Please Read the First Post in the Series to Better Understand and Appreciate the Purpose of These Posts: https://hindudharma.or.id/hinduism-a-misnomer/
Fanaticism in Any Form is Against the Hindu Spirit. We may justify our fanaticism in the name of Dharma, to save Dharma, to stop the Hindus being converted to, what we normally refer to as “other faiths” and embracing “other belief systems”.
The question is: How do we save Dharma, how do we stop our people from converting to such faiths and embracing belief systems, if we have no inkling whatsoever of what the basic tenets of Hindu Philosophy are.
The Vedic Dictum is very clear:
One is The Truth; the Sages, the Seers – Those Who Know and have Seen That – Call the One and Same Truth by Different Names – Ekam Sad Vipra Bahudha Vadanti.
(Rigveda 1.164.46)
Elsewhere, the same Rigveda prompts us to “Become Human”, to behave humanly. The call is not even to become a Hindu, or a Sanatani, but to become Human – Manur Bhava (Rigveda 10.53.6).
Hindu Dharma Places Humanity Above Everything Else… This is the Strength of Sanatana Dharma, of Hindu Philosophy, Hindu Science and Art of Living. Those who understand this can never ever become fanatic. Fanaticism kills the Hindu Spirit, indeed, it is the Number 1 Hindu Killer.
Those who leave the Hindu fold and embrace a faith or a belief system have not understood what Hindu is, what Sanatana Dharma is. Let us not blame those who lure us to leave the Hindu Fold. Let us look within and do some self-introspection: How can we be lured? Where have we gone wrong?
We have not understood Hindu as Dharma that is Sanatana by nature – Life Values based on Natural Laws, which are Eternal and Universal. As parents, we have been presenting the Hindu Dharma to our children as just one of so many “ism”s. They do not understand the uniqueness of Dharma. Hence, moving from one “ism” to another “ism” makes not much difference to them.
We have to First Understand and Appreciate the Uniqueness of Dharma. While belief systems induce you to follow them, Dharma calls upon you to become a human being, to behave humanly, yet, not stop at that, but to move on and realize the Divinity Within. This is Sanatana Dharma.
Having understood such uniqueness, Hindu Dharma also advises us to remain vigilant so we do not become egoistic on that account, and undermine the role of belief systems and faiths. They have their role to play. We have our Dharma to adhere to in full consciousness. We do not belong to the pale of those who follow blindly.
As I Passingly Remarked at the End of the Last Blogpost, let us not even blindly cling to the “term” Sanatana Dharma, as we have been ignorantly clinging to the word Hinduism. This term, Sanatana Dharma, has been translated in the vernacular by the sages and seers of different lands at different times. The meaning, however, remains the same.
As shown in the above image: Where the word Hindu is more popular, Sanatana Dharma is often referred to as Hinduttva. In India, it is their Indianness. Among the indigenous Chams of present day Vietnam, it is Balamon or Ahier.
Now, coming to Indonesia, the archipelago to which I belong…. In Jawa (Central and East), it is Jawi or Kejawen. In Sunda (West Jawa), it is Pasundan or Sunda Wiwitan. In the land of Karo and Batak (Sumatera), it is Pemena and Parmalim. On the isle of Bali, it is Tirtha. And, the Dayak refer to it as Kaharingan.
All of the above terms have the same meaning – all of them refer to the same Universal Natural Law, The Eternal, The Everlasting – That that has been from time immemorial – The Source, as Water is, for all forms of life.
More to follow……