Acharya Chanakya sent an email

How to use Indic knowledge to take India FORWARD?

If you get a new email from Acharya Chanakya, will it not contain something new that he has not written till now?

As we start to understand the breadth and depth of Indic knowledge, there will be some who want to take us to the era of our ancestors. And that will defeat the very purpose of this vast knowledge. If Chanakya was alive today, he would be writing something new and not repeating what he already said. So the intent must be to revive the Indic spirit and move forwards. The question is how?

The twin challenges of revival

Firstly, we need to reconstruct the Indic knowledge base. As I explained in a previous post, the Indic hard disk is corrupted, we need to recover the data properly. And while some of us are working on the above, others have to work on the “today”. This is our second challenge. We need to apply today’s wisdom ALONGWITH the Indic knowledge to take India forward.

Reconstructing the past knowledgebase

We have to first recover the knowledge base, synthesise it and then understand what was being said in what context. This process will be fraught with disagreements, challenges, data gaps, interpretation gaps and whatnot.

A case in point is the debate on the dating of the Mahabharata war or interpretation of dharma shastras etc. It needs commentators and analysts well versed in scientific thought processes and argumentative skills. The findings cannot be taken as a personal affront but rather whatever is scientific outcome should be accepted. Whatever is scientifically undetermined, should be classified as such. Such a scientific spirit is required.

But, where will we get these researchers? Where will we train them? How will we finance them? Pay them? These questions remain unanswered. Clearly, we need to design organisations and systems to engage such people.

The second challenge is to construct today’s knowledge base

It comprises two parts.

Today we learn, understand and work using western concepts. However, our thought models, mind maps, design preferences, stylistic choices or heuristic strategies have distinct Indic flavour. We have not properly studied these aspects of modern Indian life properly. For example, our appreciation of the Indian Management style is limited to Jugaad and Servant leadership.

To these modern applications, we must also cautiously apply the Indic knowledge base and learnings therefrom. I believe using awareness of current knowledge and infusing it, cautiously, with the ancestral knowledge can propel Indian understanding much further.

In short, stand on the shoulders of giants - ancient Indians, ancients from other civilisations as well as the modern western thought leaders.

In Sum

If we set in motion forces to overcome these challenges, they will feed into each other and propel us forward. This is the professional approach to revive the Indic spirit and reach not in the past but set forth towards a future.

Please subscribe to continue to receive this newsletter in your inbox.