Hindus don’t propagate their faith, and some Hindus are even proud about it.
I feel it backfired:
Christianity and Islam explain why they are closer to the truth. The reason, they say is, that they have one God compared to many Gods in Hinduism. They are right that one source is closer to the truth. Unfortunately, most Hindus can’t counter them because, not only do Muslims and Christians not know, but even many Hindus do not know any longer the basic insights of the Rishis – the one Brahman of the Vedas.
It makes Hindus vulnerable to conversion. Once I heard a congress spokesperson say on TV “what does it matter if one worships Krishna or Christ.”
True, it doesn’t matter much, Bhakti is a valid path, but it matters what ELSE those religions demand to believe blindly, and which creates division in the Indian society.
If you have hundreds of millions of Indians who despise Hindus because according to their belief, Hindus commit a great sin against the ‘true one God”, whether called God or Allah, a harmonious society is tough to achieve and enemies of Bharat have a field day to instigate trouble and chaos.
IF Hindu clergy had explained the basics of the Vedas right after Independence in a big way, many of those who had converted to Islam and Christianity would have come back. Anyone who has common sense will come to the conclusion that Hindu Dharma is superior to all 3 Abrahamic religions.
It almost seems, as if the highest wisdom (Advaita Vedanta) is hidden even from Hindus. Great saints, like Ananadamayi Ma stressed it, but others mainly explain Dharma in Katha sessions. No doubt, this is also very important, but the foundation why a dharmic life is important, needs to be known.
Meanwhile Westerners make videos on this highest wisdom which in its purest form has been preserved in India. but they don’t mention or hardly mention India.
Today I saw the start of a video called “the Monad – the true God hidden from us”. It talks about the ‘highest God who is hidden from us’ and starts with a quote “There is One, eternal perfect… the source of all that appears.” It is attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Google says, he is a “legendary personification of ancient knowledge rather than a historical individual.”
There is no mention that this quote is pure Advaita, still known in India, though less and less known by the youth due to the education system which focuses only on material success.
It would be good, if Hindus would propagate the profound insights of the Rishis about what is really true, about the absolute Oneness (Brahman) and the apparent world of plurality (Maya). Without this knowledge, Hindus don’t know what makes Hindu Dharma stand above the Abrahamic religions.
by Maria Wirth
if you haven’t seen my new book, “Why Hindu dharma is under Attack by Muslims, Christians and the Left”, check it out. it is good and helpful for all, not only Hindus.
it’s on amazon.in and com (abroad more expensive) and on PadhegaIndia. in
right now a big discount is on offer due to Dassehra (Amazon for Rs 279 and PadhegaIndia for Rs 248)
Why Hindu Dharma is Under Attack by Muslims, Christians and the Left: A Collection of Essays
5 Comments
Dear Maria: beautiful and meaningful post, as usual. No doubt the Oneness is the all in all in Vedanta. But this time I´d like to go further, and see other darshanas within the umbrella of Sanatana Dharma, in an intertwined way, as if we have learnt something form Hinduism is that, neither Hinduism nor Life itself is linear.
So…I think….what we really need to challenge is the superiority complex of the abrahamic religions, when they think that having one (and only) God, that faith is superior to our Dharma in which there are schools of thought that contemplate many Gods. Why this superiority?
My point: for other darshanas, like Tantra, the multiplicity of Devas and Devis is a reality. I propose here challenging the abrahamic idea that having one god is superior than having many. And, besides, and only BESIDES, we also have the Vedantic darshana according to what, there is also only One God…in fact, there is ONLY God. And the reality of the sanatani view is that complexity in which all perspectives can be combined…and this is something that a linear abrahamic mind will never get.
True, Maria, the superiority complex is completely uncalled for and needs to be challenged.
Regarding the different darshanas, i can’t help considering ADvaita Vedanta the top philosophy with its 2 levels- absolute, what alone is unchanging, eternal, SatChitAnanda and its Maya level created out of Itself, relative, temporary, nama-rupa, plurality. the reality of Devas and Devis according to my view is within the Maya level. Same as we, as persons, are in the Maya level. we definitely are ‘real’ but not absolutely real. Yet the essence in everything, Devas, us, Asuras is the same SatChitAnanda, unchanging blissful Awareness. which does NOT mean that we do not need to distinguish between Devas and Asuras. Bhagavad Gita gives clarity in this regard. in our times, debates have stopped. in ancient times, the darshanas would have been debated. Truth is what TRULY is and one condition is that it must be always.
Maria Maate Hari Om!
Thanks for this article an eye-opening to all Sanatanis for future strategy in protecting our Dharma as it says, ‘ धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः ‘ Each Sanatani must do his part for this, especially Brahmins and wealthy people. Traditional propagation and teaching by Brahmins and funding for these causes by the wealthy ones.
You wrote, ” Hindus commit a great sin against the ‘true one God”, Maate, we, Sanatani stick on this even now. For us God is always one as true or Satyam, but percieved in different shapes or Rupam, as it said, ” एकं सद् विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति “. However Sanatanis respect other religions’ belief, but do not believe their God. One should understand this subtle difference.
Kanchi Maha Swamy Sharanam
is it really necessary to ‘respect’ those religions which declare Hindus as sinners who will dwell eternally in hell because the worship ‘false gods’?? shouldn’t we rather call them out that theirs must be a tribal God who cannot be the Highest.
Hari Om Maate Maria,
‘Respect’ doesn’t mean ‘worship’ their’s God. Alllow me to put in this way. Hypothetically, you are my enemy, when you come to my home for reason, shouldn’t I receive you with well manners? However, if you behave badly at my home, I know how to react, so that you would understand. Sanatana Dharma precisely teaches this to respect but does not allow to dominate you at your home. We Sanatani never ever believe in Jesus or Allah or for that matter, any God you name apart from the ones described in your Vedas and Puranas. We we taught to behave the way the opponent behaves at you.
You are good, I am too good and vice versa.