Author: Maria Wirth

Some years ago, I met an American from Seattle, who studied Sanskrit at the university there. He had come to India to meet his guru and had even taken an Indian name. He told me that westerners, including professors, at his university who had accepted Buddhism had no hesitation to openly identify as Buddhists, yet those, who felt close to Hinduism, would not identify as Hindus. He summed it up: to be a Buddhist makes you look intellectual in the eyes of others, but to be a Hindu makes you look somewhat suspect. A few months after I had met…

There are several good things in Hinduism which Christianity and Islam are lacking and which are obvious, provided a Christian or Muslim can get over the negative stereotypes with which Hinduism is (probably purposely) associated all over the world, like caste system and idol worship. In fact an unbiased observer will come to the conclusion that Hinduism not only has many beneficial aspects that the others are lacking, but also lacks the harmful aspects which Christianity and Islam have unfortunately incorporated into their doctrine and which have caused so much suffering over almost 2000 years. The most glaring difference is…

There are different criteria on which one could compare those 3 religions. I want to focus here only on the most important criterium: which one of the three religions is closest to truth. Christianity claims that the full truth has been revealed 2000 years ago only to Jesus Christ by the one Supreme Being (called God in English), and therefore truth is only with his Church. All must become Christians and follow what Christ said, if they want to be saved from hell. Islam claims that the final truth has been revealed some 1400 years ago to Prophet Mohamed by…

This is the Hindi translation of https://mariawirthblog.wpcomstaging.com/2016/09/02/hindu-dharma-needs-to-spread/ बौद्धिक निष्ठा तथा सत्य वर्तमान समय में स्पष्टतया अवांछित हैं। इन्हें ‘राजनैतिक औचित्य’ द्वारा प्रतिस्थापित कर दिया गया है। ऐसा क्यों हुआ, रहस्य है किंतु मुख्यधारा में सम्मिलित मीडिया एवं ऐसी अन्य संस्थायें ‘राजनैतिक रूप से उचित’ धारणा का पुरजोर समर्थन दे लागू करती हैं। वे प्रभावशाली ढंग से हमारी सोच की दिशा तय करती हैं चाहे वह सहज समझ के विपरीत ही हो। उदाहरण के लिये सन् 1999 में पोप ने जब भारत में घोषणा की थी कि चर्च 21 वीं सदी तक एशिया में ईसाई मजहब पूर्णतया स्थापित कर देगा तो…

This question was asked on Quora and the questioner had added: “RSS and BJP say everyone living in India is a Hindu. Then who are actual Hindus? Is Hinduism really a religion?” I have expanded my original answer: Whether Hinduism is a religion depends on how religion is defined. Most people probably would say that religion is: about believing in an invisible Supreme Being, which is the cause of our existence, about methods and rituals to worship it, about living according to its laws or will. In this case, Hinduism is definitely a religion. In fact, it is the Mother…

A Hindu nation is projected as the worst possible scenario by the wrongly called ‘liberal’ media. Yet, the same media don’t react when America or most other western countries are referred to as Christian nations. Nor do they get agitated about the numerous Muslim nations; not even about those which still have harsh blasphemy laws. Why are these ok, and a Hindu nation is not ok? They don’t explain; they just insinuate that minorities (read Muslims and Christians) will suffer in a Hindu nation. Maybe they came to this conclusion because minorities like Jews or Hindus suffer in certain Christian…

When I was in high school in Germany, I had a recurring phantasy. I imagined that some fine day the anchor in the news broadcast announces that science has found proof that God exists. This was at a time when doubts started creeping in whether it was true what I had believed so strongly in childhood, and such an announcement, I felt, would settle the issue once for all. This was in the 1960s, when science made great strides for example in space exploration. Yuri Gagarin, the first astronaut in space, allegedly said after returning to earth that he had…

The fear of lone wolf attacks has changed the atmosphere in Europe. Especially women feel insecure while walking alone, but even men are not keen to go out alone at night. The security business is booming. Pepper sprays and other articles for self-defense are sold out. More security, more police is seen as the solution to a problem which unfortunately is not well analyzed. On a memorial for the victims of the recent terror attack at a Christmas market in Berlin, where the German Chancellor, too, placed a white rose, a board asked in big letters: “Warum?” This “Why” naturally…

„Would you like to come to some villages around Chamba?“ a friend asked. I happily said yes. He wanted to visit the kin of former servants of his family and bring them gifts before Diwali. After buying boxes of sweets and drawing money from an ATM, three of us set off from Mussoorie. The air was crystal clear and the snow peaks shone in great splendour. How beautiful to be out in the open at the height of 2000 metres! What wonderful surroundings the villagers live in. Blue mountain ranges were rolling one after the other like waves of the…

It seems truth cannot be told anymore. I had written an answer to the above question on quora, but after over 11k views it was taken down, allegedly violating the “be nice, be respectful” policy. I cannot see anything objectionable in my answer. Why would they let it ‘collapse’? Here is the text: Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma is least dogmatic (Buddhism is more dogmatic as it follows what Buddha said and Buddha was only one of numerous Hindu sages). And of course it is completely different from Christianity and Islam. If those two big religions are the norm, then Hinduism…