Project : ‘Unraveling Bharatiya Culture’
Excerpts from a message from Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba - Summer Showers 1972
“Philosophy is the butter churned out of knowledge. But since human aspirations and ideals, which change from place to place and time to time, decide which aspects of knowledge are included in the churning process, it is often incomplete or inadequate or contradictory. Generally speaking, religious beliefs and practices, folkways, customs and traditions, educational methods, art forms, etc. help the formulation of the underlying philosophy.
Believing that the world, as cognised during the waking state, is real and that the highest goal is the attainment of happiness in that world, man accumulates the instruments and symbols of that happiness; he fashions after his own taste and inclination according to the dictates of his own reason, the laws, ideals, institutions and principles that would bolster that happiness. This attempt leads to a philosophy which can be named “Western.”
But can the goal of Life be just this—to struggle amidst the waves of joy and grief that rise and fall in this visible objective world, to be carried along the current of desire, gathering food, shelter, comfort and pleasure, and finally, to flounder into the jaws of death?
Human life is a composite of the secular and the spiritual. But now, the flesh is coddled, while the spirit is consigned into oblivion. As a result, neither the individual, nor society, nor the nation can hope to have peace and security. The framework of Creation is an amalgam of right and wrong, joy and grief, cold and warmth; so, it is against Nature to expect only right, or only joy, only wrong or only grief.So long as man lives on the level of the beasts, concentrating all his talents on the task of securing food, shelter, and other physical and material needs, the unrest now rooted in his heart cannot be got rid of. Therefore, the path of Dharma or Righteousness, which ensures inner purification and harmony, should not be given up.
What is Dharma? It is the way of higher life directed by the ideals one holds dear, by the level of attainment one has reached, by the status of the individual in society, and the individual’s own awareness of himself and his status.
When man has resolved to understand his reality by the method of enquiry, he must avoid the error of condemning the points of view held dear by others. It is not right to deny their validity. He has to give value to all aspects, consider all views; for, there is no clear-cut distinction between mine and thine, this and that other. Truth is Knowledge; Knowledge is Limitless. Truth has to be discovered by analysing the complex mass of facts and things.
Bharatiya Culture is the product of the experience of generations in the field of this Truth, of Knowledge that is limitless, that is seen through the vision of the Wise. When students have the chance once to look upon this Culture, to contact its living embodiments and expressions, and to hold converse with its manifold manifestations, all doubts regarding it will vanish from their minds.
Students have to be instructed on these monuments of Bharatiya Culture and informed of the ideals which they embody. Their intellects, thus charged and cleansed, have to be offered to the nations of the world as ideals to be emulated. They, themselves, will be saved thereby; they will serve as guides and leaders to others. Intending to place before them the Truth, to remove from their minds the ruinous beliefs that have sprouted there as a result of the craze for novelty in recent times, and to uproot the specious arguments and fantastic doubts that are clinging to their reasoning faculty, and, resolving to imprint on the pure, steadfast, and conceitless hearts of the young the peace and joy that their forefathers were able to live in, we have arranged to invite elders of invaluable experience in these fields, and instruct youth on moral, ethical, spiritual, physical and secular truths.
When such a sacred Yajna is held every year, present-day youth can easily understand and appreciate not only the Culture of India, but also the Wisdom garnered by people of other lands. Thus, they will be rid of all feelings of separation and difference; they will be equipped and made ready to demonstrate in their lives the Truth that has been revealed to them. May this attempt achieve Victory! May all beings derive therefrom Peace, Happiness, Prosperity and Security!”
Scope of the Study
The project would consist of the study of moral, ethical, spiritual, physical and secular dimensions in the following elements of Bharatiya Culture:
1. Customs and traditions: in light of vedic/vedantic scriptures, darshan shastras, epics, religious beliefs and practices
2. Folkways: in light of works of Saints and poets
3. Educational methods
4. Art forms
Phases of Study
The study will refer predominantly the discourses given by Bhagavan during the various Summer Courses in Indian Culture and Spirituality and the relevant Vahinis. The SSSCHV recognises that the study will have to be undertaken in a phased manner with multiple resource persons engaged at various levels. We have divided this study in the following streams and their respective phases:
Stream 1 (quarter system): Study of selected discourses of Bhagavan to develop an understanding of Bharatiya Culture and Philosophy with reference to four key sources namely, Vedic/Vedantic literature, Ramayana, Bhagawatam, traditional religious beliefs and practices with their inner significance as elucidated by Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The study would involve the in-depth study of the philosophical foundations that lead to practical life and culture of Bharat over generations and their significance in the moral, ethical, spiritual, physical and secular growth of a civilization. The study would be done in quarter system.
Quarter 1: Study will be based on topics from Vedic/Vedantic literature/ darshan shastras.
Quarter 2: Study will be based on topics from Valmiki and Adhyatma Ramayana.
Quarter 3: Study will be based on topics from Bhagavatam.
Quarter 4: Study will be based on various religious beliefs, festivals, traditions and practices with their inner significance.
The sequence will be repeated annually to explore the length and breadth of the vast contribution of knowledge that these great scriptures possess.
One symposium will be held every quarter and one conference will be held annually.
Stream 2 (quarter system): Study of educational methods and philosophy that evolved in Bharat with reference to the rich knowledge systems of ancient Bharat and the historical foreign influences, in the moral, ethical, spiritual, physical and secular growth of a student. The study would attempt to compare and correlate the evolution of the philosophy of education in Bharat with the Sri Sathya Sai Integral system of education.
Quarter 1: Study of ancient systems of education in India.
Quarter 2: Study of historical foreign influences in education, educational philosophy of great thinkers during the struggle for independence and current status of Bharatiya educational philosophy and methods.
Quarter 3: Study in depth the various dimensions of Sri Sathya Sai Integral System of Education.
Quarter 4: Study would compare and correlate the Sri Sathya Sai Integral System of Education with the ancient, historical and current evolution of educational philosophy and needs of education.
One symposium will be held every quarter and one conference will be held annually.
Further work in this area will be decided based on the report of the first year’s work.
Stream 3 (trimester): Study of the moral, ethical, spiritual, physical and secular dimensions of Bharatiya Culture and Philosophy based on the works of Saints and poets referred to by Bhagavan in His divine discourses. The literary works of a Saints/Poets are mostly in vernacular languages and hence experts in the same vernacular language with a sound knowledge of english will take up one theme for a duration of 4 months per theme. The themes will be selected depending on the applicants language skills and expertise.
One symposium will be conducted every trimester and one conference annually. The sequence will be repeated annually to explore the length and breadth of the vast contribution of knowledge that the great Saints and Poets of Bharat have made.
Stream 4 (Trimester): Study of the role and influence of art forms and music in the evolution of Bharatiya culture and philosophy. The study will focus on the use of poetry, drama and other folk art forms by Bhagavan to communicate His Divine message for the uplift of mankind.
Trimester 1: A study of Swami’s use of poetry, songs and music to propagate the glory of Bharatiya culture.
Trimester 2: A study of Swami’s use of drama as an efficient way to nurture Bharatiya culture.
Trimester 3: A study of Swami’s emphasis on folk art forms as a means to propagate Bharatiya culture with special reference to Burrakatha/Harikatha.
One symposium will be conducted every trimester and one conference annually. The sequence will be repeated annually to explore the length and breadth of the vast treasure of knowledge.
Note: Across the streams, the symposia are expected to be unique to the subject but the annual conference would be just one or at most two that may involve multiple subjects that elucidate Bharatiya Culture and Philosophy.