Saturday 12 September 2015

Recognise unity amidst diversity

|| योग: कर्मसु कौशलम् ||

Further to understand the concept of our nation's goal, Param Poojaneeya Sri Guruji says :
How will that One Common Substratum manifest itself in the complicated organism of human society? Will it result in eliminating all distinctive features of nations and roll them all into one uniform pattern? Or will it make the various groups of people come together in a spirit of comradeship realising the innate oneness of mankind while preserving their individual nationalities?
Here again, our philosophers have unmistakably pointed out the path of real human happiness. Just as an individual, a nation – an aggregate of individuals – too has an individuality all its own. Individuals and nations in all parts of the globe have distinctive traits and features, each of them having its own place in the scheme of the universe. The different human groups are marching forward, all towards the same goal, each in its own way and in keeping with its own characteristic genius. The destruction of the special characteristics, whether of an individual, or of a group, will therefore not only destroy the natural beauty of harmony but also its joy of self-expression. Evolution of human life also, which is a multifaced one, is retarded thereby.

We recall Swami Vivekananda saying : Each nation has its own peculiar method of work. Some work through politics, some through social reforms, some through other lines. With us, religion is the only ground along which we can move. The Englishman can understand even religion through politics. Perhaps the American can understand even religion through social reforms. But the Hindu can understand even politics when it is given through religion; sociology must come through religion, everything must come through religion. For that is the theme, the rest are the variations in the national life-music.

Sri Guruji further says : For, it is a matter of common experience that it is only by developing one's unique characteristic that man rises to his full stature and enjoys bliss and happiness. So, to seek harmony among the various characteristics has been our special contribution to the world thought. The oft-quoted feature of our racial genius, that is, of recognising unity amidst diversity, stems from this deep appreciation of the principles that water the roots of human unity, human happiness and evolution. Thus, in short, we stand for a harmonious synthesis among nations and not their obliteration. Needless to say, the idea of creating a stateless condition of levelling all human beings to one particular plane of physical existence, erasing their individual and group traits, is foreign to us. The World State of our concept will, therefore, evolve out of a federation of autonomous and self-constrained nations under a common centre linking them all.

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