Dr. Ravindra Kumar*
India is a great country. Its greatness is not in name only. India
is an ancient civilization; its harmonious and composite culture is
thousands of years old. India has been a leading nation in the
fields of spirituality, science and arts for centuries; it has been
accepted as a Jnana-Guru of the world. India brought
the gift of the greatest, unique and adaptable concept of universal
acceptance to the world; it gave the slogan of Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam to humanity. Furthermore, India gave so many
matchless learned men, the Jagatgurus, representing
different branches of knowledge. The Light of Asia,
Gautama Buddha, and the greatest initiator of Ahimsa,
Mahavira, were born on Indian soil.
India’s greatness also lies in the fact that its land welcomed and
offered refuge to all human beings from different parts of the
globe. It did not matter if these people had their own
religious-community, faith, traditions or values; after reaching
Indian soil they received a permanent abode without any
discrimination. Resultantly, the followers of the world’s six major
religious communities dwell in India today as well as people
belonging to other religious communities.
Besides national language Hindi, twenty-one regional
languages are recognized by the Indian Constitution. However, one
thousand six hundred eighteen languages are spoken by the people on
a local level throughout India; these dialects are the medium of
day-to-day practices of the common man. Furthermore, descendants of
six ethnic groups are in India. Indian people celebrate twenty-nine
major religious festivals. All those who stay on Indian soil are
Indians; they are wayfarers of the Indian Way.
The Indian soil welcomes all. Indians see the image of God in a
guest. Providing hospitality is one of the main characteristics of
the Indian Way. The one who desired a permanent home on the Indian
land not only received permission, but received opportunities to
march forward on the way to progress as well. Those who assimilated
India’s values reached the heights of prosperity and became her own
forever. Parsees ―the
followers of Spitama Zoroaster who reached India from Iran
approximately one thousand five hundred years ago ―are
the living proof of this.
Those who could not fully assimilate Indian values for whatever
reason also became part of the Indian Way. However, they did find
themselves isolated; and they still find themselves in this same
situation today. In comparison to others, they are far behind in
development. It is indeed a good lesson to be learnt by those who
desire advancement while staying on the Indian soil.
India and Non-Violence
Non-Violence [Ahimsa], which is the first human value,
is also a perpetual and natural value. It has played a vital role in
India’s greatness, especially from the perspective which I
previously discussed. It is Ahimsa which accorded
dynamism in the lives of Indians. It directs their day-to-day
behaviours in such a manner that they can ensure their own
existence; their conflictsb ―inevitable in daily life ―are
transformed and resolved. Furthermore, it has given ever new
dimensions to the process of cooperation; the outcomes of which are
present in the form of unprecedented and unending development in
various walks of life.
Now, prior to discussing India and Ahimsa in-depth, it
is necessary for us to clarify the meaning of it and the main Indian
concepts pertaining to it.
In Jainism Ahimsa has been analyzed minutely. The
Twenty-Fourth Jain Tirthankara, Mahavira, gave a
unique dimension to Ahimsa via his own humanely
practices making it a subject of self-control, pure conduct and
discipline. It is for this reason I have called him the greatest
initiator of Ahimsa. The essence of Jain Ahimsa
lies in the following words, “Complete aloofness from Himsa
[violence] is Ahimsa.”
Clearly, Jainism brings Ahimsa within that
comprehensive and extensive scope in which common man’s entry is
quite difficult. In it the smallest form of violence is accountable.
Every form of violence, big or small, committed by a human being
knowingly or unknowingly is worthy of consideration. Therefore, it
is not possible for everyone to follow Jainism’s brand of
Ahimsa in the practical sense. Moreover, the Jain
Ahimsa is completely based upon negative concepts pertaining
to it. For this reason it also becomes impractical for the common
man and can only be practiced by an initiator of a new age like
Mahavira himself.
The Vedic [Hindu] philosophy, which directs day-to-day
practices of most Indians on the basis of guidelines, decided by the
Vedas, especially the Rig-Veda itself,
considers Ahimsa to be an evil-free Dharma.
Of course, this Dharma establishes itself in the form
of duty as well as goodness. Therefore, along with not harming
anyone by thought, speech or deed, and not depriving someone of
life, relying for support of violence to maintain order and to
accord justice is the basis of Vedic Ahimsa.
Although like Jainism, Buddhism also emphasizes upon self-control,
but generally it is not in favour of any such appeal which becomes
impractical for the common man, as far as the application of
Ahimsa in daily routines by the common man is concerned.
Body-control, word-control and mind-control are the means of
violence-control; they are the means of developing non-violence.
Gautama Buddha called upon humanity to develop non-violence on this
basis. He communicated the message of making Karuna
[compassion] the basis of maximum possible human practices a vehicle
through which non-violence can develop in all walks of life.
Some five hundreds years ago, another religious philosophy, known as
the Sikh, arose on the Indian soil. As the Sikh philosophy came into
existence in accordance with the Indian traditions and like Gautama
Buddha, its founders and developers were also from the followers of
the Vedic religious community, this philosophy had a
deep impact of Vedic philosophy on it. Like Buddhism
it accorded its due place to Ahimsa. All Sikh Gurus,
and Guru Nanak Dev in particular, emphasized upon pure and virtuous
humanly deeds and self-control to pave the way for developing
Ahimsa in man’s daily practices. Furthermore, like Buddha,
who conformed to the prevailing conditions of his time by making
compassion the basis of developing Ahimsa, Guru Nanak,
the first Sikh Guru, made harmony the basis of non-violence during
his time and motivated people to regulate their actions according to
it.
The four common points which we find in the context of non-violence
in the four chief philosophies established and developed in India
that played vital roles in making India great by strengthening the
Indian Way are as follows: 1.
Within the domain of non-violence are all living beings;
2.
In spite of being eternal, natural and values humans first, it is a
subject of practice according to the
demands of time and space; 3.
It is an active value; it has nothing to do with cowardice as it is
an ornament of the brave; and 4.
It is not a subject to be practiced occasionally; in theory and in
practice it is all-timely.
Non-Violence and Gandhi
All the above four points which are present almost with unanimity in
the four major philosophies which were established and developed in
India ―Vedic,
Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh―can
easily be found in the Gandhian concept pertaining to non-violence.
And, I would go to the extent of saying all the above four points
are present overall in Gandhi’s ideas and practices ―the
centre of which is non-violence. Gandhi brought harmony among all
Indian concepts pertaining to Ahimsa. This
clearly indicates that Gandhian non-violence is an excellent
introduction to the Indian concept of Ahimsa. If
someone desires to know and understand non-violence in India, he
should do so by understanding the Ahimsa of Mahatma
Gandhi.
Accepting that Rishis were greater geniuses and
warriors than Newton and Wellington who discovered the rule of
Ahimsa in the primitive age, Gandhi declared non-violence
to be an active force. Gandhi proved on several occasions that
Ahimsa is not the meek submission before the will of the
wrongdoer; rather Ahimsa is a fight using soul-force
against the will of a tyrant which ultimately yields victory. In
this regard through his own non-violent actions, he astonished the
whole world.
For centuries it was the opinion of many in the world that
Ahimsa was a subject limited to hermits or cave-dwellers.
They believed that it was an individual matter and could be applied
in the religious sphere only. Gandhi, however, shattered this myth.
He used Ahimsa in the political sphere and proved that
it could be successfully applied in all walks of life and at all
levels ― individual
to international ― so
long as the applier’s intention is clear and full of honesty.
Gandhi spoke of achieving victory over the injustices of the world’s
mightiest empire through the non-violent actions of the individual.
And as we know from history, his ambition was achieved. For
confirmation, the whole series of events pertaining to India’s
freedom struggle [1920-42] under his own leadership is before us.
In fact, for the first time in history, Gandhi added a new dimension
to Ahimsa in theory and practice by working to unite
the common man. He established non-violence as a means which could
be most effective in the political sphere. By doing so, although he
accepted not hurting anyone by thought, utterance and deed and not
depriving someone of life to be the supreme spirit of Ahimsa,
but made the intent behind the act the acid test of it. Hence, he
removed the doubt that Ahimsa is a subject beyond the
reach of the masses.
Mahatma Gandhi clarified the eternality of non-violence, and spoke
of its naturalness before the common man. He expected the whole
world and Indians in particular to be as warriors and to develop
non-violence to the maximum possible extent. People should apply
Ahimsa in their behaviour, ensuring their own personal
freedom while securing freedom for all citizens of the world.
Indians have been capable of achieving this goal; history proves
this fact. The main reason for India’s capability is its people’s
commitment to non-violence. During the course of his non-violent
actions Mahatma Gandhi too believed this, and on the basis of this
he stated, “India attracts me. It has everything that a human
being with the highest possible aspirations can want.”
Being an ancient civilization India has maintained its special place
in the world; today it has its own identity and role to play.
Without a doubt, India must march forward with the eternal and
natural value of Ahimsa at its centre. By plying its
role in international affairs it must lead the world, and on the
basis of Mahatma Gandhi’s following message it must transform the
slogan of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam into reality:
“I feel that India’s mission is different from that of others. India
is fitted for the religious supremacy of the world. There is no
parallel in the world for the process of purification that this
country has voluntarily undergone. India is less in need of steel
weapons, it has fought with divine weapons, it can still do so.
Other nations have been votaries of brute force….India can win all
by soul force. Poets have sung about it and seers have described
their experiences.” |