TWO TYPES OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITIES

Finding one’s own identity is a characteristic of human beings. Some identities are given and some are chosen by the individuals. However, there is another type of identity which has both the nature of being given and of being chosen. Thus for example, the ‘religious identity’ of a human being as an individual is given this identity by birth and at the same time he or she is free to choose the identity also. In fact, it is one of the major identities of a person in society. A religion of an individual gives identity to the person and in turn the individuals of a religion form their own identity as a society.  

            The religious identity itself has various expressions like various ways of rituals, worship, dress code, food habits and so on. All these expressions of a religious identity fall into two broad categories namely ‘Socio-centric religious identity’ and ‘Person-centric religious identity’. Each religion has these two identities as a religion is a ‘social’ structure made for ‘persons’. However, religions are regarded according to the predominant identity among these two present in them. Some explanation about these two may help us understand them in a better way.

            The first, Socio-centric religions find meaning in religious activities as a community. The communitarian dimension is given much importance in these religions. The ultimate goal of life is regarded as a community endeavor. Religions like Christianity, Islam and Judaism are examples of socio-centric religions where the community aspect is given much importance. The faithful of these religions find God in a collective manner. It is the common worship that plays a vital role in these religions and charity is the important virtue in socio-centric religions. Since many factors are in common there is a need for rules, commandments, canons, etc. Exact observance of such rules is considered to be virtuous and the negligence of them is deemed as sins. However, there is a possibility of the danger that these rules and regulations become more important than one’s personal approach towards God. For example, missing the ‘Sunday Mass’ may be considered to be a grave sin in Catholicism and even while travelling the Islamic faithful are expected to perform their ‘Namaz’ (which I have noticed while travelling by train). Thus in Socio-centric religion the spirituality is a shared responsibility as a community. The words of Aristotle may be suitable for this aspect that, “A man outside a society is either a god or a beast”. The feature of fraternity is much valued in this religious identity and so the emphasis on their spirituality mostly lies on ‘action’.     

            On the other hand, there is also another group of religions which have Person-centric religious identity. Religions like Hinduism and Buddhism fall under this category of religious identity. In this type of identity, the importance is given to the individuals (more) than to  the religious organizations. Although there are moments of collective worship or festivals in these religions the primacy is given to the individual’s relationship with the Ultimate Reality called God. In these religions too we may find norms set for the better living as a community but ultimately they are meant for the individual persons. The notion of salvation or liberation (Moksha) from the worldly life is the merit of the individual. This merit, unlike the socio-centric religions, is obtained through consciousness. For example, the Vedas of Hindu tradition talks of this consciousness as ‘Brahman realization’.  Great sayings like “Aham Brahma asmi” (I am Brahman) or “Tat tvam asi” (That Thou Art) call for the realization that each one is God in disguise and this awareness leads to the final goal of one’s being. Even the words of Aristotle, which we have mentioned earlier, may not affect this type of religions as even away from the society one can realize that one is a god. And so there may be an attitude developed in this religious identity that society need not be valued in one’s spiritual quest. Thus, in the person-centric religion, human persons are more concerned about ‘consciousness’ than ‘action’.

The interaction between these two religious identities may bring the difficulty of perceiving each other as (an obstacle) a predicament in one’s own way towards the purpose of the religion. For the socio-centric religious person, mere consciousness or realization of God may not have meaning in his or her religious parlance. On the other hand, for the person-centric religious person, society is just a midway region that one has to pass through on in the spiritual journey. Thus there may be an intellectual conflict between them which may also lead to “inter-religious” disastrous results if the problem persists.

On the contrary, a fruitful dialogue may provide the awareness that ‘Reality’ has been or can be seen in different perspectives. Probably, the better understanding could be the integration of the attitudes of these two identities, incorporating consciousness into action or action with consciousness. While striving towards perfection it is important to realize the presence of God within oneself. When one realizes the presence of the Almighty within oneself, the person should extend the notion of realization to the other human beings who also bear God in themselves. Consequently, we all strive for our own perfection in our way by accompanying each other.

Objectivity - The Goal of Knowing

Q & A has become a well-known novel written by Vikas Swarup as it provides the plot for the Oscar winning movie Slumdog Millionaire. In this article, we see how the concept of objectivity is traced out in the novel. It is about a story of a street-boy named Ram Mohammad Thomas, who was able to win one billion rupees by answering all the twelve questions in the game show called ‘Who Wants to be A Millionaire?’(W3B) similar to the Indian reality TV show, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’. The boy’s winning not only surprises everyone but it makes the producers of the show suspicious about his winning. And so they probe into the case in order to find out how he could answer all the questions against their script, the objective. Every TV show, including the so-called reality shows, would have a script to be followed. These game shows are only a means to increase the TRP rating and earn more revenue through advertisements. The producers would never intend that someone would win the whole prize-money and it is same in this TV show too.

However, in the case of Ram the script fails. No one could find the truth, not even Smita Shah, the lawyer of the boy, his own boyhood friend who came to help him. Everyone is perplexed with the absolute right answers of the boy. It seems impossible even for a well-educated man to have the objective knowledge in all the fields, at least the different fields that the questions pertain to in the show. Hence it is incredible that a street-boy is able to answer the questions such as the sequence of letters inscribed on the Cross or to choose the right meaning of the term persona non grata in the government foreign policy or to name the person who invented the revolver or to answer the right key that Beethoven used in his famous musical piece ‘Hammerklavier Sonta’. The question that remains here is “how could the boy have objective knowledge?”

Human knowing is not a single activity. Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984), a Canadian Philosopher, presents the process of knowing as a structured set of different activities. The process of knowing contains experience, understanding and judgment that happen in a cumulative and cyclic manner. The process does not stop here but moves towards objectivity what is called really real or objectively real. It can be achieved only by an authentic subject. The criteria for authentic subject are to be attentive, intelligent, reasonable and responsible. To make it clear Lonergan distinguishes principal notion of objectivity and constitutive notions of objectivity. He explains the principal notion of objectivity, the patterned context of judgments, in this way: “through a true proposition you can arrive at an objective world.” Lonergan also provides three constitutive notions of objectivity namely Absolute objectivity, Normative Objectivity and Experiential Objectivity. Let us discuss about them briefly.

Absolute Objectivity:

Absolute Objectivity is the knowledge about something which is unconditioned by anything namely the subject, time and space. “The ground of absolute objectivity is the virtually unconditioned that is grasped by reflective understanding and posited in judgment.” A judgment or a proposition is absolutely objective in as much as its content is absolute.  All the answers given by the boy were unconditioned and were gained through his reflective understanding on his own experience. For instance, he was able to answer the question of the meaning of persona non grata in the government foreign policy, he reflects on his understanding about the term. Through his experience with a foreign ambassador who was declared persona non grata and was sacked due to the guilt of unreliability, Ram gives the meaning “that the diplomat is not acceptable”. Thus his answer gains Absolute objectivity with the absolute content.

Normative Objectivity:

This sense of objectivity is directly opposed to subjectivity. By subjectivity Lonergan means that of wishful thinking, of rash or excessively cautious judgments, of allowing factors like joy or sadness, hope or fear, love or detestation to interfere with the proper cognitional process. “Normative objectivity is constituted by the immanent exigence of the pure desire in the pursuit of its unrestricted objective.”  Moreover, the process of cognition that carries inquiry, demand for intelligibility and demand for unconditioned has ‘norms’ immanently. Therefore, Normative objectivity is to proceed in the cognitional process with the norms without any bias. In the case of Ram, the normative objectivity is the script of the producers which is inherent in the whole show. “Shows like W3B cannot be dictated by chance, by a roll of the dice. They have to follow a script …. But now this fellow Thomas [Ram] has wrecked all our plans”, complaints the producer.

Experiential Objectivity:

The third constitutive element of objectivity is experiential. Any inquiry or insight presupposes something that is given, the material about which one inquires is given to experience. Experience is the first stage in the cognitional process in fulfilling the conditions of the virtually unconditioned. As the object of cognition is a given reality it is unquestionable and indubitable in itself. The given is not an answer to any question and, in fact, it is prior to questioning and independent of answers. Hence this objectivity is opposed to what is produced at will. Givenness is extrinsic, outside the agent. While everyone was suspicious about Ram’s intrinsic knowledge about the answers, in reality he could find the answers from the facts of his own life-experience, events and struggles. One such example would be how could an ordinary street-boy name the smallest plant of the solar system? He learns the name from his astronomer neighbour. The latter names his cat as Pluto since he deems the pet as very small. The answer is given to him in this sense.

Conclusion:

He could arrive at the objective knowledge through the true propositions, the answers, which were the result of his authentic subjectivity through attentive, intelligent, reasonable and responsible process. The novel consists of all the three constitutive notions of objectivity namely Absolute, Normative and Experiential which we try to explain in this article.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pen, Robert. Communication for Communion: Communication as Mutual Self-Mediation in Context. New Delhi: Intercultural Publications, 2011.

Swarup, Vikas. Q&A. London: Black Swan, 2006.

Lonergan, Bernard. “The Apriori and Objectivity.” Understanding and Being. Edited by Elizabeth A. Morelli and Mark D. Morelli. Toranto: University of Toranto Press, 1995: 156-180.

Lonergan, Bernard. “The Notion of Objectivity.” Insight: A Study of Human Understanding. Edited by Fredric E. Crowe and Robert M. Doran. Toranto: University of Toranto Press, 1992: 394-409.

Spirituality of Sports: Sports - A Means for Salvation of Souls

Can we talk of spirituality in the realm of sports? It is a valid question as the spiritual elements are not so evident in games unlike others areas of life. Moreover, this is almost impossible for those who set their notion of spirituality on the basis of rituals alone. Perhaps, Don Bosco would have thought differently. He was a priest always found in the streets with boys organizing games and even playing with them. The primary concern for Don Bosco in all his endavours is the salvation of souls. His successor, Don Rua, says, “He (Don Bosco) took no step, he said no work, he took up no task that was not directed to the saving of the young.” If games and sports do not aid in any way in his prime motive of saving souls he could have not included it as part of his educational system. In fact, it is almost impossible to find a Salesian house without a playground. Thus there are many aspects of spirituality found in sports. Let us see briefly some of them.

To begin with, holiness in the spiritual frame of Don Bosco was very simple as he would say often, “it is easy to become saint.” The simple way to become saint for Don Bosco is to be cheerful always. When he found Dominic Savio, mortifying himself in order to attain holiness, Don Bosco suggested him to join the games for ‘a sad saint is a sorry saint’. What makes the young to be more cheerful is games. Now it is clear that a good game is a fine means to sanctity. Even the Salesian constitutions emphasizes on the role of playground while looking up to the model Oratory, the oratory of Valdocco (art. 40). Playground is the place where the young could enjoy themselves and in a way to find their path towards sanctity. Thus sports is a means of holiness.

Playground is a place where a young person is fully involved. For this reason Don Bosco suggests that we can find the character of a boy in the playground. The young involve themselves completely in active games, in other words, they are fully alive. St. Ireaneus says that Glory of God is man fully alive. Even watching a game, for example football, makes one to be engrossed into it; it is much more when one plays the game. Players put their heart and soul together for a single purpose without distraction. Don Bosco considers games as a way to take the young away from evil for “Idleness is the workshop of devil.” Thus games take young people closer to God by keeping them fully alive.

Another interesting fact is that it is not easy to find a sportsman to be an atheist. The simple reason is that the sportsman spirit makes the player to perfect himself or herself in their field. However, it gives the realization that perfection consists in transcendence. This is not very tangible but this is how a player unconsciously believes. What does it mean? While striving for perfection itself a value which can be applied to spirituality, a sportsman understands that it is not a human venture alone to attain perfection. Thus players believe in the transcendental power beyond themselves. Though some may call it ‘luck’ this power is none other than God. One can recollect the experience of praying as a team before the match or entering the field of play. Thus sports increases our faith and our spiritual appetite.

Don Bosco, having realized the spiritual elements in sports, not only encouraged the boys to play rather joined their games too. Though the field of sports is active today, the spiritual factors are lost in many ways. For example, sports is used as a means of money-making. Another evil in sports today is the video games. Although one may find the above said spiritual aspects in them, video game is disguised as sports for it is not real but only an imaginary play like watching a movie. In addition, it is also injurious to health. Thus my humble request for the youth is to participate actively in sports to find God and holiness through cheerfulness, commitment and the realization of the transcendence.    

Knowledge: Air in Balloon or Ball, A Checkpoint in Knowing

“Knowledge is power”, the words of Francis Bacon are still afresh even today. Power, in terms of present day context, is no more to be of weapon but of information, in other words, knowledge. The whistle blower of today’s society is not the one who plants bomb or wins over by physical force but the one who provides information as in the case of Snowdown. It is applicable to any field that a knowledgeable person is esteemed despite of his or her social background.

However, a simple question that triggers me is, “What is the use of this knowledge?” In fact, all my endeavors are always in search of knowledge which gives me satisfaction. It is even on of my puruṣarthās, ultimate goals of life. Yet, the question remains with the same vigour. The recent attitudes encountered the present scenario regarding knowledge in terms of its misuse, are some what like these: “violence of knowledge” in the words of Immanuel Levinas, a Jewish philosopher; “arrogance of Knowledge” as Daya Krishna, an Indian Thinker, calls it. Thus our attitude with regard to the role of knowledge needs to take another form. How it would be to imagine this situation?

Knowledge is like the air in different forms, found everywhere in the earth like mild breeze, strong wind, storm, etc and sometimes inevitable for life too. This is channelized through different forms and is made use as well. If a balloon is inflated with air, it raises itself high and it is admired by many and enjoyed by many, mostly by children, however it is less useful in practical application. On the other hand, if the same air fills a football, for example, it is used better. It helps people to target and achieve their goal. I choose the imagery of football because it is not only used in a gentle way but even be kicked to fulfill one’s purpose.

This would be the right attitude regarding knowledge also. If knowledge is used for one’s own glory by taking him or her high, of course, it is admired by others. However, it is used less and useless to have such as one’s life purpose. On the other hand, if knowledge acts as a tool to celebrate the achievement of one’s goal, which seems to be hard but worth doing, knowledge gets meaning for its existence.

Thus knowledge is also a way when it is properly channelized through which one can serve one another. It is not a private property to be held nor just a fact about the past in the present since the present knowledge always enhances the future. Let us have a check on our knowledge and its purpose. 

The Eclipse of God: In the lives of Theists and Athiests

Looking at the tabernacle of our seminary chapel (Divyadaan, Nashik, India) in the dark I am reminded of the solar eclipse as you can see the picture above. “Is it the eclipse of God?” I chuckled. The first thought that came into my mind about the eclipse of God was the hymn of St. Thomas Aquinas where he admires at the simplicity of God who on the cross He has hidden His divinity but in the Holy Bread He has hidden both His divinity and humanity.

The concept of the eclipse of God, if meditated upon deeply, may bring to our notice the different dimensions of faith in the current situation of faith in the society. It is true that God’s presence is not evidently felt in today’s world, no matter whether He hides Himself or is hidden. However, it is interesting to realize that mostly God is hidden in the lives of both, those who believe in God as well as those who don’t. It is obvious in the case of the latter, the atheists, as this artificial eclipse is made by human persons with so many reasons to hide God like the natural calamities, imperfections in creation, and so on. And it is also evident that this is an artificial eclipse that human beings have created for there are various ways in which the presence of God can be perceived within one’s ownself and in others.

However, there is also a possibility of this ‘eclipse of God’ among those (the faithful), who believe in the existence of God. The ‘eclipse’ in their lives is that they (feel that they dedicate themselves in) are searching for God which is tangible in rituals and images at the pilgrim centers and charismatic conventions. This too, is (too) an artificial eclipse of God. The object that they use to hide God is their own selves. On the contrary, the reality is that God is in search of His creatures, a powerful thought that I have learnt from the post-critical philosophy of God. It is an eclipse when I keep myself before God that I take the initiative of searching for Him through multifarious ways like prayers, rituals, pilgrimages, charities, etc. There is nothing wrong in doing all these. In fact, they have profound meaning as they are means to respond to God who is in search of human beings. Rather,  what is important is the attitude or motivation in carrying them out. Just as the eclipse does not last for a long period of time so does this eclipse of God when we realize that we should respond to the God in search of us as our project of life. May we look at God in the darkness of faith to encounter this eclipse and discover that in fact, He is in search of us. 

St. Thomas, The Apostle of India

         In the list of the apostles, the eighth name according to the Gospel of St. Luke and St. Mark and seventh name according to St. Matthew is St. Thomas, the apostle of India.

         His words, “Thou are my Lord and my God” show his transformation into a complete faith and his readiness to give his life for him.

         Some legendary writings give the interesting narration of St. Thomas’s mission in India in 52 AD. When the apostles gathered in Jerusalem to set out to preach the Gospel, the lot of St. Thomas fell to India. It can be true that there would have been trade between Jews and Indian kings at that time. We know this through the coins that are found.  Moreover, many prominent people of the church affirmed that St. Thomas was preaching in India. 

       He should have been filled with the ardent zeal for Christ. An approximate survey give facts about his missionary activities: after preaching in Kerala he baptized 2,200 heathens at Quilon, 2800 heathens at Chayal and 2,200 at Parur. He built three churches in Kerala. Many of Christians  of Kerala proudly call themselves ‘St. Thomas Christians’. With the influence of the Anglican Church in  18th Century the St. Thomas  Christians formed Mar Thoma Church. In Tamilnadu he converted 17,490 brahmins, 350 vaishys, 4,280 sudhras and ordained priests and 21 deacons. Such was his passion for Christ and St. Francis Xavier who landed in India in 1545 AD admired and emulated him.

      His vigorous preaching made King Mahadevan, the then ruler of Madras region, afraid of a revolution. So his ministers and priests killed him on a mount which is now called “St. Thomas Mount” or Parangimalai in 72 AD. He fell on the stone cross which he made it and embraced it when he died. The Santhome Basilica in Chennai carries his mortal remains.  The Catholic Church celebrates his feast on 3 July.

 

Don Rua: The Most Faithful son of Don Bosco

It was the beginning of February, 1888. Don Bosco the founder of the society of St. Francis de Sales had just died few days earlier. But, the future of the Salesian society was uncertain because it was always Don Bosco who did this, Don Bosco who did that in the Congregation. No one else in the society seemed to have done anything. His loss placed the future of the society in jeopardy.

                “Who will lead the society with these chaos: to start from the scratch, it was the time when most of the religious congregations were dying out especially in Piedmont; there was an aversion to them? Though the society was formally approved, the novelties that Don Bosco introduced such as lay members who would live outside the community, religious in Shirt-sleeves brought the animosity among the prominent people of the Church. The Salesian society was flourishing in its mission but who will pay its debts? Yes, the founder had left them the legacy of debt of 600,000 lire borrowed for building the Sacred Heart Church in Rome.” These were the thoughts of many Cardinals in Rome. However, there was also a hope according to the words of Gamaliel: “If it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow it” (Acts 5:39).

                On the contrary there was perfect harmony and consensus inside the Congregation in electing the first successor of Don Bosco. The Salesians had no other name but that of ‘Don Rua’. The whole Congregation unanimously accepted Don Rua as the head of the society. The appointment of Don Micheal Rua as Vicar from the Holy See on November 27, 1884 also assured his succession.

                It was strange that Don Rua had serious misgiving about his worthiness to take up the office of the Rector Major and created in him grave doubts as to his right to be the heir of Don Bosco. In addition, the decree of approving his authority as Vicar was found missing from the archives. When this news spread, Cardinal Alimonda, a friend of Don Bosco and Cardinal Protector asked Don Rua to have recourse to Rome. He did so through a letter on February 8, 1888. When Bishop Cagliero came to know this he immediately wrote to the Cardinal Protector expressing the unanimity in electing Don Rua.

                Meanwhile some eminent people of the Church were trying to merge it with another congregation of similar charism. The intervention of Bishop Emilian Manacordia, a friend of Salesians defended Don Rua’s competence and assured its safe future. At last in a fresh decree on February, 1888 the Holy Father nominated Don Rua as the Rector Major of the Dociety. Don Rua held the office for 22 years. During these years he made Salesians feel that Don Bosco was living among them. It was his great fidelity to Don Bosco to do so. His fidelity was more evident in his first circular letter as Rector Major in which he addressed the entire congregation: “My dear sons, this will be the programme I shall follow during my years of office:

¯  To maintain and develop the work began by Don Bosco

¯  To follow diligently the methods taught and practised by Don Bosco

¯  To study and imitate in speech and in action the model offered by Don Bosco

He wanted to lead the Congregation as Don Bosco would wish. Even in small matters he thought how it would be in the mind of Don Bosco. For Don Rua, Don Bosco was the perfect mentor on earth. He imbibed Don Bosco’s Spirit by his keen observation. Once he said, “Watching Don Bosco even in his tiniest actions made a greater impression on me than reading and meditating any holy book.” Such was his fidelity to the founder.

                His fidelity to Don Bosco was not an achievement made in a short period of time. It had its beginning in 1845. After he had met Don Bosco in the oratory just once he defended his beloved priest when his parish priest doubted Don Bosco insane. For many years even after his priestly ordination Don Bosco was his father and oratory was the home. His literal obedience astounded Don Bosco many times. The latter was afraid to give any punishment to Rua just for fun. Once Don Bosco exclaimed, “I cannot play jokes with Rua. His obedience is non plus ultra (extreme). When Don Bosco called on Don Rua to be the rector of new house at Mirabello he did not show any gesture of opposition when he was just 26 whereas none of the confreres were younger than 27. After receiving the obedience he just took his Breviary and was ready for the journey. Many glowing reports came from Mirabello after some time saying, “Don Rua at Mirabello acts just kike Don Bosco at Valdocco.” He was ready to walk in the shadow of the founder always accepting to do even odious things to save Don Bosco’s image as a father. Even a mere wish of Don Bosco was a command to him. Thus was his filial and complete obedience.

                The peculiar character of Don Rua is his respect for the rules, which earned him the name ‘The Living Rule’. In performing his duty he neither worried about the comments of others nor the popularity he had as a consequence. It was also said once that getting ‘Yes’ from Don Rua was more difficult than ‘No’ from Don Bosco. However, when he became the Rector Major he manifested Don Bosco’s kindness and cheerfulness except for the abrupt silence after the bell.

                Don Rua trusted Don Bosco’s protection even after his death. During his first year as the Rector Major Cardinal Alimonda questioned him abut the debt of 600,000 lire. He replied, “Your eminence we have to confess that Don Boso even in Heaven doesn’t remain idle.” It is true that when Don Rua died the debt of the congregation was nil.

                He was not satisfied with his own fidelity towards his father but worked hard to foster it wherever he went, especially in the Salesian houses. His life as the Superior General was studied with journeys. There was not a year passed without journey as the Rector Major. He too he obeyed the words of Don Bosco, “A good superior is a man who always has his travelling case in hand.”

                Finally, his fidelity to Don Bosco was not static but dynamic. He was really aware of the changing times and of the needs of the young and fearlessly opened up Salesian works to the new fields of pastoral ministry. It is because of his insistence that the SDBs and FMAs began a variety of social works including in different parts of the world. When the worked began on Simplon tunnel between Switzerland and Italy a cam was opened for the Italian workers on the Swiss side. Don Rua sent Salesian men and women to serve these workers. He followed solely the principle of Don Bosco that whatever can be risked in order to do good to souls.

                The mission he accomplished all along in his life was the vision of Don Bosco. It was he who stared the process to fulfil Don Bosco’s prophetic dream in the night of 9 April 1886 which was about the future missionary expedition. There he foresaw Salesians’ presence from Valparaiso (Chile) to Beijing (China). We, Indians, too are privileged that the first Salesians who set foot in our soil were sent by Don Rua. This was one of the plans of Don Bosco and he visualized in the dream.

                Blessed Michael Rua never stopped fostering the spirit of Don Bosco among the Salesians. On his beatification Pope Paul VI rightly said, “He made the example of the saint (Don Bosco) a school …, his life a history, his rule a spirit, his holiness a type, a model; he made the spring a stream, a river.”

                The difficult moments that are mentioned in the beginning were not at all threats both for Don Rua and the Congregation. The whole congregation relied on Rua and he was firm in his fidelity to Don Bosco since his fidelity to Don Bosco was the fidelity to Christ. With the same trust he was able to face more difficulties later in his life. even on his death bed he encouraged the Salesians to have filial love and faithful trust in Don Bosco by repeating words of their father, “ We shall meet in Heaven.” 

                The precious message he had left to the Salesians is ‘to be worthy sons of Don Bosco’. This is my prayer to Don Bosco everyday, “Father, make me a worthy son of yours.” The Salesian life gets its complete meaning with these two: perfect emulation and great fidelity to Don Bosco as Blessed Michael Rua did. Because “he was the most faithful, therefore the most humble and at the same time valiant of the sons of Don Bosco” (Pope Paul VI, 29^th October 1972).  

Practical Vedanta of Swami Vievekananda

PRACTICAL VEDĀNTA OF VIVEKANANDA

1. INTRODUCTION

“Awake, Arise, until the goal is achieved” with this topic of the symposium I would like to begin my paper on the Pratical Vedānta of Vivekananda who never gave up until his goal being achieved. He wakes up the whole humanity with his idea of Vedānta. Let us begin with the roots of his philosophy. 

1.1. Vedas

The sacred books of Hindus in India is divined into two namely Śṛuti (what is heard) and Śmṛti (what is remembered). Śṛuti includes Vedas, Brāhmanas, Aranyakas and Upaniṣads. The Vedas, part of Śṛuti, is basically Mantras or sacred hymns addressed to some god or goddess. The Vedas contains two major divisions namely Karmakanda (of ceremonials and practices) and Jñakanda (treatises).[1] Furthermore, the writings of Vedas are divided into four: Ṛg Veda, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda and Yajur Veda. The Vedas are eternal, infinite and apauraśeya (no claim for human authourship). The Hindus believe that the Vedas is not acquired but revealed to Ṛṣis who had supra normal consciousness.[2] 

1.2 Vedānta

The word Vedānta is a compound of two Sanskrit terms ‘Veda’ and ‘Anta’ (the end). Thus Vedānta is the end part of Vedas, usually it denotes Upaniṣads that constitute the final aim of Veda viz., and restoration of Upaniṣadic Brahmanism is the work of Vedānta system.[3] Vedānta is not a homogenus, monolithic and fossilized matrix of teachings. The same Veda is understood by various philosophers in different context. Some prominent Vedāntins are: the Advaita Vedānta of Śaṇkara, Viśiṣtādvaita Vedānta of Rāmānuja, Dvaita Vedānta of Mādhava, Dvaitādvaita Vedānta of Nimbārka and Suddhādvaita Vedānta of Vallabha.[4]

1.3 Advaita Vedānta

The philosophy of Vivekananda is concretely based on Advaita Vedānta. The term A-dvaita means non-dualism. This concept is found in epics and purānas but the eminent proponent of this theory is Śaṇkara. Vivekananda has a high esteem for Śaṇkara. There are three basic propositions that Advaita Vedānta of Śaṇkara contains: (i) Brahman is the sole Reality (ii) jīva (living being) in its essential nature is no other than Brahman. (iii) the world of plurality is māyā (illusion).[5]

1.4 Monism

Based on Advaita Vedānta, Vivekananda’s philosophy propagates Monism. This term has a broad understanding as it is applicable to many doctrine of the West. The monism in Indian Philosophy especially in Śaṇkara centers on the reality of God. According to Śaṇkara all the things have oneness in the reality called Brahman. To perceive any entity separate from Brahman is erroneous.[6] Vivekananda handles monism to get a solution for the two contrary thoughts. The first is of the monotheistic idea of personhood of God and the creation of the world which he deems as unscientific and the second thought of agonistics who hold that only quality exists and no substance viz., there is no infinite power beyond what is seen. He says that the former perceives only the phenomenon and the latter sees noumenon of some reality. And so the only solution is monisitc theory which says that the Reality is one and the individualizing things from the One Reality is meaningless, the apparent separateness of things are only the manifestation of One Reality.[7] This oneness of the Reality is ‘being’ than ‘becoming’. The movements like I go, I do, etc. can be seen as change and yet what remains constant is the ‘I’ which is the Reality in itself.[8]  

2. PRACTICAL VEDĀNTA

The monistic Vedānta that Swami Vivekananda propagates is not just an intellectual gymnastics but a down-to-earth concept on reality. It is very practical and applicable to the everyday walks of life. The following few concepts may help us understand his position better.

2.1 Personal God Versus Impersonal God

The core claim of monistic theory is to believe in the Impersonal God. Monotheistic religions like Jewish, Christianity and Islam have the concept of Personhood of God. For example, Christianity presents the Almighty God as three persons namely Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But, Vivekananda is unhappy with the personalization of God for he considers this theory as unscientific and it reduces the nature of God. He presents two principles of knowledge: the first one is deduction i.e., moving from particular to general and later general to universal; the other method is explaining a thing from its own nature. In knowing about God, if the first principle is applied, the personalistic understanding of God becomes an incomplete generalization as it is only the sum total of different consciousness and it is impossible to apply the second principle since the personhood of God excludes God away from creation, Here, the effect is different from the cause. And so the modern scientists do not conceptualize personal God. [9] Only impersonal God can be understood rationally taking these two principles. The attribution of infinity and eternity can only be given to impersonal God. Calling God in any form is acceptable because he is infinite. For example, fire has multifarious forms of existence yet is the same fire, it is a single reality. Although he does not acknowledge the scientific ground of personal God, he accepts this concept as it is one form of impersonal God. He says, “We believe in personal God as the Christians, but we go further; we believe that we are He! That personality is manifested in us, that God is in us, and we are in God.”[10]     

2.2 Tattvamasi

The thrust of Vivekananda’s practical Vedānta is Tattvamasi which means ‘That Thou Art’ or ‘You Are That’. This mahāvākya (great saying) is well explained by Śaṇkara. This ideology attracted young Narendranath by the answer given by Ramakrishna, “I see God just as I see you here.”[11] Tattvamasi seems to refer to our human self as ordinarily apprehended or simply identified with the Absolute like any other reciprocal identity. It implies that effect has its Ātman in the cause, but not the cause in its effect. The relation is non-reciprocal.[12] But how it is possible for an ignorant, suffering and sinful to be identified with Satya-Jñānam-Ānantam? Śaṇkara says that our conscious ego is the door (dvāra) by which we can access to the true import of this saying. This relationship is not an accessory and extrinsic but metaphysically constitutive of beings.[13]  

2.3 Concept of Man

Having Tattvamasi as the center, the anthropological implication of monism lifts the nature of man up to the status of God. Man who is the pinnacle of the external entities replicates the eternal God. Vivekananda confirms it saying, “The only God to worship is the human soul in the human body, of course, all animals are temples too, but man is the highest, the Taj Mahal of temples. If I cannot worship in that, no other temple will be of any advantage.”[14] Whereas the idea of separate God in heaven brings only fear but the watchword for humanity is freedom, because He and I are same. Within ourselves the eternal voice speaks of eternal freedom. We possess immortality and bliss. On the other hand, the self to build a real self it should give up ‘I’ self. The evil that is found in us is the misdirection of the power of good and the so called sin is only ignorance. Thus love, the basis for freedom, should prevail as love is the form of oneness.[15]

2.4 Practical Religion

The practicality of monism is vividly expressed in the concept of religion that Vivekananda proposes. His is a staunch propagator of Hinduism and yet his outlook on religion is the logical outcome of neo-Vedāntism. According to him, religion is the unity of man and God, man and man and service of man because man is God. Thus religion should have contemplation and action, i.e., Nirvakalpa Samādhi and humanitarian work.[16] And so he calls the humanity to let go the small things such as claiming for prominence of religion, bloodshed in the name of religion, etc. in order to attain the oneness of God, the Infinite. Although Vivekananda is for the doctrinal monism he accepts the ceremonials in religion which he considers less truth and not truth in themselves. To answer the question of many gods in Hinduism he replies that they are the prototypes of man who are created by man to see world as paradise than an eternal prison that needs to be surpassed to reach heaven.[17]     

3. CONCLUSION

3.1 Implications of Practical Vedānta

The practical Vedānta of Vivekananda is a positive approach to life with the philosophical and scientific foundation. It is proof for the human transcendence to the Absolute. His concept of monism stands against the apparent dualism. In matters of change, his solution that Change is only in parts and not in whole is praiseworthy. In fact, he considers the evolution theory of Darwin as continuous expansion of the Infinite Individual.[18] The practical Vedānta has more humanitarian values. Sin is replaced with the ignorance or less good; love gains prominence in relationship with all including the non-human beings. Vivekananda, with his Vedānta, reacts against the injustice in the name of religion and so he wants to see the satisfaction of the hungry than the jewels in the temple. Moreover, he says that meditating on the real nature of one, will direct oneself to accept others as one’s ownself.

Although this Vedānta carries valuable humanitarian aspects the very concept of monism is questioned philosophically. Monism makes a over simplification of the plurality of things, especially it reduces the human individuality, the individual freedom is denied. His clarion call of ‘Freedom’ does not have sufficient philosophical ground. Human being is not absolutely free as Vivekananda claims. In addition, when we say that plurality in the world is actually One in God, we also mean that human being is infinite. To claim a concept to be true it must be verified by an extraneous method, but the mere fact of verification with other principles eliminates the concept of monism.

3.2 Counter Perspective

Vivekananda’s concept of impersonal God derived from his idea is based on Śaṇkara’s Advaita. But the eminent advaitin meant his theory neither for Hinduism nor monism. Will not the non-dualism be applicable for monotheism especially to Christian vision? The answer comes from a contemporary of Vivekananda, Brahmabandhab Upadhyay. His interpretation of Triune God of Christianity with Śaṇkara’s Advaita replies the intellectual attacks of Vivekananda on monotheism.

Upadhyay quotes that Śaṇkara while defining Parabrhman gives two views namely saguṇa and nirguṇa. Now, the concept of nirguṇa which is translated as ‘no quality’ favours impersonal God. On the contrary, Upadhyay takes the literal meaning of nirguṇa i.e., tie-less. To be tie-less means to be unrelated and this is what exactly denotes Parabrhaman. But this concept would contradict personhood of God for a person is always in relation with the person or thing outside the self, e.g. Creator and creation. But the relation is in the Trinity is not without but within thus it is tie-less therefore it is unrelated too. He also affirms it with the Thomisitic definition of person – that which subsists as distinct in a rational nature. After explaining this he moves on to relate the Father, Son and Holy Spirit of the Trinity with the sat (Being), cit (Intelligence) and ānanda (Bliss) of Śaṇkara logically. The Father, the creator, should be necessarily be a Being and so He is Sat; the Son who made to us clear his Self-Knowledge and so He is cit; finally, Spirit is the One who proceeds from te union of Sat and Cit, the Blessed Breath and so the Holy Spirit is Ānanda. Thus the Trinity is Saccidānanda.[19]   

Thus Upadhyay acts like Thomas Aquinas, who fought against the Avveroist taking their own base Aristotle, by taking Śaṇkara’s position to prove Personal God.

  

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[1]Swami Vivekananda, Vedanta in its Application to Indian Life (Kolkata: Advaita Ahsrama, 1988) 76.

[2] Harry Immanuel, “Vedas” ACPI Encyclopadia of Philosophy, edited by Johnson J. Puthenpurackal (Bangalore: Asian Tradiing Corporation, 2010) 1492-1493.

[3] Richard DeSmet, Understanding Śaṇkara, edited by Ivo Coelho (New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2013) 305.

[4] Devaisa M. Antony, “Vedanta” ACPI Encyclopadia of Philosophy, 1484-1485.

[5] R. Balasubramanian, “Śaṇkara” History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization, edited by D.P. Chattopadhyaya Vol. 2, Part 2 (New Delhi: Centre for Studies in Civilization, 2000) 70.

[6] Robert A. McDemotti, “Monism”, The Encyclopedia of Religion, edited by Mircea Elicde, Vol. 10 (New York: Macmikllan Publishing Company, 1987) 58.

[7] Swami Vivekananda, Practical Vedanta (Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama, 2007), 65-67.

[8] Vivekananda, Practical Vedanta, 83-84.

[9] Vivekananda, Practical Vedanta, 63-66.

[10] Swami Vivekanda, “Hinduism”, Swami Vivekananda: A Biography of His Vision and Ideas, edited by Verinda Grover (New Delhi: Deep & Deep  Publications, 1998) 121.

[11] R.P Varma, “Swami Vivekananda: The Practical Vedantin”, Swami Vivekananda: A Biography of His Vision and Ideas, edited by Verinda Grover (New Delhi: Deep & Deep  Publications, 1998) 567.

[12] DeSemt, Understanding Śaṇkara, 115.

[13] DeSemt, “Spiritual Valuses of Advaita Vedānta and Social Life”, Understanding Śaṇkara, 165-166.

[14] Vivekananda, Practical Vedanta, 50.

[15] Vivekananda, Practical Vedanta, 102-103.

[16] R.P Varma, “Swami Vivekananda: The Practical Vedantin”, 570-571.

[17] Vivekananda, Practical Vedanta, 56-57.

[18] Vivekananda, Practical Vedanta, 89.

[19] Brayan Lobo, “Brahmabandhab Upadhyay: Tripersonalizing the Parabrahman”, Divyadaan: Journal of Philosophy and education Vol. 20, No. 1 (2009), 39-54.