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'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' -"the world is one family" -is a Sanskrit phrase found in Hindu texts such as the Maha Upanishad.
'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' -"the world is one family" -is a Sanskrit phrase found in Hindu texts such as the Maha Upanishad.
According to Hindu mythology, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is an ideal that speaks of a person who bears and forebears. It points towards an interdependent, supportive, mutually inclusive system. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is the ideal of that person who is udaracharita—one who is large-hearted and generous in nature; in other words, one who realizes the interconnectedness of the world. According to the Bhagavad Gita, though the gross body ceases to exist when death occurs, the spirit never dies; it simply enters another body — irrespective of caste, creed, colour, community or nationality — giving birth to a new life, continuing the eternal cycle of birth and death. The Vedas reinforce the fact that “He who perceives all human beings within the Self and the Self in all human beings, loves everyone and does not harbour any feelings of animosity towards anyone”.
If we reorient our thinking in this manner, then, the feeling of heterogeneity that we look at as ‘otherness’ that triggers conflict, could possibly pave the way for embracing a wider perspective that makes us realise that despite our differences, we are essentially one family. This will engender peace and harmony.
Unity stands for relations between different groups that bind them into a single unit. It can also be defined as the absence of differences between people belonging to diverse classes based on religious, linguistic or racial aspects.
Diversity refers to difference or differentiation. It can be defined as the collective differences of different groups based on religion, race or language etc. It is a diversity of classes and groups living in different regions, with different cultures, traditions and backgrounds. Diversity is a natural phenomenon that helps to bring different views, experiences and acceptance among people. Unity is a state of being while diversity is a state of being separate or different.
A family may have people with different views, interests or preferences who show their diversity in many aspects, but as a family, they demonstrate a sense of unity among them.
We have the science, we know the facts. It is time to make the right decisions for a sustainable future of the Arctic and the world as a whole.
We have the science, we know the facts. It is time to make the right decisions for a sustainable future of the Arctic and the world as a whole.
~Peter Harris.
~Peter Harris.
The trouble we see so much of in the world today is not so much a clash of religions, but a clash of individual egos of people who associate their bodily identity and cause with their religion. It is the tendency of the human mind to cling to those people who are similar, and claim superiority over those who are different. This itself leads to the divisions of religion, caste, ethnic group, or race. Thus, the tendency becomes to defend one’s own weakness, inferiority or insecurity by unnecessarily criticizing and hurting others to establish one’s own sense of position and superiority. However, in these days this is often done in the egotistical guise of defending one’s own religion. But this ignores the very love, compassion and tolerance that most religions claim to represent or teach. And certainly it ignores the very love, mutual respect and cooperation that we seek, and that the world depends on if we and this planet are to survive. Why not take the noble path of being more willing to live up to your religion rather than to simply fight or die for it? This alone would settle many of our differences and world problems. We have to decide whether we want to live with each other or fight with one another. The answer should be obvious,
As it is concluded in the Atharva Veda: “We are birds of the same nest. Wearing different skins, speaking different languages, believing in different religions, and belonging to different cultures – yet we share the same home, our earth. Born on the same planet, covered by the same skies, gazing at the same stars, breathing the same air, we must learn to progress happily together or miserably perish together. For humans can live individually but can survive only collectively.”
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,”
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players,”
~Shakespeare
~Shakespeare
Hatred doesn’t have any place in the world. Love is the only way to connect with the world. Love breaks all barriers including political, social, cultural, religious, racial and national. We are all the branches of one tree. The root is one. The world is our root; branches are the nations; and leaves are the people. Let us appreciate the fact that we all have originated from one place and we all belong to one family.
Credits: Deepshikha Jana.
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