Ancient impetus to religious
innovation is kept alive. Social networks provided common link with religiously
diverse ethnic groups. "Shiva" is same whether his idol in Nepal had Mongolian features Negroid or Dravidian features
some Oliver places in India or outside India. Raamaand Krushna were mostly depicted as having dark
skin.
. In the
17th Century Japan had closed its doors for merchant vessels from Europe
because of Christian Missionary Activities which interfered with Japanese
Faith. In the 19 century or little earlier Dutch merchant vessel
showed their interest in
trading with Japan on behalf of the Dutch government.
When the Vessel lay at
anchorage the crew carried "cross" on the shore, laid it on the beach
and went stamping over it to the king of Japan with a letter of intent for trade with Holland. They promised not to interfere with religion of the
land and stopped the missionary activities of spreading Christianity in Japan. The trade was resumed, and Holland''s economy rose upward, In 1853 American warship
forcibly entered
Tokyo Bay, but Japan was receptive to the outside influences by them; and
Japanese genius blended elements of many different spiritual and cultural
traditions. In 1549, Francis Xavier, a Portuguese priest and a founder of the
Jesuit order, arrived, in Japan at the head of a Christian Mission. Portuguese
merchant vessels were going to Japan since 1545. The Christianity was supported by the
warlord (daimyo in Japanese) Oda Nobunaga (1534-82), who made effective use of
European weaponry. Psychological it
gave the message that
powerful weapons meant the powerful religion. As a general term it was
effective all over the world.
Today Japanese Christians are
in small number (about 600,000), but their devotion to Jesus and Mary has come
to resemble the worship of Shinto "kami" or Buddhist
"bosatsu". Japanese God must resemble and have Japanese features.
Original Jesus could not have had features of a European man; though that is
how he is shown on the "Cross". Buddhist temple, the Kiyomizu, at Kyoto attracts devotees even today. The city was Japan''s imperial capital from 794CE (A.D.); today it is
called Tokyo. This is one of the most important centres of
Japanese Buddhism. As Japan''s imperial capital in 794CE, it was known as Heian.
This old name takes us to Sanskrit root: It suggests two words
"Herambah" (Ganesha), and "Heli" meaning the Sun. Japanese
always confuse "R" and "L''" in pronunciation -(" I
play in temple and pray in bed" is the famous joke")-the word
"Heian" is a suitable middle way of pronunciation. Japanese flag
carries emblem of sun in this centre; there are records Ga¸eÀa idols were found
in Japan. The indications are too obvious to be ignored.
Though the Japanese word
"kami" (near to Sanskrit "karma") is often translated as
deity, but in reality it designates an extremely wide range of spirit beings
(as "YakÀa", "Gandharva", "Apsar¡", identified
with Hindu concept) with a host of mysterious and supernatural forces and
"essences" (something that exists). Where Hindus believe that there
are 330 million (33 crores) gods; Japanese say, there are eight million
"kami", tins is
another way of saying that the number is infinite. They include tutelary
(having the guardianship) divinities of clans, villages, and town boundaries,
mountains, rivers, caves, lakes are also included in these deities,
"triptych" suggests a carving in three panels side by side. The
central panel represents "Paraatatva", which is self expressive; when
it becomes expressive it appears that sun emerges from the cave of darkness and
the third dimension of space becomes active. The forth dimension of
"Time" remains m
comprehensible to the human intellect:
The oldest thoughts of
ancient sages are found in "Rug Vedwhich took the form of various
rituals and traditions. These ideas were made available for the future
generations by way of stones or legends. Upanayan ritual had greater
significance in Vedic rituals. It had two aspects as far as Guru is concerned.
In a concept he is mother of a "Bata", at the same time he represents
the god of death. When a child is prepared to start his education, it is tested
to find if it deserved or worthy of education. "Kacha/Shukra"
relationship is a good example of this concept.
The rationality of it
suggests that true education is possible only when a disciple passed a test of
death, the disciple literally enters the womb of his Guru and learns while
there. There was yet another concept showing the relationship of the Sun and
the planet "áukra" (Venus). This too has its roots in Rug Veda. Shukra
was conceptualized as representing the Sun in "Yajnya" ritual. Hence,
God is all pervading and his presence is eternal. His existence reflects in
human mind but God is far from effects and causes of mental activities Himself.
The "code Book" is published in 2004; the book is written by Simon
Singh, PhD, meteorologist. The study covers all the aspects of geology. The
book "World Religions"'' enclosed a section on Glossary; the Sanskrit
word "Bodhisattva" is written incorrect and the meaning too is
ambiguous. The meaning is indeterminate. The word should be written as
"Bodhisattava" (n)-Buddhist ascetic; "Nirvana" is a state
of mind, when such a mental status is reached a person is not affected by
happiness or sadness. Sanskrit "Dhyaana''" is meditation.
Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote
in his "Discovery of India" a story of áankara. “He synthesized
diverse currents troubling the mind of India and built a unity of outlook. In his life of only 32
years he did the work of many long lives and left such an impression of his
powerful mind and rich personality of India that it is very evident right up to this day. He was
curious mixture of philosopher and scholar, agnostic and mystic, poet and
saint, practical reformer and able organizer".
There is a story of young
"Nachiketa" who dares to go and meet the God of "Death".
Emerson Ralph Waldo, American essayist and poet wrote: "Kathopanishad"
helps to understand the Eternal Riddle of Death". Somerset Maugham
borrowed the title itself from the Sanskrit words ''. "kshurasya dhar nishita
duratyaya"; the underlined words means "Razor''s Edge". The
original Shloka goes like this: Oh! you, who are asleep, wake up, stand up, go
to those learned Gurus and take lessons in "Atma Jny¡na"; it’s
difficult to walk on razor''s edge, and so is this subject of "Atma Jnyaana".
All who are on this path of "Atma Jnyaana" are aware of the
difficulties, but they don''t deviate from this path. Maugham seems to have
caught the central idea of "Advaita" with great precision and
indirectly supports the conviction of the universality of appeal of the
"Advaita" doctrine.
General Editor Michael D.
Coogan mentions the name of Raja Ram Mohan (miss-spilled as "Rohan"'')
Roy as Hind reformer in Chronology (Hinduism). He says he
founded "society of Brahma" in 1828 meaning of "Brahma"
again is miss-construed. Understanding "Brahma" is rare possibility.
Out of a Billion one may approach near to what is understood by Veda Vyaasa as
"Brahma". Others only keep walking on "Razor''s edge". The
thought of Ram Mohan Roy who ushered in the modem epoch in India was firmly rooted in the "Vedanta"; and Vedanta
is the manifestation of ''''Advaita".
In 1981 the Encyclopedia of
Indian Philosophies Vol.1 was published. It lists almost 700 titles a book on
"Advaita Vedanta" and runs into about 30 pages. Vast and extensive
literature was influenced by Advaita much before this volume was published.
Fritz Copra''s "Tao of Physics, philosopher Hegel''s works, Philosopher
Brad