Be a Conscious Hindu!

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Be a Conscious Hindu!

 

By Dr. Frank Morales, Ph.D.

(Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya

 

The number of Hindus currently living in our world is truly

impressive. According to reliable sources, there are as many as a

staggering one-billion Hindus in the world today. There are as many

as three-million Hindus living in the U.S. alone. Indeed, if you

found yourself drawn to reading this column, you are yourself most

likely one of this teeming number of self-identified Hindus. While

the numbers of Hindus in the world may be impressive, however (and

the numbers are indeed to be seen as a source of pride), numbers

alone don't always point to the actual strength of a religion.

 

The number of adherents of a religion do not, after all, always

correspond to the quality of the individuals practicing the

religion. And it is really the inner strength of the individual

religious persons that is the source of the outer strength of any

religion. This is the case for Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) as much as

any other religion.

 

Religion is ultimately not just a numbers game. Rather it is a

matter of personal conviction, depth of realization, and inner

spiritual experience. Religion is ultimately a radically personal

experience, and not just a group dynamic or a demographic statistic.

This truth being the case, I have made a distinction between two

types of " Hindus " in the world today. There are what I call " Nominal

Hindus " and " Conscious Hindus " . The real question for you is: Which

of these two types of Hindus are you?

 

A Nominal Hindu is a Hindu in name only. That is, they have no

difficulty necessarily saying that they're Hindu. That comes easy

enough. But this mostly cultural identity is often as far as the

typical Nominal Hindu is willing to go into exploring the depths of

their spirituality. The real question, of course, is not just are

you willing to call yourself Hindu…but are you consciously and

sincerely practicing Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism)?

 

Like the Nominal Hindu, the Conscious Hindu also has no difficulty

proclaiming " mein hindu hun. " " I am a Hindu. " But unlike the

Nominal Hindu, the Conscious Hindu actually knows what this claim

means…and he knows so as a result of his own personal experience.

The Conscious Hindu not only identifies with Sanatana Dharma, the

most ancient and profound spiritual system the world has ever known,

but he also has immense pride in this heritage, and isn't afraid to

show it!

 

More, the Conscious Hindu knows that it is his duty to not only revel

in the greatness of Dharmic culture, but that to be a true Hindu he

must also do everything in his power to live the life of a Hindu. A

Conscious Hindu joyfully embraces the Hindu lifestyle.

 

As a Conscious Hindu, you must be knowledgeable about the philosophy

and teachings of Sanatana Dharma, reading the Bhagavad Gita daily and

familiarizing yourself with the meaning of Dharma. More, you must

know that it isn't enough to merely read about Sanatana Dharma, but

that you must also practice its principles (puja, meditation, arati,

Yoga, etc.) and ethics (non-stealing, not lying, being noble, etc.).

Finally, it also is not even enough merely to practice Dharma by

rote, but you must practice with the ultimate end-goal in mind: The

goal of Sanatana Dharma – Hinduism – is to know, and love, and serve

Bhagavan – God. The ultimate purpose of both Hinduism, and life

itself, is having deep and abiding Bhakti – devotion toward God.

 

It is ultimately only by living your life as a Conscious Hindu -

reclaiming your spiritual heritage in Sanatana Dharma and joyously

practicing this path – that you will know the true happiness, peace,

fulfillment and joy that your spiritual tradition has to offer you.

Become a Conscious Hindu, live the Hindu lifestyle, and begin to

experience the true joy of the presence of God in your life.

 

The Author:

Dr. Frank Morales (Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya) has been a

practicing American Hindu for over 30 years. He has a Ph.D. in

Religious Studies and is recognized as one of the leading Hindu

Acharyas in the nation. He is the Founder and President of the

International Sanatana Dharma Society. To contact Sri Acharyaji,

email him at: info.

 

His primary websites are:

 

http://www.dharmacentral.com

http://www.drfrankmorales.sulekha.com/