Great Minds On India

What we shall find in Modern Physics is an exemplification, an encouragement and a refinement of old India wisdom. - Julius R. Oppenheimer, father of Atomic Bomb - Julius R. Oppenheimer,

India and its wisdom unlocked this enormous big door in the back of my consciousness. - George Harrison, the Beatles

Ever since I developed my liking and fondness for Indian spiritualism, I have been attracted and deeply fascinated by many facets of the multi-dimensional Hinduism. Spirituality in it transcends many barriers of mere religion. - Julia Roberts, Hollywood Actress ` 140/-

ISBN 9788192084633 ` 140/-

9 788 192 08 463 3

Great Minds on India Salil Gewali Edited by

Dr. A.V. Murali

Susan Strebe Kensington, California, USA

Academic Publications Shillong

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Published by Academic Publications Bara Bazar, Shillong-793002 MEGHALAYA, India Ph: 9774140451, 9863028358 Email: [email protected]

First English Edition: 2009 Seventh Edition: 2013

Copyright reserved with Salil Gewali

Printed at:

NBC Press, New Delhi

This compilation is simply outstanding ! I never knew that such a compilation exists and we all should be thankful to the author! These great quotes should be embossed on plaques and displayed on the walls of our Parliament, State Assembly Halls, and at all our educational institutions. Most importantly, the material should be made a compulsory reading for all the school students (elaborating more on ‘ who is who’ and the monumental contributions of these intellectual giants Prof. A. V. Murali, Ph. D, Former NASA scientist, Houston, Texas

Hi Salil Gewali, I suddenly come upon your compilation and I thoroughly read it from the start to finish! No one can deny the vast expanse of eternal wisdom from beautiful Mother India. I can personally attest to my own self-perceived growth in immeasurable degrees, thanks to the Spiritual and Philosophical Sages and Geniuses India has gifted us with. Thank you so much for the enlightenment. Timothy Hart, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

All have got to go and read this amazing compilation by Salil Gewali. India is the land of my soul. The ancient literature of INDIA contains the greatest wisdom of this universe. There is so much to discover in Indian philosophy. Thanks, the modern science has acknowledged that. - Agnes Goyvaerts, Huston, USA

THE BOOK HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO EIGHT REGIONAL LANGUAGES OF INDIA

The Governor of Meghalaya Shri RS Mooshahary releasing the book, 2009

Fantastic and a further testimony to the immense wisdom that comes from the great masters in ancient India, who saw the truth in ancient times and left it for us to ponder. It's great to see that science also knows and appreciates this. I am fully convinced great jewels of profound wisdom are firmly rooted in the ancient philosophy of INDIA alone. The West has vested all in the material and is just beginning to see the mysteries of consciousness and the awareness that comes from application of Meditation. This meditation yoga alone can help to be aware of super consciousness pervading the infinite cosmos.

- Dr. Priyanka Roa, California, USA

- Robert Brenton, Brooklyn, New York

The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Dr. Raman Singh releasing the Hindi Edition, 2013

Salil Gewali has lovingly compiled an excellent set of quotations that illustrate how highly great thinkers from all over the world valued Indian spiritual culture and how it transformed their lives. An inspirational read that reminds us of our amazing ancient heritage and why we need to incorporate it into our lives as modern Indians. - Prof Chitra Divakaruni,, US based renowned novelist , Houston.

Prof. Chitra Divakaruni is US based world-famous writer, poet -- her famous novel, ‘The Mistress of Spices’ was released as a film directed by Paul Mayeda Berges starring Aishwarya Rai and Dylan McDermott.. Her another novel ‘ has been selected for the filming by the Hollywood production company.

This collection of inspirational thoughts is something very precious these days. I have to thank Mr Salil Gewali for the remarkable effort in selecting the most inspirational quotes of some western intellectuals about Indian ancient culture. This booklet is a must read for Indians and non-Indians. It is a book in which Western science and literature meet the old Indian wisdom and heritage. It makes us understand how much the West needs the East and vice-versa. Many our French scholars, Voltaire, Laplace, Romain Rolland, Jean-Sylvain Bailly, Maurice Maeterlinck, Victor Cousin etc were greatly inspired by the knowledge of India.

Udine, Italy

The Governor of Maharashtra Shri K. Sankaranarayanan and also Ms Priya Dutt launching the Malayalam version of “Great Minds on INDIA” (13th September 2013 )

Thanks for the enlightening compilation of the quotes by the most renowned scholars. ‘India´s knowledge is what we need to live in a better way, in a human way. East, specifically India, is the light the world needs for real progress, as a civilized humanity. Yes, we have the privilege of access to ancient scriptures, it´s the best contribution that India has made to all human kind, and to all living entities. Cynthya Tejada Del Pozo, Lima, Arequipa, Peru

Ms. Priya Dutt, a member of parliament and daughter of Legendary star Sunil Dutt presenting bouquet to Salil Gewali in appreciation of his exhaustive research on the ancient wisdom of INDIA in the eyes of world-renowned scholars.

Ms. Priya Dutt, a member of parliament and daughter of legendary star Sunil Dutt presenting bouquet to Salil Gewali in appreciation of his exhaustive research on ancient wisdom of INDIA in the eyes of world-renowned scholars.

Celebrated Americanborn British poet, philosopher, and critic of the twentieth century; received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1948. His ‘The Waste Land’ is considered to be one of the most important poems of the twentieth century.

Indian philosophers’ subtleties make most of the great European philosophers look like schoolboys. - TS Eliot, Source: After strange Gods.

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Acknowledgments

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1879-1955

Albert Einstein

Source: Ignited Minds : Unleashing the Power within India by APJ Abdul Kalam

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The greatest French Enlightenment author, critic, essayist, historian, and philosopher; a forerunner of the French revolution, best known for ‘Candide’. 1694-1778

Francois M. Voltaire

Source: Riding the Indian tiger - by William Nobrega, Ashish Sinha

Source: Eclectic magazine: Foreign literature by John Holmes Agnew, Walter Hilliard Bidwell Great minds on India 4

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1904-1967

Julius R Oppenheimer

Source: The Tao of Physics - by Fritjof Capra

Source: The Eye of Shiva: Eastern Mysticism And Science by Amaury de Riencourt

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1901-1976

Werner Heisenberg

Source: Vedic Equality and Hinduism - by O P Gupta

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1803-1882

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Source: The Commemorative Sanskrit Souvenir 2003 Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Source: Sacred Jewels of Yoga - by Dave DeLuca

Source: Autobiography of a Yogi - by Paramhansa Yogananda

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For books contact Academic Publications Bara Bazar, Shillong-793002 MEGHALAYA, India Ph: (+91)9774140451, 9863028358

Email: [email protected]

A study of India’s ancient literature leads inevitably to the core basis of all modern religion and modern science. It is always the Vedas, as I find, which provide the clearest answers to the complexities of Soul saving wisdom. For one who cannot understand them, there are Upanishads. For one who does not see answers in the Upanishads, there are the Gita and the Ramayana and Puranas… An eye-opener booklet ‘Great minds on India’, Salil Gewali clearly illustrates the impact of the ancient literature in modern time. Here we see India through the eyes of some of the world’s greatest thinkers and poets and are left with a hunger to know more. Much more! -- John Palmer, Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, Nevada 89123,

I must congratulate Salil Gewali for bringing out such a wonderful booklet containing the quotes of the world-renowned intellectuals on Vedas, Upanishads and the Gita which are in appreciation about the supremacy of the Indian wisdom. The youth of today should be wholly aware of these great quotes so that they will have better appreciation of our Indian culture, tradition and heritage -- Dr. D. Swaminadhan, a prominent scientist, UNESCO International Consultant, Vice Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad

‘Great minds on India’ is a great book. More than an East/West philosophical encounter, this book reveals how the Upanishads and other Indian classics transformed the thinking of many western thinkers. The booklet brings to light the ancient wisdom of the East, and reminds us in the West that spiritual knowledge, not the pursuit of pleasure, is the true source of happiness. -- Robert Maldonado, Neuropsychologist, New York

The collection of comments about India, by the world renowned intellectuals is a commendable attempt by Salil Gewali. The book makes us feel proud of the rich heritage inherited by us and it shall also serve the purpose of reminding Indians to take the past glory to newer heights in the coming time Sanjeev Trivedi, A noted business consultant,Ahmadabad, Gujarat

Most celebrated prolific American humorist, satirist, lecturer and writer; often lauded as the greatest American humorist of his age.

Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India. - Mark Twain, Source: The dragon and the elephant by David Smith

Some blood transfusion from the East to the West is a must to save Western science from spiritual anemia.

One of the greatest physicists of the twentieth century; awarded the Nobel Prize for his invention of Wave Mechanics; his ‘Schrödinger Equation’ has been regarded as one of the most important achievements of the twentieth century. He also wrote about ‘The Basic view of Vedanta’ by expounding Sankara's version of ‘Advaita’ and ‘Non-dualism’.

- Erwin Schrödinger, Source: Long Walk to Enlightenment by Dr. Thillayvel Naidoo

Eminent American physicist, who, besides number of science books, co-authored with Niels Bohr the paper ‘The Mechanism of Nuclear Fission’. He was instrumental in the development of the Atomic bomb, and worked at Los Alamos Laboratories on the Hydrogen Bomb. He coined the terms ‘Black Hole’, ‘Quantum foam ’ and ‘Wormhole’. Wheeler later occupied the chair that had been previously held by Albert Einstein.

One has the feeling that the thinkers of the East knew it all, and if we could only translate their answers into our language we would have the answers to all our questions. - John Archibald Wheeler, source: Uncommon Wisdom - by Fritjof Capra

I congratulate Salil Gewali for this beautiful quotes book on Indian classical literature. True intellectual minds who are free from prejudices always appreciate Indian wisdom. Indian wisdom is fully secular and universal. A big proof is this book with eminent scholars' comments. I really wish that the depth of ancient metaphysics will one day echo across the universe, depending on the karmic forces... It is the only universal force with frequency that absorbs all of human's diversity... it is the only answer for humanity's quest for peace... Peace, peace! - Margaret Drummond, Dundee, Scotland

Congratulation for an excellent compilation. As other scholars my intense efforts in quest of real wisdom led me to Indian wisdom. I can’t describe this experience, neither to show it. Every Act is Gratitude, Meditation, and Devotion now. I can live my humble vocation in Joy at every moment... the credit goes to the Indian literature. Well, please do not forget to mention Pythagoras of Samos, who made a long journey into the Indus, and studied the Sulba Sutras and carried to Greece, studies including geometry and trigonometry (with applications to astronomy, geography, navigation, spiritualism etc.

- Prof. Philippe Le Marchall, Brittany, France

So delighting to come across your great quotes book, ‘Great minds on India’. It’s again exciting to find the quotes of TS Eliot, my favourite poet, who was a Sanskrit scholar too. He wrote a huge epic poem ‘The Waste Land’ about Dattatreya, one of the most interesting and mysterious of the divine characters in the ancient tradition of INDIA. My fascination for Indian knowledge and culture have brought me to set up a knowledge centre in the Santa Cruz mountains of California -- dedicated to sharing the ancient knowledge of India. - Ms Alx Uttermann,

I would like to offer my impressions of your book. Let me recall a quote from Gandhi --- ‘the deeper I dive, the more treasures I find’. Reading ‘Great minds on India?’ is extremely enlightening. I will have now years of pleasure studying and enlightening my spirit with the treasures found in this book. Your book has inspired me to learn more about India and her precious treasures of knowledge which are universal! I appreciate all your hard labor in putting all these quotes together to open the eyes of society with what must be very precious to all! I feel the revival of right knowledge should come to the masses. Following the ancient wisdom I am on the right path and I am also proud to be a representative of the Universe now (not US, Texas), the idea I learnt from the ancient texts of INDIA. - Miss Sherrie Lake, 1404 Avenue V, Hondo, Texas 78861

'Great minds on India' is a rare jewel compiled and published by Salil Gewali. I would recommend that immediately whoever can afford to influence the authorities of schools, colleges and other institutions who have been maintaining any type of library, they should be convinced to buy and stack at least two to three copies of the book for the wider spread of this rich knowledge amongst the wider cross section of the society..! I am sure that after reading this book each and every child would feel genuinely proud of his motherland, its rich culture, its equally rich religious philosophies and knowledge..! - Inder Krishen Wali, Srinagar,

The collection of comments about India, by the world renowned intellectuals is a commendable attempt by Salil Gewali. The book makes us feel proud of the rich heritage inherited by us and it shall also serve the purpose of reminding Indians to take the past glory to newer heights in the coming time.

- Sanjeev Trivedi,

Ahmadabad, Gujarat

It is doubtless a unique venture and the compiler Salil Gewali deserves kudos for having accomplished such an onerous task as to compile comments on India and ancient wisdom by a galaxy of Western intellectual giants and then to choose the best and the most relevant ones.

- Bikash Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam

‘Great minds on India’ is a great book. More than

This compilation needs to be diffused across the globe so that anyone with a modicum of intelligence will realize the depth of Indian Philosophy. The book will make more of humanity understand that the Vedas is for all and it is universal knowledge for man's benefit.

- Raj Sukhdeo, Canada

an East/West philosophical encounter, this book reveals how Indian classics transformed the thinking of many western thinkers. This book brings to light the ancient wisdom of the East, and reminds us in the West that spiritual knowledge, not the pursuit of pleasure, is the true source of happiness.

- Robert Maldonado, Neuropsychologist, New

York

The book is a wonderful source of inspirational thoughts for we all Indians who have lost the sight of India‘s values and her contribution to the world and to the modern science. It is doubtlessly a mirror of the intellectual prowess of our rishis who created Vedas and Upanishads.

- Prof Shubham Das, Switzerland

- Dr. K Bruder, psychotherapist, Michigan, USA

Hi Salil Gewali, I suddenly came upon your book. I thoroughly read it from the start to finish! No one can deny the vast expanse of eternal wisdom from beautiful Mother India. I can personally attest to my own self-perceived growth in immeasurable degrees, thanks to the Spiritual and Philosophical Sages and Geniuses she has gifted us with. Thank you so much for the enlightenment.

- Timothy Hart,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

It is a must-read for every Indian, particularly for him or her who is not very happy with the image of India as projected today by some unpatriotic, unscrupulous people with vested interests. It is a shame that we do not think highly of our own motherland and look to the West for whatever reasons. - Omar Luther King, columnist, Delhi

- Rashmi Sahu, Lt Cdr (Retd), Chandigarh

It's marvelous book and so lovingly written indeed ! It clearly depicts the compiler's passion for the subject. I always felt similarly about our country but never imagined that I would one day get to read such a beautiful compilation of it all. And to think that it came my way from the very author himself and in such an unlikely manner, is more than I could ever imagine! I think it's only further evidence of the interconnectedness of the universal consciousness that I happen to be looking into currently. - Dr M Angie, New Delhi

Salil Gewali

A journalist and writer from Shillong, Meghalaya, Salil Gewali is a reputed figure whose significantly philosophical write-ups command high appreciation of the readers in the Northeast. A post graduate in English Literature, Salil Gewali rose to fame for his excellent publication of his assiduous research work entitled ‘Great Minds on India’ which now enjoys worldwide appreciation. The book that was released by the Governor of Meghalaya Shri R. S. Mooshahary in 2009 has already been translated into Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Hindi, Gujarati and Nepali. Also a member of the International Organization of Journalists (IOJ), Salil is credited with 17 other titles which are mostly recommended as textbooks by the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE).

What inspired Salil for this compilation A winter day in 1988 Salil was traveling to Delhi from Shillong. For his leisure reading in train he had picked up 'The Discovery of India' by Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru from a newsstand in Guwahati Railway station. Gewali read it very attentively throughout his journey of over 56 hours. What amazed him most was a few of the quotes in the book by the world-famous western scholars and philosophers. Those quotes in deep appreciation of the Indian ancient wisdom, its language and culture by the western luminaries much haunted him. But the turning point happened when he later chanced upon another book 'We are not the first' by an UFO scientist Andrew Tomas where Salil encountered incredible facts about the several scientific discoveries in ancient India vis-à-vis modern science. He clearly saw that great many discoveries of the modern times had already mentioned in the ancient scriptures of India. He got the vivid references and precise theoretical illustration of atomic structures and the time scales which are far inconceivable to the scientists of even the early 20th century. His science background immensely helped me to go deeper into the subject.

Modern scientists applaud the ancient literature Gewali strongly felt that the western scholars would not have applauded and approved of the ancient wisdom and knowledge of India had there not been any scientific validity and significance. He gradually got to know that scientists like Schrödinger, Neils Bohr, Julius Oppenheimer, David Bohm, Heisenberg, David Josephson and so on and so forth had sufficiently got the ideas relative to Quantum Physics from Upanishads and Vedas. It dawned upon him that the ancient treatises had greatly emboldened those scientists to plunge deeper into the atom, moreover into the inner core of the Quantum Mechanics.

Salil started casually collecting such quotes about 24 years ago. But bringing into a book form occurred to him while reading the world famous books – 'The Tao of Physics' and 'Uncommon Wisdom' by Frijtof Capra for the second time in 1995. The years 1996-98 saw him frantically preoccupied. He exhaustively worked for this compilation. Life was not always a bed of roses. The dreams one cherishes often meet with stumbling block of adversaries. No matter however Gewali tried he could not save enough money to publish the book for many years though the compilation was ready in 1998 itself. However, he had never lost his hope. He would do lots of Xerox of those compiled quotes and share with anyone whom he believe would appreciate. But at last, with a little cash in hand, Gewali could see his treasured dream fulfilled. He could publish the compilation in glossy format in 2009. He was delighted, the book was instantly gloried, – so appreciated that the Governor of Meghalaya heartily consented to release it in the most fitting manner. --- Dr. Prof. M. K. Mehta, New Delhi