Hindu faith - Respect for other religions

[Guest guest]

At the beginning of my talk to a group of over 200 students, I had

asked them a simple question. 'You all travel great distances taking

various kinds of transport to reach here, namely trains, buses, cars

(both expensive and ordinary) and even some by walk. Did any of you

ever have a fight or argument with any of your peers as to the mode

of transport you had taken - i.e. whether it is an expensive car or a

cheap car etc.' They all said 'No' with one voice. In all my talks

this is the one thing that I always emphasise on. Religion is only a

vehicle to take you from one place to the other. Whether one is a

Christian, a Muslim, a Jew, a Hindu, a Buddhist etc. your particular

religion is meant to take you to the Ultimate Truth it preaches - you

may call that Truth as God, Allah, Jehovah, Nirvana, Moksha,

Liberation etc. Every religion preaches that Truth is divine and

pure. If this primary purpose of a religion is forgotten, then we all

fail as adherents of that faith.

 

Hinduism, because of its broad-mindedness and tolerance, is

essentially a religion of peace. Every important Hindu prayer ends

with the word 'Peace' (Shanti) uttered three times: Om Shanti Shanti

Shanti. Because of this teaching, the Hindu is, by nature, a man of

peace and is not generally inclined to use force for setting his

differences with others. For the same reason, the Hindu national

character is peace loving.

 

Because of the peaceful aim and broad-mindedness of Hinduism, it is

most tolerant to all religions of the world and the peoples

professing the same. For thousands of years foreigners have sought

asylum in India. A few centuries ago the Syrian Christians, the bulk

of whom are now in Bombay and Gujarat - west coast of India - left

their home countries there and sought asylum in India. A number of

Jews came to south India seeking refuge from persecution in

Palestine. The Hindu kings at that time, in addition to giving all

these refugees asylum, actually helped them by giving free land and

financial help to build their churches, temples and synagogues, so

that they could follow their own ways of life without any let or

hindrance, not to speak of persecution. In the history of the world

few countries in the past can claim such noble deeds. Another two

examples are Budhists Dalai Lama and Karmappa. I remember exactly 10

years ago when there were communal disturbances in India after the

destruction of an unused mosque, everyone started criticising Hindus

and forecast the doom and destruction of secular India. In all this

rumble, I heard the lone voice of a rabbi from Israel saying that

secularism and religious tolerance were safe in India as that was the

only country in the world which never persecuted a Jew because of his

faith.

 

 

(continued)

[Guest guest]

> Let us unite to ensure that there is no more killing in the name of

> religion, sect or creed anywhere in the world.

 

Hallelujah!!

 

The recent events in India has painfully demonstrated that negativite

energy does not play favorites! Stooping to the levels of

perpetrators, dropping down to the lowest commmon demonimator,

reduces people to their lowest level and consciousness, and all

justification of the cause is lost.

 

It is time to take away control of the Dharma from the politicians

and into the hands of true practitioners. Instead of sitting back

promoting each sect, or invoking laws of Karma sincere sadhaks have

to wake up and live the Truth in their environment, and be the beacon

of light in the darkness. Sadhaks have to accept that their way is not

the only way, and bring humanity together, not according to their

ways, but according to the way of the Truth. This is even more

imperative and urgent now. If Sadhana divides rather than unites,

then there it is time to question one's practice.

 

I invite all to pray for the victims and families of these most

horrific terroristic crimes. I invite prayers for the perpetrators

too, who need more light than anyone else -- may they be released

from the clutches of ignorance. May all in the world be protected

from the hurtfull tentacles of hate, revenge, self-righteousness and

those who "know it all"!

 

_/\_ Tat twam asi

 

Uma

 

 

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This is a Reply to post 3413 by sankarrukku

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[Guest guest]

The Hindu religion teaches us how to combat with our unconscious

desires. But recent mishap in India shows our failure in this war

between unconscious and the conscience. Possibly, this indicates our

failure in .

 

, "tatwamasi" <tatwamasi> wrote:

> > Let us unite to ensure that there is no more killing in the name

of

> > religion, sect or creed anywhere in the world.

>

> Hallelujah!!

>

> The recent events in India has painfully demonstrated that

negativite

> energy does not play favorites! Stooping to the levels of

> perpetrators, dropping down to the lowest commmon demonimator,

> reduces people to their lowest level and consciousness, and all

> justification of the cause is lost.

>

> It is time to take away control of the Dharma from the politicians

> and into the hands of true practitioners. Instead of sitting back

> promoting each sect, or invoking laws of Karma sincere sadhaks have

> to wake up and live the Truth in their environment, and be the

beacon

> of light in the darkness. Sadhaks have to accept that their way is

not

> the only way, and bring humanity together, not according to their

> ways, but according to the way of the Truth. This is even more

> imperative and urgent now. If Sadhana divides rather than unites,

> then there it is time to question one's practice.

>

> I invite all to pray for the victims and families of these most

> horrific terroristic crimes. I invite prayers for the perpetrators

> too, who need more light than anyone else -- may they be released

> from the clutches of ignorance. May all in the world be protected

> from the hurtfull tentacles of hate, revenge, self-righteousness

and

> those who "know it all"!

>

> _/\_ Tat twam asi

>

> Uma

>

>

> *******************************************

> This is a Reply to post 3413 by sankarrukku

> ********************************************

[Guest guest]

>>Possibly, this indicates our failure in . >>

 

Namashkaar dutto moshai!

 

Good to see you here.

 

Our failure of saadhna includes among other things, too much chatter

not enough action. Too many people are arguing, debating, parroting

scriptures and very few are putting it to practice. Too many are busy

propagating their schools, busy trying to prove that their path is

better and the shortest path to the Divine. Even those who talk of

Love, want everyone else to love in their way, sing glories to their

path and Gurus. This whole lack of unity is so incongruent with the

Knowledge to me that I sometimes wonder if I'm the one who has gotten

it totally wrong. ) Always possible!!!

 

My personal rule of thumb in judging whether a system is right for me

is if it divides instead of uniting people, I need to run from it.

 

Have you seen any of our Gurus calling on all other Guru and their

students for a peace meditation or prayer for the unity of mankind -

or even just for India itself? Yes, individual Gurus have yajyas for

peace, but it is on their own. Can you imagine the power of joining

forces? Just maybe one day a year ... is that too much to ask from

our exalted ones?

 

The recent events have made my cry at our collective failure. Don't

mean to sound cynical, I probably just don't understand.

 

_/\_ Tat twam asi

 

Uma

 

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This is a reply to Post # 3420 from dduttaroy

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