Lindner, Walter J.; Wolter, Heike. Der alte Westen und der neue Süden: Was wir von Indien lernen sollten, bevor es zu spät ist | Das indische Jahrhundert beginnt – aber wo bleibt Europa? (S.15-16). Ullstein eBooks. Kindle-Version.
comments confirmed by quotes selected by Bernd Zeiger
The book is so remarkable because it not only clearly identifies the next step in the development of modern, global culture shaped by the European spirit, but also vividly illustrates the steps that everyone, but especially those responsible for society, must follow in their own lives in order to bring about a change:
The first step arises from a consideration of the still young history of Europe: It all began in the 18th century with Kant's discovery of transcendental consciousness as the necessary condition for the possibility of experience and knowledge inherent in every human being. At the beginning of the 19th century, the resulting cultural values could be reduced to the simple formula of true, beautiful, good, but there was no way of making the transcendental basis for their realization accessible to everyone. This only became possible in the 20th century, when the representatives of the Vedic culture of India were able to show that everything that is theoretically and practically required to realize the high ideals of human life at all times is already outlined in the Bhagavad Gita. This 5000-year-old classic of yoga teachings places yoga in the context of the traditional Vedic science of being (Vedanta). This means that from an ontological point of view, the transcendental is understood as that which is common to all beings/things/identities, and all things, including mental, intellectual and value-related ones, only exist through this and can be judged or evaluated through it.
All intrinsic qualities of things are true (thinking and logic), beautiful (aesthetic and artistic) and good (moral and action-related) because of their transcendental reference. The ideals formulated by European thinkers through I. Kant in the 19th century became a practical reality in the 20th century through the representatives of Vedic culture.
Wolfgang Lindner describes his first step as follows Ullstein eBooks. Kindle version)
1. Towards India (pp. 12 - 17)
How much I longed for the moment to finally be in India, to see the place of origin of all the serene musicians like Ravi Shankar, to experience the life truths of a Siddhartha and his conversations with the ferryman, to share in the wisdom of countless gurus and sadhus, to feel the aura of meditation and the transcendental, in short: to fathom the deeper meaning of life. It is 1977. (p.12)..
The reality check is sobering; the huge culture shock lasts for several weeks. (p.13).
I experience the contradictions, the good will and the limited options for action of the masses. The country has endured centuries of colonial rule, which left India impoverished after independence. The question of how India deals with this burden never leaves me - to this day. And even in 1977, with all its shocking moments, India continued to show me its wonderful face: breathtakingly beautiful and profound. (pp.14-15). Shows me lived spirituality and the most intense impressions, diversity and cultural colorfulness with the constant question of the meaning of existence will never again be revealed as clearly as in India (p.15).
I return to Munich in mid-October (1980). I now speak several languages, have traveled to dozens of countries, but have little desire for superficialities. I want to do something to help improve the earth and the fate of many that I have seen. (p.15-16)
After 16 international moves, postings in a dozen countries, traveling through almost every country in the world, what I already suspected in 1977 is true: for me, the most enigmatic, complex, intense and challenging country remains India. It's clear to me: I want to live there longer and - this time as a diplomat - get involved intensively and in all aspects with the DNA of the country. The time has come at the end of March 2019. I'm traveling to India again. I'm going to Delhi again, but this time with a state car as the future German ambassador to the residence in Chanakyapuri. (pp.16-17).
High mountains, endless plains, mighty rivers, dense jungles, scorching hot deserts, wild animals and tolerant saints, great wealth and abject misery, the rise and fall of powerful rulers.Above all this stands the central insight of Indian wisdom "Everything is consciousness", not as some man-made worldview or dogmatic belief system, but as the worldview of all possible religions and sciences. It is the highest knowledge, encompassing all religions and sciences, in the form of the Veda, the linguistic representation of the entire creative dynamics of consciousness, which is now considered an intangible world cultural heritage.
2. Inside India A Thousand Paths of Spirituality (p. 51 - 61)
It is not without reason that many people consider India to be the most important country for spirituality. However you understand this term, in India it is filled with life. Often these are religious sites, but also places and landscapes that have a very special charisma and vibration. They all send out intense signals for those who want to hear them. They invite you to deal with immaterial things, with existential questions, with the search for the meaning of life. (p. 51)
Even the most stubborn materialist, atheist or agnostic will not be able to avoid looking within themselves in these places - and then perhaps seeing the world with different eyes. Probably only for a moment, but still. Of course, everyday life quickly catches up with us again, but I always feel it is a divine gift to spend time in these places of deeper insight. Who knows, maybe a piece of life wisdom will emerge from this. These places of spirituality, contemplation and the search for meaning are found in greater numbers and density in India than in any other country in the world. It is no wonder that spiritual gurus and teachers found enormous followings in India and the West. And still find them. The spiritual and visionary township project Auroville by Sri Aurobindo in 1968 near Puducherry could hardly have been founded anywhere else.
Material, profane, dogmatically predetermined things were and are not important in this search for a deeper meaning. I always feel that. It is therefore not surprising that I keep visiting places in India that deal with exactly this perspective. I am interested in something very personal - and something that connects people: unanswered questions about our existence. (p. 51-53).
Islam, to which around 14 percent of the population belong (but also) much smaller religious communities, has its place in Indian society. They contribute a lot to the cultural and religious diversity of the country, even if they only make up about six percent of the population: Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis), Jews and followers of Jainism. In India, religious tolerance is not a given, despite the constitutional requirement (p. 59-60).
For me, the many different paths to enlightenment that India, especially with its predominantly Hindu population, offers in parallel and in a tolerant manner, make up a large part of the country's fascination. An India of intolerance and religious fanaticism does not fit with the country that Mahatma Gandhi had in mind. The truth is, however, that Gandhi's legacy is apparently being called into question. While Prime Minister Modi is keeping Bapu's memory alive, according to a report in Die Zeit, there are also admirers of his murderer among Hindu nationalists.
But my India is the one that welcomes spiritual seekers with open arms. A country that sets an example through the predominantly peaceful and tolerant coexistence of religions, cultures and ways of life. That appears to be a melting pot of wisdom from seven thousand years of history. My very personal insight from this country of (at least) a thousand spiritual offerings: the awareness that there must be something higher, more sublime, has stuck in me. India has played a large part in this insight. The fact that I am not sure how exactly to describe this spirituality makes me a searching agnostic. Not everything that I feel about it is sufficiently broadly defined by the term religion. I am spiritual through religions, but also through people, through aesthetics and beauty, through art and above all through music. (p. 60-61).
India and its incomprehensibility have always taught me to question my own ideas and ways of thinking, to look at the world beyond our western horizon and thus experience new things, to understand our existence a little better. But above all one thing: humility.(p. 272)
Humility and modesty, listening, openness to other perspectives.(on the part of Europe because of the) diversity of India, the simultaneity of the non-simultaneous, because India lives in the past and present at the same time and yet is building a future with all its might. The West can learn a lot from this courageous departure into modernity - if it is willing to listen. What's more: the West even has a lot to learn from India, digitization is just one keyword. Others are resilience and flexibility, innovation and excellence, willingness to take risks and strategy. And there is also a lot to learn from the Indian competitive and entrepreneurial spirit or the self-confidence and pragmatism of its population.(p. 268).
It is about real partnership, about relationships on equal terms, equal rights on the world political stage. The Global South as a supplier of raw materials or as a workbench that can be used - or not - according to the needs of the West will no longer be available. (p. 269).
Whether politician, diplomat, head of delegation or businesswoman - a lack of empathy and genuine interest does not go down well. The collective memory of the Western world, which likes to hear itself talk and sees other perspectives as complementary at best, is all too clear, especially in former colonies. (p. 269-270)
Empathy and real listening have a lot to do with self-perception and the appropriate response to the feelings and motives of others. Only authenticity will give the other person the feeling of having full and undivided attention for their own issues. (p. 270).
Today's diplomacy must get out of diplomatic conclaves (of course subject to well-founded security concerns). It must go where the normal life of the people in the host country takes place. Traveling and talking, listening and getting to know the country and its people - that's what matters. The people you talk to - whether journalists, MPs, politicians, business leaders, artists or rickshaw drivers - have a lot to say if you show genuine interest and are not just there for PR purposes. (p. 271)
In addition, there is crisis management and contributing to resolving conflicts. The freestyle, however, encompasses everything that is necessary to explore the DNA of a country. It's about winning sympathy, often taking unconventional paths, being transparent, understandable and approachable. Arrogance, complacency and diplomatic conceit are not part of it; they come from the evidence room of past eras... (p. 272).
Another function of this wonderful country is more important, namely being a bridge. My deep experiences there reflect this conviction: India has everything it needs to connect the old West and the new South. (p. 273).
The Vedic heritage of India offers a variety of effective methods that promote human development at all levels of human life and can fill the vacuum of peacemaking know-how that exists all over the world.
Representatives of the Vedic heritage have taken the initiative to fill the vacuum. A gathering of 10,000 Vedic peace experts in January 2024 in Hyderabad, India, should on the one hand demonstrate the effectiveness of the consciousness-related Vedic method in achieving world peace and on the other hand strengthen and make the coherence effect permanent by setting up further such expert groups.
On July 21, 2024, the news was spread that "several groups of 10,000 Vedic peace experts are emerging in India, Latin America and Africa." That is, the countries of the global South, where the deficits caused by past mistakes are most clearly visible, are the first to respond to the need of the times.
The statistics for the six months following the Hyderabad meeting in January point to positive trends in the world situation but are still overshadowed by the spirals of violence spinning in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, driven by the deficits in the foundations of progress. Vedic wisdom says that only progress in all areas of life will ensure peace, never the other way around. To promote the foundations of progress - stability, flexibility, integration, purification and growth - the practical methods of Vedic consciousness culture are needed. This is a scientifically proven fact.