Hinduism – Religion or Dharma?, by Sunil Tuppale
Growing up in Bharat, I have always heard people proclaiming, “All Religions are the same and they teach the same thing.” Elders, teachers, great men of Bharat, leaders and intellectuals, all of them have been drumming the same tone. Naturally I believed in it until I could think for myself. I have seen that it is only in Bharat that one hears the above expression. I have lived in the West for quite some time and I must say I haven’t seen any staunch Christian say the same. I have seen that practicing Christians believe that they alone are right in their beliefs and everyone else who is not a Christian has no chance of being saved. The same goes for Muslims. I have some Muslim friends who are pious and committed to Islam. But they are sincere in their belief that they alone are the chosen people and that they have the last word on Religion, Truth, God and that all non-Muslims are doomed.
It made me wonder why are Hindus so keen on speaking for the other religions? I have heard Hindus eagerly quote the mantra from the Rig Veda “Ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti” to mean that truth is one and that truth is called as Allah or Jesus by different religions. They don’t quote the entire mantra. They quote only a fourth of the mantra. The entire mantra is:
Indram mitram varunam agnim ahuhu
atho divya sa suparno garutman
ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti
agnim yamam matarisvanam ahuhu (Rigveda 1.164.46)
‘They hail him as Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni or the Divine Garuda.
Truth is one and the Wise ones refer to the truth by different names as
Agni, Yama, and Matarisvan.’
To use this verse to say that all religions are the same is a blatant misuse of the profound verse. To say all religions are the same, one must have studied deeply all the different religions. I have seen that people who claim that all religions are the same have rarely studied other religions. They are just parroting that statement they heard from someone and it is not a conclusion that they arrived at by their own study, understanding and conviction. Also I wish to raise a fundamental question. Is Hinduism also a religion like Christianity and Islam? Why should we consider religions on par with Hinduism?
Before I begin, I want to decipher the word religion. A word means one thing in one part of the world whereas in another part of the world, the same word means something totally different. Take the instance of the word secularism. In the West it means the separation of the Church and the State. Where as in Bharat, the definition of secularism is “Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava” which means all religions will be considered equal and given equal preference. Thus the meaning of secularism is totally distorted in Bharat. And particularly secularism in the current context implies animosity towards anything Hindu.
What does the word religion connote in the Western world? It connotes that a religion should be monotheistic. In other words they should believe in One God. It should have a Prophet and that Prophet is reckoned to have been the person who started the religion at a particular point in history. So the three main religions we have are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Of course there are other religions like Zoroastrianism, Shintoism, Bahai, and so on. But for the purpose of this discussion let us consider the monotheistic religions, particularly Christianity and Islam because they are the only two religions aggressively competing for converts. The rest of the religions are non-converting and therefore non-aggressive and non-invasive. Judaism is a non-converting religion. In other words, you can’t convert to become a Jew. Either you are born a Jew or you are not a Jew. But Christianity and Islam thrive on conversion. In fact they feel that if they don’t convert, their statuses are in peril. So they have perfected the art of conversion. Another feature of monotheistic religions is that they all believe that this One God, whom they claim created the world, is located up in Heaven. And all the monotheistic religions have a ‘Day of Judgment.’ In the cases of Christianity and Islam in particular, the theology is imposed so strongly that people are told that if one doesn’t accept their doctrines, one would have to be punished with eternal damnation and all believers of the respective doctrines would go to Heaven and stay with God forever. That is what is meant by the word salvation. They all believe in one birth and you have to proclaim your faith and adherence to the particular doctrines of your faith in this birth or you will burn in the eternal pit fire of hell. And there is no chance of redemption.
In the East, the word religion has a different sense all together. We call it Dharma. There is no English equivalent for the word Dharma. It is loosely translated as religion. But it is definitely not religion in the Western sense. Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma. Sanatana means timeless, meaning there was never a time when it was not. Dharma is a profound word.
It is also called Vaidika Dharma because it is based on the Vedas. The Vyakhya (elaboration) of Dharma is “Dharyate iti Dharma.” That which upholds everything is Dharma. There is a Cosmic order in the Universe. That order is manifest as everything in this Universe. That which holds this vast and wonderful universe with all its millions of stars, galaxies, planets with all the things and beings in harmony is this Rita, the Cosmic order. The Cosmic order includes the physical, physiological, psychological and spiritual order. All these are the manifestations of Bhagavan. For Hindus, Bhagavan (The Lord) is present in the form of the Cosmic order. In fact Bhagavan is never separate from this Universe. The Shastras (scriptures) say that all that is here is Bhagavan. “Isavasyam idam sarvam” meaning Bhagavan pervades everything like Akasha (space). Nothing is separate from Akasha. The Creator and the created are non-separate like the spider and the web, like the dreamer and the dream.
That which holds this Rita, this cosmic order is Dharma. So to me, Dharma is a way of life, values of life and expression of life that is in keeping with the vision and understanding of Isavasyam idam sarvam. Being committed to Dharma means having this grand vision of life that all that is there IS Bhagavan and expressing that vision and understanding through our thoughts, words and deeds. That in essence constitutes a Dharmic life. A Dharmic person never goes against the Natural Cosmic Order. Why? Because if I rub against the order, I will get rubbed in the process. If I hurt somebody, I may get away from man made laws because my brother in law is in the Police Department, but I will not be able to escape from the Cosmic law. It is this sense of Dharma that should be the basis of all our endeavors. I should not hurt anybody or anything because I don’t want to be hurt and also by hurting anything or anybody I am hurting something of which I am a part. I should not steal because I don’t want anybody to steal from me. The Mahabharatha speaks of a time when Dharma ruled the world when it says,
Na Rajyam Naiva Rajasit Na Dando na ca Dandikaha
Dharmenaiva Praja Sarvaha Rakshantisma Parasparam
The verse above means that there was a time long ago where there was no Kingdom nor a King and no punishments nor a person who would administer punishments. Everybody protected each other with a sense of Dharma. In other words, Dharma was the protector of the people. Everybody acted according to Dharma. So that is our notion of Dharma.
Secondly, our Dharma was not founded by an individual Prophet like the Monotheistic religions. Bhagavan Krishna or Bhagavan Rama did not start our Dharma. They were born into our Dharma. They were born as Vaidikas. I have had a few people in the West ask me when our ‘religion’ started. I would respond to them saying that the question is like asking, “When did Physics start?” Did the laws of Physics start on a particular day? Isn’t it that the laws of Physics have always been there as long as this creation has been? Similarly, our Dharma has always been throughout the myriad cycles of manifestation (Shristi) and dissolution (Pralaya). So it is not that our Dharma originated at some particular point in History. Hence it is called Sanatana. It has always been there. It was manifested by Bhagavan at the time of Shristi and it becomes unmanifest at Pralaya.
Thirdly, our concept of Heaven is not where you go and stay permanently. Our Shastras tell us that heaven is a temporary place one goes to enjoy the fruits of one’s good Karmas (Punyas). It is said “Kshine Punye Martya Lokam Vishanti.” After ones Punyas are exhausted, one will have to go back to Martya loka or the earth where one gets another chance to work for Moksha (liberation from cycle of births and deaths) which is not salvation. Salvation means you are condemned and then you need to be salvaged. Our scriptures do not consider us as condemned. It refers to us as “Amritasya Putraha” meaning immortal children. Moksha is the outcome of Self Knowledge.
Dharma doesn’t divide humanity into believers and infidels as religions do. We also have amongst us those who are Nastikas. Nastikas are those who don’t accept the Vedas as a valid means of knowledge. The Nastikas include the Baudhas (Buddhists), Jainas (Jains) and Charvaks (materialists).
Vaidika Dharma recognizes that all forms of worship of the Lord to be true as elucidated in the Rig Vedik Mantra above. Since the Lord is not separate from this Universe, we can invoke the lord in any form. Pushpadantacharya’s Shiva Mahimna Stotram says, Ruchinam Vaichitryat Ruju Kutila Nana Patha Jusha Nrinam Eko Gamya Tvam Asi Paya Samarnavaiva.
According to ones disposition, one takes to a form of worship or a path of Sadhana (Spiritual Practice) which may be direct or meandering and all those paths are valid as long as they are ultimately the worship of Bhagavan which in turn leads us to Atma Gyan or Self Knowledge.
Bhagavan also says in the Bhagavad Gita, “Ye Yatha Mam Prapadyante, TansThataiva Bhajamyaham” (Ch 4 Verse 11), which means. “In whatever form people worship me, in that form I respond to the devotees and bless them.” That is why we have so many forms. We can invoke and worship the lord in whatever form we wish to, according to our taste and disposition. And we are not idol worshippers as the others like to accuse us. We are Bhagavan worshippers. We worship Bhagavan in the idol. So we have all the different panthas (paths) each specializing in the worship of Bhagavan in one form or the other. Thus we have the six main recognized forms of worship according to Bhagavan Bashyakara Acharya Shankara which includes Shaiva (worshippers of Bhagavan Shiva), Shakta (worshippers of Bhagavathi or Goddess), Vaishnava (worshippers of Bhagavan Vishnu), Ganapathya(worshippers of Bhagavan Ganapathy), Kaumarya (worshippers of Bhagavan Karthikeya) and Saurya(worshippers of Bhagavan Surya). Many forms of worship are of recent origin and we accept them also as long as they lead us to the Knowledge of the Atma (Self).
Above all, Dharma cannot be imposed. It can be revealed or taught, but never imposed by force. Again, to quote from the Mahabharatha, ‘Dharmasya Tattvam Nihitam Guhayam’ which means the expression of Dharma comes from within a person. It can never be imposed. Religions are almost always imposed on people either by lure or by force.
So when you consider these, it is not difficult to recognize the profound differences between religions and Dharma. How can we consider Hindu Dharma as a religion? How can we accept that Dharma and religions are the same? People who claim that All religions are same are ignorant of religions as well as of Dharma. I would like to say that there may be many religions, but there is only one Dharma and that is the Sanatana Dharma or Vaidika Dharma or Hindu Dharma. We are belittling this Dharma by calling it religion or even worse, calling it faith. Religion when elaborated properly according to the Western concept turns out to be dogmatic and cannot be accepted as valid or cannot be compared to Sanatana Hindu Dharma which is vast, profound and timeless.
Acknowledgements
“Foundations of Dharma” – Shri Swami Iswarananda Giri
“What is Hinduism?” – Shri Swami Dayananda Saraswathi
“Hindu view of Christianity and Islam” – Shri Ram Swarup
“Defence of Hindu Soceity” – Shri Sita Ram Goel
Sunil is an IT Professional working for a State Agency in South Carolina. He is a student of Hindu Dharma with a deep and abiding interest in Hindu History. He was deeply influenced by the writings of Shri Sita Ram Goel and Shri Ram Swarup.
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May 1st, 2009 11:39
Thanks for this interesting dialogue. In 1967 when I was 22 I met Native Americans whose belief that there would be a return of the divine law giver and a restoration of the essential qualities that distinguish human beings were fulfilled by Baha’u'llah and the Baha’i Faith. The statement that all religions say the same thing is an over simplification. If the physical part of human beings is trained by the world around us then reasonably the divine part of human beings would be educated by divine messengers -people whose courage and command and severance from the world of being and whose words withstand every test. And since humanity is widespread the messengers appear at different times and places. So the fact that we can say they all teach the same thing is itself phenomenal.
May 1st, 2009 15:33
You are incorrect about Judaism. You can convert to Judaism but Judaism does not actively proselytize
May 1st, 2009 15:36
Also, the reason it doesn’t proselytize is because it does not call non-believers “infidels.” One need not be Jewish to be “saved” (Christian term here). It is indeed a vast oversimplication to say that all religions say or believe the same thing.
May 1st, 2009 18:55
Historically Christian and Muslim faiths have their roots in Judaism,
so at their core concepts about the soul, creation and God are all the same.
williamglick@gmail.com
I would like to address certain linguistic and philosophical similarities common to both Jews and Hindus, which may open up a broader discussion.
1. Names of God,
a. The most holy of all names of God for a Jew is KNA or KANA, Rabbi’s have slapped my face when I have said this name out loud.
This is considered to be the most intimate name for God in the Old Testament. Where it is translated, “I am a jealous God, have no other gods before you”, the literal Hebrew translation is, “My name is EL KNA, have no other gods before you.”
This name expands to KRE ShTN as Rabbi Aryeh Kapln,in Meditation and the Kabbalah explains
“On Monday, you must intertwine the associated name “KRE ShTN”"
b, From a Vedic (Hindu) view point, Kana is also an affectionate name of Krishna, The pronunciation used above “KRE ShTN” is very similar to the way south Indians pronounce Krishna.
2. Abraham and Brahma: Very few know that there are two Abrahams in Jewish philosophy
a. There is a description of how the universe was in chaos until Abraham appeared. It is said, “Over the whole, there hovered Tohu (chaos) and as long as Tohu dominated,the whole world was not in being or existence. When did that key open the gates and make the world fruitful?
It was when Abraham appeared.” [Genesis II 4] As explained in the introduction to the Zohar The Soncino Press LTD–London New York
There is also this reference one needs to ponder It is said, “Angels are supposed to have no back and four faces, so always to be able to behold God.”
[Talmud, cf. Ezek i. 6]
b. In the First Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, there is a long description of how Brahma created the planets, stars etc. It is well known that the Brahma of this universe has 4 heads.
3. DEMIGODS AND ANGELS have the same function in both trations.
a. The Midrash teaches, “There is no blade of grass that does not have a constellation (Mazal) over it, telling it to grow.” [Sefer Yetzirah 4.6]
“As commentaries explain, ‘God’s providence works through the angels, but the angels, in turn, work through the stars and planets. As some authorities put it, the angels are, in a sense, like souls to the stars. Thus, for example, some sources speak of the stars as having intelligence, but the commentaries note that this is actually speaking of the angels that are associated with them.’” [Sefer Yetrzirah 4.6]
b. The Vedic conception is that there are many specially empowered demigods who help manage the affairs of the universe including the planets of our solar system.
The controlling demigods, although not eternal them selves, function within various posts that exist as long as the universe exists. For example, one of the principle demigods is Lord Indra. Indra is the name of the post, but the particular demigod who occupies that post during a given period has his own personal name. Just like President of the United States is a post, but there have been many presidents throughout history.
4. Durga in the Bible?
a. “He summoned to issue from the side of Darkness a kind of female moon, which rules over the night, and is associated with Adonai, the Lord of all the earth. In his days, the moon was magnified and reached her fullness. A thousand mountains rose before her, and she blew them away with a puff. A thousand mighty rivers flowed before her, and she swallowed them at a draught. Her nails reached out in a thousand and seventy directions and her hands in twenty-four thousand, so that nothing could escape her. Thousands of bucklers clung to her hair. From between her feet went forth a youth who stretched from one end of the world to the other with sixty clubs of fire…” [Zohar]
b. The Vedas describe the ghastly form of Goddess Kali, another name for the Goddess Durga. There is a reference of Goddess Kali in the Srimad-Bhagavatam in the history of Jada Bharata, when she manifested herself to protect him. It is stated, “Intolerant of the offenses committed, the infuriated goddess Kali flashed her eyes and displayed her fierce, curved teeth. Her reddish eyes glowed, and she displayed her fearsome features. She assumed a frightening body, as if she were prepared to destroy the entire creation. Leaping violently from the altar, she
immediately decapitated all the rogues and thieves with the very sword with which they had intended to kill Jada Bharata. She then began to drink the hot blood that flowed from the necks of the beheaded rogues and thieves, as if this blood were liquor.
5. (BRAHMAN) EFFULGENCE
a. “The Most Recondite is beyond cognition, but reveals of Himself a tenuous and veiled brightness shining only along a narrow path which extends from Him, and this is the brightness that irradiates all. This is the starting point of all esoteric mysteries, itself being unknowable.” [Zohar IV 146b]
b. The Absolute Truth is expressed as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavän.” [Srimad Bhagavatam.1.2.11] Brahman refers to the impersonal all-pervasive spirit.
That is the same as the brahmajyoti, the effulgence of the Lord.
6. METATRON AND MAHA-VISHNU
a. It is said that a personality named Metatron cooperates with God to teach the young. While God devotes the last three hours of the day to this work, Metatron is in charge during the remainder of the day. (A.Z. 3b) [Everyman's Talmud, II, III] Regarding the revolving sword or flaming sword that revolves, it is said “the manner in which the sword rotates depends on the readiness of the individual attempting to enter. If he is worthy, it becomes the mirror through which he perceives, while if he is not worthy, he is burned out and cut off by the fire of this sword. The one who oversees the sword, preventing the unworthy from entering, is the angel Metatron.” [Meditation and Kabbalah p 80 Chapter 4, Teachings of Rabbi Abraham Abulafia]
“Metatron is therefore not a proper name at all but a designation for the whole category of celestial powers performing a mission.”
[Origins of the Kabbalah, III, 6]
b. In the creative process,it is from Maha-Vishnu that all of the universes emanate, Sudarshan Cakra (flaming sword that revolves) controlled by Visnu similarly punishes and grants liberation. “Without illumination,nothing can be seen, especially in this material world.
The illumination in this world emanates from the effulgence of Sudarshan, the original vision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The illuminating principles of the sun, the moon and fire emanate from Sudarshan.
Similarly, illumination by knowledge also comes from Sudarshan.” [Srimad Bhag. 9.5.7, Purport]
Also there is a series of Visnu expansions each with a chakra.
7. THE LORD IN THE HEART
a. When the soul is about to descend to this world, it first goes down to the terrestrial Garden of Eden and sees there the glory of the souls of the righteous, and then goes down to Gehinnom and sees the wicked who cry “Woe, woe”, and find no compassion. That holy form (God) stands by him until he emerges into the world, after which it keeps him company and grows up with him.” [The Zohar 43b] [KI TAZRIA (LEVITICUS)]
b. In the Bhagavad-gita “Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul, Paramatma.” [Bg. 13.23]
8. GURU AND RABBI
a. In Judaism, knowledge is also passed from the rabbi to his students, but not everyone is qualified to become a student. “As a matter of law, the sages state that these mysteries ‘cannot even be taught to a single individual, unless he is wise enough to understand with his own knowledge.’ Even in such a case, the complete tradition was only given over to the head of the group, and he would then only instruct those whom he saw fit. Only individuals
possessing the highest qualities of scholarship and piety would be admitted to the circle of initiates.” [Introduction to the Bahir, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan]
It is also stated that “One who reaches the highest level cannot reveal it to anyone. All he can do is give over the keys, so that the enlightened individual
can open the gates which are sealed to exclude the unworthy.”
[Meditation and Kabbalah, p 79]
b. In Vedic culture, although a guru would speak to whoever wanted to learn the Vedic science, he was traditionally very selective whom he would initiate as his disciple. He would only accept those persons who qualified themselves by humble submission and service. Lord Krishna states in the Bhagavad-gita, “Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master, inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.”
9. VEDIC AND JEWISH CALENDARS
a. The current Hebrew year is 5767. In this calendar, the year in which Adam was created is counted as year one. If we then count the Biblical genealogies from the time of Adam, we find that over 5,000 years have elapsed since the time he was formed. However, the Kabbalists clearly say that other human beings existed before Adam, and this is even supported in scripture [Drush Or HaChaim] The fifth cycle was the one that brought life, and this took
place around two and a half billion years ago. Around 974 generations before Adam, or some 25,000 years ago, man developed all of the physical and mental capabilities that we possess today…but he still lacked the divine soul that would make him a spiritual being. God then created Adam, the first true human being with a soul, ‘and He blew in his nostrils a soul of life’. [Genesis 2.7] [Sefer Yetzirah 4.15]
b. The Vedic calendar states that Kali-yuga lasts 432,000 years, out of which we have passed about 5,000 years.
10.The Ecstasy of Chanting The Names Of God
a. People who have dedicated their lives to the service of God may at times feel unlimited joy or ecstasy while engaged in prayer. It is said, “Permute the letters back and forth, and in this manner, you will reach the first level. As a result of the activity and your concentration on the letters, your mind will become bound to them. The hairs on your head will stand on end and tremble. Your lifeblood is in your heart, and regarding this it is written,
“the blood is the soul” [Deuteronomy 12:23]. It is likewise written, “The blood in the soul will atone” [Leviticus 17:11]. This blood within you will begin to vibrate because of the permutations that loosen it. Your entire body will then begin to tremble, and all your limbs will be seized with shuddering. You will experience the terror of God and will be enveloped with fear of Him. You will then feel as if an additional spirit is within you, arousing you and
strengthening you, passing through your entire body and giving you leisure. It will seem as you have been anointed with perfumed oil, from head to foot. You will rejoice and have great pleasure. You will experience ecstasy and trembling–ecstasy for the soul, and trembling for the body.
[Meditation and Kabbalah, Treasury of the Hidden Eden p85-86]
b. The stage of bhava, love of God, is manifested by eight transcendental symptoms, namely inertness, perspiration, standing of hairs on end, failing in the voice, trembling, paleness of the body, tears in the eyes, and finally trance. [Srimad Bhag. 2:3:24 Purport]
11. GOD’S BEAUTY
a.The Jewish scriptures describe a vision of God. “His head is a treasure of fine gold. His locks are hanging, black like the raven.” In both Talmudic and Kabbalistic traditions, one of the interpretations is that it relates to a vision of God; “when He is visualized in battle, He is seen as a young man with black hair.” [Sefer Yetzirah Ch 6.1]
b.The Vedas refer to the form of the Lord. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated, “the Lord is super excellently beautiful on account of His open and merciful smile and His sidelong glance upon His devotees. His black hair is curly, and His garments, waving in the wind, appear like flying saffron pollen from lotus flowers. His glittering earrings, shining helmet, bangles, garland, ankle bells, waist belt and various other bodily ornaments
combine with the conch shell, disc, club, and lotus flower to increase the natural beauty of the Kaustubha pearl on His chest.” [Srimad Bhag. 2.24.47-48]
May 1st, 2009 18:57
The point being all religions have a Vedic Root
May 2nd, 2009 00:20
What do you make of Sri Ramakrishna, who said all religions are true and lead to the same goal- the God. He said this after practicing Islam and Christianity and realizing the ultimate through them.
May 2nd, 2009 00:34
Dandavats
Without being Vegetarian. and enlightening others to do so… what relization can be there?
So many people may say all are one, one God Equality based on the soul.
That is the first step only.
Then through the mercy of God we meet someone from “there” to guide us.
The next step is to become free from lust anger and greed.
Relationship with God in one of the 5 rasa begins at this point.
Your servant
William
May 2nd, 2009 02:24
Sanatan Dharma, the timeless treasure of the world Hindu Philosophy as expounded by a number of Rishis (seers) who were in reality Drashtas of those Richas of the Vedas with explicit commentaries in the form of History, science, and other knowledges stored in 18 Puranas and thousands of Brahman Granthas as well as various Sutras (links) , which were implemented as cosmic laws by Kshatriya rulers of India, are the origins of todays religions. The basic tenets partially highlighted by some of the founders of present day religions including rogue religions who are exploiting the needy and poor people and converting the less intelligent masses.Dharma is different from religion is nicely depicted and explained in this article.
May 2nd, 2009 02:30
For the reached soul such as Ram Krishna Paramhans even a stone and a coin of gold was one and the same thing. Since he had already reached to that highest destination in this very human body. For him a dog, a Brahman, a cow or a dogeater were the same what to speak of christian and a Muslim. Hence we cannot justify if we ordinary people start comparing the Highest to the lowest. He knew after which nothing is left to be known.
May 2nd, 2009 06:01
The article is thought provoking. But actually misinterprets the Rigvedic verse. “ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti” (Truth is one; sages call it various names) is a complete sentence. The next sentence is “agnim yamam matarisvanam ahuhu” ( Its also called as Agni, Yama, and Matarisvan) and is separate from the previous line. The actual meaning is that the truth is called by many names. Agni, Yama and Matarisvan are few of the many other numerous names.
Its actually a serious shortcoming of the Western and middle eastern mindset that they do not follow this wisdom of ‘all religions leading to the same God”. But it is actually there in Bible and Koran.Even Quran says that God divided mankind into many groups so that they compete with each other in worshipping God.There is one verse in Bible which says that God is known by other names. Bible itself uses many names to refer to God.Father, Holy Spirit, Logos, word, Shalom (Peace), El (lord) etc.Judaism uses names like YHWH. Where as words such as Elohim (God), El (mighty one), El Shaddai (almighty God), Adonai (master), El Elyon (most high God), Avinu (our Father), etc and also indicates there are many names.
Buddhism also contains this wisdom.In Lankavatara Sutra Buddha says: “Thus in this world and in other worlds am I known by these uncounted names, but they all see me as the moon is seen in the water.
Though they all honor, praise and esteem me, they do not fully understand the meaning and significance of the words they use….”
If the West and middle east don’t follow this wisdom, its their shortcoming. Why should we Indians give up our spiritual advance over others by giving up the eternal wisdom of all religions being the same ? Only a fool would do that.
May 2nd, 2009 06:13
The rest of the article is indeed a masterpiece. The interpretation of ‘dharma’ is very correct, and elaborately points out the major conceptual differences between western idea of ‘religion’ and indian ‘dharma’. I congratulate the author on writing this fine article.
May 2nd, 2009 14:17
This is a very good article. I am in total agreement that Hinduism should be referred to as Hindu Dharma or Sanatana Dharma instead of religion. But i do not agree with the comments made by Shri Rudra Prasad that the “eternal wisdom of all religions are the same”. There have been spiritual traditions that are totally non invasive which includes Hindu Dharma, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Bahai, Zoroastrianism, Shintoism, Judasim, Paganism, Animism. All the above are non invasive which doesn’t convert aggressively.
The only two aggressive religions are Christianity and Islam as the author says. Hence they are called predatory religions. People who say these predatory religions are the same as the above non invasive religions show a lack of understanding of the predatory religions. They are essentially political ideology masquerading as religions. Hence they believe in bringing large groups of people under their control. That is why the aggressive effort to convert. In the West, especially in Europe, Christianity has collapsed. Hence they are trying to move to Asia to find new converts and get help with their agenda of world domination. Islam is also trying to get back to the dominion of large number of countries like how it had during the middle ages.
There are many verses in the Quran that incites violence against the non muslims (called Kafirs or Kuffars). There is no place for Kuffars in a Muslim dominated soceity. Those who wished to be informed about Islam should read
late Mr. Anwar Sheiks “Isam - The Arab imperialism” at
http://www.islam-watch.org/AnwarSheikh/Islam-Arab-Imperialism1.htm
Also please see the violence Christianity unleashes on the aborigines at
http://www.hiddenfromhistory.org/
Christianity, Islam, Communism, Facism, Nazism are all totalitarian ideologies with a deeply ingrained materialistic philosophy and a deep desire to control the peoples of the world. That is why they were rightly called “tragedies of humanity” by Shri Ram Swarup.
But i congratulate the author for lucidly contrasting Dharma from the predatory ideologies like Christianity and Islam.
May 19th, 2009 06:52
many good points, however its extremely difficult to make your discussion when the other opposing sides are not correctly represented, which makes begs the question is the message/statement that is being made not just an example of exactly what everyone else is doing wrong and thus doing the same. i do give you the benefit of the doubt however. chrisitianity and islam are hand in hand, firstly. secondly islam is a way of life as well. truth is christianity was islam and so was judaism.
May 25th, 2009 11:43
From the desk of Shree Jyotikar Pattni
We are all different rivers with different names, forms, and shapes and energies; but we eventually merge in one grand divine ocean to become one in destiny.Our fates may be different, but our destiny is common. Like many shores, touch the earthen clay with verily the same oceanic waters, only the conditions differ, lifestyles differ and circumstances differ. Alas, the dawn and the dusk are twilight of the sacred light of divine confluence graced upon the human race without a second meaning. This is the truth that our shastras and wise speak of. The human spirit of life is not judged by the outer sheath of colour, caste, nationality, background, religion, creed, race, or the mind. The human spirit of life is universally embedded with consciousness. “Consciousness” is what makes us different from animals and through our consciousness we conquer the realm of truth, the light of the delight of truth, that which is verily the “ATMAN” THE SOUL. This is the centrifugal philosophy of our dharma: “TO REALISE ATMAN”.
Sanattanna Dharma, is not a man-made religious practice, nor is it institutionalised into many different umbrellas pro-claimed so vehemently by many in the west. “Hinduism” is a pretext word that was born out of the Indo-Aryan invasions some 7,500 years ago, based on claims of “indo-religion”.
Swami Dayananda suggested:
“Dharma is not made up or negotiable. It is something transpired, natural and should be preserved indefinitely.”
“Sanattanna Dharma” is the mother of all religions and embraces every walk of life. Dharma is really simply “a way of virtuous life”, based on “virtuous principles”, with divinity, humanity and altruism of compassionate love.
Like Rama Sethu, Gangotri shaligrams, Narmada Shiva Linghams, Rishikesh, Rudraksha, and many more virtues left behind by the great seers, sages and saints of our times whereever they had been.
The manner in which we think and we look at life, more or less is formed by our karma, our collective karma and our family [forefathers].
To uphold traditions, customs, and family values therefore are very significant in keeping the spirit world at peace otherwise, we disturb the spirit world and as a consequence our life here on earth becomes full of adversities, disturbances, upheavals, conflicts, family fueds, and misunderstandings.
There are some very orthodox religions like those of Jewish, Judais, Zoroastrian, and others that do not permeat conversion nor do the propagate compulsive conversion or permeat another to convert to their religion. One must be born in those faiths, in those families.
Conversion, essentially uproots individual karma, devastates the collective family traditions and values, creates discord in communities, and destroys the virtuous ancestrial spiritual peace.
It is with great compassion and sincere experience I state that dharma is “maa”, and all faiths are children of this great “maa”. Maa never wants her children to convert. Maa created a rose to look like a rose and a carnation to look like a carnation. If Maa created the earth and its natural beauty, how ridiculous it sounds for a human being to alter divine beauty!
Destruction of culture is destruction of religion. Destruction of religion is destruction of culture and family values. If destruction of our forefathers is not violence, what else is violence? Aggression need not be physical. It need not be the Kargil type. The worst aggression, more than physical aggression, is cultural aggression or religious aggression. That is why we say ‘Conversion is
Violence’.
It is the deepest and most profound violence.
To overcome this violence we need to think of conflict avoidance and
conflict resolution. Conflict avoidance implies the abstention from propaganda for conversion as that is the major cause of violence.
Conflict resolution demands that the conflict-prone faiths and civilisations understand the need to internalise the acceptance of others’ view of Godhead.
Our present world stands in uncertainties and fear from mono-culture, nuclear war, ecological disasters, unforseen ephipheny, violence and much more.
Precarious humankind congress in fanatic groups to antagonise another way of life and to destroy peace and welfare of humble human society. Such futile and ridiculous religions created by groups of fanatics is NOT what dharma is about. True real essence of dharma of Hinduism; Islam, Christianity, Buddhist, Judaism, Africanism, and world’s leading faiths perch upon “HUMANITY”, “LOVE”, “COMPASSION”, “WELFARE OF ALL AND COMMON GOOD OF ALL”, “TO BE TRUTHFUL IN SPEECH”, “TO BE SINCERE TO ONE ANOTHER AND NOT TO CHEAT ANOTHER BY EXPLOITATION, OR BY SLAVERY”, “TO BE CONSCIOUS AND AWARE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE”, “TO BE TRUTHFUL TO ONE’S OWN SPIRIT OF LIFE”.
All the remaining aspects of having more than one wife, etc., are man made. However, to give solace to a widow, to give shelter to a widow by embracing the widow, a muslim man was allowed to marry as Prophet Mohamed did to render shelter and goodwill support to the children of widow.
Our dharma should encourage cleanliness, purity, hygiene, and health. Good health emanates from healthy environment, healthy thoughts, healthy feelings, and purity. Purity and cleanliness brings us divinity that is dharma based.
Our dharma should not speak of differences but of the way of DIVINE life. That is the core issue between “ISM” and “”sanattana DHARMA”" [UNIVERSAL RELIGION OF HUMANKIND].
To impart with knowledge, and divine wisdom, is of the highest sacrifice a humanbeing can undertake second to giving away one’s daughter in marriage, giving alms to poor, giving charity in food, shelter and clothing, and gold.
To give charity of knowledge, true divine wisdom is of highest charity.
What is said here is please let us remove all the subjectivities of the equation and focus only on the objectivities.
Objective is to know our own soul, to realise it, to understand our soul divine.
Reference:
Here is where the world, as two of the greatest historians ‘Will Durant’ and ‘Arnold Toynhee’ had said, has to look to the Hindu civilisation for relief from conflicts. Durant told the West that “in return for conquest, arrogance and spoliation, India will teach us tolerance and gentleness of the mature mind, the quiet content of the un-acquisitive soul, the calm of the understanding spirit and unifying, pacifying love for all living things”. Toynbee prophesied that “a chapter which had a Western beginning will have to have an Indian ending if it is not to end in self-destruction of the human race. At this supremely dangerous moment in human history, theonly way of salvation is the ancient Hindu way. Here, we have the attitude and spirit that can make it possible for the human race to grow together into a single family”.
PREMA SHANTIH
Hari Aum Tat Sat
Mrs Hasmita Pattni for and on behalf of Jyotikar Pattni
June 9th, 2009 10:10
[...] More: Hinduism – Religion or Dharma?, by Sunil Tuppale [...]
August 27th, 2009 15:11
I repect the ‘Hindu people’ and the religion, i have many close friends which are hindu, however i think the dialogue is incorrect at times but generally quiet good. The issues i have with Hinduism, is yes it is tolerant and gentle faith, however its concept are illogical.
August 27th, 2009 15:12
I respect the ‘Hindu people’ and the religion, i have many close friends which are hindu, however i think the dialogue is incorrect at times but generally quiet good. The issues i have with Hinduism, is yes it is tolerant and gentle faith, however its concepts are illogical.
August 27th, 2009 17:08
“its concepts are illogical” ??? My dear Azeem which Hindu concepts seem “illogical” to you ? Please clarify, I’ll try to give explanation.
As for others, my point is that The essence of ALL (major) religions—Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism— are love and peace and justice. If you read the Gospels, Quran,Gita and Dhammapada, you’ll find that they all preach love and peace and justice. No religion is in conflict with any other on the essential points as mentioned above.But they differ as to details and non-essential points.They all use different languages, metaphors, motifs, and expressions. As they say all roads lead to Rome, similarly all religions lead to love and peace.
As long ago as 250 B.C., the Indian Emperor Ashoka said that :”contact (between religions) is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others.”
It is indeed true that some (but not all) Christians and muslims say that their own religions are the ONLY true path to salvation. They say it out of ignorance and myopic views. Those who have done in-depth studies of all religions come to a different conclusion.Its actually a serious shortcoming of a fanatic mindset that they do not follow this wisdom of ‘all religions leading to the same truth”. But it is actually there in even Bible and Koran.
It is the biggest advantage of Modern Indian religious leaders like Vivekananda and Ramakrishna to have had a inclusive approach. Equally it was unpardonable fault and blunder of Arya Samajists to criticize other religions.
August 30th, 2009 13:20
Shri Rudra Prasad,
With all due respects, all roads do not lead to Rome. Some roads lead me to Paris and some lead me to London. Where in the Quran and the Bible did you read that all religions are true? Did you hear that expression in the Meccan Suras or in the Medinan Suras? Or in the Hadith or the Sira or the Tafsir? Or did your hear the Gospels (Matthew, Luke, Mark and John) say that all religions are the same?
Your assertion that the essence of all religions are the same lead me to remember the sayings of the great Hindu revivalist Shri Sita Ram Goel and i quote from his book “Jesus Christ - An artifice for aggression” where he says in the introduction
“I have wondered over the years why we Hindus have remained
preoccupied with the behaviour patterns of Muslims and Christians and not with the belief systems which create those behaviour patterns. We object to Christian missions, but refuse to discuss Christianity and its God, Jesus. We object to Islamic terrorism, but refuse to have a look at Islam and its prophet,
Muhammad. I see no sense or logic in this Hindu habit.
In fact, we go a step further. We appeal to the Christian missionaries in the name of Jesus, and ask them not to do what they have been doing. We appeal to the Muslims in the name of Muhammad, and ask them to stop doing what they have been doing. In the process, we have invented a “real” Jesus and a “true” Christianity. We have also invented a “real” Muhammad
and a “true” Islam. The missionary and the mullah smiles at our inventions but goes ahead and makes good use of our soft head. That is why we have failed to solve the “communal problem” all these years. We have never tried to find out why our own people, which both Christians and Muslims are, should
become alienated from us when they pass under the spell of Christianity and Islam. Flattering the bully may become necessary when the bully is
powerful and there remains no other way of softening him except
by extolling his heroes or his cult. Hindus have experienced such
emergencies vis-a-vis both Islam and Christianity. But there is
no reason for their continuing with the same psychology. Hindus
should not convert an apaddharma into Sanatana Dharma.”
September 1st, 2009 03:59
Dear Guru Charan,
Many many thanks for giving your perspective on this important issue. But I
respectfully differ with you. I agree that on a superficial level, the religions seem all different. But to a liberal mind, it will reveal to be the same. It is true some roads lead to London and Paris.But it is also true that there are many roads which lead to Rome. The Roads of Spirituality however always leads to love, not to any other destination. There are definite passages in Quran and Bible which says this fact. But I will not quote them here because whatever I quote will be distorted by others, and I will feel very hurt. So no quation of scriptures here, but it is a gross distortion of facts by Sita Ram Goel to say that Hindus flattered Bullys.On the contrary, it is rather a great spiritual revolution which were brought about by Hindu saints like Vivekananda when he interpreted the Rigvedic verse “ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti” to mean that all religions in essense are the same.Not understanding this profound statement will lead to erroneous conclusions like the ones reached by Sita Ram Goel. Sita Ram Goel is actually distorting facts when he says that we Hindus have remained pre-occupied with behavior patterns of Christians and Muslims. It is incorrect to say that. Scores of Hindu leaders from Vivekananda to Osho Rajneesh have been speaking about Yoga. Where is Yoga in Islam and Christianity ? It is a unique Hindu concept which these Spiritual leaders are propagating.Thus they are not at all pre-occupied with behavior patterns of Christians and Muslims. Again it is not correct that we Hindus refuse to look/talk about Christianity and Islam, nor look at the belief systems. Osho has done that. So too Vivekananda. So too Sai Baba. Then again Sitam Ram’s comment about Jesus being a “God” of Christianity shows distortion of fact. Jesus is the “Son of God”, who leads to the FATHER-IN-HEAVEN.
It is again a distortion of facts to say that we appeal to MISSIONARIES and Muslims and ask them to stop doing what they have been doing. Who said so ? Sita Ram Goel might have said so. Not the millions Hindus who treat visitors as God (Athithi Devo Bhava). Rabindra Nath Tagore has sung a song in his book “Gitanjali”: “Come, O Aryan and Non-Aryan, Hindu and Muslim,Come, O English and Christian,”.Thus we see, Tagore did not ask them to stop. Hospitality is the greatest virtue of Hindus. Then again it is distortion of facts by Sita Ram Goel to say that Muslims and Christians become alienated from us. Not at all. Fundamentalists might have. But not great musician Sitarist Ali Akbar Khan who regularly prayed to Goddess Saraswati, nor ex-President Abdul Kalam who regularly reads Gita. Then again terming a sublime philosophy of Inclusiveness as “Apadharma” is the greatest of distortions. A mind which thinks like that needs to purify itself.As Rabindra Nath Tagore has said :
“On the shores of Bharat,
Where men of all races have come together,
Awake, O my mind!
Standing here with outstretched arms,
I send my salutations to the God of Humanity,….
Come, O Aryan and Non-Aryan, Hindu and Muslim,
Come, O English and Christian,
Come, O Brahmin,
Purify your mind and clasp the hands of all;”
This is the inclusive-philosophy of Hinduism, not the kind of fundamentalist taliban version excluding all, which Sita Ram Goel is talking about. And any
so-called “Brahmin” who thinks exclusiveness needs to ‘purify’ his own mind
and ‘clasp the hands of all’.
September 3rd, 2009 03:06
Shri RudraPrasad,
In your previous posting, you haven’t still answered my question as to where in the Quran and in the Gospels did you find utterances to the effect of “The essence of all religions are the same”. Since you refuse to quote the Quran under the pretext of not getting hurt, i tell you that you don’t need to make the effort. There is no such thing in the Quran. It is only in the minds of Islamic apologists.
In Islam, all non muslims are referred to as Kaffirs or Kuffars. The only fate for a Kuffar is acceptance of Islam (conversion), death or paying protection money called Jizyah. You need to study Islam deeply in order to clear your understanding. It is there in all its original texts including the Hadiths and Sira (life of Prophet Mohammed).
In fact the very first pillar of Islam (there are 5 pillars) is the proclamation of the faith or Shahada where it says “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet”. Tell me, where is the room in the above expression to accommodate or show respect to followers of other paths. Not only that, we see in the life of Prophet Mohammed wherein he eliminated every single person who refused to accept Islam. Thus the entire men folk Banu Qurayza who opposed his views and message were eliminated. All the women and children were taken as concubines and slaves. This is only a small example of what the Prophet did in his life. There are many more. This is what the muslims try to emulate when they confront non muslims because according to the Quran, the Prophet is the perfect model and his behavior is worthy of being emulated.
Don’t you see the same behavior towards minorities in Muslim countries? You cannot practice your spiritual path freely in a muslim country. Why? Not because of a few fanatics. It is because of Islam. It is because of Quran, the Hadith, the Shira and the body of Islamic laws which make up the Shariat.
Do you not see how Hindus are treated in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia? There is no point getting emotional about it. This is not about being liberal or conservative. This is about the truth. I was horrified when i was enlightened about the truth of what Islam actually is. Previously i was like thinking like you that “The essence of all religions are the same”. Only when i studied about Islam from their original sources did i realize to my horror that Islam is not about spiritual life or spiritual path, but it is a political ideology with its aim to bring large number of peoples under its control.
The same goes for Christianity. When Christianity began, it spread exactly the same way as Islam did, by killing, plundering, looting, maiming and forcibly converting people. There is no use denying this. It happens to this day in the North East in India. Only difference is that Christianity has had its enlightenment in the middle ages and therein rose the concept of Secularism - which means the separation of the Church and the State.
In the West, the Christological research has revealed that Jesus was a concocted character. In other words, Jesus was a creation of the Roman Empire to subdue the Jews after the Roman - Jewish war. Please see this enlightening interview
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2771279923052024503&ei=4y-fSom7DZ_oqQLw-p3fCg&q=caesar%27s+messiah&hl=en#
Also read Shri Ram Swarup’s classic and scholarly work titled “Hindu View of Christianity and Islam” at
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15691127/Hindu-View-of-Christianity-Islam-Ram-Swarup
A great book on Islam by D S Margoliouth titled “Mohammed and the rise of Islam”
http://books.google.com/books?id=3hlFAAAAIAAJ&dq=mohammed+and+the+rise+of+islam&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=-TGfStyNFpeMtge1vN0E&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=&f=false
I hope it makes for an enlightened reading.
September 25th, 2009 18:21
This is pure jingoism. But Islam, Christianity , Hinduism, Buddhism —all of them is the same in essence—love and peace.I don’t deny that there have been many ‘forced conversions’ accompanied by violence and coercions. But I still maintain that the essence is the same. Peace and love. “Allah is the only God”. Gita also says that. “Krishna is the only God”. But they are different names of the same God. The moon is called “Chandrama” in Hindi, “Chand” in bengali”, “Moon” in English, “Luna” in Spanish, “Lua” in Portuguese. But they all refer to the same moon. So Buddha declares in Lankavatara Sutra, “in this world and in other worlds am I known by these uncounted names, but they all see me as the moon is seen in the water.”
“Though they all honor, praise and esteem me, they do not fully understand the meaning and significance of the words they use; not having their own self-realization of Truth they cling to the words of their canonical books, or to what has been told to them, or to what they have imagined, and fail to see that the name they are using is only one of the many names of the Tathagata.”
—Lankavatara Sutra Chapter 12
September 26th, 2009 15:19
It is jingoism all right. Christianity and Islam are nothing but jingoism.
Constantly asserting that they are about Peace and Love do not make them
so. That is what you have been doing without providing any defensible
argument or any literary evidence. In the past people used to assert that
the earth was flat. That is all it was, an assertion. There was no reasoning,
no logic or no evidence to prove that it was so.
Again i ask you which leader (that matters) in the Christian and Muslim world
have said or proclaimed that all religions are same. That is your claim. Again
you are repeating the same mistake that the author of this article writes about.
It is no point quoting the Buddha, because during Buddha’s time the violent
monotheistic ideologies of Christianity and Islam did not exist and he must
have been referring to other panthas and darshanas that existed. If they had existed during his time, he wouldn’t have clubbed them with other panthas. So don’t try to support what you are asserting by quoting Bhagavan Buddha.
If Islam and Christianity were really about Love, there would have been
a temple in Saudi Arabia or the Vatican. What more proof do you want
of their intolerance and incompatibility with other truly spiritual paths?
At least provide me some literary evidence to support your claim.
September 26th, 2009 16:37
“Lover’s nationality is separate from all other religions,
The lover’s religion and nationality is the Beloved God.
The lover’s cause is separate from all other causes,
Love is the astrolabe of God’s mysteries.”
—-Mawlana Jalaluddīn Muhammad Rumi
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Holy Bible—Matthew 22:37-40 NIV).
“And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive, -
saying –”We feed you for the love of Allah alone: No reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.”(Holy Quran 76:8-9)
It is not assertion but a fact. “Earth is flat” is an assertion, but “Love is God” is a fact. Only the blind cannot see the love which flows from the Grace of God. “Biswas milate, tark le jate hai bahoot door”.Faith leads to God, debate will lead you astray.
Statements of leaders do not decide the nature of a religion. Hinduism’s leader Shivaji and Ranapratap murdered so many people, but Hinduism did not get tainted by the sinful bloodsheds done by Shivaji and Rana Pratap.The love of Mirabai and Kabir is remembered with fondness,and that has shaped the course of Hinduism.
Leaders do not maketh a religion, but love of God does. Religion is not about actions of its leaders, but it is all about love of God. Even if every single religious Leaders walk the path of evil, that will not make the religion become evil.Religion is good. Religion is love. Religion is peace. Religion is bliss. Mistake not the actions of man to be the words of God. God is love,God is Kind. He is Almighty. He is above errors.
“I do not want to worship from fear of punishment
or for the promise of reward, but simply for the love of God.”
—Rabiʿa al-Basri
September 29th, 2009 16:43
What you say is still an assertion because you have quoted
the Quran speaking of Love of Allah, but not about equality
of religions. And also the Quran says the following
“We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve because they ascribe unto Allah partners, for which no warrant hath been revealed. Their habitation is the Fire, and hapless the abode of the wrong-doers.” (Holy Quran 3 - 151)
“And let not those who disbelieve suppose that they can outstrip (Allah’s Purpose). Lo! they cannot escape.” (Holy Quran 8 - 59)
” Make ready for them all thou canst of (armed) force and of horses tethered, that thereby ye may dismay the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others beside them whom ye know not. Allah knoweth them. Whatsoever ye spend in the way of Allah it will be repaid to you in full, and ye will not be wronged.”
(Holy Quran 8 - 60)
“Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.”
(Holy Quran 9 - 5)
“Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low.” (Holy Quran 9 - 29)
“O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him).” (Holy Quran 9 - 123)
“Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds; and afterward either grace or ransom till the war lay down its burdens. That (is the ordinance). And if Allah willed He could have punished them (without you) but (thus it is ordained) that He may try some of you by means of others. And those who are slain in the way of Allah, He rendereth not their actions vain.” (Holy Quran 9 - 23)
This is just a sample. There is more. In the interest of not using up bandwidth, i have just given a few. And i have just quoted the Quran. I haven’t used the Hadiths which contains many such instructions to slay anybody who refuses to accept Islam. Now i ask you who is blind? I also have verses from the Bible which exhort violence. But i leave them out because there are many.
It is disgusting and shameful that you call heroes such as Shivaji
and Maha Rana Pratap murderers. They were Kshatriyas performing
their duty of fighting against marauding and fanatical forces. If it
wasn’t for them and other heroes like Shri Guru Teg Bahadur and Shri
Guru Gobind Singhji, India would have been completely Islamized and
you would be living in a country like the Afghanistan under the Taliban.
How ungrateful you are being to them calling them such vile names!
September 30th, 2009 06:16
You have been mistaken as to the true meaning of the word ‘kafir’ in arabic. ‘Kafir’ does not mean ‘Hindus’. ‘Kafir’ in reality means ‘non-believer in righteousness’, i.e. terrorists/criminals. The verb “Kufr” means “to cover up”. Thus, the word kāfir implies the meaning “a person who hides or covers” [viz., the truth]“, or hides/covers righteousness i.e. terrorists/criminals, who hides the truth.This word has been distorted by terrorists to perpetuate terrorism.
What the Holy Koran says about killing the ‘non-believers’ are exactly there in Hinduism also. While the Holy Koran calls them “kafir” (non-believer) Hinduism’s Holy scriptures calls them demons (’rakshashas’) and they contains injunctions that these unbelievers in righteousness are to be killed and annihilated, without showing any mercy to them. After 9/11/2001 it became apparant that the Holy Quran and Holy Hindu scriptures are absolutely correct when they refer to terrorists/criminals to be killed. Even Sri Krishna makes this point clear when he orders Arjuna to kill Karna : “They that are truly wise never spare their evil foes, however weak, even for a moment. He that is learned earneth both merit and fame by slaying evil foes. Lose no time in precipitately crushing Karna who is evil hero.” (Mahabharata : Karna Parva : 90)
When Karna requested Arjuna to spare him as he was in distress, Krishna answered : “By good luck it is, O son of Radha, that thou rememberest
virtue! It is generally seen that they that are evil, when they sink into
distress, rail at Providence but never at their own misdeeds…When at the royal assembly [at Hastinapur] Shakuni, cunning at dice-game,vanquished Yudhishthira who was unacquainted with it, whither had this virtue of thine gone?”
Krishna again says in Gita : “Thus occupied by many egoistic ideas, deluded, addicted to the gratification of desire, the [evil men] fall into the unclean hell of their own evil.”(Gita 16: 16)
So this injunction to kill evil terrorists are there in all religions. But a blind will not see the plain truth even when it is staring on their faces. The same religion is being preached by Krishna in Gita, by Jesus in Bible, by Muhammad in Quran, by Buddha in Tripitaka, and by sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu) in “Tao Te Ching” (or Dao De Jing). It is the religion of love and peace. It is the religion of wisdom, of beauty and devotion. Of sacrifice and sacred duties.
“Who knows how glory shines,
Yet loves disgrace, nor e’er for it is pale;
Behold his presence in a spacious vale,
To which men come from all beneath the sky.
The unchanging excellence completes its tale;
The simple infant man in him we hail.” (Tao te ching 1:28)
September 30th, 2009 07:49
Also remember Lord Krishna’s famous declaration :
“For the deliverance of the good, for the DESTRUCTION OF EVIL-DOERS(VINASHAYE CHA DUSKRITAM), for the enthroning of the Right, I am born from age to age.”(Gita 4:8)
I called Shivaji and Rana Pratap murderers because they were, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi , “misguided patriots” because “they conquered by the sword” rather than “conquering by love”. Gandhiji clearly explained why their revolutionary efforts were ‘misguided’, because they “their sacrifice, nobility and love are not only a waste of effort, but being ignorant and misguided, do and have done more harm to the country than any other activity. For, the revolutionaries have retarded the progress of the country. ” Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By love alone is hatred appeased.This is the “eternal Religion”[Sanatana Dharma].
“As a rule, the revolutionary never benefits in the ordinary sense of the word. If the revolutionaries succeed in attracting, not “dragging”, the masses to them, they will find that the murderous campaign is totally unnecessary. It sounds verypleasant and exciting to talk of “the descendants of Shivaji, Ranjit, Pratap and Govind Singh”. But is it true? Are we all descendants of these heroes in the sense in which the writer understands it? We are their countrymen, [not descendants] but their [real] descendants are the [Kshatriyas] military classes.” (Gandhiji in newspaper “Young India” on 9th April 1925)
September 30th, 2009 07:58
So these ‘misguided’ heroes such as Shivaji and Rana Pratap did not at all fought against marauding and fanatical forces (your imagination is too much it seems), but were separatist rebels (like Laskar-e-taiba, or Jaish-e-Muhammad of Kashmir) who misguidedly fought against the lawful Emperors of India who were the Head of State of Independent Indian Central Government of a free India. If Shivaji & others had not unfortunately weakened the strong Independent Indian Empire, the Britishers would never have colonised India, and India would have always remained a strong independent Nation.
September 30th, 2009 21:32
With every posting your arguments are getting more preposterous. Please
don’t try to define the word Kafir for me. Use the definition that the Quran, the Hadiths and Prophet Mohammed gives. Please don’t speak for them
and don’t superimpose your fanciful definitions on them. They define kafir as any non-muslim and any non believer in Islam. The Islamic texts
have divided the world into the world of Momins (adherants of Islam) and Kuffars (the non believers), into Darul Islam (The world of Islam) and Darul Harb (The world of infidel Non muslims). It is a commandment for the muslims to wage war against the Darul Harb and convert it into Darul Islam.
That is why Islam has always been in conflict with the Non Islamic world. The great Will Durant says in his book ‘The Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage’ page 459
“The Mohammedan conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. The Islamic historians and scholars have recorded with great glee and pride of the slaughters of Hindus, forced conversions, abduction of Hindu women and children to slave markets and the destruction of temples carried out by the warriors of Islam during 800 AD to 1700 AD. Millions of Hindus were converted to Islam by sword during this period.”
He also writes in the same book
“No blood has been shed for religion in India except by its invaders. Intolerance came with Islam and Christianity; the Moslems proposed to buy Paradise with the blood of “infidels” and the Portuguese, when they captured Goa, introduced the Inquisition into India.
I don’t agree with Gandhiji calling Shivaji Maharaj, Maha Rana Pratap
and others as “Misguided Patriots”. Equating them with the LET and the
JEM is preposterous and makes me think that you must be an Islamist
with a Hindu name or a avowed leftist or you must be on dope. Going
by your logic of conquering your enemies with love, the soldiers who
fought the terrorists who attacked Mumbai last November were all
misguided. They shouldn’t have killed the terrorists. They should have
loved and conquered them. What rubbish!
October 1st, 2009 07:03
The meaning of ‘kafir’ that you are propagating is the propaganda of fundamentalists. The fundamentalists speaks not the words of Quran, but of sinful politics. Fundamentalists utters not the words of wisdom but tells the tale of unrighteous violence and terrorism. That is the handiwork of unrighteous marauding and fanatical forces. They are the real kafirs. Not non-muslims. Treating non-muslims as kafir is merely a misinterpretation of the word Kafir.The real meaning is unrighteous person. It is not true that Islamic literature divided the world into only two parts—Muslims and Kafirs. The Holy Quran mentions a third category—”Ahl Al Kitab”, —people belonging to non-Islamic religions who have Holy scriptures.According to Islamic theologians like Prince Dara Shikoh, Hindus fall into that category of ‘ahl al kitab’(although I think personally that as per correct interpretation of Islamic theology, we fall under the term ‘Mumins’ as we are believers in God). Dr. Ashgar Ali Engineer, Director of the Institute of Islamic Studies, Mumbai, clearly explains in his book “On developing Theology of Peace in Islam”, that any person who believes in any (non-Islamic) religion falls under this category of ‘ahl al kitab’ and does not come under the purview of the word ‘Kafir’.Although Quran mentions some of these ‘ahl al kitab’ people, the list is not exhaustive, and in fact Prophet Muhammad accepted many people not mentioned in the Quran as ‘ahl-al-kitab’. For example the prophet made treaty with Zoroastrians of Bahrain as ‘ahl al kitab’. The fourth Caliph Uthman even entered into similar treaty with the Berbers of Africa, treating them as ‘ahl al kitab’. Not only that, even there is a verse in Qu’ran which recognises all non-islamic religions as valid religions. ( Quran 2:62)
Definitely there were many terrorists claiming to be true muslims who attacked and plundered many innocent. But they cannot be regarded as true muslims. The plunderers shall be punished by God. “Hell and brimstone” shall be their potion”(Bible : Revelation 21:8, KJV). In Gita, Krishna declares that “these proud haters (of good and of God), evil, cruel, vilest among men in the world, I cast down continually into more and more Asuric births.
(Gita 16:8)
Shivaji and others may be admired by you, but they were on the path of violence. “Ahimsa paramo dharmo” (Non-violence is the highest religion). The Holy Vedas declares non-violence as the supreme religious rule(Chandogya Upanishad 8.15.1).It also names ahimsa as one of five essential virtues (CU 3.17.4). The Manu Smriti (10.63), Kautilya’s Arthashastra (1.3.13) and the Vasishtha Dharmasutra (4.4) point out that ahimsa is a duty for all the four classes (Varnas) of society.So does the MAHABHARATA (verses 3.199.11-12 [3.199 is 3.207 according to another count]; 13.115; 13.116.26; 13.148.17.).So does the the Bhagavata Purana (11.5.13-14). By resorting to violence, Shivaji & others violated this cardinal rule of Vedas. So does LET and JEM in Kashmir. Violence is violence. Whether done by Hindu or muslim.It cannot be condoned, except in self-defence. In Mumbai terrorist attack, the policemen retaliated in defence. Violence is acceptable only as defence tactics to repel further violence, THAT TOO AS A LAST RESORT. Otherwise, non-violence must always be followed. The Holy scripture Srimad Bhagavatam clearly explains that ” those sinful persons who are ignorant of actual religious principles, yet consider themselves to be completely pious, without compunction commit violence against innocent creatures. In their next lives, such sinful persons will be killed by the same creatures they have killed in this world”(SB 11.5.14)
October 1st, 2009 08:14
Is Marxism really so bad ? Being an admirer of Marxism,I may tell you that Marxism is all about equality and welfare. Economic, social and political equality. It is in perfect harmony with Hinduism’s ethos and principles. Gita also speaks about equality. Gita also speaks about socialism. Gita recognises the right to work. Hindu concept of ‘renunciation’ is also in perfect harmony with marxist denial of right to property. So there are many similarities between Hindutva and Marxism. Again marxism teaches us to think, and not to take things at face value. So does Hindutva. Hindutva also teaches us to think.
Maybe that’s why ex-BJP Leader K.N.Govindacharya called Marx as a ‘rishi’.
October 1st, 2009 16:01
You seem to be desperate to speak for the Muslims. Don’t explain to me the
meaning of the word Kafir. Try telling it to the Mullahs in Saudi Arabia,
Egypt and other Islamic countries. Try telling it to the vast majority of committed muslims that we Hindus are also Mumins. And the people of ahl al-Kitāb means the “People of the book” meaning Christians and Jews.
People like Dr. Ashgar Ali Engineer are indulging in what is called as
“Taqiyya” or deception by giving benign definitions about concepts
like Mumins, Kaffir, Jihad to bait and lure people like you.
Ahimsa can only be a value for an individual never for a Rashtra
(Country) or a Rajya (State) so your argument again is invalid. If
a State resorts to Ahimsa, the country will be attacked and overrun
by Barbarians.
So the cat is out of the bag that you are an admirer of Communism.
The world is yet to see the benign Communism you speak of. The
Communism that the world has seen has been responsible for killing
millions of people and enslaving and oppressing many more. That is
why it has been rejected by thoughtful people everywhere. It is a totalitarian way of think like Christianity, Islam and Fascism. People
have realized the truth about the proletarian paradise. You are
a very imaginative person. You have all sorts of imagination about
the harmony between the renunciation which a devout Hindu voluntarily
undertakes to the forced snatching of an individual’s land and property
by the sappers and miners of Communist thought. Shri Ram Swarup who
was an avowed Communist and later on completely rejected Communism
said “Christianity, Islam, Communism and Fascism are the great tragedies
of Humanity!” How true indeed!
Anyways expecting more rubbish from you as usual.
October 2nd, 2009 02:38
No, I’ll stop now ’cause where ignorance is a bliss, ’tis folly to be wise ;)
October 2nd, 2009 15:32
Very well. I have seen that is how leftists argue. Calling
people names and using swear words like “Communal”, “fascists”,
etc. when they cannot put up defensible arguments. Or considering
themselves more wise than their opponent.
But you know what the sad part about the whole thing is,
that many people including the political leaders and the
security people and people in the establishment, media and
the public n general haven’t understood why is it that ideologies like
Islam foment separatism and conflict with anything Non islamic.
The source of the problem is not poverty, deprivation and
some perceived injustice although there is no denial that there
is injustice meted out to those people. The main source of the
problem is the Quran, the Hadith, in Sira, the Tafsir.
Intolerance and hatred of all things Non Islamic is intrinsic into the
ideology. Until and unless the source of conflict is traced to the
teachings in the Islamic texts, people will be clueless as to how
to deal with this kind of violence and hatred. There are a lot
of Dhimmis who think like you and i don’t see any improvement
in India’s situation in its long and incessant struggle against
this menace.
October 2nd, 2009 18:12
वैष्णव जन तो तेने किहये, जे पीड परायी जाणे रे
पर दुख्खे उपकार करे तोये, मन अिभमान ना आणे रे
सकळ लोक मान सहुने वंदे, िनंदा न करे केनी रे
वाच काछ मन िनश्चळ राखे, धन धन जननी तेनी रे
October 5th, 2009 17:37
Here is an article written by Shri R K Ohri in response to Times of India’s
attempt to equate The Gita with The Quran. There must be many like you
in the TOI. The article below articulates what i have been expressing in
most of my posts. I couldn’t have put it better
“A Devious Attempt to Equate Gita with Quran”
Excerpts
“Recently a very clumsy attempt was made to downgrade the Gita during an interactive discourse organized by Times of India on a quixotic topic, ‘Jihad in the Gita and the Quran’. The title of the debate implied that the doctrine of jihad has been preached both in the Gita and the Quran - something totally false and highly offensive to Hindu ethos. The participants were Maulana Wahiduddin and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, while the well known columnist, Narayani Ganesh, acted as moderator.
First things first. The scriptural soul of Hinduism, the Gita, does not preach, nor even remotely mentions, anything comparable to the Islamic doctrine of jihad which is a permanent holy war against all non-Muslims, as ordained in Islamic scriptures. It is difficult, nay impossible, to fathom the intent of Times of India group to select such a wonky theme suggesting that jihad has been sanctioned in Hindu scriptures, too !. There is no moral equivalence between what Gita preaches and what Quran ordains. The choice of the subject of the discourse shows total mental bankruptcy because it tries to equate the two incomparable scriptures. Apparently the leading lights of Times of India group as well as Narayani Ganesh have neither read the Gita, nor Quran. Otherwise they would not have ventured to wade into the minefield of jihad which has tormented innumerable civilisations and countless countries for centuries and taken toll of crores of innocent lives. The attempt to underline some kind of spiritual equivalence between the Gita and the Quran is nothing short of an affront to sacred Hindu beliefs, nay to the Gita, itself.
It is a pity that Sri Sri could not see through the clever game being played by the sham-secularist newspaper to bring down Gita to the level of jihadi orthopraxy, enshrined in the Quran. Nor could he rebut the inane profanity hidden in the theme. The Gita does not command Hindus to kill all non-Hindus, or for that matter, not even atheists. Sri Krishna advised a wavering Arjuna at Kurukshetra to wage war in the cause of righteousness and justice, and nothing more. Even after explaining the import of ‘dharma’ and righteousness, Sri Krishna left the final choice about taking up arms to Arjuna, saying that it was for him to make the correct decision, in accordance with ‘dharma’.”
The whole article at
http://voi.org/20091003248/04oct2009/ramohri/column-ramkumarohri/adeviousattempttoequategitawithquran.html
Another related article
http://voi.org/20091003249/04oct2009/vinodkumar/column-vinodkumar/whatisjihad.html
December 28th, 2009 09:05
The equality will come only when we understand the difference between matter and spirit. As long this difference is not understood this misunderstanding of religion (faiths) will go on. There is only one God but what really matters is the differing levels of understanding the God. If Gods were many probably they would have fought between themselves and nothing would every survive. One of the biggest mistakes that one makes in making Lord Krsna as the Hindu God. Which part of the Bhagvat-gita does He say that He is speaking on behalf of Hindus. The Bhagvat-gita very elaborately speakds of the material nature constituted of three qualities (goodness, passion and ignorance). These qualities become prominent when our consciousness is attached to the material nature. Based on the qualities and the karma a living entity acquires a body. Since he is attached to the material body he takes a particular faith and says that to be all in all. When the consciousness is elevated to the spirit level from material level, the eternal feature of the living entity emerges as the eternal servant of the God. This is the Brahman stage of realization that I am eternal and not this body.
“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” BG 18.54