Jai Hind !!!

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Hare Krishna, When the British ruled our country, they established an education system promoting baseless theories like “Aryan invasion” in order to enable them to “Divide and Rule” the country . Most unfortunately , the same education system was blindly continued even after

independence by the utterly selfish leaders of “India” . Consequently, the entire Hindu-society stands disintegrated . The ‘atmic’ values are unknown to a vast section of the Hindus ; and It is sensual pleasures alone that matters to them . Such ignorant and materialistic Hindus are proud to call themselves “ Secularists ” ; and they propagate that Hinduism is a mere "Way of Life" . According to them , a Hindu can live a life according to his own whims and fancies. This irreligious attitude of Hindus have forced many Brahmins to give up their traditional Vedic duties and take up other jobs for survival . Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) and Other Religions All religions barring Hinduism were established by single individuals. "Buddhism" means the religion founded by Gautama Buddha. Jainism was founded by the Jina called Mahavira. Christianity has its origin in Jesus Christ and Islam was founded by Prophet Mohammad. Hinduism was the first religion that came into existence . All sounds originate in space. From them arose creation. According to science, the cosmos was produced from the

vibrations in space. By virtue of their austerities the Rsis (ancient Sages) had the gift of seeing the mantras in space, the mantras that liberate men from this creation. The Vedas are ‘apauruseya’ (not the work of any human author) and are the very breath of the ‘Paramatman’ in His form as space. The Sages saw them and made a gift of them to the world. This is the basis of Sanatana Dharma. Hinduism is based on the theory of karma. There is a law of physics governing cause and effect, action and reaction. According to the karma theory, every action of a man has an effect corresponding to it. Based on this concept Hinduism declares that, if a man commits a sin, he shall pay the penalty for it. Also if his act is a virtuous one, he shall reap the benefits thereof. One is born again and again so as to experience the consequences of one's good and bad action. "Do good. Do not do evil, " such are the exhortations of all religions. But Hinduism (and its offshoots) alone lay stress on the cause-and -effect connection. The foreign religions do not to the cause-and-effect connection, nor to the reincarnation theory as one of its articles of faith. They believe that a man has only one birth, that when his soul departs on his death it dwells somewhere awaiting

the day of judgment. On this day God makes an assessment of his good and bad actions and, on the basis of it, rewards him with eternal paradise or sentences him to eternal damnation. Hinduism says that , in His mercy God gives one every time a fresh opportunity to wash away the sins. The Guru, the Sastras, and the Temples are all God’s gifts

to wipe away the inner impurities. That God, in His compassion, places His trust even in a sinner confident that he will raise himself through his own effort; therefore the God gives him a fresh opportunity in the form of another birth to advance himself inwardly. Requirements of Hindu Dharma. The dictates of Hinduism help it’s followers to abandon the pursuit of sensual enjoyments and endeavor for eternal bliss. They are also essential to create a social order that has the same high purpose, the liberation of all. The eternal Religion, with its goal of liberation, lays down the tenets of “Dharma”. Hinduism requires that , it’s follower in his day-to-day personal and moral conduct, should be guided by the following in the priorities given below : 1. Ordinance of the Vedas ( as summarized in Gita) . It is declared that Veda is the source of all DHARMA( Vedokhilo dharma moolam). 2. If one is unable to get guidance to clear out doubt from the Vedas then he should refer to the authorized SMRITIS which are short notes on Vedas. 3. If doubt still remains then he should be guided by the conduct of those who know and follow SMRITIS. 4. When the above guidance is not available, one should model his conduct on the

action of good people who have conquered desires and ego, and are pure in heart. 5. When even this source of guidance fails, one should abide by the dictates of own conscience. God is the final of all the things of the world. If we take the example of a tree, we will find that it is soil and water that help the seed grow into a mighty tree. The source from which the tree came into existence from a seed, is the soil and water. The tree is sustained during its existence by the same soil and water. When the tree dies, it resolves itself into the soil and water from which it sprang. The essence or truth of the tree is

the soil. It is the same for all living things which constitute the world . As there is a "universal soil " at the back of "individual" soil from the which a tree springs , by which it lives and into which it disappears, so too there must be Superior Intelligence of which our intelligence are but minute fractions. That Superior Intelligence or Chit is God. He is Ananda or Bliss. He is the one existent or Sat. He is responsible for creation in conjunction with Rajo guna, for preservation motivated by Satva guna and for destruction under the impact of Tamo guna. Thus God is trigunaatma. Thus these forms of God are not distinct and different. They are three manifestations of the same Divinity assuming aspects for different purposes, and according to the predilections and tastes of the worshipers. The forms may appear different, the names may be different, but the truth is one. It is One that becomes Three, and then Thirty Three, and then Thirty Three Crores, according to the numberless varieties

of functions of Divinity. This is the basic fact declared by Hinduism. Hinduism, Rationalism and Atheism . Unlike other religions like Christianity and Islam, Hinduism gives freedom to it’s follower to take up the thread of inquiry to find the truth by himself . As he inquires into the origin of conscious life and the insentient atom and go step by step ahead in his inquiry, he realizes in the end the monistic truth that everything is the manifestation or disguise of the same Paramataman. Logic gives rationalism its due place, but this does not lead to materialism, or atheism . Through intellectual inquiry, seeker comes to the conclusion that, if the world is so orderly with so many creatures in it, all of them

interlinked, there must be an Isvara to have created it . He recognises that there are areas that cannot be comprehended by human reason and that the truths that cannot be established rationally must be accepted according to how the Vedas see them . This means that Seeker takes every care to see that reasoning does not take a course that is fault finding and that it leads to the discovery of truth . To examine something with the instrument of knowledge is to purify that very knowledge . It is also a means of obtaining intellectual clarity . When there is lucidity the truth that is beyond the reach of this very intellect will appear to us in a flash . [in other words there will be an intuitive perception of the truth] . It is indeed commendable to have faith in the Paramatman and in the sastras even without carrying out any intellectual inquiry. Instead of idling away one's time with atheism, without making any intellectual effort to discover the truth, it is better to keep thinking. A person who does so is superior to the idler who has no intellectual concern whatsoever and blindly believes that there

is no God . The atheist, where he to continue his inquiry, would develop sufficient intellectual clarity to give up his atheism. But the idler has no means of advancing inwardly. This is one reason why even "Carvakam" was accepted as a preliminary system in India to begin the pursuit to find the ultimate truth. Bhagavad Gita, the Divine Song of God. Bhagvad-Gita is unquestionably the essence of everything that exists. One who masters Gita can logically present irrefutable explanation to every phenomenon - physical or metaphysical. Gita contains immense potential to take the devotee to new heights of experience where he not only understands what every word means but also what every word points to. ( For example, by looking at a

signboard with "Lake" written on it, one understands completely that a lake exists nearby and when one visits the lake one knows exactly what the board was pointing to.) The Bhagavad-Gita is not separate from the Vaishnava philosophy and the Srimad Bhagavatam fully reveals the true import of this doctrine which is passing of the soul into another body after the person’s death . On perusal of the first chapter of

Bhagavad-Gita one may think that he is advised to engage in warfare. When the second chapter has been read he understands that knowledge and the soul is the ultimate goal to be attained. On studying the third chapter it is apparent that acts of righteousness are also of high priority. If the reader continues to complete the Bhagavad-Gita and try to ascertain the truth of its closing chapter he realizes that the ultimate conclusion is to relinquish all the conceptualized ideas which he possesses and fully surrender directly unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna . Role of Brahmanas According to Hinduism , the proper functioning of society is dependent on many types of physical , intellectual and Atmic works . It is totally wrong to claim that one kind of work is superior to another kind or inferior to it. For the Atmic well-being of mankind a dedicated group of persons with vast knowledge and deep devotion are required to preserve the Vedas. The Vedic scriptures have entrusted Brahmanas, with this duty on a hereditary basis : they practice meditation, perform puja, conduct sacrifices and carry out the ordinances of the sastras that are meant for the good of all mankind .

We cannot expect a man who does hard physical work to observe fasts. The Brahmanas who do Atmic work do not need much bodily nourishment. They are enjoined to perform many a rite and to observe a number of fasts so that they will learn not to take pride in their body. According to the ‘sastras’ the Brahmin must live in a modest dwelling, observe strict rules and vows so as to gain mastery of the mantras . He must eat only as much as is needed keep body and soul together. All temptations to make money and enjoy sensual

pleasures he must sternly resist . All his actions must be inspired by the spirit of sacrifice and he must pass his days sustaining the Vedic tradition and practices for the good of mankind. It was with this purpose that the village is divided into different quarters : the ‘agrahara’ (the Brahmin quarter), the agriculturists quarter and so on . The Brahmin for whom it is obligatory to observe fasts and vows and to perform various rites has a different code of conduct . He is not to regard his body as a means for the enjoyment of sensual pleasures but as an instrument for the observance of such rites as are necessary to protect the Vedas .

The body of the Brahmin nothing must be added that incites his sensual appetite . It is the duty of Hindus to ensure that the Brahmins are provided him with the necessities of life and such materials as needed for the performance of sacrifices. The Brahmin works for the whole community and serves it by chanting mantras, by performing sacrifices and by leading a life according to the dictates of Vedic religion. That is why he must be provided with his upkeep . In his personal life he must eschew all show and luxury. It is by taming his senses- by burning away all desire- that he gains mastery over the Vedic mantras. Conclusion Hindus should not watch idly as the dharma that is the source of everything is being endangered . They must harness all their energies towards the rejuvenation of Hindu Dharma . It is up to every individual Hindu to make his own contribution towards this. Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!!! SriKrishnaDasa Rajeev ------------- I wonder what is the opinion of our esteemed members on this topic? -- Viji DOES HINDUSIM ALLOW ATHEISM ? Sujoi Karampuri There are many religions in the world and they usually have a propounder i.e. a person who has started the religion like, Prophet (Islam), Christ (Christianity), Guru Nanak (Sikhism) and many more like Jain, Zarasusthra. But Hinduism does not come into this class as it has no propounder. It has come into existence through time suiting the lives of the people of

the land. And many of these religions have been founded on few steadfast rules. ONE who obeys them shall be a part of that relgion. You need to abide by few rules to be it's follower. IF you go against it you are thrown out. One of the steadfast rules in most of the above relgions says that you should definitely believe in a particular person, idol or an icon to be it's follower. It has few axioms. Hence are not debatable. For exapmle: Islam doesn't allow any atheist nor does it allow any person who believes any person other than Allah. It goes on to say that others are kafirs (vermin), and hence should be eliminated. Many Hindus though they are Hindus seldom understand the basic concept of Hinduism. It's because many misinterpretations have been surrounding them without any authenticity being regarded. It's also because Hinduism had to undergo little stress facing alien religions which tried to subdue it or completely eliminate it. For it's survival it did undergo few changes momentarily trying

to face the chellenge. But it has at the same time allowed many architects to redesign it leading to many a misconception of it's true form. Hinduism is not founded nor propunded by a single man or a group of people. It has been formulated nor designed in one day or over a lifetime. It grew slowly and gradually through time allowing all the changes and INCORPORATING ALL NEW IDEAS brought in from people pouring down from distant lands. HINDUISM AS SUCH IS NOT A RELIGION which many do not understand. Hinduism is just a way of life. It is characterized only by the way of life of it's people. It is open to criticism. NO talk is profane. NO debate is blasphemous. It accepts ideas at all times. It allows changes at all times. It does not dictate terms to people. Any person who lives in Indian sub-continent and thus lives accordingly to it's life style is a HINDU. We seem to be fascinated by the extreme devotion people show in our country. But we are at the same time concentrating on few principles written by few people who only contributed to the 'religion' in facing the challenge from the alien religions (Alien religions are 'Islam' and 'Christianity'). They are no propounders of 'Hinduism' which has been exisiting for over thousand years. One may start arguing taking 'Gita' as basic guide. But one doesn't ever notice that never does it mention that you should definitely believe in a god to be a Hindu. It only talks of a supernatural being who shall always be there to guide you, Karma, Moksha etc. It

guides a man on how he should live, rather it expounds on an ideal life. But never does it talk of rules to be followed to be a Hindu. It is a big blunder if we start considering 'Gita' as a religious book. It is not similar to 'Bible' or 'Koran'. They are religious books but 'Gita' isn't. as such it is just a part of a big epic 'Mahabharatha'. We may go on to say that Vedas are our religious books. But again we are wrong. Vedas again expound on life style of the people. Vedas never talk of an atheist nor does it consider an atheist to a heathen or a heretic nor does it outcast any atheist. Vedas only talk of a way of life by which you attain certain higher

things in life. It does not at all talk of any God. They have been misinterpreted by so many people through ages that we have a completely different society altogether resulting in a deep-rooted class based society. ATHEISM IS A SUBCLASS OF HINDUISM. Hinduism does not hold any person to a particular God. You can choose any god as your idol. Hence you can choose no god as your idol. It doesn't ever say that you heve to choose some god definitely. You may take anything as god or nothing as god. But in other religions you do not have any choice. You have to follow a particular idol to belong to that religion. HINDUISM IS VERY FLEXIBLE. It doesn't set any rules in choosing your god. If you are well off without a god It does not bother you (But people shall). Our people usually correlate it with other religions that have come up - and hence seem to think that fanaticism is the identitiy of being a follower. (Remember - Hinduism never had any holy Wars) Hinduim doesn't expect any fanaticism from it's people, rather it discourages such dogmatism and fanaticism. For example: Let's talk of the most misinterpreted term in our sub-continent. The concept of 'Brahmin' -- It is defined as ANY person who who performs certain rituals and leads his life in a particular fashion. But never does it mentin that a son of Brahmin is a Brahmin, nor does it say that education should be carried out only by Brahmins. It does not even say that any other person can never become a Brahmin. But it has been changed, distorted so much so that the basic structure suffered a great deal resulting in a completely different picture of Hinduism. And when do the scriptures talk of Untouchability and Sati. I just wish to say that on comparing our 'religion' with others, we seem to get the notion that 'Hinduism DOESN'T allow Atheism'. But to get the proper answer one should start with the basic foundation of Hinduism and not get carried away by what people have preached in many ways at various periods to meet the needs of that time. It sudenly appears ridiculous that our 'religion' doesn't bind one to a god, when so much devotion and so much religious activity is seen, but it is very much true that it is the only 'religion' which allows debate on 'existence of god'. It was the only cult which let people go into the realm of Creator and thus explore into the metaphysics. But of course following the footsteps of other religions even we seem to put a hold on ourselves. I just wanted to clarify this because the so called 'religious' people of Hinduism seem to beleive that Atheists do not form part of the religion.

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