Seeing the Unseen
I spent the last few months reading the copious History of Western Philosophy by the British philosopher, Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), published in 1945. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Bertrand Russell presents, as a good teacher, how Western thought developed in ancient Greece, processed into Christianity and led to revolutions in England, France, Russia, and finally, the United States. The book brings out the deep-rooted ideological chasm between France, Spain, England and Germany, and how it even affects the politics of the modern United States.
There is another excellent book, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, by the young British historian, Peter Frankopan (b. 1971), published in 2015. The book debunks the high ground of the Western civilization and calls it the success of the military, greed, and deceit. “The age of empire and the rise of the west were built on the capacity to inflict violence on a major scale. The Enlightenment and the Age of Reason, the progression towards democracy, civil liberty and human rights, were not the result of an unseen chain linking back to Athens in antiquity or a natural state of affairs in Europe; they were the fruits of political, military and economic success in faraway continents.” Who were the philosophers who inspired the Holocaust, and the nuclear bombing of two Japanese cities in 1945? What is happening in Ukraine?
Both the books I mentioned above are blissfully ignorant about Indian philosophy. I am not lamenting, because even the majority of Indians today are like that. They have accepted the “mutations” of philosophy into traditions, rituals and superstitions, as their mental universe, and are ready to listen to the gurus who appear on TV in well-orchestrated and meticulously held “events” and move around displaying the latest “spiritual fashions.” No one has written about Indian philosophy after Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975), whose two volumes of Indian Philosophy, published in 1923, remain the last lamp post. All further movement is in the dark and there is an abyss ahead.
Bertrand Russell writes, “To understand an age or a nation, we must understand its philosophy, and to understand its philosophy we must ourselves be in some degree philosophers. There is here a reciprocal causation; the circumstances of men’s lives do much to determine their philosophy, but, conversely, their philosophy does much to determine their circumstances.” People land themselves in certain circumstances by living in certain manners, and then the circumstances decide the way they live their lives. The inglorious subjugation of a vast country like India by a handful of invaders is, perhaps, the best example of this.
Dr. Radhakrishnan is blunt when he writes in The Foundation of Civilisation: Ideas and Ideals, “Those who look upon our political slavery as the external violence of a band of robbers preying on innocent people have a very narrow conception of history… it is our ‘crowed uncleanness of soul’ that is responsible for our backward condition. This is required to be overcome. We cannot build a new India unless we first build ourselves. The immediate task confronting us is moral purgation, spiritual regeneration. It alone can bring national rebirth and freedom.”
These words were ignored. Our freedom came, but at the immense cost of the Partition that caused the uprooting of more than fifteen million people, and the deaths of between one and two million. It not only mutilated the body of the Indian nation, but also debased its soul. Living in denial and wandering without vision, when the world around us got transformed, India remained an energy-starved and technologically dependent country. Most of the wealth created continues to go out in importing oil and high-technology goods.
Now, once again, we are facing a grave threat to our nation. In the post-coronavirus world, China has decided to define its sphere of influence in the world with Russia, who has not forgotten and forgiven the Western world over the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The United States has been exposed for the chinks in its armour. It is a divided nation and past its prime. So is the European Union, reduced to an arrangement of one currency and the free movement of people and trade, but unable to take any unified stand. The stand that India takes will decide the conditions in which our future generations live. And just when we need the best of our minds to come together, we see the ugly face of “The Argumentative Indian,” best portrayed by Dr. Amartya Sen (b. 1933), in his book of the same title.
The biggest threat to India is the confusion around the idea of our nationhood. What makes India a nation? The Constitution of India, prepared over three years by the best of Indian minds, and in force since 1950, is the definition of India. Let there be no confusion about it, and no clever manipulations must be made for electoral gains by any political party. Any such daring would harm the nation and invite aggressors, who would be most happy to control our markets, and thereby, our future. Even a little error here would be costly.
Economic growth, as it is happening, must not become the undoing of the work of social cohesion which has been effected; first, by the public sector and then, by the subsidy regimes. In a democratic doctrine, equality does not end with the Constitutional Proclamation, but continues from time to time through the medium of the elected governments, to which, therefore, it is the duty of the individual to submit his private opinions. The new fashion of squatting and picketing to oppose Parliamentary laws and disrupting the Parliament with sloganeering, is more dangerous then it appears on the surface.
Young people are no longer ascertaining the truth by consulting their parents or teachers, who were the original authority figures, but from the social media, which is like a gutter of misinformation and untruths. There is a tendency, quickly developed, towards anarchism in politics, and, in religion, towards superficial rituals, rather than meditation and service, which had always fitted well into the framework of every religion In India. The culture of nuclear families, consumerism and living on credit is disastrous. Social institutions are withering and I look at the days ahead rather solemnly.
When the invisible light passes through a medium, we only see different colors out of electromagnetic waves, and none else. Perhaps, this is the original idea of the soul living through physicality. A narrow view of life, chasing rainbows, indulging in the movements of clouds while ignoring the ground reality, is full of perils. Attend to your reality – who you are, your condition, and focus on how to harmonize it with the overall situation.
Grabbing what is not given, and living at the cost of others is, indeed, absurd. A parasite is existentially dependent upon its host and though it flourishes by feasting on its host, it must also die with it. We are all parts of one whole, and these parts are ordered in a certain way. Learn to see the whole, the unseen and the sacred, as therein lies the magic and the meaning of a human life.
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Dear Sir, Thank you for the article. This article made me look at how Indian philosophy developed over the centuries. It made me realise the richness of our thinking, the multiple schools of thoughts and how their intermingling led to this potpourri that we call our culture. The famous TS Eliot was right when he said – “the great philosophers of India make most of the great European philosophers look like schoolboys”.
As you mention that Dr. Radhakrishan was the last great Indian thinker who tried to capture our thinking in his treatise. I had for a long time wondered why couldn’t millions of people of India dislodge a few lakh force of the British. I had begrudgingly accepted that Gandhiji’s approach might have been the best one given our Indian nature, without actually understanding why our ‘nature’ was like this. Going through the Indian civilisation’s philosophical background, post reading the article, I could see why this happened – ahimsa is given a lot of value across the different schools of philosophy of India. Thanks again for inspiring me to read.
A thought provoking article on the “mutations” of Indian philosophy, Prof Tiwariji !
Your concept of exploring the magic and meaning of life by learning to see the unseen is superb !!
Sir, possibly Dr Radhakrishnan’s remark means that being a sacred land, India’s share in karma is greater if humanity as a whole degenerates. And hence, the “cleanness” of soul of Indians ought to be of very rigorous standards. Otherwise, it is a cryptic remark made by him.
Now, why India is a sacred land is unknown to most of us Indians, and this is part of the same phenomenon that you lament — that we don’t know what makes us a nation, nor our philosophy, nor the basic tenets of our culture.
What has made it confusing is the existence of various traditions, schools of thought, over millennia — not to forget reform movements as also various commentaries and interpretations of scholars. Instead of getting intimidated by such complex thinking, we people find it easiest to follow some rituals, wear Indian weaves, try different cuisines, and believe that we know Indian culture!
How the Unseen acts through the Seen –through revering parents, through serving atithi (guests), through tools such as worship of deities, through duties, through service, Yoga, and so on — the knowledge of this needs to be distilled and passed on. The need of the hour is finding that common denominator first, and then teach future generations.
Someone has to do this job of course. We urgently need a ‘national character’ — and perhaps this can be incorporated into school education. Schools should become the breeding ground for aware, conscientious, cultured children, combining the best of the East and West.
Sir, I am noticing a new trend of spirituality developing in your blogs with a blend of engineering concepts and ideas. It is an undeniable fact that the Self is the internal core quality of everyone. In the simplest way is my sense of who I am. Everybody experiences the passage of time through one’s interaction with the external world as well as the changes and shifts that occur in the inner world over time. Nobody would declare at 50 that they were the same person at 20 or 30 or 40 years of age. Our lives change as colours in a spectrum.
And yet we remain a fragment of the Self, the white light, needs. This realization that life is a mere refraction of an immortal Self is very important and leads a fulfilling and gratifying life; expressing our strengths and gifts; creating pleasant life experiences; and warding off trauma and setbacks. The challenge is not to get polarized internally as one colour – this or that – with extreme positions and represent dualistic sides of your Self – positive and negative. To remain neutral or unbiased in the middle of opposing forces is the secret of a good life. Thank you for encouraging me to introspect.
Sir, Your observations on the global historical misses reveal part of the unseen. The qualitative analysis through your vast study and perception provides a template for further quantitative analysis. Today’s capability of machine learning and data analysis should be able to establish your insights. And may also provide supplementary acuities. A plain and stark warning to the present state of local and global affairs follows. In today’s Indian context comparing the subsidy regime with our earlier policy failures of following the public sector is apt. Ideas for nationhood other than as provided for in our constitution are the creed of power-grabbers. Knowledge can only save us from the present abysses. Thank you for making us see the unseen.
There is this poem of young Ghanaian poet Israelmore Ayivor on Internet:
Our critics make us strong!
Our fears make us bold!
Our haters make us wise!
Our foes make us active!
Our obstacles make us passionate!
Our losses make us wealthy!
Our disappointments make us appointed!
Our unseen treasures give us a known peace!
Whatever is designed against us will work for us!
I believe in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s words, “All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
Three things strike me after reading your blog. Firstly, the US is keen to seek financial help from China in order to help Ukraine which reveals that the charm of the US as a superpower is fading for the worse or better. The US is already in huge debt from China for the past many years. Hope and trust that the US citizens will not go through what Sri Lankan people face right now. China is colonizing the world like never before.
Secondly, Indian culture and Indian intellectuals in the past would not recognize Indian women as producers of knowledge. Unless women are given their due recognition as producers of knowledge and respect irrespective of caste, race, and religion, India will not progress well. This is affirmed by great thinkers like Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Dr. Radhakrishna, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. B.R. Amberkar, and the like. Further, Indian knowledge is varied based on ethnicity, caste, and region and it is not disseminated to the general public. For instance, knowledge from the indigenous people of North East India was not even acknowledged as ‘knowledge’.
Finally, the youth in contemporary society is dynamic and assimilating the western values as a result of ICT and globalization although the decline of joint families may be the root cause. However, we need to accept the social reality that the majority of working parents (when they are stronger and younger) did not invest in their kids as much as they need to do due to their work pressure and other commitments. Having said that, young and adult children must respect and seek guidance from their parents and they need to shower love and care on their old-aged parents. We cannot see God with our naked eye but parents are our visible God. Have a blessed month!
Sir, I remember you talking about the spiritual world in the MBA class and since then I have been watchful about the play of unseen forces upon the visible world. Now and then, evil thoughts and impulses rise in the body and if one is not vigilant sinful acts get done leaving one to regret later.
The Holy Scriptures teach that an unseen world of spirits surrounds us. It is reported in the Bible that when Jesus went to Peter’s home, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying ill with fever. Jesus touched her hand and the fever left.
When evening came, people brought him many individuals who were possessed by demons. He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. “He took away our sicknesses and carried off our diseases.” (Matthew 8:14-17; Luke 11:14-26)
More damaging than physical ills are the false teachings promoted by demons through people (1 Timothy 4:1). While there are bad spirits, there are also good spirits known as angels. They sometimes assist and even visit good people (Acts 12:1-19; Hebrews 1:13-14; 13:2). Thank you for this wonderful blog Sir.
Sir, Your blog reminds me a doha of Gorakhnathji, who lived in the 11th century:
बसती न सुन्यं, सुन्यं न बसती, अगम अगोचर ऐसा।
गगन सिखर महि बालक बोलै, ताका नाम धरहुगे कैसा॥
The world (बसती) is not Brahman (सुन्यं), yet there is no lack of it (सुन्यं) in the world (बसती). He is unreachable (अगम्य). It is not known by the senses (अगोचर). The voice of Brahm (बालक) is heard in Crown Chakra (ब्रह्मरंध, गगन सिखर). How would you tell him? It means that Brahman is not available like material things, so its existence is not visible, but it is not there, it cannot be said that either.
Tiwari Bhaisab, Wonderful article. Depicting the true condition of todays India. It is time we follow the words of great philosopher like Dr Radhakrishnan who rightly said “ We can not build a new India unless we build our selves”
Let us not forget our past. Learn from our great scriptures like Ramayana and Mahabharata. Teaching from the Bhagvat Gita and move forward to make a strong India a better India for future generations to live. Again a beautifully written blog and thanks for sharing
Sir, this article with the familiar picture of prism scattering light into different wavelengths is perhaps the best way to understand the unseen dynamics beneath our apparent reality. What were considered as gods and goddesses living in the unseen realm by the ancient people are no different than the multinational cooperation ruling over the roost in the modern world. How COVID-19 was different from a curse inflicted? Does anybody have an idea why Russia invaded Ukraine and how it would end? How would 20,000 medical students, happily studying there, would comprehend the sudden dashing of their dream? Thank you for this very-very useful insight. It is indeed useful and beneficial to capture the operating unseen forces and factor them in our decision making.
Sir, a lot of our reality is indeed unseen. Even when I am talking to someone sitting in front of me, I am not sure if the words I am hearing are truthful. The other person may not be intentionally lying but saying something he himself does not understand right. Then the market variations, the climatic changes, and late uncertain geopolitics are all unseen forces affecting our lives. My take from the beautiful article with even a more beautiful picture is: “Attend to your reality – who you are, your condition, and focus on how to harmonize it with the overall situation.” Thanks for giving insights.
Sir, I recently read this poem on Internet:
Sometimes when we speak the truth
we tell the biggest lie
Intention stealing from the facts
meaning ill contrived
The North pole is pointing at South
Up is down for a fountain head
Going to work returning home
motion forward, motion back
Sometimes when we speak the truth
we pander to mislead
as 2+2 is 8 in half
what’s missing—what’s unseen.
Thank you for an insightful article.
I enjoyed the light prism context of your metaphor with what is happening in India and globally. I have read that book by Russell, and it indeed protrays successfully the ambiguities of the human mind and its societal contexts. The comment about our juniors abandoning the wisdom of their elders and other egalitarian figures ; seeking instant gratification from the social media, for their day to day succour for what passes as knowledge in their evolving minds are robbing this nation of young nurtured minds that could otherwise attain dizzying heights in partaking from our rich heritage. But such is the modern world and its ramifications.
The political situation is tremulous globally. High costs of living even in developed countries and the price od war raging in East Europe bodes ill for the future.
Dear Prof. Tiwari, It is surprising to learn that both Russell and Frankopan did not take notice of Indian culture and philosophy while writing their respective books. I could understand Russell ignoring Indian civilization in his writings as India was a poor country and Indians were considered uncivilized. However, Frankopan does not deserve the similar excuse because during the 1990’s India had started emerging in the world’s scenario. It is only now that India has emerged and occupies its ‘near rightful’ place in the dynamics of world’s affairs. Only powerful are noticed and respected in this world.
Social media is a double edged sword. The marketing of ‘fashion religion’ and ‘pseudo philosophy’ by modern-day gurus is causing more damage to our ethos and moral values. One wonders when we will have Swami Vivekananda again! Did weakened philosophy led to subjugation of Indian masses or was it the famous ‘Hindu tolerance’ responsible for it. I agree we cannot build India unless we build ourselves educationally, morally and spiritually.
We all know that India was a conglomeration of several princely states governed by various Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh etc. kings/satraps. They all had their own philosophy, vision and mode of governance. There was no glue existing to hold these princely states together to evolve into a nation. As the British were our master, they did influence the evolution of Indian nationhood. Our Constitution did provide the required glue to hold the ‘diversity’ into ‘unity’ but frequent tinkering with the Constitution by the politicians is weakening the bonds. A strong, honest, transparent and active leadership has to evolve among the younger generation to lead the country into a strong nation in the world.
Prof Tiwari, In my view you have not written an article and argued so well as you have done in this one. Indeed failing to be true to oneself in 360 degrees has produced in the world today not thinkers but reflectors of other people’s thoughts. When we refuse to think, we are allowing others to do it for us to their advantage.
How I wish each citizen in the world today got to learn from such great thoughts as were shared by Dr. Radhakrishnan who bluntly said “We cannot build a new India unless we first build ourselves. The immediate task confronting us is moral purgation, spiritual regeneration. It alone can bring national rebirth and freedom.” in his book The Foundation of Civilisation: Ideas and Ideals. This isn’t just relevant to India but to human beings!
When we refuse to accept what Spiritual regeneration is meant to effect in our lives and persons, any trash thrown at us in the guise of civilisation, freedom of expression, rights, etc will be embraced as correct to practice without a doubt. Social medial hasn’t made this subject any easier even.
The Bible teaches parents to train up children in the way they should go, and when they grow old they will not depart from the way Proverns 22:6, when as parents we fail in guiding the future that The Almighty has placed in the children we have been blessed with, we are choosing to have no future after we are gone! This intervention has to be intentional and deliberate at all times, as you correctly said “A narrow view of life, chasing rainbows, indulging in the movements of clouds while ignoring the ground reality, is full of perils. Attend to your reality – who you are, your condition, and focus on how to harmonize it with the overall situation.” Our children need to see this reflected in our lives everyday.
May we learn to see the unseen as God enables us to, and resolve to be faithful in obeying such instructions as will be given to us to His honor and glory.
The words of Dr Radhakrishna “coward uncleanliness of our soul” is to be read and re-read. It is this attitude of ours as a nation that refuses to stand up against divisive forces and vested interest.
If we all (….as usual, earlier the better) stand up, talk and act as one nation, we can survive.
The younger generation are exposed to media – where the more vociferous dominate and sway away the younger generation.
Information explosion has its negatives and the power to discern is coulded by colourful dramatics of a few.
We wish sane sense and courage prevails in us so tbat we can lead the nation for all generations to come.
Sir, The views and ideas of Bertrand Russell are widely accepted by the world because of the rationale behind the statements. He vehemently said about the about the backwardness of asia is that it is due to the prevailing uneducation among people . Today in India it is a common talk about the morale of India is based only Rama on the past civilizations. The reality is insists only on the freedom movement and constitution making of our country.The past sufferings of the people tells the story of midnight freedom of India.Who is responsible ?and Whom should bame?These questions answers to the poeple of India that we are collectively responsible to this underprivileged status of our country-We the people of India
Once again the blog is saying about how we can go forward as a moral country in world order.
We can pat our backs mechanically, like a robot, glorifying in our past and rue about being mutilated by invaders. So bad of them. They shouldn’t have done this to us. We are also probably the only nation who, instead of analysing the reasons as to why the country became so weak after 4th or 5th century AD that it became a cakewalk for any invader. We are still doing the same…dividing ourselves on zillions of fault lines….exactly the same way before waves of invaders came. A nation who doesn’t learn from history is bound to suffer. We are not supposed to ask questions. Like no body questioned why Sita suffered, after returning to Ayodhya, for no fault of hers.
Thank you for sharing your insights, Prof Tiwari!
Is history repeating itself as nation states fight for survival? We are currently witnessing changes in the world order that have taken on militaristic approaches. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is evidence that human beings are far from lasting peace based on mutual harmony and interests. Nation States are even worse when it comes to their national interests and the way to defend them.
It will take reawakening of leaders in big and small states, to align their national interests with other states in peaceful and mutual benefiting manner. It begins with what the Indian philosopher you mention highlighted in his scholarly book.
Dear Sir, Happy Sunday. In my views, we are the decedents of King Rama, there shouldn’t be any doubt, therefore our philosophy of nation is clear, we believe in Ramrajya (रामराज्य). The idea of our philosophy about nation is equality and no discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, sex and nature of life, even an animal has to be treated equally;
When king Rama was going for 14 years of exile and requested his brother Bharat (भरत) to rule the kingdom in his absence, then Bharat asked how to rule and apply state taxes to the people of our kingdom, then Rama given him the idea of Sun (सूरज), idea to take tax like Sun, who collects water drops from everywhere, from sea, rivers, lakes, even from our body but distrbutes equally to everywhere in everyone’s place for his need to survive and be productive,
Somehow, after our independence in 1947 this idea was dissolved by the politicians, however they kept a snap of Ramdarbar on the very first page of our constitution book. Our glorious past has been manipulated and hided from us as a part of big conspiracy, I believe. Now, I feel that people have started claiming our past and they want that glory to be restored. The world has recognised the power of Yoga, USA and UK scientists are working on sanskrit (संस्कृत ) manuscripts and trying to explore the science behind many things which Indian civilization has proven in the past, like aeroplane (पुष्पक विमान), missiles (दिव्य अस्त्र), etc. This is going to be our Indian century, and my contribution will be there as a student of Prof Arun Tiwari, my introduction to the world,