The Significance of Hindu Heritage for America
Pradeep B. Deshpande | December 25, 2024
Lisa Miller had penned an article, “We are all Hindus Now” in Newsweek on August 15, 2009. I am also inspired by Ohio Senator Niraj Antani’s recent announcement that the bill to celebrate Hindu Heritage Month in October every year had unanimously passed in Ohio Senate and the House and is awaiting Governor Mike DeWine’s signature. This is a significant development as Hindu heritage offers valuable insights into the present-day challenges in America and the world.
What are the lessons Hindu heritage offers and how they are relevant to America? For this, we must begin with an explanation of how the universe was created.
The universe was created when the nothingness of the void differentiated itself from the incredibly small energy phase of the Big Bang event over 13 billion years ago. On one side of the energy phase there is this ever-expanding universe, but on the other side there is absolutely nothing, a void.
Science writer, Amanda Gefter arrived at this conclusion after researching this subject with some of the best brains in physics including John Archibald Wheeler, a colleague of Albert Einstein at Princeton, and Stephen Hawking. She published her findings in the pathbreaking book, Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn in 2014.
Jim Kowall, a triple board-certified physician who additionally holds a doctorate in Theoretical Physics, extended Gefter’s findings: Nothing physical can pass through the incredibly small energy phase of the Big Bang event to be present on the other side but consciousness can for it is not physical.
Thus, the undifferentiated consciousness of the nothingness of the void differentiated itself from the energy phase of the Big Bang event and the universe came into existence. See this 3-minute video clip, The Nature of Ultimate Reality: Chapter 1 How the Universe Came into Existence. Science cannot explain how “nothing” can create “something.”
Fast forward several billion years after the Big Bang with a focus on planet Earth when life- supporting conditions have materialized and a single cell organism has sprung to life. Here too, science cannot explain how a lifeless planet Earth can give rise to life. See this video clip that explains how consciousness and energy, metaphorically known as Shiva and Parvati, are both required for creation and for life.
Fast forward millions of years and life on planet Earth has evolved according to the theory of evolution and human beings have formed societies in different parts of the world. Hereafter, though, the theory of evolution ceases to be useful.
To make progress, we must understand what the constituents of life are. The Saamkhya philosophy proposes that all of creation comprises five principal elements and three Gunas (attributes of the mindset).
The principal elements are: Prithvi (Matter), Jal (Water), Agni (Fire, Heat), Vayu (Air, Oxygen) and Aakash (Space — Consciousness and Life-force (Pranic energy in Sanskrit or Chi Energy in Mandarin)).
The three Gunas are S, R, and T. The S component comprises truthfulness, honesty, steadfastness and equanimity while the R component consists of bravery, ambition, ego, greed and desire to live and the T component comprises lying, cheating, causing injury in words or deed and sleep.
How can inanimate matter possess the mental attributes?
The three attributes are linked to two human emotions: Positive emotions which include unconditional love, kindness empathy and compassion and negative emotions that include anger, hatred, hostility, resentment, frustration jealousy, fear, sorrow and the like.
A little reflection will reveal that positive emotions are strongly and positively linked to the S component while negative emotions are strongly and positively linked to R and T components. Thus, mindset attributes are equivalent to emotional traits.
The late Sir J. C. Bose, FRS, had proved that inanimate things like metals feel stress and plants feel pain.
Now, the wisdom of the Bhagvad Geeta becomes important.
Sri Krishna counsels that the S, R, T components of civilizations undergo transformation over time. As the S component of society increases, society rises, but the S component cannot increase indefinitely and when it reaches its peak, the T component takes over and society begins to decline. The T component cannot increase indefinitely either and so when it reaches its peak, the S component takes over and society begins to rise again. This transformation of the three components of the mindset induces repeated rise and decline of civilizations.
No one knows why such a transformation of the mindset should occur, but historical evidence suggests that it does.
How can this wisdom lead to a more peaceful world?
It is not possible to prevent decline of societies from taking place, but it should be possible to postpone decline of societies for a more peaceful world.
The path forward for progress is via emotional excellence.
First, emotional excellence refers to the capacity of an individual to remain centered in the face of extenuating circumstances that are part of life. To actualize this desire, it is necessary to cultivate positive emotions at the exclusion of negative emotions.
The cultivation of positive emotions at the exclusion of negative emotions is not an intellectual exercise. The required positive changes must come from within. Just do a thirty-day self-assessment and you will see that such is the case.
The S, R and T components cannot be measured but Emotions can, and this is fortunate as the two are linked as we have seen. And since emotions can be measured, progress can be audited.
To enhance emotional excellence, it is necessary to transcend the domain of reason by enhancing the focus of attention as in meditation or prayer. A higher level of emotional excellence brings a myriad of benefits. They include exemplary performance, health & wellness, creativity and innovativeness, interpersonal skills, and less discord and violence all toward a better and more peaceful world.
The United Nations adopted June 21st as the International Yoga Day and recently, the UN adopted December 21st as the World Meditation Day.
All incarnations have prodded their followers to strive for just one thing: To achieve a shift from negative emotions to positive emotions and emerge as better human beings.
In the case of various incarnations, the characteristics sought are: Jesus, “Love”; Buddha, “Compassion, Mahavir: Nonviolence, Krishna: Dharma, Shiva and Parvati, Sanatana Dharma (Eternal Values).
Finally, developments in artificial intelligence are taking place at such a frantic pace that human beings are struggling to keep up. It is therefore important to focus on enhancing the emotional excellence of human beings so that the AI products they create do not wind up posing an existential threat to the very survival of human civilization.
It is critical that Indian Americans embrace this precious heritage of their ancient ancestors, teach it to their children and convince their American friends and colleagues to come on board in the quest for a more peaceful world.
Heartfelt thanks to Senator Antani for the bill he championed on the celebration of Hindu heritage in Ohio. May this become a national trend.
References
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About the Author
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Pradeep B. Deshpande is Professor Emeritus in and former Chairman of the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Louisville. He is also president of Six Sigma and Advanced Controls based in Louisville, Kentucky. He is an author of eight books and over one hundred fifty articles in reputed journals that include Proc. Royal Society–UK, Chemical Eng. Progress, Ind. Eng. Chem. Proc. Des Dev, Chem. Eng. Science, among several others, and is a recipient of several international awards. He is a Fellow of ISA. He has been nominated for a Padma Award, one of Government of India’s highest civilian awards. pradeep@sixsigmaquality.com.
