WHAT IS HINDUISM?
Revolution, Relation and ‘The Third Realm’
So what can be done? If we wish to help bring about a
revolutionary transformation of the world do we militate or
meditate? Do we yoke ourselves to a socialist political
ideology or to a spiritual guru, with neither or with both?
Do we identify with modern, universalistic and
revolutionary movements aimed at the realization of
‘communism’ or identify with a pre-modern, regionally-
centred, ethnically-rooted and communalistic religion
focused on individual self-realisation?
It was the profound insight of Martin Buber that the
true locus of radical change or ‘revolution’ – the attainment
of worldwide human liberation or ‘Moksha’ – lies neither in
the realm of society or community nor that of the
individual, that it can be achieved neither through social
revolutionary movements – least of all nationalistic ones –
nor through the security of self-centred religious or
spiritual communities. Instead the decisive locus of
revolutionary change is a third realm – one beyond the
realm of the social or communal on the one hand, and the
realm of individual consciousness on the other. The ‘third
realm’ is the realm of relationality as such – of immediate
human relations between individuals.