In India, our goddess of learning is Saraswati. She is seated on a white lotus, dressed in beautiful white garments; holding a veena (lute) in her hands. She is worshipped by all the gods, ‘may that Saraswati, Goddess of Learning, remove my ignorance. It is significant that according to Hindu thought, the ideas of beauty and grace, purity, simplicity and holiness are associated with the goddess of learning. According to traditional Hindu values....
In India, our goddess of learning is Saraswati. She is seated on a white lotus, dressed in beautiful white garments; holding a veena (lute) in her hands. She is worshipped by all the gods, ‘may that Saraswati, Goddess of Learning, remove my ignorance.
It is significant that according to Hindu thought, the ideas of beauty and grace, purity, simplicity and holiness are associated with the goddess of learning. According to traditional Hindu values, scholarship is not regarded as an end in itself; education is looked upon as the means of moulding the complete personality.
It may be said with a fair degree of precision that India was the only country where knowledge was systematized. Whatever the discipline of learning, whether it was chemistry, medicine, surgery, the art of painting of sculpture, or dramatic or principles of literary criticism or mechanics of even dancing, everything was reduced to a systematic whole for passing it on to the future generations in a detailed manner. University education, as we see today, existed in India as early as 800 B.C. or even earlier. And the aim of education was not only material progress but also spiritual growth.
The ideal of realizing the infinite in the finite manifested itself in the educational system of the Hindus.
The Hindu graduates were competent enough to administer states, undertake industrial and commercial enterprises of this all-round culture that the people of India could build up a Greater India beyond the seas, and spread culture, religion an humanity among the people at large.
The Hindus were always, and still are, conscious about their ideals. The realization of the Ultimate Reality is the ideal of a Hindu. Material progress is never the end in itself but is considered as a means to the realization of the end.
Traditionally and historically, Hinduism has always been the most tolerant of all religions, allowing Jews, Parsis, Muslim, Christian and Arabs to settle in India over the centuries and practice their religion in peace, Hinduism never tried to convert anybody. Neversent its armies or missionaries to neighboring countries to impose its religion and way of life, not even by non-violent means. It should also be said that Hinduism is much more than a religion, it’s a way of life, a universal spiritual outlook, which has allowed numerous sects, branches, and philosophies to develop within its fold, as long as they are faithful to the central truth of Hinduism: Dharma. It even recognizes the truth and validity of other creeds; it’s perfectly normal for a Hindu to have pictures of Guru Govind, Buddha and Krishna in their homes. Is that not true secularism? Then why should Hindus not be proud of Hinduism?
It is with this feeling of pride that we are offering this magazine to our readers.
In India, our goddess of learning is Saraswati. She is seated on a white lotus, dressed in beautiful white garments; holding a veena (lute) in her hands. She is worshipped by all the gods, ‘may that Saraswati, Goddess of Learning, remove my ignorance.