There are three main religions in the World. There have been three widely acclaimed works criticizing all three RELIGIONS with identical titles.
The title of each work has been “Why I Am Not A Christian or Muslim or Hindu” Each of the authors Namely Nobel Prize winner Bertrand Russell, Ibn Al Rawandi and Illiah Kancha have looked up the discrepancies , blemishes in their respective religions and have espoused on them. It is healthy to criticize and introspect one’s belief. It is a prerequisite for evolution. Accordingly I would welcome all such works. Yet one must tread with caution with all such works. At least the one by Illiah Kancha is an
extremely superficial work and filled with Hatred. When one has been at the” receiving end “ of a social system, Loss Of Objectivity is an obvious fall out.
I am euphemistically a “Born Hindu”. Yet the phrase of being born Hindu or Muslim beats me. One is born a Human being. One is born of Hindu or Muslim parents. But no one is born with a religion. Why can’t it be like our professional careers, matter of simple choice, without any baggage to be discarded or vented against?
Coming to the Subject of the blog, Why I am a Hindu. Primarily one must define the premise first and then extrapolate from there. Hence the premise WHAT IS HINDUISM. I have read several articles expounding on the origin of the word Hindu and its Arabic origin. This intellectual exercise itself in Un Hindu. The word Hindu and its Arabic origin are absolutely irrelevant and all such deliberation is a mere intellectual diarrhea. Let us discuss its contents. There are several texts which have explained the Concept of Hinduism without using the word. Swami Vivekanand rejected the word outright and substituted it with Vedantik. Supreme Court of India too opined that one who believes and abides by Vedas and Upanishads is a Hindu.
Hindu is a DHARM disparate from Religion. Hinduism is a DHARM and not a religion. This is the first important input required to get even a faint understanding of Hinduism. All other systems of belief commonly known as RELIGION begin with a Founder and culminate in a BOOK. Once you have dead institution prevailing over intellect the “Man” becomes a “Great Beast” as described by Alexander Hamilton.
In Hinduism one of the important works is “Brahma Bhasya” by Adi Shankaracharya the 8th Century philosopher. The opening lines are “Atho Jigyasa Bhav”, “Let us question (Brahma the Creator)”. Signifying that everything all concepts are subservient to man’s intellect and subject to examination.
I would like to simplify the perception of Hinduism. An anecdote of an encounter of a Rabi and Goering illustrates percepts of Hinduism.
A Rabi was brought in the presence of Goering. Goerring maliciously told him that Talmud was a very ordinary book. There was nothing great about it. He did not understand why Jews accepted such an ordinary text with so much veneration. Rabi smiled and said “Mr. Goering , you have not been bale to understand Talmud”.
Goering took it as an affront and asked the Rabi to prove his contention.
Rabi said:”I would ask you three questions. If you are able to answer any one, I would accept that you have understood the Talmud”.
Goering in contempt asked him to go ahead.
Rabi : The First question,” Two men wearing WHITE clothes slide down a chimney. One emerges spotless, other all darkened with soot. Who will go for a WASH”?
Goering says, “Obviously one who has emerged all covered with dark soot, he will go for a wash”
Rabi,” Wrong! They look at each other. The one in spotless clothes sees other darkened guy and presumes that he has become dirty too and goes for a WASH. While the other guy looking at his friend all spotless believes that he too is spotless and does not go for a WASH”
Rabi: The Second question,” Two men wearing WHITE clothes slide down a chimney. One emerges spotless, other all darkened with soot. Who will go for a WASH”?
Goering: “It is the same question”.
Rabi, No It’s different.
Goering: “OK now I know the answer. The Guy with spotless clothes would go for a wash”.
Rabi: “Wrong. They are human beings and would not react such mechanically. The one with soiled and darkened clothes would go for a WASH”.
Goering got exasperated said,”OK! Let us have the last question”.
Rabi: The Third question,” Two men wearing WHITE clothes slide down a chimney. One emerges spotless, other all darkened with soot. Who will go for a WASH”?
Now Goering got really annoyed and said “What nonsense this question has been comprehensively answered and yet you pose again”.
Rabi: “No Mr. Goering, this is a fresh question. Please answer.”
Goering:” Well I don’t know of any third answer. Both the possible answers have already been tried”.
Rabi: “The correct answer is, it is impossible for one person to remain spotless and one dirtied, if both have undergone identical experience.” The correct answer to all three was this only. But you without referring to the Basics kept mulling over frivolous details”.
Hinduism too says one thing,”Go to the basics”.
The FOUR MAHAVAKYAS’ The Kernel of Upanishads’ emphasize that “Superimposition of WE over ME is God hood. Dharma is an attempt to manifest the inner self. Understanding ones own consciousness is DHARMA. Being a more alive and a conscious person is DHARMA”.
I would like to distinguish between Religion and Dharma with another analogy. We say “अग्नि का धर्म है जलाना”। now let us translate it verbatim. It would say “The Religion of Fire is to Burn”. The statement becomes meaning less. Hence it is evident that Religion and DHARMA are two very distinct ideas.
Most of the apologists decrying “Hinduism or Hindutva” do it by cognizing PRIESTCRAFT for Hinduism.
The level of discussion on Hindutva in the Talk shows in the media with Pygmies masquerading as Intellectuals is of the level of EKTA KAPOOR serials. Totally devoid of any substance. These talk shows are vain efforts to have a fabricated consciousness.
I am a Hindu as it TELLS ME “Aham Brahmasmi”. As it says “Atho Jigyas Bhav” as it says “Ekal Satya, Vipra Bahudha Vadanti”. As it liberates me to THINK and not be relegated to being a “Great Beast” of Alexander Hamilton.
