who is a hindu

[Guest guest]

namaskar,

the question Who is a Hindu was discussed on the indictraditionsegroup, let me

share a perspective.

 

1. How did the word Hindu come into existence ? There was no such religion as

Hinduism till the Muslim invasion. It was called Sanathan Dharam. Hindu is a

modified version of Sindhu, was a term to indicate the region round the Sindhu

river ( modern day Indus ) and then the whole of India. The Iranians

substituted H for S making it Hindu. When the Muslims came in, there became two

sets of people, one the Muslims and two the Hindus and so came the word

Hinduism.

 

2. What does Religion mean to yu ? If yu were to say I am a Hindu what does it

mean to yu ? a few thoughts - As an ordinary person ie someone who has not read

the scriptures, it means rituals + festivals + spirituality for eg I follow some

of 16 samskaras like naming - thread - mundane - vivaha ceremonies, when I get

married I go round the fire, I am open to new schools of thought, I believe in

the Law of Karma - Rebirth, I do not believe in converting people like Muslims

and Christians do, I do not take to the gun read violence like they do, I do

not force my religion on someone by force - by using the gun, through personal

experience if someone desires to become a hindu that's fine, I celebrate all

festivals since they are symbols of happiness and unity and lastly when I die I

get cremated and not buried thus do not occupy valuable space which in cities

like Mumbai goes anywhere between Rs 3,000/ to Rs 25,000/ a square foot.

 

3. I have repeatedly said that religion is a western concept, one philosophy

does not make a religion. In India what always existed were different schools

of philosophy, the six famous ones are Nyaya, Vaiseskia, Samkhya, Yoga,

Mimamsa, Vedanta, so if we were to use the western definition each philosophy

would be a religion.

 

4. The Sanskrit word for philosophy is darsana, which means direct vision. The

words symbolize the difference between modern Western philosophy, which mainly

relies on intellectual pursuit and Indian philosophy that relies on direct

vision of truths and pure Buddhi (reasoning). Darsana is divided into two

categories namely Astika (believer in the Vedas) and Nastika (non-believer in

the Vedas). Astika are Nyaya, Vaisheshik, Sakhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta.

Nastika are Carvaka, Jainism and Buddism. Others are a mixture of the ideas of

these systems. Although each school of philosophy is unique, in terms of modern

day religions of India i.e. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism (excluding Sikhism

because it is nothing but distilled Vedanta and Bhakti movement) certain common

characteristics unite these schools. The characteristics are - Direct

experience, Acceptance of authority, Harmony amongst schools, Parallel growth

and co existence of so many schools, open mindedness, support of logic and

reasoning, belief of eternity, law of karma, moral and ethical teachings,

acknowledgement of suffering, thoroughness, practicality. The philoso is inward

looking. Para 4 is an extract from an essay on my site called Common

Characteristics of Indian Philosophy based on a book 7 systems of Indian

Philosophy by Pandit Rajmani T of the Himalayan Institute.

 

So when we talk of religion today, we must check the characteristics of their

philosophy, is it common, to my mind religion is nothing but spirituality and

rituals.

 

5. Love for Motherland, Vedic view - There is a full chapter in the Rig Veda on

the subject of love for motherland (1-80). Atharva 12.1.62 "O Mother land! If

need be, we thy sons are ready to sacrifice our lives to protect your honor.

May we remain united and defeat all our adversaries". So love for motherland,

Bharat, is always associated with followers of Indian religions. During the

partition of Bengal in 1905, the song Vande Mataram by Bankim Chandra

Chatterjee became very important. It was a hymn for the love of motherland

sublimated into a devotion to the Divine Mother Bharat. In that vision was

manifest the trinity of Saraswati (the goddess of knowledge), Lakshmi (the

goddess of wealth and beauty) and Durga (the goddess of strength and energy).

Yu see the Hindus never opposed the song but the Muslims did because for them

there is no concept of Motherland, there is what we are seeing clearly post

Sept 11, Pan Islamicism. Instead the Muslims read Iqbal gave us Sareh jahaan

see aacha by Muhammad Iqbal.

 

6. I quote Swami Vivekananda - "From the spiritual flights of the Vedanta

philosophy, of which the latest discoveries of science seem like echoes, to the

low ideas of idolatry with its multi various mythology, the agnosticism of the

Buddhists and the atheism of the Jains, each and all have a place in the

Hindu's religion".

 

7. Now lets look at a patriots definition. I quote Veer Savarkar " A Hindu is a

person who regards his land as Bharat-Varsha from the Indus to the Seas as his

fatherland as well as his Holyland, that is the cradle land of his religion".

For a Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh using modern day connotations he is firmly

aligned to only one country Bharat, he could become a citizen of the U.S. but

Bharat is where he belongs, his roots lie there. Now take the Muslims - they

protest against the bombings in Afghanistan, Pakistan, are quick to declare

Fatwas against Hindus, Christians but when innocent Hindus are massacred in

Kashmir and elsewhere by Muslim jehadis groups there is silence. Another e.g.

Khilafat movement in the 1920s, the Indian Muslims were protesting against

events in Turkey, now how on earth did it concern them when their own nation

bharat was under foreign rule. Lets take the Indian Christains, if they are to

be part of the Indian fabric, why must their churches be aligned with the

Vatican, or the Evalengists of North America.

 

Another thought - Foreign monies pours into India - persons of Indian origin

i.e. Hindus, Sikhs, jains etc worldwide remit money for charitable causes, on

the other hand it is not only Indian Muslims and Christians who remit money but

Muslims and Christian countries whose aim is political, conversions and social.

By this example too the followers of these four sects fall within the

definition of modern day Hinduism. let me rephrase it - followers of all

religions that originated in Bharat are Hindus.

 

When a child is in a problem he thinks of his mother first, so also a follower

of an Indian religion thinks of Bharat when he is in a problem be it Fiji,

Africa, U.S. Unlike the Muslims, Christians who get help from the Muslim /

Christian world and thus will not necessarily think of India.

 

Look fd to yr comments, love and om

sanjeev

 

Have referred to the book 7 systems of Indian Philosophy referred to above, The

Tragedy of Partition by H V Seshadari, the History and Culture of Indian People

by the Bharitya Vidya Bhavan, Chips from a Vedic Workshop by Inder Dev Khosla.

Discover your Roots - Visit www.esamskriti.comThe site has 10 sections. 1.

Culture and philosophy.2. Wars and foreign affairs.3. Festivals of India.4.

Great men of India.5. Ancient India and the outside world.6. History.7.

Question and Answers Indian Culture.8. Why.9. 300 photographs of India.10. 369

Quotes

 

Long Live Kshatriya DharamGenerate Positive Vibrations lifelong worldwide.