This is how Swamiji felt of India as he stood in America and looked at her, which he has expressed in a very memorable letter written to Maharaja of Khetri in March 1895.
It is pathetic that today our people are flocking to Arab countries to amass material wealth, to America to derive 'job satisfaction', to Germany or Japan to acquire some technical skill or other. In spite of this mad rush and madder lifestyles, joy, peace and contentment evade them. The vacuum inside only intensifies till it turns sooner or later into a disease.
Despite all the material prosperity that the various nations of bygone days had acquired, the best of intellects there knew about its transitoriness and they were enchanted and attracted by the indescribably profound yet simple, deep and expansive "something' in the Indian life, which lay behind their scant respect for material wealth, name and recognition making even Alexander the Great, bow his head in reverence before the Indian Yogi, who was but a renunciate!
Absolute Reality, the Changeless beyond the changing, Truth, God, Goal of existence as they are variously described, had a different meaning in India and was far removed from, acquisition of wealth, power, fame or name. In fact it was only through a total renunciation of the latter can anyone even start the journey towards truth. Capacity to distinguish truth, from untruth, center one's life and aspirations on this truth, keep realization of truth as the be-all and end-all of existence, to perfect one's skill and faculties so that each and every movement in life became a progression towards that goal, all this and more were part of the Indian philosophy of life. Renunciation was the warp and woof of this land came to be reverentially referred to as Tyagabhoomi.'
From time immemorial our seers understood that the path to Ultimate Perfection, Immortality and Truth lies not through the path of enjoyment but through the path of renunciation. Those who were serious minded and not satisfied with the vision of Reality obtained in their own countries and philosophies therefore came to India to drink deeply the nectar of the Immortal Truth that sprang forth from the heart of the Culture and heritage of this Tyagabhoomi.
That there exists a Truth which transcends man's idea of 'quantity, quality, relation and mode', yet is the very essence of existence, knowledge and bliss and on this the entire Universe is established and sustained, were some of the ideas emanated for the first time from the supra-scientific Indian mind. The vision of Reality as an undivided whole of which everything in the Universe is an indivisible part was too grand an idea for others to conceive, born and brought up as they were with a fragmented, mechanistic and materialistic vision. That this vision of the spiritual oneness of the entire creation could be realized in this very life, and can be made into a working philosophy - Dharma, to add joy, contentment and fullness of life was something unimaginable to them.
Centuries ago our great Rishis realized that the key to discover Truth and understand the mystery of Universe and Creation lies in the knowledge of the Immortal Blissful Self within man. "Know thyself" thus became the most important formula for verifying and realizing Truth and the human life itself became the laboratory.
To know this Self a journey had to be made inward, away from the external pluralistic World, its interests and temptations. The obstacles on the path, namely, selfish desires, attachments and motivations had to be systematically cut asunder through self-analysis, self-surrender and self- sacrifice. These were the ways and means through which the three facets of human personality - knowledge, love and work - could be purified and illumined to receive the light of Truth and the grand vision of Reality. This is the path of Renunciation. 'There is no other path' declare the Upanishads. Only through renunciation can one come to enjoy Immortality".
To make Truth a part of the very base of one's thinking process there must be a constant checking and rechecking of the Real and the relatively real. Self-analysis is the way by which one can reject and renounce the relative and ever changing interests of life and establish within the eternal changeless Truth. Sri Shankara's Nirvanashatakam is a jewel of this analysis and rejection. This is the path of Renunciation through knowledge.
be systematically cut asunder through self-analysis, self-surrender and self- sacrifice. These were the ways and means through which the three facets of human personality - knowledge, love and work could be purified and illumined to receive the light of Truth and the grand vision of Reality. This is the path of Renunciation. 'There is no other path' declare the Upanishads. Only through renunciation can one come to enjoy Immortality". To make Truth a part of the very base of one's thinking process there must be a constant checking and rechecking of the Real and the relatively real. Self-analysis is the way by which one can reject and renounce the relative and ever changing interests of life and establish within the eternal changeless Truth. Sri Shankara's Nirvanashatakam is a jewel of this analysis and rejection. This is the path of Renunciation through knowledge.
To capture the glory of the undivided Truth in one's day today work and activities, selfish desire prompted motivations and expectation of result must be kept away. When the ideal of whole is kept in front, work turns into worship of the Truth. Karma becomes Karma yoga.
In the world of material science, we recognize a great scientist for the degree of unification and expansion he brings to his problem, for the awards and prizes he has acquired. In our ancient land, recognition and adoration went to that Rishi who achieved the maximum in unification and universalisation through renunciation! He was considered the best among the seekers of Truth, who could recapture this vision of Reality in day today life at all times.
We are the children of such a Tyagabhoomi. Our magnificent heritage is replete with illustrations of great men and women, who through renunciation climbed the peaks of glory and immortality and added to the value and dignity of human life. Today not only the Indian rupee, but the Indian life itself stands very much devalued. Swami Vivekananda shows us the way: "The national ideals of India are Renunciation and Service. Intensify her in those channels and the rest will take care of itself".
Can we build up a national will for it.?
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