Subject: [world-vedic] Indian Historical Paradoxes From: Vrndavan Parker Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 03:55:32 +0200 (CEST) To: vediculture@yahoogroups.com Indian Historical Paradoxes Dedicated to Bhakti Ananda Goswami/ David Sherman for awakening my understanding of the ancient world's sacred connectivity. By Vrndavan Brannon Parker International Coordinator for (VFA) Vedic Friends Association President of Vedic Empire Productions A Founding Member of WAVES http://www.vedicempire.com/vrnbio.htm vrnparker@vedicempire.com Shoreline, Washington USA Presented The Congress of Philosophy and Religion at UPN University in Saltillo, Mexico, March 28 2006 WAVES conference at the University of Texas, Houston July 8 2006 Vedic Friends Association Conference held at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Saylorsburg, PA August 27, 2006 Abstract The field of Indian studies is a vast one whether it is linguistic, archeological, historic, spiritual, artistic, musical or dance oriented. Indian culture offers a wealth of research and inner development. Currently Indian studies and practices attract wide interest around the world. While millions of people practice or have recognized the authenticity of Indian culture and traditions, mainstream academia presents conclusions that exclude the traditional perspectives. This approach has created two distinct views of Hindu/Vedic history: the traditional view and the mainstream academic view. The traditional view relies on that same reservoir of experience and wisdom that is the very essence of the applied practice of Hinduism. The academic view applies a clinical view and many times a distant view separated by thousands of years. In most cases, researchers have no choice and are only left with ruins of an extinct civilization. However, when this approach is artificially enforced upon a living culture of ancient continuity, many paradoxes arise. Perhaps the greatest paradox is this: The world's largest, continuous, and milieus ancient culture's continuity and authenticity is based on the very same traditions that it practices. However, academic conclusions based on the traditional and cultural perspectives are not accepted by many academicians and scholars, thus, many paradoxes arise. 1) Frawley's Paradox: How is it that illiterate, marauding, migrating Aryans overwhelmed an allegedly highly advanced Native Indian Civilization that left no written records. The allegedly barbaric and illiterate Aryan civilization subsequently created the ancient world's most voluminous writings and poetry? 2) Verma's Paradox: Most mainstream academia dates the Purans to a time after Christ. If the Puranas were compiled from 300 B.C. to 500 A.D., why do the tribes listed therein as residing in Persia NW India (Modern Pakistan& Afghanistan) not match the tribes recorded by Alexander's Greeks and Panini, nor to anytime after the birth of Christ? ( C.E.) The listed tribes etc obviously predated 300 BC and thus the Puranas reflect an ancient Vedic era that predates Alexander, panini and Jesus Christ.[1] 3) Eurasian Steppes Paradox A and B: A) If the Eurasian Steppes were the source of repeated migrations and invasions that led to the establishment of highly advanced organized civilizations spreading from India to Ireland, what evidence in steppes confirms that these masses sprouted and sustained, and why did they leave no historical footprint in their alleged land of origin? B) While the chariot is a recognized factor of the Aryan civilization, no evidence has been found to connect a chariot culture with steppes regions. So how did a non-chariot based civilization develop a chariot culture that includes manuals on chariot driving and mass invasions and migrations involving chariots? 4) Sea people Paradox: Despite massive historical evidence that he ancient world was repeatedly overrun by migrations and invasions from the seas, their influence is downplayed, while the alleged influence of an illusive Eurasian steppes based race is highlighted as the source and foundation of all Indo-European civilization. 5) Sanskrit Paradox: Sanskrit Paradox: While all agree that Sanskrit is the oldest known surviving Indo-European language, it is considered a descendant of a lost language which has left no trace despite Sanskrit's built in claim that it is the sum of all scripts=San-skrit. It is a primal tongue, a time capsule of a language spoken before the breakup of the Nostratic super language family. Mainstream academia highlights an unknown undiscovered and nonexistent language as the source of Sanskrt and as an unworthy candidate as the Mother of all language. In other words, mainstream academia accepts the unknown and non- existent over the known and very real. 6) Historical Origins Paradox A,B, and C: A) While all ancient civilizations, excluding the Vedic Civilization, clearly record external sources of their origins, only the Vedic Indian Civilization claims to be not only indigenous to India, but to have been the source of Global Civilization. B) The testimony of all ancient civilizations are accepted as evidence, while the testimony of the ancient world's most voluminous and concise records(India's)is not accepted even when it matches the accepted evidences of other ancient civilizations. C) While Homer's Iliad is accepted as historical despite its obvious errors and contemporary critics, the Vedas and Puranas are presented as myths and to have no significant historical value despite being accepted by the greatest minds, researchers and scholars throughout history. 7) Naval Paradox: While the ancient world thrived on trade by way of the seas, only Vedic India has the archeological, textual, linguistic, and cultural continuity to be recognized as an ancient Naval power, yet ancient India is disregarded as a source of Global migration, mercantile expansion, and cultural influence. A leading British Naval Historian proved that British Navy based its ship design on the ancient Bengali rice boat model. In TRADE IN THE EASTERN SEAS 1793-1813, British MaritimeHistorian C. Northcote Parkinson reveals that British advances in ship craft were based on ancient Indian maritime expertise. [2] In other words the very development of the basic foundation of the British Empire, its Navy, can be directly connected to Indian naval expertise. If the British could use the same ship designs in the spread of their Empire. Ancient Indians were surely capable of sailing far and wide. The Rig Veda describes a ship sailed by hundreds of oars in the midst of an ocean in a faraway land. The Yajur veda advises humanity to travel the seas and into outerspace. [3] 8) Religious Paradoxes A,B,C, and D: A) While nearly all the ancient world's religions have the same deities (Gods and Goddesses of modern Hinduism), and in many cases the same names, the same rituals and rites regarding birth, education, marriage and death, Vedic Civilization is not recognized as the basis of ancient religion. B) While vast historical evidence confirms many ancient civilizations to be founded on the personal devotional practices focused on a supreme God and Goddess Divinity represented by various moods and expansions, ancient religion is always presented as a polytheistic chaos of random favoritism. C) Despite Vedic literatures, saints and traditions correlate exactly with ancient Global religious beliefs of devotional mono-theistic traditions focused on a divine couple of lover and beloved, energy and source, Vedic religion is presented as polytheistic and animalistic nature worship, impersonalism. D) Though the Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam all have obvious roots in the Vedic tradition of Bhakti via India and the ancient world's Heliopolitan traditions, India's Vedic culture's modern form of Hinduism is seen as unrelated and distinctly separate and alien. The Vedas are the Rig, Sama, Atharva and Yajur Veda. Together, these 4 Vedas, or books of knowledge are known as OIDA in Biblical Greek and YEDA in Hebrew. Even the very Seed names for God in Hebrew are the same as Sanskrit. Hebrew ISHISH Sanskrit Isha. Thus the Supreme Father God of the Niger-Kordofanian Language Family is OLU, Who is clearly the Predynastic Egyptian Supreme Deity HERU, Who is none-other than the Semite's ELI, the Indo-Europeans HELI / SOLE / SURA and the Sumerians ILU who is none other than the HARI. The Hebrew YISHMA-EL means VISHNU=HARI. The Yishma-El-ites worshiped HARI (ELI) and HARA (EL) and sometimes compounded the two Deity names as ELI-EL or HARI- HARA, which in Egypt was HERI-HOR. [4] 9) Buddhist Paradox A and B: A) While ancient Buddhism has many evidences of having a tradition of personal devotion to a personal Godhead it is perceived as an atheistic faith. For example, the Mathura school of Buddhist art represents the same Iconography as Vedic devotional _expression. In fact, in both of the university-like intellectual 'Buddhist' centers of Mathura and Gandhara, the Vaishnavas and Buddhists were completely compatible as members of various lineages or orders of the SAME RELIGION. This fact cannot be contested. No honest scholar can deny that Gandhara and Mathura , the two greatest early Mahayana centers of Buddhist intellectual and artistic activity and diffusion were also Vaishnava centers of the same! This was not a sequential phenomenon either! The Vaishnava and Buddhist presence in these centers of Bhakti Yoga was contemporaneous.[5] B) Despite Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism being Vedic faiths shorn of Vedic rituals and having a solid foundation in Indian Vedic Culture and Civilization, they are presented as separate religions and barely recognized as just some of the many Indian expressions of Vedic Dharma. 10) Environmental Paradox: Though India has over 1/6th of the world's population in a small geographical location it still has a majority of Asia's surviving wildlife. Despite the obvious benefits of the Vedic way of life to the environment, the world at large refuses to seriously research the benefits of Vedic diet, agriculture, village management, and education. Also, Vedic societies' inclusiveness allows for extreme diversity in language, customs, traditions, and beliefs. Thus, even today, India's preserving Tibetan culture by hosting the Dalai Lama. Throughout history, India has welcomed Jews, Parsis and other oppressed minorities. In modern times, India is preserving the ancient Tibetan culture and is the only country in the world to host all 73 schools of Islamic thought. No Muslim nation can boast of such Islamic diversity. It is India's Vedic Hindu ideals that have allowed India to be the home of over a billion people yet still have plenty of room for a variety of wildlife, including the world's last remaining Asian lions. 11) Cultural Validity Paradox: Despite the fact that Indian civilization represents the ancient world's most voluminous source of scholarly research into science, religion, philosophy. This treasure house of knowledge is not considered as an authentic source for information regarding humanities' ancient and glorious past. On the other hand, stray artifacts from random discoveries have become the foundation of theories that contradict most evidences validated by the traditional Hindu perspective. One of the world's leading experts on South Asian Archeology, Professor Jim G Shaffer an American archaeologist and Professor of Anthropology at Case Western Reserve University found evidence of extremely ancient cultural continuity in India. He stated that the traditional Hindu perspective on Indian history is a better fit to the archaeological evidence than the accepted Western academic views. Professor Shaffer was quoted as saying that by including traditional views and cultural belief systems into scientific research, one can develop a more accurate and complete picture of the ancient past. [6] Conclusions In conclusion, in any field of expertise the primary method of learning is by accepting the guidance and instruction of someone familiar and experienced in that particular field of study. One must include rather than exclude living, hands-on experience based expertise of those immersed in a culture and tradition. Combined with academic research and expertise we can develop a complete and accurate portrayal of Indian history and culture. Ancient history reveals a world of amazingly advanced and integrated societies. In harmony with its environment and in tune with the pulse of nature, ancient societies and sages recognized the same truths of philosophy and science. Civilization developed as a response to humanities connectivity with nature and spirituality. In balance, both a physical and metaphysical perfection was developed. Thus the ancient world was one of advanced civilizations. The various cultural communities added their own diverse textures and flavors, but the basic essence was the same. Therefore, civilization was naturally developed rather than artificially imposed upon humanity. As time went on, societies lost their balanced connectivity to nature. Imbalances arose, chaos and distinction was often the result. Hindu culture represents that ongoing connectivity to the ancients. Thus by developing an accurate view of India's culture and history, humanity can regain its lost ancient connectivity. REFERENCES [1] Indo-Aryan Colonization of Greece and the Middle East pg. 43 [2] TRADE IN THE EASTERN SEAS 1793-1813, British Maritime Historian C. Northcote Parkinson M.A.; Ph.D.; F.R. Hist.S Fellow of Emmanuel College,Cambridge Printed 1937 by Cambridge At the University Press http://www.vedicempire.com/bengalboat.htm [3] Rig Veda Mandala 1-Sukta 116 and Yajur Veda Mandala 6-Sukta 21 [4] From the Writings of Bhakti Ananda Goswami-David Sherman http://www.salagram.net/BhaktiAnandaGoswami-WTC.html [5] From the Writings of Bhakti Ananda Goswami-David Sherman http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vediculture/message/8653 [6] Keynote Address at the International Conference on Revisiting Indus-Sarasvati Age & Ancient India, October, 4-6 1996 Atlanta (Georgia),. Language, Chronology and Cultural Continuity in South Asian Archaeology By Jim G. Shaffer, Ph. D. Department of Anthropology Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7125, U.S.A