‘Manthan’/ Co-operation – not ‘Tug of War’, the Asian way of dealing with neighbours.

The western and communist concept of progress was, and even today is, based on the ideas of scarcity, competition, domination, appropriation generally through War, and ensuring prosperity for themselves, through piracy, looting, enslaving of others and expansion of their territory by occupation, at a severe cost to the original people of that region. This of course soon led to a situation where the hold of their Military on the continually assimilated lands could not be economically maintained and, therefore, to the inevitable collapse of the Empires.

This contrasts greatly with that of the Indian idea of civilization and progress. Progress through Wars, followed by pillage and looting, was not an Indian concept or way. There is no record, across the past many millennia, of Indian Kings conquering and taking over other kingdoms and resorting to loot and pillage. Infact, in many historic stories, farmers were said to continue to plough their fields close to active Battle grounds, confident that the rules of Dharma, followed by the soldiers, would not permit them to be harmed. Of course, Wars were indeed, and often resorted to by the Indian Rulers too, but only to resolve problematic issues or to establish vassalage.

Generally, the defeated King or his relative, was allowed to continue as the Ruler. Acceptance of the Culture and Knowledge, ‘Soft Power’, was what spread the Indian influence over much of Asia, especially South-East Asia. This led to greater trade, exchange of ideas and greater prosperity for all. Ancient China, to some extent, and for limited period, also practiced such a policy.

The Indian way of war and progress was based on Dharma/ethics, cooperation, with the attitude of ‘Manthan’ / Cooperation. The idea of using a rope, not for a ‘Tug of War’ but to use it to together churn the ocean of possibilities that exist between the Nations, thus leading to greater and continuous abundance for all, and valuing the pursuit

of knowledge not only for progress but also for its spiritual benefits. Generally, a ‘Tug of War’, or actual war, between two reasonably equally matched forces, would leave even the winner exhausted, and the victory would only be a Pyrrhic one.

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