INDIAN MYTHOLOGY, PEACE
AND STEPHEN GILL
Dr.
Anuradha Sharma
Mythology
explores stories of ancient events. It enthuses
readers to follow high ideals to lead a meaningful life. Mythological stories
can impress the philosophical ideas on the hearts and minds of the readers as
stories are powerfull means to teach, to pass on old knowledge and wisdom, and to purposely create
followers to certain way of thinking such as religious believes,
ideology and political mindset. (CanAsian
Times. pp 14)
Mythology
consists of written and unwritten stories through which old sages and seekers
try to teach their gospels to coming generation. Avatars
of Hinduism may be myths but mythology presents them as
Stories in general and oral stories in particular are
the best hauler of religious beliefs.
Mythology and religion can not be divided. Swami Vivekananda has said
that Puranas contain various myths. The cosmogonic myths of the Puranas
are very interesting. A certain portion of Hindu mythology is even now
presented to the public in the form of dramas during days of Hindu festivals.
( The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda | Volume 2/Practical Vedanta and other
lectures)
Indian mythology contains great truths. It teaches
the ideals of peace, love and universal brotherhood. One should not ignore mythology because of
its legendary apparel. Myths help in grasping truths of the culture by enriching an
idyllic life. They provide certain solutions for conflict in case of duties in
the modern life. They firmly establish abstract teachings of the Vedas through
instructive stories.
God in Hindu
mythology is light. He is Jyoti- Svarupa.
Devotees like Stephen Gill says bequeath me your divine light as you
are the light of the universe. He needs divine support: Receive me eagerly/ I am a battle unending/ I need support. (Flame,
129)
Hindu mythology speaks of two types of knowledge. Viveka and Aviveka (Jnana and Mithya Jnana). These
ignorance laden blood spillers do not examine any thought critically. Those who
break the peace for entering in heaven definitely have Mithya
Jnana/ Aviveka. Dr. Gill
says:
The heavenly bodies
must have wept
in disgrace
for their
impotent rage to burst
the blisters
of shocking atrocities
wrapped in a
shroud of secrecy. (Flame, 90)
Bhakti Yoga which is ingrained in the teachings of Bhagvad Geeta and Bhagvat Purana teaches the gospel of love.
Dr. Stephen Gill follows the same line to achieve peace through peaceful means which indicates love.
Love is the absence of hatred, and peace is absence of war. Love and peace both
are interconnected-- one can not live long in the absence of the other. Indian
thought teaches to love fellow men. God can be described in a single word and
that single word is love. He is the ideal of love in every form. God is the
embodiment of love. If men wish to achieve Him they have to love Him. He can be
realized by love that can be cultured for him gradually. Those who love God can
not injure others but take every one in the warm embrace of love.
This ignorance that germinates bloodshed
and terrorism can be eradicated through true knowledge. True knowledge is the
knowledge of love and peace. Terrorists nurture certain fallacies which are not
easy to remove. The Indian mythology urges to believe in Nyaya
which means a critical examination of any argument with the canons of logical
proof.
The
peace that the promoters of Hinduism have been singing for centuries has
gripped the attention of Dr. Stephen Gill who is feeling lack of peace on
account of his personal experiences. There can not be peace without considering
world as a family. Divided civilization can not have peace. Humans have to put their concrete
efforts to give their children a
peaceful future. This teaching has its roots deep in Hindu mythology and
religion. It is interesting that Dr. Stephen Gill is influenced by the
philosophy of life that flourished in
In
the words of G. M. Subhasree the essence of Hinduism
can be summarized:
The roots of ahimsa (peace of
nonviolence) are found in the Vedas, Agamas, Upanishads, Dharma Shastras, Tirumurai, Yoga Sutras
and many other essential and sacred texts of Hinduism. The knowledge of these
scriptures is developed from the concept of Nature and peace. The teachings of
these scriptures are universal. That is why Hinduism is not bounded in any
certain geographical, racial, national and ethnical boundary – it is universal!
Stephen
Gill persistently talks of peace and love. For him love builds bridges. According to Sudhir K. Arora: love is a core
subject of his (Gill’s) poetry.
It is the love for God that inspires him to embrace the whole humanity. (Arora, 149)
The
following lines convince anybody that Dr. Stephen Gill wants to weave the whole
humanity in a single thread of love:
To knit human flowers
We need a thread
God realization. (30)
Stephen
Gill’s dove turns into the universal symbol of peace, love and fraternity.
His dove crosses all boundaries to rule the sky. He also symbolizes hope.
Dove draws no boundaries
No fuss
Gypsy of hopes. (34)
In the Vedic religion, saints pray
for all round peace in the Brahamand (universe). They
pray for global peace as Gill prays in his creations. Like Vedic religion, Gill
wants to see peace in every object.
Hindu seers sing for ‘Peace on the Earth, peace on the sky and also
peace in Heavens. In Hindu mythology saints wish peace for every creature,
region, country, earth and to the whole universe. A true universal citizen can
contribute to world peace. In fact, virtues of individuals are the foundation
of world peace. This teaching of Hindu Mythology is well ingrained in the works
of Dr. Gill who sings ardently for peace.
Upanishads are concerned with truth and peace. In Hindu
mythology Shanti Mantras are prayers for peace. These
mantras are also called ‘peace prayers/mantras. They are the part of Upanishads.
When chanted, they end with the word Shanti which
means peace outer and internal both. These peace prayers are in fact to
alleviate all the hindrances in all realms namely: Bhautik
(physical), Daivik (Divine). This belief exists in
Stephen Gill’s works particularly in the Flame
where he sings:
You are
Nirvana that helps in restraining
Relentless brutalities. (Flame, 33)
The
Flame by Dr. Stephen Gill is a song
for peace. The poet wants peace to be established in the world. A Shanthi Mantra from the Taittiriya,
Katha, Shvetashvatara
Upanishads:
“Saha navata, sahanau
bunaktu, Saha navavatu saha nau
bhunaktu
Saha viryam karavavahai tejasvi nava teeda mastu, mavid visamahe,
om shanthi, shanthi, shanthihi”
The above
lines tell let all of us enjoy together;
May all of us work together and let our study become radiant. Let there be no
hatred between us. Peace, Peace, Peace!
The Vedas are the main sources of
Hinduism. Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda, teach peace and universal
brotherhood. Vedas do not teach divisions into narrow walls. Vedas converse
peace not only for the human society, but also for the whole universe. Yajur Veda sings:
Let there be peace in
Heaven; let there be peace in the atmosphere; May peace fill the four quarters;
May the waters and medical herbs bring peace; May planets give peace to all
beings; May enlightened persons disseminate peace to all beings; May the Vedas
spread peace everywhere; May all the objects give us peace everywhere; And may
that peace come to us and remain with us forever. (Yajur Veda 36/37)
These teachings
for peace are not new to the world. Hinduism is singing them for centuries but they become more relevant now
because modern civilization finds no road to achieve peace. Poets like Stephen Gill feel that peace
is there in the universe, but it needs the eyes that can recognize it. He sees
flame as an infinite source of peace and sings:
You are
the distinctive
fount
that feeds the
ever-growing pangs
of the sages
in every age.
You bind the earth and the sky
and rule to
relieve
the rusting
monotony. (Flame, 33)
Gita is another Hindu
mythological scripture which sings for peace in the world. Gita
is known as the precise treatise of human knowledge. It says the realization of
truth can eradicate war from the world. When one realizes the truth, there will be no
war & conflict in human world. (Gita 3. 55-58)
This can be said
very emphatically about Stephen Gill who
believes that there will be no war if the people will rise from their self and see
the world as their family. One has to refuse the inner devil that wants to make
a tempting deal with inner sanctum where flame lives. Gill sings:
Who can tell
what it was
they wanted to achieve
and the glare of which beliefs
lured them
for a tango with the agents of carnage
on the mountain of emptiness. (flame, 94)
In Indian
mythology, legends and history, there are abundant example of Ahimsa
(nonviolence). Gandhi’s life has been the living legend of non violence. According to Mahatma
Gandhi: nonviolence is the law of the
human race and is infinitely greater and superior to brute force. (qtd.
By Stephen Gill, pp 30)
Peace or
nonviolence was not an acceptable concept before in social or political field
perhaps because the lack of peace was never felt at the scale it is being felt
now. It is there in the written and unwritten documents but never gained the momentum of a serious
movement. When Stephen Gill felt it, he started to
sing the old forgotten song after Buddha and Jesus. He is convinced that peaceful
means will be able to overcome violence. He sings:
From the conscience of my pen
o master
blossom a richness
of pleasing nutrients
of calm energy
for the surge
of healthy hormones
to flower the
fertility for peace.
From your sacredness
water my passion
to sustain
the freshness
of the heavenly hues
inspiring in a smithy
of the
distinguished diversity
for the court
where cultures
clash.
To pacify the frenzy of violence
equip my pen with
your amazement
that is fused
with vitality. (Songs Before Shrine, 4)
Stephen
Gill wants peace to reside in every heart and mind. He wants to eradicate
malign thoughts from the psyche of the sufferers who want to kill the peace.
Gill, a proponent of Ahimsa is a world citizen who wants to relit his flame to show the
right path. The poet says that peace is there inside every heart. Peace is the
philosophy of life and so he tells those who want to establish peace with
violence that they should stop and think about their wrong methods of doing
right things. War, killing and bloodshed can not bring peace. He tells that
they run everywhere to get peace but it can not be attained through the ways of
killing. He sings for the peace that
will come when humans will love one another. Here again he comes close to Indian
mythology that talks of love among fellow citizens.
There are
many causes of war. The major cause of war is ignorance of human mind.
Ignorance produces conflicts of religion and language which are the source of
wars. Stephen Gill says that flame should remove this ignorance to let peace prevail:
You are the lightening of thunder
that kindles
the fire of
trust.
A fervent hope
you dwell in
the mysteries
of my veins
to sweep away
the cobwebs
of despair.
(Flame, 42)
Hinduism is the religion which shows the way to
peace. It advocates the understanding of the existence of life by an individual
in this universe as the truth of life. Self-realization is the path of peace.
Yoga, meditation, worshiping and other ways shown by the religions will be fruitful
to cleanse the mind and get peace.
(http://www.articlesbase.comreligion-articles)
Religions
hold the key to peace. There is an urgent need for unity of all the religions
of the world and religious awareness of peace in human mind, which has to be
worked out by individuals and organizations. As a peace scholar, the poet is patiently
trying to achieve
peace in the world. The poet is of the firm belief that the
calmness that prevails after destruction can not be called peace. A true effort
to end envy, enmity and hypocrisy may bring peace. A true effort of living in
harmony with compassion, love and fraternity can be the foundation of peace.
Dr. Gill wants to prepare a land
where there is no fear, no violence and where the dove of love and peace can fly
high in the souls of the dwellers. He says:
Where the dove flies without fear
and the lilies of justice
blossom for all
that domain of yours
assures a comforting niche
for the songs I write
for you. (Flame, 146)
I
know the moths
who burn themselves alive—
I
find their ashes everywhere.
My
sighs are also ashes.
I
shall offer them
to the morning mists.
playing with my fancy
I
shall look at you. (Flame, 132)
In
the same way, the prayers for peace in Hindu mythology is
for every suffering soul. Sivananda sings for peace
in the world. He does not address any proper deity but an abstract idea of Lord
of Love and Mercy as Dr. Gill’s Flame:
O Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love!
Salutations and prostrations unto Thee.
Thou art Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute.
Thou art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.
Thou art the Indweller of all beings.
(All About Hinduism, Swami Shavanand : http://www.dlshq.org/ 1997, The Divine
Life society Publication, India)
The prayer for all is not a worldly
act. It is something which an inspired soul can do. I believe,
all the seers who sang Hindu universal prayers were the people elevated by some
divine motivation and so is the soul of Stephen Gill. He is also elevated soul
who sings for the peace in the world. In the following lines he beseeches the flame to rule
out the darkness and ignorance:
We need the softness of your light
To weed out the spite
The dark
The frowning evil
The war
The misery
The hard days
And for dialogue to guide
The good to lead. (Flame, 110)
Flame comes from that center to which we all are attracted. Our compassion for our fellow beings in fact makes our existence meaningful. This craving for peace gives us a distinct existence unlike animal.
Hindu
mythology sings for well being of every human soul:
Sarvesham Svasti Bhavatu
Sarvesham Santir Bhavatu
Sarvesham Purnam Bhavatu
Sarvesham Mangalam
Bhavatu
May auspiciousness be unto all;
May peace be unto all;
May fullness be unto all;
May prosperity be unto all. (All About Hinduism, Swami Shavanand : http://www.dlshq.org/ 1997, The Divine
Life society Publication,
Peace
can come only through peaceful means. In Indian mythology, prophets have professed peace. Buddha
says: Better than a thousand hollow
words, is one word that brings peace. (Buddha). Hindu mythology warns those
again and again who envy others. This philosophy of life preaches Buddha’s
words that those who envy others never obtain peace of mind. Hatred can not
kill hatred but love can kill it. All major religious
traditions carry basically the same message that is love, compassion and
forgiveness. The important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.
Even Dalai Lama carries the impact of Indian timeless teaching when he says
that in the practice of tolerance, one's
enemy is the best teacher. A saint poet of
Peace
is the goal of
every religion. Indian mythology has it ingrained on the works of Stephen Gill. The peace for Hinduism is not limited to the
boundaries of Bharat Varsha (
Works
Cited:
Arora, Sudhir Kumar. The Poetic
Corpus of Stephen Gill. Sarup Book Publishers,
"Buddha."
BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2010. 20 October. 2010. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/buddha_3.html
"Dalai Lama." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2010. 20 October. 2010. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dalai_lama.html
Gill, Stephen. The Flame.
Gill, Stephen. “
Hegyi, Frank. The Power of Storytelling. In CanAsian Times.
http://eliotswasteland.tripod.com/
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. http://www.dlshq.org/
World Wide Web (WWW) Edition : 1999
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume
2/Practical Vedanta and other
lectures/The Ideal of a Universal Religion
< The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda | Volume 2/Practical Vedanta and other lectures