Post by radha on Jul 3, 2012 3:10:33 GMT 5.5
OM SRI GURUPHYO NAMAHA:,RESPECTFUL PRANAMS TO SRI KANCHI MAHA PERIVA
Towards a Vedic Philosophy of Peace
RUDRAPRASAD MATILAL
A practicing lawyer of Calcutta High Court since 2003, the author is keenly interested in the study of Hindu scriptures and Vedantic approach to peace and harmony.
The Need for Peace
Peace or shanti
is the single most urgent issue confronting the humanity today. We findreports of violence, big or small, strewn acrossall dailies and monthlies. These reports couldbe about a terrorist attack or a bomb explosionor an ambush or mob violence or domesticand school violenceanywhere in the world.Everyday, without fail, a large section of dailynews is filled with reports of violence. It seemshumanity, for all its marvellous scientificadvances, has been a total failure in the areawhere it matters mostto have peace in theworld.The great Vedic Rishis, our illustriousforefathers, had well understood the need forpeace in the world. Therefore, in the ancientVedic books one finds a constant reference topeace. It is the most sublime message of theVedasthe need for peace; and it is a messagethat is more relevant now than ever before. Inarticulating this philosophy of peace, the VedicRishis took into account all aspects of peace.
TheYajur Veda boldly declares:
Let there be peace in heaven,Let there be peace in the atmosphere,Let there be Peace on Earth,May the waters and medical herbs bring peace,May the trees give peace to all beings,May all the Gods be peaceful,May the Vedas spread peace everywhere,May all other objects everywhere give us peace,And may that peace come to us and remainwith us for ever.
1
The Vedic idea of peace, as it is seen, is not restricted to the human realm. It includes peace in all areas of lifepsychological, social,environmental and so on.
Peace as a Positive Concept
The Vedic idea of peace is not mere absence of violence; it is rather presence of something positive. The Rig Veda daringly asserts:
The winds waft sweets,The rivers pour sweets for the man, who keeps the Law,So may the plants be sweet for us.Sweet be the night and sweet the dawns,Sweet the terrestrial atmosphere;Sweet be our Father in Heaven to us.May the tall tree be full of sweets for us,And full of sweets the Sun:May our milch-cow be sweet for us.
2
In other words, the Vedic idea of peace is that of something that brings sweetness and joy in every aspect of life. This includes a healthy environmenttrees, jungles, winds and all of Nature. Indeed, the Vedas urge man to adopt such way of life that is conducive to the protection of our natural environment and habitat.Now let us look what are the concrete counsels for peace that the Vedas outline
SOURCE:- VEDANTHA KESARI MAGAZINE
Sri Kanchi Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Charanam
Towards a Vedic Philosophy of Peace
RUDRAPRASAD MATILAL
A practicing lawyer of Calcutta High Court since 2003, the author is keenly interested in the study of Hindu scriptures and Vedantic approach to peace and harmony.
The Need for Peace
Peace or shanti
is the single most urgent issue confronting the humanity today. We findreports of violence, big or small, strewn acrossall dailies and monthlies. These reports couldbe about a terrorist attack or a bomb explosionor an ambush or mob violence or domesticand school violenceanywhere in the world.Everyday, without fail, a large section of dailynews is filled with reports of violence. It seemshumanity, for all its marvellous scientificadvances, has been a total failure in the areawhere it matters mostto have peace in theworld.The great Vedic Rishis, our illustriousforefathers, had well understood the need forpeace in the world. Therefore, in the ancientVedic books one finds a constant reference topeace. It is the most sublime message of theVedasthe need for peace; and it is a messagethat is more relevant now than ever before. Inarticulating this philosophy of peace, the VedicRishis took into account all aspects of peace.
TheYajur Veda boldly declares:
Let there be peace in heaven,Let there be peace in the atmosphere,Let there be Peace on Earth,May the waters and medical herbs bring peace,May the trees give peace to all beings,May all the Gods be peaceful,May the Vedas spread peace everywhere,May all other objects everywhere give us peace,And may that peace come to us and remainwith us for ever.
1
The Vedic idea of peace, as it is seen, is not restricted to the human realm. It includes peace in all areas of lifepsychological, social,environmental and so on.
Peace as a Positive Concept
The Vedic idea of peace is not mere absence of violence; it is rather presence of something positive. The Rig Veda daringly asserts:
The winds waft sweets,The rivers pour sweets for the man, who keeps the Law,So may the plants be sweet for us.Sweet be the night and sweet the dawns,Sweet the terrestrial atmosphere;Sweet be our Father in Heaven to us.May the tall tree be full of sweets for us,And full of sweets the Sun:May our milch-cow be sweet for us.
2
In other words, the Vedic idea of peace is that of something that brings sweetness and joy in every aspect of life. This includes a healthy environmenttrees, jungles, winds and all of Nature. Indeed, the Vedas urge man to adopt such way of life that is conducive to the protection of our natural environment and habitat.Now let us look what are the concrete counsels for peace that the Vedas outline
SOURCE:- VEDANTHA KESARI MAGAZINE
Sri Kanchi Maha Periva Thiruvadigal Charanam