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Diversity for Peace: India’s Cultural Spirituality



Author(s)

Indira Y. Junghare

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DOI:10.17265/2328-2177/2017.01.001

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA

In this age, the challenges of urbanization, industrialization, globalization, and mechanization have been eroding the stability of communities. Additionally, every existence, including humans, suffers from nature’s calamities and innate evolutionary changes—physically, mentally, and spiritually. India’s cultural tradition, being one of the oldest, has provided diverse worldviews, philosophies, and practices for peaceful-coexistence. Quite often, the multi-faceted tradition has used different methods of syncretism relevant to the socio-cultural conditions of the time. Ideologically correct, “perfect” peace is unattainable. However, it seems necessary to examine the core philosophical principles and practices India used to create unity in diversity, between people of diverse races, genders, and ethnicities. The paper briefly examines the nature of India’s cultural tradition in terms of its spirituality or philosophy of religion and its application to social constructs. Secondarily, the paper suggests consideration of the use of India’s spirituality based on ethics for peaceful living in the context of diversity of life. 

diversity, ethnicity, ethics, peace, connectivity, interdependence, spiritual