Held Together By Plurality, Not Homogeneity
The Supreme Court's recent desc ription of Hinduism as the collective wisdom... of centuries that as no single founder, no single scripture id no single set of teachings' is to be mmended, particularly at a time when versity is imperiled on many fronts. What makes the spiritual history this land unique is that it has engenared a 'tribe ‘of seekers, not believers. ne subcontinent's strength is that it is been held together by plurality, not mogeneity. When you say 'i believe u are fundamentally saying, 'iam willing to admit that i do not know'. it when you admit that you do not low, you are in a state of wonder; your areness is alive and responsive; and ove all, you are not threatened by versity In fact, you embrace it. And so, the word 'Hindu' encompassamind-boggling multiplicity of cred texts and practices. This rmonious diversity has been possible because seekers are not fuelled by belief, only by a profound sense of enquiry Even today, in a single Indian family, it is possible to have people worshipping many different gods. This makes India the ultimate spiritual democracy Athe same time, ours is a godless culture. Our ultimate aim was never god or heaven; it has always been mukti, liberation. We have thousands of gods, but we know wecreated them. We have mastered the technology of god-making: we are aware that an idol isa yantra, a subjective tool that can be employed for our wellbeing and spiritual growth. The Supreme Court has also pointed out that the state should not interfere with 'religious freedom'. This is an important assertion. Just as religion must respect the civil rights and liberties enshrined in the Constitution, it is vital for the state to respect freedom of faith. Thereis nofundamental conflict here Spirituality and reason are not antagonistic. This spiritual culture tells you that if you have a questioning mind, you don't discard it; you simply learn to employ it to grow. This is jnana yoga, the yoga of knowing. Spirituality and reason are considered mutually exclusive, but the spiritual process in this tradition is notbelief. It is simply the recognition that there is an intelligence in the universe far beyond our limited logic. As a guru, i actively encou rage people to doubt, because spiritual awakening requires erasure of all indoctrination. It is important to also rememberthat if certain spiritual practices have traditionally been limited to closed communities, it was not necessarily a matter of discrimination. The highly sophisticated understanding of consecration and temple-maintenance in this culture required specialised training of the clergy often possible only within Tojump to conclusions about elitistherefore, would be facile. The democrtic spirit is about being inclusive, not indiscriminate. To allow the power of arithmetic to destroy the ancient wisdom of sages would be unfortunateFor example, I have consecrated theDhyanalinga, a sacred energy form, inmanner that anyone can enter the sanctum. But the Devi shrine requiresonly trained person to enter the sanctuThis is not discrimination. The complacence of consecration entails differeapproaches for these yantras or deviceto be effective. It would be tragic ifa myopic worldview demolished this ancient science, unique to this land. We live in an incredibly composite culture that celebrates multiple paths tothe divine, and freedom as our birthrighIf we disturb this distinctive civilisational unity through populist ideologies ondogmatic belief systems, we run the risof losing access to a precious and profoundly liberating fount of wisdom.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Speaking Tree,Times of India
Held Together By Plurality, Not Homogeneity
The Supreme Court's recent desc ription of Hinduism as the collective wisdom... of centuries that as no single founder, no single scripture id no single set of teachings' is to be mmended, particularly at a time when versity is imperiled on many fronts. What makes the spiritual history this land unique is that it has engenared a 'tribe ‘of seekers, not believers. ne subcontinent's strength is that it is been held together by plurality, not mogeneity. When you say 'i believe u are fundamentally saying, 'iam willing to admit that i do not know'. it when you admit that you do not low, you are in a state of wonder; your areness is alive and responsive; and ove all, you are not threatened by versity In fact, you embrace it. And so, the word 'Hindu' encompassamind-boggling multiplicity of cred texts and practices. This rmonious diversity has been possible because seekers are not fuelled by belief, only by a profound sense of enquiry Even today, in a single Indian family, it is possible to have people worshipping many different gods. This makes India the ultimate spiritual democracy Athe same time, ours is a godless culture. Our ultimate aim was never god or heaven; it has always been mukti, liberation. We have thousands of gods, but we know wecreated them. We have mastered the technology of god-making: we are aware that an idol isa yantra, a subjective tool that can be employed for our wellbeing and spiritual growth. The Supreme Court has also pointed out that the state should not interfere with 'religious freedom'. This is an important assertion. Just as religion must respect the civil rights and liberties enshrined in the Constitution, it is vital for the state to respect freedom of faith. Thereis nofundamental conflict here Spirituality and reason are not antagonistic. This spiritual culture tells you that if you have a questioning mind, you don't discard it; you simply learn to employ it to grow. This is jnana yoga, the yoga of knowing. Spirituality and reason are considered mutually exclusive, but the spiritual process in this tradition is notbelief. It is simply the recognition that there is an intelligence in the universe far beyond our limited logic. As a guru, i actively encou rage people to doubt, because spiritual awakening requires erasure of all indoctrination. It is important to also rememberthat if certain spiritual practices have traditionally been limited to closed communities, it was not necessarily a matter of discrimination. The highly sophisticated understanding of consecration and temple-maintenance in this culture required specialised training of the clergy often possible only within Tojump to conclusions about elitistherefore, would be facile. The democrtic spirit is about being inclusive, not indiscriminate. To allow the power of arithmetic to destroy the ancient wisdom of sages would be unfortunateFor example, I have consecrated theDhyanalinga, a sacred energy form, inmanner that anyone can enter the sanctum. But the Devi shrine requiresonly trained person to enter the sanctuThis is not discrimination. The complacence of consecration entails differeapproaches for these yantras or deviceto be effective. It would be tragic ifa myopic worldview demolished this ancient science, unique to this land. We live in an incredibly composite culture that celebrates multiple paths tothe divine, and freedom as our birthrighIf we disturb this distinctive civilisational unity through populist ideologies ondogmatic belief systems, we run the risof losing access to a precious and profoundly liberating fount of wisdom.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Speaking Tree,Times of India