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Identity, Creativity and Modernization Perspectives on Indian Cultural Traditions

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Identity, Creativity and Modernization Perspectives on Indian Cultural Traditions Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change Series IIIB, South Asia, Volume 14 General Editor George F. McLean Identity, Creativity and Modernization Perspectives on Indian Cultural Traditions Indian Philosophical Studies, XIV Edited by Sebastian Velassery Vensus A. George The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy Copyright © 2013 by The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy Box 261 Cardinal Station Washington, D.C. 20064 All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Identity, creativity and modernization : perspectives on Indian cultural traditions / edited by Sebastian Velassery, Vensus A. George. Pages cm. -- (Cultural heritage and contemporary change. Series IIIB, South Asia ; volume 14) (Indian philosophical studies ; XIV) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. India--Civilization. 2. Philosophy, Indic. I. Velassery, Sebastian, editor of compilation. II. George, Vensus A., editor of compilation. DS421.5.I53 2012 2012035043 954--dc23 CIP ISBN 978-1-56518-278-3 (pbk.) TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface v Introduction 1 Part I: Introductory Explorations into Indian Cultural Tradition Chapter I. Culture and Philosophy: A Methodological Introduction 13 Geeta Manaktala Chapter II. Indian Cultural Tradition: An Introductory Analysis 31 Sebastian Velassery Part II: Philosophical Anthropology of Indian Cultural Tradition: A Traditional Approach Chapter III. An Itinerary into the Metaphysical Foundations 51 of Indian Culture Veena Kappoor Chapter IV. Yoga System of Philosophy: 69 General Practice and Synthesis U. A. Vinay Kumar Chapter V. Saiva Siddhanta philosophy: Sociocultural Dimensions 85 R.. Gopalakrishnan Chapter VI. Onto-Genesis of Indian Cultural Tradition 99 Sebastian Velassery Part III: Sociocultural Analysis of Indian Cultural Tradition: A Critical-Creative Approach Chapter VII. The Individual and the Collective in Indian Culture 125 Dharmendra Goel Chapter VIII. Multi-Culturalism and Civil Society in India: 139 Past and Present A. Raghuramaraju Chapter IX. The Categorization of Indian Philosophy: 147 An Alternative Approach D. Bala Ganapathy Part IV: Intimations of Culture and Religions in Building up Modern India: A Philosophical Approach Chapter X. Indian Culture and Jainism 161 Kamal Chand Sogani Chapter XI. Christian Contribution to the Building up 185 of Modern India Augustine Perumalil Conclusion 233 Bibliography 237 Index 243 PREFACE For these global times India is a model for its ability to absorb its conquerors and to be enriched in the process. It has unity and diversity, but perhaps above all the ability to integrate both. Few countries in the world have such a diverse and ancient culture as India. The Dravidians had a culture of their own before the arrival of the Aryans, who themselves were a mixture of different cultures (e.g., the Greco-Roman affinity to the Aryan Sanskrit language indicates that the Aryans belonged to a Pre-Indo-European race). After the Aryans several other nations came: Persians (521-485 B.C.), Greeks (327-325 B.C.), Huns (454 A.D), Arabs (712 A.D.), Mughals (1230 A.D.), Turks (1398 A.D.), Portuguese (1498 A.D.), French (1564 A.D.), and British (1639). All of these groups left something of their legacy in India, so that today it has a unique variety of cultures in its thinking as well as in its mode of life. India has a peculiar power to absorb the best from these cultures and thought patterns. Its attitude of tolerance of all religions has contributed to synthesizing the positive qualities of its religions, cultures, and thinking. Indian culture is thus a unity in diversity, a harmony of contrasts. This has been traced to the following: firstly, a sense of unity of all life as the expression of an unseen reality, both immanent and transcendent; secondly, a desire for synthesis combining apparently disconnected fragments in life and experience in an essential unity; thirdly, a recognition of the sufferings and sorrows of life, with an attempt to remove these; fourthly, a feeling for the sacredness of life. This is expressed in the concept of non-injury (ahimsa) to all creatures when considered negatively and in the concepts of compassion for all (karuna) and service of humanity (maitri) when considered positively. Finally, there is great tolerance for other beliefs and points- of-view. Yet, India is also a land of amazing diversity for all this has evolved around the Vedas of Hinduism and the related spiritual texts of Brahmanism, Buddhism, Jainism, Saivism, Vaishnavism, Judaism, Parsism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity. In addition, the philosophical systems of India, the social justice movements, communism, rationalism and radical humanism also have influenced its development. Caste divisions have been perpetuated as well, which give diversity and, of course, bring divisions to Indian culture. Hence, Indian culture is unique in its genius for wedding the deepest unity with the broadest diversity in an integral way of life. This volume attempts to penetrate that genius in a sequence of four parts beginning with an introductory exploration of the Indian cultural tradition, followed by a philosophical anthropology and a socio-cultural analysis, and concluding in studies of culture and religion in earlier and in vi George F. McLean modern India. Despite all the diversity, India survives as one, free and democratic due to its underlying and unifying spiritual culture. Hence, this study entitled Identity, Creativity and Modernization: Perspectives on Indian Cultural Traditions, attempts to unfold the nature of Indian culture by clarifying its identity, by critiquing those elements in Indian cultural tradition that need a reassessment, and finally by highlighting those factors of Indian cultural tradition that have contributed the modernization of Indian society and the building of today’s modern India. The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy wishes to express its gratitude to Professors Dharmendra Goel, Kamal Chand Sogani, Geeta Manaktala, A. Raghuramaraju, R. Gopalakrishnan, Veena Kapoor, U.A. Vinay Kumar, D. Bala Ganapathy and Augustine Perumalil, who have contributed the scholarly papers that make up this volume. A special word of thanks is due to Professor Sebastian Velassery, who, besides contributing two articles to this volume, initiated and organized the extensive project of forming and directing this team of outstanding scholars and to Professor Vensus George who was instrumental as well in the final preparation of the manuscripts. The Council is honored to include this work in its extensive series, rightly entitled for our times: “Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change”. George F. McLean INTRODUCTION This volume entitled Identity, Creativity and Modernization: Perspectives on Indian Cultural Tradition consists of essays that represent the different ways of understanding Indian cultural tradition. In general, these essays survey the Indian cultural tradition through different systems of Indian philosophical schools and their later avataras, besides considering the structural components of Indian society and its dynamics. Thus, this project intends to explore the identity of Indian cultural tradition, to critique it as it is manifested in different systems of Indian thought and worldviews so as to unfold its creative dimensions, and to highlight those aspects of Indian cultural tradition that have contributed for the building up of modern India. In order to present the theme with clarity we divide this volume into four parts. We briefly consider below the titles of each of these parts and what each part attempts to do in elaborating the theme of this volume. PART I. INTRODUCTORY EXPLORATIONS INTO INDIAN CULTURAL TRADITION The first part serves as an introduction to the whole volume. The first of the two articles that comprises this part by Geeta Manaktala is a methodological introduction in understanding culture by using philosophical categories and approaches, while the second article by Sebastian Velassery gives an introductory analysis of Indian cultural tradition by considering some of its salient features. Now, we briefly consider what these two papers unfold in introducing different aspects of Indian cultural tradition. Geeta Manaktala, in the paper entitled “Culture and Philosophy: A Methodological Introduction” attempts to explore the relationship between culture and specifically the role of philosophy in genuine understanding of culture and its values. To accomplish this task, the paper first intends to throw some light on the notion of culture itself. The notion of culture is explored by unfolding its general and specific meanings, by highlighting the changes that has taken place in the notion of culture due to changing times, and by considering a historical development of the notion of culture. Then, the paper examines man in relation to culture and explores how changing understanding of culture has challenged the fundamentals of the spiritual identity of the human person. Though man is called to integrate the inner being and outer environment of culture, he realizes that he himself is fragmented and divided because he is conditioned by culture. The commerce of consumerism and changed values threaten to further this divide within the human person, so much so that he is challenged to live his nature and identity as a spiritual entity. Finally, the paper takes up for consideration the role of philosophy and its relationship to culture and how this interaction can uphold significant
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