Today, the world is at the pinnacle of progress in science and technology; it has taken humanity to the great heights of material gratification. On the contrary, this materialistic lifestyle has by and large resulted in creating dissatisfied and frustrated individuals.
Man is without peace today. What has gone wrong? Is material progress bad? If not, where does the problem lie? If we observe the world closely, it is clear that as we march towards material progress, man has not endeavoured to progress in the spiritual direction. There is a lack of balance between material progress and spiritual growth.
The ancient rishis and philosophers of this country had adopted a different means to unravel the secrets of existence through tapas and austerity. Their ideas and wisdom were recorded in Vedic literature thousands of years ago. Under the rubrics of dharma, artha, kama and moksa, this knowledge formed the basis and guide for balanced material and spiritual growth.
Vedic wisdom is not against pleasure (kama) and economic development (artha), as long as it’s regulated by religious principles (dharma) for the ultimate purpose of liberation (moksa). These principles are valid and applicable at all times.
At the heart of every culture is a thought system that consists of a variety of shared beliefs and values. Over a long period of time, these values and beliefs get reflected and encoded as a way of life in the form of customs and practices, religion, language, art forms and festivals, creating a unique culture.
What are the most important shared beliefs of Indian culture that distinguish it from several other cultures? It is our belief in atma, paramatma, karma, dharma, and moksa etc. We believe in atma, that is, we are eternal beings beyond our bodies. We believe in paramatma or isvara, the eternal, omnipresent God. We believe in karma: that life’s situations are determined by the laws of universal justice, rewards and punishment. We believe that kaala (time) is a force that moves everyone’s life according to individual karma. We believe in dharma, the relationship between God and us. We believe in moksa, our eternal love and in bhakti, which is the purpose of human’s life. We believe in vaikuntha, the dimension of absolute eternal reality where we as an integral divine part of God reunite lovingly with Him in the atmosphere of absolute reality.
We believe in tolerating and accepting other religions as appropriate paths to the realisation of God, suited to different times, places and circumstances. There is no higher purpose according to this philosophy other than what relates to the body itself.
Today’s children are very intelligent. We want our children to talk with ease about the ideas of atma and paramatma, dharma, karma, freewill, destiny, moksa, etc. We will be fulfilling our duty if we succeed in making our children God-loving or at least God-fearing citizens with a desire to serve and not exploit humanity.
Even adult Indians today don’t have clarity on the basic Vedic concepts that even a common peasant in our country knew 50 years ago. It is high time we took steps to ensure that we aren’t consumed by materialistic western culture. Let us boldly use science and technology to educate children in Vedic knowledge and culture, so as to inculcate in them the profound values and truths of existence right from the childhood.