Long and intense
research leaves Liesbeth Pankaja Bennink
sure that this is the only land, where Dharma consciousness prevails
Your parents sowed the
seeds of spiritual interest in you, your mother taught you Dharma, you have
said. Can you expand on that?
My mother was a
theosophist, although I was too young to realise it. Righteousness — doing the
right things and in the right way — and honesty were the two things she
insisted on. My father was a seeker. He would be engaged in conversations with
Raja Deekshitar, whenever he visited the Netherlands. Both parents were
spiritually inclined and I must have imbibed it.
Why India?
I love ancient
civilisations. And I’m curious. Yes, it could have been any place — Greece,
Africa... Bharatanatyam brought me here and well, the rest, as they say, is
history. I love the food, the spicy flavours of the South and the sweets... and
of course the warm weather. But that is at the superficial level. What binds me
to this land is its heritage, the tradition.
What, according to you
is the essence of Indian tradition/culture?
Dharma — that would be
the essence of the culture of this land. The consciousness about the right and
the wrong. And taking responsibility for the actions — Karma. I agree that
there is corruption and malpractice but people are aware of it. It is awareness
of Dharma and Karma, which enables us to realise the wrong and the right. Our
wrong choices have led to climate change and political upheavals. But
course-correction is possible, provided we take the responsibility. This is the
best gift India has for humanity and it is for this reason that the rest of the
world needs India. In the Gita, Lord Krishna speaks of the dark Kali Yuga and
we are already in it. Also this is the land of the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata, which have so much to teach. It is here that people are living the
principle of Dharma.
What are the temples you
have visited, apart from Chidambaram?
I have visited several
temples, names of which I cannot easily recall... My guru Rajamani took me to
Tirupati, where we participated in rituals. It was a beautiful experience. And
Narthamalai...
You are convinced that
the beliefs as practised in India are not superstitions. Please explain
This is the land of
Sanatana Dharma — it is a way of life. It lays down do’s and don’ts and
emphasises on purity — everything to elevate a human being at the spiritual
level. To teach people, impart knowledge about so many things — astronomy,
astrology, biology and so on. I would say that Man primarily is an Intellectual
being and secondarily a Material being. It is the material that creates Maya and
distracts him and it is to raise above that, a discipline was put in place. It
is connected to the Universe, a kind of code. Failure to understand the code
leads to doubts. For instance, Saturday is not the preferred day to buy new
clothes. The reason is that the day belongs to Saturn and it would be
appropriate to purchase metals instead on that day.
And we have lost a lot
in the past few years?
The invasion and
occupation of foreigners have robbed the country of its amazing wealth, not
only material but intellectual. Knowledge. Sadly most of it has been lost for
ever. The people of this land were made to believe that they were inferior to
the West. Gradually, the people succumbed and started doubting themselves. It
was all a part of an agenda to destroy India and its glory. The brain drain,
which has happened in the past three decades, has taken away precious talent.
Inside temples, I find the original granite replaced with marble, which takes
away the Energy and those harsh tubelights. With the abolition of the Devadasi
system, an inherent part of temple heritage has been wiped out. Wootz steel has
completely disappeared from the Tamil land, although attempts are being made to
revive it. Prof. Sharada Srinivasan has been conferred Padma Shri for her efforts
in this direction.
Certain things can only
be felt and not explained. Do you agree?
Well, what first is a
feeling or intuition gets a shape if you search for the science behind it.
Words and images do emerge. From the Unknown to the Known. But yes, some
concepts, say Upanishadic or Advaitic can only be realised and not described.
There could be things, which are beyond the human level of expression. Quite
possible.
How difficult or easy
has been your research? In India, information generally is tough to access and
documentation not really meticulous. Often riddled with suspicion and
scepticism. Especially when the seeker is not an Indian.
No, it was not easy at
all. First, the topic of my research was not just history or philosophy, per
se. It dated back centuries and often the information was not direct. It had to
be decoded and this required help. Especially way back when Internet was not
known and communication was not advanced. It was difficult to access texts and
books. Raja Deekshitar showed me the way and his family was wonderful.
You are sure Aryan
invasion never happened. Can you explain?
Well, as a young
student, even I subscribed to the theory that light-skinned people crossed the
mountains to overthrow the natives and occupy their spaces. But that was before
I came to India, met Raja Deekshitar and learnt about the way the Rishis lived,
the Vedas and so on. There was a huge gap between the India I read in text
books and what I saw and learnt from guru Rajamani and Deekshitar. I read books
debunking that theory. Thirty years of research has taught me that Sanatana
Dharma was a way of life on this land thousands of years ago, when people lived
with Nature and had mastered the movements of planets. They belonged here.
History, Spiritualism,
Art — you straddle all spheres. Are they exclusive or complement each other in
your research?
There are no
contradictions here. Specialising in one aspect is a Western concept, which
doesn’t work. Things are interconnected. One leads to another. Ayurveda, Yoga,
dance, Sanskrit, art, astronomy, astrology, metaphysics... they are all linked,
holistic. Like the Cosmos. Like a temple. The outer prakara leads to the inner
corridors and deeper the niches and still deeper the sanctum or the centre. The
Chit Sabha of Chidambaram. Like Indra’s Net, the multifaceted jewel, where each
face reflects the others infinitely.
Have you been to the
North of India?
I have not seen the
North. So can’t talk about it.
How do you keep in touch
with Bharatanatyam?
Through practice. At
least to keep myself flexible. I meet some of my friends in the field. And I
read books. I would mention Unfinished Gestures of Devesh Soneji as one of the
brilliant works on the subject in recent times.
Courtesy: Ms. Geetha
Venkataramanan (geetha.v@thehindu.co.in)
- The Hindu – Friday Review dated 15th February 2019
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