Religions for Peace
Prof. Priyankar Upadhyaya
The other stream, which contributes to the peace discourse in India, consisted of several religious traditions, which stood for peace and tolerance. Hinduism epitomizes a myriad of such ideas and practices, which endorse the culture of peace and global citizenship. The list may include the Vedic philosophy of Kshma (forbearance), or the tenet of Sarva Dharma Sambhava (impulse of peaceful coexistence) or the concept of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (the world is but one family). This is not to negate the presence of contrary ideas which in several Hindu traditions would legitimize violent practices often in the name of non-violence.
The unambiguous commitment to peaceful means and non-violence was however manifest in Jainism and Buddhism—the two concurrent religions founded by Mahavir and Buddha. Both streams decried violence as a sin and emphasized non-violence as an article of faith in their respective system. While Mahavir included Ahinsa (non-violence) as one of the five intrinsic virtues to attain inner peace and happiness, Buddha sought conquest through and by the power of true faith, compassion and love. He was emphatic that ‘Animosity can be eradicated not by animosity but only by its opposite. This is an eternal Dharma [spiritual law]’. With King Ashoka converting to Buddhism, it proliferated as a powerful political and spiritual force. Ashoka was able to control the vast empire by preaching peace and non-violence within and beyond the subcontinent in the South East and Far East Asia, making its influence felt even in Greece and Rome.
The rediscovery of the so-called ‘golden’ period of Indian history in the late 19th century consisting of the great empires of the Mauryan Kings connected the past with the present. Ignoring much of the influence of the Mughals and the Raj, many nationalists saw Emperor Ashoka as an attractive icon to reclaim India’s past unity, strength, and also its image of a global peacemaker. It is instructive to note that Ashoka’s symbol of authority built in at Sarnath was chosen as the National emblem of independent India—a reaffirmation of its ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill. It bolstered Indian assertions of ‘an ancient civilization and a contemporary great power deserving of “parity of esteem” with other ancient civilizations and great powers (such as the People’s Republic of China)’. But nothing moulded the political imagination in modern India as did the glorious intellectual sway of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru along with many of their equally remarkable contemporaries.
Prof. Priyankar Upadhyaya
The other stream, which contributes to the peace discourse in India, consisted of several religious traditions, which stood for peace and tolerance. Hinduism epitomizes a myriad of such ideas and practices, which endorse the culture of peace and global citizenship. The list may include the Vedic philosophy of Kshma (forbearance), or the tenet of Sarva Dharma Sambhava (impulse of peaceful coexistence) or the concept of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (the world is but one family). This is not to negate the presence of contrary ideas which in several Hindu traditions would legitimize violent practices often in the name of non-violence.
The unambiguous commitment to peaceful means and non-violence was however manifest in Jainism and Buddhism—the two concurrent religions founded by Mahavir and Buddha. Both streams decried violence as a sin and emphasized non-violence as an article of faith in their respective system. While Mahavir included Ahinsa (non-violence) as one of the five intrinsic virtues to attain inner peace and happiness, Buddha sought conquest through and by the power of true faith, compassion and love. He was emphatic that ‘Animosity can be eradicated not by animosity but only by its opposite. This is an eternal Dharma [spiritual law]’. With King Ashoka converting to Buddhism, it proliferated as a powerful political and spiritual force. Ashoka was able to control the vast empire by preaching peace and non-violence within and beyond the subcontinent in the South East and Far East Asia, making its influence felt even in Greece and Rome.
The rediscovery of the so-called ‘golden’ period of Indian history in the late 19th century consisting of the great empires of the Mauryan Kings connected the past with the present. Ignoring much of the influence of the Mughals and the Raj, many nationalists saw Emperor Ashoka as an attractive icon to reclaim India’s past unity, strength, and also its image of a global peacemaker. It is instructive to note that Ashoka’s symbol of authority built in at Sarnath was chosen as the National emblem of independent India—a reaffirmation of its ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill. It bolstered Indian assertions of ‘an ancient civilization and a contemporary great power deserving of “parity of esteem” with other ancient civilizations and great powers (such as the People’s Republic of China)’. But nothing moulded the political imagination in modern India as did the glorious intellectual sway of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru along with many of their equally remarkable contemporaries.