[world-vedic] who is a hindu

[Guest guest]

Namaste,

I published a Book Hindu Centum in 1999 it deals with one hundred questions on

Hindu Dharma , You may go through it , as it will add more information on all

what is called Hindu Dharma ,in addition to who is Hindu?

You visit our web site also http://www.geocities.com/vedic_temple

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Deen B. Chandora MD

Nov.7,2001

>"sanjeev nayyar"

>vediculture >

>[world-vedic] who is a hindu >Sun, 4 Nov 2001 19:35:34 +0530 >

>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.com >The 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 Dharam >Generate Positive Vibrations lifelong worldwide. Get

your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com