With the passage of time, I am drawing the conclusion that the essence of true religion is to bring together people from all walks of life, irrespective of their belief system, on a single unified platform and inspire them to put in a collective effort for the benefit of all humanity. More than anything else, it is this indivisible and inseparable voice that has the strength and velocity to uplift mankind, especially in our contemporary times ravaged by wars and social tumult. Any form of hatred or bigotry hidden under the garb of religion cannot lead to a truly spiritual journey and the eventual enlightenment arising out of it.
When it comes to constructing this shared platform that serves as a bedrock of our “Global village”, conversations can play an instrumental role. Personally, since my early days as a student, I have always cherished thoughtful and thorough conversations. Although, the form and style of my conversations have evolved over time, from participating in debates and extempore during my university life, to writing interactive comments on the articles in “The Economic times“, to publishing my own articles on the online publication of Red hat Inc. and finally to the incessant conversations with AI these days, one thing has been permanent all these years. That is the unwavering faith in the power of conversations.
With an ever growing urge to pursue a spiritual path in my life, I am always on the lookout for “conversations” that acquaint me more about this mystical aspect of human nature. In that regard, I recently came across a TED talk given by the reverend Swami Brahmaviharidas. I must admit this is one of the best and most far-reaching TED Talks I have ever watched, especially coming from someone from a purely religious sect. Here are some of the key takeaways from this profound talk:
A secular hope for a “fractured” world: Swamiji is one of the prime minds behind the conception and establishment of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Abu Dhabi, located in Abu Mureikhah part of the capital city. To its merit, it is the first Hindu stone temple in the Middle East. Well, I am usually not easily impressed by the act of building a temple (or any other religious place of worship) in any part of the world, even if it is the first of its kind. What ignited my thoughts in case of BAPS temple in Abu Dhabi was that its “success story” epitomizes the principle of “unity in diversity”. In my view, unity in diversity should not just be a theoretical concept, or just rhetoric, but something that is implemented at a ground level. It should be something concrete that emboldens people to implement it in action. This is something that the BAPS Mandir has proven in the “heart of the Islamic world”.
The minds who brought this “Hindu temple” to fruition came from diverse faiths, including those who had no faith. Consider this – for building this temple, the land donor was a Muslim King (Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan), the chief architect was a Christian Roman Catholic, project manager was a Sikh, structural engineer was a Buddhist, and the chief consultant, an Atheist. The entire process of building this temple exemplified the nature of the diverse world we live in and also that if we join hands, the world can become a more cohesive place to live in.
Conversations as the nucleus of historical events: In his TED talk, Swamiji throws light on a very insightful perspective that every major religious book like The Bhagavad Gita, The Holy Quran, The Holy Bible, and (in my opinion), the Jewish Talmud, revolved around conversations. The messages propounded in these holy books by holy men (from Sermon on the mount to Gita Saar ) were centered around dialogue and conversations. Moving forward centuries later, we will still find that the great leaders who changed the landscape of the social and political world were the one’s who engaged in deep and intense discourses. Whether it be Martin King Luther Jr.’s, “I have a dream”, speech, Winston Churchill‘s “We will fight on the beeches”, speech or Gandhi’s “Quit India” movement, conversations have shaped the world we live in. Even the peripatetic academy that the great thinker and philosopher, Aristotle, created (known as the Lyceum), was hinged on dialogue and conversations.
Can conversations enable you to become the best version of yourself?: In his outstanding talk, Swamiji shares research that inferred that conversations rewire the brain in the same way and with the same effect as crossword puzzles do. This reflects on the remarkable vigor of discourse and the power it has to shape our minds.
I am absolutely convinced that the goal of a human being should be a lifelong endeavor to become the best version of himself. And yes, conversations do play a vital role in achieving that state of thought. Contemplative and considerate conversations create opportunities for self-correcting mechanisms, and self-corrections further lead to producing depth in our thoughts, especially if they result from earnest introspection. A few years back, I came across a book by Nelson Mandela titled “Conversations with Myself”. The work is a compendium of reflections by this gigantic figure who led South Africa to freedom and became an epitome of equality across the world. Self-talk or self-ruminations enables one to know oneself more profoundly.
Swami Brahmaviharidas TED talk perfectly connected the dots that comprehensive conversations of a global nature sit at the very center of making our world more humane, more tolerant, and more productive.
