Guest guest Posted April 24, 2007 Report Share Posted April 24, 2007 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 drmoraleslist/ yoga-spirituality/ http://www.drfrankmorales.sulekha.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Great point. We may have 1 billion+ Hindus, but in reality, the number is thousand-fold or more smaller. Because we think of ourself as Iyengars, Madhvas, Srivaishnavas, Smrtas, Iyers, Lingayats, Kayasthas, Shettiyars, Mudaliyars,PushTi margis, etc, etc. The biggest group may be 10 million at most. There is nothing wrong in having many sects, the problem is none are able to speak for Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) as a whole. Each sect can describe itself quite accurately, but poblem is each sect also thinks it is speaking for whole. Christianity also has innumerable groups, but any Christian is able to describe the creed accurately in under 5 minutes. We don't have anything close to that. Because, number of Hindus is a matter of census, we are Hindus by census and Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharyas call for us to become conscious Hindus is in order. I came to USA 28+ years ago and has pondered and come up with a way of presenting essentials of Hinduism in 5 minutes using the acronym AEIOUY of HINDUISM. “AnO bhadrAh kratavO yantu vishvatah†(R~g vEda): May noble thoughts come to us from everywhere. “Ekam sat, viprAh bahudhA vadanti†(R~g vEda): Truth is one, the learned speak of it in numerous ways. “Isha avAsyam idagam sarvam, yat kincha jagatyAm jagat, tEna tyaktEna bhunjItA, mA gridhah kasyasviddhanam†(Isha upanishad): God permeates everything; whatever in the ever changing universe, relish your share with detachment, don’t be greedy after someone else’s share (For example, we just enjoy looking at the Grand Canyon, without thinking that we should own it! This is relishing life with detachment. We arrive at Hopi point in Grand Canyon to see Sunset. Many like us are also there. Some of them may have a better spot than us. We just enjoy the Sunset from whatever spot we have. Obviously, we don’t stand there envying others, or worse yet plot to knock them down to grab that spot! This is relishing our share in life without greed or envy). “Om iti brahma, Om itIdagam sarvam†(taittirIya upanishad): Om is God, Om is everything [Om is the wOmb of everything! Om represents our birth (spring), growth (summer), letting go (autumn/fall), and immortality (the silence of winter)]. “UddarEt Atmana AtmAnam, AtmAnam avasAdayEt, Atma Eva hi AtmanO bandhuh, Atma Eva ripuh Atmanah†(bhagavadgItA): Elevate your self by your own effort, never put your self down, (because) you are your best friend (and) you are your worst enemy. “YopAm Ayatanam vEda, AyatanavAn bhavatiâ€(Krishna YajurvEda): One who realizes the sustaining power of Lord, he indeed is in good hands (Compare this to the Christian belief: If you believe that Jesus died for your sins, you will be saved). “H†for harmony: Hinduism respects all religions and thus aspires for mutual tolerance and respect (This does not mean that all religions are same- a common misconception among many Hindus). Hinduism does not encourage hate or distrust. Hinduism is intolerant of intolerance. It does not actively seek converts. It emphasizes conduct and not creed. It has the capacity to assimilate all the faiths and the Philosophies. “I†for Incarnation (avataar): God descends to Earth in any form and under any sky as may be needed to uphold DHARMA (righteousness). There is no space, time, form or numerical limitation to an avataar. “N†for nonviolence (ahimsa). Hinduism recognizes that life supports life. One should avoid causing unnecessary injury (in thoughts, words or deeds) to one-self or other fellow beings including other life forms. Vegetarianism is a desired outcome, but never a prerequisite to be a Hindu. “D†for Dharma (righteousness). We should always protect Dharma (support what is right). This is regarded as a necessity, because Dharma is the basis of harmonious life. If we don't support Dharma, it will be as if chopping the very branches of the tree (of life) we are sitting on. “U†for Unity of existence. Everything and all beings are inter connected or inter related and are essentially the manifestation or extension of the one Supreme Being. The world is one big family. “I†for Inherent Value. God is Omnipresent & Omnipotent. Both the manifest & the un-manifest are a projection of God. They are supported, directed & controlled by God as well. The God can be worshipped in any 'Form' or 'No Form'. Just as the Flag is a symbol of a Nation, an Idol for the Hindu is symbolic of the God. A Hindu worships the God enshrined in the idol. “S†for Supreme Reality (Brahman, another name for God). Supreme Reality is both formless and with form, impersonal (Brahman) and personal (Atman), transcendent and immanent. The Supreme Reality is known by many names. “M†for Moksha & Mantra. Dharma (Virtue), Artha (Material prosperity), Kama (pleasures) & Moksha (liberation from cycles of birth & death, harmonious union with God) are the goals of life. The secondary objectives (Artha & Kama) are sandwiched between the primary objectives of (Dharma & Moksha). Adherence to one's own inherent talents (attitudes & aptitudes) in achieving these goals is suggested. Moksha is the ultimate goal of Hindu life. There are numerous paths and innumerable opportunities. It can happen by one way or the other and in one life or the other. The various paths for Moksha include: karma yoga-selfless good deeds; gnaana yoga-knowledge of Brahman; bhakti Yoga-faith or devotion; prapatti (sharNaagati) yoga-total surrender; raaja yoga-control of body, mind and intellect; mantra Yoga-union with God through repetition of a Mantra, etc. Mantra is a sacred word or a verse used for prayer. The most sacred Mantra of Hinduism is Aum/Om. “sarvE bhavantu suKhinah sarvE santu niraamayaah†(May all be happy, may all be healthy). “sarvE bhadraaNi pashyantu ma-kashchit dhuhkha-bhaag bhavEt†(May all prosper, may none suffer). “Om shaantih shaantih shaantihi†(Om peace, peace, peace; peace in all our 3 realms of existence (Surroundings, body and mind). K.S. tAtAchAr drfmrls Mon, 23 Apr 2007 10:09 PM Be a Conscious Hindu! 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 drmoraleslist/ yoga-spirituality/ http://www.drfrankmorales.sulekha.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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