Wednesday

02


March , 2022
Law of Divine Oneness: The Only Binding Force for Humanity
13:05 pm

Dr. Ravindra Kumar


सर्वभूतेषुयेनैकंभावमव्ययमीक्षते/अविभक्तंविभक्तेषुतज्ज्ञानंविद्धिसात्त्विकम्// Sarvabhuuteshu Yenaikam Bhaavamavyayamiikshate/ Avibhaktam Vibhakteshu Tajjnaanam Viddhisaattvikam//”, i.e., “Understand that knowledge only to be in the mode of goodness (absolute and all-welfaristic truth) by which a person sees one undivided imperishable reality (Indivisible Whole or Totality) within all diverse living beings.” The Shrimadbhagavad-Gita (18: 20)

The oldest Vedic-Hindu theology and its interpreter, the greatest sages of India, thousands of years ago, through their knowledge and investigations, presented the truth of the Indivisible Cosmic Whole or Totality and Universal Unity. The above-quoted verse from the Shrimadbhagavad-Gita, which is considered to be the essence of the Vedas, the world’s oldest texts as well as the holiest treatises of the Vedic-Hinduism and an Upanishad in itself, confirms this eternal truth.

The Tathagata, Gautama Buddha, accepted the reality of Indivisible Totality and Cosmic Unity in the form of an ever-moving eternal law.In Buddhist philosophy, it is addressed as an extraordinary Dharma a Cosmic Law or Order (Rule), which is eternally present and unchangeable.

Ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato (lifetime: 428/427-348/347 BC) and Aristotle (lifetime: 384-322 BC), as well as Roman thinkers put this reality in their own perspective and interpretation before humanity. The same fact emerged, in some way or the other, in both the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible, as well as the views of world-renowned Christian thinkers like Albertus (Albert) Magnus (lifetime: 1200–1280 AD) and Thomas Aquinas (lifetime: 1225–1274 AD).

We live in an orderly universe. Its basis is the good – a superior form. This is the domain of the brightest living being. When one gets familiar with this (realize it and indulges in righteous practices), it motivates and accords all abilities to him to act wisely. In other words, making him aware of his duties and responsibilities towards humanity and the universe, it paves the way for his actions to be performed consciously and intelligently. This proposition of the Greek philosopher Plato is a specific and worthy idea of the Cosmic Oneness, its orderly operation, its being the basis of all (i.e., Indivisible Totality –good-form) and the cause of everything. 

Various scientific discoveries-inventions of the last hundreds of years have stamped the truth that the visible-invisible universe and everything movable and immovable in it are within the ambit of the same Indivisible Totality. Along with living beings, nothing is out of the domain of this reality. All time and space and its content – all planets, stars, galaxies and the contents of the space between galaxies, celestial bodies, non-atomic particles, all matter and energies are included in this. Its infinite vastness can only be imagined by man. No one can tell its actual size – length with width. All the movable-immovable elements – beings, matter, etc., are the part and parcel of the same existing indivisible Totality, existing in an Oval Creation - according to scientific finding. It is the effect of this, that somewhere there is creation and somewhere the process of catastrophe is going on in the universe, and these creative-destructive forces of the universe are always active to achieve the cosmic balance.

The action-reaction law is in constant flux. Lives, elements and objects affect each-other.This is because they are all within the purview of the same Indivisible Totality. They are under and subordinate to the Indivisible Whole. They have no separate independent authority;no self-ingenerate existence.

With regard to the truth of Indivisible Whole or Totality, after the proclamations of the scriptures, the views of the theologians, religionists, philosophers and the scientists confirm it in various forms. Even if I try to venture to present my own viewpoint, on the basis of my own self-realization, studies and life experiences, I will reaffirm the connection between one and the other elements of the universe. Now, in the time of awakening in every sphere of life and freedom from the perceived monopoly of study-knowledge of an individual or a particular class, any layman can realize the reality of this – Indivisible Whole and on the basis of this, one can get her/himself familiar with the truth of Universal Unity.

Call of the scriptures thousands of years old message of the Vedas in the present human-civilization itself, through the Hiranyagarbha Mantra of the Rigveda (10-121-1) to the findings of scientific discoveries confirming the truth of Indivisible Totality and Universal Unity, expects human being predominantly to be familiar with the basic spirit of this truth calling her/him to indulge in behaviours accordingly. This is the sole purpose of human life.

What is the expectation of Indivisible Whole or Totality and Universal Unity from a human being, woman or man, the superior being of the creation, endowed with such phenomenal qualities as intellect and creativity? In very simple and clear words, she/he should realize her/his state as a part and parcel of the Indivisible Whole, and accepting this reality must devote her/himself to the cause of Universal Unity created by that very Indivisible Totality. She/he must see her/his own rise in the upliftment of one and all embracing the truth that her/his own welfare remains intact only in the welfare of the Whole. She/he must certainly admit the reality that if in any sphere of life, at any level, one fellow being lags behind in her/his upliftment or welfare, the whole of humanity lags behind in that field and to that level. This is not merely an ideal sentence. This is, in fact, the established truth. The Indivisible Whole or Totality, which is the source of origin, the protector and also the ultimate incorporator, expects this from a human being. This is the way of making life meaningful, to achieve the purpose of human life and to perform one’s cosmic role in the universe. Thousands of years ago, therefore, appeared in the Rigveda (10-191-2-4):

सङ्गच्छध्वंसंवदध्वंसंवोमनांसिजानताम्/ देवाभागंयथापूर्वेसञ्जानानाउपासते//

समानोमंत्र: समिति:समानीसमानंमनःसहचित्तमेषाम्/ समानंमन्त्रमभिमन्त्रये: समानेनवोहविषाजुहोमि//

समानीआकूति: समानाहृदयानि:/ समानमस्तुवोमनोयथा: सुसहासति//

“Samgachchhadhvam Samvadadhvam Sam Vo Manaamsi Jaanataam/

Devaa Bhaagam Yathaa Puurve Sanjaanaanaa Upaasate//

Samaano Mantrah Samitih Samaanii Samaanam Manah Sahachittameshaam/

Samaanam Mantramabhi Mantraye Vah Samaanen Vo Havishaa Juhomi//

Samaanii Vo Aakutih Samaanaa Hridayaani Vah/

Samaanamastu Vo Mano Yathaa Vah Susahaasati//”

It means, “Let us all (from the individual to the national-world level) walk together and think; may our mind be one like the gods’...reach a decision (which, is all-welfaristic) by mutual consultation; there should be a motivation to reach the same conclusion with the same mind…let our aim be the same; let our feelings be consistent. May our thoughts and actions be the same, as there is harmony and unity in the various features –facets and actions of this world and the universe.”

After this entirely truth-based ancient (thousands of years old) Vedic proclamation, there was nothing left to say about the reality of Indivisible Totality and Universal Unity. Nevertheless, this reality, in one way or the other, continuously appeared in the universal messages of the great sages, saints and great men of ancient times as well as in theologies, socio-political and humanistic philosophies and ideas of thinkers from time-to-time. This truth emerged prominently in the prime messages of Tathagata Gautama Buddha, Tirthankara Mahavira, Spitama Zoroaster, Jesus Christ, Guru Nanak Dev and others.

Plato, in his call for (maximum) goodness, which he also accepted to be intertwined with (the highest state of) beauty, eventually connected it, as I believe, to man’s duties-responsibilities towards the whole accepting it is as the highest morality. Both, the Old and the New Testaments of the Bible, as well as the most influential thinkers and religious leaders of the West like Albertus (Albert) the Great and Thomas Aquinas, spoke about an orderly universe, in one way or the other and, as said already, accepted the highest importance of the good duty-bound morality persisting there. With the aim of the welfare of the self as well as humanity, urge for embracing the call of Indivisible Totality and keeping the truth of Universal Unity at the center, expectation of the righteous human conduct found an appropriate place in their ideas.

But, after all this, what has mankind learned from the truth of the Indivisible Totality and the eternal state of Universal Unity over the past thousands of years? How much has human being, the best-known creature of the universe, become familiar to the call of these two intertwined realities, and how much has he learnt to behave accordingly in life? The study-observation-analysis of the available history of the last three thousand years reveals the truth of this. Hundreds of years of bloody struggle in the name of religion itself, claims of racial superiority and war for rights over mankind on its basis, oppression and exploitation of fellow beings for own prosperity, and repeatedly trampling on humanity for the suzerainty of other nations, terrible confrontation – along with two world wars in the last (Twentieth) Century, the accounts of the creation of many disastrous situations are in front of us through the pages of this history. The current global situation is well before us in which the world, despite unprecedented advances in various fields of life including science and technology, communication and space science in discoveries of which super virtues like intellect and creativity gifted to human being by the Creator (calling for their use for whole humanity without any discrimination as per the expectation of the truth of Indivisible Totality and Universal Unity) have played the vital role, still sitting on the verge of apocalypse.

Even after thousands of years of development-process, crores of people in the world still live at the lower level of progress, they are victims of exploitation-oppression, and deprived of basic human needs. It simply means that the principle of eternal Indivisible Totality and Universal Unity and its expectations are completely ignored. Not only this, even today the false pride of racial superiority and the whims of expanding territories are the clear signs of turning away from this principle. This is a violation of the Universal Moral Code of Conduct, from the consequences of which no one can escape.

What to say about this situation and to whom? For all of us, every woman and man, today it is a matter of priority for self-realization. Are we ready to move forward jointly for Sarvodaya the upliftment and welfare of all, which certainly includes the rise and welfare of each one of us, as is the expectation of the truth of Indivisible Whole and Universal Unity, and by doing so to follow the Universal Moral Code of Conduct, which is inevitable for an appropriate conduction of the system, from individual to cosmic level? And, thus, do we want a good and long life on the planet Earth, or to move forward towards a rapid decline ourselves?

Now it is in our own hands. We have to decide whether we should save ourselves or fall down; become our friends or our own enemies. In the Shrimadbhagavad-Gita (6.5) the Lord has made it clear:

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानंनात्मानमवसादयेत्/आत्मैवह्यात्मनोबन्धुरात्मैवरिपुरात्मनः//

“Uddharedaatmanaatmaanam Naatmaanamavasaadayet/

Aatmaiva Hyaatmano Bandhuraatmaiva Ripuraatmanah//”

*A Padma Shri and Sardar Patel National Awardee Indologist Dr. Ravindra Kumar is a Former Vice Chancellor of CCS University, Meerut; he is also the Editor-in-Chief of Global Peace International Journal.

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