Critical Podium Dewanand Hinduism
Hinduism: The Global Dharma for the new Millenium
by Parama Karuna Devi
Sacrificer Parama Karuna Devi
Sacrifice code wfor0387
Sacrifice date 25 march 2009
Hinduism: The Global Dharma for the new Millenium
http://www.kentaxrecords.com
Parama Karuna Devi
Hinduism is destined to be the Global Dharma for the
new Millennium. Why?
Because it is open, tolerant, incredibly deep in meaning and knowledge
and capable of reconciling all theoretical differences. It offers a personalized
access and progressive programmes to each individual, favoring cultural
diversity. It addresses each degree of personal development and field
of interest, and at the same time it presents a complete, consistent and
logical wider picture. Its corpus of knowledge is immense, if compared
to the tiny volumes of sacred scriptures of other religions. Both as original
scriptures and as commentaries and exegesis, the sacred library of Hindus
can easily outweigh any other tradition. And the complexity, completeness
and depth of its philosophy and theology are unsurpassable.
Hinduism is the most suitable religion for today's world because it teaches
a healthy wholistic approach to life, sustainable development, respect
for women and children, respect for animals and nature, and true social
cooperation.
Furthermore, it can explain all the most mysterious phenomena of reality,
usually dismissed as "not knowable" by Semitic religions or
even still puzzling modern sciences.
Its modernity and the scientific value of its scriptures have been recognized
with awe and admiration by the greatest scientists and researchers of
this contemporary age and have made it extremely popular among the intellectual
elites of Western countries.
Why then, Hinduism is so underestimated in India?
Because in India knowledge has not been made sufficiently accessible and
presented with self confidence and seriousness. Indians do not take Hinduism
seriously enough.
For the last 200 years the best families of India, the very intelligentsia
of Indian finance, culture and public administration have sent their children
to Christian Mission schools to get a good academic education, with the
sad result of creating a deeply rooted inferiority complex and a strong
negative attitude towards Hinduism in the best brains of society, generation
after generation.
Values and attitudes absorbed in the very early years of the character
formation of a child, from those people one is expected to respect as
teachers (gurus) and educators, do not disappear later in life even if
they are impossible to reconcile with one's own family tradition and values.
The teachings one receives in the family are certainly more limited in
quantity, concentration and power than the teachings one receives at school,
also because of the natural desire of emulation and competition among
school mates.
In a family mothers are usually less educated in philosophy and theology,
fathers are too busy with their occupational duties, and generally Hindu
traditions are absorbed by children only through ceremonies that remain
unexplained philosophically and theologically: it becomes reduced to simple
folklore.
Since these journalists, writers and scientists, government officers
and professors, being educated in Christian schools, heavily influence
society with their negative opinions and attitudes, it is inevitable that
the general atmosphere continues to feed a sense of inferiority among
Hindus.
In the last century, due to the efforts of qualified, sincere and selfless
preachers, Vedic knowledge and Hinduism have become very famous all over
the world and especially in developed countries like Europe, north America
and Australia, where the number of people sincerely studying and practicing
the principles of Sanatana Dharma in its various paths has grown immensely.
However Sanatana Dharma, generally called Hinduism, has been facing serious
problems in its homeland, India, and such problems must be addressed and
solved for the benefit of the entire planet. Terrorist attacks against
temples and pilgrims, public defamation of Vedic knowledge and traditions,
and desecration of Hindu temples and images are now very frequent occurrences
in India, although they are rarely reported by the media. Generally, no
action is taken to protect the Hindus or to punish their persecutors,
as the government is afraid of the vocal protests of Christian and Muslim
fundamentalists and the so-called "secularists" who directly
or indirectly support them against Hinduism.
These Christian and Muslim fundamentalists claim a "freedom of religion"
based on the vilification and destruction of Hinduism on the pretext of
a supposed superiority of their own Semitic faith (considered "the
only true religion") and their "duty to convert" people
from other religions, whom they disparagingly call "pagans",
"heathens" or "infidels". We have practically seen
that any system is considered acceptable in their conversion campaigns,
including unethical methods such as aggression and violence, blackmailing,
bribing, defamation by spreading falsities, plain fraud, false promises,
political pressure and lobbying, passing of laws that prohibit people
to practice other religions etc.
Their claim for freedom of religion and the right to conduct conversion
campaigns is basically aimed at trying to demonstrate to innocent people
that Hinduism is "wrong" - a bunch of superstitions and backward
practices they often ridicule and label as "idolatry" and "witchcraft".
Their "holy war" against such "enemies of the only true
God" is clearly stated: "You shall not tolerate a witch to live".
On the other hand, Hindus very rarely react to defamation and aggression
against Hinduism, out of a mistaken sense of tolerance and sometimes due
to a conscious or subconscious feeling of cultural inferiority. Many Hindus
feel they should not oppose the exclusivist claims of Christianity or
Islam, for fear of being branded "Hindu fundamentalists". This
fear is unfounded. It is unjustified like the fear of a honest person
who is afraid to be considered a "honesty fundamentalist" if
he stands on his principles by refusing to steal, bribe, cheat or tell
lies. Strict adherence to one's principles is not a bad thing, provided
the principles are not contrary to ethics.
This is the crux of the problem.
Misinformed people not make any distinctions between ethical and unethical
principles in religious behavior, considering all kinds of behaviors as
acceptable if labeled as "religious". However, conscience and
good discrimination (tattva-viveka) clearly tell us that such an attitude
is extremely dangerous and destructive.
This is why the unethical and illegal activities committed in the name
of religious fundamentalism are condemned in civilized countries: not
because it is a bad thing to strictly follow one's own good principles,
but because that particular brand of fundamentalism does not allow ethics,
intelligence and discrimination, common sense, fairness, equity, compassion
and truthfulness to interfere with what they consider the application
of their "religious principles" of indisputable domination over
everything and everyone else. These people believe that religion is about
deceit, corruption and ruthlessness, material power, greed, entitlement,
Empire building and world conquest. They are strongly convinced that higher
philosophical and ethical concepts and ideals are not supported or operational
in daily lives and are therefore irrelevant.
George Grant, Executive Director of the Coral Ridge Ministries in the
US, expresses such beliefs in his book "The Changing of the Guard:
Biblical Principles for Political Action": "Christians have
an obligation, a mandate, a commission, a holy responsibility to reclaim
the land for Jesus Christ, to have dominion in civil structures, just
as in every other aspect of life and godliness. But it is dominion we
are after. Not just a voice. It is dominion we are after. Not just influence.
It is dominion we are after. Not just equal time. It is dominion we are
after. World conquest. That's what Christ has commissioned us to accomplish.
We must win the world with the power of the Gospel. And we must never
settle for anything less... Thus, Christian politics has as its primary
intent the conquest of the land - of men, families, institutions, bureaucracies,
courts and governments, for the Kingdom of Christ." (p. 50-51)
Christian coalition field director Bill Thompson echoes this attitude
in speaking about opposition in the United States: "We are going
to run over them. Get around them, run over the top of them, destroy them
- whatever you need to do, so that God's word is the word that is being
practiced in Congress, townhalls, and State legislatures. That's your
job."
Not all Christians agree with this ideological position, but moderate
Christians are largely unable to neutralize this irreligion going on in
the name of Christianity. These fanatics take power by their determination
and aggressiveness, by manipulating and exploiting the good sentiments
of more lukewarm Christians who supply funds and votes in elections. They
also very vocally claim freedom of religion for themselves and their organizations
all over the world, although their freedom of religion is explicitly aimed
at denying freedom and validity to all other religions and erasing them
forever by any means.
Something is wrong with such a perception of religion: it is based on
ignorance. Vedic scriptures explain that the influence of ignorance makes
people mistake religion for irreligion, and irreligion for religion. Therefore
we need to destroy misunderstandings, ignorance and prejudice, and allow
truth to become established by its own merits by sufficient information
and philosophical discussion.
Christian and Muslim propaganda in these past centuries has created the
idea that Hinduism or Vedic knowledge is inferior to Christianity and
Islam by definition. Thus Hindus have been made to feel they have no right
to defend their own religious tradition, thinking it is not worthy. Furthermore,
both Christians and Muslims resort to the accusation of "blasphemy"
whenever their ideas or behaviors are reasonably questioned.
Our purpose is to establish the real facts by supplying substantial information
about history, theology, philosophy, ethics, and all round solid evidence
about the superiority of Vedic knowledge and religion over Semitic or
Abrahamic religions (which include both Christianity and Islam). This
will be done by illustrating the merits of Hinduism and the demerits of
Semitic religions from different angles in the following chapters.
We also need to make a distinction between the original genuine teachings
of Jesus and the institutionalized and politicized form of Christianity
that fell back into the same precise mistakes and misbehaviors that Jesus
was trying to correct. For this purpose we have added a section with a
brief history of Semitic religions in the west and the changes in Christian
philosophy and theology from the first disciples of Jesus to the present
day Churches of different denominations.
It is important to acknowledge the existence, among those who consider
themselves Christians, of good and sincere people who honestly try to
improve their own character and life by developing love for their fellow
human beings and for God as the creator of everything and everybody. Many
of these people believe their duty is to help others out of selfless charity,
and they painstakingly work to make a world a better place.
However, good intentions alone are not sufficient, without the proper
knowledge.
It is useless to discuss with people who are not in good faith, but we
have the duty to communicate and if possible cooperate with people who
work in good faith by pointing out mistakes and misconceptions and offering
good suggestions, for their own good and for the benefit of the general
society. So in the course of this work we will point out many of the defects
of the official policies and theology of the Christian Churches as the
institutionalized and politicized form of Christianity as a Semitic or
Abrahamic religion.
We, as Hindus and followers of Sanatana Dharma, don't want to persecute
anyone. We simply want to help everyone by fighting ignorance and dangerous
misconceptions.
The big difference between Hinduism and the institutionalized Semitic
faiths is that Hinduism has always been very tolerant and open to accepting
and including all genuine spiritual paths. Even when faced with dubious
spiritual paths, Hinduism always tried to reconcile these forms of religion
with the general principles of religion by considering them different
paths to reach the same goal and offering a greater picture where all
contradictions could be solved in a positive way. We must continue to
be tolerant and open-minded, and accept that all paths ultimately lead
to God.
However, we must make a distinction between the imperfect philosophical
conclusions of uneducated people and the deliberate ill motivations of
political manipulators. Many people who unwittingly follow faulty conclusions
and bad leaders are actually sincere and motivated by the desire to live
a righteous life and help others.
Hindus must continue to adhere to truthfulness, compassion and respect
for others and foster cooperation and harmony among all, because this
is Dharma, the law of the good functioning of the universe. At the same
time we all need to clarify truth and establish justice, protecting good
people and neutralizing evil doers.
Now, the genuine principles of religion are truthfulness, compassion,
cleanliness and self discipline. Whoever follows these principles in precept
and example is a religious or good, person, while whoever follows the
opposite of these principles in precept and or example is an irreligious
or bad person.
Nobody can claim to be a religious person, no group can claim to be a
religious group, if their teachings and behavior are based on deceit and
lies, hypocrisy, double standards, manipulation or destruction of truth
for selfish purposes, cruelty, aggression, violence, uncleanliness and
lack of discrimination for self discipline.
At the same time we need to be very careful about our own behavior, correct
our own mistakes and purify our own consciousness, to put ourselves beyond
all criticism. It is not good to allow indignation and anger, even against
evil doers, to obscure our compassion and balance, and to create unnecessary
sufferings to innocent people.
We cannot allow provocation to drag us away from the strict adherence
to Dharma. However, we have the precise duty to carry out public philosophical
debates to shed light over the defects and dangers of false Dharma, or
Adharma, irreligion, in order to re-establish the proper religious principles
in society.
It is not our intention to incite to hatred, persecution or violence
against Christians or Muslims or any other group. We want to help the
people who follow Semitic religions to improve their own understanding
of spirituality and religion, and become better people and better spiritualists.
Although, obviously, such a choice depends on them.
It does not advocate the banning or oppression of other religious groups
or communities. Hinduism is based on openness and respect for all genuine
spiritual paths and is ready to include them into the general vision of
Sanatana Dharma.
Our work is meant to dissipate the false myths about the superiority of
Christianity. It is aimed at creating dignity and self-esteem that is
still largely absent in Hindus, to support trust and faith in Vedic knowledge,
and to heal an inferiority complex that has been created during the very
long period of political and cultural colonization in India first by the
Muslims and then by the Christians.
India has been a free and independent country for more than 50 years
now. Still, the bad effects of colonialism are being felt, and because
they are not addressed properly they take pernicious directions, being
channeled into xenophobia, narrow mindedness, a backward attitude in regard
to progress and cultivation of general knowledge, and even hooliganism
and communal clashes. All these factors aggravate the problem and present
a distorted image of Hindus and Hinduism to the public opinion in the
world. Hinduism needs a genuine Renaissance, a spiritual revolution that
can bring it back to the glory of the Vedic times, when scholars of the
entire world came to study in Hindu universities and learn philosophy,
theology, ethics, medicine, architecture, metallurgy, chemistry, physics,
astronomy and mathematics and all other sciences.
How to do that? We need action at a grassroot level. It cannot come from
the government or the politicians, although they can surely help if they
want to. We need to rally together and cooperate practically and actively,
sacrificing our time, our energies, our money. We should not hesitate
or let ourselves be discouraged by difficulties and differences.
Let us concentrate on our common goals and on the immediate danger that
faces us all. Unity is the greatest power, and the greatest need in the
hour of emergency.
***
Critical Podium Dewanand Hinduism
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