Mumbai: Bharat’s identity comprises diversity in languages, faiths, castes and cultures and it can contribute to building a better world by combining its traditional knowledge with modern progress, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Friday.
Addressing a gathering at Prabhadevi in the metropolis, Bhagwat also said the younger generation should receive knowledge about Indian society and its traditions and use knowledge from across the world for the betterment of society.
He said a person had told him at an interfaith meeting that conflict of religion was causing loss of human lives but a solution to the problem was not readily available.
“He asked me to come to his country and spread the teachings and knowledge of Bharat to the world,” Bhagwat said.
The RSS chief said the eternal knowledge found in the Bhagavad Gita was reflected in various traditions in India and outside the country, though the expressions and words differed according to the time and circumstances.
“The conclusion of various philosophies, from ancient traditions to the latest one, is the same. From the ancient period of human beings who wondered about the world till Yuval Noah Harari (Israeli medievalist and historian), the range of thoughts and its conclusion are the same,” he said.
People need to understand the eternal truth to understand the world, their surroundings and how they should conduct themselves, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief asserted.
He said different traditions may use different expressions to convey the same fundamental principles. People should focus on the direction of the teachings rather than merely following their outward expressions, Bhagwat added.
If you ignore the message and only focus on the choice of words, it creates confusion, he said.
“Today, the world has one common consciousness. It is the beginning of everything. Everything started by a pre-existing universal consciousness,” Bhagwat said, referring to scientific studies on consciousness.
He said the intellect could be compared with a driver, the soul with the owner and the body parts with horses of a chariot.
Ego could sometimes misdirect a person and lead to sorrow and disappointment, he said, asserting that people need guidance while dealing with challenges in life.
“With a minor disappointment, people get frustrated and some even end their lives. If you want to do daily things, you need guidance. Those who have lived life like that have told us,” he said.
Great personalities and their works provide guidance to society and help people preserve their values while adapting to changing circumstances, Bhagwat added.
Speaking about the youth, Bhagwat said those from Gen Z who go abroad are reminded by people that their origin is in Bharat, its tradition and knowledge.
People want Gen Z to tell them about their specialities and identity, Bhagwat added.
According to him, one participant described Bharat as an impressive country and recalled visiting a state-of-the-art oil refinery in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Amid the hustle and bustle of people working at the refinery, he noticed a huge idol of Lord Ganesha and said – ‘That is Bharat’, Bhagwat recalled.
“This is the identity of Bharat and we have a sense of pride in it. It should be passed on to the next generation,” Bhagwat said.
According to him, the younger generation must be taught how to face upcoming challenges, continue moving forward irrespective of success or failure and make their lives meaningful.
Bhagwat also noted that it is often said that members of the new generation do not have a strong command over their mother tongue and that the attention span of the current generation is also shorter.
