Why It’s Important in Today’s World
India
India is the treasure house containing profoundly valuable information about the evolution of consciousness. Many societies in the world have developed rich wisdom traditions; China, Egypt, Israel, and Greece, to name just a few. What makes India unique is that it’s ancient spiritual tradition has been maintained unbroken for tens of thousands of years. When the Great Library of Alexandria was burned by the Romans, nearly all of the vast knowledge of that ancient culture was lost. Under Mao Tse Tung, the rich Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist wisdom traditions of China were nearly annihilated. Societies rise and fall, and yet throughout the ages the Indian spiritual tradition has endured and flourished.
Countries have destinies and it is the destiny of India to preserve for the entire world time-tested techniques for the evolution of consciousness and the attainment of Enlightenment. The last hundred years has seen an explosion of technological and scientific knowledge that has vastly improved the material comfort of humanity. And yet, despite these material advancements, people the world over are increasingly suffering from anxiety, depression, and a general lack of well-being. While we have been focussing on advancement in the outer world, we have neglected developing our inner life.
Rishi Veda Vyasa
The source of India’s spiritual tradition were the Vedic Rishis, or enlightened sages who cognized the Vedas. The word “rishi” means “seer.” The Rishis did not invent the Vedas, they cognized them, like being able to see the blueprint of creation. It was by virtue of their enlightened consciousness that these sages could know within their own consciousness the structures of creation.
The Vedas were at first transmitted orally and then much later written down. The great Maharishi Veda Vyasa is considered to be the scribe of the Vedas and one of the seven immortals who are still in existence. The language of the Vedas is Vedic Sanskrit, one of the oldest languages in the world and the root of nearly all Indo-European languages. One of the unique characteristic of Vedic Sanskrit is that there is a direct relationship between the name and form. In other words, the form of something manifests from the sound and hence the form exists within the sound, like a tree existing with a seed.
Himalayas
Another characteristic of Indian spirituality is its inclusiveness. India is a country where numerous sects exist side-by-side and other religions are not only tolerated but respected and embraced. Throughout the world, religion has far to often served to divide people and has often resulted in increased hatred and even war. Indian spirituality offers the world an example of how tolerance and mutual respect can unite rather than divide us.
The most important aspect of Indian Spirituality is that it is a living tradition passed on by enlightened masters. The very earth of India is sanctified by the great yogis, sadhus, sages, saints and enlightened masters who lived there. They were and are still today the spiritual lighthouses of the world. For thousands of years these illumined ones have radiated powerful blessings to the world. Some were visible in society and some dwelled deep within the Himalayas in caves far from the din of human society.
Rishi Agastya
The enlightened sages possess vast knowledge. They know things about the human body and the structure of the universe that modern medicine and science still do not know. Thousands of years ago, the Rishis described the structures of the atom and sub-atomic particles that modern scientists have only recently discovered. These ancient sages accomplished that without the use of telescopes or microscopes. Their laboratory was their body and their tools were their mind and meditation. They discovered within their own consciousness the home of all knowledge.
If world peace is to dawn, it must begin with the individual. The great masters of India have preserved for us the keys to developing our consciousness to its fullest potential. Mankind possesses many latent abilities that today lay dormant within us all. Most of the problems facing modern society are the direct result of humans operating with a fraction of their full potential. The need of our time is to increase the intelligence, awareness and wisdom of the individuals who make up society. The golden age will dawn when the best of the West is combined with the best of the East, when modern science is combined with the ancient wisdom of the evolution of human consciousness.
