar; Nirukta – the science of etymological interpretation or exposition of Vaidic words and Chhanda – metrical science, prosody. The Hindu gave the knowledge to systemize the language. The Hindu has given a scripture like Nirukta to help in knowing the meaning of the words which are not considered Yaugik – derivative or conventional, or are not accepted as Vaidik – originating from the Vedas, and are not complying with the requirements of Prakriti – distinctive character or spirit of the language and Pratyaya – indeclinable particles. Besides the four scriptures related only with the Shabda – the knowledge of word, there are two other – one for Astrology and the second on Kalpa – the science of sacrificial services. Astrology has two parts called Khagol and Bhugol. The Hindu was the first to give knowledge about Khagol and Bhagol to the world. Khagol provides knowledge about the stars and planets researched by the ancient Rishis for the first time. The modern scientists are now researching and finding out about them. Thousands of years earlier, the Vaidik Rishis had explained this knowledge and preserved it in their astrological treatises. The irrevocable principle of the Solar doctrine, which was systemized by the Hindu thousands of years earlier, its founder was Bhaskar Bhatt.

Not only the above, until the twelfth century, the people in the West understood that the earth was flat. If anybody said that it is round, they put him to death. In the Vaidik scriptures, however, there is a word Bhugol. Bhu Goal means that the earth is round. Who has given this? This is the contribution of the Hindu.

The Kalpa scripture in the Veda also has two parts – one is called Shrautra Sutra – aphorism prescribed in the Veda and the other Graha Sutra – domestic aphorisms. Graha Sutra is further split into two parts called Smajashastra –Sociology, scripture for community life and Grahavignan – science of domestic life. The Hindu gave these scriptures as well.

A learned person from France has said that Bharatvarsha – India, is the mother of the universe. India has not only given us science of language and mathematics, it has also given us the way life should be lived and the method for it.

Who gave Pyathagorus and Sukarat to the West? It is the Hindu. Just read through the mathematics of Payathagorus and ask from any western scholar, he will tell you that that mathematician had been a student of India. You may have also heard that Sukarat was a soldier and had, at one time, lived at the border of Greece and India. Having come in contact with a yogi his way of life changed. He learned the Samkhyana philosophy and started teaching its doctrines in Greece. These doctrines were new to the people there and as a result thereof he was poisoned to death.

Just recently, a German scholar – you may have perhaps heard or read his name, has written a book titled "Jesus lived in India." He has proved with many evidences that the Hindu had taught the Ten Commandments, not only to Jesus but to Moses as well. Jesus Christ remained in India for 18 years and acquired the teachings and wisdom of the Hindu way of life. He came back to Baibylonia after 18 years and commenced propagating the message of the Hindu philosophy and wisdom to the humanity there. He was also put to the gallows. Even today, if some of you have read the Bible and his Sermon on the Mount, you must have felt that it is nothing except the tenets of Bhagawat dharma – the eternal religion propounded by incarnations of Lord Vishnu, Vaishnavadharma, the precepts of Hindu way of life.

Jesus Christ stayed in Puri (India) for six years and studied the Vaishanava Vijnana, Vaishanava dharma. Thereafter, he stayed in Kashi (modern Varanasi) for four years. In Kashi, where he was learning Vedanta – the essence of the Veda and the upanishad, he learnt that those who talk of Brahmavad, monotheism, they have the malady, are afflicted with Chhua-chhuta – feelings towards untouchables. He objected to it saying that according to the Vedantic ideology there should be no difference between man to man. When there is only one Brahma, the Supreme lord, present in every form, in that case, how can there be one pious and the other impious, untouchable? When the pandits, learned persons of Kashi protested it, he left from there and went to Nepal. He stayed in Nepal for six years. Thereafter, he lived in Tibat for some time and after a sojourn of 18 years, he returned to his own country, Babylonia. Whatever he had learnt during his stay out of his country related to the precepts of Vaishnava.- worship of Vishnu, the Supreme Lord, the all pervading, he taught. He declared: "I am son of God, I and my father both are one. Make yourself pious and perfect as your father in heaven is pure and perfect." In Vedanta, this is the doctrine of Vaishanavas, worshippers of Vishnu. This is also the message of Gita: "You can be complete and perfect as the Brahma, the Supreme Lord, is." The Lord has taught this truth, that –

Tasam brahma mahadyoniraham bijapradah pita.

Gita 14.4

Prakriti, the primal nature, is the mother of the world and I am the father of the world. "Aham bijaprada pita" – "I impregnate the Prakriti, the primal nature. As a result the entire multitude of beings is born from Me. Therefore, they are all my progeny."

Jesus came back to his country with this doctrine of Gita. If it befits you, do read Bal Gangadhar Tilak's commentary describing the mysteries of Gita. He has written therein that whatever Jesus Christ has taught, it is nothing except the doctrines of Bhagawad Dharma – the Vaishanava dharma, the precepts of Hindu way of life. Later, his teachings were defiled and violated. Most part of his original teachings were deleted, his message in his Sermon on the Mount was only preserved.

Just a few years earlier, I had lectured in a church in America for seven days. The subject was "Sermon on the Mount in the light of Gita". The purpose was that the principle message of Christ was that of Bhagawad dharma which he had acquired during his stay in India.

I was telling you that India has not only given to the world realized knowledge and wisdom, but also given incarnations like Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Lord Buddha, Lord Mahabira and line of Gurus from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Govind Singh and many other saints. Not only this much, India gave Moses, India also gave Jesus, who hoisted the banner of their religions in the West.

It is only yesterday that I was talking to my dear friend Swami Sushil Muni. He told me that while talking in

a church, a respectable person told him that all the earlier teachings are that of Shaitans – sinful and corrupted persons. Muniji asked him: "Do you think Christ was from the West? He told him that Christ was also from the East." It is very true.

In my opinion, it is not only Christ, all his ancestors, those Greeks, were also the progeny of India. As an example, five thousand years earlier, a great man by the name of Jarathrusa was born in the western part of India. He was from a sect known as Magi Brahmana in India. He organized and introduced a system of Agni Hotra – fire sacrifice, which is known as the Parsi religion today. If anyone is eager any time to read the scripture named Abasta, he will see that this scripture is a defiled version of the mantras of Rik Veda. The philosophy that he gave to his people, even today, if you know the Vedic dharma or study it, you will feel that his philosophy and the Vedic precepts both are real kin, are exactly identical. Therefore, India gave Jarathrusa, who founded the Parsi religion.

I have gone to many places in India in my desire for historical quest. I have also been visiting the British Museum in England with the same intent. In this museum, one day I happened to see some relics of the Sumerian Culture. In these relics, I was startled to see so many things. I felt that all what I saw was depicted in the Hindu dharma in another form and shape. I had with me one of my disciples Rozar Meen by name. He asked me: Guruji! You are telling me that Sumerian Culture is the progeny of Vedic culture. Among the relics, he showed me that a devi – a goddess, is sitting on a donkey. He had not seen such a picture in our land. He further said that he had seen that goddess Durga rides a lion, but never a goddess riding a donkey. Which is this goddess? I told him that we call this goddess Sheetla Devi. Those who have migrated from India, perhaps they should know that the vehicle of Sheetla Devi is a donkey. When somebody has had small-pox, at that time, Sheetla Devi is worshipped and with her the donkey is worshipped too.

I was telling you that in the Sumerian Culture, we found relics wholly related with the philosophy and culture of India. On investigation I learnt that Sumarian Culture is the mother of the culture of Syria, the Syrian Culture is the mother of Babylonian Culture and the Babylonian Culture is the mother of all the cultures in the West. Whatever is heard or seen in the form of culture or religion in the West at present is, in another or different form and way, the contribution of India. There is nothing else.

What has been our ill luck, I should also tell you. It takes me back some hundred years only. I am saying this because our history is millions of years old and compared to millions of years, a period of some hundred years stands to no comparison, is age-wise insignificant. As misfortune would have it, India then had fallen into a state of degrading negligence and stupidity and a handful of uncultured people captured the country. To capture something should not be a matter of any great surprise. Once a respectable person from the West questioned me that if India was so highly developed and cultured, how could a handful of people from Arabia capture it? I gave him an example. We are about five hundred people gathered here for contemplation and deliberation. We all consider ourselves learned and wise. If somebody comes here with a pistol and commands us to raise our hands, what will we then do? We very well know that if we do not obey him he will kill us all. When non-violence becomes the creed of ones' life, then, the spirit of ill will and struggle no more remains in him. Because, in that state the precept of non-duality propounds and except feeling of love and cordiality there is no place at all for any ill will whatsoever. It is because of this characteristic that the Hindu could not conquer those handful uncultured invaders.

Always remember that achievement of perfection in non-violence is the highest state of life. It cannot be lived from a lower strata, it can only be applied in practice. The practice of non-violence is the practice of the Satya – truthfulness. For the practice of Satya, Asteya – non-stealing or non-hoarding; for Asteya, Brahmacharya – continence and for Brahacharya, the practice of Aparigraha – non-possession, is prescribed. Commencing the discipline with the practice of Aparigraha, it matures reaching the state of Ahimsa – non-violence. The practice of Ahimsa is only practicable when one has experienced the state of Advaita – non-dualism. Without achieving the state of Advaita, one cannot become established in the practice of Ahimsa, because:

Ahimsa pratishthayam tatsanidhauvairatyagah.Yoga darshan 2.35

Ahimsa having established, in its presence all bheda – discriminative vision, with others no longer exists. When there is bheda, Ahimsa cannot be practiced. There is no relation between bheda and Ahimsa. Therefore, Ahimsa is the manifested form of Advaita – non-dualism. When one becomes fully established in Advaita, it is only then he can become Ahimsik – follower of nonviolence. Remember, as a believer of Dvait – dualism, one can never keep away from Himsa - violence.

The Hindu gave Advaita – non-dualism. The Hindu gave Ahimsa – creed of non-violence, which is Advaita in its manifested form. To approach Ahimsa, the Hindu taught the lesson of Sahishnuta – tolerance and endurance, to the mankind. The Hindu told that the entire humanity is the progeny of the Supreme Lord. The people of the West changed the teachings of Christ. They propagated that Christ was the only son of God and all others are the children of sin, the progeny of Adam and Eve. Jesus Christ, in his message said: You become pious and noble as your father in heaven is. The church, however, changed this teaching and gave this message instead: You become as pious and noble as his father was. You have no relation with Him – his father. The church taught that, at first, you have to accept that you are progeny of sin. You can then approach the Supreme lord to seek His forgiveness for your sins. This was not the teaching of Christ. Christ had propagated only the doctrine of Advaitavada – creed of non-dualism

It is being mentioned with regret that some people think that we are progeny of Bharat mata - India is our motherland. But rightly we are the progeny of mother earth. The mantra of Rik Veda is: "Mata bhumi putro'ham prithvya dyau pita." This mantra is in Yajur Veda also. It has been explained that the earth is our mother and Dyau – sky, space, is our father. The modern scientist is investigating to know what Dyau tattva - elemental space, which is the source of all beings, is. He has also reached the same conclusion that Dyau tattva is the Sun, the source of all life. The declaration of the Rik Veda is: Surya atma jagatasthusasca – the Sun is the soul of entire universe. The scientist is also now making the same declaration that the Sun is the principal cause of life. The Vedic Rishis had established this truth after investigation that the Sun is the main source of life and that we are all the progeny of the Sun. The Hindu gave this fundamental knowledge to the world.

The entire story of what the Hindu has contributed to the world, I cannot narrate in half an hour. However, you must have understood that whatever the Hindu has given to the world, you can be proud of it. Whatever special the humankind has got, it is the contribution of the Hindu. The knowledge of non-dualism, the doctrine of non-violence and the spiritual vision to see the divine presence in every particle, is all the contribution of the Hindu and no doubt a matter of pride for us.

Unfortunately, as I have mentioned earlier, the history of our past four or five hundred years is one of degeneration and downfall. A saintly colleague of mine used to say that when a peacock lifts his plumage while dancing and looks at them, he feels that there would not be anyone one more beautiful in the world than him. But when happens to look at his legs, he starts moaning, tears start flowing from his eyes. The same plight is ours also. When we study starting from Veda to literature of Tulsidass, we feel elated out of pride but when we look at our history during the past one thousand years, and then our head hangs in shame. How did we fall to this shameful state? I have investigated in this connection and have written a book entitled Bharat Ki Atma. I have written quite extensively and have explained as to how and why our degradation took place. Today, it is not the occasion to relate it fully. I would only say that the past four to five hundred years have been our years of downfall. The misfortune was that during the same period of our downfall, the Western influence commenced besetting, made its appearance.

You may like to ask that everything has been given by India, has the West not made any contribution to the world? Today, sitting thousands of miles away in India, we can reach America within twenty-four hours. No doubt, they have made this contribution. The West has given all the modern scientific inventions and achievements. But this does not mean that India has made no contribution in the field of science. The ground on which the present day science is standing, the scientific development about which we are talking today, two thousand years earlier, India was even much more developed in that field.

A Western scholar wrote a book entitled: "We are not the first". He has testified in it that the Rasayanik vijnana - knowledge of Chemistry, in the West, has yet not reached that stage, where India was twenty five hundred years before. An example he gave, I should let you know that also. He wrote that our scientists have not reached the stage that they can manufacture a kind of steel that can remain stainless for thousands of years. But two thousand and five hundred years earlier an alchemist of India had made it. There is a steel pillar still existing near the monument of Kutab Minar in Delhi. It has no covering over it. It is exposed to cold in winter, heat in summer and rain. It has remained unaffected and unchanged under all climatic conditions. There is no sign of rusting yet visible on it. He said that India had such advanced scripture on chemical science and technology two thousand and five hundred ago. This pillar stands even today as a testimony of such an advanced technology. We used to tell people that our scriptures on chemistry tell us that iron can be changed to gold and gold to iron. At that time, it was a joke for them.

We read in our scriptures that Lord Rama flew from Lanka – Ceylon, and reached Ayodhya by air in a day. The Sanatanists said that Lord Rama could do it because He was the Supreme Lord. Another sect said that it is gossip, a heresy, how could it be that Lord Rama reached Ayodhya in one day? When the air plane became a reality in the early nineteenth century, the same people starting saying that the air plane is only a recent innovation, our Lord Rama used to fly by air plane in Treta yuga (the second of the four ages according to the Hindu mythology) itself. It has become our habit that whatever the West now authenticates after research, it is then only we will say that we had it already.

There was an aged saint. He was very kind to me. He used to say jokingly that what we were before, its pride does encourage and inspire us but it does not give us the satisfaction of accomplishment and fulfillment. We should side by side see in what state are we now? What are we contributing to the world now? This is an important question before us. We have contributed enough heretofore. So much has been recounted before you. From civilization and culture, we have also given the way to perfection in life. It cannot be said that we are now not contributing anything.

Should I tell you an incident? Last year, one day, I was giving a live program on the Radio in Cleveland in USA. It was an hour discourse. After the discourse, the people present in the Radio Station were invited to ask if they had any question. The program was in English and some Christian brothers were listening. They began abusing and saying that you have come here to convert us to Hinduism. I told them that we do not believe in conversion. Only those, whose religion is based on faith, they are the people who work for conversion. Faith is not the criteria of our religion; it is founded on logic, wisdom and intelligence. Nowadays, many poor people in India have changed to several other sects and also have become Christians. But they have changed over because of their greed for money. It is not our way to covert people by offering money or by changing their belief subjecting them to intimidation, fear and allurement. I told them that we do not want to change the religion of anybody because we do not believe in blind-faith. On this, he asked: "What do you teach?" I told him that we teach that philosophy and that technique by which you can bring heaven in your present life. If you want to achieve heaven after death, you may go to your church. They have the means and will send you to heaven. If you want to bring heaven in your present life, you may come to me; I will teach you the way. Just then an American said to another American in his own language: "If the Hindu Yogi and the learned people from India had not come to America, within these twenty years, more than half of the Americans would have gone insane and into the lunatic asylum. The saints of India have given us the science of yoga, they have shown us the path of nonviolence, they have enlightened us for realization of the truth – self-realization and have taught us to be vegetarian. We believed that after death, depending upon the pleasure of God and with faith in Jesus Christ will attain heaven. They taught us the way to search for God within our own self." We have given them this precept in the present times and are guiding them in this direction even today.

Do you know that it is not only this Mission but many other Missions are working in the western countries. I have been telling people in the West that you have Vijnana - worldly science and we have Adhyatma – spiritualism, science of the self. You have the body and we have the soul. The body has no meaning without the soul and the soul cannot manifest without the body. There are numerous souls resting in the space, but they have no importance or significance. Without the body, the soul or pure consciousness is called Purusha. It does not mean man or woman. Purusha is a technical word of the Veda, which is employed for the Chetana – the conscious principle, the enlivening principle. Puri shete iti Purushah – that which rests in this city of the body, is called Purusha. The untainted pure consciousness is called Purusha. When the same pure consciousness enjoins the Prikriti – primordial nature, in that combination, it gets the name Purushottama. In the fifteenth chapter of Gita, the nature of Akshara Purusha – Supreme Lord or pure oonsciousness and Avayaya Purushottam – Consciousness enjoined with Prakriti, the creator lord, has been described. These aspects have been explained therein. I was telling you that Bharat (India) is even today resolved and committed to gift away knowledge to the humanity in many ways and is persistently doing so. We are travelling all over the world with the same objective in view.

Do you know that out of those present here, there are some who are not from India, are locals. Out of those more than half would be members of the Brahmarishi Mission. Brahmarishi Mission has been working here for the last nine years. The Mission has branches in forty-five cities of this country and through the medium of these branches the members of the Mission are spreading its teachings. We are engaged in the service of this country through the medium of Hindi and Sanskrit languages and through discourses on our philosophy. It is not only here alone; the Mission is also actively operating in England, Canada, America and other countries. I am fully engaged in this work with the help of my dear disciples.

It is not only the Brahmarishi Mission that I have talked about. There are many other Missions engaged in this work. My dear friend, Acharya Sushil Muniji whom you see present here, he is an Acharya of the Jain sect. He is my intimate friend and an elder brother to me. He has propagated the creed of Ahimsa – nonviolence, in a very convincing manner. He has gone all out to spread the doctrine of vegetarianism and resultantly, not thousands but millions of Americans have become vegetarians as a result of his teachings. We are also conducting our programs laying emphasis on similar teachings. We do not want any one to change his religion. Our aim is to propagate humanness. In our language, purush is purush - man is human, is humane.

The whole universe constitutes one family. We are the progeny of one mother. Supreme Lord is our father and the earth is our mother. All the human beings on this earth are our brothers and sisters and the other beings are our own soul or self. We are the worshippers of non-duality, nonviolence and endurance. In this manner, we have given a good many things to the humanity. The present need, however, is that we should come forward firmly resolved now as well with whatever we had given earlier to save the humanity before it is reduced to ashes in the fire of materialism, before it is destroyed due to the ill-effects of materialism. Summing up our full potential and capabilities at our command, combining our past and present achievements, setting a new direction, we should be prepared to contribute to the community whatever is needed most under the present circumstances. This is the way auspicious and beneficial to us. This is the way to uphold the glory of our community, of our jati – race, and of our culture and dharma, call of sacred duty. With these words, I conclude my discourse. Hari Om Tatsat!