PLEASE HINDUS, DON’T SAY: “ALL RELIGIONS ARE THE SAME”

May 7, 2013 · by MW · in Uncategorized · 140 Comments 

Observations by someone who grew up in the stifling atmosphere of dogmatic Christianity and appreciates the freshness and freedom of undogmatic Hinduism– and wonders why a section of Hindus are so apologetic about their religion when it actually is the best bet for a fulfilling life.

Hindus used to say, “All religions are equal”. They did not want to see that the two biggies, Christianity and Islam, did not agree. Each of those religions claimed for itself, “We alone are the only true religion. Our God is the only true God.” They pitied Hindus that they might actually believe that by stating that all religions are equal, Hinduism would be elevated to their level. Of course, the ‘true religions’ will never allow this.

Now Hindus say, “We respect all religions. We teach it to our children. Our children hear a lot about Christianity and Islam and how good these religions are. We don’t want to offend anyone, so we teach very little about Hinduism and what we teach is only about superficial things, like festivals and customs and not about the deep philosophy and scientific insights which would portray Hinduism in a good light and might irritate other religions.”

Again, Hindus don’t want to see that Christianity and Islam do not respect Hinduism. The clergy of those religions don’t say it into their face, but to their own flock: “Hindus go to hell, if they don’t convert to the true religion. It is their own fault. We have told them about Jesus and his Father or the Prophet and Allah respectively. Still, they are so arrogant and foolish and hold on to their false gods. But God/Allah is great. He will punish them with eternal hellfire.”

 In a variation of “We respect all religions” Hindus also say, “All religions teach the human being to be virtuous and good and lead him to God, the creator. Hindus attend Inter Faith Dialogues and try to find the commonalities. Of course these are there. Hindus try to build on them. “Yes, all religions have good points. Yes, all religions have good people.” They keep repeating that all religions teach goodness, as if to convince themselves. However, deep down, Hindus know that this is not honest and lacks intellectual integrity. They know that Christianity and Islam have gone off track by preaching exclusiveness and hate to their flock. Those religions have encouraged persecution of others and brainwashed otherwise kind human beings into fighting for an imaginary god who supposedly hates all those ‘others’ who don’t believe, what they are told to believe. They have left a trail of bloodshed in history. But Hindus choose to ignore it. ‘Why provoke unnecessarily?’ they might feel, still betraying a psyche wounded by thousand years of oppression.

Is it not time that Hindus call a spade a spade? Swami Vivekananda has said that every Hindu who leaves his faith is not one Hindu less but one enemy more. He said this while India was ruled by the British, and Christians and Muslims were encouraged to feel superior to the “idol worshipping Hindu”. Hindus were not in a position to put the record straight, as their own elite put Hinduism down due to a malicious British education policy. Yet today, 66 years after independence, it is about time to tell the world loudly and boldly what Hinduism is about.

 It is not about ruling the world. It is not about believing in unverifiable dogmas. It is not about being nice to those of one’s own faith and not nice to those of other faiths. But it is about discovering what we really are, apart from the ever-changing body and mind. The ancient rishis have discovered the oneness underlying the apparent multiplicity, long before western scientists did. This conscious, blissful oneness is not somewhere out there. It is permeating everyone (and everything) and can be felt as one’s own essence. This essence can be called by different names, but the main thing is, that it is within everyone and within everyone’s reach. So, we truly are all children of the same infinite divine Presence. We all belong to one big family. Vasudhaiva Kutumbhakam. This truth provides the basis for a harmonious world and it makes sense, or does it not?

by Maria Wirth

Paramapada sopana patamu

Paramapada sopana patamu

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2017/03/paramapada-sopana-patamu-game-had-its.html

The game had its origin in India and was called Parama Pada sopana patamu or Mokshapatam. It was used to teach Hindu Dharma and Hindu values to children. The British renamed it as Snakes and Ladders.

 

The game was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dice. Later through time, the game underwent several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e. good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births. There are certain references which take the game back to 2nd century BC.

 

Indian-snakes-n-ladders.jpg

Indian Snakes and Ladders game (1700’s AD)

In the original game square 12 was faith, 51 was Reliability, 57 was Generosity, 76 was Knowledge, and 78 was Asceticism. These were the squares were the ladder was found. Square 41 was for Disobedience, 44 for Arrogance, 49 for Vulgarity, 52 for Theft, 58 for Lying, 62 for Drunkenness, 69 for Debt, 84 for Anger, 92 for Greed, 95 for Pride, 73 for Murder and 99 for Lust. These were the squares were the snake was found. The Square 100 represented Nirvana or Moksha.

There are a hundred squares on a board; the ladders take you up, the snakes bring you down. The difference here is that the squares are illustrated. The top of the ladder depicts a God, or one of the various heavens (kailasa, vaikuntha, brahmaloka) and so on, while the bottom describes a good quality. Conversely, each snake’s head is a negative quality or an asura (demon). As the game progresses, the various karma and samskara, good deeds and bad, take you up and down the board. Interspersed are plants, people and animals.

The game serves a dual purpose: entertainment, as well as dos and don’ts, divine reward and punishment, ethical values and morality. The final goal leads to Vaikuntha or heaven, depicted by Vishnu surrounded by his devotees, or Kailasa with Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha and Skanda, and their devotees. In this age of moral and ethical degeneration, this would be a good way of teaching values to children who think they already know more than their parents.

The British took the game to England in 1892 and named it Snakes and Ladders and changed it according to Victorian values.

Swasthi.

KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE

The bookish knowledge that many feverishly acquire is relevant only for the day of the exam. As you enter your professions armed with this knowledge, you will soon discover that you only have superficial knowledge on any subject and your general knowledge is almost zero. Without general knowledge and practical wisdom, you cannot discriminate. World today needs practical knowledge. Water is formed from two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen. You can prove this in the laboratory. But when you sit for lunch, do you mix two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen to drink water? By sipping just a drop, you can even comment on the purity of the water and its taste. Thus discrimination and general knowledge is very essential to make sure your daily life and behavior does not have any lapses. You must experience the enjoyable life in the right way at the right time.

CHERUKU RAMA MOHAN RAO

Why do we need a museum for colonial atrocities?

Why do we need a museum for imperial crimes?

I recently wrote to the government of India to propose that one of India’s most renowned heritage buildings, the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, be converted into a museum that displays the truth of the British Raj—a museum, in other words, to colonial atrocities.

This famous monument, built between 1906 and 1921, stands testimony to the glorification of the British Raj in India. It is time, I argued, that it be converted to serve as a reminder of what was done to India by the British, who conquered one of the richest countries in the world (27 percent of global gross domestic product in 1700) and reduced it to, after over two centuries of looting and exploitation, one of the poorest, most diseased and most illiterate countries on Earth by the time they left in 1947.

It is curious that there is, neither in India nor in Britain, any museum to the colonial experience. London is dotted with museums that reflect its imperial conquests, from the Imperial War Museum to the India collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum itself.

But none says anything about the colonial experience itself, the destruction of India’s textile industry and the depopulation of the great weaving centres of Bengal, the systematic collapse of shipbuilding, or the extinction of India’s fabled wootz steel.

Nor is there any memorial to the massacres of the Raj, from Delhi in 1857 to Amritsar in 1919, the deaths of 35 million Indians in totally unnecessary famines caused by British policy, or the “divide and rule” policy that culminated in the horrors of Partition in 1947 when the British made their shambolic and tragic Brexit from the subcontinent. The lack of such a museum is striking.

Surprisingly, large sections of both Indians and British still remain unaware of the extent of these imperial crimes against humanity.

Shashi Tharoor

A Discussion between the Granddaughter and Grandfather

      A Discussion between the Granddaughter and Grandfather

There was a scholar of 75 years who used to give philosophical advices to those who are avid to know mostly with reference to Indian Philosophy. He had a granddaughter of 8 to 9 years old. She was keen to know about those things and hence used to be there but as a silent spectator. One day that group was not present as they went to a temple function. The granddaughter got the opportunity to clarify her small doubts, as she thought them to be. She went to her grandfather who was sitting as usual in his easy chair in the veranda, sat nearby and sought his permission to express her doubts. The grandfather felt happy and permitted her to ask questions.

The conversation went on as follows:

I represent the granddaughter with C (Child) and grandfather with G.

C: Can you define what a life is?

G: Life can move.

C: So, you and I have life. How about animals like rats, rabbits etc.

G: Yes, they too have life. They can jump hop run like us. Similarly birds can fly fish can swim and there are amphibians that can survive both on land and in water.

C: So anything that has movement is considered to have life. Can you tell whether a stone on the roadside has life?

G: No, stone has no life. It can’t move by itself.

C: Suppose somebody takes a stone that he can pick, and throws it. Then can we say the stone has life?

G: We have to, but as long as it travels.

C: Consider a handy fan made of bamboo? When it is swung while in the hand, have we to consider, it has life?

G: No. It was shaken by hand and the body to which the hand is attached has life.

C: That means a life can cause a non-life thing moving.

G: Yes.

C: We see waves are moving up and down in the sea?

G: True.

C: Can we say that waves have life as they are moving by their own?

G: No, waves have no life. They were blown by the wind.

C: As we have discussed in the case of hand fan the life can cause a none-living thing moving. So now can we say wind has life?

G: No, wind has no life. You can’t see it.

C: So, the living are to be seen.

G: Yes.

C: So far we drew a conclusion that a visible moving thing can be considered as living is it? If so can we say that a tree cannot have life?

G: Never we can say it. A tree has life. It has life within. I thought while you were sitting and calmly observing the proceedings I thought you were whiling away your time. It is great and I feel proud for all the inquisitiveness you have shown on the subject. Having come so long in our discussion let us enter into a little large space where we discuss about life in things of mobility and non-mobility.

G continues: First, life can grow. You eat and drink and then you poo poop and pee-pee out your waste. Thus, you grow up bigger and bigger up to a certain peak where from you will have to scale down. That is natural metabolism.

C: Anything else for life besides of metabolism?

G: Life can self-multiply. That is called reproduction. A hen lays eggs. And eggs after hatching turn out chicken. And chicken can grow up to become more hens and cocks. Generation may differ but it exists among the living.

C: Anything else for life besides reproduction?

G: There is variation, adaption and mutation. You see no leaves are of the same size and same shape. That is life’s characteristic called variation.

 The life is not exclusively confined to land it holds for both water and sky also like fish and birds. This is adaptation as the respective species get themselves adaptable to what they are meant for.

Life form can make its off spring alike, but a little bit different. This can ensure that some of its descendants could be better to adapt their surroundings and to become the winner in the natural selection. This is called mutation.

C: Can you tell me who has this discreet powers of classifying the life.

G: That is the super natural power who hold control of all these things. Knowing that is the ultimate. How to know it is vividly discussed in Bhagavad-Gita.

It is second to none to realise God and is never a book where from the excerpts are read near a corpse, like from the other religious books.

Swasti.

Importance of ringing bell in our pooja and also in temples

Importance of ringing bell in our pooja and also in temples

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2017/03/importance-of-ringing-bell-in-our-pooja.html

At the outset I would like to bring to your notice that our tradition, culture and everything relate to them are set on the right path by our Rishis and Munis. Anything and everything is according to a genuine,

Reasonable and logical thesis and not as a dictum as the Holy Books of other Religions say. Unfortunately we do not evince any interest to go to the grass roots to find out reasons for certain of our rituals. One such ritual is ringing the bell while commencing Puja at Home or ringing the hanging bell in the temple.

Have you ever wondered why bells are there in temples? Also large bells, with higher circumference. These are not just hanging there for you to ring. It is an age old tradition to ring the bell of the temple upon entering its premises. Bell ringing is an ancient Vedic ritual and one can see multiple bells hanging over the domes in many Indian shrines.

There will be another big bell in ancient temples for a specific purpose.

In Tirumala, at the entrance of the front porch of the Lord Venkateswara, we find ‘Ghanta Mandapam’ which consists two bells. In general a temple will have one big bell. But it is not so in Tirumala. There are two such bells. One is called 'Narayana Ghanta' and the other 'Govinda Ghanta'. The reverberation of the bells reach as long as Chandragiri Where the Maharaja starts his lunch only after the sound stops. Each bell is set to ringing according to their timing. A critical and minute observation will enable the enthusiast to find the diminutive difference.
It is told, in Puranas, Lord Brahma, the angels and Maharshis like Sanaka, sanandana wait for the darshan of Lord Venkateswara at the golden gate. Opposite to the golden gate, there is Garuda Mandapam. The pavilion that links the golden gate and the Garuda Mandapam is called ‘Ghanta Mandapam’ or 'Tirumaamani mandapam' where the bells are situated. It was constructed in 1461 A.D. by Mallanna, a native of Chandragiri and minister in the Vijaya Nagara Empire.
The sounding of a bell resonates with a meaning in the Hindu religion, as it is considered a way of seeking God’s attention, within and the external. Also, it is often associated with the echoes of `Creation’.
The Omkaram is considered the source of every sound and scholars say that it was from the very essence of this sound that the Vedas, the foundations of Indian culture and tradition took birth.

It is said that the devotees knock God’s entrance to ask permission upon entering his holy sanctum. Making temple bells is a whole science. The bell is made up of a mixture of five metals – lead, copper, zinc, iron, and tin – to which it is measured based on ratio and specification.

The proportion at which each one of them mixed is the real science behind making a bell. Each of these bells is made to produce such a distinct sound that it can create a harmony between your left and right brains. The moment you ring that bell, it produces sharp but lasting sound vibration which lasts for minimum of seven seconds in echo mode — long enough to touch your seven healing centers (or chakras) in your body.

The moment bell sound happens your brain is emptied of all thoughts. Invariably, you will enter a state of trance where you are very receptive. This trance state is the one with inner awareness. The bell works as antidote to the chaos of your mind. Before you enter a temple it prepares you for the calming taste of spiritual awareness you are going to experience.

Bells had other reasons also, as most of the old temples never had doors and were located near hills and forest there would have been distinct possibilities for animals, Insects, birds to take shelter. But bell sound doesn’t allow any of the living creatures to sustain inside for a long time. Don’t be surprised if you find old temples still brimming with energy inside with less dust, no sign of insects or animals.

Bell worship is called as Ghanta Puja (Ghanta is bell in Sanskrit). The sound that comes out of the sacred bell is called Jaya Dhwani (Sound representing victory). This sound helps to drive away the demonic forces and brings in the auspicious and positive forces. This has a deeper and inner meaning as well. This will drive away the evil thoughts from us. The bell will ring from inside us giving us positive energy.

Cultural Beliefs:

As per the Agama Sastra, ringing a bell in temples will prevent evil spirits. The evil spirits namely Yaksha, Pisacha, Rakshasa and Brahma Rakshasa will not enter the temple.

God is attracted to the sounds of the bell and mostly the bell will ring in the temple during the Harthi for God, bathing of God and offering food.

The bell has symbolic meaning. The body represents Ananta, the tongue represents Goddess Saraswati and the handle represents Hanuman, Garuda and Nandi according to their following, and has prana Shakti (vital principle).

Mantra: In Hinduism, the mantra chanted while ringing the bell is:

Aagamaarthamtu devaanaam

Gamanaarthamtu Rakshasaam

Kurume ghantaaravam tatra

Devataahvaahna laanchanam

Meaning:

I ring this bell indicating the invocation of divinity, so that virtuous and noble forces enter; and the demonic and evil forces, from within and without, depart.

First let us understand that our ancestors are great people, so great that they are beyond your imagination. Even a blind can have a hassle free walk on the path tread by them. Here though it is a little deviation from the subject, people who still believe ‘Aryan Invasion Theory’ for no proof what so ever can think on this ‘BELLS FACTOR’. If for any reason we believe that Aryans came from outside can their siblings, who are still there at the origin, I mean in the west, tell the significance of bells and their make.

First trust your own elders respect them revere them as the culture starts from there. However the DNA theory now proves we are all one and Westerners have nothing to do with us.

Swasti.

Ishwar Sharan

Ishwar Sharan

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2017/03/ishwar-sharan.html

Ishwar Sharan is the pen name of Canadian author Swami Devananda Saraswati, a Smarta Dashanami sannyasi who took his Vedic initiation from a renowned mahamandaleswar at Prayag in 1977. His purvasrama family were middle class professionals and God-fearing Protestant Christians. He did not complete high school and is self-educated through reading books on all subjects, with a special interest in religion and history. He has traveled extensively in Canada, USA, Europe, North Africa, West Asia and India. His experiences during these wandering years include service in a communist kibbutz during the Six Day War in Israel and some months spent in retreat in a Franciscan hermitage near Assisi, Italy. Enroute to India by road in 1967, he visited the places that his child-hood hero, Alexander the Great, had visited on his expedition to India in the 4th century BCE. Later he tried without success to visit Babylon near Baghdad, where Alexander had died, and Ctesiphon on the Tigris where his beloved spiritual hero, Julian the Apostate, had been martyred by a trusted Christian officer.

The author’s experience of Christian institutions, West Asian Muslim society, and Israeli kibbutzim helped to turn him against the monolithic Abrahamic creeds which he saw as imperialistic, belligerent, and life-threatening. He came to India in search of spiritual direction and because Hindu civilization still gave an honorable place to the Mother Goddess. The fact that Hindu civilization had withstood centuries of Muslim and Christian aggression and survived where other civilizations had failed, was to his mind a very impressive cultural achievement. He is a great lover of Hindu culture and religion and is deeply saddened that Hindus today have become second class citizens in their own motherland because of a pusillanimous and weak-minded religious and political leadership. He says that as long as Christianity continues to wage a socially destructive war of aggression on Hinduism and take prisoners in the form of unsophisticated credulous converts, its curious theories and unique claims must be thoroughly investigated and challenged by Hindus of integrity and conviction.

Under the name Ishwar Sharan, Swami Devananda wrote the comprehensive study of the St. Thomas in India legend called The Myth of Saint Thomas and the Mylapore Shiva Temple published by Voice of India, New Delhi. 卐 卐 卐

Please read his mind:

What Ishwar Sharan perceptively stated of the betrayal of Hindus to the Portuguese Catholic invaders by Syrian Christians applies to him in its totality: “… [The] Christian religion … harbors in its heart a demon that divides mankind into friend and foe on ideological grounds.”[2] The Qur’an, which is but the “Bible in Arabic” insofar as its basic contents are concerned, bettered the instruction by summarily and firmly reinstating the original Yahvist spirit by abolishing all hints of Jesus’ divinity and Mary’s phantom gestation that, according to Christians, resulted in a case of human parthenogenesis.