- Dr. P. Mary Vidya Porselvi
Introduction
The Spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola is an integrative form of spirituality. He offers a frame work in his Spiritual Exercises that would enable the openness to have God-experience in a particular historical and cultural context. St. Ignatius beautifully narrates how the Triune Person gaze at the world: “I will see the various persons, some here, and some there. First, those on the face of the earth, so diverse in dress and behavior: some white and others black, some in peace and others at war, some weeping and others laughing, some healthy and others sick, some being born and others dying, and so forth” (Sp. Ex.106). This correlation unfolds the multiple existential nature of human beings on the face of the earth. Ignatian Spirituality broadly accommodates people of different kinds and enables to find God’s presence in all things. Jesuit Missionaries drawing inspiration from the Ignatian Spirituality went around the world and preached the good news, imbibing the cultural spirit of the locals.
Constantine Joseph Beschi (1680-1742) is a Jesuit priest, who reached India in 1710 and adapted a life style of Hindu Sanyasi. He lived in Tamilnadu and known by the Tamil People as Veeramamunivar, He preached the Christian message in the context of Indian cultural. He built many Marian shrines that have an indigenous touch in different parts of Tamilnadu. Apart from this, his contribution to Tamil literature is enormous. He has contributed at least 23 classical works to Tamil literature. His poetic work Thembavani is an extraordinary epic, which speaks about the life and works of St. Joseph. He compiled Chaturakarati, a dictionary with lexicons, synonyms, categories of words etc. He translated and explained in Latin the ‘Thirukural’, the epic poem of Thiruvalluvar. This Latin work was an eye opener for European intellectuals, enabling them to discover truth and beauty of Tamil literature. In the present discussion we are making an attempt to find the-earth based spirituality he introduced relating the Ignatian spirituality and the local culture. Beschi’s Italian birth, his Jesuit training with Ignatian values and his deep understanding of Tamil worldviews contribute to a novel framework of earth-based spirituality or eco-spirituality.
The eco-spiritual leadership kit for the youth is inspired by St. Ignatius, Beschi, St. Joseph and above all Jesus Christ. It rebuilds the worldview of abundance and a deep sense of gratitude; reassures a holistic outlook and a spirit of interconnectedness; reinforces respect for divinity and belief in sacredness; rediscovers goodness in life and faith in thoughts, words and action.
Ignatian Spirituality is intricately related to the earth-based spirituality of Constantine Joseph Beschi. According to George W. Traub SJ, the important characteristics of Ignatian spirituality are : 1) It sees life and the whole universe as a gift calling forth wonder and gratefulness; 2) It gives ample scope to imagination, emotion as well as intellect; 3) It seeks to find the divine in all things, in all peoples and cultures, in all areas of study and learning, in every human experience, and (for the Christian) especially in the person of Jesus; 4) It cultivates critical awareness of personal and social evil, but points to God’s love as more powerful than any evil; 5) It stresses freedom, need for discernment, and responsible action; 6) It empowers people to become leaders in service, men and women for others, whole persons of solidarity, building a more just and humane world. It promotes interconnectedness, interdependence of all life forms which in turn amounts to an innovative framework of eco-spirituality.
Constantine Joseph Beschi integrated Ignatian spirituality with the Tamil Tinai view of life. Tinai is an integrative nature-centric way of life that is an integral part of Tamil culture. The worldview of Tinai is a worldview of abundance. The Tamil culture and civilization believed in interconnectedness, interdependence and intrinsic value of life.
The six eco-spiritual leadership tools represented through Latin phrases are the following: 1. Gratia Humanitas that rebuilds abundance and gratitude 2. La vista Totalis that reassures holism and interconnectedness 3. Omni Modis that reinforces divinity and sacredness 4. Bono Trutina that rediscovers goodness and faith 5. Onus Actio that reaffirms freedom with responsibility and 6. Deuce Opera that redefines leadership with the spirit of service.
Abundance and Gratitude (Gratia Humanitas)
‘Abundance and Gratitude’ signifies the quintessential relationship between abundance and thankfulness. Beschi integrated the spirit of thankfulness with the act of benevolence in all his life and works. This leadership quality of Beschi made him both deeply human and divine. He was grateful for his Italian origin, Ignatian training and Tamil experience. His worldview of abundance emerges from a grateful heart and mind. The name Valan given to St. Joseph by Beschi, to the head of the Holy Family signifies the poet-philosopher’s understanding of the worldview of abundance.
The name ‘Valan’ comes from the Tamil word Valam, meaning abundance. Abundance is the worldview of people who live close to nature. Ignatian spirituality helped Bechi to find “God in all things”. According to George W. Traub SJ, Ignatian spirituality, “sees life and the whole universe as a gift calling forth wonder and gratefulness.” Beschi affirmed also the Tinai worldview of abundance inherent in the culture and civilization of Tamil people.
The three levels of Gratia Humanitas praxis are: a) Looking around in nature and culture with mindfulness for blessings; b) Being grateful for life and everything around and consciously reflecting and acting accordingly; c) Exploring the difference between the worldview of abundance and scarcity and creating alternative discourses that promote wellbeing and sustainability.
Holism and Interconnectedness (La Vista Totalis)
The phrase La Vista Totalis denotes “total view” or “whole picture”. The three levels of La Vista Totalis praxis are: a) awareness of the whole portrait in relation to the parts and recognizing the importance of interconnectedness of all life forms; b) Interrogating reductionist world-views with a holistic outlook and integrative approach; c) Understanding the deep connections between cultures and celebrating diversity and pluralism across the world. Beschi was able to effectively synergize the ideals of Ignatian spirituality with the Tamil Tinai view of life in his thoughts, works and deeds. As a scholar, poet and storyteller, Beschi had an extraordinary poetic imagination. As a great sage with courage he exhibited a prophetic holistic vision in both theory and practice.
Divinity and Sacredness by all means (Omni Modis)
Ignatian Spirituality, “seeks to find the divine in all things-in all peoples and cultures, in all areas of study and learning, in every human experience” (Traub). The word Akam in Tamil denotes heart, home and also the Earth. In the earth-centric Tinai culture humans respected the divinity and sacredness of all life forms. They considered nature and its relation to humans as Karu meaning “the embryo” or “the core”. The deep ecological emphasis on the respect for intrinsic value or inherent worth of all living beings. On the basis of Ignatian spirituality Beschi find God’s presence in all things in every way and aligning with the Tinai cosmos of Tamil people he found Divine in all beings. Flora and Fauna are seeb in relation to the human life.
Omni Modis translates into “in every possible way” or “by all means”. The three levels of Omni Modis praxis are: a) Exploring the intrinsic value in all life forms and finding divine in all beings and things; b) Challenging insensitivity and indifference with belief in the sacredness and divinity of all beings on this planet; c) Identifying discourses of the marginalized, the oppressed and the other and acknowledge them with respect, love and compassion.
Goodness and Faith (Bono Trutina)
Ignatian spirituality cultivates critical awareness of personal and social evil, but points to God’s love as more powerful than any evil. Beschi understood the conflict of good and evil in human beings, but strongly believed in the power of the Omnipotent to help them in their battle of good over evil. In this way, he effectively integrated earth-based Tinai spirituality with transcendent Ignatian spirituality.
Beschi’s ‘Tempavani’ as an epic underscores the victory of good over evil with the spiritual guidance of God. Beschi’s moral stories of the Paramartha Guru and his disciples also allegorically communicate divine guidance in tackling the problems of good and evil in the society. The three levels of Bono Trutina praxis are: a) Discerning the good and bad in life with tools of discernment; b) Believing in the supreme power beyond good and evil; c) Constructing discourses of goodness with clarity and precision towards the wellbeing of the individual and group.
Freedom with Responsibility (Onus Actio)
It “stresses freedom, need for discernment, and responsible action.” The spirit of discernment and responsible thought into action are central to both Ignatian Spirituality and the Tinai system. As the Tamil poem Purananuru by Kaniyan Punkunranar states, “good and bad does not come from others, but it results from an individual’s actions” (‘Theethum Nanrum Pirar Thara Vaara’). Valan in Tempavani exemplifies the spirit of discernment and responsible action. The three levels of Onus Actio praxis are: a) Exploring the value of freedom against slavery/bondage; b) Recognizing the importance of freedom with responsibility; c) Reflecting and acting with responsibility, with love and courage at home and society.
Leadership and Service (Deuce Opera)
“It empowers people to become leaders in service, men and women for others, whole persons of solidarity, building a more just and humane world” (Traub). Beschi’s ‘Tempavani’ belongs to the genre of epic poetry. It represents Joseph as a universal hero and a leader with superhuman qualities. St. Joseph as the head of the holy family is portrayed as the epic hero who transcends both time and space. The epic hero represents the entire humankind. The setting is usually grand in scope, covering nations and cultures, the whole world, or the entire universe.
At the same time, Valan as the head of the holy family and an epic hero emphasizes the importance of the family as the central unit of the society and the world at large. In an epic, the action consists of deeds of great valor and courage. Valan emerges as an epic hero with the quintessential qualities of love and courage reflecting the Tinai cosmos. The epic style is sustained in tone and language communicating the grandeur of the epic theme. Valan’s cosmos is filled with the grandeur of nature in terms of language, tone and style. In an epic, the supernatural forces interest themselves in human action and often intervene directly. St. Joseph’s life was an example of the Human-Divine interaction as represented in the Gospel and adapted in Tempavani.
Through the holy family represented in Tempavani, the youth of today can learn: 1. Valan’s responsibility, integrity and care towards his family; 2. Individual human responsibility, family responsibility, social-cultural responsibility and environmental responsibility; 3. Respect and dignity for women and in today’s context, the other genders; 4. Nurturing the children with care and concern as responsible social, cultural and ecological citizens of the planet.
The Ignatian spirituality emphasized the shaping of human beings as men and women for others. The Tinai system believed in nurturing humans as whole beings with love and courage. Beschi understood that leadership and service are intricately connected to one another. By bringing Valan from the margin to the center, Beschi created an opportunity to view St. Joseph as a responsible servant-leader of his age. The three levels of Deuce Opera praxis are: a) Building the leadership skills through words and deeds required for oneself and others; b) Creating a plan to help others develop leadership skills in thoughts, words and actions; c) Practicing ways to serve the community with leadership skills with a vision for the future.
Conclusion
This article views the intricate connections between Ignatian spirituality and the earth-based spirituality found in the life and works of Constantine Joseph Beschi. The eco-spiritual leadership kit for the youth is inspired by St. Ignatius, Beschi, St. Joseph/Valan and above all Jesus Christ. It rebuilds the worldview of abundance and a deep sense of gratitude; reassures a holistic outlook and a spirit of interconnectedness; reinforces respect for divinity and belief in sacredness; rediscovers goodness in life and faith in thoughts, words and action; reaffirms freedom of mind and heart which in turn translates into responsibility; and redefines the spirit of service for humankind and the environment.
