Ripples 50- Modernisation Without Westernisation VI
30 Jul 2022 15:03:11
I have been reflecting in my own way on Dattopant Thengadi Ji's Third Way. I present these small "ripples" that it has caused in my mind in a series. I am glad it has found its resonance in many thinking minds alike. I hope the readers have read the earlier article in the series before moving ahead.
( The article was published in the weekly 'Organiser' in 1994)
Dattopant writes that awakening our nation is essential as we have a global mission to fulfill. The world is facing a multidimensional and complex crisis that affects all the facets of human existence. He observes that for the first time in human history, the race had a threat of extinction of life.
He refers to Dorothy Sayers ( a writer and one of the commentators of Dante, a philosopher) who describes the state of human society in detail and effectively about the 'cold death of society and the extinguishing of all civilised relations'.
Capra (a western thinker who worked as a researcher in universities in U K and USA) states that westerners made wrong choices and favored the values that led to a profound cultural imbalance.( Like rational knowledge over intuitive wisdom or competition over cooperation destruction of natural resources over preservation etc) This,he described as a turning point. 'We need a new paradigm, a new vision of reality, a fundamental change in our thoughts, perceptions, and values.
This Dattopant treats this as a warning and a lesson and accepts that Westernisation is not modernisation.
Arnold Joseph Toynbee ( an English historian, a philosopher of history, an author of numerous books and a research professor of international history at the London School of Economics) was convinced that India alone can guide all to new and right path.
Sir John Woodroffe (1865 – 1936, also known by his pseudonym Arthur Avalon, was a British Orientalist whose extensive and complex published works on the Hindu traditions, stimulated a wide-ranging interest in Hindu philosophy and yoga.)
felt that cultural inheritance is India's strength. The principles of spiritual civilization would lead us to world peace.
Yogi Aurobindo too could visualize that India can give a 'decisive turn to the problems. And the solution is in her 'ancient Knowledge'.
Shri Guruji had faith that 'Hindus alone can supply the abiding basis for human brotherhood'.
More than the dilemma of whether to modernize or not is not the real question. The goal is to achieve eternal happiness for all, according to Dharma. The means are not important. If westernization does not lead to the goal, we must accept it.
Awakening took its own time on the global level too. The third world countries were disorganised and hardly any efforts were made to understand the GATT agreement. Their presence was not their participation in the process of decision-making.
This was realized when the closure of the Uruguay round was announced. (It was to address the issues of the economy of third world countries facing.) It became clear that the European Union and US were to be benefitted.
Though some organizations warned governments of the adverse impact probably the issues were not raised effectively by the global South nations on the right platform. The third world did not conduct meetings to discuss the adverse effects. They needed support from developed countries but obviously, it hardly was given.
Some countries realized this which was in a way the basis of the Idea of South-South co-operation. It is discussed at length in the article.
Dattopant writes that awakening our nation is essential as we have a global mission to fulfill. The world is facing a multidimensional and complex crisis that affects all the facets of human existence. He observes that for the first time in human history, the race had a threat of extinction of life.
He refers to Dorothy Sayers ( a writer and one of the commentators of Dante, a philosopher) who describes the state of human society in detail and effectively about the 'cold death of society and the extinguishing of all civilised relations'.
Capra (a western thinker who worked as a researcher in universities in U K and USA) states that westerners made wrong choices and favored the values that led to a profound cultural imbalance.( Like rational knowledge over intuitive wisdom or competition over cooperation destruction of natural resources over preservation etc) This,he described as a turning point. 'We need a new paradigm, a new vision of reality, a fundamental change in our thoughts, perceptions, and values.
This Dattopant treats this as a warning and a lesson and accepts that Westernisation is not modernisation.
Arnold Joseph Toynbee ( an English historian, a philosopher of history, an author of numerous books and a research professor of international history at the London School of Economics) was convinced that India alone can guide all to new and right path.
Sir John Woodroffe (1865 – 1936, also known by his pseudonym Arthur Avalon, was a British Orientalist whose extensive and complex published works on the Hindu traditions, stimulated a wide-ranging interest in Hindu philosophy and yoga.)
felt that cultural inheritance is India's strength. The principles of spiritual civilization would lead us to world peace.
Yogi Aurobindo too could visualize that India can give a 'decisive turn to the problems. And the solution is in her 'ancient Knowledge'.
Shri Guruji had faith that 'Hindus alone can supply the abiding basis for human brotherhood'.
More than the dilemma of whether to modernize or not is not the real question. The goal is to achieve eternal happiness for all, according to Dharma. The means are not important. If westernization does not lead to the goal, we must accept it.
Awakening took its own time on the global level too. The third world countries were disorganised and hardly any efforts were made to understand the GATT agreement. Their presence was not their participation in the process of decision-making.
This was realized when the closure of the Uruguay round was announced. (It was to address the issues of the economy of third world countries facing.) It became clear that the European Union and US were to be benefitted.
Though some organizations warned governments of the adverse impact probably the issues were not raised effectively by the global South nations on the right platform. The third world did not conduct meetings to discuss the adverse effects. They needed support from developed countries but obviously, it hardly was given.
Some countries realized this which was in a way the basis of the Idea of South-South co-operation. It is discussed at length in the article.