Seeking universalism

Religion is necessary for the human psyche. The real-life link between politics and religion has resulted in a politics-religion nexus, which often misuses this human necessity to divide people on the basis of religion, for electoral or other benefit.

Rationalists and liberals decry religion, some even claiming that religion is responsible for violence. Adherents of every religion maintain that their religion does not advocate violence, although individuals wreak violence in the name of religion.

India, host to multiple religions, is no stranger to communal violence, and it behoves us to take a closer look at religion in the current context.

Spirituality - Mother of religions: Spirituality implies understanding that there is more to life than the universe which we observe with our cognitive senses. It raises philosophic questions like: What is the purpose of the universe? What is the meaning of life? Philosophy uses the tools of logic and reason in attempting to answer these questions.

Normal rational thought processes spontaneously giving way to stillness of the meditative mind, and losing sense of self, is spiritual experience. In this state of mind, the distinction between the personal and the external disappear as the mind enters into a beatific state.

Spiritual experience is intuitive, based in human consciousness, beyond cognition and language. Persons from different periods in human history, from different cultures across the globe, who have experienced such super-consciousness, are considered as seers or teachers.

Such teachers communicate their intense, illuminating, out-of-world spiritual experience to followers, providing them with an idea of a deity with attributes, nature and form according to their culture. With or without the teacher’s guidance, the followers create a dogma of beliefs, ideas, practices and rituals, which characterise the religion.

Many religions do not accept questioning of their dogmas and doctrines, and proscribe what is false according to them. They maintain that theirs is the only way to God and liberation, thereby dividing people as believers or non-believers.

Throughout history, followers of the original teachers have (mis)used religion to gain power in society. In present times, the politician-clergy nexus within different religions, uses religion to prescribe, influence or control beliefs and behaviour of individuals, communities and societies. The religion-politics nexus in societies worldwide, has caused religions to become far removed from their founder’s spirituality.

Indian culture, philosophy and theism: India’s syncretic culture has evolved from pre-historic to present times, meld ing multiple traditions and ways of life throughout the sub-continent. It has developed into a unique combination of spirituality, philosophy and religion.

Throughout India’s five-millennium cultural history, sages and thinkers have developed and refined philosophy based upon personal spiritual experience. The principal tools of their philosophy are logic, reasoning, uncompromising questioning and informed debate.

The recognised schools (darshanas) of philosophy are Nyaya, Vaiseshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta, all focusing on the ultimate goal of liberation of the individual from mortal bonds. They provided a philosophical and theological foundation for society.

Social outcomes: According to the Darshanas, the endeavours of life are the four Purusharthas, namely, Dharma-Artha-Kama-Moksha. Dharma, concerning moral-ethical values, includes duties, rights, laws, conduct and virtues. Artha pertains to prosperity and economic values, Kama to fulfilling desire and psychological values, and Moksha to liberation and spiritual values.

Also, life was defined as comprised of four successive stages or Ashramas. These were Brahmacharya (student primarily of Dharma), Grihasta (householder, active contributor to society), Vanaprastha (retired from active contribution to society), and Sanyasa (renunciate, devoted to thought and meditation).

An individual was required to always strive to attain the ultimate goal of Moksha while adhering to the values of the Purusharthas, particularly Dharma, even as he passed through the Ashramas of life. The focus was spirituality, not religious practice.

However, Shudras – the people lowest in caste hierarchy – and women did not enter the stage of Brahmacharya, and so could not receive education in Dharma.

From pre-historic times, most societies have been patriarchal, with girls and women having subordinate status. Consequently, all aspects of daily life in family, community and society were male-dominated and perpetuated gender bias, including in life-defining events of birth, marriage and death.

With caste-status being hereditary, caste bias got conflated with endemic gender bias in society. Discriminatory caste bias and patriarchal social practice prevailed over spiritual-philosophical values. Although constitutionally banned, gender-caste discrimination survives in present times within homes and in society, often manifesting as male-macho-entitlement to commit violent crimes against women and Dalits.

Syncretic universalism:Upanishadic texts teach “Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti”, that truth is one but the wise perceive it differently. At the spiritual level, this truth, this “one”, is independent of religion. At the religious level, it becomes: God is one but the wise call Him by different names or perceive Him differently.

“Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti” combined with the Upanishadic concept of Vasudhaiva kutumbakam - meaning the family of Earth (vasudha) including all living and non-living matter – expresses universalism, which embraces and validates all streams of philosophical thought and religious belief, faith and worship, without exception.

At the 1893 Chicago World’s Parliament of Religions, Swami Vivekananda spoke of the oneness of humanity, holding that different religions are merely different ways of reaching the universal truth. This is inclusive secularism which is implicit in syncretic universalism, unlike the western concept of “separation of Church from State”. It unifies people and communities.

Understanding this unifying philosophy is vital when the politics-religion nexus within different religions causes social disharmony and communal violence by dividing people on the basis of religion or caste.

Without prejudice to their respective faiths, wise political leaders would use the moral compass of syncretic universalism. Only this can steer a path between the disruptive trio of a-religious liberalism, pseudo-secularism and gender-caste biased religious nationalism. Only this path can ensure communal peace and social harmony, which in turn will provide women equal status with men. But do we have enlightened leadership?

(The writer is a retired Major General)