Indian Culture and Modern Life

So much is said and written about culture, Indian culture in particular, these days. No country in the world has such a comprehensive idea of culture as India. The word is really the embodiment of every aspect of human life from the physical to the highest spiritual levels. If any individual understood this he will have complete fulfilment. Knowledge of the seen and the unseen, the divine and the mundane, the meaning of life in this and the higher worlds–all this has been unfolded to us by the seers, the sages and the learned ones. A great unending panorama of life has been given in many forms from the ancient days. The Upanishads, the Gita and other teachings came in the form of musical words that could be understood by those whose flights of imagination could go beyond the words. Even their words were merely doors open to another reality. No stone has been left unturned to help struggling humanity to comprehend Truth. The Ramayana, the Mahabharata and other such epics and stories of the great, show us not only what words can say but the way we can live and have lived. From the higher and the lower intellect, we came to the stage of emotional experience that once again opens the door to the knowledge of the supreme realms of life. In mystical forms has the truth have been revealed, in philosophies, in songs in sculpture, in movement and in colour. It is a marvelous thing to realise how much beauty surrounds us. How inspiring all this is! Added to all this that has been given by human beings is that which is given by nature itself–the trees, the flowers, the animals, birds and all creation and many things that have inspired poets. How is it that we are unaware of all this!

To me it is a wonder for I feel, when I see all this, that we have enough to keep us young for thousands of incarnations. Poets and seers are inspired by this but strangely enough humanity as a whole seems still unable to have direct inspiration. We love nature as Shelley or Tagore describe it and admire it, but we are unable to understand the source of their inspiration. In the same way we are inspired by the beauty of Kalidasa’s dramas or those of Shakespeare, but we are unable to see people under normal circumstances and understand them Unless they are interpreted on the stage.

TheIndian conception of culture has so many facets and just as one cannot admire a diamond without seeing the whole, it is not possible to understand culture without knowing the whole. Every part of ourselves must respond to the concept from the physical upwards. In my opinion our great forefathers did respond, otherwise there could not be this remarkable unity among religions (true religion), teaching, learning and every form of art and architecture. In spite of this, human beings have corrupted the great design of unity in their daily lives, especially in religious practice, customs and habits. Unrealities have crept into them and therefore, there has been a gradual decline till we come to our modern times.

The gradual decadence in our cultural life has come as a result of the destruction of it by foreign elements that did not understand the ground and deeper meanings. The tradition of spiritual thought has come down to us even in wood and stone as evidenced in the so-called image worship. To me image worship is really a marvellous idea, for when images are created like those of Nataraja or Krishna, whether in stone or wood, can one help worshipping? One who worships beauty, involuntarily worships those images where physical form is combined with the delicate and elusive influence of spiritual splendour. Only in India can one understand this–the power to see and feel the beauty within mere stone, for stone is not just stone, nor is bronze just bronze. bur they are moulded into an expression and crystallization of the highest thought and experience The so-called ignorant craftsman caught the spirit of the highest and by creating the image he was not only inspired but gave inspiration to all others.

We are all liznited by forms. A Poet is limited by his words, a sculptor by stone, a painter by his colours and canvas; even a potter by his clay. A musician is limited by his voice or instrument and a dancer by mere flash and blood. But what heights of glory can one achieve just by the inner experience of imagination, inspiration and devotion combined with skill in action?

Sri Krishna speaks in the Gita of skill in action or Karma area. Those who read the Gita know it was an advice given to Arjuna on the battlefield. To him it was on the battlefield as he was a great warrior, brave and noble, worthy of being a disciple of Sri Krishna. But skill in action is a spiritual power and every dancer, every musician, every artist is in essence an Arjuna and follows his own individual path. To create a great work of art whether it is a fleeting experience or a long lasting one is to be a true vehicle of spirituality.

Even the art that dies with the artist like dance and music has left an indelible mark on civilization and has helped humanity to take one step further on the path of the realisation of truth. It is invisible and inaudible when the artist is no more but its influence can never die. But that art which lives before our eyes such as our monuments, frescoes and sculpture are a constant reminder to us. As the spiritual quality was conveyed in their perfect forms, even their imperfect forms manifest their atmosphere. Vandalism, religious prejudice and hatred have left ruins in our country, but they have left only ruins of the perfect form. The ruin is not of the beauty and the spirit–for, a broken arm, even part of a pillar of the ruins, is our inspiration today because it still embodies the spirit in full. We must also remember that all forms change from time to time. If they are real the change does not interfere with the flow just as a river can change its course, but when there is an artificial stimulus with influence from outside and strange to our own way, they produce a very unharmonious vibration. Therefore, they become unsuitable to our culture. This is what is happening in India today. We have what is called contemporary or modern art. To me the wordmodern is a falsehood because all that is beautiful is timeless and therefore there can only be true art or false art or art which goes for art. The difference between true art and the false is this. True art derives its inspiration from within and false art from without. True art has depth and evokes the highest in us. False art is superficial and lives for the moment. True art is not a false stimulant but brings an inner peace and joy. While false ‘art’ may be existing it does nothing to us but harm–for surely ugliness is harmful to the nation.

There is a beautiful song by Sri Thyagaraja who says: “When there is a royal road, oh mind, why do you travel by side lanes and paths?” This applies to us in India today.

There is more talk about culture today than I can ever remember. While the talking goes on, there is no promotion of either true art or right education or the right attitude to them. Our respect for false values is increasing. Art in our daily life has taken the least important place. We want westernised homes, we like plastics and tinsel. We like noise and loudspeakers. We like nylons, georgettes and such. We like frocks and trousers and not our simple clothes. What has happened to India is the great question. Our education is most un-Indian. Even children are more proud of speaking bad English and shaking hands than saying ‘Namasthe.’ When will our leaders teach real self-respect and when shall we educate our people to see what is true irrespective of all else and realise that only when that happens can we become a nation–a free, a spiritual and a great nation?