The roots of this approach originate in ancient India. Hinduism’s oldest collection of hymns, the Rig Veda argues:They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni, and he is heavenly nobly-winged Garutmān.To what is One, sages call by many names — they call it Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan.(Rig Veda 1.164.46)
This perspective established the long-standing Indian tradition that, despite their differences, the ancient Hindu devas or gods, were permeated with an underlying unity. As Hinduism encountered or gave rise to other religions, this perspective was expanded to include those faiths. A modern version of the above passage from the Rig Veda could read “They call him Bhagavan, Allah, Jesus, Buddha, and he is heavenly, shining Krishna. To what is One, sages give many a title — Ohrmazd, Ishtar, Zeus, Osiris, Amaterasu.”For a contemporary view see in The Master's Prayer composed by Meher Baba, "You are Parabrahma; Paramatma; Allah; Elahi; Yezdan; Ahuramazda, God Almighty, and God the Beloved. You are named Ezad, the Only One Worthy of Worship," and the Seven Names of God prayer, "Hari, Paramatma, Allah, Ahurza Mazda, God, Yezdan, Hu."
I am not come to establish any cult, society or organization; nor even to establish a new religion. The religion that I shall give teaches the Knowledge of the One behind the many. The book that I shall make people read is the book of the heart that holds the key to the mystery of life. I shall bring about a happy blending of the head and the heart. I shall revitalize all religions and cults, and bring them together like beads on one string. — Meher Baba, God Speaks, p. xxxviThe New World is generally thought of as the melting pot, but India has been culturally and religiously diverse for millennia and continues in that vein.
The Diplomat
How to Approach Religion in the 21st Century: Lessons from India’s Traditions
Akhilesh Pillalamarri
2 comments:
Meher Baba: a consummate charlatan and megalomaniacal false mystic. Please, keep your "devotion" to this "god-man" to yourself! Between you and Franko, this blog does not lack a little crackpot spicing. I'm not quite sure why Mike humors you so much--but of course you are all loyal MMT'ers, which does give one a little rational equilibrium along a rather narrow bank of awareness.
Meher Baba: a consummate charlatan and megalomaniacal false mystic
That is a claim. I have made no claims about Meher Baba on this blog. I have presented things that I believe are relevant to these times.
This post is about the Indian approach to culture and religion which is inclusive. Meher Baba happens to be a contemporary representative of an ancient tradition that goes back some 5000 years at least. To me it is relevant that what was said then is still being said now, and I think it is significant to point it out.
India is emerging as a global leader and what happens there is going to affect everyone in the world probably sooner than later. Changes are starting to happen fast now.
I could have said similar things about Chinese culture and religion, too, in light of its integration of Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
Meher Baba would have little or no relevance to China, but as it happens he was born in India to a Zoroastrian expatriate family and lived there other than when he was traveling.
Indian and Chinese culture are going to have far-reaching effects in the process of globalization, which is not going to be predominantly Western as many in the West suppose. I am not presenting this as either good or bad, but rather as a prediction of what I see unfolding historically.
As the post above concludes, religion is not going away, and far better that it be inclusive, which leads to harmony and cooperation, instead of exclusive, which leads to disharmony and conflict.
This is being evinced, for example, in the conflict between Eastern and Western Christianity in eastern Europe that is now taking place, it is did recently in the former Yugoslavia between predominantly Catholic Croatia, Orthodox Serbia-Montenegro, and Islamic Bosnia-Herzegovina.
These are longstanding rivalries in Europe and Americans ignorance of them and their effects leads to ignorance of underlying factors that shape the present.
Religion has also been a decisive force from the American colonial period to the present. This should be obvious to anyone living in the US who has studied history and is paying attention to current events.
Why is this significant for economics and relevant to MMT? Because MMT and its historical background is institutionalist rather than naturalistic, and institutionalism views social, political and economic as entwined to the degree than they cannot be disentangled without ignoring the network effects of social systems to the degree of misunderstanding a systems structure and functioning.
Humans need to learn to life the unity of their sameness and celebrate the diversity of their differences. Inclusive cultural and religious influences support this, where as exclusivity results in divisiveness that often leads conflict.
Post a Comment