Book: The Common Ground

Reviewer: Sami Rafiq
Author: Shiv Talwar
Year of Publication: 2019
Publisher:  Xlibris Us
Price in Indian currency :Rs 2,300.00

A Quest for Unity in Diversity

The book is a well researched document on the common inheritance of humanity that underlies the dividing lines that threaten peace and harmony. It takes into account various spiritual thought systems from different world religions which  univocally assert the oneness of humanity arising from one cosmic mind.The perceptions in the book have been worked out on a scientific level with logical precision and without any political undertones.

In the beginning we have been introduced to the term ‘identity tribalism” which refers to exclusive religious, regional, racial identities that create an endless struggle.

This book is a voice against  this very identity tribalism which has created widespread hunger, disease, poverty, mental disorders, conflicts, terrorism and pograms which lead to mass migrations and ensuing refugee problems.

In the writer’s own words,” Religion through misdirected institutional loyalty, has become a tool of powerful political and economic forces with a divisive agenda.It is ineffective in addressing the crises of the human condition we face today.”

If religion which was created to bring to human beings the highest ideals and standards for living cannot help us then what will.

It is this question that Shiv Talwar’s book The Common Ground  addresses. This book helps us look deeper into the core of all religious systems that reveal a commonality  and a common ground.The author sees spiritual education as a way to understand this common core and the books goes deep into the spiritual core of different religions.In the words of the author:

This book is undertaken with  the thought of doing something different.It envisions integrating humanity into a planetary family through meaningful education on the common ground of existence.We all are an individual expression of this common ground.

The writer has taken great pains to quote the original verses from various religious texts and their different translations in an attempt to highlight the unity of thought of the spiritually enlightened ones.

With his background of science he has been able to make a compelling study of the the science underlying spiritual principles and thus bring science and religion at par with each other.Thus if religion seeks to highlight higher consciousness, consciousness itself has a scientific basis. In other words it is created out of matter which is perceptible and imperceptible. Therefore the author has rightly perceived that everything that exists has a dimension of materiality and a dimension of consciousness.

The book is an attempt towards spiritual education in the widest possible definition possible meaning that it is an offering of knowledge of soul, self and inherent spirituality which would help a person transcend limitations and be able to access one’s potential to understand one’s being in the entire universe.

At the outset the author puts forward one important question namely why we should question our existence and the meaning of our existence.

Perhaps he has hinted at a quality or a habit that is fast disappearing from the modern mind which is losing its flexibility and its powers of reflection in the mire of digital tools in the modern age. Inner reflection and contemplation help us to stay in touch with our spiritual nature and it is the only resource which would help in rewiring our brains to lives of oneness.When we lose touch with our inner spiritual self we become closed and rigid and easy prey to the exploitation and politics of the digital age and we see the world as us versus them.It is contemplation alone that can lead us to understanding the oneness of humanity which would give freedom from disease and suffering.

As the title suggests the book shows the way to visualise the common ground between people of different religions.It has attempted the formidable task of uncovering the essence of humanity, the very spiritual essence which is the source of matter and the entire universe with utter clarity and lucidity.This spiritual education has been supported by meaningful diagrams wherever possible.

The very first chapter is about the story of the existence of the universe.It explores existence from the outer manifestation to the inner manifestation which is the common ground of all religions. In order to understand the common purpose of existence the following lines are very pertinent with reference to the adaptive nature of the human brain and the quest of for wisdom and enlightenment.

“The process of exploring and living with the awareness of the unseen as the bedrock of all existence rewires the brain of the explorer, enabling him/her to deride individual living and embrace life in cosmic unity.”

In his analysis of the idea of the unseen principle in the universe, the writer also finds that science calls it energy.

“Einstein’s name is associated with a principle of equivalence between energy and mass, mass being a measure of the quantity of matter. According to this principle, matter and energy are interconvertible.This inter convertibility principle leads to an understanding that energy is the underlying reality of the material universe and all the abject it comprises.”

In attempting to highlight cosmic unity the writer makes mention of Einstein’s letter dated February 12, 1950 to a distraught father who had lost his son thus:

“Einstein empathised with the father sharing a thought about the position of a  human being in the universe—-a human being is not apart from the universe but an integrated part of it, although limited in time and space. For our peace of mind, we need to free ourselves from delusion of separateness.”

In the chapter titled Abrahamic Wisdom he makes mention of mystics such as Ibn Arabi, Moses de Leon and Meister Eckhart who recognised ‘the unknowable reality beyond their culturally specific God.’ However God was not culturally specific for them who were aware of the universal source of spiritual truth rather  God was culture specific to the Abrahamic traditions.

Thus the book reiterates the oneness of humanity through religion, science and spirituality.

It talks about the ultimate reality of the universe defined as the non existent  in Vedic literature because of a lack of words of describe it.In other words the whole universe materialises from nothing. Brahman or the source is defined thus:

“The name Brahman then is meant to imply or conjure a picture of the primeval essential substance that grows into all things or that makes all things grow, a field of undifferentiated existence  underlaying he existence of the differentiated universe.”

The book talks of the cosmic soul or supreme soul or Paramatman as permeating every atom of the universe and thus everyone and every thing is bound into a cosmic whole.

An in depth study of various translations of each single Vedic hymn all lead to the same idea of the cosmic soul and the idea of the creation of the cosmos from non existence.The writer also defines the cosmic mind as the total mind of a community. When this collective or cosmic mind of a community changes, its culture changes. Thus the importance of the human mind is highlighted which can be enlightened to understand underlying unity between all religions and humans.

According to the writer this broadening of vision or understand of cosmic unity can lead to the feeling of compassion and boundless love.

It is interesting how the writer sees the principle of Tao the sustaining energy of the universe as similar to the sustaining Divine power in Abrahamic religions or the Paramatman in Hinduism. Since Tao itself is so abstruse it is a challenge to see it in the light of oneness and unity with other spiritual belief systems in the world.

Though the comparison between God and Tao appears unlikely as the former is a Being  worthy of worship while the latter is non being and not worshipped, yet at some level the idea of a universal creative source fits in with both.

Dr.Shiv Talwar has done justice to this idea along the lines undertaken by Toshihiko Izutsu in his book titled Sufism and Taosim: A Comparative Study of Key Philosophical Concepts.

It is interesting how the two systems see the unknowable mystery; sufism as  Haqq or absolute truth and Taoism as the Absolute.The only difference lies in the stages of evolvement.

Dr. Shiv Talwar has presented a close parallel to the idea of contemplation and contentment as put forth in Tzu, Yellow Bridge:

Not going out of the door I have knowledge of the world.Not peeping though the window I perceive heaven’s  Tao.The more one wanders to a distance the less he knows.

(Tzu,Yellow Bridge:The TaoTe Ching n.d.,47-1,Goddard’s Translation), with lines 4:18 of the Bhagwadgita:

Those who see action in inaction and inaction in action are truly wides amongst humans.Although performing all kinds of actions, they are yogis and masters of all their actions.(Bhagvad Gita n.d., 4:18)

In the conclusion the author envisions spiritual education for all for emancipation and liberation. According to him human beings are uniquely equipped amidst creation to rewire the brain and understand the unity of all created life in the universe.

He quotes Jalaluddin Rumi in the conclusion which appropriately highlights the overall concern in the book thus:

….Not any religion or cultural system.

      ...
   I belong to the beloved, have seen the two worlds as one.

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