Vedic culture dwells on respect for all: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan

Shimla, April 29

Dwelling on Vedic culture, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said that there’s no concept of “tolerance” and “the other” in Vedic texts. “Vedic culture doesn’t talk about tolerance, it dwells on acceptance and respect of one and all,” said Khan while delivering a lecture during a two-day national seminar on ‘Vedic Wisdom for Cosmic Harmony’ at Indian Institute of Advanced Study here today.

Quoting extensively from the Vedic texts, Bhagavad Geeta and individuals like Shankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore, etc., Khan said there are as many ways to reach God as there are birds flying in the sky and fish in the ocean.

Khan further said, “Vedic wisdom prompts us to transcend individualism and embrace our interconnectedness. It rejects superficial distinctions based on language, society, religion, or appearance. Instead, it focuses on the shared essence within all beings – the soul. Vedic wisdom reminds us that there is no concept of ‘other’.

The supreme spirit (Parmatma) and the individual soul (Jeevatma) are fundamentally connected,” he said.