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Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) TRANSCENDENTALISM: the VEDANTA of AMERICA

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Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) TRANSCENDENTALISM: the VEDANTA of AMERICA Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) Vol.1.Issue.4.;2013 A Peer Reviewed International Journal - http://www.rjelal.com RESEARCH ARTICLE ISSN 2321 – 3108 TRANSCENDENTALISM: THE VEDANTA OF AMERICA P.DUVARAGANATHAN Assistant Professor, Department of English, Adhiparasakthi Engineering College, Melmaruvathur, Tamil Nadu, India Dr.P.THIYAGARAJAN Research Advisor, Department of English, Rajah Serfoji Government Arts College, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India ABSTRACT This paper briefly reflects the working-thought-process of two nations - India and United States of America. India has immense heritage of an unknown epoch, while America is a younger nation of fresh existence and new experiences. The study probes the source of inspiration from which these countries have derived their working principles. India has always moved inwardly by seeking her perennial inspiration from the source of religion. Even her political aspirations are religious. Thus the nation is firmly footed on the ideals of freedom, harmony, tolerance, and non-violence. On the other hand, as a mere scattering of European Colonies, and an evolving young nation, the United States of America derived such aspirations from various value systems. Transcendentalism is one among such value systems * P.DUVARAGANATHAN expounded by Ralph Waldo Emerson. He introduced the spirit of freedom and self- reliance in the American national life. Transcendentalism was the movement thrived Article Info: to abandon the emerging religious imperialism and communal socialism originating Article Received: 14/10/2013 from the west. Emerson approach to the national life shows his ingenuity and Revised on: 21/10/2013 application of mind, which enabled the new nation to transgress the traditional barriers of European influences. Thus United States of America has taken up the Accepted on:23/10/2013 concepts of freedom, equality, and human dignity as the watchwords for its national principle. The analysis explores the role of transcendentalism in the nation building of America, and concludes with the possibilities for both India and United States of America to get benefitted from their good-will and exchange of ideas. “Oh, East is east and west is west and never the a tremendous heritage of 5000 years with an twain shall meet…” It is worth quoting the refrain of impressive continuity, while America is a younger “The Ballad of East and West,” opens with an nation of 400 years of fresh existence. Yet the indication of two extreme worlds that never shall be philosophical undertones of these nations are of same. But the modernistic approach of literary interesting and remarkable at the core. The thought globalization enables to identify the cross currents currents that run across these nations are hidden, of social patterns and development of civilizations in unknown, and unseen. They were less spoken and newer lights for mutual understanding and discussed over the open forums of Indo-American appreciation. tables. But the effect of which are complementary and beneficial to the spirit of both the nations. INDIA AND AMERICA are often cast as polar opposites of locations, ages, and cultures. India has 34 P.DUVARAGANATHAN et al Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) Vol.1.Issue.4.;2013 A Peer Reviewed International Journal - http://www.rjelal.com In every nation’s life there runs a spirit inspiration – freedom, and going back to freedom. Swami the moving power, by which the whole country Vivekananda, the exponent of Hindu tradition in the progress. This spirit of inspiration may be based on modern times holds this view, “Each soul is political supremacy, economic prosperity, or potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this religious authority. India and America have divinity within, by controlling nature, external and synthesized their spirit of inspiration from different internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or hues and strides. How best they are alike or psychic control, or philosophy – by one, or more, or different from each other; evoke a great interest in all of these – and be free. This is the whole of this study. religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details” As far as India is concerned, the nation’s moving (Vivekananda, 1). energy has evolved from its long cherished religious experiments and its vibrant culture. One must The motto of attaining freedom by manifesting remind that India is a land of multi-religious and divinity, unity (in diversity), and tolerance are well- multi-cultural society. It is the birth place of taken and considered as bed-rocks of the Indian Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, philosophy. The freedom by no means political or collectively known as Indian religions. Hinduism, the social freedom, but it is the liberation inwardly from prominent religion of the subcontinent has been in the darkness of ignorance, and moving towards the long practice for ages by different sects of people. It light of knowledge. The harmony is the act of unfolds Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktha, and many accepting the essence of pluralistic attitude. And more sub-sects within, which have manifested with tolerance is avoiding the animosities. For ages all the traits of different nature. It is the same light the social developments happened in the Indian coming through glasses of different colours, the national life centering round these qualities of Hindu philosophy embraces all of them as a single freedom, unity, and tolerance. It is because of these religion by its enormous attitude of harmony, tenets, the world history accounts fewer acts of tolerance, and non-violence. aggression or invasion by India beyond her territories. Throughout the centuries the As different food habits suit different appetites, the subcontinent developed a rich intellectual life in the Hindu philosophy has the universal attitude to look fields of philosophy, economy, mathematics, upon all the God-seekers as one and the same, astronomy, and architecture based on these though their denominations are different by their philosophical aspirations. Thus, India is firmly footed approaches. The Hindu philosophical thinking holds on the ideals of freedom, harmony, tolerance, and the view that “If God is infinite, then there must be non-violence. Even the later national movement of infinite ways to realize Him.” This simple logic that Indian Independence led by Mahatma Gandhi has India has accepted is the experience of the whole taken such themes as guiding principles. culture and of the tradition practiced over ages. The ideas of such experiences are vividly manifested in On the other hand, as an emerging nation America the sacred verses of Hindu religion. The Upanishads, had to undergo a flux of choosing such inspiration best known as Vedanta, (meaning the end of Vedas) from various sources. A few centuries back, the land exceptionally reveals the truths concerning to the was a mere scattering of the European Colonies of divine nature and ultimate reality of human different denominations. Though the colonies existence, and describes the character and form of expanded politically and economically after the war human salvation, namely the Moksha. of Independence, they still required a solid foundation and unification in the progressive The theme of salvation has an intended meaning of thought process of the nation. The reasons were freedom from the nature of cause and effect. many that the European settlers arrived to this new Vedanta accepts all kinds of freedom, it asserts that land for varied reasons. Some were seeking the whole world is born in freedom, living in adventures, some for commercial profits, and still 35 P.DUVARAGANATHAN et al Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL) Vol.1.Issue.4.;2013 A Peer Reviewed International Journal - http://www.rjelal.com others expecting for freedom of wayward life-style. believed that the common people had blindly The people, who were variety in denomination had followed the English way of life in every aspect. As a little consensus over their national aim and strong hearted rationalist he condemned the blind aspiration. Either it was religion or trade, or science following up of the other traditions. America, in his or literature; the people of America were looking view, was in dire need of its national identity in back to their ancestral lands for inspiration. every respect. In 1844, at a lecture in Mercantile Library Association, Emerson expressed his anguish, Hence the need for social commitment towards “We in the Atlantic states, by position, have been country’s democratic possibilities, and eagerness for commercial, and have, as I said, imbibed easily an American identity had been keenly felt by many European culture... We build railroads, we know not nationalists. Thinkers and philosophers like Ralph for what or for whom, but one thing is certain… they Waldo Emerson, Thoreau, Walt Whitman and many are essential to the country, but that will be felt not others had immensely contributed to a new until we are no longer countrymen” (Emerson, 216- thinking-pattern to the then national life, by which 218). they believed that the edifice of America can be firmly footed. Emerson insisted that whether it was literature, or science, or religion people must trust their own Ralph Waldo Emerson, the prime contributor to the instinct. He prepared his grounds to sport “an American new thinking is phenomenal to the orthodox role” of Transcendentalist, an implicit idea American unification and social aspiration. In a way, to abandon the religious imperialism and communal this self-styled man is unique as naturalist, freedom socialism originating from the west. In the Divinity lover, champion of social inspiration and campaigner School Address of 1838, Emerson emphasized for of individualism. He disseminated his thoughts the revival of religion, “Historical Christianity has through myriads of poems, essays, journals, and fallen into the error that corrupts to communicate lectures. The sense of aesthetic beauty, conscience religion.
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