World Religions Inclined Towards Sanatana Dharma Need Dynamic Leadership
[ Compilation from various authors on Kinship, Interfaith and Universal Oneness of Religions by N.R. Srinivasan, May 2021]
Whatever our personal values or system of beliefs, many would agree that how we interact with our fellow human beings should reflect certain core values such as kindness, honesty, fairness and compassion. But if that is how we interact with each other individually, then should those same values also inspire our economic systems? Typically, economies are talked about in terms of theories, policies or statistics. But isn’t our economic system also a reflection of our values or, if not, shouldn’t it be? Do we create our economic systems or do they create us? Do the choices we’re currently making (or failing to make) truly reflect our values? More often than not, the determining question asks what is good for our bottom line – as an individual, as an organization, as a society. And the determining answer is usually whatever yields the highest dollar amount. But what if what is good for the collective also happens to be good for the individual? What if as a society, we judged ourselves not on the wealth of our richest, but by the comfort of our poorest? What if our decisions were made not based on principles of scarcity, but on spiritually founded principles of love, justice, and our essential oneness?
Hinduism, also known as Sanatana Dharma, is the
world’s oldest living religion. It is a natural religion, meaning its
philosophy and practices are considered universally accessible through sincere
study, reason, and experience apart from special revelation. Hinduism is also
an indigenous religion made up of a diverse family of philosophies and
traditions that have been practiced primarily throughout Asia for thousands of
years. Today, Hinduism is a global religion with adherents living on every
continent, and comprising majorities in three countries: India, Nepal, and
Mauritius.
Most traditions, sects, or schools within Hinduism share certain distinctive, core beliefs despite the absence of an identifiable beginning in history, single founder, central religious establishment, or sole authoritative scripture. Two of these core beliefs are that of the oneness of existence and pluralism.
All beings, from the smallest organism to man, are considered manifestations of the Divine (existence, pure being, light of consciousness) or reflections of the Divine’s qualities, depending upon the school of thought. Because of this shared divinity, Hinduism views the universe as a family or, in Sanskrit, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Hinduism also advances the concept of the equal worth of all mankind, as expressed in the ancient hymn: Ajyesthaso akanishthaso ete sambhrataro vahaduhu saubhagaya. “No one is superior, none inferior. All are brothers marching forward to prosperity.” Mankind, because it is believed to be the most spiritually evolved, thus carries a special responsibility to honor the equal worth of all people and the underlying unity of existence through one’s relationship with oneself and others. Ensuring that One’s thoughts of kindness, equanimity, empathy, generosity, and equal regard is how this responsibility is met. The popularly recited Hindu invocation demonstrates this concern for universal kinship and well-being: Om sarve bhavantu sukhinah. Sarve santu niraamayaah. Sarve bhadraani pashyantu. Maa kaschid dukhbhaag bhavet. “May all beings be happy; May all beings be healthy; May all beings experience prosperity! May none in the world suffer!”
Against the backdrop of this understanding of equality and unity, the Hindu world has been able to embrace the reality of diversity through its philosophy of pluralism. Every being, with their varying likes and dislikes, their unique personalities, and their different cultures, not only connect with one another in their own unique ways, but connect with the Divine in their own individual ways. As such, Hindus believe that the Divine (existence, pure being, light of consciousness): 1) Manifests in different forms; 2) Can be understood and worshipped by various means; 3) Speaks to each individual in different ways to enable them to not only believe in the Divine, but experience and know the Divine.
This embrace of pluralism has contributed to the incredible spiritual and religious freedom one witnesses within Hinduism — in its many deity traditions, paths or Yoga, schools of thoughts, saint traditions, ways of worship, etc.
The worldview of pluralism is not just applicable to Hindus, but to all members of this universal family. Accordingly, Hinduism acknowledges not just the possibility, but also the existence of more than one path (religion) or way of relating to Truth (God). This true, unadulterated pluralism is captioned in the ancient Sanskrit hymn: Ekam sat vipraha bahudha vadanti.--“Truth is one, the wise call it by many names.” The aim of the Gita’s doctrine is to lead one to tranquility, happiness and equanimity. The Gita Doctrine is beyond Religious and National Boundaries.
In relating to other religions, Hinduism asserts that it is not only harmful, but inherently flawed to insist that one’s own path towards God is the only true and meaningful path. Based on this firm pluralistic belief, Hinduism has never sanctioned proselytization. Further, over their vast history, Hindus have never invaded another land in the name of religion. It is also clear that, for centuries in Southeast Asia, it has been this Hindu brand of absolute pluralism, which has provided the ideal environment for peaceful coexistence and prosperity for at least eight major religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism and Zoroastrian.
“Contrary to Christianity and Islam, Hindus never sought to impose militarily their religion and way of life to other nations. Yet, Hinduism went peacefully towards the East and can still be seen today in Bali, Laos or Cambodia, witness Angkor Vat; and towards the West, where it had a great influence on the Greek and Celtic philosophy and religion. It should be noted that Hindus, during the centuries to come, gave refuge to all the persecuted religious minorities of the world in India, from the Jews to the Parsis, from the Christian Syrians to the Tibetans today”--Francois Gautier
Unfortunately, threatened for extinction under long Muslim Rule
and proselytization under British Rule seeking political
favor, Hindu Religion that was carved out of
Sanatana Dharma or Eternal Tradition, degenerated and started
compartmentalization for self-defense moving away from Vedic background
of Hinduism in the
Mainland, though its past dharma is seen in pockets in South-east
Asia and USA. “Hinduism is a more recent nomenclature given to a conglomeration
of heterogeneous traditions and plurality of beliefs and worship with a long
history of development from the Vedic (that which has originated from Vedas—the
four ancient texts which contain the core of Hindu Philosophy and beliefs)
sacrificial religion through the worship of epic and Puranic heroes and
personal deities, cults and sects, as well as philosophical system
rather than to a monolithic tradition or structure based on a single system of
beliefs and worships or single text as scripture” says Champak Lakshmi in
her book on The Hindu Temples. It is therefore peremptory that
Hindus should wake up and follow the guidelines stated by Swami
Vivekanada, and as presented to the world Forum of religions in
USA--Vedanta is the Religion of the Future for the World, that I discussed at
length. This would help Universal Oneness and spiritual focus to Live in Peace
but Not in Pieces!
However, Vedic wisdom has recently started influencing Abrahamic Religions, though Dharma based religions are trying to move apart in the mainland, India, and seen in the writings of visionaries like Ted Brownstein based on Baha’ism who are alive to the growing SBNR and “Awesome without Allah” movements. Hindu Americas have raised altars for different deities, Buddha, Vardhamana, Swami Narayan, Saibaba etc., in their Multi Traditional Complex and promote the Vedic mandate “sanghacchadvam samvadadvam samanamaakootih” --Come together, pray together and treat all equal.
Whether Dharmic based religions have not yet woken up from slumber and lethargy in India, mutual esteem between those who profess one of the Abrahamic Faiths, Judaism, Christianity or Islam has started in USA
Book on KINSHIP OF BIBLE AND QUR’AN
Author Ted Brownstein of the book “Kinship of
Bible and Qur’an” is an experienced grassroots interfaith organizer and popular
writer. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin in Biblical
Studies and has taught numerous classes in the Bible and Qur’an, religious
peacemaking and interfaith dialogue. Ted is a founder of the Lake Worth
Interfaith Network, an organization that builds bridges between Jewish,
Christian, Muslim, Baha’i and other faith communities. He currently serves as
an Ambassador for the Parliament of the World’s Religions, on Boards of
Directors with Abrahamic Reunion, JAM and All Interfaith, and the Lake Worth
Interfaith Network. Previous publications include The Interfaith Prayer Book
(2014), a compilation of prayers from 14 world faiths (2014) and Soaring in the
Heaven of God’s Love (2017), an interfaith perspective on prayer.
The study of kinship has attracted the attention
of many scholars in various linguistic, anthropological, and religious
contexts. Because kinship terms are one of the linguistic systems of any
language, the researchers adopted Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics
(SFL) theory as an analytical tool. This is because this SFL can explicate
different fields of study such as linguistics and discourse analysis. Such
fields are regarded as fields of language socialization that cannot be studied
inseparable from their social or cultural contexts. To achieve a textual
analysis of kinship terms, the researchers used selected sampled texts taken
from the Glorious Quran and the Holy Bible. The main findings pointed out that
Halliday's model can be applied to different social fields such as religious,
political, and economic texts. Such an analysis of these texts may lead to give
some solutions to the social and economic problems in which human beings may
face in everyday life.
As religious communities continue to struggle to define their unique places in an increasingly diverse society, the need for increased understanding has never been greater. The Kinship of the Bible and Qur’an – An Interfaith Perspective is targeted to general audiences with a view to promoting mutual esteem between those who profess one of the Abrahamic Faiths, Judaism, Christianity or Islam.
USA is a conducive and fertile soil for such Unitarian Movements, with its philosophy of E pluribus Unum. “E Pluribus Unum" was the motto proposed for the first Great Seal of the United States by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson in 1776. A Latin phrase meaning "One from many," the phrase offered a strong statement of the American determination to form a single nation from a collection of states. This concept is slowly progressing where USA (United States of America) could also mean Unified Spiritual-power of America and that could lead to United Religions of America (URA).
Slowly and steadily USA is also progressing to be a land of Yoga, Meditation and Spirituality moving away from walled religions promoted by Hindu Urban Monks that are active in USA supported by emerging Western Hindu Monks and Authors (Velan Samy, David Frawley, Phil Goldberg, Francois Gautier, Robert Arnett, Maria Wirth etc.) who have adopted Hinduism or attracted to it including American celebrities that are attracted to Hinduism, with the rising movements of SBNR, HAF and "Awesome without Allah". This makes the task of HAF easy and promising.
Words
fail to describe the debt we owe to Pujya Swāmi Chinmayānandaji who touched
millions of lives– especially Hindus in all the parts of India and the Hindu
diaspora in all the corners of the world. He carried the message of dynamic
spirituality through his powerful discourses on the Geetā and other Vedānta
works. His work had tremendous passion and a touch of humor. He was an inspired
teacher, a far-reaching visionary, an energetic missionary and a great
organizer – all rolled into one.
"Whereas Americans have not been enchanted with the many gods and goddesses or the rituals and complex mythology of Hinduism, they have been attracted to Vedanta philosophy and the meditation and yoga practices that go along with it. In this Vedanta Religion, experience takes precedence over belief or dogma.
Among the first to discover the riches of Vedanta (the teachings of the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita) were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and other Transcendentalists. They along with later pre-eminent spiritual teachers such as Aldous Huxley, Huston Smith, and Joseph Campbell were sympathetic to the Hindu understanding of the Oneness which undergirds all the world's religions. Hinduism spawned a perennial philosophy which turned out to be very appealing to Madame Blavatsky, Mary Baker Eddy, Rudolf Steiner and their followers. In our times, it is evident in the thinking of New Thought communities. Indian spirituality morphed into guru-centered groups after Swami Vivekananda spoke at the 1893 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Swami Yogananda also opened many doors for Hindus with his Self-Realization Fellowship. But the most wide-ranging impact of teachers from abroad came in the 1960s and 1970 with Swami Muktananda, Sri Chinmoy, the Maharishi, and many others. Vedanta and yoga spoke to the yearnings for peace of mind and personal transformation of the countercultural Baby Boomers.
Goldberg salutes the positive influences of the Vedic tradition
with its emphasis on the mind-body relationship, the direct experience of the
Divine, the honored place of mystery, and the unity-in-diversity perspective.
He also covers the shadow side of guru-disciple relationships with a chapter
titled "Sex, Lies, and Idiosyncrasies." With great élan,
Goldberg maps the musicians and writers who popularized the many creative
channels of Vedic transmission. In American Veda, you will find material on
movies, kirtan, verse, and novels. He accentuates the Vedic legacy and its
contributions to the rapprochement between science and spirituality along with
the burgeoning interest in mysticism.
In sum, Vedanta Vijnana Sanyasa-Yoga (MNU) is making a significant
contribution to American life, as illustrated by all the seekers searching for
the oneness of spirituality, the $6-billion-a-year yoga industry serving 16
million practitioners, and the widespread cultural interest in meditation as a
healing tool for mind, body, work and relationship” says, a review of American Veda of Dr. Phil
Goldberg.
Spiritual
Kinship in the Family of God by Eric Palmieri
“The greatest tragedies of our time have
stemmed from the deep divisions that have developed among the
children of God. More specifically,
those who fall within the three major monotheistic religions: Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam. These three faith traditions have been at war with one
another since the first century CE (with Islam appearing around the seventh
century). It is astonishing to us that these groups, who all believe in the same
God, could exist in such a perpetual state of war with each other over the
centuries. Of course, we are also aware that the fighting has had as much to do
with economics, land, and the lust for power as it does religion. That being
said, it seems religion can often be found at the root of these conflicts.
We
in this turbulent period should feel the need for divine inspiration
within us to enter into a bond of kinship with one
another like we have never seen. The relationship we share as siblings in the family
of God transcends any and all differences we have in regard to our belief
systems. This does not mean we must cast aside our faith traditions. Each of us
can follow the path that we feel led to follow, whether it is the path of
Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. The difference here is that as we walk down
the paths of our faiths, we can do so with the understanding that each path
exists in the same forest, that each trail intersects with others at times, and
that they all lead to the same place: into the everlasting arms of God. The
following is a poem that the author of this philosophy shared with a Muslim
friend recently: “We are God / God is One / One are we.” [Don’t this echo: Devo Ekah; atmavat sarvabhooteshu of
Upanishads]
As a
Quaker, I feel particularly blessed to find myself in the company of Friends.
Oh how I love that term: Friend. I love its simplicity. I love its sense of
inclusion. I love that it’s completely devoid of any and all divisions, dogmas,
or creeds. It’s also the reason I try to avoid using the term “Quakerism.” To
be a Friend is not to be a part of any “ism,” but to be, quite simply, a
Friend, a part of God’s family here on earth. Do we have differences among us?
Of course we do, but “difference” and “division” are two completely separate
entities. Differences are what we find when we, as members of a community,
disagree on any number of things, from ideas to identities. Division happens
when we allow those differences to drive us apart. The time of division is
coming to an end. The time of our reconciliation is upon us.
I
consider myself a follower of Jesus. The teachings, the messages, and the
examples that Jesus set for us on how to live faithfully, with love and
admiration for God and each other, exist deep within my heart. But, should I
not consider that a Jewish man is also my brother? We are, most certainly,
both children of God (as we are all His children). Should the
children of Isaac (the Jews) and the children of Ishmael (the Muslims) ignore
their common heritage as the children of Abraham, and therefore, the children
of God? Should two Friends who differ on whether Jesus is the son of God not
look upon each other with the same love that exists between brother and sister?
Those of us who have siblings know that, despite the differences, arguments,
and disagreements, nothing will ever change the truth that we are related by
blood; nothing will change the fact that we love each other.
The
time has come for us to recognize the truth that we are all related by the Spirit, by that of God in everyone, and
that no amount of dogmatic schism will ever change the deep-seeded need to love
and be loved by one another. We are all Friends in the Spirit, and we are all siblings in the family of God”, writes the author in his book.
The term "kingdom of God" appears in the
writings of the Baháʼí
Faith, including the religious works of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, and
his son.
“In
Islam Family Relationship is Paramount” says Fatima Kermalli, a member of and a
Sunday School Teacher at Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Pennsylvania, Allentown.
‘’In
Islam, the importance of maintaining family relations is paramount. The Holy
Quran says, "And be careful of [your duty to] God in whose name you demand
[your rights] from one another, and [to] the ties of relationship; surely God
is ever watchful over you!" (4:1)
The
descendent and successor of Prophet Muhammad, Imam Jafar As-Sadiq was asked
about this verse. He said "It means the family relationship. Surely God
the most high has ordered it to be regarded and has magnified it. Do you not
observe that He has mentioned it with Himself?"
Maintaining
the bonds of kinship is called silat
ur-rahm in Arabic. The exact meaning of the word rahm is "womb."
It is derived from the Arabic root word raheem which means "to have mercy
on."
Two
out of the 99 names for God in Islam are Ar-Rahmaan
and Ar-Raheem, which are derived from the same root word.
There
is a saying in which the Almighty, says: "I am the Lord! I am ar-Rahman
[the Beneficent]! I created "rahm' [the womb, relationship] and derived
its name from Mine. So, whoever observed it [i.e., observed kinship], I would
observe him and whoever severed it, I would sever him."
And
so the act of maintaining family ties is
an obligation in the Islamic faith. This is having good relations with
one's relatives, to love, respect and help them.
Safeguarding
the relationship with relatives is so encouraged that relatives have been
mentioned 23 times in the Holy Quran along with some valuable rulings relating
to them. "And give to the kindred his due." (17: 26)
"And
Worship God and join none with Him in worship, and do well to parents,
kinsfolk." (4:36)
Again
in this verse, parents and relatives are mentioned right after God mentions
himself. Also, connecting with relatives despite negative behavior toward you
is the Islamic philosophy of turning the other cheek.
The
Holy Prophet said "Do not ever sever your relationship with a member of
your family even if he severs his relationship with you."
Islam
views that keeping relations with family members prolongs one's life and
increases one's sustenance. The Holy Prophet said: "He who wishes that his
sustenance be increased for him and his death day be delayed, then he should
pay attention to his kinsfolk."
The
opposite, severing family ties (qata-ur-rahm), is intolerable. Two places in
the Quran, The Almighty cursed the one severing family ties without legitimate
reasons that are acceptable in Islam.
Everyone
has rights over each other, and the rights of family members with each other are
acknowledged by the great-grandson of the Prophet, Imam Sajjad who is the
fourth successor after him.
In
his Treatise on Rights he says, "The rights of your womb relatives are
many; they are connected to you in the measure of the connection of the womb
relationship. The most incumbent upon
you is the right of your mother, then the right of your father, then the right
of your child, then the right of your brother, then the next nearest, then
the next nearest -- the most worthy, then the next most worthy" writes
Fatima Kermalli. [It just echoes Matru
devo bhava, Pitru devo bhava, Athiti devo bhava mandates of the Taittareeya Upanishad]
Islam also means submission to the will of GOD. With all
this philosophy why can’t all followers of Allah embrace the Philosophy of
Baha’u’llah who did not deny Allah, and decide to remain in Peace but not in
Pieces?
BAHA’Is FAITH
“The
good pleasure of God consists in the welfare of all the individual members of
mankind.” – Teachings of Baha’i. Does this sound Hindu ancient wisdom
and daily prayer of sarve janah sukhino bhavantu?
I
believe Baha’i was inspired by Sufi’s in India that was inspired
by Hinduism and Vision of Vedas seeing the interfaith fusion
in Indonesia. Sufi mystic traditions became more visible during the 10th
and 11th centuries of the Delhi Sultanate and after it to
the rest of India and then to the world. Both Sufis and Bahá'ís have
adapted spiritual practices that are very similar. This may be due to the
nature of Baha' Allah frequenting Sufi gatherings, living amongst Sufis as such
in Iraqi Kurdistan. We have seen how Baha' Allah was in regular communication
with Sufis, some Sufis were amongst his earliest followers so it is not without
surprise that some practices would have been carried over in the Bahá'í
Teachings. Most Sufi’s practices are comprised majorly of Recitation (dhikr),
Meditation (muraqaba), Accounting (muhasaba), Audition (sama') and Prayer
(salat). All of which are aimed at purifying (latifa) the spiritual centers
(lata'if) or chakras within each human being. “
“Bahá’is, an off-shoot of Sufi Movement, come from virtually every national, ethnic and religious background, making the Bahá’í Faith the second-most widespread religion in the world. The Bahá’í Faith is the youngest of the world’s independent religions. Since its inception in Persia (now Iran) in 1844, it has grown to more than five million followers in 236 countries and territories. Bahá’ís believe in one loving Creator, one unfolding religion and one human family.
The
worldwide Bahá’í community is working to give practical expression
to Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of world unity in the Teachings
of Bahá’u’lláh on issues such as the elimination of all forms of
prejudice with an emphasis on race unity, the equality of women and men, the
spiritual education of children, the importance of family cohesion, and the
establishment of world peace.
The Bahá’í Faith
has been an active part of religious and social life in Middle Tennessee since
the 1930s.” says Baha’is Community of Nashville group.
[Nashville by BAHA’I
Community’ Call: “Participate in free online spiritual
discussions and classes with others in your community and be part of a different
kind of conversation — one that welcomes every perspective in a search for the
deeper truths that unite us”.]
Baha’u’llah
Philosophy
Baha’u’llah claimed that the scriptures of the world's
religions foretell a coming messianic figure that will bring a golden age of
humanity, the kingdom of God on earth. He claimed to be that figure, and that
his teachings would bring about the kingdom of God; he also noted that the
prophecies relating to the end times and the arrival of the kingdom of God were
symbolic and referred to spiritual upheaval and renewal. The
Baha’i teachings also state as people
perform good deeds they become closer to God spiritually, so that they can
attain eternal life and enter the kingdom of God while alive. (as in Hindu philosophy Jivanmukta).
Let us examine the various activities in the world
keeping in mind the philosophy of vasudhaiva
kutumbakam of our enlightened ancestors:
The very need of the existence has to be the need of
every individual. We are all here to fulfill that individual need and in turn
fulfill the very need of the existence. We all in our lives have seen and come
across many organizational structures.
There are organizations that are commercial and
profit making. Their very purpose is economic in nature. Their very objective
is profit making. There are organizations that are social organizations. Their
very objective is to achieve some kind of social objective by helping people
who are not well economically. They all are ultimately dependent on the support
of the commercial and political organizations in some way.
There are organizations that are political in
nature. Their very purpose is to assure and ensure good governance to the
people of their country. The very word governance is wrong. Who is governing on
whom? The whole purpose of the Government is welfare of the society and peace
in the society. The whole objective of a Government is to work towards the
philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The moment there is a gap in
the feeling of oneness in the society it may give rise to injustice and
depletion of peace in the society and the same may have many other
repercussions. The mind and
body are the servants of the Soul or Atma. The Atma or
Soul is the servant of Parmatma. Just like there are so many
families in a nation, in a similar way the Government is a family of the
nation. The Governments have to serve its people.
Just observe the digital world. It is a
continuously growing world of servers and clients. The server is a big computer
and the client is a small computer. And all the servers are serving the
clients. The relationship between the server and the client is that of a mother
and a child. The server is always serving the requests of the clients. The
servers are not governing the client’s objective of the whole system. In
the digital world when the servers are serving the clients then why in the
human world the Governments are not serving the people? This is really a very
strange thing!! All the efforts of the society should ultimately move
towards digital and virtual governance. The whole system should be a
transparent, online, real-time, collaborative and virtual system.
There are some organizations that are purely devoted
to scientific research. All the progress that is there today is due to the
progress of the science. Had there been no science we would have been back to
the dark ages. These organizations are also in some way dependent on the
support of the social, commercial, and political organizations. There is also
an effort going on world over to make science a social phenomenon. That is, the
people should fund the scientific projects instead of the governments.
There are also some organizations that talk about
fulfilling the spiritual needs
of individuals. These organizations should not in any way actually depend on
the support of outside organizations if the true spiritual objective is to be
met without any dilution.
There are also some clubs that fulfill some of our
social, entertainment, and recreation needs. Social bonding,
entertainment, and recreation are a part and participle of the whole society.
There are also some organizations that are working on a co-operative framework.
These are ultimately influenced by the political organizations in some way. And
now there are some NGOs which are new and are emerging to try and fulfill some
of the social and spiritual needs of the society. These must grow to do some
good work for the society. There are also now organizations at the
International level like the United Nations Organization (UNO) to create a
common theme among the various nations of the world and try to unite them
together. Each organization serves its own unique and different purpose.
And then there is an organization, which we don’t
actually call an organization. And we call this unit as our family. Each one of
us belongs to some family at an individual level. We have our parents,
brothers, sisters and many more relationships. And this family is really not an
organization. It is a cohesive group of people living together on the
foundations of mutual love and trust and is not an organization in that strict
sense. We all live in that family. We all belong to that family. And we all
come out of that family and associate with one of the above organizations and
fulfill in some way our various individual needs.
All
our needs are basically three-fold: Business, Social, and Spiritual. We
all want to basically fulfill our survival, social and spiritual needs. We all
act and interact with one another in some way and try to make this world a
better and beautiful place to live. We are all a World Wide Web of so
many relationships. Can this whole world be just one cosmic family?
This is a fundamental question in the context of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
At this point in time this could only be an imagination and hope. This seems
and appears to be a distant possibility and a greatest challenge. But to
some Vedic and Upanishadic sages, Buddhas and
Mystics this has been a great dream. The computer scientists and information
technologists have been successful in tying all the computers and all the
information of the whole world in one common thread called the network. This is
where Scott McNealy of the Sun Microsystems has once said that the Network is
the Computer. The computer network of the whole world has become one big
computer. It has become a digital nervous system of the whole world. This has
been made possible at the level of a machine but the same is not becoming made
possible at the level of all the human beings of the whole world. Can this be
really possible? Can the whole world be just one cosmic family and how? Perhaps
there are no straight answers to this.
The
existence functions at four different levels: Mechanical, Biological,
Psychological, and Spiritual. The mechanical level
means at the level of the matter, its laws and its forces. The biological level
means at the level of biological life and its laws and forces of behavior. The
psychological level means at the level of the psyche of the human beings. The
human beings are at the highest level of evolution. There is no other evolution
after the human beings. If there is any higher evolution or consciousness
possible then it has to be within the human beings only. This higher awareness
can be our revolution. And the fourth level is the spiritual level. Spiritual
level means at the level of a Buddhahood. That is, the world of
the Buddhas. The scientists have practically proved Quantum
Entanglement. In a simple sense Quantum Entanglement means bringing
two photons at the same level of behavior. The behavior of one
automatically changes the behavior of the other and in the process both come to
attain to the same state. Now this is possible scientifically. Why not then the
other possibility exists at the spiritual level? Why not then Buddhahood possible
scientifically? That is, coming of two and many human beings at the same level
of consciousness. Why one Buddha can’t change the behavior of
the other? This is what we call Quantum Consciousness. Why
can’t this be scientific? Anybody who
thinks that this is not possible is an unscientific person. This is exactly
where the Upanishads and Vedas come
into the picture. In ancient India the
sages of the Vedas and Upanishads, the mystics and
the Buddhas have seen this dream of tying the people of the
whole world in a common thread of mutual love, trust, and friendship. They have
attained this to a great extent in ancient India. This
was made possible only through Yoga and
Meditation. This was the only common platform. And this platform was simple,
secure, and scalable. And the whole system was sustainable. They have called
this dream a Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. It is in Sanskrit and
when translated means that the whole world is just one single family. Are we
all different and dependent? No, we are not. Are we all then independent? No,
we are not. We all are in fact interdependent. It is now after a scientific
progress of 400 years that the scientists of the whole world are of this view
that the whole cosmos is an inter-connected oneness.
The whole existence is inter-woven and inter-twined. This is the result of
quantum physics. Werner Heisenberg had called the Universe a
participating Universe. That is, the Universe has a meaning only when we are
interacting with the Universe. This is also the emphasis of the string theory
that the whole cosmos is a web of inter-connected vibrating energy strings. The
whole existence is a web of potential photons, vibrating strings, and
super-strings. The insight of the quantum physics is that the whole existence
is an unbroken wholeness. The greatest discovery of the quantum physics is that
the Universe can neither be continuous, that is infinitely divisible, nor
discrete or discontinuous, that is made up of finite and indivisible parts. The
Universe is neither discrete nor continuous. It is now called a participative
Universe. It is an inter-dependent, inter-twined, inter-woven, inter-related,
and inter-connected Universe. We cannot live as separate islands. This is the
discovery of the outer world and the outer science. The Vedic and Upanishadic sages,
the Buddhas,
the mystics and the Zen Masters
have discovered this truth long back in the ancient past in their inner world.
This was the result of their inner search and an inner revelation. This was the
result of an in-search and not a research. This was the result of their Yoga and
Meditation. On the basis of this realization they have called the whole
existence a Parasparam Abhyantaha. This is in Sanskrit and
when translated means that inter-dependent and inter-connected we all live in
some way or the other and we can never live anymore as separate islands. This
is the dream of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
Enlightened
Leadership is a small experiment in that direction of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The whole Network of the people of the world can become
their Net-Worth. Let us take a quantum leap towards that
Quantum Consciousness. You and Me together
means “We”. We means the whole world. We means Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. We all are
inter-connected with that common thread called the Consciousness.
INTERFAITH MOVEMENT OF HUMAN
INTEGRITY
IM4HI is a California organization that connects clergy and
people of faith to the work of social justice. “We work to make the criminal
justice system more just, and the immigration system more fair and humane. We
offer trainings, education and opportunities for meaningful action to make an
impact in the larger social movement for racial justice and human rights. In the
last two years, we trained 1,800 people of faith to take leadership roles,
engaged 180 congregations and partner organizations, and reached more than
40,000 people with a message of hope, love and resilience” says Rev. Deborah
Lee, the Executive Director of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
(IM4HI).
UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE
ORGANIZATION
United
Religions Initiative (URI) Organization in USA is of recent origin. Its
directive for action by Faith Communities, Interfaith Groups and URI
Cooperation Circles are as under:
PRAYER/REFLECTION
Bring attention to the issue of
intolerance toward Muslims, Jews and members of other religious communities,
and discuss ways your group or congregation can respond. Include prayers or
poems by writers from targeted communities, and prayers that call for acceptance
of people of all religions and spiritual traditions. The Interfaith
Prayer Book is a resource that offers prayers from six major world
religions and celebrates their shared spiritual values.
SERVICES/RITUALS
Include music or chants from
different religious traditions in your religious community’s worship services
or ritual observances. Look for ways in which music from other faiths connects
to your religious tradition as well as expands your understanding of your
faith. For example, Heartbeat Jerusalem is a URI Cooperation Circle that
creates opportunities and spaces for young Israeli and Palestinian musicians to
work together, hear each other, and amplify their voices for peace.
Organize an
interfaith service in which clergy from different faiths read from one
another’s texts.
OUTREACH
Contact a religious center
different than your own to inquire if your group might visit, and spend time
learning about it and meeting with the religious leader and other community
leaders. Invite the religious leader and community members to visit your place
of worship as well.
Send a bouquet
of flowers to a religious center in your neighborhood on one of their religious
holidays with a simple message, such as “We
honor and celebrate this holy day with you.” An extensive calendar of
religious observances can be found through this link.
Send
condolences in times of hardship or following an incident of discrimination or
violence.
ADVOCATE
If you are a leader of a
congregation or of a religious or spiritual organization of any kind, reach out
to your membership through your oratory or a letter to promote respect among
religions and encourage them to help uphold religious freedom.
Organize a
letter-writing campaign to media agencies that spread misinformation and/or stir
up hostility toward Muslims, Jews or members of other religious groups. Work
with other faith communities to write joint letters urging cessation of hate
speech transmitted over radio, television and the Internet. Or focus your
campaign on a local elected representative who could amplify the need for unity
and healing rather than division and fear. Write a joint letter or statement of
respect of and support for targeted religious communities. Post it on your Web
site, send it to local media, and request that it be circulated at local
houses of worship and community centers.
EDUCATION
Invite a well-informed speaker on
Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, or another religion you would like to know
more about to educate your group or congregation about the basic beliefs and
essential practices of this tradition.
Organize an
interfaith panel discussion with a diverse group of religious speakers from
your community -- perhaps a man and a woman, younger and older, native-born and
immigrant -- to share what they love about their faith and traditions. Leave
plenty of time for questions and answers with your community members.
CONCLUSION
It is
high time Hindu Americans as pioneers of Universal Spirituality wake up to the
need of the hour and lead the country better spiritually toward Universal
Oneness and living in peace and harmony. Hindu Americans should wake up to the
message of Gita and promote it to all. The aim of the Gita’s doctrine is
to lead one to tranquility, happiness and equanimity. The Gita Doctrine is
beyond Religious and National Boundaries. Hindu Reflections has done the
ground work. Could that start from
Nashville Hindu Americans, inspired by Nashville Baha’I Group Activity, who have pioneered many things in promoting
Community Services. It also needs the support and attention of VHPA, HMEC, HTC
of North America, HAF, HUA, and HCCT Etc.
If
Sufism and Baha'ism, who also worship Allah, is widely practiced among
followers of Islam without conversion, there will be all round global peace and
it will be a boon to India to progress. Hindus reverting back to Sanatana
Dharma will make them world leaders in spirituality. Probably, this may be
easier and faster if Hindu Americans and American Muslims take the lead, who
have the advantage of being better Intellectuals (prajnyas) among their
unfortunate crowd in other parts of the globe. This goes with Gita Doctrine
that the world needs different religions, cults and deities to meet the vastly
different needs of individuals.
“In the
beginning the Vedic religion (called Sanatana Dharma whose followers can be
called Sanatani) was prevalent all over the world. Later, over the centuries it
must have gone through the process of change and taken different forms. These
forms came to be called the original religions of the various lands which in
the subsequent period--during historical times-- came under Buddhism,
Christianity or Islam as the case may be” says Jagadguru
Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi. Baha’i movement is the latest in this
series.
Philosophic
Teachings of Baha’i is more deeply and logically based in Upanishads and Gita
and have originated from the Teachings of Upanishads. But where is Vedanta
Vision of Hindu Americans to lead? Where is the Arise Awake call of Vivekananda
to Community in Nashville, where Baha’is
are active with their limited knowledge and resources?
John Adams’ View of Hinduism
John Adams (1735–1826)
America’s second president wrote, “Where is to be found Philosophy
more profound than in the Introduction to the [Hindu] Shastra?”
By Rutvij Holay, 16, California
The history of Hindu influence in American dates back to the
founding of our nation itself. By studying it, one can gain insight into the
Western arguments against Hinduism at that time, which were very much the same
arguments that surround Hinduism today.
To find this influence, all one must do is look at the letters of
the Founding Fathers themselves. Most know these men—Jefferson, Washington,
Adams, etc.—for their work in creating the United States. In addition, it’s
moderately well known that Jefferson wanted religious liberty for non-Judeo-Christian
faiths.
What is less known, however, is the profound respect John Adams,
second president of the United States, had for Hinduism! Adams often engaged in the study of
comparative theology, which is the idea of comparing various religions from the
perspective of an outsider. Late in his life, long after his term as president,
he began to study multiple non-Abrahamic religions, including Hinduism, and
contrast them with Christianity.
In one such study, described in his letter to Thomas Jefferson on Christmas
day in 1813, Adams noted similarities between Hinduism and Christianity. He
praised the Shastras (which he
spelled Shastras), noting that
they emphasized how “It is enough that, day by day, and night by night, you
adore his Power, his Wisdom and his Goodness, in his Works.” This line, the
idea that Brahman is in everything and bhakti alone can be sufficient, was
hailed by Adams to be the most profound philosophy he had heard, and one
written in Sanskrit with the elegance of Plato.
Since many in those days read the Western classics in their
original languages, one wonders how Adams felt about learning Sanskrit. He did
ask, in the rather complex English used at the time, that “Missionaries [sic] would
import and translate Sanskrit, and Persian Books, we might possibly learn
something useful from them that we do not know which might somewhat abate our
Bigotry.” It does seem that, though he knew the importance of learning the
language, he did not know it himself.
This admiration and knowledge, however, becomes all the more
impressive when placed in a wider context of a letter which was a rant Adams
had gone on against the writings of one Joseph Priestley, a man whom he called
“absurd, inconsistent, credulous and incomprehensible.”
Priestley, a devout Christian, was a
renowned chemist who discovered carbonated water. He was also a part-time
comparative theologian who focused on non-Abrahamic religions. He wrote
the Comparison of the Institutions of Moses, with those of the Hindus
and other ancient nations (bit.ly/Priestley on Hinduism) which
was intended to prove the superiority of Christianity over Hinduism by using
the Manusmirti to show that Hinduism was an oppressive
religion with “the most tedious and ridiculous observances,” as Adams put it.
Adams disagreed vehemently with Priestley, claiming that he was
too biased and “ought to have done impartial justice” to each religion. He
cited the fact that Priestley praised Pythagoras and Greek culture, yet
critiqued him on how he failed to mention Pythagoras’ travels to India.
Later on, Adams claimed that the ideas of “Pythagoras and Plato,
their contempt of Matter, flesh and blood, their almost Adoration of Fire and
Water, their Metempsychosis [sic, theory of reincarnation]” were not solely
their own, but “So evidently derived from India.”
As to why he says this, it becomes clear once one looks at the
ideas of Pythagoras and other Greek philosophers. These men prized fire, the
Sun, water and many other elements of nature, to the point that they would
salute the Sun every morning—a clear parallel with Sun salutations, or Surya
Namaskar.
The Pythagorean diet was very strict. Not only were they
vegetarians, they also were prohibited from eating certain foods such as eggs.
While vegetarianism in and of itself may have been a coincidence, the banning
of eggs, which are still considered non-vegetarian by most Indians, perhaps has
a strong origin in India’s sattvic diet.
Another key parallel that he brings up is based on the Greek
concept of metempsychosis, or reincarnation. There is a large possibility this
concept was taken from India, and the fact Adams brings up that there is no
doctrine which attributes its origin to a Greek, and that various Indian sadhus
such as Dandamis, from the 4th century BCE, were well known to the Greeks
during their lifetime, makes it even more likely that this is the case. Not
only does Adams attribute the ideas of the Greeks to India, but he also attributes
the ideas of the Egyptians to Hinduism as well, given that they worshiped
cows,—all of which is a striking difference to some modern academic claims,
such as that Indic scripts have their linguistic foundation in Egyptian
hieroglyphics.
Adams goes further and states the Christian concept of the
Trinity, the commonly held idea that one God is split into the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit, comes from the Hindu Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara.
This idea, along with the general idea of “not one, but not multiple,”
addressed by Shankaracharya, has been in Vedic thought for longer than
Christianity has existed. Furthermore, seeing how the idea of the Trinity runs
directly contradictory to Abrahamic monotheism, it makes sense that there may
be a foreign origin to this conception.
Aside from these relatively minor
issues, Adams disagreed with Priestley on the whole crux of his argument,
pointing out that Priestley was comparing the Bible with Manusmriti. Adams knew that the Manusmriti was inaccurate and full of
contradictions, due to which it was not representative of Hindu thought.
Rather, he felt that before a just comparison could be made between Hinduism
and other religions, Priestley ought to have learned about the Shastras, “which are more honorable to the
original Hindu Religion than anything he has quoted,” before jumping to
conclusions.
We don’t know exactly what Adams meant
by Shastras, which are just one part of the texts of
Hinduism. It is possible Adams assumed that Shastras was a
word for all holy books (though he did separate the Vedas from the Shastras). But
Adams’ point remains valid and is shared by many Hindu experts today. The Manusmriti was one of thousands of Hindu texts, no
more wellknown than, say, the Nitisara of
Kamandaki, until it was brought to prominence solely by the British, who wanted
the easy way out when it came to crafting Hindu laws. That aside, the Manusmriti contains many contradictions and
implausibility—such as the position of women and the origins of various jatis—indicating
it had no single author. The fact is, however, that the Manusmriti we are reading today, and the one that
Priestley read centuries back, is very likely not the original version, and
thus cannot accurately be used to judge Hindu culture. Having access to the
exact Shastras which Adams read would enable us to gain
an even fuller understanding of his works.
While we may never know which Shastras Adams read, his work is brilliant and
relevant, especially today. Priestley’s legacy still lives on, though he and
those who studied him have passed. Middle and high school history textbooks,
such as McGraw Hill, still extensively cite the Manusmriti (though,
to their credit, they cite the Gita and Ramayana as well). At times they also subtly push
a Judeo-Christian narrative, for example stating that the Israelites did not
worship “false idols.”
Adams’ legacy has not been forgotten,
though this chapter of his life has been, even by Hindus. The beliefs he held,
the criticisms he made, are still being made today. As I read through his
letters, it felt as if I was talking today to members of the Hindu Education
Foundation or the Hindu University of America. Both of these organizations not
only understand the tenets of Hinduism well, but also criticize the leading
academicians of our day for their lack of attributions to Hinduism for its
contributions to the world, as well as for continued attacks based on Manusmriti. In Adams’ day, it was an amateur
theologian such as Priestley. In our day, it’s dozens of academics, at many
universities throughout the world who very much follow the same narrative
Priestley espoused. In general, philosophers try to improve the arguments of
those who preceded them; Christian scholars have just doubled down on those
original arguments.
What the Hindu community forgets, however, is that if their
responses have stayed the same, then we have decades of scholarship behind us
to back up our counter arguments as well. Not just Adams, many other great
men—such as Thoreau, who lived in Christian-majority nations that have never
been too sympathetic towards the pagan Hindus—have been defending our way of
life in academia long before we started.
Instead of desperately trying to reinvent the wheel and come up
with new arguments to the same fixed attacks on caste, polytheism and idolatry,
we should dedicate ourselves to understanding the works of our predecessors.
This article has given a brief foray into Adams’ thought, yet far more remains
to be found, amongst not only his works, but the works of other American greats
such as Jefferson. From there, we will not only gain a greater understanding of
the influence of Hinduism in this county, but also the arguments used to attack
Hinduism then, and how they were countered, so we can more effectively defend
Hinduism today.
Adams on Priestley
AJoseph Priestley (1733–1804), chemist and prolific intellectual of
his time
“Priestley ought to have told us, that Pythagoras passed twenty
Years, in his Travels in India, in Egypt, in Chaldea, perhaps in Sodom and
Gomorrah, Tyre and Sydon. He ought to have told us that in India he conversed
with the Brahmans and read the Shasta [sic], 5,000 years old, written in the Language
of the Sacred Sanskrit with the elegance and Sentiments of Plato. Where is to
be found Theology more orthodox or Philosophy more profound than in the
Introduction to the Shasta? ‘God is one, creator of all, Universal Sphere,
without beginning, without End. God governs all the Creation by a general
Providence, resulting from his eternal designs. Search not the Essence and the
nature of the Eternal, who is one; your research will be vain and presumptuous.
It is enough that, day by day, and night by night, you adore his Power, his
Wisdom and his Goodness, in his Works. The Eternal willed, in the fullness of
time, to communicate of his Essence and of his Splendor, to Beings capable of
perceiving it. They as yet existed not. The Eternal willed, and they were. He created Birma, Vitsnow, and Sib.’ These
Doctrines, Sublime if ever there were any Sublime, Pythagoras learned in India
and taught them to Zaleucus and his other disciples.’
Comment:
Excellent article and evidentiary
support that some of the greatest political minds America ever produced were
not supporters of the biased exclusiveness that the uneducated dogmatists love
to ‘flag wave’.
It is refreshing to see young bright
Hindus lay claim to their country [America the beautiful] and help to enlighten
it.
Canadian by birth but raised in the
United States the power of Hindu thinking in my first year of college was a
most liberating experience. My first course in Asian studies, with
introductions to Gandhi, Tagore, and Vedic wisdom through the Upanishads
collided with the Judaic Christian suggestions at the time. I found the
profound possibilities within these teachings more inspiring than anything I
had ever been exposed to.
These all-inclusive Hindu perspectives were further supported in
English Literature with exposure to Emerson and Thoreau. I wondered how all
this had escaped being mentioned in my earlier education and applaud the
relentless work of those who are committed to refashioning it--Deva Seyon
