The Nature of India's Contribution to the World

The Nature of India's Contribution to the World

The major contribution of India, in the world to day, would be in the

sphere of spirituality. In the global division of labour this work has

come to her lot and it is our duty to discharge this responsibility

with sincerity and honesty. One hundred years back, Swami Vivekananda

had said:

"Here in this blessed land, the foundation, the backbone, the

life-centre is religion and religion alone. Let others talk of

politics, of glory of acquisition of immense wealth poured in by

trade, of the power and spread of commercialism, of the glorious

fountain of physical liberty; but these the Hindu mind does not

understand and does not want to understand. Touch him on spirituality,

on religion, on God, on the soul, on the Infinite, on spiritual

freedom, and I assure you, the lowest peasant in India is better

informed on these subjects than many a so-called philosopher in other

lands... We have yet something to teach to the world. This the very

reason, the raison d'être, that this nation has lived on, in spite of

hundreds of years of persecution, in spite of nearly a thousand years

of foreign rule and foreign oppression. This nation still lives; the

raison d'être is, it still holds to God, to the treasure house of

religion and spirituality."

And lest we confuse the ideas of God, religion, and spirituality with

our narrow cynical vision, the following words of Swami Vivekananda

should make us feel at ease and give confidence. While defining

religion and its true form, Swami Vivekananda said:

"Religion is the manifestation of the Divinity already in man."

"Religion is the idea which is ...

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...ters of life to the shore of blessedness; if this ship

appears to be leaking, appears to be damaged, take blame on yourself.

Plug the holes with your brains and blood and keep the national ship

afloat. I am come now to sit in your midst and if we are to sink let

us sink together; but never let a curse rise to our lip."

Behind all his (Swami Vivekananda's) patriotism, deep down there was

the spiritual motive. For him India was synonymous with the spirit of

religion. 'If India is to die,' he had said, 'religion might be wiped

off from the face of the earth, and with it the Truth.' He did not

want to see India as a replica of a Western country. His dream of

future India was that of material prosperity along with spiritual

revival, with which she would extend the hand of peace and blessedness

to all peoples of the world.