Fwd: Frank Morales on Hinduism.

[Guest guest]

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Tony,

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Why are you responding to this here. Was

this not posted on the Advaitin list? How come you don’t discuss it where

it was posted, on the Advaitin list.

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">

font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold">saktidasa

[saktidasa ]

Thursday, December 09, 2004

5:18 PM

To:

; nondualphil

[ - Ramana

Guru] Fwd: Frank Morales on Hinduism.

12.0pt">

12.0pt">

---

In advaitajnana, "Tony OClery" <aoclery>

wrote:

advaitin, Frank Morales

<drfmrls> wrote:

>

>

Greetings & Namaste, Everyone,

>

> I've

just completed a major paper on the question of whether or

not Hinduism

actually teaches that all religions are the same, an

idea that I

call Radical Universalism. This issue has become the

most

paralyzing and crucial philosophical issue that Hinduism has

faced in the

last 200 years.

>

> The

on-line version of the paper is located here:

>

> http://www.dharmacentral.com/universalism.htm

>

>

>

> The

paper takes an in-depth philosophical approach to the issue,

delving into

the historical origins of the idea, as well as the

immediate

impact that it has had on Hinduism for the last two

centuries.

While the paper is certainly meant to be read by each

and every

concerned Hindu, it has been especially created with Hindu

leaders,

Hindu intellectuals and Hindu activists as its main

audience.

The hope is that this paper will quickly become the

definitive

statement on this important issue.

Namaste,

It is really

a Western paper by a Westerner that really doesn't seem

to grasp the

essences of Hinduism. He is very much an outsider

looking in.

His first mistep is considering Hinduism as a Religion

in the

Western sense, when in fact it is an umbrella. He talks about

not

persecuting Jews or Parsees without understanding that Hinduism

or Sanathana

Dharma predates Religion.

It is only

in the last few thousand years of human history that

organised

religion became a fact. More particularly in the last two

thousand

years with especially Judaism, Islam and Christianity. One

cannot

measure this as a template against Hinduism for Hinduism is a

spiritual

more than a religious base.

He obviously

doesn't understand what Hindus mean when they say all

religions

are equal. He has no idea of who and what Ramakrishna was

or even

Vivekananda. He even misreads the idea of Jesus who became

the Christ.

He

misunderstands the attitude of the British Colonialists during

this time as

well. Some of the more evangelical types no doubt

considered

any non Christian religion, or their version anyway, as

idolatry.

However many of the Colonialists understood well the

situation,

learned the languages and Sanskrit, and even participated

in the

establishment of pre-independence movements.

I haven't

finished going over it but so far it seems more suitable

to the

academic rather than the practitioner. Not that this is wrong

but it is

just apples and oranges. From an academic point of view it

is no doubt

a good paper. However if one wants to understand

Hinduism one

has to do it from the inside and live it for a while

then

comment.......ONS...........Credentials

it seems don't equal enlightenment.

..

--- End

forwarded message ---

[Guest guest]

, "Harsha" wrote:

> Tony,

>

>

>

> Why are you responding to this here. Was this not posted on the Advaitin

> list? How come you don't discuss it where it was posted, on the Advaitin

> list.

 

Namaste H,

 

I forwarded it to a couple of lists, interested in Hinduism. As he is

advertising himself to come and speak, at a fee no doubt; I thought it

needed an answer. I see they censored my answer at advaitin, I don't

know why. Frank seems to be much in the Hindutva camp and as such IMO

is missing the essence of Sanathana Dharma. As you know this type of

thinking, Bal Thackery etc, has brought nothing but sectarian riots

and killings in India, particularly in the last ten years or so,

beginning with the Mosque at Ayodhya. I found it rather non

representative of Hinduism. In fact anything that creates

fundamentalism and exclusiveness where there was none before is

unhealthy.......I really don'nt think he has penetrated the Dharma for

meaning notwithstanding the fact he does pujas.............ONS..Tony.

[Guest guest]

saktidasa wrote:

>

> , "Harsha" wrote:

> > Tony,

> >

> >

> >

> > Why are you responding to this here. Was this not posted on the Advaitin

> > list? How come you don't discuss it where it was posted, on the Advaitin

> > list.

>

> Namaste H,

>

> I forwarded it to a couple of lists, interested in Hinduism. As he is

> advertising himself to come and speak, at a fee no doubt; I thought it

> needed an answer. I see they censored my answer at advaitin, I don't

> know why.

 

Dear Tony,

 

Whatever the reason they censored you at Advaitin, the point is that

your response to a post that never appeared on this list makes no sense.

How can anyone follow the conversation if part of it appeared somewhere

else.

Also see below.

> Frank seems to be much in the Hindutva camp and as such IMO

> is missing the essence of Sanathana Dharma. As you know this type of

> thinking, Bal Thackery etc, has brought nothing but sectarian riots

> and killings in India, particularly in the last ten years or so,

> beginning with the Mosque at Ayodhya. I found it rather non

> representative of Hinduism. In fact anything that creates

> fundamentalism and exclusiveness where there was none before is

> unhealthy.......I really don'nt think he has penetrated the Dharma for

> meaning notwithstanding the fact he does pujas.............ONS..Tony.

>

>

Dear Tony,

 

Perhaps you should share your insights with this gentleman directly.

That would appear to be the logical thing to do. But until he posts here

on the list, where is the need to respond.

 

Love,

Harsha