Of the 17 goals the UN member states have adopted, goal 16: peace, justice and strong institutions stands central. To achieve world peace, one needs to attain peace at societal and individual levels. Since societies are gatherings of individuals, it is individual peace that manifests into the various other levels of peace in the world. Attainment of such peace helps in identifying the need and design of the related justice and related institutions. Peace can be defined as the ability to live in harmony with oneself, others and nature. As quoted by the late Indian president Abdul Kalam from an ancient Indian text during the golden jubilee celebrations of the European Union, “Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.” Hence, it can be understood that righteousness in oneself creates a snowball effect manifesting into world peace. How can such righteousness be achieved in a world of VUCA? What does Hinduism have to offer?
At this point, one must note that individuals in societies share a mutually affecting relationship, not just with themselves, but also with the other beings of nature. These relationships were identified and respected in the traditions of the sanātana dharma, popularly known as Hinduism. As Swami Vivekananda said, Hinduism is not a religion, rather a lifestyle that benefits mankind. Incorporating principles from various sciences such as Yoga and Ayurveda, along with techniques such as mudrā, prāṇāyāma, mantra, and japa this system provides individuals the opportunity to exercise and improve their inner wellbeing which, by developing into harmony with the other beings, manifests into the peace on a larger scale.
ॐ द्यौः शान्तिरन्तरिक्षं शान्तिः। पृथिवी शान्तिरापः शान्तिरोषधयः शान्तिः। वनस्पतयः शान्तिर्विश्वे देवाः शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्तिः
सर्वं शान्तिः शान्तिरेव शान्तिः सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
oṃ dyauḥ śāntirantarikṣaṃ śāntiḥ। pṛthivī śāntirāpaḥ śāntiroṣadhayaḥ śāntiḥ। vanaspatayaḥ śāntirviśve devāḥ śāntirbrahma śāntiḥ
sarvaṃ śāntiḥ śāntireva śāntiḥ sā mā śāntiredhi ॥ oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥
The shanti mantra from yajurveda (above) invokes peace among the various elements of nature. Since humans coexist with other beings in nature, they experience peace when the other beings are in peace. According to Alok Kumar (Science of the ancient Hindus, 2014, 2019), the various Hindu prayers composed in Sanskrit, are not only prayers but also mathematical formulae. Due to the uniqueness of the sounds in the Sanskrit language, recitation of these sounds, which are mathematically composed, have an impact on individuals and the beings around them. In his radio documentary Nāda Brahma – Die Welt ist Klang, German music journalist Joachim-Ernst Berendt emphasizes how the world and existence are mere vibrations. Such complex constructions were included in the composition of the various mantras which are an integral part of the Hindu system. The sound aum the primordial sound in the Hindu systems, consists of three different sounds A U M. The recitation of this sound creates a vibration in the human body which brings the various energy centres in the body to harmony, thus resulting in an elevated existence and ability to demonstrate balance in making decisions and demonstrating righteous behavior.
Similarly mudrās or gestures which form a part of this profound culture do not only have a therapeutic effect but also bring about inner wellbeing for individuals. In her book Mudras and Health Perspectives, 2010, Dr. Suman K. Chiplunkar explains the various mudrās and their impact on one’s physical health but also spiritual wellbeing. The mentioning of such mudrās in scriptures such as the Bhagavad Gītā highlight that Hinduism, as a system, is a conglomeration of various principles enriching both individual and social wellbeing. The following śloka from Bhagavad Gītā pays respect to the deity Krishna with the gesture jñāna mudrā.
कृष्णाय यादवेन्द्राय ज्ञानमुद्राय योगिने ।
नाथाय रुक्मिणीशाय नमो वेदान्तवेदिने ।।
प्रपन्नपारिजाताय तोत्र-वैत्रक-पाणये।
ज्ञानमुद्राय कृष्णाय गीतामृतदुहे नमः।।
kṛṣṇāya yādavendrāya jñānamudrāya yogine ।
nāthāya rukmiṇīśāya namo vedāntavedine ।।
prapannapārijātāya totra-vaitraka-pāṇaye।
jñānamudrāya kṛṣṇāya gītāmṛtaduhe namaḥ।।
Further, while addressing the Sabarimala temple controversy in India, during an interview with the Times Now, reporter Navika Kumar, Isha Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev details Agamaśāstra the science of temple construction. According to him, the temples which are constructed in the Hindu tradition are constructed based on the form of deity which will be worshipped there. Certain principles such as specific metals, stones, and measurements, are chosen with extreme care in order to invoke certain natural forces, contributing to the welfare of the temple visitors. Similarly in her book Women and Sabarimala: The Science Behind Restrictions, 2019, author Dr. Sinu Joseph details how the human body is sensitive to consecrated spaces and how the consecrated energies in the Sabarimala temple could affect the health of the women who are in the menstruating ages. She also points out there are similar spaces which are reserved for men.
Overall it can be concluded that the rituals and practices in Hinduism are not mere religious practices, but ones with scientific explanations towards individual health and spiritual well-being. Once again, quoting Abdul Kalam, individuals contribute to families, families to societies and societies to the world, reminds us of a Hindu quote from Maha Upanishad, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam- The world is a family. This cumulative effect leads to a world of peace which embraces diversity not only among human beings but also brings harmony to all beings in existence. Additionally, the knowledge from various sources such as the Vedas, Upanishads, and several other scriptures from the Hindu culture have been acknowledged by various personalities such as Eckhardt Tolle, Carl Jung, Alan Watts. This indicates that Hinduism has much to offer to the various problems of the current times.
ॐ सर्वेषां स्वस्तिर्भवतु । सर्वेषां शान्तिर्भवतु । सर्वेषां पूर्णं भवतु । सर्वेषां मड्गलं भवतु ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
Om sarveṣāṃ svastirbhavatu । sarveṣāṃ śāntirbhavatu । sarveṣāṃ pūrṇaṃ bhavatu । sarveṣāṃ maḍgalaṃ bhavatu ॥ oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥
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