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The American political divide can be bridged, just not the way it is being attempted
While efforts to bridge the divide are laudable, useful and necessary, they are not sufficient for success. This is because the various initiatives underway are all based on products of reason and the rational mind. For progress, it is also necessary to transcend reason.
Universal Peace Foundation-sponsored Global Peace Day-One Minute Silence on 11/11/2024 at 11:11 am in Coimbatore, TN, India. / Pradeep B. Deshpande
I am inspired to write this column after watching two recent TV segments, one with Prof. Samar Ali and public affairs strategist, Clint Brewer, hosted by TED curator Cloe Shasha Brooks, and the other with NPR correspondent, Oliver Morrison and guests Bethany Hallam and Marty Grifin, hosted by A. Martinez. The two pairs explained how they forged a bridge amid their political divides.
Similar attempts are underway throughout the country but while these efforts are laudable, useful and necessary, they are not sufficient for success. This is because the various initiatives underway are all based on products of reason and the rational mind. For progress, it is also necessary to transcend reason.
To elaborate, much of the world has convinced itself that products of reason such as sciences, laws, regulations, etc., are entirely sufficient to solve all problems despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Take racism for example. Although slavery was abolished via the 13th amendment to the US Constitution in 1863, and many other laws have been passed since then, including the 1964 Civil Rights Act which outlawed segregation in most aspects of life, it would be a stretch to suggest that racism has been eradicated.
Why this confidence in reason
Human progress since the Renaissance period has occurred primarily due to the scientific discoveries in the West, first in Great Britain and Western Europe, and then in America. Most of the Nobel Prizes continue to go to Americans.
Add to this, the remarks of the 18th century renowned German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, “All knowledge begins with the (five) senses, flows then to the understanding and ends in reason. There is nothing higher than reason,” and it is easy to see why there is such a high level of confidence in reason, but unfortunately, it is misplaced.
In contrast, the equally renowned 19th century yogi, Swami Vivekananda asserts, “Indian thought dares to seek and successfully find something higher than reason.”
Swami Vivekananda is revered in India and widely respected in America. Harvard and Columbia both made him an offer to head a new Department of Religion during Swami Ji’s maiden visit to the United States in 1893 which he declined on the ground that he was a sanyasi.
What did Vivekananda mean when he said, Indian thought had successfully found something higher than reason?
Thousands of years ago, there wasn’t much knowledge anywhere on Earth and yet ancient Indian seers were able to unravel the mystery of the creation of the universe, shed light on the creation of life here on the planet Earth, explained why civilizations rise and decline and what the fundamental purpose of life was.
How to transcend reason
One transcends reason by enhancing the focus of attention as in deep contemplation, meditation or prayer. Type I discoveries can occur as you enhance your focus of attention as in contemplation. Type I discoveries amount to connecting the dots in the ocean of existing knowledge. For example, my discovery that exemplary performance occurs when processes are designed well and operated in the best possible manner and the emotional excellence of the people involved in the activity is high is a Type I discovery.
As you further enhance the focus of attention as in meditation or prayer, Type II discoveries can occur. Type II discoveries are not based on existing knowledge. Many of the ancient discoveries such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagvad Geeta, Brahma Sutra, etc., are Type II discoveries. There was no previous knowledge for the seers to draw clues from for these discoveries. In Sanskrit, Type II discoveries go by the name, Shruti, meaning revealed.
Enhancing the focus of attention brings about positive changes from within which can lead to the solution of many problems. Health & wellness, creativity and innovativeness, interpersonal skills, are some of the other benefits.
Meditation is the pathway to enhance the focus of attention to transcend reason. Meditation also brings about positive changes from within and that has the power to bridge the national political divide for a more peaceful America.
There are two approaches to national implementation of these ideas. One is for the population at large, and the other is for the people not participating in the first approach.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s approach, which goes by the name, Maharishi Technology, requires a small number of people to engage in a specific meditation practice daily for a more peaceful world.
In the second approach, developed by my Guru, Gurumahan, 1 percent of the US population, about 3.4 million people, would engage in a one-minute silence (Samacheer Pranayama) daily at 11:11 am, local time.
These practices will bring about positive changes that will bridge the national political divide.
The author is Professor Emeritus in and former Chairman of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Louisville.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of New India Abroad)
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