Speech given by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji at Adi Sankara Nilayam on 1st November 1992. Occasion was the inauguration of the Eswara Kripa Buildings IInd Block
Friends,
I am so happy to come here again and see the progress of the construction of buildings at Adi Sankara Nilayam. This time I could go and look at every part of the renovated ancient structure of Adi Sankara’s ancestral house. They have done the new buildings also well.
My attempt is to build a study and Research Centre for both the Eastern and Western scholars to come and stay here and thus to bring out the relevance of the ancient terms and terminologies of our Sanskrit literature in the context of the modern way of life. This is the most appropriate place to do such research work because it was here that the great commentator of Upanishads, Sri. Sankara, was born 1200 years back. But for Sankara’s commentaries, we would not have understood the hidden meanings and depths of our spiritual heritage.
In the West, there are scholars who want to get initiated into the various facets of the Vedic lore. Unfortunately in India, many of those who are deeply learned in Sanskrit cannot communicate this wisdom enshrined in Sanskrit to the modern world. And those who know English have hardly any entry into the depths and width of Sanskrit. We have to therefore identify in India those scholars who know Sanskrit in depth and also have the skill to communicate that wisdom in English. If we bring the Eastern and Western scholars together on to one platform, a lot can be achieved to vitalise the modern education with the rejuvenating ideas of our ancient philosophy, and the fruits of which shall percolate down to benefit the common man. Thus Chinmaya International Foundation has been set up with a view to throw a bridge between the fully developed, time-tested, trusted ancient science of the East and the modern developing branches of science of the West. Thus Chinmaya International Foundation will be a meeting ground for the Eastern and Western thinkers to open up new channels of world-saving thoughts. This has to be accomplished to save mankind from the mad programmes of the developed nations of making more and more sophisticated weapons of destruction.
People think, here I am wasting a lot of money by constructing the buildings, and the Swami of yours has gone crazy, etc. No, I have a clear vision. After the Madras Yagna session, I am going to America and the far off countries. And during my tour I will be addressing twelve important universities and make them understand the necessity of such a venture. In the meantime I will also be collecting funds for such a great undertaking. As you know, I will not be able to generate such big funds from this village where the Foundation is being set up.
We have numerous disciplines of science in Sanskrit which the world is yet to know. Apart from the philosophy of our spiritual heritage which I have succeeded to some extent to bring out through the Yagnasalas over the last forty years, we have other branches to be investigated. We have not yet explored the possibilities of doing research on the various ‘Sastras’ in Sanskrit language such as architecture, medicine, alchemy, astronomy, astrology, various systems of Yoga, and so on. By churning the knowledge contained in such ancient texts, the secrets can be brought out to save and serve humanity from the present ditch of pollution into which it has fallen both externally and internally. Pollution has affected all spheres of human activity. The present efforts in ecology constitute but a very superficial activity. It is doubtful whether these efforts in the name of ‘saving the Earth’ can really succeed. It is man who is polluting the environment. According to our Scriptures, outer pollution is a projection of our inner, mental pollution. Chinmaya International Foundation will provide a forum for study in which the thinkers of the world can do research together to evolve a recommendation for cleaning our mental pollution and create a gracious way of life free of any limitations of caste, creed or colour. Eventually the world has to derive inspiration and guidance from Indian heritage only. Unfortunately all our ancient text books are in Sanskrit. Therefore the deep thoughts contained in them and the technical terms employed by our forefathers have to be pragmatically interpreted. Although it is a time taking and laborious task, we are hopeful to accomplish this.
For all these, experts have to come. I have not done any research. In order to collect data and details of various systems, we need a great library. When I went round, that is the only thing I did not find.
After collecting the data, we may have to publish some of the books. For instance, it is said in the ancient texts that a wise man should chant Gayatri Mantra every day in the morning one hundred and eight times standing in neck deep water in a river. If you tell this to the youngsters today, they will tell us that they will do what is said in the Veda without any objection. But Swamiji, show me the river. When you tell them, if there is no river, go to the bathroom, have the bath and chant Gayatri. Then they may come back and say, I went to the bathroom, but there is no water in the tap. At such a juncture, all that you can tell him is to go to the wash basin and open the tap. River is not necessarily water flowing horizontally upon the earth. When water flows, it is called a river. And then let him take the vertical water from the wash basin and do the Gayatri chanting.
Again, the word “non-violence” (Ahimsa) was extremely misconceived and misinterpreted during the period of the Prince of Compassion – Sri Buddha. Go and see the Devas of the temples here. No “Avatara” has come here without holding Dharma-oriented-weapons. You will find more weapons with the Devis! are they? If they are simply kept for ornamental purpose, the temples would turn into museums. Our ancients have kept them with a special purpose. These weapons have to be used whenever the community or nation goes on wrong paths. Creative destruction is always recommended in our tradition. Yet our generation is not able to use these to defend the great and noble causes for fear of the word “non-violence”. Our fore-fathers used these weapons to weed out the devilish dividing forces and integrate the society to uphold Dharma in the light of justice. Today if we tell our youngsters to employ these weapons for the creative good of the society, they will say, Swamiji, that is against non-violence. That is not true. If that be true, why don’t you throw your Gods into the Arabian sea? I am not recommending all of you to become revolutionaries. But I want you to understand the true import of our scriptures, the true connotations of the terms used. This is what I visualise through the activities of the Chinmaya International Foundation.
We have to set up a Conference Hall to hold discussions, and provide accommodation for the visiting scholars and research students from India and abroad. The technical terms have to be rightly interpreted and published. For this, scholars and professors are expected to come here and do research work. Adi Sankara had interpreted our texts in a revolutionary manner at a crucial period in our history when our philosophy had sunk to the lowest level of misinterpretation and malpractice, and needed urgent resurrection and rehabilitation.
As I already mentioned Sri. Sankara’s birth place is eminently suited to do this work.
Accommodation and boarding for the research scholars shall be free of charge. Vegetarian food will be served to them. The fruits of their research work will be entirely ours. Chinmaya International Foundation will have the total rights to their work, and we will undertake to publish them and distribute the same through our Mission Centres and authorised agencies. Universities may recognise them and use them as prescribed texts to be taught to the coming generations.
Thus the unified efforts of the West and the East shall create a new social and national awareness, a new order, all over the world.
I am so glad that you all came here from different parts of Kerala, and also so many local people of Veliyanad have participated in the inauguration of the second phase of Eswara Kripa building at Adi Sankara Nilayam.
Thank you.
(As instructed by Swamiji, the speech was translated on the spot sentence by sentence in Malayalam for the benefit of the local people by Atmachaitanya)
Prepared by Sri. M. Vasudevan – Founder Secretary of Jamshedpur Chinmaya Mission Centre and Atmachaitanya
