From: A.Raman@massey.ac.nz (Anand V Raman)
Subject: Postscript to Indhist Prelude 2
Summary: The non judgmental nature of the Indhist Project
Keywords: Civilizations, History, Metaphysics.
Organization: Massey University Computer Centre
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 92 05:17:20 GMT

   I didn't think this would  have been necessary.   But it appears that
some users  have misunderstood the intent of  Indhist.  In particular, I
gather the  impression that a few  have thought of it  to be yet another
attempt to denounce Western civilization.  It's a real pity that  such a
thing should happen, since Indhist is actually an  attempt to do exactly
the opposite. So I'd like to  clarify  it's purpose  once again before I
post the archive tomorrow.

To reiterate the last paragraph of the first essay:

   The purpose of Indhist is  not to glorify  Indian heritage beyond
   recognition.  Nor is it  to encourage a  certain kind of arrogant
   chauvinism.  On the contrary, it is to show that the great Indian
   civilization,  like the Chinese and  Ethiopian before  it, was no
   more profound a civilization than  any other,  and  certainly not
   any more than the mighty European, but on the other hand, no less
   either.

   That is what it is for.  This, in turn, is hoped to aid the Easterner
in assimilating into the dominant,  young and successful Western culture
today by providing  him with the  necessary tools.  To reuse our earlier
analogy, cell transfusion is a  tricky process.  If  it isn't  performed
carefully, a transplanted organ or cell is likely to be  rejected by the
new tissue.  To make it  stick  on, some kind  of glue is necessary.  In
our case this glue happens to be History.  No true assimilation can take
place between  non-equals.  And  the value  of History in  exposing this
equality is paramount.  Robert Temple says of the Chinese:

   It is now time for the Chinese contribution to be  recognized and
   acknowledged, by  the East and  West  alike.  And, above all, let
   this be recognized  by   today's schoolchildren, who will  be the
   generation  to absorb it  into their most fundamental conceptions
   about the world.  When  that happens, Chinese and Westerners will
   be able to look each other in  the eye,  knowing themselves to be
   true and full partners. [1]

   With a   minor change  of  wording from  Chinese  to    Eastern, that
paragraph  can be said  to be topically  applicable.  If there is hatred
between two ethnic groups today, it is largely  due to  ignorance on the
part of the groups not only about  the  achievements of their peers, but
also about their own.  This ignorance  creates a  feeling of inferiority
and xenophobia that provokes a  defensive mechanism which  seeks to keep
the alien at bay through a display of belligerence.

   I  concede that this  is only a conjecture,  but it is one  that  has
served me well over the last few years.  When  I decide to hate someone,
I usually sit down to do a little homework first to research information
about the person   or thing that  I  want to  hate.  How can   you  hate
something without knowing  what it   is you   hate?  Most of   the time,
however, after my  homework had been done, I  find that there is so much
desirable  about the  thing  that  I  wanted to   hate, that  even on  a
comparative scale, the hatred wouldn't have been justified.

   I realize this could sometimes be hard and time consuming.  But it is
a far better alternative to  feeling ashamed  of unfounded hatred later.
More importantly, it saves  me the severe  embarrassment that could have
resulted if someone should have   asked  how  it is   that I could  hate
something so  adorable.  Even on purely  pragmatic grounds, then, aren't
Indians  such as those who hate  the British, themselves  the poorer for
being unable to appreciate the genius of Shaw or Shakespeare?

   Also, I have noticed, the hatred builds a  sub-conscious mental block
towards  understanding your contemporary.  Gandhi   is supposed to  have
refused to  start his Salt  Satyagraha until his  followers were able to
kill  the  hatred  they  felt  towards  the  British  and  start feeling
compassion   towards them.  For  unless  an  objective view unclouded by
emotion is taken on an issue, how can one  even begin to see what either
side really wants?

   It is indeed disappointing that the essay which I hoped would promote
a better  understanding between the  East and West hasn't  done  its job
very well.  Maybe, as John McCarthy points out, this is a sensitive area
and essays on this subject must be worded very carefully.  Before I pack
the project  into a shell archive tomorrow,  I will  try to rewrite some
parts of it so as to make its non-judgmental nature more explicit.

   Meanwhile I'd  like to thank  you for your  interest in Indhist, your
patience in waiting for it (if you have), and for the several letters of
encouragement I received since I posted about it four weeks ago.

- & (anand v raman)
2 October 92.

Notes:
~~~~~~
[1] Temple, Robert: "Chinese Genius," Touchstone Edition, Simon & Shuster,
    New York, 1989, p.12

--
# The following record is a random selection from Indhist 1.0
# For more information on Indhist, mail A.Raman@massey.ac.nz
--
...Of the several remarkable customs existing among the Indians,  there is
one prescribed by their ancient philosophers which one may regard as truly
admirable:  for the law ordains that  no one among   them shall, under any
circumstances, be a slave, but that, enjoying  freedom, they shall respect
the equal right to it which all possess: for those, they thought, who have
learned neither to domineer over nor cringe to others will attain the life
best adapted for the vicissitudes of the lot.

- Diodoros Siculos Bib.III.39
Xref: sparky soc.history:8598 soc.culture.indian:32322