Inventing Spiritualism or Identity Crises

In my childhood, I was overawed by talks about a God man. The God man was Sat Sai Baba. Those were the days when Readers Digest, Illustrated Weekly and Blitz were the magazines of the elite. Being a son of a gazetted officer, I had the privilege of reading those magazines. This was the position during the early seventies.

During eighties, I had listened the whispers about the people who called themselves as Radha Swamis. I was not attracted much by them as they were closely held community visiting a place called Beas Dera. I did not have the idea where it was situated. I lived for some time in Amritsar but did not learn much about Beas Dera. In the early nineties, another God man, Bhagwan Rajneesh became popular. By that time, I was able to read English. I tried to read about him. Soon he became a rich God Man Osho. In between, somewhere by that time, electronic Media started dominating the general public opinion. It was through it, one Murari Bapu became popular. He became popular as a Kathakar, or sermon deliverer who based his sermons and songs on Tulsi Dass Ramayana. Gradually, Assa Ram Bapu became more popular when the cable net work and private television channels became a rage among the masses. Along with Assa Ram Bapu, Swami Sudhanshu ji Maharaj also became popular. He was also a sermon chanter who made Bhagvat Gita as the basis of his sermons. After that, I soon learned about rather more popular Sri Sri Ravi. A soft spoken, smiling face, speaking in simple sentences pervaded the print and electronic media with his art of living. Now these days, it is Ram Dev who has become popular along with Yog and controversies of medicine and threat perception. He has become so popular, that I found, Sikh, Muslims and people from different sects referring to his Anulum Pratilom Pranayama, rubbing of nails of both hands against each other and his ‘yoga’ books. The people talk as if it is he who has invented YOG Shastra.

I do not know if the admirers of Ram Deva know about Rishi Patanjali. Or for that matter, do they know about Naya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimansa and Vedanata? Do they know about Akkshapada Gautama or Rishi Gautama, Uluuka Kannada or Rishi Kannada, or Rishi Kapila or Rishi Patanjali, Rishi Jamini and Shankaracharya.

It seems that there is miserable situation of identity crises among the Indians. There is a great crisis of Indian Social identity passing through transition due to changed economic equations and technological advancement pervading all the spheres of life. Somewhere, the Indians come across their real heritage roots which provide answers to their present desperation but unfortunately they do not know that their answers were always with them. It was they who had been ignoring their roots. But, when one mortal clad in scarlet red or violet or milk white robes introduces them to their real self, they make a God man out him. Ram Deva or Sri Sri Ravi may be God to westerners, but for Indians their real teachers were Rishi Patanjali, Rishi Gautam, Rishi Jamini, Rishi Kannada and Shankracharya. Their God is an Advaita for those who have urge to seek him through knowledge and Advitya Advaita for those who just seek through utmost Bhakti because they believe in Him.