defining a good dharmik hindu
Mr Asthana asthana1@yahoo.com asked the following for his book
"I want to collect the beliefs of some followers of the Sanatan Dharm. I would be grateful if you can kindly grant me some time and email me the answer to the following question. This may be a very short answer - perhaps six to eight short paragraphs or 200 words and may take not more than 20 minutes or so of your time. The question is this:
What, if anything, does belonging to your faith mean to you personally - not in terms of dogma, ritual or Vedic knowledge, but in terms of values and ideas which you implement in your day to day life and which have moulded your conduct?"
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My reply
The question is about SANATAN DHARMA.
This word has now got a different meaning as some people have formed a group to spread SANATAN DHARMA –a word to which they attach a certain specific meaning and rituals. So I will instead use the word Dharma. Also what I feel about Dharma begins with what I was taught as a child and which later got refined through my own thinking. So I may refer to some traditions and rituals – but my concept of Dharma is not always based on them.
Dharma is defined as धारयति सः धर्मः – something that gives strength to hold yourself together – be it you as self or you as a society or a nation or the world or the Universe. The old religious prescription was to be धार्मिक – less destructive and more constructive, and depending on your target group you were asked to practice rules and harness various qualities which increase your contribution for the धारणा of the society.
The first such qualification is being truthful – ऋग्वेद says -- सत्यमेव जयते नानृतम् । From which also flows the concept of धन for which the prescription is – "you shall not take or crave for what has not been earned by you." ईशावास्योपनिषद् says – मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् –।
(pl see this u-tube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGxGzgHrWvc and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGBDSxVd-8s )
For the development of society you need harmony so ऋग्वेद says –
सं गच्छध्वं सं वदध्वं, सं वो मनांसि जानताम् । -- you folks must nurture the habit of walking together, talking together and consult each other with your entire heart, and thus you will achieve PROGRESS.
And Geeta talks about कर्मकुशलता, समदर्शिता, स्थितप्रज्ञता and वाङ्मय-तप – (अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्)
As a Hindu, when we look at a Muslim or a Christian or a Jew, the first thing that impresses us is that they follow 1 leader. More than the perception of 1 God, this faith in 1 leader, 1 book and 1 (common) prayer hall with a common prayer offering is the first and foremost characteristic of these religions. What a force and grandeur it is to have many people in 1 synchronized action! Even when I am witnessing the vedic recital by 10-12 students as their morning lessons, or a big orchestra playing music in harmony, I am tremendously impressed.
If we see the core teaching of either Zoroaster, or Christ or Paigambar, they all teach of truthfulness and not stealing, harmony and not hurting. It is this one leader who preaches and others find easy to follow. Even if they don’t, they know that being religious means to attend those common prayers and follow what the Leader said.
In Hinduism there are lot of saviors and saints and they are all given a high platform – even of God, and yet there is no Hindu who does not understand the concept of एकं ब्रह्मः। But just as the childlike demand by Arjun, we all need to SEE the विभूति –to enrich our faith in Him and there is no unintelligence in it. विभूति brings श्रद्धा which is a great force indeed.
This is my perception of Hinduism. For judging myself as a hindu, I will ask -- Am I truthful, Do I don’t steal (अचौर्य and अपरिग्रह) Do I don’t hurt, Do I make efforts to foster Harmony in society? And when I see the icons of faith, Do I fold my hands in gratitude that these icons have been a source of creating a binding force through belief (श्रद्धा)?
IF I DO, THEN TO THAT EXTENT, I AM A GOOD HINDU.
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A story goes of a saint poet Narhari Sonar -- an ardent shiv-bhakt, who refused to worship Vitthala of Pandharpur. Once he was asked to come and take measurements and make a gold kamarband for Vitthala - he was told that he cannot refuse his profession but he can be taken blindfolded to Vitthala temple so that he does not have to see the God and pay respect. When blindfolded Narhari touched the statue, he found all the description matched with that of Shankar -- the Jata, the moon-crescent, the snakes, the ganges...
Hurriedly, he removed the cloth from his eyes and found it was Vitthala. So closing his eyes again he felt the statue and again found that his fingers were feeling a shiv-statue. When this repeated some times, he realised the meaning and thereafter wrote beatiful verses as to how both shiv and vishnu were one Brahma. That shows the spirit of Harmony.
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"I want to collect the beliefs of some followers of the Sanatan Dharm. I would be grateful if you can kindly grant me some time and email me the answer to the following question. This may be a very short answer - perhaps six to eight short paragraphs or 200 words and may take not more than 20 minutes or so of your time. The question is this:
What, if anything, does belonging to your faith mean to you personally - not in terms of dogma, ritual or Vedic knowledge, but in terms of values and ideas which you implement in your day to day life and which have moulded your conduct?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
My reply
The question is about SANATAN DHARMA.
This word has now got a different meaning as some people have formed a group to spread SANATAN DHARMA –a word to which they attach a certain specific meaning and rituals. So I will instead use the word Dharma. Also what I feel about Dharma begins with what I was taught as a child and which later got refined through my own thinking. So I may refer to some traditions and rituals – but my concept of Dharma is not always based on them.
Dharma is defined as धारयति सः धर्मः – something that gives strength to hold yourself together – be it you as self or you as a society or a nation or the world or the Universe. The old religious prescription was to be धार्मिक – less destructive and more constructive, and depending on your target group you were asked to practice rules and harness various qualities which increase your contribution for the धारणा of the society.
The first such qualification is being truthful – ऋग्वेद says -- सत्यमेव जयते नानृतम् । From which also flows the concept of धन for which the prescription is – "you shall not take or crave for what has not been earned by you." ईशावास्योपनिषद् says – मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम् –।
(pl see this u-tube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGxGzgHrWvc and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGBDSxVd-8s )
For the development of society you need harmony so ऋग्वेद says –
सं गच्छध्वं सं वदध्वं, सं वो मनांसि जानताम् । -- you folks must nurture the habit of walking together, talking together and consult each other with your entire heart, and thus you will achieve PROGRESS.
And Geeta talks about कर्मकुशलता, समदर्शिता, स्थितप्रज्ञता and वाङ्मय-तप – (अनुद्वेगकरं वाक्यं सत्यं प्रियहितं च यत्)
As a Hindu, when we look at a Muslim or a Christian or a Jew, the first thing that impresses us is that they follow 1 leader. More than the perception of 1 God, this faith in 1 leader, 1 book and 1 (common) prayer hall with a common prayer offering is the first and foremost characteristic of these religions. What a force and grandeur it is to have many people in 1 synchronized action! Even when I am witnessing the vedic recital by 10-12 students as their morning lessons, or a big orchestra playing music in harmony, I am tremendously impressed.
If we see the core teaching of either Zoroaster, or Christ or Paigambar, they all teach of truthfulness and not stealing, harmony and not hurting. It is this one leader who preaches and others find easy to follow. Even if they don’t, they know that being religious means to attend those common prayers and follow what the Leader said.
In Hinduism there are lot of saviors and saints and they are all given a high platform – even of God, and yet there is no Hindu who does not understand the concept of एकं ब्रह्मः। But just as the childlike demand by Arjun, we all need to SEE the विभूति –to enrich our faith in Him and there is no unintelligence in it. विभूति brings श्रद्धा which is a great force indeed.
This is my perception of Hinduism. For judging myself as a hindu, I will ask -- Am I truthful, Do I don’t steal (अचौर्य and अपरिग्रह) Do I don’t hurt, Do I make efforts to foster Harmony in society? And when I see the icons of faith, Do I fold my hands in gratitude that these icons have been a source of creating a binding force through belief (श्रद्धा)?
IF I DO, THEN TO THAT EXTENT, I AM A GOOD HINDU.
--------------------------------------------------------------
A story goes of a saint poet Narhari Sonar -- an ardent shiv-bhakt, who refused to worship Vitthala of Pandharpur. Once he was asked to come and take measurements and make a gold kamarband for Vitthala - he was told that he cannot refuse his profession but he can be taken blindfolded to Vitthala temple so that he does not have to see the God and pay respect. When blindfolded Narhari touched the statue, he found all the description matched with that of Shankar -- the Jata, the moon-crescent, the snakes, the ganges...
Hurriedly, he removed the cloth from his eyes and found it was Vitthala. So closing his eyes again he felt the statue and again found that his fingers were feeling a shiv-statue. When this repeated some times, he realised the meaning and thereafter wrote beatiful verses as to how both shiv and vishnu were one Brahma. That shows the spirit of Harmony.
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