Table of ContentsSummary IntroductionWhat is TranscendentalismLiterature ReviewConclusionReferencesSummary Officially, Hinduism is said to have entered America in 1893 when the words of Swami Vivekananda's address, “Sisters and Brothers of America,” received thunderous applause at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. But in reality, a cross-cultural synthesis of Indian-American spiritual connections had already begun in the thoughts and writings of American writers. The wisdom of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita had already flourished in the minds of the greatest American writers of the 19th century - Ralph Waldo Emerson, William James, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Henry David Thoreau and many others. others. The philosophy of the Upanishads was so deeply etched in their minds that Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman were called the Brahmins of America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Although Emerson and Thoreau were born in America, they were Indian in temperament, nature, and philosophy. These two pioneers were key figures among Renaissance writers. Literature knows no racial or national boundaries but it crosses all seas to bring people to harmonious understanding. The literature of the world and certainly that of India is now abundantly available on the Internet for readers who use the English language. A new readable translation of the Bhagvad Gita, available for pennies, has sold a million copies in America and become a book of guidance for countless Native Americans and Indians.IntroductionIn my research paper on " The Bhagavad Gita, a great source of Knowledge and inspiration for Emerson' I have pointed out that Ralph Waldo Emerson was strongly influenced by the Bhagavad Gita. The highest level of Western civilization is advancing on the path traced by the great philosopher Emerson. It is therefore important that everyone understands his ideas of success, not only in Western civilization but also throughout the world. His ardent follower, Emerson, said: “I owed a wonderful day to the Bhagvad Gita. It was as if an empire was speaking to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, coherent, the voice of an old intelligence which, in another age and in another climate, had reflected and thus regulated the same questions that concern us. In fact, Ralph Waldo Emerson made the Bhagavad Gita and Vedic thought an integral part and foundation of Western philosophy. Ralph Waldo Emerson was the American poet-prophet. He is primarily remembered for his efforts to elevate the spiritual landscape of the American psyche. Emerson was born in 1803 in Boston, United States. He lost his father when he was only eight years old and was raised by his mother. Emerson lived his entire life in Massachusetts and became the core member of a group known as the Transcendentalists. His beliefs and ideas can be summed up in one of his own sentences: "Can anyone doubt that if the noblest saint among the Buddhists and the noblest Mohammedan, the highest Stoic of Athens, the Christian the purest and wisest, Manu in India, Confucius in China? , Spinoza in Holland, could somewhere meet and converse together, they would find themselves of a single religion? is TranscendentalismTranscendentalism, or American Transcendentalism, was a multifaceted movement. He introduced free thought into religion, intuitive idealism into philosophy, individualism into literature, a newspirit in social reforms and a new optimism in the minds of people. This New England movement flourished between 1830 and 1860. One of the first marks of this movement was the meeting of the Transcendental Club held at the home of George Ripley in Boston in the fall of 1836. As As an intellectual movement, Transcendentalism was influenced by Romanticism and post-Kantian idealism, and its main exponents were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Bronson Alcott. Initially, it began its journey as a religious movement, but it soon took on many other issues of contemporary times. The influence of transcendentalism is clearly visible in many American movements, whether religious, literary, political or philosophical. Regarding religion, she introduced free thought and reasoning into the understanding and practice of religion. In fact, it was the first revolt against historical Christianity, as it rejected religious forms, beliefs, rituals, and literal explanations of Scripture. Instead, he longed for an authentic religious experience. Establishing an original relationship with God and the universe was among the movement's primary goals. Rejecting religious formalities, Emerson in his "Divinity School Address" declared that "whenever the pulpit is usurped by a formalist, then the worshiper is defrauded and inconsolable." We retreat as soon as the prayers begin, which do not elevate us, but strike and offend us… It seemed strange that people came to church.” Thus, transcendentalism advocated a religious experience based on intuition and a direct relationship with the universe and its Creator. Review of Literature Emerson was considered the first American to read the sacred books of Hinduism. He received influence from reading these books; that is why he discussed Hinduism in his writings. The perfect example of this influence found in Emerson's poems and essays. Emerson conveyed about the Hindu holy book Gita that in England accepted laws and materialistic facts, the attractive, the delicate, the fearless, the beneficial, but they were not capable of creating as a book of Gita6. Emerson featured the Mayans in his many writings. . For example, he believed that people lived in an empire of illusion. He described the situation in human life whereby man only changes beds or moves from one bed to another. He went from the nothingness of life to the nothingness of death. In his essay “Experience” he says that people look from the glass (illusion) but they don't know if it's reality. He said that it is very complex to go through this illusion as Krishna describes it in the Upanishads. “My divine Maya, composed of gunas, is difficult to penetrate. But those who take refuge in me alone enter into this illusion. Emerson concluded that there is no limit to illusion. Emerson wrote about the concept of illusion which he borrowed from the Mayans. Maya is the concept in Hinduism which means dishonesty, fraud or betrayal. There are different types of illusions that distract and deceive the senses. In the sacred language, Maya means uselessness, different from the realism embodied by God or Brahman. God in His eternal and supreme aspect is pure consciousness and His response is a simple development within that consciousness. Maya is also illustrated in Hindu scriptures as the play (lila) of God ratified by his artistic and dynamic power or force. Emerson composed a third poem with a Hindu title other than "Brahma" and "Hamatreya", this short poem, entitled "Maya". The poem is called Maya for the Hindu goddess who keeps humanity undermagical charm of illusions. For Emerson, life was a puzzle; he appreciated the Hindus because they had tried hard to find an appropriate response to this situation. Another Hindu work inspired him a lot: the Katha Upanishad. In 1856, when he was fifty-three years old, he wrote in his Journal. Karma, another Indian theoretical idea, had a great influence on Emerson. Karma means work or action. The consequence of disobedience will be painful in the future. Various Hindu books (Gita, Upanishads and Vedas) show that disobedient people will face heavy punishment. “Self-reliance” is very similar to Karma. Emerson also talks about karma in his writings. It is also a concept in the Hindu religion. The word karma means actions or deeds. As a religious expression, karma describes the intentional moral relationships that influence a person's kismet in this (present) life and the next (the afterlife). Karma is an idea common to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, but explained in different ways. Anwaruddin conveys that despite minute disagreements, Emerson's idea is associated with Indian religious and philosophical concept. This had a very great influence on Emerson's writings. Emerson explored Indian spiritual and philosophical mores. He paved the way for people interested in works of Hinduism like the Gita and the Upanishads. Emerson opens the way for those who wish to work on Hindu philosophies. Due to his Indian philosophical influence, he knows a lot about Hindu concepts which he shows in his writings. Singh presents the similar idea that Emerson's intellectual writings were influenced by Indian religious and philosophical concepts. With the discovery of Indian philosophical and spiritual concepts, the way opened for those who wanted to explore ancient texts like the Gita and the Upanishads. Emerson's writings are very influenced by Eastern texts, from Hindu mysticism to Chinese philosophy, from Persian poetry to Hafiz to Buddhist. Pickford, the famous mystical poems were influenced by Persian poets such as "The Sphinx", it shows the mystifying and visionary tone of Emerson, "Hamatreya" shows the Hindu vision (wisdom) of England, "Bacchus" shows the carnival of poetic motivation, "Days" shows the mixture of puritan principles and visions and "Brahma" shows a concentration of Hindu concepts which refer to the connection between Niravana and altruism9. Kumar also gives the same idea that Emerson sought the value of acquisitive world and endless power. This is why he studies Hindu texts such as the Gita, the Vedas, the Upanishads, German idealism and various sacred books. Emerson was a great writer8. His essays are full of ideas and writing of concepts. He was the first to read the sacred scriptures of Hinduism and was deeply inclined towards the concepts of Hinduism. His works show Hindu influence. The titles and themes are derived from the Hindu book Vishnu. Many critics have spoken about the orientation of Islam and Emerson's original corpus, focusing on the fundamentals of Sufi mysticism, Hindu spiritualism, and literary principles of Asian culture in his works. When he was young, he started studying Hindu scriptures like Vishnu Purana, Gita, Katha Upanishad and Manu. He made various references to these sacred scriptures in his poems and essays. Emerson's notion of 'The Over Soul' is entirely linked to India. Careful examination of the concept of “Brahma” as well as its sources shows that the theme is not very close to Hebatic as it is to Indian. The analysis reveals that Emerson had the idea of ​​moralizing tendency fromVishnupurana. He got prompt motivation and explanations from the Katha Upanishads as well as the Gita which provided a precise framework and its theoretical depth. His ideas about sin, evil, freedom, suffering and destiny were stimulated by Hinduism. Emerson's notion of moral law also derives from Hinduism. It is stuck in God, above the highest soul or spirit. Emerson's idea of ​​the soul or spirit (Budhi of the Indian concept) is derived from Hinduism8. He identifies two kinds of mind, one is intuition and the other is intellect. The intellect provides superficial information or knowledge of variations and intuition offers information about harmony, unity and rationality. Emerson established the concept of intuition in the famous essay “Self Reliance” while searching for the reason for self-confidence. Emerson was the first major American literary figure to have studied intensely and comprehensively the philosophical literature available in India. This is surely illustrated in his own writings. In a letter to Max Mueller, Emerson wrote: "My whole interest is in Marsh's Manu, then in Wilkins.Geeta's Bhagavat, Burnouf's Bhagavat Purana and Wilson's Vishnu Purana, yes, and a few other translations. I remember that I owed my first taste of this fruit to Cousin's sketch, in his first lecture, of the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna and I still consider the first chapters of the Bhagavat to be wonderful. By 1856, Emerson had read the Katha Upanishads and his thoughts gradually reflected Indian influence. His poems, like “Hamatreya” (a poem composed in 1845), showed that he had well digested his Indian philosophical readings. Hamatreya was actually motivated by a passage in the Vishnu Purana. He was worried about the maya-illusion. Emerson traveled the entire path of Indian philosophy, literary and influenced by Hinduism. The sacred books of Hinduism, the Puranas, the Vedas, the Gita and the Upanishads, affected his intrusive mind. This irresistible impact converted him spiritually. He showed in his poems such as Hamatreya and Brahma the concept of Hinduism. Emerson is very close to Indian culture and his interest brings him closer to Hindu philosophies12. Manu is actually the mythology of India and Emerson uses the impact of Manu in his works. Rao points out that Emerson was surely influenced by Indian ideas. He had the ability to observe Indian culture in all its aspects. People could feel the impact of Manu, Hinduism and Gita through his works and life. Emerson is known for having a great impact on the philosophy and thought of his contemporaries as well as his successors. He brought Hinduism as a major influence in his writings. Some believe that he might have undertaken an in-depth study of Hinduism and Sanskrit literature during his stay in Germany. It is also believed that his aunt Mary Moody Emerson brought him several Indian religious scriptures such as Vedanta, Bhagavad-Gita and the Upanishads. Wouter J. Hanegraaff, in his book New Age Religion and Western Culture, discusses Emerson's view of Eastern religion and philosophy extensively. He writes: Buddhism remained foreign to him, as to many of his contemporaries, and the same goes for Taoism. Confucianism, on the other hand, was admired by Emerson for its ethical concern and common sense. But his deepest appreciation was for Hinduism, which he saw (in part under the influence of the reform Hinduism of Rammohun Roy's Brahmo Samaj, which had fascinated European and American Unitarians since the early 19th century) in great part in terms of Advaita Vedanta. observance and ritual of Hinduism and its point of concentration wasonly divinity, religion offers universally. Emerson's devotion to Indian religion is evident in many of his poems like "Brahma", "Hematreya" and "Maya". "Brahma" (1857) is a poem in which he directly invokes the supreme Hindu God Brahma, the God of creation, along with two other connected terms: Brahman (the essence, or "soul" of the universe) and Brahmin (Hindu priests). . The poem is a blend of philosophies of the 'Katha-Upanishads', the 'Maitri Upanishads' and the spiritual teaching of the Bhagavad-Gita, according to which the human soul exists with full vigor even after the death of the mortal body. A feeling of unification between the creator and the creation arises throughout the verses. Emerson states that the ultimate way to eternalize the human soul is to find the true essence of Brahma. Emerson takes the theme and title of "Hematreya" (1846) from the Vishnu Purana, an old Vedantic mythology. In “Hematreya” he introduces a stark contrast between the mortality of human power and the immortality of the Earth. Hematreya actually represents Maitreya, a character from Vishnu Purana who engages in conversation with Lord Vishnu regarding the pride of the powerful kings of the world and their ignorance of their mortality. Emerson's poem also follows the same theme in which the Earth declares its superiority over arrogant human beings. Where are these men? Asleep under their lands: and foreigners, as fond as them, plow their furrows. The Earth laughs like flowers to see its boastful boys. Proud land, proud of the land that is not theirs; who direct the plow, but cannot direct their feet out of the grave. Not only Emerson's poems, but also his essays are enriched with his Indian ideas. In his famous essay "The Over-Soul" (1941), Emerson discussed the divine nature of the human soul, an indomitable spirit that can only be perceived through moral action and spiritual practices. Emerson, during his reading of Indian philosophy, was very motivated by the concept of the eternal soul, as prescribed in the Bhagavad-Gita. Emerson contributed one of his poems titled “Unity” as the essay's epigraph. It is believed that Emerson began to lose interest in his own religion early after the deaths of those close to him: his first wife died only when he was nineteen, his brother died at twenty-nine, and his son died before reaching the age of 19. six because of scarlet fever. Although he belonged to a highly religious family and even though he was a religious preacher, his faith in religion began to wane because of the tragedy he faced in his life. Circumstances made him restless and he devoted himself to the study of Indian spiritualism for mental peace. Emerson began his bookish association with the wisdom of Asia during his college years. Although his knowledge of the writings of the Orient did not develop into intimacy until after Melville had inhaled the strong breezes of Sumatra, Emerson was almost the high priest of Orientalism in America by the time he published "Brahma" in the Atlantic Monthly in 1857. It will not be out of place here to quote verbatim the poem "Brahma": If the red slayer thinks he says, Or if the slain think he is slain, They know not well the ways subtle ones that I keep, and pass, and turn around. For me, far or forgetting is near; the shadow and the sun are the same; the departed gods appear to me: and one to me is shame and fame. Those who leave me outside count badly: when I fly, I am the wings; I am the skeptic and the doubter, and I am the hymn that the Brahmin sings. The strong god longs for my dwelling, and pinches the sacred Seven in vain; but you, sweet lover of the god! Find me and turn your back on the sky./52341.