The public broadcasting dialogue experiment “What Unites Germany” and the accompanying debates attempt to create a media forum for social cohesion by addressing the most pressing and contentious issues of our time. The focus is on empirical areas of conflict such as equality, migration, the state of democracy, a paralyzing “culture of complaining,” and profound socio-cultural change. Although these topics are undeniably relevant to everyday life, their media and political treatment remains entirely within the sphere of what Advaita Vedanta calls Vyavaharika —the empirical, transactional level of everyday reality characterized by duality, particular interests, and fundamental division. A closer look at this format reveals a glaring emptiness: It lacks any debate about spirituality, religion, and the deeper metaphysical dimensions of being.
What truly holds Germany together
On the spiritual void in public dialogue
A commentary by Joachim Nusch, Sovereign Vedic Mentor. Consciousness researcher. Expert in Eastern wisdom traditions and intercultural understanding. Intercultural bridge builder specializing in India and Vedanta.
What holds a society together when political camps drift apart, cultural certainties become fragile, and trust in institutions dwindles? Are debates about migration, democracy, and social justice sufficient to permanently stabilize a community, or are we overlooking a deeper level of human interconnectedness?
When ARD launched its dialogue experiment “What Unites Germany,” this very question was at the forefront. People of different backgrounds, lifestyles, and political convictions engaged in conversation. Topics such as migration, equality, democracy, social change, and the often-lamented “culture of complaining” dominated the discussions.
The concern deserves recognition. Yet, precisely where the true depth of the question lies, there was a surprising silence. Spirituality, religion, consciousness, or the spiritual foundations of coexistence were hardly discussed. This reveals a characteristic feature of modern Western society: it engages in intensive discussions about structures, interests, and conflicts, but often avoids the question of the meaning that is supposed to underpin these structures in the first place.
The forgotten dimension of cohesion
Our time possesses an impressive capacity for analysis. Hardly any social problem remains unexplored. Studies examine the causes of polarization, the media analyze conflicts, and political programs promise solutions.
Nevertheless, it often seems as if we are working on the symptoms while the causes remain in the dark.
Vedic philosophy distinguishes between different levels of reality. The empirical world of everyday life, with its conflicts, interests, and political disputes, is called Vyavaharika. This is where debates about migration, social justice, and economic development take place.
But beneath this lies a deeper level. Advaita Vedanta speaks of a fundamental unity of life that is common to all people. This level is called Paramarthika – the level of undivided consciousness.
When a society only discusses superficial issues and loses sight of this deeper dimension, an inner emptiness arises. People may live side by side, but they no longer find a shared inner point of reference. Neighbors become special interest groups, fellow citizens become political opponents, and societal diversity increasingly gives way to fragmentation.
The French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville observed as early as the 19th century that democracies do not thrive solely on laws, but also on shared moral and cultural foundations. Without these foundations, freedom and social cohesion become strained in the long run.
The illusion of separation
From the perspective of Advaita Vedanta, societal division is rooted in a form of ignorance known as Avidya.
This isn’t about a lack of education or information. It’s about a deeper misapprehension of reality. People identify exclusively with their individual personality, their social status, their group, or their ideology. They forget the connection to the bigger picture.
The Vedic tradition describes this state with the image of the ocean and its waves. Those who only look at the waves see competition, collision, and separation. Those who look deeper recognize that all waves are an expression of the same ocean.
Similar ideas can also be found in European intellectual history. The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, who was strongly influenced by the Upanishads, wrote:
“Multiplicity is merely appearance; in truth, we are all one.”
Where this awareness fades, fear, division, and mistrust grow. From feelings of inner insecurity, enemy images emerge. Public debate becomes more heated, camps harden, and each group increasingly views the other as a threat.
What sociologists today describe as polarization, cultural trauma, or identity conflict appears from a Vedic perspective as a symptom of a deeper alienation.
The Vedic Song of Unity
A remarkable counter-proposal is offered by the Sanjnana Sukta of the Rigveda, one of the oldest texts of mankind.
His central message is essentially:
Go together. Talk together. Let your thoughts resonate in harmony.
The text by no means demands uniformity. Differing opinions remain. What is crucial is rather the shared focus on a unifying reality that transcends individual interests.
The hymn describes a state in which thought, feeling, and action are guided by a shared consciousness. Not uniformity, but inner coherence forms the basis of coexistence.
This idea is reminiscent of the words of the Indian philosopher and mystic Sri Aurobindo:
“Unity does not mean equality. Unity means harmony in diversity.”
In a time of growing social tensions, this idea seems surprisingly modern.
Rta and Dharma – The Lost Order
Vedic philosophy posits that the universe is neither random nor chaotic. It follows a fundamental order known as Rta.
Rta is the rhythm of nature, the changing of the seasons, the movement of the stars, and at the same time the moral framework of life. Truth, nature, and ethics are not separate realms.
From this cosmic order arises Dharma – the art of living in harmony with this order.
Dharma means far more than religion. It describes responsibility, integrity, a sense of community, and the ability to align one’s actions with a greater whole.
In contrast, modern societies are primarily organized through contracts, laws, and institutional procedures. These instruments are important, but they alone do not create a sense of belonging.
Trust cannot be mandated.
Solidarity cannot be administered.
A sense of community is not created through legal texts.
The Roman philosopher Seneca already noted:
“No society can exist if everyone only seeks their own advantage.”
The Vedic tradition would add: A society loses its center when it loses its connection to its Dharma.
The post-secular challenge
Interestingly, modern thinkers also arrive at similar insights.
The German philosopher Jürgen Habermas was long considered a proponent of consistently secular thought. However, over the course of his life he recognized that modern societies suffer from a growing deficit of meaning and motivation.
Habermas therefore speaks of a “post-secular society”.
He argues that religious and spiritual traditions contain valuable moral resources that remain indispensable for social cohesion. However, these contents must be translated into a language that people outside religious communities can also understand.
This insight touches upon the famous Böckenförde dilemma:
A free state depends on conditions that it cannot create itself.
In other words, democracy needs trust, responsibility, and moral guidance. But these do not arise automatically from democratic processes.
This is precisely the weakness of many current debates. They address political and social symptoms, but avoid the question of the sources of meaning, responsibility, and connection.
Beyond symptom management
Migration, social inequality, cultural conflicts, and loss of trust are real challenges. They deserve attention and political solutions.
However, none of these questions can be answered permanently as long as the deeper foundations of coexistence remain unclear.
The Vedic tradition reminds us that connection does not need to be created. It already exists.
It lies below all differences.
Below origin.
Below Religion.
Below ideologies.
Below political camps.
Humans don’t need to produce this unity. They need to rediscover it.
The mystic Rumi summed up this insight in a single sentence:
“Beyond right and wrong, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”
Perhaps the real challenge of our time is not to find better arguments. Perhaps it is to reopen a space where people can experience themselves as part of a larger whole.
Only there does the dialogue begin that truly lives up to its name.
Final thought
The future of social cohesion will not be decided solely in talk shows, parliaments, or social networks. It will also be decided by whether a culture finds the courage to speak again about meaning, consciousness, connection, and the spiritual foundations of humanity.
A society that merely manages its conflicts will ultimately remain exhausted. However, a society that rediscovers its shared inner source finds orientation, resilience, and cohesion.
Perhaps that is precisely the answer to the question of what unites Germany.
Podcast
A commentary by Joachim Nusch, Sovereign Vedic Mentor. Consciousness researcher. Expert in Eastern wisdom traditions and intercultural understanding. Intercultural bridge builder specializing in India and Vedanta.