Surrender is the last step in the seeking game. When the seeker reaches this hallowed spot, he can put down the burden of self and hand it over to God.
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For Dr Karan Singh, philosopher, environmentalist, statesman, orator,
author and politician, life is a continuous effort to realize the eternal Brahman
and work for the greatest common good. He is the chairman of Temple of Understanding,
an international inter-faith organization, president of the International Center
for Science, Culture and Consciousness, chairman of the Auroville Foundation and
member of the UNESCO Project on Universal Ethics. He has extensively lectured
on Indian culture and philosophy and has set up 'India Forum', a think-tank on
contemporary issues. Dr. Singh has also authored several widely acclaimed books,
including Essays on Hinduism, In Defense of Religion and One
Man's World.
Born in 1931 as heir to the then-princely state of
Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Singh was catapulted into political life at the age of 18,
when his father Maharaja Hari Singh appointed him regent. At the age of 36, he
was inducted into the Union Cabinet. He was a member of the Indian Parliament
for the next 18 years and held several major Cabinet posts. All this while, Dr
Singh's spiritual quest continued unabated. In 1953, he undertook a pilgrimage
to eastern and southern India. A few years later, Dr Singh came in touch with
Indian spiritual teacher Raushan Nath, which led to a deep spiritual experience.
He also worked with dreams under the guidance of his guru, Sri Krishnaprem.
For Dr Singh, life is a continuous wonder. In this interview with Life
Positivehe talks about Hinduism, the Hindu world view, and the resurgence
of spirituality in India.
You have been an eminent proponent
of Indian culture and tradition. What is India's greatest contribution to the
world?
I think the Vedantic concepts—the notion of an all-pervasive
Brahman, the atman that resides in all beings and the methodology of
joining this atman to the Brahman, which is broadly known as yoga.
The belief in spiritual quest and primacy of consciousness are deeply
embedded in the texture of Indian civilization. This does contribute
to the special spiritual dimension that India has given to the world. What of the other world religions? Each religion has made a
special contribution to human knowledge. However, many religions were born in
India. Take Jainism, or Buddhism. India has also been home to creative interaction
of religions, Sufism, for instance. Today, there appears to be
an eclectic spiritual revival in India. There is reiki, there is...
You see, our philosophy has always been to accept noble thoughts from various
sources. We have never been a closed or dogmatic religion. We welcome reiki or
any other system. We are lucky there because we can participate in the pool of
knowledge from all over the world.
Do you perceive a shift in consciousness, be it India or the world?
I think two things are happening at the same time. On one hand,
there is a tremendous thrust towards materialism. There is an avalanche
of violence and negative values in our movies and television. On the
other hand, there is a growing section of people who are turning towards
spirituality. I have been to several countries and I can see
the change. It is a double shift.
But which is a stronger trend?
That remains to be seen. If you look at the history of human race, both
negative and positive elements have run parallel. There has never been
a time when either has totally dominated the other. Trying to predict
the outcome is futile. Instead, we should contribute to the world in
whatever way we can. I travel around the world speaking on Vedanta,
education, environment, global consciousness—on 'Life
Positive' in fact. Our tradition is life affirming.
You have
traveled all over the world. Which culture or country is most spiritually oriented
in your opinion?
You cannot pass a judgement like that. There are communities in California
and other parts of America that are deeply spiritual. So it is in Japan
and Europe. I don't think India has a monopoly over spirituality. There
are more people practicing yoga in California than in the whole
of India.
Once
you wrote about Machu Picchu (Peru) as a deeply spiritual place…
I'd like to repeat that I believe there are people and communities around
the world who are deeply spiritual. Take the dancing dervishes. They
are astounding. Then there are what Carlos Castaneda would call places
of power. Machu Picchu is a place of power. In India there is Varanasi,
or the Himalayas. But essentially, the place of power lies within us.
Do you follow any particular
system of meditation?
I do my own puja. Hinduism is a great do-it-yourself kit. You can take
whatever elements you like—chanting, meditation, rituals.
I am a worshipper of Lord Shiva.
Have you ever had a guru?
I've had a Shakta guru who was an Indian, a Vaishnava guru who was an
Englishman and a Shaiva guru who was an American. You see, spirituality
is not the preserve of any particular region or religion. In addition,
the two leading lights in my life have been Swami Vivekananda and Sri
Aurobindo. But I'm open to influences from around the world.
How would you define the meaning of life?
The meaning of life is to reflect the divine within one's consciousness.
According to the Rig Veda, we should work for the liberation
of our souls as well as for the welfare of the society. I try to do
both to the best of my capability.
MAN
DIVINE Excerpt from Dr Karan Singh's Essays on Hinduism
There
are some basic concepts we must accept if religion
is to develop into a dynamic force. The first is
the unity of the human race. The Rig Vedicvasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world as a family)
is increasingly becoming a reality. With supersonic
travel and global telecommunications, the world
is steadily shrinking, and a concept that came to
our rishis in a flash of inspiration has
now assumed tremendous relevance.
The growing gap between man's destructive ability and his
capacity for constructive co-operation poses a serious threat to our existence,
and unless we can look upon mankind as a single family, it will not be possible
for man to survive much longer. The second concept is the divinity of man. The
Upanishads have a marvelous phrase for the human race, amrtasya putrah
(children of immortality). Every human being in this world, regardless of where
he lives or what beliefs he professes, enshrines a spark of the divine.
Thirdly, we come to the essential unity of all religions, 'unity' rather than
'tolerance', because tolerance implies a somewhat grudging agreement to let other
religions continue to exist. What is required is an active acceptance of the doctrine
put forward in the Rig Vedic dictum: ekam sad viprah bahudha vadanti (Truth
is one, the wise call it by various names). An unequivocal acceptance of the fact
that all religions are different paths leading to the same goal forms the true
foundation for an enlightened secularism.
Finally, there is the reconstruction
of society. It is our duty to work for the betterment of society, bahujana
sukhaya bahujana hitaya ca (for the happiness and welfare of the many) as
the Upanishad has it.
