Who Will Save Hinduism

[Vaagmi]

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A qualified teacher can teach anyone what Dharma is and how to interpret that in a given situation.

A human being knows when they condone corruption or when they engage in that act, that they are doing harm.

A person steeped in religion tend to engage in adharmic activities inconsistent with the teaching.

A religious ego is one of the most harmful ego in terms of its impact.

I agree with all the above four. The fourth one I would like to amend. I would place political ego in place of religious ego as the most harmful.

New sub religions will always get formed - past, present and future. There are no issues with that.
Similarly image worship, having a teacher or having some traditions and following them are all fine provided there is no adharma and corruption in the daily life of the practitioners of the tradition.

The problem is many do not know that it is an adharma and so are indulging in adharmic activities. Rather some may think it is dharmic to indulge in such activities. The Guru may help in such situations.

Not everyone has to know the knowledge scriptures well. But a few who are in the role of teaching must and should be able to translate them to ordinary people in terms of what it means to lead a life of Dharma amidst issues. Instead religions (including Hinduism and its vintages) has become a platform to promote superstition enabling more insecurity , corruption (e.g, sharing black money with God or spending a fortune on an idol while people are dying), and making their 'God' an accomplice in chasing after greed.

God never becomes an accomplice in anything. If you ask the businessman who deposits a fat purse into the hundi of a temple he will convincingly speak to you about his reasons for not spending that money for feeding people. He may even tell you that he is feeding such poor people through another trust of him. It is love for the God entity that makes him deposit money/ornaments to God and he derives immense satisfaction from that act. who are we to question that?
Superstitions are a sensitive topic. What is a superstition for a Scientist may be just an expression of love/bhakti for a devotee. Religion through its scriptures just dictates while science elaborately interpretes it and finds fault in it. "Satyam vada" is a religious edict which is brief in just two words. Science can question it and tell that satyam vada may not be good always. Some time you may lose your life if you follow that edict-science would say. So a medium path is to be found. So Valluvar said "even a lie is truth if it delivers good to people". And science later came round and said "after all it may be worth speaking truth always as every time a lie is told the human heart receives a jolt from the electrical sygnal sent to it". So superstition is contextual and there is nothing absolute about it.

Scriptural teaching to ordinary people does not mean teaching Vedanta to ordinary people.

Why not Vedanta? Who is the judge?

Can't comment on mistaken (though popular) understanding of the usage of the term "dukhrinjkarane"

What is understood by readers is what is important and not what grammar gives. When my next door girl tells her friend " மொக்க போடராண்டீ" I do not rush to pick up my Tamil Thesaurus. I understand what is said and laugh out loud (LOL). மொக்க may not be correct but it conveys picturesquely an idea. That is what is important. LOL.

 

[Vaagmi]

If the definition of Hinduism is summed in these terms, then there is no argument at all.
1)What happens to the "CULTURE"? What is the advice given to young people about whether they can buy a dining table from a NB person? 2)Or how or why to do "parishEchanam" on a dining Table, Or Rahu Kalam. 3)How to deal with superstitions, like bali of animal or human sacrifices.

Numbers for convenience of reference:

1. Hinduism is not about the indwelling soul alone. It is about the container too-the body. Hinduism believes that a healthy body is the prime requirement for a soul to live peacefully in it. So a dining table is the surface on which we keep food in plates and eat. We come in contact with that surface frequently. If that surface had been sullied by contact with non-sAtvic food items such as meat, fish etc., the person sitting and eating before that table may feel uncomfortable and that is the reason why we advised that the table be washed well with water after it is bought. In our house we have a place for everything and we do not mix up. I believe this is the case with many of the households. The bucket and mug which is kept in the toilet remains just there for use and it never enters the kitchen or bath room. Just a crude example with some equivalence between the utensils used for non veg and veg eating. The comparison stops there. Do not jump on me for denigrating non-veg eaters. That is not the intention.

There are other religions which believe that what is eaten is less important compared to what is spoken (what goes in is less important than what comes out!!). But Hinduism does not subscribe to this. It believes what goes in profoundly affects what comes out after processing. LOL.

There is no superstition about what to do for buying that table. It is well understood on solid scientific basis.

2. Why do pariseshanam sitting before a dining table. It is to be done because pariseshanam is not just circling the plate a few times with water. The food is first offered to five different entities that keep our body in tact and then it is also offered to the indwelling soul which represents God. The circling with water is part of this ritualistic offering. Take it or leave it. Whether you are squatting on the floor or sitting on your din ing chair is immaterial to follow this procedure. What is needed is just trust. With trust deficit no use arguing.

Rahu kalam is a different matter. It can be discussed separately. I will be on your side because I am a vaishnavite.

3. What is superstition for you is just a ritual for the believer. Who is to judge about the good or bad of it? If it is taking away the life of an individual in a ritualistic slaughter, it goes against the constitution of a civlised society. So action will be taken accordingly. The judging entity is Constitution which is bigger than the individual. If it is slaughtering the animal and offering it to a deity in a ritual before eating I wont sit in judgment or trouble myself with the thought that it is a do or die situation for me to deal with.

 

[prasad1]

Kerala High Court judge B. Kemal Pasha has said that public perceptions and beliefs must be in tune with the changing times. He added that discriminating any Indian citizen on the basis of their faith or gender was a violation of their fundamental right to equality.

Mr. Pasha said social boundaries must not hinder the freedom of an individual. He was also critical of religious views which forbade believers from organ transplantation and blood donation. “We should not confine our thoughts to primitive perceptions. Religious teachings must undergo gradual changes as society progresses. We can no longer persist with rigid norms that harbour inequality,” he said.
He called for creating awareness on the plight of those born with HIV/AIDS. He sought the support of voluntary organisations to ensure that such sections were provided employment opportunities and other assistance.

Violation
“Several misconceptions in our society prevent them from progressing in their lives. There have been instances in which persons born with HIV are forced to leave schools or are dismissed from workplaces. Such cases were violations of Article 21 of the Constitution of India which guarantees right to life and personal liberty,” he said. He was inaugurating the 4{+t}{+h}annual district convention of the International Association of Lions Clubs District 318A on Saturday.
....................................................................................
[h=4]Not an Idol – an Ideal[/h]
The word worship has been badly misunderstood to be a mere ritualistic exercise of no significance to a person living dynamically trying to fulfill his ambitions and seeking success in the world. Worshipping God and seeking His grace seems to be a mere blind belief meant only for escapists and failures. However, true worship is not a mere ritual, but an attunement with the ideal, that one invokes through one‘s thoughts, words and deeds.


[h=4]Immortal Values[/h] Civilization flourishes with the promotion of culture, but when the cultural values deteriorate, the civilization of a society breaks down, as we have known from the fall of the Egyptian, the Greek and the Roman civilizations. The great religious masters of India, using their own ingenious efforts, have time and again revived the philosophical and religious values for which India stood and thereby arrested the deterioration of the culture.

http://www.chinmayauk.org/article_category/articles-hindu-culture/

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

some of my non-hindu friends would ask 'who founded Hinduism?'

what would be fitting reply?

for muslims they have mohammed, for Christians they have Christ, for Buddhists they have Buddha, for Sikhs they have guru gobind singh etc.


I would think of veda vyasa, valmiki etc but the religion has existed even before them.

 

[auh]

some of my non-hindu friends would ask 'who founded Hinduism?'

what would be fitting reply?

for muslims they have mohammed, for Christians they have Christ, for Buddhists they have Buddha, for Sikhs they have guru gobind singh etc.


I would think of veda vyasa, valmiki etc but the religion has existed even before them.

I think you mean what the term encompasses instead of just the literal. If you must say, you could say it is "apourusheyaa".

But why is it pertinent? Or is it?

 

[tks]

1. I agree with all the above four. The fourth one I would like to amend. I would place political ego in place of religious ego as the most harmful.



2. The problem is many do not know that it is an adharma and so are indulging in adharmic activities. Rather some may think it is dharmic to indulge in such activities. The Guru may help in such situations.



3. God never becomes an accomplice in anything. If you ask the businessman who deposits a fat purse into the hundi of a temple he will convincingly speak to you about his reasons for not spending that money for feeding people. He may even tell you that he is feeding such poor people through another trust of him. It is love for the God entity that makes him deposit money/ornaments to God and he derives immense satisfaction from that act. who are we to question that?
Superstitions are a sensitive topic. What is a superstition for a Scientist may be just an expression of love/bhakti for a devotee. Religion through its scriptures just dictates while science elaborately interpretes it and finds fault in it. "Satyam vada" is a religious edict which is brief in just two words. Science can question it and tell that satyam vada may not be good always. Some time you may lose your life if you follow that edict-science would say. So a medium path is to be found. So Valluvar said "even a lie is truth if it delivers good to people". And science later came round and said "after all it may be worth speaking truth always as every time a lie is told the human heart receives a jolt from the electrical sygnal sent to it". So superstition is contextual and there is nothing absolute about it.



4. Why not Vedanta? Who is the judge?



5. What is understood by readers is what is important and not what grammar gives. When my next door girl tells her friend " மொக்க போடராண்டீ" I do not rush to pick up my Tamil Thesaurus. I understand what is said and laugh out loud (LOL). மொக்க may not be correct but it conveys picturesquely an idea. That is what is important. LOL.

1. The original statement was describing *one* of the most harmful things a being a religious ego, not the most. In any case, most people have experiential knowledge not to easily trust a politician. A religious ego gains implicit trust with people and arguably can (and do) cause great harm. Such people will feel they have to be the torchbearer for their religion and their God and will cause great harm by their words, thought and acts.

2. Human beings are endowed with knowledge of what is Dharma and adharma at a basic level. The apparent creation of this world and human beings has built in intelligence and there is no need for any scriptures to tell human beings what is right. Religions interfere often in wrong manner with their theologies and unfounded beliefs making them do things that they would never do otherwise. A teacher is needed to resolve dilemmas and to instill in a person a reason why following Dharma is actually all about devotion to Isvara (at least in Hinduism)

3. It is meaningless to make God a person and further go on to say God never becomes an accomplice. What was written originally is about the human ego that aggrandizes itself by imagining that their God is playing a role in realizing their greedy aspirations. That was the point made earlier. If someone loves an image / deity that is their worldview. But if they make a public donation with all the fan fare of say a diamond head gear for a deity there is only ego aggrandizement involved and such public acts actually demeans the foundational aspects of the religion. The same person when walking out of the temple may get angry at the sight of beggars. There is rank hypocrisy in such people. Best thing is to stay away from such people.

4. There is no need to bring scientists into drawing conclusion about how superstition rules India today. Let me use just one example. The Vastu proofing an existent houses is seemingly a new business in the last 10 years or so. A few of my 'atheist' friends are also doing it so that they can sell in the future. If someone has a prayer and feels like communicating to their Ishtadevatha with respect to some commitments that person wants to make, that is not superstition since it is a private expression of that person's understanding of their God and devotion.

4. Vedanta can be taught to anyone qualified. Anyone that satisfies the basic pre-requisites such as a deep shraddha towards learning, and a deep desire to know the truth can be good students regardless of what they call themselves - ordinary or otherwise

5. The Bhaja Govindam verse where this expression arises was not a put down of Grammar by whoever wrote the sloka. There has been concocted stories to over simplify the meaning. I think if there is proper explanation any 'ordinary' person can indeed understand.

 

[tks]

some of my non-hindu friends would ask 'who founded Hinduism?'

what would be fitting reply?

for muslims they have mohammed, for Christians they have Christ, for Buddhists they have Buddha, for Sikhs they have guru gobind singh etc.


I would think of veda vyasa, valmiki etc but the religion has existed even before them.

Hinduism was best described as a 'way of life'. It is inclusive in its approach and provides a way of going from one level of truth to another level regardless of where one is at by the way one leads their life.

Religions need not have a founder. That assumption is wrong. The name Hinduism was given by outsiders

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

honorable auh sir and tks sir,

please review the following quotes

"why is it pertinent"

"religions need not have founder"

today we are confronted with several questions about Hinduism. we are answerable to all the questions. besides we are wondering how to save Hinduism. it is debatable if any religion needs to be saved. we further need to explore what it means to save Hinduism.

the common man on the street is not clear about what is Hinduism yet he calls himself hindu. Hinduism is too complicated to explain. furthermore it is all inclusive.

in spite of discussing this subject in numerous threads we have not arrived at a conclusive definition of the term Hinduism.

don't you think it is pertinent and founders need to be discovered in the context of the above?

 

[GNANA SUNYAM]

by 'saving hinduism' does it mean safeguarding the Sanskrit texts, maintaining the scripts etc by constantly printing and re-printing numerous copies making them available for future generations to read? does it mean maintaining the traditions, the religious practices and rituals imposing them on and passing them as traditions to future generations?

what if the future generations are not interested?

for a common man hindu, his/her utmost concern is roti, kapda aur makaan. the interest to study and understand Hinduism has dwindled. how are we going to face this challenge?

 

[prasad1]

1. The original statement was describing *one* of the most harmful things a being a religious ego, not the most. In any case, most people have experiential knowledge not to easily trust a politician. A religious ego gains implicit trust with people and arguably can (and do) cause great harm. Such people will feel they have to be the torchbearer for their religion and their God and will cause great harm by their words, thought and acts.

Thank you Tksji.

Unequal knowledge in religion: average person do not understand religion, and has been fed this supersions as religion. The religion is written in code and in a language not understood by common folks. Thus, knowledge is needed to counter this imbalance, and bring fairness to the world. When a consumer buys clothing, CD recordings, politics or some other common item he/she generally has enough experience and information to pursue her own self interest; this is not generally the case in religion.

So political corruption is similar to marketplace corruption, But religious corruption is more sinister. By claiming to be an authority because of some false knowledge, they deliberately mislead the common folks.
The are sowing the seeds of discord in public in the name of culture.
Instead of destroying the false notion that "your religion will be compromised by buying a Dining Table from a NB". They advise doing some mumbo Jumbo to "purify" it, knowing fully the mischief of their suggestion.

If a similar question was posed to a true master, say a Buddha, the advice would have been different. It would have exposed the ignorance of the questioner.

 

[Brahmanyan]

Dr.S.Radhakrishnan has covered all important points on Hinduism in his Upton Lectures given in 1926 at Oxford University and same is available in a book form under the name "Hindu View of life". This book answers most of the points one would like to know about Hindu religion. This is available in the PDF format in the internet.
I would consider this book is a must read for any one who is interested in understanding the basics of Hinduism.

Brahmnyan,
Bangalore.

 

[prasad1]

Hinduism as a religion. Is when you get involved in a lot of rituals? This is where the great Indian circus starts.


It usually is practiced by Indians who have not read the scriptures (99.5% of Indians have not read the Vedas or Upanishads). We are the only race in the world who does not read our religious books. A majority of Christians and Muslims have read their holy books. Only Hindus don’t read their book. The guidance is usually provided by temple pundits who recite most slokas by rote. Most have a near zero understanding of the bigger picture of Hinduism. Their knowledge is limited to understanding a few slokas and being able to perform some rituals. Or in some cases, talented individuals who have picked up some knowledge on the run, without spending a lot of time reading the books and having a real guru interpret the real meaning for them.
The Hindu word for religion is Dharma. The word Dharma comes from the root word ‘dhar’ which in Sanskrit means to give shape to something to be able to perceive it, or to understand it. Dharma was invented for us average ‘low aware individuals’ to follow a safe path through a minefield without making mistakes. The English word for the same is ‘religion’ i.e to do something religiously over and over again without having to think.. Unfortunately in Hinduism, the practice today has no resemblance to the rules prescribed by our ancestors in the holy books. And therein lies the futility of our actions.

http://www.esamskriti.com/essay-chapters/Who-will-save-Hinduism-1.aspx

 

[tks]

honorable auh sir and tks sir,

please review the following quotes

"why is it pertinent"

"religions need not have founder"

today we are confronted with several questions about Hinduism. we are answerable to all the questions. besides we are wondering how to save Hinduism. it is debatable if any religion needs to be saved. we further need to explore what it means to save Hinduism.

the common man on the street is not clear about what is Hinduism yet he calls himself hindu. Hinduism is too complicated to explain. furthermore it is all inclusive.

in spite of discussing this subject in numerous threads we have not arrived at a conclusive definition of the term Hinduism.

don't you think it is pertinent and founders need to be discovered in the context of the above?

It would actually help if you care to describe what your religion is and how you were raised without revealing any personally identifiable information. One need not be a Hindu to be part of the forum and you will be accepted as you are here by everyone.

There have been answers to your questions, but there are never answers to questions with incorrect assumptions.
An example of a question with incorrect assumption is - "Please answer only Yes or No - Have you stopped abusing your spouse"
There is no answer to such a question.

An average Hindu has no issues in my experience. There is no need for a founder and there is no need to map Hinduism into the model of Christianity or Islam.

A person who is used to only the idea of Kings and dynasty can never understand how a country can be ruled by elected leaders every x number of years. Asking a country that has democracy 'who is you King, we must find one so I can explain' is similar to asking "Who is the founder of Hinduism so I can explain"

Hinduism is a way of life based on a notion called Dharma (universal principles and order)

What needs to be protected is Dharma and one does this by striving to live in alignment with Dharma.

There are no issues with multiple deities because at the knowledge level they are all well reconciled . At a working level a common person need not have conflicts. If they do , there are knowledge scriptures that can explain why there are no issues.

In Christianity and Islam, conversion is part of their theology. Furthermore, many employ any means however adharmic it may be to achieve the end result of conversion with the idea that the end justifies any means including adharmic means. Many go around saying - Hinduism is complex, your ancestors are wrong, you are destined to hell etc. Because an agenda is involved it is best to stay away from such people.

Due to wave of western culture and that too its worst features, going through India and with wave of members of these aggressive religions bent on conversion , the Hindu way of life is under assault. What is happening is adharma and the response is to lead and help others lead a life of Dharma.

 

[tks]

Dr.S.Radhakrishnan has covered all important points on Hinduism in his Upton Lectures given in 1926 at Oxford University and same is available in a book form under the name "Hindu View of life". This book answers most of the points one would like to know about Hindu religion. This is available in the PDF format in the internet.
I would consider this book is a must read for any one who is interested in understanding the basics of Hinduism.

Brahmnyan,
Bangalore.

Sri Brahmanyan,

Indeed most appropriate reference ! Thumbs up

 

[Brahmanyan]

Sri Brahmanyan,

Indeed most appropriate reference ! Thumbs up

Dear Sri tks.,

This book was reccomended to me when I was a College Student in 1953, since then I had purchased and sent copies to my pen-friends abroad who were desirous of understanding what we call as "Hinduism". It was priced just Rs 3/= in those days., now it is Rs.139/= per copy ! The exposition of various facets of Hindu religious thoughts and practices with scriptural authorities is the speciality of his writings. Since my knowledge is minimal I am in no position to compare or comment with any other authorities on the subject. But reading of the "Hindu View of Life" clarified many of my doubts I had as a layman about my religion.

Dr S. Radhakrishnan, a distinguished scholar in comparative religion and Eastern Philosophy has published around 60 books on the subjects. His lucid translation of "The Bhagavadgita" in English is another book I would reccomend for study.

Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

 

[tks]

Dear Sri tks.,

This book was reccomended to me when I was a College Student in 1953, since then I had purchased and sent copies to my pen-friends abroad who were desirous of understanding what we call as "Hinduism". It was priced just Rs 3/= in those days., now it is Rs.139/= per copy ! The exposition of various facets of Hindu religious thoughts and practices with scriptural authorities is the speciality of his writings. Since my knowledge is minimal I am in no position to compare or comment with any other authorities on the subject. But reading of the "Hindu View of Life" clarified many of my doubts I had as a layman about my religion.

Dr S. Radhakrishnan, a distinguished scholar in comparative religion and Eastern Philosophy has published around 60 books on the subjects. His lucid translation of "The Bhagavadgita" in English is another book I would reccomend for study.

Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

Sri Brahmanyan,

The first chapter of the book captures the essence of what Hinduism is. When something is presented to outsiders by a truly great scholar that tends to be useful for everyone.

There are many such books that are now available in the pdf form.

I came across another book (pdf) some years ago which was to provide introduction to Vedanta to students of Harvard university. It was compiled from a two day presentation (and Q&A) by Swami Vivekananda to Faculty and students of Harvard University. The Philosophy department had taken copious notes and published them later as a small book. The intro was well done. Interestingly there were many questions about caste which is what many outsiders tend think (perhaps those days) about Hinduism.

In reading Dr Radhakrishnan's book I was pleasantly surprised that the expressions of the language used was not only well done but still relevant in today's world.

Regards

 

[prasad1]

The first chapter of the book captures the essence of what Hinduism is. When something is presented to outsiders by a truly great scholar that tends to be useful for everyone.

There are many such books that are now available in the pdf form.

Can you give link to the books.

 

[tks]

Can you give link to the books.

http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/i...4-A-Hindu-View-of-Life-Dr-S-Radhakrishnan.pdf

 

[tks]

Here is a link to the pdf of a book published by Harvard (lecture given by Swami Vivekananda to them)

http://www.vivekananda.net/PDFBooks/The_Vedanta_Philosophy.pdf

 

[Brahmanyan]

Dear Sri tks,
Further to my earliers posts, recently I came across an excellent source on the subject of Advaitha, while reading on Mandukya Upanishad by Swami Ranganathananda.
Avaitha - The Truth of Non Duality - by Prof. V. Subrahmanya Aiyar (1869-1949).This is an old book. Prof. Aiyar was an erudite scholar who taught Philosophy to Maharaja of Mysore Sri Krishnaraja wodiyar IV. and to many Monks of Sri Ramakrishna Mutt at Mysore. He was also the Registrar of Mysore University. These lectures are available in YouTube ( 1 to 4 chapter ).
Lights on Advaitha - Selected Teachings by V Subrahmanya Aiyar published by Paul Brunton Foundation is available in the net in PDF format , for down loading.
If I remember correctly we have discussed about this book some time back in this forum.

Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

 

[rpsarathy143]

Yes Hinduism will survive sans its core values.What we see now is that the vast majority of Hindus are indoctrinated to save the identity of the Religion rather its values. It has become more ritualistic rather than value based and with due apologies proliferation of several mutts and numerous volatile groups the position is not likely to improve. Unfortunate part is that dogma ,irrelevant religious aspects and related rituals are in vast circulation thanks infinite reach of media and communication these days . Every practice and ritual is has its own limitations as such deserve deep burial once they outlive the utility. Living on past glory does no good and is on the contrary damaging what little is available now.

 

[krish44]

who will save hinduism?

Why save?

religions evolve keeping in view modern needs and religious practices will change when people practising other religions try to force themselves on hindus .

I personally believe present day chinese are the best lot having done away with religion.

Religions cause more pain and hardship in human beings .

A nation with millions of poor people should concentrate on improve the lives of people and not hard sell religion to distract them from fulfilling their material requirements.

Telling the poor to accept poverty and pray following hindu rituals is the worst crime a brahmin can commit.

 

[tks]

Dear Sri tks,
Further to my earliers posts, recently I came across an excellent source on the subject of Advaitha, while reading on Mandukya Upanishad by Swami Ranganathananda.
Avaitha - The Truth of Non Duality - by Prof. V. Subrahmanya Aiyar (1869-1949).This is an old book. Prof. Aiyar was an erudite scholar who taught Philosophy to Maharaja of Mysore Sri Krishnaraja wodiyar IV. and to many Monks of Sri Ramakrishna Mutt at Mysore. He was also the Registrar of Mysore University. These lectures are available in YouTube ( 1 to 4 chapter ).
Lights on Advaitha - Selected Teachings by V Subrahmanya Aiyar published by Paul Brunton Foundation is available in the net in PDF format , for down loading.
If I remember correctly we have discussed about this book some time back in this forum.

Regards,
Brahmanyan,
Bangalore.

Sri Brahmanyan,

Thank you again for sharing your references.
I liked your reference "Lights on vedanta" and its short sentences abstracting the teachings into small passages.

I have heard Swami Ranganathananda a while ago (Youtube segments). I was not able to relate to him well.

My personal understanding and experience is this. The study of Vedanta includes both the study of the subject and a sampradaya as to how one can learn the material which is one of a kind (leading one to live the teaching).

Without a proper setting and learning with a properly qualified teacher it is impossible to make any headway and much of the teaching will remain as a philosophy with errors.

I have come across a very few books which reflect proper preparation in their presentations.

An example of an author who lacks proper preparation but has actually made a lot of money by use of Vedantic terms is Deepak Chopra. He tends to say the right words now and then but lacks real knowledge in my view. There are books by Sri Aurobindo that points to a scholarly person but seemingly advancing wrong notions, probably because of not having been taught properly (which is my guess).

Within Hinduism there is this unique emphasis on Guru Parampara for learning.

The hope for anyone is to probably start with the study of B.Gita because with proper teaching, it can bring out the essence of Vedanta in a manner that is practical and useful in one's life. Unfortunately study of B.Gita is happening (in my limited observation) more outside India than inside India.

The essence of Hindu Dharma and teaching will remain in the world.

 

[prasad1]

Yes Hinduism will survive sans its core values.What we see now is that the vast majority of Hindus are indoctrinated to save the identity of the Religion rather its values. It has become more ritualistic rather than value based and with due apologies proliferation of several mutts and numerous volatile groups the position is not likely to improve. Unfortunate part is that dogma ,irrelevant religious aspects and related rituals are in vast circulation thanks infinite reach of media and communication these days . Every practice and ritual is has its own limitations as such deserve deep burial once they outlive the utility. Living on past glory does no good and is on the contrary damaging what little is available now.

I applaud your post.:thumb:

 

[tks]

Here is one effort (a conference) to remove myths about Hindu Shastras. Videos are available at the links below
I have not seen any of them, just passing along for anyone who may be interested

[TD="bgcolor: #F0CEEE"]

Click: List of all the videos from this historic conference
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The Swadeshi Indology (SI) Conference series is a new movement that critiques & replaces the Western (videshi) study of Indian civilization. Rather than depicting Indian civilization as a cause of all sorts of problems, SI adopts a balanced approach. It explains how our civiization is also a source of solutions. It takes to task the most prominent & influential Western schools of Indology, i.e. the ones that have colonized the minds of large numbers of Indians today. Prior to this initiative, there has not been an effective and concerted effort to systematically demolish many core ideas and false assumptions of Western Indology. The 1st SI conference was held in IIT Madras last month. The videos available are from panels on specialized topics, including the following topics: Refuting the claim that Sanskrit shastras block creativity and innovation. Refuting the claim that ideas contained in ancient Sanskrit texts helped the Nazis to do the Holocaust. Refuting the claim that Sanskrit has been dead for a thousand years, and that it was killed by Hindu kings despite the efforts of Muslims to try and save it. Refuting the claim that the Ramayana is a myth meant for asserting power over the public, and especially for violence against Muslims. And so forth. You can watch the video of each paper along with the lively Q&As among scholars at this historic event. Besides each paper being available as a separate video, we have also organizd them into playlists for each topic. The entire collection is available at: CLICK FOR VIDEO LIST The SECOND Swadeshi Indology Conference is planned for early February in Delhi. To participate as a scholar please visit the following web site where instructions are given: CLICK FOR SI-2 announcement . The overall site for the SI movement is at: SwadeshiIndology.com

[TD="bgcolor: #DDEAF2"] Facebook: @RajivMalhotra.Official Twitter: @RajivMessage
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Videos are at this link
http://swadeshiindology.com/si-1/summary/

Call for papers and for those who want to participate
http://swadeshiindology.com/si-2-call-for-papers/

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Click: List of all the videos from this historic conference
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