Here is my reply – and I wonder why Quora didn’t like it.

I keep wondering about this question since long.
My feeling is, in Vedic tradition, human beings are not the ‘crown of the creation’ as in the Abrahamic religions. There are other conscious, intelligent beings apart from humans. The Saptarishis (seven sages) for example are in my view not humans as we are.

My feeling is, a lot of the Vedic knowledge was GIVEN. It is not possible for humans to come to the conclusions of Surya Siddhanta for example. Mapping of the sky is not possible merely by observation.

Even the Upanishadic realisation that this ‘reality’ is Maya, a temporary appearance on the eternal truth (Brahman), and doing a clear analysis of Maya, including the 5 elements, is not easy to discover for humans who were supposed to be primitive thousands of years ago.

The usual explanation: they saw it in deep meditation, is unlikely. In deep meditation one may experience an oceanic oneness with all, but it’s unlikely to get inputs about certain constellations in the sky.

Let’s take Ramanujan Srinivasan. He says, his Kul Devi Namagiri gave him the mathematical formulas in dream. Should we not consider the Devi as real as we humans are?
Patanjali, who gave us the Ashtanga Yoga, was supposedly a Naga.
Or who built the Kailash Mandir? It is doubtful that it were humans.

I find it strange: Hindus have so much information about different beings especially in the Puranas, yet it almost seems, as if westerners nowadays take invisible spiritual forces – positive and negative ones – more seriously and for more real than Hindus do.

The reason may be that especially Hindus are very focused on education. And education considers these invisible powers just as figments of imagination and to believe in them as ridiculous. Yet by now we should know that education has an agenda. And it is NOT to make us free and happy and realise who we really are.

While Devas and Asuras are more powerful and long lived than humans, they play their part in Maya depending on their gunas (Devas sattvic, Asuras rajasic (egoistic) and Rakshasas tamasic).
Humans have the advantage that they can discover their oneness with Brahman by first choosing satva and then transcending the gunas.
By Maria Wirth

if you like my writing, consider checking out my books:
“Why Hindu Dharma is under attack by Muslims, Christians and the Left” available in English and Hindi.
in English Rs 293 (also on Kindle)

in Hindi: Rs 330
https://www.amazon.in/Hindu-Muslimon-Isaiyon-Vampanthion-Aakrman/dp/9391154832

“Thank you India”, Rs 440, also on Kindle

The post Quora removed again one of my answers first appeared on Maria Wirth.

The world has changed significantly within the last few years. Many of these changes are very concerning, especially the casual talk by some politicians about the possibility of a nuclear war, and the dangers of artificial intelligence, which will not only render many jobless and possibly directly influence our thoughts, but may even go out of human control. Further, the big economic downturn in many countries and the increasing censorship of speech. It seems as if the world is moving towards a China-type controlled one-world society.

In this scenario, social media is both a boon and a bane. It is a bane, when it keeps our attention, addictively, on scrolling for ever more information or entertainment, without giving us a break to be present in the here and now—the most important place and time of our life. And our phones may even lure us into debasing our life with violent computer games or pornography.
Yet, on the other hand, social media has also contributed greatly to waking people up to what is happening. ‘Deep State’ has become a household word. Mainstream media has lost the trust of many. Even science, academia, and medicine have come under scrutiny and do not look so good and innocent any longer. Too many claims, ridiculed by the media as ‘conspiracy theories’, have unfortunately been confirmed as true.

There is another, very positive aspect which gets traction, and that too, is thanks to social media platforms—more and more people are searching for the Truth—not merely questioning facts that are presented by the media, but searching for the big, transcendental Truth about God and themselves.
Many Westerners are going back to Christianity and declaring their faith in Jesus. Even a decade ago, it would have been inconceivable that Tucker Carlson, a big American influencer, would ask Russell Brand, a big British influencer, on stage to lead an audience of ten thousand in prayers.

I consider it a good development for Westerners. The erosion of belief in a Supreme Power was obviously planned—starting in Russia and China with communism and taking root in the West with the Hippie movement of the 1960s.
Now, there is a pushback against the agenda which wants us to identify only with the body, and focus only on sensual enjoyment, never mind how low that enjoyment may be. The Zeitgeist is changing, even though the elite still try to convince us that ‘It is ridiculous to believe in a God or a soul’ (a recent quote by the celebrated historian and author, Yuval Noah Harari who is a regular at the World Economic Forum).

Yet, I wish that people all over the world would know about Bharat’s Eternal Wisdom, called Sanatana Dharma. Or rather, I wish they would know what this Eternal Wisdom is really about and not be influenced by false, mischievous claims by those who don’t want this Wisdom to be known.
The reason: Sanatana Dharma is closer to the Truth than Abrahamic religions.

Devotion to God or Jesus or Allah is definitely helpful in life. But doubts may arise from time to time, because those religions are all about ‘belief in a story’ that happened several hundred years ago. It is all about ‘thinking’ and not about ‘who or what enables thinking’.

Since ancient times, India was the ‘Land of Wisdom’. Vedic wisdom is not based on belief in a story. It gives knowledge about the Absolute Truth and asks us to verify it by experiencing it within ourselves—true Self-Realisation.

The most important knowledge is: We are not small persons in a big world, but are one with Brahman. And Brahman, though indescribable, is best described as limitless, blissful Consciousness, out of which, this world and everything in it, ‘appears’. It means, the world and our small, individual selves are not solid. They are more like Virtual Reality, or in Indian terminology, Maya. What is ‘solid’ and really true is only our essence or self—Pure Consciousness.

When I heard this for the first time back in April 1980, at the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar—it immediately made sense to me. For the first time, I got convincing answers to questions that had troubled me since my teens.
Questions like:
– What is most important in life?
– Is there a God?
– Is death the end of me?

These questions were now replaced with the most important question:
– Who am I really?
Yet, this question cannot be answered with words. It needs to be ‘known’ within. The goal of our life is to realise the truth of who we are.

I wanted to dedicate my life to search for the Truth and stay on in India, because the country was just more conducive for spiritual search. Yet to do this, I needed a longer visa and earn some money.
So, in 1981, I wrote my first article—about insights I had gained while being in the presence of Sri Anandamayi Ma and other great spiritual personalities like Devaraha Baba, and from reading numerous books and sitting still for many hours in meditation. I felt that this precious wisdom, which is still alive in India, is lacking in the West.

I was fortunate. This first article was published in the German magazine Psychologie Heute; two other magazines reprinted it. The editor asked me to continue writing, as he had rarely seen such clarity regarding Indian Wisdom. He even gave me an advance for my next article—a report on a conference in Mumbai on ‘The Convergence between Indian Wisdom and Modern Science’. Obviously, back then in 1981, India’s Wisdom was appreciated.

During the first 20 years, I stayed in the ‘spiritual Bharat’ of ashrams, pilgrimage places, sadhus, and mainly met Indians who were connected to their roots. I thought that all Indians were like this. After all, their tradition and scriptural heritage is a treasure trove.

Only when I moved into a ‘normal’ environment in 2001, did I realise that Hindu Dharma is not only ignored in education, but also viewed negatively by the media and academia.

I realised only then that on the one hand, many Indians had converted to Islam and Christianity during the long foreign rule, and naturally, their new religion indoctrinated them into believing how bad their previous faith was.
And, on the other hand, even many Hindus have no idea about their spiritual treasure. Especially the convent-educated Hindus who often dismiss their tradition as ‘primitive’, without knowing even a basic text like the Bhagavad Gita.
They are like those proverbial people who are sitting on a box of gold but do not know it, and instead go for artificial jewellery elsewhere.

This ‘box of gold’ has many aspects.
The most important one is:
India has preserved the most profound philosophical and spiritual insights of the ancient rishis (sages), and their methods on how to fulfil one’s life’s purpose and how to be truly free and fearless.
Yet it seems, free and fearless people are unwanted in our times. Otherwise, it is hard to explain why the media and academia hardly ever mention anything positive about India. It almost seems as if they do not want to draw any attention to India, maybe because they fear that people might discover that great treasure.

This book is a collection of forty-three of my over 200 articles. Some are unchanged, like my letter to Pope Francis, who has meanwhile passed away, or my reply to Zakir Naik, a radical Islamic preacher. Many are updated or have otherwise been improved.

The main topics are:
– The truth about who we are, what is our purpose in life, and where can we discover true love and happiness.
– Some aspects of the living Hindu culture.
– How Hinduism relates to Buddhism and to the Abrahamic religions.
– What is special in Hinduism—like Rebirth or the regard for animals.
– Why is Hinduism attacked so much?
– The great influence that India had on German philosophers.

In recent times, attacks on Hinduism have become very vicious. Hindu Gods are called demons not only by Christian missionaries but also by Western academics and certain Indian politicians who want the faith of the Hindus to be ‘eradicated’.

There are mischievous attempts to associate Hinduism with dark satanic cults, whose existence in secret societies of the topmost global elite can no longer be ignored. Those cults are the complete opposite of the benevolent Sanatan (= Eternal) Hindu tradition.

Hinduism’s focus is on a dharmic (righteous) life and, to overcome one’s ignorance regarding this illusionary world and to realise one’s true Self.
In contrast, the focus of those satanic cults is on achieving pleasures, riches, and power in this ephemeral world, even if it requires selling one’s soul to the devil.

Are the attacks on Hinduism an expression of the spiritual fight of the forces of darkness against the forces of light? Of the egoistic Asuras against the benevolent Devas?

Bharat is probably the only country in the world, where the Devas are worshipped every day in thousands of temples across this ancient, vast land.
And, Bharat is probably the only country in the world, where the knowledge about our essential divinity is still alive; and, where not only countless sadhus, but also many ordinary Hindus dedicate some time daily to connect with divinity.

The vicious attempts of reviling the Hindu tradition need to be countered. At the same time, the precious wisdom of the ancient Vedas, which uplifts and gives meaning to life, needs to be spread.
People will then realise that Hinduism is not what mainstream media, Western academia, or the clergy of Abrahamic religions want us to believe. Rather, it is our best guide to true fulfillment and love.
I hope this book contributes in spreading this profound knowledge and inspires readers to search for true love and happiness within.

by Maria Wirth

the books are available on Amazon, PadhegaIndia, Hindueshop
in Hindi https://www.amazon.in/dp/9391154832
in English https://www.amazon.in/dp/8119670655
abroad the English version is available, also on Kindle.
My earlier Book “Thank you India”, too is on Amazon.

The post Why Hindu Dharma is under attack? first appeared on Maria Wirth.

Insights from a VIP Sadhu

On the compound next to Yoga Niketan, right above the gorge of the Ganga, three sadhus were living in simple huts. One of those sadhus sat the whole day on his tiny veranda and devotedly scribbled into a big book placed on a wooden stand before him. Two more big books were spread out near him. He translated the Yoga Vashishtha into English using both the Hindi and Sanskrit versions for reference. The Yoga Vashishtha is an ancient teaching, which the guru Vashishtha imparted to Ram, the prince of Ayodhya, when he came back from a pilgrimage and had lost all interest in worldly life.
Prior to my trek to Gomukh, James, an American, who also lived in Yoga Niketan and daily visited the sadhu, had taken me along and introduced me to him.
Meanwhile James had left; and I went alone to Brahma Chaitanya or BC, as the sadhu was called. He was an impressive, powerful character in his late fifties, tall and strong, his matted hair so long, that he could use it as a cushion, his laughter louder than even the roar of the Ganga and his eyes sparkling with humour and charm. He was quite naturally a VIP among the sadhus and the president of the sadhu community in Gangotri. As he came from a wealthy family and had been an engineer, confident behaviour and commanding authority came easily to him and this self-assured conduct stayed with him as a sadhu.

Early in life, he became interested in spirituality, read a lot and practised pranayama, but he was young and did not want to be celibate. So, he married and had two children.
When he was in his late thirties, he however had enough of family life and, one fine day, left his wife and teenaged sons. He had thought about it for a long time and had tested himself, he explained. Then he was sure. He wanted to become a sadhu.
However, his wife traced him in Uttarkashi and was adamant that he came back home with her to sort out some inheritance issue. He yielded. Yet soon after, he left his family for good. His wife discovered him in Gangotri, too, but now she respected his wish.

He told me, what happened, when he begged for the first time:
It was in Haridwar. He still had a few hundred Rupees in his pocket, but now wanted to start his new life – without the safety net of a bank account and with full trust in providence. He stretched out his hand towards an elderly gentleman. As a reaction, he did not get any alms but a furious rebuke. “You should be ashamed, young man! Go to one of the ashrams which offer free food for sadhus!”
The newly baked sadhu was greatly annoyed, went straight into a restaurant and ordered a meal. Then he checked into a hotel. In the night, his conscience troubled him. “So quickly am I offended? Only because of a passing remark?”
Next morning, he gifted his travel case to a boy in the hotel and threw the rest of his money into the Ganges. “I now fully belong to you. You have to look after me now”, he told his Ganga Ma. From then on, he did not face any problems. He went to the centres, which served food to sadhus. He specifically mentioned that he joined the queue like everyone else.

The talks with him were highly interesting and he had, unexpectedly, an exquisite library in his hut – books by ancient and modern Indian and even Chinese masters, and by Zen- and Tibetan Buddhists.
Our conversations in the afternoon became routine and I looked forward to them. Afterwards he often dived into his hut and came back with a book in his hand. The first book he gave me to read was “Jnana Yoga” by Swami Vivekananda. It was that very first book that I had bought in Kanyakumari at the Vivekananda Memorial. Strangely, now it did not touch me so much anymore. Books like the “Shiva Sutras” or the “Spanda Karika” about the philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism, which flourished in Kashmir in the 11th century, I found now more appealing and enjoyed studying those texts in the beautiful surroundings at the height of over 3000 meters with snow-capped mountains standing guard.

BC made fun of the important looking, but unnecessary activities in the world and advised me, “Turn inward. You will enjoy it.” He handed me a poem of Chuang Tzu, a Chinese master, who had quite accurately described the ‘Active Life’ already over 2000 years ago:
“What would become of business without a market of fools? What would become of labour, if there were no superfluous objects to be made?” he asked for example already at that time. And his ironic advice: “Produce! Get results! Make money! Make friends! Make changes! Or you will die of despair!”

On BC’s advice, I bought a mala, a kind of rosary, made from 108 beads from the sacred Rudraksha tree in one of the shops near the temple and sat for hours on my bed repeating mantras. I was generally feeling well and when I woke up at night, I heard the mantra repeating itself. Yet sometimes I also felt heavy and down. How would my life go on?

One day BC suggested, “Now I will cure you from feeling small and unwell.” Then he asked, while pointing around himself with a sweeping gesture of his hand, “Whose world is this? Yours or mine?” And he answered himself, “Mine! You appear in it. In the same way is everything what you perceive your world. Everything in your world is there to help you. My world is different. You are alone. Nobody influences you.”
On one hand, he was right, but only on one hand, as everything that is put in words touches only one aspect of the truth. Certainly, no sentence can hold the truth.
Later, when he talked about virtual reality and informatics, he suddenly declared: “We all are only mechanic robots.” He mentioned scientific research, which claims that emotions depend on genes, hormones and so on. For example, the attraction between man and woman is based on testosterone and estrogen. “It just happens. You don’t have a part in it. You simply watch. Don’t get involved in what happens”, he advised.

I remembered that I had brought a bar of chocolate for him. “Do you eat chocolate?” I asked. Because sometimes he looked very holy, for example said, that he does not like conversing on worldly topics, and I considered it possible that he had renounced such worldly pleasures. “Yes, of course I eat chocolate”, he immediately replied.
He told me that once an American accused him of wasting his talent. “You should give lectures in the West”, he had said. BC answered him, “I have here everything I need. I get daily two meals.”
“Meals okay. But if you want chocolate, you have to do something for it”, the American had replied.
“Look! I even get chocolate!” he exclaimed and once again burst into roaring laughter.

BC was nice to me. He did not like to talk to other sadhus, because they were not really interested in spirituality, he said. “Most of them are sexually frustrated and some even keep women. They give an excuse by saying that the ancient rishis also had women.” He suddenly became loud and thundered, “If someone has not finished with his sex drive, he has no place here.”
“Do you shout at me?” I asked.
“No, never”, he suddenly became quiet, friendly, explaining. I felt that he might have shouted at himself. It probably was not always easy for him to stick to his vow of sexual abstinence.
“What happens if a sadhu breaks his vow of celibacy?” I asked and thought of the punishment, which in Buddhism was ordained for a monk – the expulsion from the monastery.
“Nothing happens. He falls, gets up and falls again.” He had made a slip of the tongue and hurriedly corrected himself, “and tries again.”

“Only few are really interested and do their work properly”, he said. “A doctor from Amma’s ashram, who runs up to Gangotri whenever Amma travels overseas, is one of them. He is genuine. A young woman is also genuine. She flew to Paris when she was 17 to learn fashion design. But this fancy world did not suit her. She informed her parents that she wanted to take sanyas. They were not pleased. They had money and wanted a comfortable life for their daughter. Yet she was determined and got her way. She lives now under very simple conditions here in Gangotri”, he said.
“You also belong to those who are genuine”, he flattered me and suggested to come earlier so that we had more time for our conversations, as he daily left at 4.30 in the afternoon for his food in an ashram.
I liked BC. He had those traits that I was lacking: strength, confidence and a loud voice. I had always been on the quiet, shy side and my voice does not become loud, even if I try.

“All spiritual seekers are unhappy”, BC declared out of the blue one day. “You, too”, he said and hit a tender spot. Was I happy? Not particularly, I had to admit. “They have the knowledge, but something holds them back”, he continued. “Be like a lion! Break free! What can the world give you? All faces are like in a movie. Don’t get entangled in the plot! When you die, the movie ends anyway. Throw the film roll away – now already! Throw out your thoughts! You are greater than the film, which consists of thoughts. Do your work well and sincerely. Let the others think what they want. Follow your conviction. Help is always available”, he encouraged me.

I sat either in front of my hut and studied ancient scriptures or inside and meditated. During the first few weeks in Gangotri, I made hardly any contact with others. It was an intense time, and it slowly became clearer to me what ‘pure awareness’ signifies.
“Look at those snow-capped peaks over there, but nevertheless stay with your awareness inside”, BC advised me. “Try to be aware of the unity behind the apparent duality – be aware of the white paper and also perceive the black print on it. Be attentive! Give your attention not mainly to the objects, but to attention itself”, he demanded. I tried it and got an idea what he meant.

Once he gave me the ‘Golden Letters’ by Garab Dorje, an ancient Tibetan master, after he had again dived into his hut. They were a treasure, like the Shiva Sutras, and I copied them by hand into my diary, because there was no copy machine in Gangotri.
The content of those letters is simple, yet very subtle. The main thing is to recognise that this fresh, immediate awareness of the present moment is the truth that is sought after. It is ever present – this ordinary, thought free awareness – now in this moment. Realise this ordinary awareness as your true nature and stay with it, because everything else, which means all appearances in this world, are only modifications of this basic awareness and therefore secondary.

BC shared my excitement regarding the Golden Letters. He suggested that during my next meditation I completely relax and then suddenly and loudly shout “Phat”. This would cause the pure awareness to rise up. In the evening, I tried it and it had a tremendous effect. It felt so beautiful that I didn’t want to move. Joy mixed with gratefulness. As if something had opened – an insight into my Self.
In the next morning a hint of bliss was still felt. Later it disappeared, yet now it was easier to discover it again. My own immediate, ever-present awareness had now become more familiar. I was sure that with time it would become dearer and dearer. I was grateful for this gift and better understood Ramana Maharshi’s saying: “You are always enlightened.” The true, inconceivable basis on which the mind builds its dreamlike castles is indeed always lovingly present.

BC suffered since long from back pain. One morning the pain became unbearable and he could not get out of bed. The doctor from Amma’s ashram advised him to go to the hospital in Rishikesh for a check-up and accompanied him.
When BC came back after a fortnight, he felt better and decided to stay in Gangotri for the winter as usual, even though everybody advised against it. It was only end of September and already ice-cold.

“Last year a Frenchman paid for my winter provisions”, he told me, and I knew why. I felt obliged.
“I will pay for it this year”, I offered. “How much is needed?”
“5000 Rupees are enough.”
I had not expected that much but had forgotten the cigarettes which he smoked one after the other.
Later I came to know that every November before the temple closes, a businessman from Punjab sends a truck with provisions up to Gangotri, which supplies the seven or eight sadhus who usually stay through the winter with their basic needs. BC had not given out this information. Yet I did not mind. He simply needed more than others. I was grateful, and money could not possibly compensate for what he had given me. Pure awareness as my own inner being had become more recognizable through the contact with him and his books.

Four years later, in August 2005, I went once again to Gangotri and looked forward to seeing BC.
“Brahma Chaitanya is no more”, the manager of Yoga Niketan informed me, even before he unlocked a hut for me. “He died completely unexpected last month in Delhi.”
I really felt sorry. He had been so full of strength and life. I did not understand how he could have gone to Delhi in the hottest season. He himself had told me that he would not leave Gangotri again. Only his ash would be carried down into the plains by his Ganga Ma.

I heard two versions why he went to Delhi in the peak of summer:
A well-known, ‘big’ Swami from Delhi wanted to meet him and sent two of his followers to Gangotri to request him to come. BC declined. However, they came again and urged him. That time he yielded, maybe because the Swami had offered to arrange an Ayurvedic treatment for him. Yet nobody knew why the Swami wanted to meet him.
The other version said that BC wanted to go to Delhi on his own wish for Ayurvedic treatment and the Swami arranged it for him.

It would surprise me, if BC had wanted to do a treatment in Delhi in the hottest time of the year. I had been in Delhi in that same June for a short while. The temperature was 46 degrees Celsius and took a huge toll from every body, even more from a body that, since a couple of decades, was used to the cold climate at the height of above 3000 meters.
“Death called him to Delhi”, a sadhu neighbour of BC said and thus put any speculation that there might have been some foul play into a different perspective. “His time had come.”

BC’s sons came to Gangotri and took the translation of the Yoga Vashishtha out of his hut. Their father had given his life to this work. The ash of BC was immersed in his beloved Ganga Ma – in Haridwar, where he had started his sadhu life. The circle had come full round – an inspiring life had ended…
By Maria Wirth

link to buy the book presently for Rs 349 instead of 499
https://garudalife.in/thank-you-india-by-maria-wirth
also available on Padhega India
https://www.padhegaindia.in/product/thank-you-india-a-german-womans-journey-to-the-wisdom-of-yoga/
and also on amazon for Rs 440

my latest book in English July 2025 by Vitasta, “Why Hindu Dharma is under attack by Muslims, Christians and the Left”

The post Insights from a VIP Sadhu in Gangotri first appeared on Maria Wirth.

Maria Wirth’s latest book is a guide in Shatrubodh
Communists, Christian Evangelists, and Islamists are at the forefront of defaming and demonizing Hindu Dharma. I would add HINOs (Hindus in Name only) to this Hindudveshi/Hinduphobic group. Maria’s latest book has 43 essays that answers several uncomfortable questions including the deliberate demonization of Hindu Dharma by the aforementioned forces. These essays also teach Hindus how to counter the hateful propaganda directed at us. I would call this a handbook in Swayambodh and Shatrubodh that every Hindu should read to deal effectively with the anti-Hindu propaganda and defeat the agenda of these inimical Hinduphobic forces.

Most hate directed against Bharatiya civilization comes from deep-rooted hatred for practices such as reverence for cows, murti Puja, and others that these groups term as ‘primitive’ and ‘irrational.’ This stems more from hatred that is instilled in Abrahamics along with a sense of superiority since the start. Maria brings out the difference between inclusive Hindu Dharma and exclusive dogma of Abrahamic faiths clearly in her essays.

Maria believes that Hindu Dharma’s openness makes it a threat for Abrahamic religions who believe that only their path is the right one. The biggest strength of Hindu Dharma is its resilience that has made it stand tall in the face of repeated invasions for centuries. Despite an overwhelming number of HINO Brown Sahibs, Hindu Dharma has managed to survive and thrive. Maria Wirth also highlights that these English educated Brown Sahibs are also the harshest critics of Hindu Dharma because they believe that anything associated with Bharatiya tradition is ‘backward’ and in contrast, anything western is ‘modern.’

Review of the book
In the 43 essays, Maria Wirth covers a variety of topics from Ram Mandir Struggle, Kanwar Mela to Vedic Wisdom and and Caste Questions. The book begins with the Bharatiya wisdom that anti-Hindu forces don’t want people to know. The chapter on Vedic wisdom along with the first chapter equips Hindus with the important knowledge about Hindu Dharma.

There are chapters explaining the ‘difference’ between Hindu Dharma & Hindutva, why Buddhism is readily acceptable & projected as ‘intellectual’ while Hindu Dharma is hated, if Germany is Christian why Bharat shouldn’t be Hindu, the letters to Pope and Zakir Naik and many others that keep you hooked. Maria has kept the language simple and the book has a smooth flow from start to end.

As someone who has been active on Social Media for more than a decade and has witnessed a lot of hatred towards Hindutva, both from within and outside Bharat, I found this book talking to me. Questions that I have often asked to myself, have been addressed by Maria Wirth with exceptional clarity and lucidity.

For example, a simple post celebrating the Ram Mandir verdict triggered many of my Christian and Muslim friends even though I had never been hostile to them or their religious beliefs. When you read this book, you’ll realise that Abrahamics are conditioned to see Hindu Dharma as something ‘evil’ and its followers who would receive hellfire for not believing the ‘one true God.’ Very few are able to move beyond this conditioning. Also, Hindus need to be thankful that we aren’t conditioned to hate irrationally.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to equip themselves to take on the anti-Hindu brigade, in addition to gaining clarity about their Dharma. Maria has explained various aspects of Hindu Dharma with extraordinary clarity. We must take pride in the fact that we belong to a Dharma that sees divinity in all things and motivates its adherents to discover the truth within themselves.
(end of review)

link
link: https://www.amazon.in/dp/8119670655
it’s also available abroad under amazon.com and is on Kindle

The post Review of my new book in Hindu Post by Maitri first appeared on Maria Wirth.

This review was written by Saumya of Vitasta Publishing for the ‘books and beyond blogspot’.

I recently had the opportunity to read an upcoming book by Maria Wirth — a German author and seeker who has long written about the depth and beauty of Indian spiritual traditions. Her upcoming work is a bold, honest, and at times uncomfortable interrogation of the widespread hostility and misconceptions directed toward Hinduism — not just from the outside world, but also from within India itself.

Wirth’s central question is simple, yet profound: Why is Hinduism so hated, mocked, or dismissed — especially by those who often don’t understand it at all?

Wirth argues that Hindu Dharma has been misunderstood, misrepresented, and even demonised by three main forces: Christian missionaries, Islamic supremacists, and the global Left. The reasons range from ideological hostility and colonial hangovers to sheer ignorance. In the eyes of many critics, Hindu practices like idol worship, cow reverence, and vegetarianism are seen as primitive or irrational — even though they are rooted in a deep sense of sacredness and interdependence.
One of the most striking observations in the book is the contrast between Hindu Dharma’s inclusive nature and the exclusivist dogma of many Abrahamic faiths. Christianity and Islam often come with the threat of eternal hell for non-believers. In contrast, Hinduism holds that all paths can lead to the truth, and that spiritual experience matters more than blind belief. There’s no central authority, no forced conversions, no threats — just a lifelong journey toward self-realisation.

So why the hostility?
Wirth suggests that this very openness is seen as a threat — by those who believe only their way is right. Hindu Dharma doesn’t try to dominate, but it also doesn’t surrender. It survived invasions, colonialism, and now a culture war in its own homeland, where many English-educated Indians look down on their own traditions. Ironically, some of the harshest criticism comes from within — from those who’ve inherited the colonial mindset that anything Western is “modern,” and anything rooted in Indian tradition is “backward.”

One of Wirth’s key observations is about the asymmetry of religious tolerance. Hindus are often taught — and sincerely believe — that all religions are the same, that all paths lead to the same divine. But this generosity is rarely reciprocated. Most Abrahamic traditions explicitly reject the validity of other faiths and warn of eternal damnation for non-believers. So while Hindus grow up saying “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family), they don’t realise that many others do not see them as part of that family at all.

What Maria Wirth’s book does beautifully is not just defend Hinduism — it explains it, with clarity and conviction, especially for those conditioned to see it as regressive. She urges readers to move beyond colonial hangovers and to see Sanatana Dharma as a living, breathing tradition — one that celebrates the divine in all things, embraces complexity without fear, and recognises the truth that lies within.

In a world fractured by absolutism and religious superiority, the Hindu way of seeing — through multiplicity, compassion, and inner awakening — may be exactly what the world needs most.
(end of review)

I feel that the book is good and helpful. In fact, my ‘certified secular’ editor (her own words) told me that she enjoyed reading my book and it changed her outlook…

The book is just out in Bharat.
it is available under the following links:

https://www.flipkart.com/hindu-dharma-under-attack-muslims-christians-left-collection-essays/p/itme00daf4da3fc5?pid=9788119670659

Why Hindu Dharma is Under Attack by Muslims, Christians and the Left: A Collection of Essays

https://www.vitastapublishing.com/store/new-arrivals/why-hindu-dharma-is-under-attack-by-muslims,-christians-and-the-left-a-collection-of-essays-detail

it is meanwhile also available for pre-order in USA and UK
USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/8119670655

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/8119670655

The post My new book is out – a review first appeared on Maria Wirth.

This morning, I woke up with a thought, which puts Indian philosophy into a nutshell and please correct me if I get it wrong:

Whatever happens right now, has to happen as it does – in the world and also in private. It is the dream of Brahman, where good and evil battle it out, and it is clearly a thriller.
The different persons seem to have agency, but actually, they have not. A robber in my dream is not an independent actor who can decide what he does, but he is contained in my mind and ultimately unreal. Similarly, we humans, animals or even Devas and rakshasas have no independent agency in this play of Maya which plays out within the pure, infinite Consciousness, called Brahman.

So this gives some comfort. Everything is as it must be. But this is only ONE level.

Now the second level:
The Bhagavad Gita and other texts tell us that we need to do what is dharmic, trying to stop the evil and foster the good, and even fight adharma if need be.

But why should we follow dharma (which means to do the right thing in the given circumstances)? Because there are laws within Maya. One law is the law of Karma: if we do evil, we suffer. Eternal hell does not exist, but time-bound hell does exist within Maya. Even though evil people seem to thrive, they will suffer, or they may even suffer while seemingly thriving.

I am reminded of a podcast where a chapter of Whitney Webb’s book “A nation under blackmail” was mentioned. It is about an interview with Leslie Wexner, the billionaire financier of Jeffrey Epstein. He said in an interview with the New York Magazine in 1985 that he feels possessed by a demon. He even gave the demon’s name: dybbuk, a malicious spirit in Jewish folklore. This demon pushes him to always want more and more and ever more…

This brings me to another level within Maya: we humans are not the only conscious, intelligent beings. There are many others, as the Puranas explain, beneficial and maleficent ones, and some are more powerful than we are. They don’t have bodies like we have, but are nevertheless as real as we are within Maya.

Anandamayi Ma asked her devotees to guard against the influence of maleficent entities by repeating the mantra of one’s Ishta Deva, and talked about such different entities, which she saw.

So the conclusion: what is, has to be as it is. And since we are in Kali Yuga, it’s not a bed of roses. No need to become depressed about it.
But also: live a dharmic life. That’s the way to fulfil your life’s purpose and ultimately realise that our person or ‘avatar’ in this play of Maya is not who we really are.

And when the going gets too tough and in case desperate thoughts intrude, remind yourself that all is Maya and our essence is already one with Sat-Chit-Ananda, blissful Consciousness, even if we can’t feel it yet.
by Maria Wirth

the photo is by Shivansh Sharma, taken from Pixels

The post No need to despair, but be upright in the storm first appeared on Maria Wirth.

In 1982, I wrote a series for a German magazine, which was made into a book in 1985. It was a glossary of 108 common words, seen from the perspective of the Indian Rishis. When I had reached the letter ‘T’, I chose the words Tod (death) and Trauer (mourning).

Only a few days after writing on those two topics, I got a letter with the news of the death of my dearest friend. It was for the first time that I lost someone close… and it gave me an opportunity to practise what I had written. And indeed, already on the very first day, when that devastating letter reached me, I heard inside a voice “Maria be bold, you know that I am not dead”… (I wrote more about it in my book “Thank you India”).
Here is the English translation of what I had written for the German magazine:

On Death

Death – the great terror? The end of everything? The end of life?
Oh no – on the contrary, the Rishis reply. What we usually mean by death is wrong. When we die, we won’t stop existing, even if we would wish for it. Without doubt, the body to which we got used during our lifetime and even the personality we presented to others are “discarded”, because everything that has a beginning, also must have an end. But we should not cry about it, because fighting what we cannot change, is a waste of energy.
At birth, the moment of death is already fixed, the Indian sages say. They compare our life in this world with a play on stage: the curtain goes up and after a while, it will go down again. Our part in the play (Lila) is over, yet what we truly are, is of course still there. We get a break, till we start another play on stage in a different body and with different personality traits. We don’t need to be afraid of the ‘break’ for which death is the ‘birth’, the sages claim – on the contrary!

On Mourning

“Anandamayi Ma once told a true story: A mother was inconsolable over the death of her 12-year old daughter for years. One night her husband had a dream. He saw his daughter – with flowers in her hair in a beautiful surrounding – coming towards him and saying, “I cannot bear any longer Mama’s pain. I’ll come back to you.” Several months later his wife gave birth to a girl…
Whether we believe this story or not, the Indian sages claim that too much mourning is a hindrance for the person who died and they request us to have the courage to let go. The reason is that mourning is a sign how much we were attached to that person, not how much we loved him – and we tend to mix up these two.
Yet in western societies, mourning is seen as a virtue and somebody who does not mourn looks rather suspect. This encourages staying immersed in mourning. Of course, as long as we are attached to someone (and this is probably the case for all of us), it is only natural to suffer at a loss. This suffering can even become an irresistible force which cannot be controlled.
Yet when we are honest, even in the deepest sadness there are moments, when we have the chance to be bold and let go. These moments we need to make use of, the sages advise – in our own interest as well.”

by Maria Wirth

The post Reflecting on Death and Mourning after the plane crash in Ahmedabad first appeared on Maria Wirth.

One Austrian, Gloria Gotthard Reich, posted the following:

“Krishna is God. He is eternal. He does not belong to a particular person, people or nation. Krishna is God for everyone and all.”
And she attached the below photo with the prominent line “Krishna is not Indian”.

(I should mention that she had posted this earlier, too, and in another post she once said that Shiva is racially ‘white’ and has blonde hair.)
Her tweet got over 1 lakh views within 1 day, far more than my tweets usually get, even though her follower count is 12k and mine is 145k.

One @HellooSuee replied rather harshly:
“We don’t need a gora pakora stealing our Gods.”

The reaction to this tweet was in my view out of proportion. Almost every Hindu took Gloria’s side and came heavily down on HellooSuee. Some suspected her/him not to be Hindu. Others said, the tweeter is harming Sanatana Dharma. We should be glad when foreigners practise our Dharma, etc…

I felt @Helloosuee might have had genuine uneasiness when a foreigner declares that Krishna is not Indian, and I have actually similar apprehensions, maybe knowing westerners better than Indians do. Trying to appropriate Yoga as ‘Christian Yoga” is only one example.

So I replied to the post by HellooSuee:

“I think @HellooSuee could have used better language, but the outrage on her is too much.
Gloria Gotthard Reich @Ingestohter may not be aware (the pic is obviously not made by her), but there is clearly an attempt to take Hinduism away from Hindus, if I can say so.
Yoga is only one example.
Imo, Krishna has 2 sides – the person who was a King in Bharat and his direct identity/ knowing of being Brahman.
I would say, Krishna, the human form, was Indian, like Jesus was from Palestina (that’s what I learnt in school).

Why would anyone deny this? And make even posters to declare that Krishna was not Indian?
It doesn’t seem to be in good faith.

I wonder why Hindus came down so heavily on Helloo Suee but defend Gloria whose post also has its weakness.
Brahman of course is not describable, pervading and containing us all.” (end of my reply)

After that, there was a very lively debate in comments where another foreigner, William Seaborn, strongly took the side of Gloria.

He wrote among others:
“Krishna is the source of all that exists. Krishna existed before India existed. Krishna existed before the material world existed. Limiting Krishna to India is an insult and blasphemous.”

My reply:
“Is it so difficult to understand that there is also the Sri Krishna within Maya who was king, cousin of Arjuna, in Mahabharata… who was Indian, but his Divinity is not Indian, like our Divinity also is not Indian, Russian, German etc..

Why deny this?

I am suspicious because I once heard an US woman from Yoga Alliance at a yoga conference in India praise India for giving Yoga to the world.
I told her, I am glad, she acknowledged the Indian origin.
She immediately tensed up and said, of course we resist that some Indians claim that India owns yoga…

She also mentioned in her talk that “Yoga Alliance is on a roll now”.. So many institutes sign up (and pay). That may be the reason for not crediting India.” (end)

William wrote again:
“I’m saying that the almighty Krishna, his divinity is not Indian. I’m saying Krishna is universal and beyond nationality. Is it so difficult to understand? But some people got offended.”

So, I replied a bit longer:

“Look, William, absolute Divinity is without form and name, is pure (thought-free) consciousness. it is pervading everything. It alone is. everything in this apparent ‘creation’ is THAT only.
Do you agree?

So that indescribable, attributeless divinity is usually called Brahma(n) (not to be confused with the creator Brahma in the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) or simply TAT (THAT). it has no history, no birth or death.

It is within all the Devas, Avataras, humans and the whole of nature.
Agreed?

Now when ISKCON followers (some do) claim, it is ONLY Krishna who is the absolute Supreme, from whom everything originates and by whom all is permeated, there is a problem.
Can you see it?

Because Krishna is ALSO one of the manifestation of THAT in the form of an Avatar of Vishnu, naturally with attributes.

So if you take one Avatar and claim THAT ALONE is the absolute Truth, and everyone needs to accept Krishna as the Absolute Godhead, it puts people off, me at least. It reminds me of the dogmas of Christianity.
Could you follow?

in the Ganapathi Atharvasirsa Upanishad, Ganapati is claimed to be THAT from which all originates, but in the Shiva Upanishad, it is Shiva, in Srimad Bhagavtam it is Krishna.

So it means, THAT is not only in everything and everyone, but everyone IS basically only THAT because the rest is like a dream.

Therefore, I prefer the Vedic terminology when i refer to the Absolute. I see the Devas and Avatars as access points, because they have attributes, they can be imagined, can be loved.
Could i make my point clear?”

By Maria Wirth

The post An interesting debate on X about Sri Krishna with Indian and foreign Hindus first appeared on Maria Wirth.

I commented:
So true. The Church has a horrifying history.
I find it hard to understand that Indian Christians who know this history still identify as Christians.
By all means, worship God and love Jesus but ‘being Christian’ means to accept the irrational Church dogmas which have nothing to do with “salvation” but with division and power. They want converts to Christianity believe that God loves only Christians and sends Hindus to eternal damnation.
Can anyone believe this??

One Rudy Torres commented to my tweet:
‘Anyone who doesn’t believe this is saying that Jesus was lying when he clearly stated: “John14:6 KJV [6] Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ”
Pardon me if I take the Son of God’s word over modernity.’ (end quote)

It took me some time to realise that he meant that of course one needs to believe that Hindus are sent to eternal damnation.

My reaction to him:
Just reflect: there was no tape recorder. How to know what Jesus really said? Blind belief is needed.
But let’s take his words for true and see if they make sense:
What if he didn’t say “I am the way…” but said “I AM” is the way, truth, life? I AM (pure, thought-free consciousness) is the truth and leads to the truth says Vedanta. This makes sense. (I have in earlier articles written extensively about Vedanta and won’t repeat myself here).
There are claims that Jesus was in India during his missing years between 12-30 and learnt about Advaita Vedanta philosophy.

He also said “I and my Father are one”,
Now, did he mean ONLY himself, as the Church claims, or humans generally, as Advaita Vedanta says: Aham Brahmasmi?.
Of course it makes more sense if he meant humans generally because we all are made from the same intangible, invisible, eternal ‘stuff’ (which is of course no ‘stuff’ or object, but the one subject – consciousness.

Or what did Jesus mean when he said, “The kingdom of heaven is within you”?
Did he mean the Mahavakya (great saying) of the Upanishad: Atman = Brahman (the individual consciousness is one with the universal consciousness)? Or what else could he have meant?

And of course one more question:
why were the Church officials so incredibly brutal to Hindus and even to Christians, who were caught practising part of their old tradition? All this in the name of a loving God?

I know, indoctrination in childhood is tough to overcome, but blind belief is not satisfying either. It’s actually a relief to get out of blind belief. I speak from experience.
Please ask questions and try to find answers in yourself.

By Maria Wirth

The post Blind belief is not satisfying first appeared on Maria Wirth.

In Mumbai I had an experience, I will never forget.
I stayed in a small hotel in Colaba and walked around the area. Near the railway station, there was an underground passage for pedestrians, which I took. There, in a corner, a young man was sitting on the floor, his knees pulled up, one arm loosely stretched out over one knee, with his palm open. He was only skin and bones. I never had seen anyone who looked so starved. And then his eyes met mine. It touched me deeply in my core. Even now, tears come to my eyes when I think of it. I wanted to give him something but, not finding my purse easily, I allowed myself to be pushed on in the crowd. But what could I have given him? He seemed reconciled to his fate, calm, he just looked…

Then, in Goa, another incident, which I never forgot.
I was friendly with a Swedish woman. Once she asked me to come with her to the village chemist shop. The shop was full of very thin Indians. The chemist called over their heads out to us, what we wanted. Then only I realised what she had come for. She wanted pills which curb her appetite, so that she won’t eat so much and lose weight. I felt terribly embarrassed. Luckily, the chemist did not understand what she wanted, even though she did her best to explain it. I tried to discourage her from further explaining. Anyway, he would not have such pills.

Fast forward to 2025. What incredible change! Now ads are everywhere how to lose weight, and someone asking for pills which curb the appetite is not an embarrassment any longer but rather common.
Yet is it really an improvement? The junk food and obesity explosion are concerning. Now, all village shops are heavily stocked with shiny packets of chips. Small children of the poor and the rich pester their parents for chips and get them. Sugary drinks are common. Not only physical, but also mental health suffer due to this.

In Germany, when the big food corporation pushed in Maggi and other junk food in the 1960s/70s, I sometimes heard the view, that Germans were healthier right after World War 2, than they are now. Yet at that time, they had little, lived mainly on potatoes and worked hard to clear the rubble from the massive, allied bombings,
Is it similar in Bharat?

by Maria Wirth

The post India in 1974 and now – from my experience first appeared on Maria Wirth.