Indic wisdom considers Sanaatanatva (eternity) as the principal spiritual principle/truth (tatva). Seers have been acknowledging, reiterating and asserting since the very beginning that the truth keeps revealing itself through such disciplined seekers who uphold this principle. Since everyone’s intensity to seek is uniquely specific, levels of consciousness too vary. The journey of self-realisation of every individual thus stays unique. That’s how the aphorism Satyamekam viprah bahudha vadanti (The Truth is One but it manifests in many ‘truths’/forms) vibrates harmoniously with the principal spiritual principle (param-tatva) stated at the outset.
And, glancing through documented human history we find that all the globally acknowledged seekers of truth have been acknowledging the ‘aforesaid truth’ at their respective levels of consciousness in their own Vaani (voices). Fortunately, none of the exclusionary identity, including that of religions, nations and ethnicities could divide the ‘enlightened earthlings’(Bhaa-rat) from their agreeing on this principal principle of oneness of the ultimate truth that originated in India. It is this treasure of wisdom that made the likes of Mark Twain to see India as the mother of all cultures.
Satyamev Jayate is our national motto and all of us who constitute India agree on that unanimously. Continuity in our upholding the spiritual principle is clearly visible from the very beginning and it continues to be in the present.
India is full of diversity and our diversity has consolidated our unity. Diversity has made all of us more resolute in our attitude. Our present Constitution is one such instance of collective resolution at a certain common level of collective consciousness and, ‘We the people of India’ have resolved to uphold it collectively. The resilience in our attitudes make our minds capable of mitigating not only our own internal differences but conflicting countries seeking India’s intervention in mediating differences between other countries also. We are known to uphold values of fairness and justice across the globe.
Indic culture is reiteration of these ‘truths’ which are revealed to us in our living collectively in tune with eternal spiritual principle. And, instead of confining ourselves to any belief, it is by staying open to welcoming these truths/changes we align, regulate and moderate our lives transparently, so that eternal spiritual values stay as our priority. Our transparent manner of upholding these values on priority becomes reiteration/practice. And, continuous practice over a considerable period of time consolidates into various forms of rituals and traditions. Some of these rituals and traditions are local and regional in nature while many others are uniform across the length and breadth of our country. That’s how Indian culture is a living form of Eternal Truth (sanaatan satya).
Though, it may sound contradictory in visualisation yet, it is a fact that Indic culture (Sanatan Sanskriti) has infinite capacity for accommodating all kinds of ideologies, religions and belief systems many of which sound antagonistic to many others especially to those minds that are accustomed to monoculture.
Indic culture exemplifies before us that our capacity to accommodate all contradictions individually as well collectively makes wisdom nestle in our astittva (personality/character/ attitude/outlook/being/ witnessing- consciousness). Calling it divine or human is each one’s Vivek (choice/taste/wisdom).
This strength in Indian culture comes from the first principle of Indic spiritual wisdom which enunciates that anything that exists is within the eternity
This strength in Indian culture comes from the first principle of Indic spiritual wisdom which enunciates that anything that exists is within the eternity. In other words, when we assume ourselves eternal consciousness then there is nothing that is not us/we/me. Inclusivity is an intrinsically essential nature of expression of Aatman which is experienced when beings move towards their inbuilt aim of fulfilling their ultimate potential/highest evolution/innate thirst.
In this long march of Indic culture there have been phases when many among us would have become lazy, complacent and slacking, confined to pleasure-seeking. And, the fire of inner awakening would have thus shrunk, illuminating in the hearts of only few who stayed awake to their essential innate nature, full of enthusiasm and hope even during such tumultuous phases also. Occurrence of such phases has impacted us adversely, so much so that many among us forgot that our culture has emanated from the principal spiritual principle of upholding the eternal truth as mentioned at the outset of this column.
Indic culture upholds those eternal values in the absence of which life (aatmaa) can neither be fulfilled here nor hereafter. As, wisdom manifests only when we uphold the eternal spiritual values.
(The writer is the propounder of Sahaj Smriti Yog System of Self Realisation and founder of Darpan Foundation and Darpan Ashram at Urigam, Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu )
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