For Quiz Buffs...:

Check out this link, if you are a quiz buff.

The Ancient Asian View of Man - Dr.S.Radhakrishnan

The Ancient Asian View of Man – Dr. S. Radhakrishnan

Introduction:

“The Ancient Asian View of Man” is an address delivered at Columbia University, U.S.A., by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. It presents the peculiarly Indian view of the DIVINE IN THE HUMAN SELF, the realization of which will lead to the regeneration of man in the West, and thus save him from the destructive tendencies of scientific progress.

Influence of Indian Culture on the World:

All the living faiths of mankind have had their origin in Asia:
 China : Confucianism and Taoism
 India : Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism
 Palestine : Judaism and Christianity
 Iran : Zoroastrianism
 Arabia : Islam. Hence, the religions adopted by the western people are all derived from Asia, of which Indian culture has influenced a large part of Asia’s thought and art.

Doctrine of “tat tvam asi”:

Indian culture is best known to the outside world by the doctrine of tat tvam asi, which means, the eternal is in one’s self. The Bhagavad-Gita says that the spirit of man is immortal.

 Weapons cannot cleave the Self,
 Waters do not make him wet,
 Wind does not make him dry, and
 Fire does not burn him.

He is eternal, all-pervading, unchanging; he is the same forever.

Being vs. Having:

According to Dr. Radhakrishnan, we confuse Being with Having. Instead of using our houses, our wealth, and our other possessions, we allow them to possess and use us; so we become lost to the life of the spirit and are soulless. Our bodies are the Temples of the Divine; the Vessels of the Spirit; when we realize this, we outgrow individualism. We see that we and our fellow-men are the expressions of the same spirit. We are reminded of the death-bed statement of Socrates: “I am not an Athenian or a Greek but a citizen of the world.”

Religion: A Transforming Experience:

Carl Jung says, “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.”
Similarly, religion is a transforming experience. It is insight into reality. When the individual withdraws his soul from all outward events, gathers himself together inwardly, he gets a sacred, strange, wondrous, and quickening experience within him. This experience is the proof of the reality of God.

The Common Ground of all Religions:

According to Dr. Radhakrishnan, at its depth, all religions express the same truth. The different religious traditions rest on a common ground. This common ground is base on the hope of the future. Both the Asian and Western outlook on life gives us the basic hope for the new world, which is on the horizon.

Loss of Faith: Spiritual Displacement in the Modern Age:

Modern scientists and technicians speak of man as a purely mechanical and material being. They seem to be blind to the higher sanctity, which lives in man. Hence, those who are born in this age feel the loss of faith; they are the spiritually displaced, the culturally uprooted, and the traditionless.

The Only Hope for Man: A Spiritual Recovery:

The only hope for man is a spiritual recovery, the realization that he is an unfinished animal, and his goal is the kingdom of God, which is latent in him. Without a spiritual recovery, the scientific achievements threaten to destroy us. We are living in days of destiny. Either the world will blow up in flames or settle down in peace. It depends on the seriousness with which we face the task of our age.

******

For Spell-binding Speeches...:

For Spell-binding speeches of Great Leaders, try out this WEBSITE