Indian
Sensibility in Indian English Literature
Speech by H.H. Shri
Swami Vishveshwaranandaji
as Guest of Honour in the Inaugural
Function of the 53rd All India English Teachers' Conference,
in Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar, on 18th December 2008
Most respected Chief Guest,
Distinguished Guests on the Dais, Honourable Vice Chancellor,
Respected Teachers, Professors and Educationists. My heartfelt
adorations to the Divinity in all of you.
I feel myself
honoured to be part of this magnificent event, a topic which is
very deep-rooted and the need of the time.
I confess that
when the subject came to me, I was searching left and right for a
good answer, via computer and so, but I was not satisfied. I
consulted writers and highly learned people to get their opinion
regarding this Indian Sensibility in the Indian English
Literature. Though a lot of different, quite interesting answers I
got, I was still not convinced to catch the right point.
But then I realized that I myself was blessed by this great
Sensibility in the English Literature, through my great Master,
Paramahamsa Shri Swami Omkarananda, who wrote the highest
philosophical thoughts in English. He was a great Saint, Sage and
Philosopher. His association with and writings about Swami
Shivananda earned him even the title 'Shakespeare of Shivananda'.
Books of his writings, which have gone all over the world, have
even been placed in front of the Indological Department of the
famous University in Zurich. Swami Omkarananda's writings, with
deep sensibility are pointing out the true spiritual living of
man. He himself was living as an example of true Indianness. His
literature has affected numerous readers in East and West and his
life motivated the hearts of people to a life of the highest
moral.
The Indian sensibility has been expressed by so many
writers, many of them were educated also in the West.
This
sensibility has a deep foundation and is based on the true
tradition of the ancient Indian culture. Moreover I feel this
sensibility is a treasure in the heart of the Indian people, to be
more precise, it is God's gift.
Not only in the
literature, but also in the day to day life, people of this
wonderful country are very soft spoken and never want to hurt
anybody. A typical sign of great sensibility of the Indian - as he
lives, so he writes.
The impact of this great attitude and
openness of the Indian English literature made many people around
the globe moving towards great ideals which we can find in the
Indian literature.
Many of the readers who were touched by
the great thoughts of Indian English Literature changed even their
lives and followed the footsteps of these philosophers, writers,
Saints or Sages. Deep sensibility is a product of enormous purity,
spiritual advancement, great thinking and a well disciplined
living.
The Vedic culture is a culture which is second to
none. It portrays people with a divine vision, it concentrates on
the origin of the spiritual science.
Dear friends, we have
to preserve this great culture and we should improve this
wonderful sensibility more and more in favour of others, in favour
of the entire mankind and of course in favour of ourselves.
I cannot condemn the Western philosophical thoughts in
literature. There are no doubt great and outstanding writers in
all respect, highly knowledgeable, but I find the direction of
Western philosophy is slightly more materialistic oriented,
because the essence of the pure divine life is mainly not visible.
Paramahamsa Shri Swami Omkarananda is very much correct
when he says: 'Man is born not for physical experiences alone. Man
is born to conquer matter, to conquer time and space. Man is born
to realize the infinite, supreme, omniscient and omnipotent
Reality.'
The cause of sensibility arises due to the deep
mystical relation which the Indian people are having towards the
Divinity. The stronger this relation manifests, the more sensitive
we are going to become.
Though I believe in the strong
eternal Power of the Vedic culture, but still then the modern time
has brought much difficulties and dangerous situations. Film,
Radio, TV, Internet, and so on, have changed the man to a great
extent and it has been proved that a lot of damage has come and is
increasing. It pulls the individual into greater ignorance, it
takes away and destroys the much needed purity in the heart, it
demoralizes, it pushes the man into a dark world.
But it
is not TV, Internet and all these, which are bad, but what has
been fed into it can be truly poisonous. One can get tears to see
how young generations have been separated from that high moral
standard, which we had some time before.
I therefore
appreciate all of you highly literary personalities and geniuses,
who are in front of me in this University and I do know, that you
can do great work to strengthen the sensibility in the literature,
which will be a highly beneficial contribution in the present
situation. Swami Omkarananda beautifully said: 'Think like a
Genius, work like a Giant, live like a Saint.'
And the
reason for all of you to be here gives me a very good feeling that
a wonderful event is going to happen. I appreciate the
administration of the University for giving a chance to conduct
this noble forum here on the feet of the Himalayas. It is these
places, which brought up the greatest Saints and Sages. To all of
them and especially to my Master Parama'hamsa Shri Swami
Omkarananda, my Adorations again and again. 
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