PROTECT HINDUISM

Why does Hindu Dharma prohibit consumption of non-vegetarian food?

2011-06-22T02:12:00.000-07:00

1. Why does a person have a non-vegetarian diet?

The two main reasons are:

A person has a liking for non-vegetarian food that is why he has it.
Negative energy also prompts a person to have a Tama-dominant non-vegetarian diet to satisfy its own desire.

2. Why does Hindu Dharma prohibit consumption of non-vegetarian food?

Majority of Hindus believe that, ‘Non-vegetarianism is demonic and the height of cruelty’. A Hindu woman says, “My husband, who has adopted Western Culture, may have non-vegetarian food; but I, being a Hindu wife, will never even touch meat.’ However, in this day and age some Hindus in the villages as well as in cities, blindly imitate the western culture and have non-vegetarian food. They are Hindus in namesake only.

The reasons why Hindu Dharma prohibits consumption of non-vegetarian food are

Eating meat is a Tama-dominant act. That is why, it is prohibited in Hindu Dharma. The act of eating meat represents the Raja-Tama-dominant foreign culture.
Hindu religious texts advise refraining from consuming non-vegetarian food.

It is said in Manusmruti,

न मांसभक्षणे दोषो न मद्ये न च मैथुने ।
प्रवृत्तिरेषा भूतानां निवृत्तिस्‍तु महाफला ।। - मनुस्‍मृति, अध्‍याय ५, श्‍लोक ५६

Meaning: Since man has a natural inclination towards consuming alcohol, meat and copulation, having a desire for them does not amount to sin. But being free from the three is beneficial.

Another shloka in Manusmruti advises giving up all consumption of non-vegetarian food by looking at the origin of meat, the shackling and slaughter of animals for meat. All points elucidated in these shlokas are advice to Hindus by the religious texts.

Subtle picture of meat indicates the following:

A covering of distressing energy exists around the meat.
- Destroyer particles of negative energy are created in the meat and spread in it.
- A covering of distressing energy is created around the meat and it keeps growing.
- Due to slaughtering the animals and extracting their meat, centres of distressing energies are created in the meat and rings of distressing energy are emitted from every centre.
- Waves of distressing energy, in the form of smell, are emitted into the environment.
- Particles of distressing energy are also emitted into the environment.
A flow of Akarshan-shakti (energy of attraction) is attracted to the meat and distressing energy in the environment is attracted to it.
A ring of Illusory energy in a wheel-shaped form is created.
- Illusory particles are also emitted.

The illusory vibrations emitted by the meat affect the mind of the person eating the meat.

3. Adverse effects of a non-vegetarian diet

A. All people associated with meat are destructive / vicious in nature: It has been said in Manusmruti,

अनुमन्‍ता विशसिता निहन्‍ता क्रयविक्रयी ।
संस्‍कर्ता चोपहर्ता च खादकश्‍चेति घातका: ।। - मनुस्‍मृति ५.५१

Meaning: One who promotes or supports non-vegetarianism, the butcher, one who sells or purchases meat, the one who cooks it, serves it or consumes it, are all destructive / vicious in nature.

B. A person who has a non-vegetarian diet does not attain happiness:

य: अहिंसकानि भूतानि हिनस्‍ति आत्‍मसुखेच्‍छया ।
स जीवंश्‍च मृतश्‍चैव न क्‍वचित्‌ सुखमेधते ।। - मनुस्‍मृति ५.५४

Meaning: One who slaughters non-violent, helpless animals for his own happiness never attains happiness when alive and even after death.

Manusmruti also says that, if a person consumes an animal’s meat on Earth, then that animal will consume the person’s meat after his death / in the other world.

C. Due to a non-vegetarian diet, there is a greater possibility of the person suffering from various diseases: Due to the excess of proteins in non-vegetarian food, the person consuming it suffers from various diseases. By consuming non-vegetarian food, obstacles are created in the blood circulation and respiration. Eating meat adversely affects digestion. People who eat non-vegetarian food develop heart disease, cancer of the chest and stomach etc.

D. Due to the consumption of non-vegetarian food, it becomes easy for negative energies to enter a person’s body: Non-vegetarian food increases the Tamoguna in a person. With its consumption, a person becomes Tama-dominant and develops a demonic attitude. As a result, it becomes easy for the negative energies to enter the body of the person who is non-vegetarian, and create centres for themselves.

E. As a result of consuming non-vegetarian food, obstacles are created in a person’s spiritual progress and he gets trapped in the worldly cycle. With the consumption of non-vegetarian food, the Tamoguna present in the animal enters the person who eats the non-vegetarian food and his body becomes inactive. Due to this, obstacles are created in his spiritual progress, that is, the person moves away from God.

As against this, Manusmruti says about those not consuming non-vegetarian food:

यो बंधनवधक्‍लेशान्‍प्राणिनां न चिकीर्षति ।
स सर्वस्‍य हितप्रेप्‍सु: सुखम्‌ अत्‍यंतम्‌ अश्‍नुते ।। - मनुस्‍मृति ५.४६

Meaning: One who does not have a desire to shackle and slaughter animals, becomes the well-wisher of animals and acquires infinite happiness.

4. Adverse effects on man of the Tama-dominant waves in non-vegetarian diet

One of the tenets of Dharma is - ‘A diet made from slaughtering another being destroys all the virtues in the person consuming it.’ Due to the adverse effects of the Tama-predominant waves in non-vegetarian diet, the Sattva guna in the person is destroyed. Consequently, his benevolent thoughts are also destroyed and Tama-dominant, indiscretionary, violent thoughts originate or surface.

Spiritual experience: Having various physical and psychological distress on consuming non-vegetarian diet and resolving not to consume it: A seeker had non-vegetarian food on the night of 11^th December 2005. In just 15 minutes his state became such that he could not comprehend what he was doing or speaking. After sometime, his body became heavy and there was burning sensation in his stomach. She continued to experience distress even the next day. After doing service unto God (satseva), the seeker’s distress reduced. That very day he decided to give up non-vegetarian diet. This spiritual experience highlights the adverse effects of a non-vegetarian diet.

These types of adverse effects have to be endured by every non-vegetarian. That is why, many Saints and great men have opposed a non-vegetarian diet.

5. Subtle-effect on the walls of the slaughter house, of the pain caused to animals

Scientists of Delhi University, Professors Manmohan Baj and Vijayraj Singh went to a Russian slaughter house and studied the effect of the suffering of the subtle bodies of the beings slaughtered there. They say that, inflicting blows on the animals in the slaughter house generates broken waves of suffering in its stones. Through this example, the subtle-effects of slaughtering animals for meat becomes clear.

6. Effects of consuming non-vegetarian diet during Pitrupaksha

During the fortnight for appeasement of deceased ancestors (Pitrupaksha) an area of 200 metres adjacent to earth gets covered with the subtle bodies (ling-dehas) of departed ancestors. Depending on the actions of the person during this period, his departed ancestors gain corresponding momentum for their onward journey. The Tamoguna increases in the person who indulges in consuming non-vegetarian diet. As a result, the Tama-dominant negative energies, in the form of departed ancestors, satisfy their desire for non-vegetarian food through that person. Due to a similarity in the unsatisfied desires of the departed ancestors and the desire for non-vegetarian food in a person, the departed ancestors begin to frequently enter and leave the body of the person.

By performing the ritual to appease the deceased ancestors (shraddha), the person’s debt unto the ancestors is reduced. However, by performing a Tama-dominant action like consuming non-vegetarian diet, a person’s debt unto the ancestors increases instead of decreasing. For this reason the Hindu religious Scriptures have advocated refraining from non-vegetarian diet during Pitrupaksha.

7. Why are people consuming non-vegetarian food troubled by negative energies?

In the process of cooking of meat and fish, subtle foul air is released. As a result negative energies are attracted to it. Due to this the people present in that area have to repeatedly face distress of negative energies.

Some tithis and time periods advocated for abstinence from non-vegetarian diet: Keeping in mind the possibility of attracting the distress of negative energies, try to avoid non-vegetarian diet as far as possible.

On the no moon and full moon days and two days prior to and following these tithis
During the transition period, that is, during sunrise and sunset.
During an eclipse, refrain from non-vegetarian food that increases the Tamo-guna.

Subtle-desire bodies of the person who has non-vegetarian food and those in his proximity come into contact with one other. As a result, even those who do not consume non-vegetarian food are troubled.

8. Examples of great men opposing non-vegetarian diet

The great statesman Arya Chanakya says, ‘Those who consume non-vegetarian diet and alcohol are a burden on Mother Earth. Saints and Ascetics like Maharshi Vyas, Kapimuni, Adya Shankaracharya etc. have strongly opposed non-vegetarian diet.

While elucidating the meaning of a quote from the Mahabharat, ‘Ahimsa Parmodharma’, Raman Maharishi says, ‘Non-violence is the supreme Dharma.’

While describing a person who is a non-vegetarian, George Bernard Shaw says, ‘People who consume non-vegetarian diet are akin to corpses of slaughtered animals !’ When George Bernard Shaw was on deathbed, his doctors gave him meat as a medicine. Doctors told him, “You will die if you do not consume non-vegetarian diet.” Shaw replied, “Instead of eating non-vegetarian diet, I would prefer to embrace death. If I remain alive without taking this prescribed non-vegetarian diet, then my doctors will also turn vegetarian.” Thereafter, he remained alive despite not consuming non-vegetarian diet.

9. Why are the various rules devised by authors of the Scriptures for destroying the inclination towards non-vegetarian diet?

Despite being instructed about the adverse effects of consuming non-vegetarian diet and advised on refraining from it, some people continue to be non-vegetarian. To destroy the inclination of such people towards non-vegetarianism, authors of the Scriptures have devised certain rules about it. For example, prohibiting the consumption of or even looking at non-vegetarian diet on certain days and during specific time periods.

This means that we get engrossed in whatever we see. Its impressions are formed on the mind. On the other hand, when scenes, thoughts or actions are removed from our vision, mind or memory, their intensity diminishes. Abiding by the rules of not consuming non-vegetarian diet too has similar results.

10. Reasons for not abiding by Scriptural rules and its effect

The Scriptures devised rules about diet; but the influence of Western Culture kept increasing. Also systems for providing education on Dharma became non-existent. As a result, people gave up following the rules of Dharma. Their attraction for non-vegetarian diet and alcohol continued to increase. Depending on the form and intensity of the unfulfilled desires of the negative energies, they are of various types namely, ghosts, spirits, witch etc. Taking advantage of the increased Tamo-guna in the person due to consumption of non-vegetarian diet, these negative energies cause distress. They fulfill their unfulfilled desires of consuming non-vegetarian diet and alcohol, using such people as a medium.

11. Why do Saints advocate giving up non-vegetarian food?

Saints are the Sagun form of God. They are aware of what is necessary for the person who visits them. That is why, they advise or ask only about those aspects.

Spiritual experience: The foetus in the womb being unable to tolerate the non-vegetarian food consumed by its pregnant mother and miscarriage being averted upon her giving up non-vegetarian food: A couple visited a doctor. The wife was pregnant. The Alopathic doctor had warned the woman of a miscarriage within two days. Hence, the couple had come to meet the Saint. The Saint informed the woman that she was nurturing a Brahman in her womb, who was unable to tolerate the non-vegetarian diet consumed by her. The Saint further reassured her, that if she gave up non-vegetarian food, the foetus could survive. The woman accepted the Saint’s advice and the miscarriage was averted.

Spiritual experience of a seeker of Sanatan: Being advised by Sanatan’s first Saint, Pujniya Phadake aaji to give up non-vegetarian food and understanding its reason later upon being advised by a doctor to give up non-vegetarian food: I used to visit Sanatan’s first Saint Pujya Phadake-aaji for doing seva. Without any apparent reference, She would ask me from time to time to give up non-vegetarian food. After some time, I began to get stomach pains. A doctor advised me to give up non-vegetarian food. - Mr. Sagar Mhatre, Maharashtra

Mr. Sagar’s spiritual experience demonstrates the Omniscience of Saints. If a person is inclined towards a non-vegetarian diet because of the influence of negative energies, then this problem can be resolved by Saints. Thus, a person is protected from the distress caused by negative energies. A lady-seeker was fond of non-vegetarian diet since childhood. In 2003, a Saint performed spirtual healing on this seeker suffering from negative energies. As a result she was able to give up non-vegetarian diet.

12. Remedies for obliterating sins caused due to consumption of non-vegetarian diet

A non-vegetarian diet makes one susceptible to the effects of negative energies and also results in sin. For some reason if consuming non-vegetarian food is unavoidable. In this regard, a verse (shloka) says:

गोमूत्रं गोमयं चैव क्षीरं दधि घृत तथा ।
पंचरात्रं तदाहार: पंचगव्‍येन शुद्ध्‌यति ।।

Meaning: By consuming panchagavya, that is, a mixture of cow-urine, cow-dung, cow-milk, curd and ghee made from cow’s milk over five nights, the sin caused by consumption of non-vegetarian food is obliterated.

If it is not possible to perform this remedy, then maximum chanting of God’s Name can help in purification. This makes us realise that the Hindu Scriptures have given due thought to save man from any sins committed knowingly or unknowingly, thus leading him on the path of Spirituality.

Why do we light lamp in front of deities in the evening?

2011-06-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Our Sages and Seers devised an ideal structure of daily actions (Dinacharya), so that man is able to lead a healthy, contented and blissful life. Following the daily actions (Dinacharya), the rules and regulations associated with it is the only way to repay the debt of the Sages and Seers.

1. Appropriate conducts during transition period (Sandhikal)

The transition period (Sandhikal) is the period of 48 minutes, that is, two Ghatikas, before the sunrise and after the sunset. The transition period is Raja-Tama predominant. Influence of negative energies is more in this period. To get protection from these, Dharma has given importance to abiding by Conducts (Acharpalan) in this period.

Scriptures have described various Conducts (Achars) to be performed in the evening, so that there are good impressions (Sanskars) on man and he becomes equipped with good Achars, he is able to perform spiritual practice (Sadhana) in addition to getting protection from the negative energies.

1.1 Lighting black-incense (Dhoop) or incense-stick (Udbatti) in the premises (Vastu)

The increased influence of negative energies after sunset pollutes the environment in the Vastu. Distressing vibrations are generated in the Vastu. Light black-incense everyday to remove these distressing vibrations. For lighting black-incense (Dhoop), light coal or cow-dung cake in a specially made vessel for the purpose and place the black-incense (Dhoop) upon it. Hold the vessel in one hand and a cardboard in another, fan the fire with the cardboard to spread the smoke in the Vastu.

Black-incense is generally used in removing the distress caused due to ancestors. If black-incense is not available, light incense-sticks (Udbattis) in the Vastu regularly. Use incense-sticks of Chameli, Heena, Sandalwood and Kevada fragrances. The Saviour (Tarak) or Destroyer (Marak) frequencies of Deities are attracted to the fragrance of these incense-sticks as per the need and negative energies move away. Along with the Vastu, this action also helps in purifying the clothes.

By lighting the black-incense (Dhoop), the Saviour (Tarak) Shiva Principle is activated. Pure (Sattvik) vibrations are attracted in the Vastu. The Purity (Sattvikta) of the Vastu is enhanced. At the same time, the environment of the Vastu is also purified. When the Purity (Sattvikta) is enhanced, the negative energies get troubled and they leave the Vastu. Purity (Sattvikta) of the Vastu is preserved by lighting black-incense daily. If this is not possible, black-incense must be lit at least once a week.

1.2 Lighting a lamp in front of the Deities and paying obeisance to them

Most people suffer maximum distress from negative energies in the evening. Worshippers of the Aghori Knowledge take control of the negative energies that enter the environment in the evening and get evil acts done through them. That is why, mishaps and killings are more in the evening. This period is considered to be the ‘time of distress or ruin’. Light an oil-lamp in front of a Deity, to get protection from the negative energies present in the environment in the evening. At the same time, light a lamp in front of the basil plant (Tulsi) too in the courtyard. By lighting a lamp in front of the Deities, their Principle is awakened and those residing in the Vastu benefit.
Science underlying lighting of a lamp in front of the basil plant (Tulsi) in the evening: The evening time is considered to be the time of arrival of the Lakshmi Principle in the Vastu. Tulsi is essentially Sattvik. Principles of various Deities are attracted to the basil plant (Tulsi). By lighting a lamp in front of the basil plant (Tulsi), the Purity (Sattvikta) in it is activated. This Purity (Sattvikta) spreads in the environment present in the Vastu and purifies it. The frequencies of Lakshmi Principle are attracted to the flame of the lamp kept in front of the basil plant (Tulsi) in the purified environment and enter the Vastu. This also purifies the Vastu and a protective sheath of Pure (Sattvik) frequencies of the Deities is created around the Vastu. At the same time, because of the Absolute Fire (Tej-tattva) frequencies emitted by the lamp, the Vastu and those residing in it are protected from the negative energies circulating in the environment.

Bear in mind the increased influence of the negative energies in the environment in the evening and as possible, return home before the lamp is to be lit in front of the Deities and the Tulsi and do not leave the house after the lamp is lit.

1.3 Casting off the evil-eye from the children

Children get affected easily by the evil-eye. Casting off the evil-eye means pulling out the distressing vibrations created in the body of a person due to the evil-eye, in some specific objects and thus removing the distress of the person. To cast off the evil-eye, rock salt-mustard seeds, rock salt-red chillies, coconut with water etc. are used. Evil-eye can also be cast off from a person who has distress from negative energies.

1.4 Recitation of Verses (Shloks)

Some of the Verses (Shloks) to be recited in the evening are as follows,

शुभं करोतु कल्‍याणं आरोग्‍यं सुखसंपदा |
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्‍योतिर्नमोऽस्‍तु ते ||
This means, “O flame of the lamp, you are auspicious and benevolent. You provide health and wealth and destroy the intellect of the enemies; hence, I pay my obeisance to you.”

शुभं करोतु कल्‍याणं आरोग्‍यं सुखसंपदाम्‌ |
मम बुद्धिप्रकाशं च दीपज्‍योतिर्नमोऽस्‍तु ते ||
“O flame of the lamp, you are auspicious and benevolent. You provide health and wealth. You purify our intellect. We pay our obeisance to you.”

दीपज्‍योति:परब्रह्म दीपज्‍योतिर्जनार्दन: |
दीपो हरतु मे पापं दीपज्‍योतिर्नमोऽस्‍तु ते ||
This means, the light of a lamp is a form of Supreme Brahman. The flame of the lamp is a form of the Supreme God, who removes the sorrows of the Universe. “O lamp, eliminate my sins. O flame of the lamp, I pay my obeisance to you.”

Benefits of reciting Verses (Shloks):

By lighting the lamp with the recitation of Verses (Shloks) like ‘Shubham karotu kalyanam…’, the destroyer task of driving away the negative energies is achieved.

The Pure (Sattvik) vibrations created by the recitation of the Verses (Shloks) purify the house. That is how the distress of negative energies also reduces.

By reciting Verses (Shloks) after lighting a lamp, the grasping power of children increases, they are able to study better, that is, their capacity to learn by heart increases, their speech gets purified and it helps in their pronunciation becoming clear.

After the recitation of Verses (Shloks), Stotras like Ramraksha, Hanuman Chalisa etc. should also be recited. After the recitation of Verses (Shloks) and Stotras, the Arti of the Deity should be performed and prayer should be made. For this entire worship, all the members of the family should be present, as possible.
Benefits of having all the family members attend the evening worship: When all the members of the family are present for the evening worship, it creates good impressions (Sanskars) on the children and they get spiritual benefit. Their Purity (Sattvikta) increases. They obtain Divine consciousness (Chaitanya) and Bliss (Anand). Because of the good impressions (Sanskars), moral values are enhanced and everybody’s life becomes happy.

2. Misconducts during the evening

In the olden days, the elders in the house used to be mindful about the distress caused by the negative energies in the evening. As prescribed in the scriptures, they used to light a lamp in the evening and gathering all the members of the family in front of the Deities, they used to recite verses (Shloks) and chant etc.; but today this practice is being ignored. We experience the harm being caused due to the structure of nuclear families today. The sound of recitation of verses (Stotras) is drowned in the cacophony of television channels. Most people are out of the house in the evening. From the small villages to the metros, we can see heavy crowds at the food stalls everywhere - Chinese food, snacks, fast food, ice-creams parlours etc.
Externally it feels pleasant watching the entertainment programmes on television channels in the evening; but do we ever give a thought to its effects ?

2.1 Actions forbidden in the evening

Since the influence of negative energies is more in the evening, some actions are forbidden.

Sleeping, eating, drinking and having a meal

Commencement of an auspicious task

Giving white objects to others

Exchange of money

Crying

Departure for a journey

Taking an oath, abusing, quarreling, speaking indecently and the untruth

There are actions other than those enumerated here, which are forbidden in the evening as per the scriptures.

The floor should not be swept in the evening: Raja-Tama predominant frequencies circulate more in the environment in the evening. Through the act of sweeping too, vibrations of Raja-Tama are generated, which attract the Raja-Tama vibrations present in the environment. Garbage collected in the premises (Vastu) during the day can be removed by sweeping before the evening.

Actions forbidden for pregnant women in the evening:
A. Should not stand at the doorstep of the house. This harms the foetus.
B. Should not look at the animals return home in the evening. If a pregnant woman looks at these animals, the negative energies present in the legs of these animals can attack the foetus.

Sitting on the banks of rivers other than the Ganga: The river Ganga is also known as ‘Gangotri’, that is, ‘the one that provides the source of Pure (Sattvik) frequencies from Shiva’. Because of the Pure (Sattvik) frequencies emitted by the Ganga water, the environment around the banks of the river Ganga always remains virtuous and full of Divine consciousness (Chaitanya). That is why, there is very little risk of distress from negative energies in this environment. As compared to this, there is very little Purity (Sattvikta) on the banks of other rivers. Hence, because of the movement of negative energies, there is more possibility of a Jiva sitting on the banks of these rivers getting distressed. Inferior negative energies moving around on the banks of the rivers contain more of the Absolute Earth (Pruthvi) and Absolute Water (Apa) Principles. Hence, these energies are able to merge with the human body, which is also made of the Absolute Earth (Pruthvi) and Absolute Water (Apa) Principles, in a shorter time. Hence, preferably one should not sit on the banks of the rivers in the evening.

Study of Vedas: Evening is the onset of the night (also known as Pradoshkal). The Vedas command that study of Vedas should not be carried out in the Pradoshkal. It is also prohibited to read scriptures for committing to memory (Santha); but to recite Mantras to avert the evil (also known as Shantipath) is considered acceptable in this period.

Clarification of doubts related to Hinduism

2011-06-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

Recently, a Hindu man sent out an email with some questions he was asked about Hinduism, that he needed answers to. Some of those questions and the answers to them are published here, as we all may come across such questions. Every Hindu should know the answers to such questions. This emphasises the need for taking and imparting education about Hinduism.

1. Why do Hindus believe in many idols?

Hindus worship God in His various forms as well as the formless aspect of God, as Hinduism teaches that ‘there is nothing but God’, that is, ‘God is in everything’. Some Hindus may worship a certain form of God for specific reasons, such as Sree Ganesh is worshipped to remove obstacles, Sree Dattatreya to overcome ancestral souls’ (pitar/poorvaj) trouble, the Mother Goddess to acquire divine energy (shakti) and supernatural powers (siddhi), etc.

Each idol is a representation of a Deity or Divine Energy. There are millions of Divine Energies and aspects of the Divine, each with a specific divine function in the universe. For example, the specific divine function or main divine aspect of Brahma is Creation (utpatti), while that of Sree Vishnu is Sustenance (sthiti) and of Shiva is destruction (laya.)

Depending on the mission of Its particular Incarnation, the Divine may take a form accordingly. For example, while most forms of Deities show the Deity’s ‘Savior of devotees’ aspect (symbolised by the Deity’s hand raised in blessing) and ‘Destroyer of evil’ aspect (symbolised by the Deity’s weapon carrying hand), the destroyer form of Sree Durga has weapons and destroyer symbols in all Her hands.

2. What is Shiva linga? Some say it is the male genital organ.

The words ‘Shiva’ and ‘linga’ are from the Hindus’ ancient, scriptural language Sanskrit (Sanskrut). ‘Shiva’ means auspiciousness and ‘linga’ means a sign or a symbol. Accordingly, the Shiva linga is the symbol of Lord Shiva. It is the "symbol of God, who is all-auspiciousness."

It is a misconception (stemming from the time that Hindu literature came into the hands of non-Hindu scholars) that the Shiva linga represents male genital organs. To be able to understand Hindu scriptures, a spirit of deep inquiry about the Divine is required and such a spirit is developed with daily spiritual practice (sadhana) as per the spiritual principles of Hinduism.

3. Why did Brahma create different castes as mentioned in the Vedas ? Is that good?

Please tell which verse refers to this in the Vedas, as this is a misconception. The Vedas talk about the system of spiritual classes based on one's spiritual constitution (qualities) and deeds, to provide a path to every person to progress to God-realisation. The caste system is a social ill, as is discrimination found in all societies, not limited to Hindu society.

4. Why do Hindus not eat meat and eat vegetables, when plants also have life?

Hindus' Holy Scriptures like the Bhagavad Geeta recommend a vegetarian diet, as it is a spiritually pure (sattvik) diet, while a non-vegetarian diet is a spiritually impure (tamasik) diet. The health benefits of a vegetarian diet and the fact that animals feel much more pain than do plants, are established scientific consensus!

Hinduism teaches one to overcome the spiritually inferior components of raja-tama to progress in the spiritually pure component of sattva, as it promotes spiritually pure qualities like love, courage, economy, fairness, etc.

5. Why is Hinduism so confusing?

Imagine a first-grade student looking at Ph. D. level curriculum; it would seem confusing! Hinduism is comprehensive. It has many Scriptures (4 Vedas, 108 Upanishads, 18 primary puranas, 18 upa-puranas for each primary purana, Itihasas, the Bhagavad Geeta, tantras, samhitas, upa-samhitas, and 1000s of other shruti and smruti texts; and many other books, compositions and commentaries by the acharyas) that provide a profound system of attaining complete and direct knowledge about the Divine.

Even a literal study of Hinduism's many Scriptures can take lifetimes. Add to that the fact that most scriptures of Hinduism are in Sanskrit, which needs several years to master. Otherwise, one is often at the mercy of widespread mis-translations by non-Hindu (often anti-Hindu) so-called scholars.

Hinduism can be confusing to one who has not studied and understood its basic principles, which are like the grammar to understand a language. Hence, rather than trying to understand Hinduism with one's own limited intellect, it is important to learn it from an authority on the subject, that is, Hindu Saints/Gurus. They can make us well versed in the “grammar” to understand and live Hinduism (Dharma).

6. Why can’t Hindus pray directly to God ? Why do Hindus need a middle man ?

In Hinduism, accessing God is not just limited to prayer, but there is a system of spiritual paths to experience that one is none other than God! Hinduism's Scriptures like the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita are not man-made, but have come directly from God or His Incarnation.

Unlike ideologies that emphasise the separation between human and Divine, Hinduism teaches that with the guidance and grace of a spiritual authority like a Guru, it is relatively simple to progress to the constant experience of Divinity in oneself and everything.

7. What is the real meaning of ‘Om’?

Some Hindu Scriptures like the Mandukya Upanishad are entirely devoted to the explanation of ‘Om’, which may give some idea about how profound this syllable is - it is considered to be the primal sound, Divine syllable.

In brief, the syllable ‘Om’ or ‘Aum’ is taken to consist of three phonemes, ‘a’, ‘u’ and ‘m’, variously symbolising the 3 Vedas, the Hindu trimurti (‘a’ representing Brahma, ‘u’ Vishnu and ‘m’ Shiva) or the 3 stages in life (birth, life and death). ‘Om’ is a sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal Absolute of Hinduism - omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence.

8. Why does God have wife and children in Hinduism?

This is a misconception. In Hinduism, God (Ishwar, Brahman) does not have wife or children, as the God principle is unmanifest. In the context of Deities, the male deity is the Purush or Principle aspect of God, the female deity is the Prakruti or Energy aspect of God, and children refer to the combination of those Divine Principles and Energies.

For example, Sree Durga is the Divine Energy of Shiva who is the Destroyer principle of God, and Sree Ganesh is the Divine Principle spiritually born of Sree Durga and Shiva principles. It is like the color yellow comes from a combination of green and blue colors.

9. Why don’t Hindus worship at regular times ?

In Hinduism, there are various systems of worship. In the path of ritualistic worship (karmakand), there are auspicious times during each day, week, month and year, to perform such worship. For example, one should perform ritualistic worship after taking a shower in the early morning hours and soon after sunset.

However, Hinduism teaches to progress from worship limited to regular times, to worshipping the Divine all the time; only the mode of worship will differ accordingly. This constant communion with God is achieved at higher stages in the spiritual journey, through constant remembrance of His Name and contemplation on the Divine.

People who do not follow any form of worship are found in all communities, not limited to the Hindu community.

10. Why could Hinduism not develop (like some other religions did) ?

This is a misconception. Hinduism is already the most developed, advanced system and science; the concern should be not about developing it, but to understand, live and preserve it!

If one is referring to spreading the way some religions did, Hinduism historically has not spread like that, as the whole world used to be Hindu before religions were created and spread. Hinduism (Sanatan Dharma) teaches the way of peace and expansiveness, devoid of sectarianism that causes divisive evangelism, forced conversions and disharmony. However, it is the need of times that Hindus take and impart Hinduism education, and stand united to stem the tide of such assaults.

From forumforhinduawakening

Why Hindus do not eat beef ? Or why Cow is holy ?

2011-06-13T07:45:00.000-07:00

Once again like most Hindu concepts there are multiple answers to this.

1. Cow is a pet -

A simplistic answer will be a question - why do Westerners no eat
dog's meat, or cat's meat ? The obvious point is that people world over
do not eat their pets, and cow in the least is a pet.

Why don't people eat their pets ? Because people get emotionally attached
with the pets. A pet becomes a family member. Also most civilized people
people protect those who are under their protection. The same point has emtionally
been emphasized by a story from Hindu scripture -literature 'Raghu Vamsha
by Kalidas. In the story, King Dilip, forefather of Lord Rama, offers
to a lion his own life in exchange of a divine cow that is under Dilip's
protection. Such is the Hindu scriptural reverence for the defence of
those under your refuge.

2. Cow's usefulness for Indian agricultural economy -

Similarly one can ask why do people in the West not eat horse meat?
In the west, the agriculture depended on horses till last century, hence
horse meat is not part of western diet. Similarly, agriculture in India
from ancient times to even now largely uses oxen for farming. So you
don't destroy the 'work horse' of agricultural economy. Cows, oxen thus
have been crucial for Indian agriculture.

3. Dietary considerations -

Unlike Chinese diet, Indian diet uses milk and milk products to large
extent. In the hot, hardy Indian climate, the milk yield goes down.
The average milk output of an Indian cow therefore is lower compared to
cows in cooler climates. Hence in order to protect the milk yield, in
the old days, the numbers of milch cattle had to be protected. The best
way known to man, to protect certain species is to make it 'holy'. Thus
by giving cow a 'holy' status, the sages ensured its protection.

The importance of milk in Indian diet arose from the keen observation
of nature by the sages. The newborn of all mammals are nourished by
mother's milk. If milk is good for defenceless babies, then it must be
good for man, who was vulnerable from physical defences, compared to
all other animals. Interestingly, it is only human being that drinks
milk of other species. From all aspects such as milk yield,
domesticability, availability of fodder etc, a cow is most suitable.
Yet, this does not explain veneration of cow by Hindus.

4. Logical higher explanantion for how 'useful' became 'holy' cow -

The one quality that distinguishes humans from other animals is that of
'gratitude'. It is Hindu gratitude that takes a 'dumb' cow to a higher
plane of thought. After our birth, our mother nourished us with her
milk when we were totally helpless, for a year or two. Thereafter it is
cow's milk that nourishes us for the rest of our lives. The Hindu
respects the mother as the lifegiver, hence the term  Matru devo bhava
meaning 'see God in your mother'. He then extends the same logic and
the same gratitude furher to a cow who nourished him with her milk too.
In every civilized society mother is respected and venerated, she is
never cosidered as object of 'consumption'. The Hindu extends the same
logic, same courtsey to a cow. Thus this extension of gratitude makes
cows 'holy'.

(Ref: Sanskruti Poojan by Pandurang Shastry Athawale, Sadvichar Darshan
Trust, Mumbai, 3rd Ed, 1988, pp 205-8, in Hindi/Gujarati/Marathi)


5. Scriptural support

Indian scriptures describe Lord KrishNa as a cow herder in his youth.
His childhood stories regale Hindus even now. A one particular story
about Govardhan tells that it was KrishNa who asked cow herders to stop
worshipping Indra - a powerful God in the heavens, and then asked
them to worship cows since they gave them their livelyhood. Once again
the subtle teaching for cowherders was 'see God in everything', even in
your work. Approaching work as worship makes every menial task a joyful
and rejoicing endeavour. It will also make you feel God as something
close and not something distant.

A famous hymn in praise of Gita, the most sacred Hindu text, compares
Gita to a cow, Lord Krishna as the milker, the essence of Upnishads
as the milk.

The Hindu thought goes beyond mere kindness to animals as the SPCA
(Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in the West wants.

Even though cow herds have been prevalent in India for over 5000 years,
the ideas of 'cow tipping' and lassoing are unheard of.

6. Symbolically, cow represents the qualities of earth - ever giving,
ever nourishing. The Hindu reveres all animals and the cow is revered as
representative of all animals and many other animals are revered as
carriers (Vaahanas) for the demi-Gods.

(Ref: Dancing with Siva, By Sivay Subramuniya Swami, Himalayan Publ,
3rd ed, 1993, p.193)

Understanding some common misconceptions about Hinduism

2011-06-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Hinduism is a vast religion with multiple facets. It is one of the oldest religions in the world. For the less informed, Hinduism may look too confusing, too complicated to understand, and too contradictory in its precepts and practices. Even many Hindus do not know the exalted philosophies of the religion. Naturally, there are many misconceptions commonly prevalent about Hinduism, some propagated by vested interests, some by ill-informed westerners and some by self-doubting Hindus. Here is an attempt to clear up some of those misconceptions.

Know that Hinduism does not have 330 million Gods.

As per Hindu mythology, this count actually refers to Devas - celestial beings - but not Gods. Deva is a Sanskrit term that at times is used to glorify Gods, but not to represent Gods. This usage has led to the mischievous misinterpretation by westerners to denounce Hinduism as a religion of 330 million gods. Unfortunately, many ill-informed Hindus, too, have taken to believe in this misperception.

Devas, according to mythology, live in Indralokha (or Devalokha, an equivalent of Heaven) and they are none other than human beings in earlier births who did extraordinarily good deeds with a desire to enjoy the fruits of such deeds. They enjoy the fruits of those deeds in Deva Lokha, and once exhausted, they have to take birth again in this world. According to the mythology, this cycle is an ongoing phenomenon.

Know that Hinduism, in its essence, is not a religion of multiple Gods.

Hinduism permits worship of multiple God forms, endowed with different looks, powers, and attributes, who, in reality, represent the One God, known as Brahman, or Parabrahman, Paramatma or Satchidananda. Hinduism accepts the basic differences in every person in taste, temperament and capacity of intake in the matter of religion. A woman found distasteful to one person can be the soul-stirring sweetheart of another person. When such a difference in taste can exist, why not allow different tastes in the worshiping of God?

Thus Hinduism permits you to choose a specific God form most appealing and lovable to you; it encourages you to believe wholeheartedly that that particular God form indeed is the one supreme God. A chaste woman considers her husband alone to be the most handsome and most wonderful person; likewise, at the lower echelons of religion, a believer's conviction that his personal God alone is the most powerful and the "only true God" is also encouraged.

As a person matures in his religious progress, he surpasses his narrow convictions. He understands by experience that one supreme lord has, by His grace, adapted to come in the form of his personal God and that He presents Himself in other forms to satisfy other sects of believers. At the ultimate level of experience, the seeker perceives that the whole universe is simply nothing other than God and it includes his own soul, too.

Know that Hinduism has not ordained that the society should be caste-based with all the concomitant discriminations.

Hinduism had accepted the practical fact that there will always be differences among persons in intellectual, physical and mental capabilities. For the society to run smoothly like well-oiled machinery, there has to be a well-defined division of labor. The society needs all sorts of people who do their jobs to the best of their ability doing those activities best suited to them.

The society needs peasants and artisans (‘Shudra'), traders (‘Vysya'), intellectuals and teachers (‘Brahmin'), and warriors (‘Kshatriya'). Each class requires its own skill sets, physical and mental capabilities, food habits, ethical and moral codes of conduct and the Hindu Dharma has provided these guidelines. What is best suited to one class need not be a benchmark for another.

In ancient days, the society at large accepted these classifications as matters of fact (without acrimony). It is also said that such a division of labor was not originally based on family lineage. But when followed over generations, it gradually turned into a caste system and further degenerated into upper and lower classes with discrimination and acrimony between them. This is actually a sociological phenomenon and it is incorrect to blame the religion for it.

Know that Hinduism, by its Karma theory and the concept of rebirth, does not say that one has to gradually take birth "from lower to upper class" before attaining Moksha.

Hinduism says that as long as one has desires, one has to take rebirth. The rebirth can be in any class of the society and even a rebirth as an animal is not ruled out. Even a highly spiritually oriented Brahmin may get a rebirth in the form of an animal just to satiate some odd, unquenched desires of the previous birth.

Know that Hinduism does not say that the experience of God is reserved for Brahmins (the so called upper class/priest class) only.

Traditionally, Brahmins, by virtue of their social status, had the exclusive access to the highest scriptural knowledge (of Vedas) in olden days. That way, they were better informed of the nuances of the highest religious facts. But that never made them exclusively able to attain the vision of God. The knowledge about swimming acquired by a person by reading books, but without any exposure to water, is useless. Likewise, in Hinduism, the personal experience of God is what really matters (and not the scriptural knowledge).

There are countless great masters in Hinduism who have experienced God without any theoretical knowledge of scriptures. Traditionally, even great pundits and Brahmin scholars kneel before these unlettered divine souls, many of whom are not Brahmins by birth, to learn about the true experience of God from them. Umpteen examples are available in Indian history on this count. The phenomenon of Brahmins dominating the religious scenario and showing discrimination towards other castes is again a sociological development and not a religiously ordained one.

Know that Hinduism is not totally anti-materialistic and does not totally discourage enjoyment.

What Hinduism says is that materialistic pursuits or running behind sensual pleasures is not going to fetch you everlasting happiness. It only says that behind any unbridled searching for enjoyment, there is always a pain lurking behind. Hinduism advises one to practice moderation, to be watchful, and not to get carried away.

Hinduism does place liberation - ‘Moksha' as the ultimate goal of life. But, for for the majority, the path of progress towards the goal (Moksha) includes Dharma (righteousness), Artha (materialism) and Kama (sensual enjoyments). The important point is that the materialistic and sensual enjoyments (Artha and Kama) must always be guided by righteousness (Dharma). Leading a life this way, one can gradually understand the transient nature of worldly life, acquire dispassion (‘Vairagya') and the mind then yearns for liberation (Moksha), the ultimate goal.

It is no doubt that Hinduism gives the highest regard to renunciation. But again, for the society at large, the recommended way of living so as to attain the supreme goal starts at ‘Brahmacharya' (celibacy at a young age while acquiring education), followed by ‘Grihasta' (married life of a householder), ‘Vanaprasta' (living frugally in a secluded way at the forest, once the couple has completed their duty toward their offspring) and finally ‘Sanyasa' (total renunciation).

When an earnest seeker is mature enough to comprehend the transient nature of worldly life, has a high degree of discrimination and dispassion and yearns for God, he can opt to renounce much earlier, without going through all these stages one by one.

Know that Hinduism does not preach fatalism and does not negate self-effort.

It is wrong to think that by advocating Karma theory (which says that for every action in the past, one has to face the reaction inescapably in the future and this cycle transcends births over births), Hinduism encourages a fatalistic attitude. What Hinduism says is that one cannot have freedom of choice in facing the repercussions of past actions, but one does have the free will to choose his present actions. It is quite obvious that only because we have the freedom of choice of action, we have accumulated our past KarmThe essence of Hinduism on this matter of Karma or fate is two-fold.

One: The reactions to our past actions are not entirely self-propelling; they are indeed executed by the will of God; the more one surrenders to God and the more one accepts with humility the divine dispensation, the more one gets relief from the impinging effects of Karma.

Two: By carefully choosing one's present actions based on Dharma, by doing acts with dispassion and a sense of surrender to the supreme, one paves the way for escaping from the evil effects of his present actions in the future.

Know that Hinduism does not say that faith and surrender to a Hindu God alone are the way to salvation.

Hinduism has two major approaches to the concept of God. One starts by negating "I" and the other starts and ends with "I".

In the first school (Bhakti Yoga - the path of love), the whole universe is God; It is God who creates, preserves and destroys. He is omnipresent and omnipotent. In front of him, "I" am nothing. I have no individuality. I, too, am part of him. He, the Paramatman, is the true existence. I, the Atman, am part and parcel of (and subservient to) Him.

In the second school (Gnyana Yoga - the path of Wisdom), the seeker thinks "I don't know whether a God exists; whether he is with form or without form; I don't know whether the world is his creation; But one thing I know; I exist. In waking, dreaming or deep sleep, I am aware of my existence. When I think, "I am," at that moment, everything else also comes into existence. When my mind ceases to function (as in deep sleep), the whole world, the entire creation vanishes. Everything - the world, the cosmos, the personal God of worship - everything is a product of the mind. When the seeker inquires to find ‘Who am I?" and truly experiences this reality in a truly "mindless" state, he grasps the fact that his soul, Atman, is none other than the Brahman, the supreme soul.

Hinduism does not say that possession of occult powers is an indication that one has attained God realization.
Occult powers (Siddhi) may develop in a person who is deeply involved in spiritual practices with single-pointed concentration. But it has to be understood that presence of Siddhi is not an indication of a person's attainment of true spiritual wisdom. The highest goal being God realization in Hinduism, obtaining Siddhis in fact can distract a person from his goal and cause spiritual downfall.

This is the warning given by all great spiritual masters of Hinduism. But a person who has reached his goal, may still have Siddhis in him but he cares the least about them. It is up to him to use them for the good of others or not.

Know that Hinduism does not say that one should blindly believe his Guru to attain salvation.

For an earnest seeker who is convinced that attaining Moksha - salvation/God realization/self-realization - is the goal of life, Hinduism emphasizes the need for surrendering to a Guru (rather to a Satguru - a Guru of the highest order who has personally experienced the Supreme Truth). Hinduism encourages one to do all the questioning and doubting before selecting a Guru; After surrendering to a Guru, asking probing questions of the Guru until getting convincing answers is also encouraged.

At the same time, Hinduism is very clear that egotism is one of the greatest impediments to attaining the supreme truth. That's why great masters say that unconditional surrender (rather than egotistic arguments and doubting) is the best option to receive the grace of the Satguru.

Other than the above, there are always differences of opinions among various schools of philosophies in Hinduism about the interpretation of scripture. But these are quite normal and acceptable in a vast religion like Hinduism. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to say, "Until one gets the vision of God, there will always be lurking doubts; Once divine vision is had, all doubts will vanish once for all."

Science in Hinduism

2011-06-10T01:56:00.000-07:00

Traditions in Hinduism were considered mainly as superstitions, but with the advent of science, it is becoming evident that these traditions are based on some scientific knowledge and moved from generations to generations as traditions. Though the common people did not know science in it, they were following it very faithfully over the years. This article is an attempt to bring forward the science involved in these traditions and rituals. Ancient Rishis, which were scientists actually, did not tell the common people the science involved in these traditions, but instead related them with the God and religion, so that the common people would benefit from them.

Another contributing factor is that the Hindu traditions are made depending on the climate of India as Hinduism is the main religion in India. Even in India, there are different regions with different climate, so they vary from region to region.

1. Why every Hindu should have a Tulsi plant in front of his/her house?

Answer: The Latin name of Tulsi plant is ” Ocimum Sanctum.” It is also called as Holy Basil. For thousands of years, Tulsi has been worshiped by Hindus. It is considered as a sacred plant and it is necessary for every Hindu family to have a Tulsi plant in front of their house. The recent studies, have shown that Tulsi plant releases Ozone (O3) along with oxygen, which is very essential for ecological balance. World Ozone Day is celebrated on 16th September of every year, at which time some environmental organizations distribute Tulsi plants in large number.

Besides that Tulsi has lots of medicinal uses and is a very important herb according to Ayurveda. Tulsi leaves are supposed to strengthen our immune system. So, the Tulsi leaves are mainly used for treating fever, common cold, cough, sore throat, and respiratory disorders.

Therefore, I think not only Hindus but all of us should have a Tulsi plant in front of our house.

2. Why Hindus worship some particular trees and not all the trees?

Answer: It is true that Hindus honor all the trees but some particular trees and plants are considered sacred and have been worshiped over thousands of years.

Some of the examples are Peepal Tree (Ficus religiosa) and Audumbar Tree (Ficus racemosa). These two trees are 24-hour oxygen generators and cannot be planted manually. They grow on their own mainly through the birds, which eat their fruits. Audumbar tree is associated with Guru Dattatreya, one of main Hindu deities and cutting or dishonoring the tree in any way is considered as a sin. Both of these trees are very important for ecological balance. So by associating them with Hindu deities, they have been protected, so that no one would cut them.

3. Why Hindus pierce ears of a baby?

Answer: After a baby is born, it is a general practice in Hindus to pierce his/her ears. Actually, it is a part of acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture and acupressure is not new to Hindus. Even it is said that these techniques originated in India and later they were conserved and modified by Chinese. Outer part of ears carry a lot of important acupuncture and acupressure points. The point where the ears of a baby are pierced is known for curing asthma. That is why even ancient Hindus used to wear earrings but now a days most Hindus do not wear earrings. They do not even pierce the ears after first piercing. The holes in their ears become invisible after as they grow up. Only Hindu female wear earrings as a tradition.

But there are males of some castes in Hinduism who wear earrings as a tradition till now.

4. Why Hindus do not eat meat on particular days?

Answer: Hindus do not eat meat on particular days not limited but including:

Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays of every week, Sankashti Chaturthi, Angarki Chaturthi, Ekadashi, Gudhipadwa, Akshaytrutiya, Diwali (all the days) and many more auspicious days.

Amongst this, the reason for not eating meat on some particular days excluding weekly days is purely religious. Killing of animals is considered as a sin in Hinduism. So, people avoid eating meat at least on those auspicious days to maintain sacredness of that particular day.

The reason behind not eating meat on weekdays including Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays is that as a human being we need only a little amount of meat to fulfill requirements of our body such as iron, vitamin B12 and other vital nutrients. But human being basically is an animal and we get addicted to eating meat. As we all know eating excessive meat is not good for health. It can cause diseases like piles, kidney stones, colon cancer, blood pressure, heart attack, etc. Then also people cannot refrain themselves from eating flesh. Therefore, Hinduism has placed some restrictions by assigning the days to particular deities. E.g. Monday is dedicated to Lord Shiva, Thursday to Lord Dattatreya, and Saturday to Lord Hanuman. In this way, people have been assigned some religious restrictions and as most of Hindus are religious, they do obey this rule. In this way, they restrict the meat in their diet which is good for their health.

5. Why only some castes are allowed to eat non-vegetarian food and others are not?

Answer: Basically, who should eat and who should not depends on the occupation of a person. If you ask a modern doctor, he will simply tell you that if you have need for more calories and you do a lot of physical labor, then only you should eat nonvegetarian food. If your occupation is of sedentary type and you eat a lot of high-calorie food, you are bound to gain more weight and invite all sorts of diseases related to obesity.

The medieval caste system of India was based upon the occupation of a person. Therefore the people from a particular caste doing more physical labor were allowed to eat meat. For example, job of a Kshatriya was to fight with enemy and protect the people. So, they required a lot of energy. Hence, Kshatriyas were allowed to eat meat. In the same way, a farmer who requires a lot of physical work was allowed to eat meat. On the other hand, other castes like Brahmins who do Prayer and intelligent work requiring less hard labor were restricted from eating meat. In the same way, weavers, businessmen were not allowed to eat meat.

Aside from that, some nonvegetarian products like meat and chicken are hard to digest. If you do not have enough body movement, it will be hard for you to digest that food and you will be unnecessarily inviting the ailments.

6. We get the human body after our soul passes through 84,00,000 species.

Hindus believe we get a human body after our soul passes through 84,00,000 species. Initially, critics of Hinduism used to say that this is just a myth so many species do not exist. But with the advent of science, it is revealed that there are about 84,00,000 species on the earth. So, the above statement is symbolic for the fact that human being is born through evolution and we human being is the most advanced stage of evolution.

Christianity's Similarities with Hinduism

2011-06-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

By Stephen Knapp

You may find it surprising that much of Christianity originated from India. Indeed, over the centuries, numerous historians and sages have pointed out that not only has Hinduism had a predominant influence on Christianity, but that many of the Christian rites could be directly borrowed from Hindu (Vedic) India.

French historian Alain Danielou had noticed as early as 1950 that "a great number of events which surround the birth of Christ - as it is related in the Gospels - strangely reminded us of Buddha's and Krishna's legends." Danielou quotes as examples the structure of the Christian Church, which resembles that of the Buddhist Chaitya; the rigorous asceticism of certain early Christian sects, which reminds one of the asceticism of Jain and Buddhist saints; the veneration of relics, the usage of holy water, which is an Indian practice, and the word "Amen," which comes from the Hindu (Sanskrit) "OM."

Another historian, Belgium's Konraad Elst, also remarks "that many early Christian saints, such as Hippolytus of Rome, possessed an intimate knowledge of Brahmanism." Elst even quotes the famous Saint Augustine who wrote: "We never cease to look towards India, where many things are proposed to our admiration."

Unfortunately, remarks American Indianist David Frawley, "from the second century onwards, Christian leaders decided to break away from the Hindu influence and show that Christianity only started with the birth of Christ." Hence, many later saints began branding Brahmins as "heretics," and Saint Gregory set a future trend by publicly destroying the "pagan" idols of the Hindus.

In fact, Hinduism's pervading influence seems to go much earlier than Christianity. American mathematician, A. Seindenberg, has, for example, shown that the Shulbasutras, the ancient Vedic science of mathematics, constitute the source of mathematics in the antique world of Babylon to Greece: "The arithmetic equations of the Shulbasutras were used in the observation of the triangle by the Babylonians as well as in the edification of Egyptian pyramids, in particular the funeral altar in the form of pyramid known in the Vedic world as smasana-cit."

In astronomy too, the "Indus" (from the valley of the Indus) have left a universal legacy, determining for instance the dates of solstices, as noted by 18th century French astronomer Jean Sylvain Bailly: "The movement of stars which was calculated by Hindus 4,500 years ago, does not differ even by a minute from the tables which we are using today." And he concludes: "The Hindu systems of astronomy are much more ancient than those of the Egyptians-even the Jews derive from the Hindus their knowledge."

There is also no doubt that the Greeks heavily borrowed from the "Indus." Danielou notes that the Greek cult of Dionysus, which later became Bacchus with the Romans, is a branch of Shaivism: "Greeks spoke of India as the sacred territory of Dionysus, and even historians of Alexander the Great identified the Indian Shiva with Dionysus and mention the dates and legends of the Puranas." French philosopher and Le Monde journalist Jean-Paul Droit recently wrote in his book, The Forgetfulness of India, that "the Greeks loved so much Indian philosophy that Demetrios Galianos had even translated the Bhagavad-gita."

Many Western and Christian historians have tried to nullify this India influence on Christians and ancient Greece by saying that it is the West through the Aryan invasion, and later the onslaught of Alexander the Great of India, which influenced Indian astronomy, mathematics, architecture, philosophy-and not vice versa. But new archeological and linguistic discoveries have proved that there never was an Aryan invasion and that there is a continuity from the ancient Vedic civilization to the Saraswati culture.

The Vedas, for instance, which constitute the soul of present day Hinduism, have not been composed in 1500 B.C., as Max Muller arbitrarily decided, but may go back to 7000 years before Christ, giving Hinduism plenty of time to influence Christianity and older civilizations which preceded Christianity.

Thus, we should be aware of and point out the close links which exist between Christianity and Hinduism (ancient Vedic culture), which bind them into a sacred brotherhood. Conscientious Christian and Western scholars can realize how the world humanity's basic culture is Vedic through proper research.

Great Indian sages, such as Sri Aurobindu and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the Art of Living, have often remarked that the stories recounting how Jesus came to India to be initiated are probably true. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar notes, for instance, that Jesus sometimes wore an orange robe, the Hindu symbol of renunciation of the world, which was not a usual practice in Judaism. "In the same way," he continues, "the worshiping of Virgin Mary in Catholicism is probably borrowed from the Hindu cult of Devi." Bells too, which cannot be found today in Synagogues, the surviving form of Judaism, are used in church-and we all know their importance in Buddhism and Hinduism for thousands of years, even up to the present day.

There are many other similarities between Hinduism and Christianity, including the use of incense, sacred bread (prasadam), the different altars around churches (which recall the manifold deities in their niches inside Hindu temples), reciting prayers on the rosary (Vedic japamala), the Christian Trinity (the ancient Vedic trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva as the creator, maintainer and destroyer respectively, as well as Lord Krishna as the Supreme Lord, the all-pervading Brahman as the holy ghost, and Paramatma as the expansion or son of the Lord), Christian processions, and the use of the sign of the cross (anganyasa), and so many others.

Essential Teachings of Hinduism

2011-06-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

The topic of this page is the ancient India religion – Hinduism and its relevance to the modern age.

I’ll start off by quoting Bertrand Russell, the famous agnostic, mathematician and philosopher. He believed all religions (including Hinduism) to be both false and harmful. Regarding the challenges facing mankind today, due to rapid scientific and technological progress he said (in the Scientific Outlook): “Man has been disciplined hitherto by his subjection to nature. Having emancipated himself from this subjection he is now showing something of the defects of slave turned master. A new moral outlook is called for in which submission to the powers of nature is replaced by respect for what is best in man. It is where this respect is lacking that scientific technique is dangerous. So long as it is present science, having delivered man from bondage to nature, can proceed to deliver him from bondage to the slavish part of himself.”

Modern science has progressed over the last hundred years to the extent that man can now destroy all life on this planet simply by pressing the nuclear button. But we can also eradicate poverty, disease and all forms of avoidable human misery while preserving life in all its forms. The choice is ours.

In addition to technological marvels the growth of modern science has resulted in a scientific and rational attitude to life, which has destroyed many a fable, myth and superstition. Modern man is questioning everything – including established religious faiths – and this has led to a loss of inner direction within himself. He lacks the foundation for “respect for what is best in Man” as Bertrand Russell put it.

It is here that the ancient India religion – Hinduism – can help. As explained in the page the Philosophy of Hinduism all religious Hindu texts and holy books are categorized as either sruti – the essential spiritual truths – or smrti – the rules, regulations, dos and don’ts specific to a particular social milieu. The modern scientific, questioning outlook has exposed the fables, myths and superstitions as false and not relevant to our day and age. But there is no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The sruti – the essential spiritual truths – remain and as enunciated in the Upanishads they provide the guidance the inner direction needed by modern man today. These are the essential teachings of the ancient India religion – Hinduism.

There is nothing in the spirit of the Upanishads, which would go against the modern rational skeptical bent of mind. One of the most striking features of the Upanishad is the fearless quest for truth and the rational bent of mind exemplified by the sage of ancient India. The only difference between those sages and modern day scientists is that the scientist looks outward – at the external world – in his search for truth and the sages of ancient India religion of Hinduism looked inward.

The values preached by the Upanishad – along with a passion for truth – are human happiness and welfare, detachment from worldly pleasures and a lack of clinging. Service to mankind was stressed. And of course the Upanishads show the way to the inner experience of our oneness with the ultimate or God.

The unabated materialism and pursuit of money may drive the world economy but it also leads to conflict and competition between individuals, nations and rapid destruction of our environment. In addition most people are plagued by the internal demons of their subconscious minds and give vent to their negative feelings and passions in a destructive way. The message and methods revealed by the Upanishads and in fact all eastern philosophy is that man can rediscover his lost sense of oneness, of unity with the rest of existence. Any person who has had this experience will be a light to the world and will help rescue humanity from its headlong rush towards chaos and destruction.

THE ULTIMATE REALITY IN HINDUISM

2011-06-09T03:16:00.000-07:00

Swami Adiswarananda
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center
New York

Hindu scriptures describe ultimate reality as Brahman. Brahman is non-dual pure consciousness, indivisible, incorporeal, infinite, and all-pervading like the sky. Brahman is of the nature of existence-knowledge-bliss-absolute-the ground of all existence, basis of all awareness, and source of all bliss. It is the reality of all realities, the soul of all souls, one without a second, the constant witness of the changing phenomena of the universe. From the absolute point of view, Brahman alone exists. Brahman has two aspects: transcendent and immanent. In Its transcendent aspect, Brahman is devoid of name and form, sex and attributes. But in Its immanent aspect, Brahman is endowed with them. The Upanishads designate the transcendent Brahman by the word "It" and the immanent Brahman by the word "He." Through Its inscrutable power called maya, the transcendent Brahman appears to be conditioned by time and space and to manifest itself as personal God, the creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe. The Upanishads describe God as the supreme person:

His hands and feet are everywhere; His eyes, heads, and faces are everywhere; His ears are everywhere; He exists compassing all. The heavens are His head; the sun and moon, His eyes; the quarters, His ears; the revealed Vedas, His speech; the wind is His breath; the universe, His heart. From His feet is produced the earth. He is, indeed, the inner Self of all beings.

The various Godheads of Hinduism, such as Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Kali, and Durga, are but different facets of Brahman. The supreme Brahman assumes various forms for the fulfillment of the individual spiritual seekers. All concepts and forms of God, according to Hinduism, are what we think of Him and not what He is to Himself. Again, various seekers of God, depending upon their advancement, perceive God differently. For example, to the beginner God appears as an extra-cosmic creator; to the more advanced seeker as inner controller; and to the perfect knower of God, God is everywhere and in everything. Still another manifestation of the conditioned Brahman is the incarnation of God-God's taking human form. According to Hinduism, God incarnates Himself to fulfill the needs of the universe, whenever and wherever such a need arises. In the Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna says:

Whenever there is a decline of dharma (righteousness), O Bharata, and a rise of adharma (unrighteousness), I incarnate myself. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of dharma, I am born in every age.

Thus, according to Hinduism, the supreme Godhead is both formless and endowed with many forms.

Who is a Hindu? What is Hinduism

2011-06-07T07:18:00.000-07:00

Introduction

If we think of Hinduism in a limited context, we may think of it as a religion and then whoever is born in that religion would be considered a Hindu, i.e. a Hindu by birth or a JanmaHindu. However, in reality Hindu Dharma is an attitude; and it is far more than a religious ideology. This article goes by the definition of Hindu given in the Hindu holy text the Merutantra, which essentially shows, that to be a Hindu is an attitude.

Definition

In the holy text the Merutantra, the word ‘Hindu’ is defined as 'Hinani Gunani dushyati iti Hindu.' Meaning that which destroys or dushyati the inferior Raja-Tama components or gunas (subtle spiritual components) is a Hindu. Thus, to be a Hindu is to follow a way of life that enhances the spiritually pure Sattva component and Sattva predominant qualities like love, humility, courage, expansiveness, etc. and overcomes the spiritually impure Raja-Tama predominant attitudes like anger, attachment, jealousy, greed, lust, pride etc.

Sattva, Raja and Tama: The three subtle basic components of Sattva, Raja and Tama are the very fabric of creation. Unknown to modern sciences, they permeate through all living and non-living, tangible and intangible things. The vibrations emitted by anything are dependent on its predominant subtle basic component. They also influence the behavior of all things. The proportion of these components in human beings can only be changed by spiritual practice.

Hindu by birth and action

One can be a Hindu by his actions (karma) or birth (Janma).
Karma Hindu -> is a Hindu by his deeds and qualities or spiritual components
Janma Hindu -> is a Hindu by birth.
Since to be a Hindu is an attitude, a KarmaHindu is a true Hindu. He is Hindu by action and thought, a follower of Dharma and spreads Dharma, which is a sÄttvik or spiritually pure way of life.

How is Hinduism unique from other religions?

Hinduism cannot be neatly slotted into any particular belief system. Unlike other religions, Hinduism is a way of life, a Dharma, that is, the law that governs all action. It has its own beliefs, traditions, advanced system of ethics, meaningful rituals, philosophy and theology. The religious tradition of Hinduism is solely responsible for the creation of such original concepts and practices as Yoga, Ayurveda, Vastu, Jyotish, Yajna, Puja, Tantra, Vedanta, Karma, etc.

How and when did Hinduism originate?

Hinduism has its origins in such remote past that it cannot be traced to any one individual. Some scholars believe that Hinduism must have existed even in circa 10000 B.C. and that the earliest of the Hindu scriptures – The Rig Veda – was composed well before 6500 B.C. The word "Hinduism" is not to be found anywhere in the scriptures, and the term "Hindu" was introduced by foreigners who referred to people living across the River Indus or Sindhu, in the north of India, around which the Vedic religion is believed to have originated.

What are the basic tenets of Hinduism?

There is no “one Hinduism”, and so it lacks any unified system of beliefs and ideas. Hinduism is a conglomerate of diverse beliefs and traditions, in which the prominent themes include:

Dharma (ethics and duties)
Samsara (rebirth)
Karma (right action)
Moksha (liberation from the cycle of Samsara)

It also believes in truth, honesty, non-violence, celibacy, cleanliness, contentment, prayers, austerity, perseverance, penance, and pious company.

What are the key Hindu scriptures?

The basic scriptures of Hinduism, which is collectively referred to as "Shastras", are essentially a collection of spiritual laws discovered by different saints and sages at different points in its long history. The Two types of sacred writings comprise the Hindu scriptures: "Shruti" (heard) and "Smriti" (memorized). They were passed on from generation to generation orally for centuries before they were written down mostly in the Sanskrit language. The major and most popular Hindu texts include the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

What are the major Hindu deities?

Hinduism believes that there is only one supreme Absolute called "Brahman". However, it does not advocate the worship of any one particular deity. The gods and goddesses of Hinduism amount to thousands or even millions, all representing the many aspects of Brahman. Therefore, this faith is characterized by the multiplicity of deities. The most fundamental of Hindu deities is the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - creator, preserver and destroyer respectively. Hindus also worship spirits, trees, animals and even planets.

Who is a Hindu and how to become one?

A Hindu is an individual who accepts and lives by the religious guidance of the Vedic scriptures. While the teachings of the Hindu tradition do not require that you have a religious affiliation to Hinduism in order to receive its inner teachings, it can be very helpful to formally become a Hindu because it provides one a formal connection to the “world's oldest continually existing enlightenment tradition."

Saints on: Who is a Hindu?

Sometimes, people who would like to follow the Hindu way of life or be called Hindu, inquire about ritualistic procedures, such as dikshÄ to convert into Hindu Dharma. From time to time we also hear about people being accepted into Hindu Dharma after such rituals, which are performed by Hindu Dhaarmik authorities. Here we present some teachings by Hindu Saints on who is a Hindu:

His Holiness Sree Gulabrao MahÄrÄj on who should be called a Hindu:

"One who accepts the VÄ“ds, Vendaangs, PurÄnÌ£s and related sects and one who has been born in a traditionally Hindu family.

One who sincerely accepts the above (the VÄ“ds, Vendaangs, PurÄnÌ£s and related sects) is also called a Hindu by initiation (DikshaaHindu).

One who does not accept either of the above, but has been born to Hindu parents is merely Hindu by birth (Janmaartha Hindu or JanmaHindu).

The best definition is if both factors are present (as in point a. above), but if only one of the factors is present (as in points b. and c. above), I consider the definition of a Hindu by initiation to be superior."

His Holiness Kane MahÄrÄj on the definition of a Hindu:

"One who despises Raja-Tama predominant, inferior attitudes, and the resulting inferior physical, verbal and mental actions,

One who is immersed in a Sattva predominant attitude and hence, one who considers worship of the divine (spiritual practice) as the sole purpose of life and attains God-realization and

One who follows the matchless path (Karmayoga) to guide society (in spiritual practice)

should be called a Hindu. This is an expansive definition of the word Hindu. Thus, Hindu is a spiritually pure (Sattva predominant) attitude. It means to be a seeker (sÄdhak) of the divine."

Spirituality in Terms of Bhagavad Gita

2011-06-06T05:40:00.000-07:00

Vijay Kumar Jain

The essence of spirituality truly laid in Bhagavad Gita of Hinduism... the foremost of all sacred scriptures existing on mother earth! The precepts of spirituality can never be followed by reading doctrines of Jainism, Buddhist scriptures, the Bible and Koran! The precepts of spirituality as detailed in Bhagavad Gita summarized it all!

FOR LEARNING BHAGAVAD GEETA ONLINE : http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/

I was born in Jainism religion yet, diligently following precepts of spirituality contained in Bhagavad Gita was my destiny! Even when 11 years of age I developed an inclination towards teachings of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana! Both Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharishi Ramana followed path of jnana yoga (absolute wisdom) as detailed in Bhagavad Gita!

Both started their search for God via path of bhakti yoga as detailed in Bhagavad Gita of Hinduism yet, both switched to path of jnana yoga (absolute wisdom) in the later stages of their life! It is following precepts of spirituality... path of jnana yoga human beings finally crossed ephemeral phase of life... reached stage of enlightenment (kaivalya jnana) forever!

What does spirituality truly mean? What does spirituality truly entail for mankind! Can God Almighty be reached via path of religion? Spirituality simply means understanding the real truth of us! We as a human being are a spiritual being on its cosmic journey. We as a soul atman have manifested the human form to work out its karma... remove dross impurities within!

At any given moment of time human beings lived two lives... one by the physical manifest form... the form of a human being governed by ego and the other by our true inner self... our soul atman... the spirit within! For living the physical manifest part of life... knowledge of science was necessitated! One had to learn a profession to earn a living.

To understand crux of inner life... to understand essence of consciousness that pervaded all human beings... the entire manifest life in cosmic system... we needed understanding underlying meaning of 700 shlokas verses contained in Bhagavad Gita! To realize our true essence... to become a pure soul atman in all its cosmic glory... we had to dwell upon teachings of Bhagavad Gita of Hinduism!

One could reach stage of enlightenment only by following precepts contained in Bhagavad Gita... never otherwise! In the history of mankind other than Hinduism only Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed gained enlightenment. All these man gods reached stage of enlightenment following precepts contained in Bhagavad Gita of Hinduism. They had no other alternative! Only in Jainism... other than Mahavira 23 more Tirthankaras gained enlightenment!

Bhagavad Gita... the doctrine given to mankind by Lord Krishna in the battle of Mahabharata between Pandava and Kaurava Kings is unique in all respects! It can be followed by anyone belonging to any religion, faith or belief! For following teachings contained in Bhagavad Gita... one need not convert to Hinduism ever!

Bhagavad Gita of Hinduism has universal appeal! Any human being world over can ceremoniously follow the teachings contained in Bhagavad Gita! But for that... Following path of absolute truthfulness is necessitated. People in West are more truthful than their Indian counterparts yet, the teachings of Bible prohibited them to know Bhagavad Gita!

The prime reason why followers of sacred Bible await coming of an antichrist... one who shall unveil to mankind the fallacies contained in Christianity... the teachings of Bible! The teachings of Bible as of today contain impurities. The teachings are distorted... Manipulated by Christian powers that be!

The interpretation of Bible as available today is not what Jesus Christ taught in his times! An enlightened one can never preach to mankind untruth ever! After reaching stage of enlightenment (kaivalya jnana) what flows forward from an enlightened one is truth and only truth! An enlightened person can convey all telepathically without ever opening one's mouth!

The concepts of spirituality as existing in West are absolutely flawed! The concept of spirituality can only be understood from the viewpoint of Bhagavad Gita... never otherwise! The biggest flaw of Christianity is considering Jesus Christ as the only son of God. As per Bhagavad Gita... every single human being is a son of God!

As per Bhagavad Gita... as per Mahavira (the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism... preceptor) every single human being has the potential to become a Mahavira... an enlightened one! The ultimate teachings of spirituality contained in Bhagavad Gita has only one message to convey... realize our true inner self at the earliest... become a pure soul atman in all its cosmic glory!

The moment human beings reached stage of enlightenment... all is over for soul atman within! Devoid of dross impurities within... the purified soul atman need not manifest a body again! In absence of karma the need for a purified soul atman manifesting a new body now ceased to exist! One finally crossed over ephemeral phase of life... the world of Samsara (worldly life)!

Spirituality derived its meaning from root word spirit that manifests whole of cosmos as super consciousness existing within every living being! The spirit existing within living beings including human beings is our soul atman... the spirit within... the absolute master and controller of human body and not vice versa!

Spirit... the underlying soul atman manifests a human body to work out its karma... remove dross impurities within! Of itself... no spirit... soul atman can purify self! Similar as one Kg of pure gold existing in a lump of hundred Kg of gold ore cannot extract itself of its own and requires external mining machinery and processes... every manifest spirit... soul atman within requires undergoing karma to remove the dross impurities within!

It is only through complex process of karma... the manifest spirit... soul atman finally liberates self from cycle of birth and death forever... regains its lost original pure prime pristine primordial form which was never possible otherwise! In absence of karma... spirituality carried no meaning! The manifest spirit needs karma to purify itself!

From the stage of amoeba (single cell formation)... the first manifestation in cosmic life cycle... to end stage... the 8.4 millionth manifestation when human beings gained enlightenment (kaivalya jnana) and finally salvation (moksha)... the crux of life remains our soul atman... the spirit within reaching cosmic end of life at the earliest!

It is only by traveling uncharted path of spirituality... human beings finally emancipated forever from cycle of birth and death... reached stage of enlightenment and finally salvation! Both enlightenment and salvation can never be reached through doctrines of Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islamic Dharma! One needs understanding gist of Bhagavad Gita.

Why is Bhagavad Gita difficult to understand! God Almighty ordained a journey of 1.1 million manifestations in human form (earthly life cycle of 12.4 million years) before human beings reached stage of enlightenment (kaivalya jnana)! For this purpose every human being was imbibed with an ego to keep human beings under check!

Mounted with a bloated ego... most human beings on mother earth indulged in sin and vice! This delayed our spiritual journey! For removing veil of ignorance... indulgence in sacred scriptures is necessitated! Whenever human beings indulged in matters spiritual... our bloated ego prompted otherwise... made us look towards more greener pastures... material accumulations!

Only by traveling path of nishkama karma... never indulging in fruits of karma performed human beings finally freed self from cycle of birth and death forever! Controlling five senses and finally mind made us establish control over ego. Controlling ego is the most difficult part in the journey of life of a human being. The moment our ego subdued forever... one finally reached stage of enlightenment (kaivalya jnana)! In absence of ego negating karma becomes easier!

Hindu Girl Held in Madrassa and Forced to Convert to Islam

2011-06-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

Islamabad, Pakistan (CHAKRA) - A Punjabi Hindu girl from Pakistan has been kidnapped and is being held in a madrassa where she is being forced to convert to Islam. This has been brought to attention by leading Pakistani activist Ansar Burney.

Burney’s rights organization has learned that 15-year-old, Gajri who is daughter of Meghna Ram was abducted from her home in Katchi Mandi on December 29^th 2009 by a nearby Muslim neighbour. This took place in the Liaquatpur in the Rahim Yar Khan District.

According to Burney, Gajri’s parents later found out that she was being held in a madrassa where she has been forcefully married off to someone in addition to being forced to convert to Islam.

The local administrator of the madrassa is refusing to speak to anyone regarding the abduction and Gajri is not being allowed to leave the madrassa resulting in not being able to speak to her parents or family members.

Burney, a former human rights activist openly condemned the forceful act of conversion in addition to the kidnapping. He has demanded her immediate release.

“Pakistan is a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which oblige authorities to protect religious minorities under international law,” he said.

After Gajri disappeared on December 21^st from southern Punjab, on December 26^th the local police station received a letter from the madrassa administrator stating that Gajri had embraced Islam and had married her neighbour Mohammed Salim. However, the letter was not enclosed with a marriage certificate.

The police failed to immediately inform Gajri’s parents of the letter they had received even though her parents had attempted to file a report when she first went missing. The parents were discouraged from filing a report, according to Burney.

After feeling helpless, Gajri’s parent’s went to Ramesh Jay Pal, the vice president of the National Peace Committee For Interfaith Harmony, asking him for his advice on the matter.

With Pal’s help, Gajri’s parents met the priest, Maulana Abdul Hafeez, in charge of Darul-Uloom Madrassa in Khanpur. He told them that their daughter had embraced Islam and that she was not allowed to meet her parents.

57 Hindus convert to Islam forcefully in 10 days

2011-06-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

SIALKOT: A total of 57 Hindus have converted to Islam since May 14 in Sialkot. As many as 35 Hindus converted on May 14 (Friday), 14 on May 17 and eight on May 19.

The people belong to adjacent Pasroor town and embraced Islam in to ‘survive in the society’, their Hindu relatives told The Express Tribune on Monday. Mangut Ram, a close relative of some of the new converts, who lives in Chobara village of Sialkot said that 35 members of a family embraced Islam because they were under pressure from employers. He said that he was the first cousin of the family.He said four Hindu brothers along with their families lived in the village of Nikki Pindi. Two of them and their families embraced Islam on May 14 in a local mosque (Haidri Mosque) in the village. Ram said that Hans Raj, Kans Raj, Meena/Kartar and Sardari Lal along with his with nephews and sons worked at an eatery in Karachi.

He said some Muslim people from his village also worked in Karachi. Ram said that his co workers often spoke against Hindus in Karachi where his family worked. “The owner of the shop where I worked said that after a few months of his employing me the sales dropped drastically because people were avoiding purchasing and eating edibles prepared by Hindus,” Ram said. “Many people opposed the large presence of Hindu employees at his shop and my boss felt pressured to change the situation,” he added.

Mangut Ram said that Sardari Lal and his brother Meena/Kartar had worked at the sweets shops for several years and made a decent living,that allowed them to support their families. He said that other Muslims employees of the nearby shops discriminated against them and persecuted them. The shop owner was forced to think about their future at his establishment. “That was when the two brothers and their families decided to embrace Islam in order to keep their jobs and be secure,” he said.

Ram confirmed that 13 family members of Sardari Lal, 12 members of Meena/Kartar, their nephew Kans Raj’s son Boota Ram along with three adults and several children of these families embraced Islam on May 14. “I don’t blame them, Sardari Lal, has succeeded in saving his job and can support his family,” Ram said. He said that Sardari Lal’s older brothers Hans Raj and Kans Raj remained Hindus. Hans Raj too has said that he might consider converting to save his job. He said that life was ‘just easier if one was Muslim’ and he wouldn’t be discriminated against. Ram said that 14 Hindus of the Tapiala village had embraced Islam on May 17 because they were extremely poor and could not get jobs because no one would employ the large Hindu family.

He said that another relative of his, Parkash, who lived in the village of Seowal, along with his eight family members had embraced Islam in order to save their lands. “After embracing Islam Parkash Ram usually came to the village and wept before me, he told me that Muslim neighbours had been mistreating him and had forced him to convert,” Ram said. Approximately 700 families in various villages in Sialkot do not have any temple for worship. The only temple in the area was situated in the Chobara village.In 1965 it was demolished,” Ram said.

Idol Worship In Light of Science

2011-06-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Scientific objects are not necessarily beautiful things. They need not attract our feelings and emotions; nevertheless, they may be very important and may call for our exclusive attention. It may be a small particle or some little thing which we consider as quite adequate for our purpose. You may wonder how this so-called little thing will take you beyond yourself in meditation. This is so because the whole universe is concentrated in every little thing in the world. This is something very important to remember. The total cosmos can be seen scintillating even in a particle of sand, though the universe seems to be so big and the sand particle so insignificant. Its insignificance vanishes the moment it becomes a replica, a representation of all the forces operating in the cosmos. One can strike the centre of the cosmos by striking anything in the world. This is why poets have exclaimed that we cannot touch a petal of a flower in our garden without disturbing a star in the heavens. The connection between a star in the heavens and a flower in our garden is capable of appreciation only if we know the scientific structure of the cosmos.

There is no distance between things, finally. Space is an illusion which creates an artificial distance between things. Facts like telepathic communication, which can work or produce effects at so-called distances, are instances which prove that really there are no spatial distances.
Quantum Entanglement
Quantum entanglement, also called the quantum non-local onnection, is a property of certain states of a quantum system containing two or more distinct objects, in which the information describing the objects is inextricably linked such that performing a measurement on one immediately alters properties of the other, even when separated at arbitrary distances

Whatever happened to one particle would thus immediately affect the other particle, wherever in the universe it may be. Einstein called this “Spooky action at a distance.”

Amir D. Aczel, Entanglement, The Greatest Mystery In Physics.
The Theory

When a photon (usually polarized laser light) passes through matter, it will be absorbed by an electron. Eventually, and spontaneously, the electron will return to its ground state by emitting the photon. Certain crystal structures increase the likelihood that the photon will split into two photons, both of them with longer wavelengths than the original. Keep in mind that a longer wavelength means a lower frequency, and thus less energy. The total energy of the two photons must equal the energy of the photon originally fired from the laser (conservation of energy).

When the original photon splits into two photons, the resulting photon pair is considered entangled.

Quantum entanglement occurs when two or more particles interact in a way that causes their fates to become linked: It becomes impossible to consider (or mathematically describe) each particle’s condition independently of the others’. Collectively they constitute a single quantum state.

Two entangled particles often must have opposite values for a property — for example, if one is spinning in “up” direction, the other must be spinning in the “down” direction. Suppose you measure one of the entangled particles and, by doing so, you nudge it “up.” This causes the entangled partner to spin “down.” Making the measurement “here” affected the other particle “over there” instantaneously, even if the other particle was a million miles away.

The most remote object can be operated upon by a thought, because remoteness is not actually a basic fact in the structure of things. Space and time themselves are not ultimately real. Hence, that which is past, that which is future, and of course that which is present, can also be contacted by a thought. We can materialise the past in the present, and bring back into the present consciousness that which appears to be in the future, because the time process is not absolute. It is relative to the other relative factor: a distance which is presented by space. Such being the case, anything—a little plant, a flower, a dot on the wall, a candle flame, or anything for the matter of that—can be considered as a representation of the great ideal that we see before us for our liberation.

One of the most vivid illustrations of the interactions of the mind of the observer with a quantum system is given by EPR – the ‘Einstein Podolsky Rosen Paradox’, or ‘Spooky action at a distance’ as it is sometimes known. The experimental evidence seems to show that the observer’s mind goes to its object unobstructedly and instantaneously, for example through ten kilometres of intervening Geneva city-scape (walls, buildings, railway stations, the lot!) at speeds exceeding that of light.

Nor does the effect diminish with distance. According to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory, the ‘spooky action’ can affect a particle instantaneously whether it is a metre away from the observer or halfway across the universe.

The observation of ‘spooky action’ relies on the concept of entanglement. It is possible to obtain pairs of fundamental particles where it is known that their properties will always cancel one another out, even when those properties have not been defined. These pairs are said to be ‘entangled’ . However the entanglement is conceptual rather than physical and the particles are free to move far apart.

Consider an experiment where we create an entangled pair of magnetic particles. Their polar alignments will always be opposite. We allow them to move far apart. We then place a Stern-Gerlach magnet in the path of one of the particles and observe what happens when it passes through. If it is defected upwards then, according to the ‘spooky action’ hypothesis, its distant partner would be deflected downwards by a similar magnet. By making the nearby observation we have instantaneously defined the properties of the distant particle.

Note that this is not the same thing as saying ‘The near particle was always up but we didn’t know until we decided to observe it. So the distant particle must always have been down even though we didn’t know at the the time.’

The reason the statement above is incompatible with quantum theory is that we could have equally well decided to align the Stern-Gerlach magnet on a left/right axis instead of up/down. In which case we would have fixed the near particle as, say, left-deflected and the distant particle would instantaneously be known to be right-deflected.

For many years both theoretical and technical difficulties stood in the way of determining whether ‘spooky action’ does indeed take place. However as a result of the theoretical work of John Bell and the ingenious experimental designs of Alain Aspect strong evidence was obtained that the effect occurred over distances of a few metres. The act of making a decision of what attributes of one member of an entangled pair were to be observed immediately determined what could be observed of the other member.

Now we can come to the philosophy behind what is known as idol worship. It is not ‘idle’ worship; it is ‘idol’ worship. An idol is a symbol; and who in this world is not worshipping a symbol? Those persons who put on an overweening attitude towards ritualistic worship and the adoration of idols and symbols do not understand that no one can exist in this world without some kind of symbol that is considered as most valuable. Whatever you hold in your hand is a symbol, finally. A coin or a currency note is a symbol of monetary power, which itself is invisible. A photograph of some dear person—your father, mother or whoever it is—is an idol that you are worshipping. If some dear relative has passed away, you hang a photograph of that person on the wall in your bedroom. Is it not a symbol; is it not an idol? Any gesture that you make is also a symbol. The idol so-called, which is worshipped in religion or taken as an object in meditation, is a nail struck in the wall to hang the coat of your mental operation. Something must be there to hang on to, because the mind cannot operate in emptiness.What ever you do is a symbol on a higher level , even scientist say that our deeper levels of mind represent everything in symbols. As we seen whatever we do it has its own effect somewhere based on the theory of Quantum entanglement. In More simple terms Because at the time of Big-bang all are one , everything including God ,Universe etc ( They were entangled with each other).As as per the quantum Entanglement if one of the entangled objects is affected there is a response in the other set which had its relationship before their seperation ; this is the fundamental philosophy of the Idol worship . At the seed level everyone is connected to everything as krishna said in the Bhagavad gita ( I am the seed giving father) and many verses of Bhagavad gita supports this like He amply clarifies in the Bhagavad Gita (7/7) that nothing whatsoever is superior to Him and everything rests on the Lord like pearls strung on a thread. This is the undeniable metaphysical reality. No other explanation in the scriptures can be more articulate than this. The Lord has entered every planet. He is sarva karana karanam, the ultimate cause of all causes. As a cause always pervades its effect, He says He is the thread that strings pearls together and supports them, and quantum physics also support this theory; in order to connect to Ishwara we need to just find a technology to create a vibration; in order to make quantum entanglement theory work. That technology is called as Idol worship. This theory is elaborated in the following pararaphs.

The concentration of the mind on an object is like the bombardment continuously effected upon a particular spot so that it splits and opens up its internal constitution. Like in the breaking of an atom, this releases its forces. Continuous thinking is a bombardment—a hitting, a striking and a breaking up of a knot, as it were, which has presented itself before us as a symbol, an ideal, or an object of concentration. All objects in the world are knots of Universal Force; they are concentrated essences of the all-pervading Reality. Every cell in our body is also the whole body. One can study a person by studying a little hair, or one cell, or any part of the body. The entire organism is concentrated in every part of the organism, so nothing is unimportant in this world. In that sense, everything is also divine. It is divine because the Universal pervades and is hiddenly present in everything that appears to be outside and segregated.

Yathabhimata dhyanat va is an aphorism of Patanjali in which he very, very compassionately tells us that any object in this world can be taken as a suitable ideal for our meditation. Several objects are prescribed, but finally it is told that we can take what we like. It is so because we can tap the source of the universe at any point, just as we can touch any part of our body from head to foot, but it is our body. In all the realms of creation, in all the forms of manifestation, we will find that a oneness is pervading. Therefore, we can take a scientific object or a beloved object for the purpose of concentration.

The processes of meditation can be classified into three categories: external, internal and Universal. Mostly things appear to be external, as we know very well. It is the habit of the sense organs to tell us that all things are outside. The vehemence, the velocity, the force with which the sense organs compel the consciousness to rush outside into the spatio-temporal context is such that we can never for a moment imagine that things can be anywhere but outside.

Hence, the prescription in the beginning is to take anything that you see outwardly or anything that you can conceive in the mind as an object of your meditation. This is especially seen in adoration, worship, concentration on symbols and idols because they are seen to be outside. You physically prostrate yourself before it, you offer a garland to it, you wave a holy light over it, you dance before it, you sing its glories, and you consider it as your be-all and end-all. It is not that you are fond of that little visible something in front of you, but you are fond of that which it represents.

Do you not salute a national flag? The flag is a piece of cloth, but it is not a cloth for us when you salute it; it is the spirit of the nation that is embedded in that otherwise meaningless piece of fabric, and that is its a value. A photograph—how valuable it is! You cannot trample on it, saying that it is a piece of paper and ink. It may be so, but you cannot trample on even a currency note; it is an insult. After all, it is paper and ink, but you do not say that. It has another value altogether.

Seeing invisible forces and values, and considering them as superior to that which is seen with our eyes, is the philosophy of idol worship. What I mean by ‘idol’ is any representation before us, concretely placed before the mental vision for the purpose of concentration. It can be a solid material, like a stone structure or a metal piece; it can be a painted picture or a diagram; it can even be a dot. A great Rishini of modern world used to sign her name as a dot. That dot was her signature, and people used to worship it. Let it be a dot, but it has been placed there by someone who is not merely a dot, and so it becomes a symbol of superior, supreme adoration.

The externality of the object of meditation is due to the power of the sense organs operating even when we think divine things. The senses are not to be ignored or set aside as something irrelevant to us. Their power is well known to us. When we open our eyes, we see nothing but that which is outside, and when we close our eyes and think, we visualise that which is outside. A mental externality is projected in a space that is mentally construed. Considering the power of the sense organs, which will not allow us to think in any other way than in an external fashion, we give a concession to the activity of the senses. This concession is not in the form of a license for them to do whatever they like, but is a help that we demand from them even in doing something which is not actually their area of operation. The visibility of an object as the idol or a form of worship is a concession that we give to the work of the sense organs: “My dear sense organs, you want to see something? Here it is; you can see it.” But we utilise this concession for a higher purpose, as a bitter pill is given to a patient to be swallowed for a purpose which is quite different from the pill itself.

The externality of the object, therefore, is the sensory aspect of it; and this aspect cannot be ignored, in order that we may not suppress the senses beyond a measure. The sense organs are not at all regarded as holy, spiritual or divine by people in general. We condemn them. We hear it said everywhere that the senses have to be controlled, but we must understand that these sense organs are part of our psychophysical existence; and when we say that they have to be restrained, we must know what it is actually that we are speaking about. We are trying to peel off our skin, or perhaps to suppress our own self, and suppression is not an art that is advised in the techniques of yoga. Suppression is the worst of things. It is like keeping a snake inside a basket and covering it with a lid, as if it is not there. But if we lift the lid, it will be there with its hood stretched out. So, we should never suppress a cobra. And the mind is like a cobra.

Sometimes it is suggested that we may divert our attention to something more innocuous when the senses become very powerful. People who are accustomed to chewing tobacco are told by homeopaths that there is some medicine which is a substitute for the stimulation that is caused by chewing tobacco or betel leaves, and so on. It is a substitution. People who have diabetes are not supposed to eat sugar, but in order that they may not feel that things are insipid, some other kind of sweetness such as saccharin, a kind of tablet, is given to them. It is medical. In a similar manner, sometimes it is suggested that a diversion of the attitude or the working of the sense organs may be attempted, without actually telling them that we are not going to give them what they want. We should not tell the senses, “I am going to deprive you of all your demands”. Then they will revolt. We can tell them, “I am going to give you,” but not give them exactly what they ask for. We can give them something which will attract their attention and satisfy them in an innocuous manner for the time being, like homeopathic medicine which cures the disease by an administration of something which itself is a part of that disease. Similia similibus curentur is the philosophy behind homeopathic medicine, which means ‘like cures like’.

The desires of the sense organs are like diseases, and you have to cure these diseases—not by the allopathic method of an antidote which suppresses them, but by a method which is harmonious and not opposed. This is a subtle matter, mostly personal and difficult to imagine in these initial stages. The problems that you will face in meditation cannot be known now. Even if your practice goes on for months, or two or three years, you may not know what exactly the sense organs are capable of, because the senses will not interfere with you unless they begin to feel that you are bent upon doing some harm to them. If they think that your meditation is only a childish play and is not going to affect them in any way because they will still be given what they want, everything will go on well. But if you are serious in the matter and you are not going to think in the manner that the sense organs would like you to think, then you will see what they do. If instead of telling the creditor to come tomorrow or the day after, which is a palliative method, you tell him that he will get nothing, you will see what he does! Suppression is the worst of methods.

Diverting the attention is a little better than suppression, but the most beneficial process is sublimation. Sublimation is the melting down of the force of the sense organs into almost a kind of liquid of spirituality. The power of the sense organs is like a knot—granthis, as they are called. You are not asked to cut the Gordian knot, but to untie it gradually. Force should not be applied by the application of will. The meaning of the word ‘sublimation’ should be clear to you. It is eliminating the very cause behind the impetuosity of the sense organs.

Why do children behave in a naughty manner? There are turbulent children who behave very badly in school and at home. Their parents and teachers find it very difficult to handle them. Generally they slap the child on the cheek and say, “Keep quiet! This is not the way of behaving, idiot!” This is a very, very undesirable way of treating children when they are behaving boisterously or naughtily. The Montessori method is known to educationalists as a very understanding method. It is a happy process of psychologically entering into the feeling and the difficulty of the child, even if it behaves in an inhuman or unsocial way. Such a Montessori method may be psychologically applied to the sense organs, which are naughty children. They will never listen to what we say. They are truant; they will never go to school. They are bent upon getting what they want.

Sublimation is the most difficult of all methods; it requires tremendous understanding. Inasmuch as this understanding is the prerequisite for all practices in yoga and meditation, so much time was taken in our earlier lessons to consider the philosophical, metaphysical and the foundational aspects of the practice. Otherwise, we could have directly gone into meditation to sit and think something. That may have been quite all right; but really, it would not have been all right because, finally, sublimation—which is the prerequisite of the diversion of the sense energy into the meditational method—is possible only on a higher understanding of our relationship with the universe.

The senses are impetuous because they do not understand what our relationship is with things. They want to grab things outside because, first of all, they think that the thing is really outside—which is not a fact. You have now understood why things are not really outside. Secondly, the senses insist on not only believing that things are outside, but that they are desirable and must be had. This also is a mistake in the way of thinking. It is not true that things are outside, and so asking for them is due to a mistake in the thinking itself. Secondly, it is not true that things are really desirable. That is also an emotional blunder. These two primary difficulties can be melted down by a process of sublimation, by a philosophical analysis of the structure of the universe with which we are connected in a vital, organic, living fashion.

Here is something by way of an introductory remark on the characteristics of externality that introduces itself somehow or other, willy-nilly, in your practices. This externality can also be considered as, finally, a kind of internality of the structure of the universe. All things are inside the universe; but to the sense organs, all things are outside. Even if they are considered as outside, are they also inside the universe? You are also inside. You see me sitting here outside and I see you sitting outside, but in the light of the inclusiveness of everything in the universal structure, we may say everything is also inside. Therefore, in a larger perspective, an external object can also be conceived as an internal something. The very external becomes an internal. It is also universal because everything is connected to everything else in the world. So a so-called external thing can also be an internal thing, and it can also be a universal thing.

ॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐॐ

Muslim perpetrators find chances to attack Hindu Temples and Saints in the “Change” scenario. Bengal Media indifferent.

2011-06-04T03:28:00.000-07:00

From : hindu existence

Titu Bharti in Durgapur || While the auspicious ceremony of “Paribartan – Change” in Bengal, as claimed by the majority for this in the 2011 election here is being celebrated, in reality, West Bengal is located 2011 km away from democracy and rights for Hindus, as the course of Islamization of this province is in its ultimate state, which has been proved once again in the territory, as before in the Left Front regime of the predecessors.

Again an asthana of Baba Fakirananda and a small Hindu Temple of Bajrangbali (Bagrangbali Ashram) have been smashed by the Muslim hooligans for capturing the temple land in the Durgapur area of Burdwan Districts. Danik Jagaran reported in its Asansole edition on 23rd May, 2011 that a group of 15-20 Musalman Mastan (hooligans) came to attack the Ashram place on 21st Saturday night after an altercation with some locale, may be as a plotting for the night attack. The priest of that Bajrangbali temple, Baba Fakirananda and Sadhvi Anima were assaulted, abused and the pictures of the Hindu deities were torn and the murthies (idols) of Bajragvali and Lord Shiva were desecrated and destroyed by the Muslim attackers with a least resistance of 2-3 inmates of the Devastthan. The Muslim culprits severely injured one Bhola, a resident and sympathizer of the Ashram, who came to protest against the temple attack by the outsiders. This Hanuman Temple and akhara of Baba Fakirananda has become a place of Puja-Path ( Hindu Rituals) by the local Hindus remarkably with due veneration .

As per report, a complaint was lodged by the ashramites in the Kokoben Police Station in the Benachiti area of Durgapur Municipal Corporation. Though demanded a hasty arrest of the perpetrators, no justice could be possible in favor of the aggrieved Hindus and against the Muslim perpetrators as this areas come under the whip of Trinamool leader and MLA MD. Maloy Ghatak, who is adorned as the Law Ministry of West Bengal presently for his Muslim appeasement and support at an umpteen skill. It is heard that Md. Ghatak gave her daughter to a rich Muslim family through an arranged marriage.

The report of this silent attack upon Hindus and Hindu Temple came only in Danik Jagran and the silence of the whole media is bound to raise unanswerable questions. Certainly we found the names of the perpetrators in case of the domestic violence. Fine, but why the perpetrators were not punished even by the mighty pens of media? They can name the man who was beaten up, despite the goons were not “identified” by our highly vigilant media.

The media persons perhaps just think, it’s the handiwork of just some antisocial elements But they never think, why should they tear the picture of Hindu God Bajrangbali , why should they demolish his deity? Why this attack upon Hindu Temple and Ashram? Unless they were preparing to become Ghazi (idol breakers or the killer of a Kaffir), they were not so ruthless and tragic to the disbelievers.

A source so closed to the attackers told us the names of the goons who even took the pain to tour to Durgapur from Asansol, of course to be certified as Ghazi. One of the boys is namely Saifulla Khan, son of a giant antisocial of Asansol under alias of a businessman having a bog shop named “Paramount”. This Saifulla is operating from Asansol to harm hundreds over the Hindus in the locality and even in the remote areas of Burdwan as sources told so far.

Second one comes from the offspring of the owner of “Israil Fashion” that funded Pakistani Intruders with a huge sum of 12 Crore during Kargil War, as a cross border aid from Bangladeshi talibans, creating a debate then. This shop was the third most visited cloth store after B N GHANTY and MOHAN CLOTH STORE in Asansol. In retaliation the Hindus economically boycotted the store or that time and it was almost dragged on footpath. But the Muslim community helped them for their bad times and the masters and managers of Asansol wiped out the matter as no action was taken on them on political coverage. The name of Touhid Hossian is also surfaced for the involvement in this temple attack.

When this is the case of Temple attack in Burdwan and specially in Durgapur, Bengal media should not be blamed for “not to publish the name of the deadly goons from a particular community”. They are all only loyal to the Muslim Minorities. This is branded as “Courageous Journalism” to promote fundamental Islam. Actually, this doesn’t mean anything in their profile.

These types of attack upon Bajrangbali Temple or protest over Bajrangbali Murthi (idol) installation were recorded in Panchala (Howrah), Budge Budge (South 24 Pgs) and some places in West Bengal very unfortunately within last one year.

The rate of attack by Hindu common people in rural areas in Bengal are increasing day by day.
The permission of Hindu local rituals (sravajanin pujas) are not given smoothly by the police and administrations.
The Hindu girls and women are victimized grossly by the other religions in the covering of Love Jihad.
Permission and Selling of Raw beefs in Hindu areas and mixed areas are growing to hurt the Hindu sentiments.
Capturing or attacking upon Hindu Temple, Hindu lands are gaining political supports.

Outsiders and Non Hindu communities are being settled in road sides and Railway stations in the name new habitation or business undermining the Local Hindus. WE ARE WATCHING ALL THESE, OUR NEW CM IN WEST BENGAL !!!

Forefather of Indian Muslims Were Hindus

2011-06-02T04:59:00.000-07:00

To commemorate the memory of Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the mighty and visionary Hindu ruler, who demolished the Islamic domination in India and founded the Hindu Empire in 1674, the Eleventh Hindu Sangathan Divas (Hindu Unity Day) was celebrated with a great fanfare and enthusiasm in New York on July 24 by the representatives of fifty Hindu organizations (including temples). More than 700 Hindus from the different states of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Caribbean Islands, mingled together with great joy in the spirit of brotherhood, keeping aside their differences of caste, color and nationality.

The spectacle was seen to be believed. The enthusiastic gathering debunked the fallacious theories advanced by the prophets of doom that Hindus can never be brought together on one single platform. This year’s Hindu Sangathan Divas was dedicated to the memory of Mausiji Smt. Laxmibai Kelker who laid the foundation of Rashtriya Sevika Samiti in Bharat.

In his scathing attack on those whose commitment to the motherland is ambivalent or ad hoc or who feel no kinship to Hindus, Chief Guest at the Eleventh Hindu Sangathan Divas, Dr. Subramanian Swamy, former Union Law Minister of India said that they should acknowledge the Hindu foundation of India, that their forefathers were Hindus, that they did not come from Persia. “India is only for those who swear that Bharat or Hindustan is their matru-bhoomi and karma-bhoomi,” thundred Dr. Swamy.

“Hindus are under a state of siege in India and they do not even realize it,” exclaimed Dr. Subramanian Swamy. The forces which want to undermine the Hindu faith and Hindu spirit in India are clandestine and deceptive. It is a matter of great regret that Hindus themselves are being used as pawns in this sinister conspiracy directed by foreigners who have no love for India. Urging audience to visit his website www.indiaright.org, Dr. Swamy said that undiluted unity of Hindus based and fostered on the fundamentals of renaissance is the need of the hour.

Listing the injustices perpetrated and sacrileges heaped on Hindus and their age-old institutions with impunity, and with the sophistication of constitutional instruments of law, Dr. Subramanian Swamy said that the arrest and imprisonment of 2500 year old Kanchi Mutt Shankaracharya, patronizing of Christian evangelist Benny Hill by Karnataka Chief Minister and Central Government ministers, attack on Ram Temple in Ayodhya by foreign terrorists, taking over the Hindu-temple land by Congress governments in Andhra Pradesh, smack of a deep rooted conspiracy to hold Hindus under siege in Bharat.

We Hindus are the descendants of brave and victorious kings like Chhatrapati Shivaji and the Vijayanagaram Kings. Hence, Hindus should develop a mindset to retaliate in the face of unprovoked attacks. Our retaliation must be massive enough to deter any future attacks. There was a spontaneous uproarious applause of approval from the audience when Dr. Swamy said that if terrorists come from the training camps in Pakistan, those training camps, no matter what the consequences, must be carpet bombed.

Swamy Aksharanand ji, the Keynote Speaker, who holds a Ph.D. degree in Hindu Studies from the University of Madison, Wisconsin (USA) deplored that it was unbecoming on the part of leaders of one billion strong Hindus to look at the United States and complain about the cross border terrorism (from Pakistan) and cry like babies.

He spoke extensively regarding the falsity of the “equality of religions” propagated by none other than Swami Vivekananda and Gandhi not to mention the modern day gurus and saints. The concept that “All religions are one” as propagated by Gandhi incessantly is the most destructive concept that is affecting us all. It is not only silly but dangerous fallacy to propagate the idea that all religions are one. Some of these gurus and sanyasis from India come here at the United Nations and invoke Allah and Jesus Christ. In fact, what are they saying to us Hindus, who are under severe attacks every day by the same forces of Allah and Christ. Hinduism and other religions can’t be equated and called same because “religions” of the world have been born in the environment of hostility. Tracing the origin of Abrahamic religions, Swami Aksharananda said that when Christianity came on the scene, it had to develop an antagonistic philosophy to deal with Judaism. When Islam came on the scene, it had to develop an antagonistic philosophy in order to deal with both Christianity and Judaism. He stressed on the point that Islam and Christianity in their very genesis are hostile and antagonistic creeds.

Three prominent Hindu journalists, Dr. Prakash Swamy, Prem N. Chopra and Brahm Kanchibothla and Dr. Uma Mysorekar, President of Hindu Temple Society of North America, were honored and recognized for their meritorious contributions to the Hindu society in North America. Vijay Nahata, an Indian American businessman, presented certificates of achievements to them.

Dr. D. Bhattacharaya, Prof. at Columbia University, described the tragic condition of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. Dr. Babu Suseelan, Professor in Clinical Psychology and Director of Addiction Research Institute, Pennsylvania, spoke about the “Psychological Warfare Against Hindus.” Dr. Chirag Patel, a scholar at The Vedic Foundation at Austin, Texas spoke about “Reclaiming the Greatness of Hindu Dharma.” Venkat Sarma, President of Kerala Hindus of North America, spoke on “Hindu Unity in the Land of Sankara.” Rajyalaxmi, a disciple of Barfani Baba, spoke about the “Muslim Problem in Nepal.”

Srichand Sidhwani, a senior Sangh karyakarta, vividly explained the differences between “Religion and Dharma,” equating religions to Adharma. Rene Lobo, Community News Director at ITV, urged the audience to get involved in local politics. Swami Jyotirmayananda read an inspiring passage “I am Proud to Call Myself Hindu” from his book “Vivekananda, His Gospel of Man-making.” Dr. Ved Chaudhary gave the information about “Dharma Summit 2005” to be held in month of August in NJ. The program was closely coordinated by Arish Sahani. Ram Dular Singh emceed the program and Kishore Advani proposed the vote of thanks.

Earlier, welcoming the Hindu public and community leaders, Narain Kataria, organizer of the event said that the word “Hindu” had a very powerful and magical spell. The word Hindu had the power to touch the deep nerve in Hindu psyche. The word “Hindu” had the incredible capability to transcend the barriers of caste, creed, color, province or nationality. The word Hindu had the potential to bind one billion Hindus together. India was the only country in the world that was being ruled by the minorities. He, however, did not subscribe to the prevailing notion that Sikhs were the minority in India. “Hindus are the only people in the world who are being tortured, killed and murdered and nobody even takes note of it,” Kataria lamented.

Explosive Muslim Population Growth Rate in India

2011-06-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

Statistics in July 14, 2008 Posted by jagoindia

I recently came across a small booklet written in Marathi by Dr Shrirang Godbole titled, “Ahindu Loksankhyecha Visfot” (published Oct ’04 by “Bharatiya Vichar Sadhana” in Pune.

The book dealt with the explosive growth in non-Hindu populations in India. Below are some of the more startling statistics included in the book. I am not sure if a translation is available, nevertheless these facts will give you a flavour of the contents.

The book starts by noting that the boycott by Hindus of the census in 1921, 1931 and 1941 (I’m not clear about the exact reasons) and the resultant misrepresentation (under-representation?) in population statistics may have led to Hindus loosing out on several important decisions related to opportunities in government and administration, political reforms and constitutional matters at the time of Partition.

But coming back to the real point, here are some highlights:

· Of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies, Muslims are in a majority in 12. Of these, 4 are in J & K, one in Lakshdweep and the rest are in Kishanganj (Bihar, 66%), Ponani (Kerala, 66%), Jangipur (W Bengal, 59%), Murshidabad (W Bengal, 58%), Manjeri (Kerala, 56%), Dhubri (Assam, 55%) , Raiganj (W Bengal, 55%). However, Muslims hold a decisive vote in anywhere between 90-100 constituencies in the country. In Uttar Pradesh, politically one of the most important states, Muslims constitute more than 20% of the voting population in more than 34 Lok Sabha constituencies (of a total of 543). (Pg 18)

· There is no demonstrable link between illiteracy (or under-development) and Muslim population as many commentators would lead us to believe. In Maharashtra, although Hindus have a lower rate of literacy (both in terms of males and females), Muslims have a higher birth rate than Hindus in every single district (Pg 22)

· Amongst all the states in India, Assam has seen the maximum decline in Hindu population. In the 4 districts bordering Bangladesh (Dhubri, Golpara, Hailakandi and Karimganj), Muslims constitute between 52% ~ 75% of the population. Between 1991 and 2001, Muslim growth rate in Assam in was 29.3% compared to 14.8% for non-Muslims. Today, 10 out of 23 districts in Assam are Muslim majority

· Of the 9 boundary districts in W Bengal, all except 3 have Muslim majority

· In Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, Muslim population grew by 150% and 180% respectively. Nagaland has 16 major tribes but there has been a “new” addition in the last 10 years – “Semiyan” (persons descended from Bangaldeshi men – “Mian” and Naga women) which is a designated Muslim tribe

· In R K Ohri’s book (“Long March of Islam – The Future Imperfect”, Manas Publications, N Delhi, pp 235, 238), Sarifa Begum has estimated that between 1981 and 1991, 14 ~ 15 million Bangladeshis illegally entered (and consequently disappeared) in India. As conclusive evidence, the population growth in boundary districts on the Indian side has consistently outpaced the growth in boundary districts on the Bangladeshi side (see table below)

Bangladeshi boundary region	Population Growth Rate	Adjoining Indian region	Population Growth Rate
Greater Jessore and Greater Khulna	1.97% and 1.58%	North 24 Parganas, W Bengal	3.16%
Greater Maimensingh	1.82%	Garo Hills, Meghalaya	3.84%
Greater Commila	1.89%	Tripura	3.36%

· In 2003, George Fernandes has gone on record saying that illegal infiltration from Bangladesh into India has consistently been running at a rate of more than 1 lakh persons per year (p 235 of Sh Ohri’s book)

When will we wake up?

Allah in the Vedas: Zakir Naik’s lies exposed

2011-06-01T03:59:00.000-07:00

Posted By: hindtodaynews on:4/19/2008 9:57:00 PM

Islam is a creed that cannot survive without lies. Any so called Islamic scholar, whenever presents a discourse on Islam before a non-Muslim civilized audience, begins with a blatant lie that Islam means peace. While, in fact, Islam is just the opposite of that called peace. Though it is well-known that Islam treats women no better than domestic animals- simply as objects for satiation of lust and a machine for procreation of children, these scholars say that the Koran has given dignity to women and Islam provides equal rights for men and women. While the Koran clearly states that each and every non-Muslim is a kafir, but these scholars, solely to confuse the entire non-Muslim population in the world, tell lies and say the word kafir stands for an atheist. The Koran clearly states that, jihad is the all-out war, which is to be waged against the non-Muslim kakirs to slaughter them en-masse by bloody massacre and bring the entire world under the banner of Islam, these scholars tells lies and say that jihad is a mental war between good and bad in a man.

As a matter of fact, Islam considers telling lies to infidels or to give false testimony against them in the court of law for the benefit of Islam and for the benefit of jihad, a religious duty for every Muslim. Furthermore, the practice is called taqiyya or holy deception. Allah admires attaches merit to such a liar and rewards him profusely on the the day of last judgment (Qiyamah). Recently, a Muslim commentator has clarified that on three occasions, like (i) in war, (ii) or to win over a women’s heart and (iii) or for deceiving the infidels, lying is not a sin for the Muslims. So it is evident that Dr Zakir Naik will also be profusely rewarded by Allah for deceiving the infidels with his lies.

It has been said earlier that this author has several video CDs containing lecture sessions of Dr Zakir Naik and in two of them Dr Naik tries to establish similarities between Hinduism and Islam. As usual, the lecture begins with condemnation of Hinduism and he says that name Hindu has only geographical significance and the term has been imported by outsiders or foreign invaders to identify the people of India and their culture. But the holy book of Islam, or Koran mentions Islam as a religion in several places such as verses 19, 85, 119 and 185 of the Sura Al Imran (the 3rd Sura). Moreover, Koran mentions Musalman in the verse 64 of the same Sura. Hearing his words the audience, mostly Muslim blockheads, is seen to be jubilant. But no one audience pointed out that a religion should be judged not by the name, but by the message it carries. However, Dr Naik , later on, clarifies and says that the real name of Hinduism is Sanatana Dharma, or Eternal Religion. Though there is no English word equivalent to the Sanskrit word Dharma, the word religion is usually taken as the English equivalent of Dharma.

Dr Naik then clarifies that Islam is not a new religion originated by Prophet Muhammad 1400 years ago, and it came into being as soon as Allah created the first human being Adam in heaven. In my previous article “A Few Questions to Dr Zakir Naik on Islam”, I have shown that Allah created Adam not earlier than 4,127 years ago, and hence Islam, according to Dr Naik’s claim, cannot be older than the same number of years. But how old are the Vedas? Dr Naik admits that, according to Western scholars, the Vedas are the oldest literature of the mankind. But then ridicules the Hindus and says that they are polytheists and worship many Gods, while Muslims worship only one God Allah.

But it seems that Dr Naik is not aware that Hinduism is the oldest monotheist religion in the world. Apparently it appears to a commoner that Hinduism is polytheistic as Hindus worship idols of many deities. But whosoever has tried to delve into it has found that Hinduism is absolutely monotheistic. In Hinduism, God (or Îúvara) is one, but deities are many. Even a Hindu child knows that, all these deities are the manifestations of one God (Iúvara or Brahman). So the seers of the Vedas say,
Ekṃ sadviprâ bahudhâ vadanti Agniṃ Yamaṃ Mâtariúvânam âhuḥ -RV (1/164/46). (God is one but people call Him by many names like Agni, yama, Mâtariúvâ etc.) or
Suparṇ Viprâḥ kavayo bacobhirekaṃ santaṃ vahudhâ
kalpayanti- RV (10/114/5). (Him
(With fair wings though there is only One (bird), sages imagin
many).
So, when Dr Naik designates Hinduism a polytheistic religion and ridicules Hindus for worshiping many Gods, he exposes his ignorance of even a b c of Hinduism.

According to Dr Naik, Islam is the only religion that is strictly monotheistic, as its followers worship only one God Allah. But it seems, from Koran and other Islamic scriptures, that Allah is not confident that he is the only God in the world (not in the universe as Allah is aware only about heaven and earth).

Had Allah been the only God, it would not have been possible for man to find another God to worship. And had Allah been confident that there is no other God except him, he should not have been jealous of another God. For example, let us imagine a village where there is only one well as the source of fresh water. Hence there would not have been any difference whether the villagers drink water from a glass or from a pitcher, or from a jug. And as there is not an alternative source, it must have been derived from that lone well. In a similar manner, if Allah knew that there is no other God, he would have been confident that people will not find another God to worship.

But the behavioral pathern of Allah suggests that he is not confident that he is the only God. He seems always to be suspicious that there may be another God and people may worship that God instead of him and thus they may create a partner to him. So the scared Allah warns man not to worship another God or create a partner to him and says, “Say, ‘people of the Book, let us come to an agreement: that we will worship none but Allah, that we will associate none with Him, and that none of us shall set up mortals as deities besides Allah” (3: 64) [tr: N J Dawood (only the word God replaced by Allah].

In this context, it should be mentioned here that, as the Hindu God is confident that He is the only God in this universe, He does not become jealous of another God and says,
Ye api anya devatâ bhaktâ yajante úraddhayânvitaḥ z
Te api mameva kaunteya yajantyabidhipûrbakam zz Bhagavadgitâ (9: 23)

“O Kaunteya (Arjuna), even those who worship other gods with devotion (bhakti), they do really worship Me, though the rite differ from the norm” (tr: R C Zaehner). The Hindu God does not become angry and say, “you have committed the foulest sin by worshiping other gods or associating partner (shirk) with Me and I shall throw you in hell fire as a punishment for this sin, because He is confident that He is the only God, and no one could find another God to worship.

To speak the truth, Allah is not a god at all. Allah is a cruel tyrant, a barbaric killer and a violent despot. In fact, the Islamic Umma is the biggest criminal gang on earth and Allah is leader and guide of that criminal gang and is trying to establish himself as the God of the world (not of the universe) with the help of the mujahidin through terror and bloodshed. He is therefore always scared that a member of his gang may slip out of his grip and start to worship that real God, the real ruler of the universe. So he has enforced strict law that if any one of his gang tries to desert the gang, he should immediately be declared an apostate and put to death. One should also notice that, this is the standing rule of every other underworld criminal gang. If any member of the gang leaves the gang, even with the intention of leading a decent life, the other members of the gang murder him instantly due to the reason that he may disclose the secrets of the gang.

Allah in the Ṛgveda:

It has been mentioned earlier that the lectures of Dr Zakir Naik are full of naked lies. The reader should also recall that, the most merciful and all knowing and all observing Allah has given clean chit to these people like Zakir Naik to tell any lie, to do any mischief and play any deception with the kafirs, if it helps to influence them and bring them under Allah’s fold or for propagation of Islam. And Dr Zakir Naik makes unrelenting use of that command of Allah in all his lectures. So, his claim that Allah is mentioned in the Ṛgveda is also a pure lie. Dr Naik says that the verses (2/1/11), (3/30/10), (9/67/30) and (1/13/9) of the Ṛgveda contain mentioning of Allah. When I opened the Ṛgveda, I was really dumbfounded that a man like Dr Zakir Naik, the president of a recognized institute like the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) in Mumbai, could propagate such blatant lies and that too in open gatherings.

The reader should recall that the word Âllâh has been derived from two Arabic words âl (the) and ilâh (anobject of worship). In Ṛgveda, there is a word iḷâ, with a completely different meaning. But Dr Naik, whenever could find the Sanskrit word iḷâ in the Ṛgveda, he, as his sacred duty of holy deceiption (taqyya), has declared it as mentioning of Allah, without a second thought.
For example, the verse (2/1/11) of Ṛgveda says, Tvamagne aditirdeva dâúuṣe tvaṃ hotrâ bhâratî
bardhase girâz
Tvamiḷâ úatahimasi dakṣase tvaṃ bṛtrahâ vasupate
sarasvatî zz

“Thou, God (Agni), art Aditi to him who offers gifts: thou Hotrâ, Bhâratî, art strengthed by the song. Tthou art the hundred-wintered Iḷâ to give strength, O Lord of wealth! Vṛtra-slayer and sarasvatî” [tr: ibid]. According to Sâyana, the most celebrated commentator on the Vedas, iḷâ is the other name of Agni (the deity of fire). Furthermore, the entire Hymn (2/1) has been dedicated to God Agni and hence there is no doubt that the word iḷâ in the verse stands for Agni.

The word iḷâ also occurs in the verse (1/13/9) of the Ṛgveda, that reads,
Iḷâ, sarasvatî mahî tisro devîrmayobhuvaḥ z
Varhiḥ sîdantasridhaḥ zz

“Iḷâ, Sarasvatî and Mahî, three godesses who bring delight, be seated, peaceful, on the grass”. In this verse, Iḷâ is a godess and, according to Sâyana, Iḷâ in this verse may stand for earth, or cow, or vâc (speech).

In a similar manner, there is another word Alâ in the Ṛgveda that refers to various deities. The verse (3/30/10) contains the word and says,
Alâtṛṇo vala Indra vrajo goḥ pura hantorbhayamano byâra z
Sugatpatho akṛṇonniraje gaḥ prâvanvâṇîḥ purahûtaṃ
dhamantîḥ zz

“He who withheld the kine, in silence yielded in fear before thy blow, O Indra. He made paths easy to drive forth the cattle. Loud-breathing praises helped the much-invoked One” [tr: ibid]. Here, Alâ is the other name of Indra. The entire Hymn (3/30) has been dedicated to Indra and this confirms that the word Alâ in the verse refers to Indra. But, as the word Alâ sounds like Allah, Dr Zakir Naik, like a fool, has taken it to be a mentioning of Allah.

The word Alâ also occurs in the verse (9/67/30) of the Ṛgveda that says,
Alâyasya paraúurṇâúa tamâ pavasva deva soma z
Âkhuṃ cideva deva soma zz

– “O, deva Soma, we pray to you so that the battle-axe of our enemy gets broken- Alâ, you descend and kill our irretating enemy”. Though the Hymn (9/67) has been dedicated to both Soma and Agni, scholars believe that the word Alâ in this verse refers to Soma or the Moon (or Soma) .

According to Dr Zakir Naik, every Sanskrit dictionary contains the word Allah and says that Allah is the God. In the most authentic Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier Williams (A Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Motilal Benarasidass, Delhi,1981), the present author could not find the word Âllah. The words, this author could find that sound like Allah are; Al (to be competent or able), Ala (the sting in the tail of a scorpion), Alât (a firebrand or coal) and Âla (spawn, any discharge of poisonous matter from a venomous animal). Another authentic Sanskrit-English Dictionary (The Student’s Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Vaman Shivaram Apte, Motilal Benarasidass, Delhi, 2005), there is a word Allâ and says that it stands for mother.

Conclusion:

From the discussions presented above, it becomes evident that, all the utterences of Dr Zakir Naik regarding mentioning of Allah in the Ṛgveda and in the Sanskrit dictionaries are pure lies. But the question remains: Why Dr Naik is hell bent on to discover mentioning of Allah in Sanskrit literature? It has been mentioned earlier that Allah is most merciful and kind (Rahmanir Rahim) only to the Muslims. But for the non-Muslim kafirs, Allah is cruel beast and a barbaric killer. And most importantly, Allah is not at all the God or Lord of this creation and Dr Naik is striving hard to dignify Allah and to establish him as the God by discovering his name in the Vedas. His efforts are nothing but finding a pedigree for Allah.

Making Lives Less Ordinary - Who Is A Minority?

2011-05-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

By Sanjeev Nayyar In Hindustan Times Mumbai , May 4, 2007

The term minority is not defined in the Constitution. Nowhere in the world, except in India, is a minority defined by religion or caste. Is anyone listening?

A lone judge of the Allahabad High Court caused a nationwide flutter this April by declaring that Muslims could no longer be treated a religious minority in Uttar Pradesh. Although a division bench of the same high court stayed the order it is worth reviewing the legal and political practices and doctrines that determine who constitutes a minority.

The term 'minority' has been used in Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution but it has nowhere been defined. According to the Supreme Court judgment of August 2005, “Minority as understood from the constitutional scheme signifies an identifiable group of people or a community who are seen as entitled to protection due to deprivation of its religious, cultural and educational rights by other ‘majority’ communities. Majority here refers to a group or community that is likely to gain political power in elections under a democratic form of Government”.

In the international sphere, a minority community is one whose identity, owing to war or similar circumstances, is under threat and should be preserved from ethnic extinction, by affording safeguards through international charters and the national Constitution.

“It is with the above aim that the framers of the Constitution engrafted group of Articles 25 to 30 in the Constitution of India. The minorities initially recognized were based on religion and on national level e.g. Muslims, Christians, Anglo-Indian and Parsis. Sikhs and Jains were not treated as national minorities at the time of framing the Constitution. In fact, throughout the Constitution they are treated as part of the wider Hindu community, which has different sects, sub-sects, faiths, modes of worship and religious philosophies. In various codified customary laws like Hindu Marriage Act, Hindu Succession Act, Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act and other laws of pre and post-Constitution period, the definition of 'Hindu' included all sects, sub-sects of Hindu religions including Sikhs and Jains,” the Supreme Court judgment stated.

The underlying rationales for granting minorities special rights were: 1) Minorities deserved protection of their rights from the majority community i.e. the Hindus. 2) The Hindu community was a monolith which voted solely on religious lines (i.e. Hindu vs. non-Hindu). 3) Hindus would force non-Hindus to assimilate into Hindu culture.

The argument is flawed on many counts. First the Indian Constitution does not define the word ‘Hindu’. According to former President and scholar Dr S Radhakrishnan, the term Hindu had originally a territorial and not religious significance. It implies residence in a well-defined geographical area. Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. So, how can a group that cannot be defined except by geographical or historical/cultural indicators constitute a religious or political majority?

Secondly, as we have seen in the last 60 years, the Hindu does not vote as a Hindu but rather on the basis of caste, ethnicity or locality and performance.

Hindu society is divided into four varnas-- Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras. Each caste is divided into various minority groups. Thus, no section or distinct group of people can claim to be in the majority. In Uttar Pradesh, Brahmins should be declared a minority since they constitute a smaller percentage of the population than Muslims who are 18.5 per cent.

Thirdly, even before Constitutional safeguards came into place Hindus have given refuge and untrammeled rights to communities that were persecuted in other countries, to practice their religion, such as Parsis, Jews and Syrian Christians. Fourth is there a percentage beyond which a community ceases to be a minority?

In J & K, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam Muslims were 67 per cent, 24.7 per cent, 25.2 cent and 30.9 per cent of the population of the respective states. Can they be called a minority?

Lastly, schools runs by the Christian minority are provided special rights to enable the community to protect its religion and culture. A survey of Jesuit run schools in Mumbai would show that the majority of students are invariably non-Christian. So how is Christian culture being protected?

The consequences of these provisions are many. One, minority educational institutions are granted special privileges not available to Hindus. To avail of these privileges Hindu organizations like Ramakrishna Mission unsuccessfully petitioned the Supreme Court to be declared a ‘minority’. For example, the recent bill for reservation of 27 per cent seats for OBCs is not applicable to institutions of higher education run by minorities. How does an engineering college run by a minority group help the community retain its culture, religion is anybody’s guess.

Two, places of worship of the minority community are, unlike Hindu temples, not subject to state government control. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has said, “There are as many as 2,07,000 temples in Karnataka and the total income of these temples amounts to Rs 72 crore. Only a sum of Rs. 6 crore is being spent by the Government for their upkeep. On the other hand, the Government spent a phenomenal amount of Rs.50 crore for the madrasas and Rs.10 crore for the churches.”

But there’s little confusion in other countries. In UK’s Constitution, the nation that gifted us the words ‘minority’ and ‘majority’, minority is not defined. There, division is based on skin color and race. However, racial minorities do not have special privileges unlike minorities in India.

The U.S. Constitution does not use the term ‘minority’ anywhere. What it has come to mean, through case law, is that certain group characteristics are used to identify “protected classes” for various provisions of the law— such as race, color, religion and national origin.

Instead of reservations, affirmative action is allowed for racial minorities and has been expanded to encompass women, religious minorities, and gays as well under the rubric of various non-discrimination laws at national, state and local levels. Affirmative action generally kicks in when it comes to higher education and employment and calls for preferential treatment for certain minorities. For example, if there is a choice between a qualified white and black person, all things being equal the black person would get the job. Quotas are generally disallowed; and affirmative action is not binding on private (non-governmental) institutions but non-discrimination laws of varying scope and strictness apply to private employers as well.

If Indians continue to identify people by religion and caste it is bound to promote conflict. Nations are formed through amalgamation of identities and not by continuously harping on differences.

Sardar Patel said on August 9, 1945, “The British talk of Hindu Muslim quarrels but who has thrust the burden on their shoulders? If they are sincere let them hand over to the Congress, League or international arbitration. Give me just a week’s rule over Britain, I will create such disagreements that England, Wales and Scotland will fight one another for ever”. (Patel – A Life by Rajmohan Gandhi).

Who is going to sort out this secular mess, the executive or judiciary? Either of them needs to define ‘minority’. A review of the disabilities suffered by the ‘majority’ Hindu community is called for, since it is a community distinct from the politically empowered and networked majorities in Pakistan, U.S. or Indonesia

Are Hindus Too Tolerent For their Own Good ? Will Secularism save Hindus from Islam ?

2011-05-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hindus are being brain washed by using secularism as a Great principle & philosophy , secularism will eventually destroy Hindus .Today we cannot fight terror or pakistan , simply because we are ruled by secularists .India has already suffered a lot , Hindus have suffered Islamic brutality for generations , do you want to suffer more ?

Most Hindus are unaware of the real History of India , that has been whitewashed by Left Wing Liberals . Liberals are the Ultimate Scumbags , they have no patriotism , no nationalism , they are GADDARS of their own people , that is their biggest strength .

Islam needs conversions , since it needs blood to be sacrificed by its followers , it is a cycle , that enables Islam to grow .

Muslim population is growing exponentially , Wait for the day when muslims become +40% in India, hindus are doomed that day. They breed much faster than Rodents. <Source : expertvoter >

Islamic Bollywood & Cricket are now Bastion of Islam.
Read Machiavelli’s Quotes of Appeasement :

If he yields it from fear, it is for the purpose of avoiding war, and he will rarely escape from that; for he to whom he has from cowardice conceded the one thing will not be satisfied, but will want to take other things from him, and his arrogance will increase as his esteem for the prince is lessened. – Niccoló Machiavelli, The Discourses. 1517

Foreign Policy :
Given the implacable hatred of its enemies ( muslims ) , India cannot afford to show weakness.

"There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others ( Islamic Terrorists ) ."

War on Terrorism :
"Still, if you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival."

Buddhism was wiped out of India by jihadists who sacked the temples, defaced the images and either killed the Buddhists who resisted, forced them to convert or forced them to flee.

History will tell if Hindus suffer the same fate.

'Hindus will become a minority in India by 2061'

2011-05-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Criticising the Tamil Nadu government for arresting Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, RSS chief K Sudershan has said the manner in which it was done was "condemnable".

"The way the Kanchi seer was arrested merely on the statement of someone is condemnable", Sudershan said while addressing a meeting of RSS workers on Thursday.

World Statistics in 2007

He also exhorted Hindus to rise above caste and religious feelings and work unitedly to make the country more prosperous and strong.

Expressing concern over the rise in the population of Muslims and Christians and decline in that of Hindus, Sudershan said, "If this trend continues, Hindus will become a minority in their own country(India) by 2061".

Senior Sangh Parivar leaders from Ballia, Kushinagar, Mauand Gorakhpur districts were also present on the occasion.

* Every year over 8 lakh Hindus are being converted into various other religions

* Hindu girls are being lured by men from other religions with the strength of money and carnal pleasures.

* Everyday Hindu religious and social leaders are being killed by mobs belonging to other religions and many political parties operating in the country were mainly responsible for this carnage of Hindus.

* The Jehadi groups in India are now emboldened due to political backing and are ravaging Hindu communities openly in the country.

* Hindu girls are being lured by Muslim men offering them money & other promises & then force them to marry them and subsequently convert them to Islam.

* Every day 7-8 Hindu girls are missing in Karnataka due to Love Jihad.

SECULARISM FOR HINDUS! RELIGIONISM FOR OTHERS!

The Humiliation of the Kanchi Acharya

2011-05-29T02:41:00.000-07:00

Rajeev Srinivasan on the tremendous threat to Hindus

Here is some advice for the UPA government and the media in India on
how best to destroy Hinduism. Not that they need the advice, they have
done quite well on their own:

· On the holiest night in the Hindu calendar, Diwali, the night when
good triumphs over evil, arrest the most visible, revered, and
respectable Hindu religious leader in the country on murder charges

· Announce a troop withdrawal from J&K at the same time that yet
another murderous terrorist attack on a CRP camp is going on
http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/nov/11pm.htm

· Have one of your central cabinet ministers announce at a Christian
fundamentalists' meet that he is 'ashamed to have been born a Hindu'

· Take over Hindu shrines like the Shirdi Ashram, temples in Uttar
Pradesh; target the Tirupati temple and cause problems there over the
demolition of the 1,000-pillar hall

· Arrest a Hindu sanyasini because she had raised the Indian flag

· The media should continue to attack Hinduism while never uttering a
word against the damage being done to it by the State. On the day
after the arrest of the Sankaracharya, instead of shock and disbelief,
the Indian media should be full of teary-eyed hagiographies of Yasser
Arafat, a dubious statesman at best

In contrast, here is what happens with respect to other faiths:
· In Kerala, Muslim League Minister Kunjalikutty, accused of what is
probably statutory rape (sex with a minor girl), refuses to step down.
A mob of Muslims attacks media people just because an interview with
the girl was broadcast

· In Hyderabad, some low-level maulana is arrested, and a Muslim mob
riots and attacks the police station to try and release him

And people still ask me how Hindus are oppressed in India. If even a
single Muslim or Christian or Marxist is arrested, the cry goes up:
"Islam in danger!", "Secularism in danger!" or something along those
lines. But this doesn't apply to Hinduism, clearly.

How would Catholic Christians like it if on Christmas night the Pope
were arrested for murder? The arrest of the venerable Sri Jayendra
Saraswati, Sankaracharya on Kanchi, on Diwali night, is the equivalent
of that http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/nov/11tn.htm . Yet, I don't see
masses of Hindus out there rioting to get the Sankaracharya released.
This, I personally believe, is a character flaw on the part of Hindus.
They should be out there rioting, then their religion would not be in
danger all the time. The sentiments of millions of devout Hindus are
being trampled upon because the UPA government knows Hindus will not
react violently.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the White House 'celebrated'
Diwali. Indian-Americans, who had contributed significant amounts to
the Bush campaign, were disappointed because neither Bush, his wife,
nor any of his senior staff bothered to attend the function. Former
Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill – a lame duck, as he has resigned
– did attend, and he weasel-worded that Bush would not attend a
country-specific function.

This is nonsense, because Hindus are in at least a hundred countries
around the world: Hinduism is not a country-specific religion. In
reality, in a stinging reminder of the relative importance of Hindus,
Bush did attend, just a few hours later, a Muslim iftar party. Bush is
afraid of Muslims, he is not worried about Hindus.

I actually understand Bush's reasons quite well. As Christian
fundamentalists, he and his pals necessarily despise Hindus. They
despise Muslims too, but they are afraid of Muslims, so they pay at
least lip-service to Islam. Besides, many of his cohorts, oil men,
have some connection to Saudi oil and money. But the Hindus, they can
be discarded like used tissue paper. Money talks, of course. Oil talks
even louder.

Kindly note that 'Bobby' Jindal, the Great Brown Hope, also did not
attend the Diwali function at the White House. So much for the
expectation that Jindal was going to do a lot for India. No, as a
fiery converted Christian, Jindal has no interest in the 'heathen'
religion of his ancestors, or by extension, in India's affairs. Why am
I not in the least bit surprised? Converts are the worst, as they have
to prove their conversion correct.

It has become the role of Hindus to be the under-class, the
water-carriers and wood-cutters for Christians and Muslims. Thus the
Christian fundamentalists will happily take money from rich
Hindu-Americans, but there is no quid pro quo. The Hindu-American
doctors and engineers who give their money are being taken for a ride.

In India, there is circumstantial evidence: whenever I am in Kerala, I
read Malayalam newspapers, and I have noticed a trend, and admittedly
this is only a sample. A number of soldiers from Kerala have been
killed in battle or terrorist attacks, and every single one of them I
can remember has been a Hindu. Not one Muslim or Christian that I have
noticed, over several years. What does this mean? Only Hindus are poor
enough to need to take up dangerous work like in the military, for
lack of better opportunities. So they die, defending the Muslims and
Christians, who get a free ride.

Similarly, when T R Baalu announced at a Christian fundamentalist
meeting (this must have thrilled them no end) that he was ashamed to
have been born Hindu, the UPA worthies did not scold him for being an
obnoxious person. In a truly secular state, no religion should be
insulted by a government official. But I forgot, India is only a
'secular' state, which means it is an anti-Hindu State. See my earlier
column on the perversion of secularism.

Wait, there is more. Instead of pronouncing a death threat to Baalu,
some Hindus proceeded to peacefully excommunicate him. Now the State
swung into motion, and arrested the would-be excommunicators! See
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/july182004/n6.asp Logically,
if a person is ashamed of being part of a group, doesn't that group
have the right to exclude him? I guess not, if they are Hindus: they
must swallow the insult silently.

But other religions have the right to do so. For instance, when some
Muslims pronounced a fatwa on Salman Rushdie and asked for his head, I
don't remember the State arresting them. Similarly, I suspect that
when Malayalam writer Ponkunnam Varkey was expelled from the Catholic
church, the police did not show up and demand that he be reinstated.
Naturally, I guess, because only Hindus are subject to being
controlled by the State. Others are above the law.

The DMK openly exulted at the arrest of the Sankaracharya. The DMK
have specialized in anti-Hindu polemic partly because the entire
edifice of their belief, of some sui generis 'Dravidian' culture, is
complete hogwash. It was manufactured by a Christian priest, one
Bishop Caldwell, with the intent of divide-and-rule. In reality, Tamil
culture is Indic: Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, just the same as the culture
in other parts of the country.

If you look at the motives for the arrest of the Sankaracharya, the
question arises: who benefits? Clearly, the DMK, they who claim to be
'rationalists' and 'anti-religion' but even their lionized leader EV
Ramaswamy Naicker was too scared to utter a word against Muslim or
Christian practices: which means they are basically an anti-Hindu
entity because they can get away with it.

My immediate suspicion is that this is political payback for a couple
of things: one, what Jayalalitha did to Karunanidhi, two, what
Subramaniam Swamy is suggesting these days.

First, Jayalalitha had Karunanidhi arrested on a holiday, so that
there would no chance to apply for bail; and so now the Sankaracharya
is arrested on a major holiday. Jayalalitha, being a Tamil Brahmin,
would presumably be hurt because the Kanchi Matham is a Tamil Brahmin
stronghold, which the DMK has a special aversion to. Karunanidhi's
statement on November 11th about the prime suspect in the Raman murder
case being at large gives credence to this argument
http://www.sulekha.com/news/nhc.aspx?cid=407194

Second, Subramaniam Swamy has been going around with a fierce campaign
against Sonia Gandhi. For instance, he was scheduled to speak in
Chicago on November 7th on the topic of "Sonia Gandhi: A National
Security Threat to India". What better payback to Swamy than to attack
his power base, the Tamil Brahmins? It is a well-known secret that
Swamy gains much of his support and information from the Tamil Brahmin
bureaucracy at the center.

There is a third possibility: that this is a part of the ongoing
Christian missionary efforts to paint revered Hindu religious leaders
in a bad light. Every Hindu leader is accused of some wrong-doing,
without proof. They trust that by their favorite tactic of 'truth by
repeated assertion' some of it will stick (as they have demonstrated
in the mythology of the arrival of Thomas the Apostle in India, a
fabrication which is now widely believed).

I keep getting mail from some (white Christian?) Australian nut-case
about how he has evidence that the Sai Baba molested children, but the
evidence never materializes. Compare this to the hundreds, if not
thousands, of Catholic priests accused and many formally convicted in
court of large-scale pedophilia across several continents. And there
are reports from the Vatican itself of sexual slavery of, and murders
of, nuns.

Now that Christians are in power in India – just look at the cabal
around Sonia Gandhi , there will be renewed enthusiasm from the conversion mavens of the Joshua Project and the 10/40 Project to target Hindus. This might well be the reason for this egregious attack on the Sankaracharya.

Whatever the reason, the UPA government should have handled this
affair with a little more sensitivity and finesse. There was really no
reason to hound the Sankaracharya, chase him around the countryside,
and arrest him with such theatrics, as though he were going to jump
bail and fly out of the country. There was no reason to humiliate this
very spiritual person. Instead, they could have put the Sankaracharya
under house arrest at the Kanchi Matham if needed. But I guess the
intention was indeed to humiliate.

Why on earth would the Sankaracharya order the murder of an
accountant? That seems to completely defy logic. The Sankaracharyas
live totally spartan lives and have no need for money. Besides, even
assuming somebody in the Kanchi Matham wanted to sweep things under
the carpet, it would have been so much easier to just bribe somebody,
rather than go out and murder someone, especially murdering them in a
temple and desecrating the place.

The sentiments of millions of Hindus do not matter to the Congress,
just as the sentiments of Sikhs didn't when they went on a murderous
rampage in 1984, nor when they appointed alleged gang-leader Jagdish
Tytler as a minister.

And where is the principal 'Hindu nationalist' party who should speak
up? In complete disarray.

The Congress is once again demonstrating that they are a party only
for Muslims and Christians. The foolish Hindus who voted for them
deserve what they get, I suppose.

The Future of Hinduism

2011-05-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

by Jayaram V

Hinduism is the name we have given collectively to a group of religious traditions that originated and developed in the Indian subcontinent for the last 6000 years or so. The most dominant of these traditions are Saivism, Vaishnavisim, Shaktism, Vedism, Tantricism, and several ascetic and folk traditions, which are now part of Hinduism and whose identity is difficult to establish separately. In addition to these, several schools of philosophy became part of Hindu tradition, the most popular of them being Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshkia, Mimansa and Vedanta, which are presently designated as the Darshanas or view points. It is a fact that in the west many books and educational programs on world philosophy ignore these six schools of Indian philosophy and focus more on Greek philosophies, which is an unfortunate trend, because by not knowing about them, the western world has been overlooking a vital link in the development of human knowledge and religious thought. This is not because these schools have any demerits compared to the Greek philosophies, but because they are rooted in Hindu religion and to teach them one has to include the basic concepts of Hinduism in the academic curriculum. For many academicians in the western world, doing so is worse than teaching evolution. In a world dominated mostly by Christian institutions and funded by Christians, it would require immense courage on the part of academicians to rewrite their books of philosophy and glorify the so called pagan religions, without incurring the displeasure of the conservative people, who want their children to be brought up only on Christian values.

To suppress all forms of opposition, either by force or by condemnation has been the way of the western eclectic world, since earlier times. Since the earliest times, the Church has rarely been kind to any notion of insubordination or heresy. It happened in the Roman period to Gnostics and others who opposed the distortion of original Christian teachings or deviated from the official version approved by the Roman authority. It happened again in the medieval period to the so called witches and scientific thinkers, who were burnt on the stakes, on the grounds of religious blasphemy; and it has been happening right now, in a more civilized way, to philosophies that are based on religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, and scientific research and theories like evolution that seem to challenge the Biblical notions of creation. Of these six schools only one, Yoga, has become popular in the western world, unfortunately, not as an aspect of Hinduism or Buddhism or the means to achieve self-control and self-realization, but as a set of mere physical and mental exercises to enhance one's well being and energies, devoid of its true philosophy, intent and purpose.

Strengths

Hinduism is the oldest surviving religion, currently followed by over a billion people in the world, with a universal appeal that is too difficult to ignore. To understand the future of Hinduism, we have to understand its strengths and weaknesses and identify the threats and opportunities to which it is exposed. Such a study would help us understand what forces are at work and how Hinduism can meet various challenges in order to survive and continue. Its chief strengths are:

1. It is a very flexible, assimilative and adaptive religion, with a broader outlook and many divergent traditions. It is not dogmatic, because it is not based on a particular set of teachings, scriptures or a founder. Its flexibility gives it the special ability to adapts itself to the changing times, without losing its vitality, core values or focus. Hinduism acknowledges that the world is unstable, human mind is fickle, our beliefs and circumstances can change, but Truth is permanent and unchangeable, and it is this Truth it encourages its followers to seek by whatever means they consider appropriate.

2. There is no centralized authority in Hinduism. So any one can be a Hindu, without the need for approval from any one. There are no compulsions to observe any code of conduct, as long as one can find their basis in some scripture, school of thought or the teachings of a guru, saint or seer. One can be even an atheist and still a Hindu.

3. It is not opposed to scientific exploration nor the technological progress of mankind as long as such an activity is not an end by itself, but part of our divine centered search for Truth. It has the ability and flexibility to align itself to both science and spiritualism as two different tools of knowledge.

4. There are many layers within Hinduism. It has something for every one and every strata of society and offers a broad spectrum of solutions to the problems of human life. From the most ignorant to the most knowledgeable, every one can find solace in Hinduism through ever lasting solutions to their existential, spiritual and personal problems.

5. Hinduism is a peaceful and tolerant religion. Because it is a composite religion, it has no issues with dogmatic religions which are based on the teachings of a founder or prophet. Its broader religious and philosophical base allows it to find parallels within other religions and coexist with them without feeling threatened or the compulsion to establish its superiority. Hindus are perhaps the only people in the world who have never launched an aggression on other nations on religious grounds. And Hinduism is perhaps the only religion in the world that survived over 700 years of Islamic oppression and 400 years of Christian propaganda.

Weaknesses

Because Hinduism has been an organic religion, which evolved in all directions without proper regulation and assimilated divergent traditions, beliefs and practices, it has both the best and the worst elements. It is wrong to believe and accept that everything that is part of Hindu Dharma is inviolable and unquestionable. To do so would tantamount to fanaticism and dogmatism, neither of which have a place in Hinduism. If Hinduism has to survive and continue as a world religion, it is the duty of every Hindu to recognize its weaknesses and address them sincerely so that we can preserve and protect its vitality and ensure its future. Its main weaknesses are:

1. Hinduism is caste based. Castes in Hinduism are part of Vedic tradition, which is but one aspect of Hinduism. There are other traditions in Hinduism, which do not acknowledge castes. The castes might have served their purpose in ancient India. But today it is one of the chief weaknesses of Hinduism. Birth based caste system is responsible for disunity and discontentment within Hindu society and exodus of many people to other religions. It is also a great hindrance in assimilating many people from other parts of the world, who want to be part of Hindu society.

2. Besides caste, there are many other divisive forces at work within Hindu society, such as region, language, sects, gurus and even color and race. They keep the society divided, weak and vulnerable. This division runs so deep that even those who migrate to other countries or who have been living there for decades, form caste based, region based or language based associations and try to keep their caste and linguistic identities intact.

2. Hindu dharmashastras or law books have a particular bias against women and their role in family and society. Currently Hindu women are subject to many social and religious disabilities.

3. If absence of a centralized authority enables Hindus to practice their religion with greater freedom, it also make a vast majority of them irreligious, irresponsible and vulnerable to decadent ideas and practices. The most unfortunate part is many are not serious about their religion, have little understanding of traditions or scriptures and hold on to erroneous ideas and beliefs. Justification of violence, vulgarity in films, unbridled materialism, lack of sincerity and personal integrity are some of the dominant features of Hindu society in India today. When children notice inconsistency in the religious attitude and moral behavior of their parents, they would not develop respect or admiration for the religion in which they are born or the morality it upholds. If parents are ignorant of their religion, they cannot make their children religious. They easily take to western ways and ignore their own traditions as empty rituals bereft of merit or distinction.

4. Diversity of Hinduism is both a strength and weakness. It creates a lot of confusion in the minds of people, as to which path to follow, whom to worship and what to practice. We have many scriptures and teachings of countless gurus and traditions and do not know what to study and what to ignore. A vast majority of Hindus therefore practice popular religion because it is easier to do. They go to temples, follow a religious guru or his or her teachings, do some pooja at home, believe in some practices and superstitions, but are hardly well versed in our scriptures, traditions and practices. So there is a great disconnect between what they practice and what they should ideally do.

5. Decay of traditional institutions. While Hinduism does not have a centralized authority to regulate its affairs, over these centuries it survived on the strength of some of its traditional institutions, recognized in Hinduism as the upholders of Dharma. These are the institutions of family, gurus or spiritual teachers and king or the political authority. These institutions are now in grave danger and unless we find some effective remedies, Hinduism will be a thing of the past. Hindu families used to be joint families, in which children had a great opportunity to learn about their religion, religious practices and family occupation from their elders. Through the practice of dharma, parents used to serve as the role models for their children. The Hindu family as a social unit underwent a great transformation in recent times. Joint family system is almost extinct. In the family structure that we have now, parents are no more performing their obligatory duty as the role models of dharma for their children. They are too busy to worry about the religious knowledge of their children or the values religion can teach them. They believe that it is the responsibility of the education system, which is in itself defective and narrow in its scope and function. Financial solvency not individual salvation is the current mantra of many Hindu parents. Their main concern is how to educate their sons successfully so that they would get a good job and lots of dowry and how to get rid of their daughters as early as possible with as little dowry by finding a suitable match!. No wonder, when they reach these goals, most of them remain neglected by their children and live unhappily. The institution of religious teachers is also on the wane, with so many dubious characters, claiming themselves as enlightened beings, or confining their teachings to particular sampradayas or some mumbo jumbo yoga practices. Regarding the political authority in India, the less said the better. Now a days it is easier in India for a dacoit or a criminal to become a legislative member or even minister rather than a religious teacher or a temple priest or a brave soldier.

6. Superstition and obscurantism. There are many superstitious and obscurantist practices of Hinduism, which degrade the religion and make it vulnerable to criticism from within and without.

Many consider "Om" to be attatched with Hinduism! They dont understand that it is the sound of the universe. The syllable Om is composed of the three sounds a-u-m (in Sanskrit, the vowels a and u combine to become o). How can this belong to a particular religion!?

The Threats

The gravest threat to Hinduism in India today are political, social and religious in nature. The political threats are mainly caused by the parochial and opportunistic politics played by the political parties in India and the so called secularism in which criminals with a track record of police complaints and leftists with atheistic inclinations are welcome, but religious people with social and political aims are viewed with grave suspicion and dubbed as Nazi. In the lexicon of Indian politics, secularism means not to speak for Hindus as a religious group and keep a distance from them on any national or social issue. Probably this trend will likely continue indefinitely, unless Hindus themselves become a minority and prove useful in the factional politics of exploitative political parties.

The social threats are mainly in the form of growing western influences and the dilution of religious activities in the day to day life of individuals. Children in schools, and people outside, who are serious about their religious or moral values, are ridiculed by their friends as traditional and orthodox stereotypes, while those who follow western values and life styles, which are themselves considered decadent in the west, are considered hip hop and progressive.

The religious threats come from the activities of violent religious groups both within and without, religion based political parties and social institutions opposed to Hinduism and the organizations that use money and material for conversion of Hindus into other religions.

The Solutions

Hinduism can become a dominant and vibrant religion of the world, through the strengthening of its traditional institutions, namely the institutions of family, of gurus or spiritual teachers and of private organizations, filling in the void left by the political authority, supporting a wide range of activities that are aimed at inculcating the values, knowledge, teachings and activities upheld by the religion and its scriptures. We should also aim to develop either a casteless Hindu society or a society that is structured not on birth based castes but profession based ones, which was probably the ideal of the original Vedic people and part of their cosmic vision. This will be possible only when we are willing to teach the Vedas and other scriptures to qualified people from the so called lower castes and appoint them in our temples and religious institutions as priests and religious heads. It is not that this is going to be a new tradition. It has been practiced in Saivism for the last several centuries. It has the approval of the scriptures and many gurus. We need to make it more universal.

Parents

In the absence of traditional family structure and when the education of children is not rooted in religious and moral values, it becomes the sole responsibility of parents and grand parents to become role models for their own children. The best way to do this is through self example, by practicing religion and maintaining integrity in way that would strengthen children's faith in their religion and respect for their parents. If parents are religious and show consistency in their thought and action, children would believe in them and imbibe their religious values. But if parents are irreligious or if children are not convinced of their parents' religious beliefs and moral values, they would develop skepticism and disbelief and become alienated not only from their parents but also from what they believe in and stand for. Lack of moral and religious integrity is a major social issue in Hindu society today, and if parents do not address this problem seriously in their individual ways, they will become victims of their own actions and suffer from the irreligious behavior of their own children, which is what we are already seeing happening in various families. You cannot expect your children to be religious and carryout their obligatory duties as your children, if you do not undertake your own traditional responsibility as a parent and educate your children. Parents should take this matter seriously to save themselves and their children lot of trouble.

Spiritual Teachers

The institution of religious teachers is somewhat vibrant today. Our religious teachers seem to be doing a great service to the cause of Hinduism. Many of them are well known world personalities. They participate in international conferences, travel all over the world, receive honors from governments and world bodies for their meritorious work, set up spiritual centers in various parts of the world and provide spiritual guidance and mentoring to millions of seekers. While this is a positive development for Hinduism, most of the institutions and movements initiated by the religious gurus, somehow, degenerate into mere sectarian movements over a period of time or lose their direction somewhere, following the demise of the original founder or due to the petty politics of his followers in their struggle for leadership, money, power or position.

Secondly, most of these teachers preach their own brand of Hinduism, which is like a concoction brewed out of existing Hindu scriptures, and give it a brand identity of their own, just as the way commercial institutions in the west brand their products to distinguish them from similar products of other companies. Some are even hesitant to call their teachings Hindu, in the hope of drawing followers from other religions, and try to come out with a synthetic philosophy that is neither convincing to the followers of Hinduism nor other religions. Thirdly, the gurus are worshipped by their followers as divinities, instead of as spiritual teachers. They do not see God in their gurus and respect them for that, bur rather the physical body of guru only as God. Hinduism has already thousands of divinities. So one wonders why we need more!

If we want to protect and preserve Hinduism, we need spiritual teachers of different kind, teachers whose sole purpose would be to preserve the core knowledge of Hindu dharma and help capable people achieve self-realization through spiritual practices. In ancient India serious students of spirituality had to take enormous risks to find their way to a spiritual teacher, who often lived in inaccessible areas for a purpose. This is in contrast to most of today's gurus who rarely stay in their ashrams, helping their serious students. They travel far and wide to reach out to people who are less than half serious or who look for gurus for material benefits. What we need today are gurus who can open the doors of enlightenment for people who are worthy of higher knowledge and who in turn can preserve and continue the tradition of their masters through their own enlightenment. We have to accept and respect gurus for what they are, teachers who can show us the way and connect us with ourselves. In the process of teaching detachment if gurus succeed only in creating a new attachment between themselves and their followers, the whole purpose is defeated. It is like breeding illusion of another kind. We should therefore learn to respect our gurus and look to them for spiritual guidance, provided if they have time and energy to meet you, know about you and help you personally, as a teacher does to his students, not once in a year or two, not when you can manage to push your way through a frenzied mass of people to the front row, not when you are standing or sitting in an unending queue, but regularly, in person, whenever you need guidance or advice. It is better to wait for such a guru, even if takes long, rather than developing some illusory attachment and sense of dependency on a remote guru who is globally active, has a mass following, addresses a crowd, but does not have time for you or does not even know or vaguely knows that you exist and that you are fit enough for self-realization. Till you find one, prepare yourself, study the scriptures, practice religious discipline and fill your heart with a genuine aspiration for the right kind of guru, someone who can truly show you the self that is hidden behind the golden lid and connect you with your source. The prescription for today's spiritual dilemmas about gurus and their confusing ways is svadhyaya or self-study. When you are conversant with your own religion and its values, you will find a suitable guru with your buddhi (discriminating intellect) and save yourself and your family from problems. Remember the importance of svadhyaya is recommended by none other than Patanjali, the master of yoga himself.

Institutions

Compared to organized religions, Hinduism is at a great disadvantage because it does not have established patrons. Most of the philanthropic support goes to the temples, gurus and the institutions they create and uphold, not to Hinduism as a religion or a body of eternal knowledge. While such a parochial approach may help some sects and aspects of Hinduism, in the absence of political authority who used to be the upholder of dharma in previous times, the fate of Hinduism today is more or less like that of an orphan, seriously in need of commitment from dedicated people and institutions that can address the problems of Hinduism objectively and sincerely, without any hidden agenda, without any allegiance to any particular movement or ideology or ism or guru or even a divinity. This can be possible only if good people come forward and establish institutions both in India and elsewhere that are not affiliated to any political party or religious group or school of philosophy and which can serve purely as institutions and organizations of Hinduism. We are proud to declare that Hinduwebsite.com falls into this category and serves the mainstream of Santatan Dharma.

The Unfolding Divine Plan

If anytime in the history of the world there is an opportunity for Hinduism to spread out to various parts of the world and establish itself as a truly world religion it is now. This has become possible for two obvious reasons, the growing wealth of Hindus and their immigration to various parts of the world in recent times. Hinduism is not a missionary religion and will never spread to other parts of the world through acts of conversion. Religious teachers may establish various spiritual centers in different parts of the world and spread their own brand of Hinduism. But as it happened in the past, most of these sectarian movements will raise like flashes of individual brilliance and degenerate into smoke of confusion due to leadership or ethical issues. Hinduism will spread to other parts of the world, just the way vedic religion spread in India millenniums before, peacefully, through individual families and their religious activities and contributions.

If Hinduism is going to establish its roots in different countries, it would be mainly through waves of immigrant Indian families and their religious practices. Knowingly or unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly, in their own limited and ignorant ways, these people would spread the awareness of Hinduism in the communities they live and gradually attract the attention of others. The souls who will be born in these countries and who are destined to become Hindus as a part of their spiritual salvation, will be attracted to their gatherings and become receptive to the ideals, beliefs and values of Hinduism. This is how Hinduism will become a beacon of eternal divine wisdom for the generations to come in different nations of the world. This is God's plan to take the Sanatana Dharma (eternal religion) beyond the shores of India, a process that is already in motion, which no force on earth can stop, unless the Divine wills otherwise, and which is the reason why India is shaping itself into an economic giant.

Conclusion

Hinduism is a continuously evolving religion, with a lot of flexibility already built into it. There is a comprehensive scope and opportunity for Hinduism to mould itself according to the demands and aspirations of the modern world. Since Hinduism is not afraid of scientific explorations, nor the technological progress of mankind, it has the ability to align itself with both science and spiritualism in a balanced manner. Because of its emphasis on self exploration of Truth, without any allegiance to any particular dogma or prophet, Hinduism does not have to force the theories of Darwin or Mendel out of school rooms in order to justify itself, nor suffer from the compulsions of suppressing the freedom of human thought on medieval values in order to continue itself. A Hindu has the freedom to superimpose modern knowledge on his ancient theories and reinforce his own beliefs. He has the freedom to criticize certain aspects of his own religion, but still remain within its boundaries practicing a philosophy of his own that has its basis in its core values. What better example can there be than the fact that Internet, the world wide web, or the quantum physics all can serve as models to explain the basic concepts of Hinduism such as maya or the illusory nature of our existence or the theory of atoms propounded by the Vaisheshikas some 2500 - 3000 years ago?

STOP ISLAMIZATION OF AMERICA, STOP ISLAMIZATION OF INDIA

2011-05-26T05:16:00.000-07:00

STOP ISLAMIZATION OF AMERICA: SAY NOT TO MOSQUE AT GROUND ZERO

STOP ISLAMIZATION OF INDIA : SAY NOT TO MOSQUE AT GR. ZERO AYODHYA

Dr. Babu Suseelan

Rev. Upananda Brahmachari

At no time in the history of our country have our safety, security, and freedom been in greater threat. There are politicians blindly willing to cede our country’s future to Jihadis for empty promise. Now more than ever, Americans from all walks of life need to understand the real history of Islam, how it operates and its hidden agenda and sinister plans.

Someone once said that to be born free is a privilege. To die free is an awesome responsibility, because freedom is never free. We have to pay a heavy price to practice it, preserve it and promote it. We stand here as free citizens of America because our forefathers knew the cost of freedom and were willing to pay for it. Where will tomorrow be, if we do not come forward and pay the price? It is important to remember that freedom is not free until we fight for it.

John Quincy Adams said “you will never know how much it has cost my generations to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it”.

America was established as a nation ruled by law and respect for individual liberty. Our freedom and democracy have prevailed while so many other nations have fallen into tyranny. Now our liberty, democracy, law and order are threatened.

Now Muslims in the US have planned to construct a 13 story Mosque for the area around GROUND ZERO. Muslims have planned to inaugurate the Mosque on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks where Jihadi terrorists have killed more than 3000 people.

The New York City Community Board and Mayor Bloomberg have approved the construction of the Islamic Mosque at Ground Zero without understanding the real past brutal history of Islam, current Islamic terrorist activities and the hidden agenda of Muslims.

Not only is New York City aiding construction of Mosques that are dangerous breeding ground for terrorism. The Federal government is financially supporting and officially embracing a radical Mosque in the Washington suburbs that is directly connected to al-Qaida and 9/11 attacks as well as other terrorism. The Census Bureau has signed a two-year $582,000 lease with Da al-Hijrah Islamic Center where top al-Qaida recruiter Anwar Awlaki preached to the Pentagon terrorists and the Fort Hood terrorist as a Mosque leader. It is widely known that Dar-al-Hijrah is operating as a front for Hamas, another terrorist organization. Federal Investigators say that Mosques are a dangerous breeding ground for terrorists. Mosques are a direct threat to our national security.

WHAT REALLY IS A MOSQUE?

The Islamic prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan clearly and emphatically said “The Mosques are our barracks, the Domes are helmets, the Minarets are Bayonets and the faithful are soldiers.” The Islamic Prime Minister Erdogan’s vision of a Mosque is the same as that of Bin-Laden, Colonel Khadafy, Mullah Omar, Imam Anwar Awlaki, Al-Zwahiri, Ayatollah Khomeini, and the Saudi King which awarded the “King Faisal International prize for service to Islam” to the Islamic prime Minister of Turkey.

Do we have to allow construction of an Islamic Barack in the financial capital of America where Jihadi soldiers can be trained for the next phase of Islamic war against infidels? The Islamic Barack will train Muslims according to the Islamic concept of war. Since the days of Mohamed, the way of Islam is Jihad. Mosques will ensure that Muslims become reliable Jihadis. Mosques are meeting place, hiding place, and a storage place for terrorist paraphernalia and weapons for Jihad war. Mosques are also shelter for radical Muslims. Mosques and Islamic religious centers serve as distribution points for hate literature. Mosques also serve as a vital links in the communications chain with Islamic terrorist groups around the world. Do we have to allow a Mosque at Ground Zero where Imams who are on a collision course with American values can preach hatred and Jihad war?

Many police investigations around the world into Jihadi terrorist networks and terrorist activities found links to the Mosques. Imams who are spearheading global Jihad war against infidel nations use Mosques for fiery speeches. Mosques and Islamic religious schools (Madrassas) are known for implanting the seeds of terrorism in Muslim minds. Pakistan, an Islamic country for example produces as many as 10,000 Jihadi warriers a year. They are expected to wage war against infidels around the world.

In our association with Muslims one must be realistic. We must be perfectly clear in our minds concerning precisely what stealth Jihad is. Whether America can remain as a free-democratic nation depends on our proper understanding on the threats we are facing from Jihadi terrorists. The threats we are now facing from Jihadi terrorists are real, concrete, specific and dangerous.

To remain as a democratic nation, we must know our enemies and their plan and their hidden agendas. Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of terrorist organization Hezbollah, once declared: “We are going to win because they (infidels) love life and we love death.” The Islamic meaning is: “we Muslims are going to win because unlike infidels, we do not fear death.” It is now clear the New York City Community Board Members and the Mayor seem to have been ignorant of Islam. Be this as it may, ignorance on Jihadi strategies and techniques and our servile attitude cannot but encourage cunning Islamists like Bin Laden and Nasarullah continue their hostility and Jihad war against America.

If we allow the deceptive Cordoba project today, the addictive Islamic paradigm that binds all Muslims will flourish in our democratic country, it will hinder our peace, progress and liberty. Islam suppresses individuality, creativity, novelty and critical thinking that are ingredients distinctive of American life. We need to expose the destructive, addictive Islamic system with inhuman Sharia laws the prescription for eternal war against infidels, and the dangerous and outdated Koran and Hadith. We have to resist Islamists and change the Islamic mindset and sinister plans for our country.

We need to study Islamic cultural patters, belief system and their unhealthy system for discriminating women and infidels. There is no solution for Jihadi terrorism until Islamists are forced to change the contents of Koran and hadith advocating murder of infidels.

Whether America can survive as a free-democratic country depends on our citizens asking few questions to Islamists who want to construct a Mosque at Ground Zero.

Islamic ideology has nothing in common with secularism, democracy, pluralism, tolerance, and human rights. In 1985 Iran’s permanent U.N representative Raja Khorassam declared “the very concept of Human Rights is a Judeo-Christian intervention and inadmissible in Islam.” Islam does not approve our constitution and independent Judiciary. Muslims want to bring the whole world under Islam-from Darul Harab to darul Islam. And Jihad war is the means they use to conquer the world for Allah.

Mosques are indoctrination centers where Muslims are taught to hate infidels. They are taught that Islam is a perfect and perfected religion that needs no reformation, renaissance or revision. They are trained to love death and throw reason to dogs.

Our Islamist Academicians, leftist liberals and pseudo secularists are busy misdirecting us with their bogus root causes for Islamic terrorism such as American interference, Israel’s existence, India’s modernization, globalization and lack of economic opportunities for Muslims. They claim that radical Islamists are engaged in terrorism as a reaction against modernity and globalization. Such erroneous justification prevents us from striking back at Islamic terrorists. The root cause of Jihadi terrorism is Islam. The reasons for extremist Islamic upheavals can be found in the ideological tradition of Islam. The attack on Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs is a tragic reminder of the intolerance of Islam. Bigotry in Islamic countries is expressed in a variety of ways. Beheading, stoning, genital mutilation, limb amputation, terrorist killing, bombing and assassination by Jihad groups or fanatic Muslims against those who hold divergent views may be the most despicable. Manifestation of such brutal Islamic acts by no means the only one. Government statutes, laws and directives in all Islamic countries are riddled with discriminatory laws against infidels. The Blasphemy Laws in Islamic countries are used to harass infidels. The culture of intolerance is Islam and it is ingrained in every Muslim.

There is no real democracy, pluralism, co-existence, tolerance and human right in all Islamic countries. Islamic leaders have the utmost contempt for eclectic thinking, pluralism, progressive thinking, religious tolerance, secularism, and freedom of thinking.

The ever increasing number of Muslims in America, and the broader tolerant, humanistic attitude of the US (infidels) give them a tremendous advantage in their brutal dealings with the rest of us. Precise understanding, therefore, of Islam, its past history, concept of war, jihad, dar-ul-islam and Islamic attitude towards kafir, and the working of sharia law is exceedingly important. Mohamed’s conduct in his lifetime unequivocally indicated that all infidels (non believers) must be either converted or done away with the Islamic sword. To kill or terrorize kafirs to win the battle for Allah seem a regressive way to achieve Allah’s world. In any event, this is precisely what the Mohamedans first usage of the term Islam means. Islam teaches Muslims to break resistance of Kafirs. Once the resistance has become completely broken, they have to be subjugated, converted, or put to death. Allah can triumphs only when all infidels are either forcefully converted or put to death.. Only then Islam can be possible and realized.

In Islam, democracy is replaced with the will of Allah. The will of the populace is replaced with the dictatorship of Mullahs or Ayatollahs. New York City Mayor Bloomberg and his Islamist friends do not seem to understand or cherish our values, the timeless principle of liberty. The approval of an Islamic Mosque at the heart of New York City is a sign of his bureaucratic despotism. The Mayor and the City Community Board members decision will ultimately encourage stealth Jihad and destroy our communal harmony and our liberty. Yes things are looking bleak for the cause of American freedom. Muslims are testing America’s will. It will definitely affect the heart of American tradition, values, freedom, democracy, culture, and future. American constitution allows religious freedom and we are tolerant towards different faiths. But our tolerance has limits. Tolerating intolerant political dogmas is not a positive virtue. Do we have to allow an Islamic Mosque to preach intolerant Islam and allow Jihadis to roam our cities for terrorist activities?

We won’t be able to stop the Islamic barrack in our city by sitting on our hands. It will take serious efforts and sincere zeal to convince our friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens that America must remain free and democratic if we are to retain our hard –won liberty.

In the context of Indian reality the same Islamist elements want to diminish the very seat of Ramlala at his Ayodhya Birthplace, by erecting a big mosque there. In 1992, the patriotic Hindu Crusaders washed away the relics of a barbaric invader named Babur, who made a mosque after destroying an ancient Ram Temple situated there. The Indian Islamists want now to rebuilt the vanished ‘Babri Mosque’, by the replacement of Ramlala being worshiped there traditionally from an early past.

Though the grave cause of 3000 martyrs of Two-in Towers in New York on 9/11 creating a big ground zero due to the wrath of Allah, the wealth of the Shieks and the weapons of the Jihadis is someway different from a ground zero made on 6/12 by the Hindus at Ayodhya by defeating the then nexus of the Fundamental Muslims in India, now in both places they want to establish the symbol of Arabic Nationalism, strength of Pan Islamism and the sole annihilation of civil society. But the killings of Jihad in America, India or any where are the same. We should aware of the schools of Jihadis : The Madrashas and the Councils of Islamists : The Mosques.

WE SHOULD STOP ISLAMIZATION OF AMERICA AND MUST SAY NO TO MOSQUE AT GROUND ZERO AND OBVIOUSLY SHOULD STOP ISLAMIZATION OF INDIA AND SAY NO TO MOSQUE AT GROUND ZERO AYODHYA.

Dr. Babu Suseelan, President, Indo-American Intellectual Forum and

Rev. Upananda Brahmachari, Vice President, Hindu Samhati

in a Hindu Function in Kolkata : 14/02/2010.>>

Hindu population set to fall below 80% in Census 2011

2011-05-26T04:58:00.000-07:00

Manika Premsingh and R Jagannathan || Courtesy : firstpost

Hindus have among the lowest overall sex ratios and child sex ratios in the country as per Census 2001.

Amit Dave/Reuters

Census 2011 is likely to throw up a psychologically important figure on India’s religious demographics. For the first time in over a century, the proportion of the Hindu population in the country will probably fall below the 80 percent mark — in keeping with the long-term trend of a significant divergence between Hindu and Muslim growth rates.

Demographers like Ashish Bose and SC Gulati have varying viewpoints on the subject. While Bose believes that “it is quite likely that the proportion will be below 80% in 2011”, Gulati says that “A secular trend cannot be predicted for religions based on past data”. The latter view is also backed by another Economic & Political Weekly (EPW) research paper “Hindu-Muslim Fertility Differentials”, which says: “It is true that a Hindu-Muslim differential in fertility persists in India’s demographic reality, but it is no more than one child. It is also not too large to swamp India’s Hindu majority in the foreseeable future. Nor is the gap likely to persist for a very long time as we find that the fertility level among Muslims declines with increasing level of education and standards of living. The faster increase in family planning among Muslims supports this conjecture”.

In a country where Hinduism is the majority religion, it is a unique trend that the proportion of Hindus has shown a secular decline since 1961, matched by a corresponding increase in the proportion of Muslims. While religion is a contentious issue to analyse at any point in time, it is equally imperative to analyse trends deeply enough to understand its socio-economic ramifications.

Firstpost is raising this issue not to pander to any scare-mongering among Hindus, but because it needs to be understood in the right context. As we await the Census 2011 results on religious demographics, we undertook an analysis of this trend and what it means for the future. Our detailed analysis indicates that while the population of Muslims is indeed growing faster than Hindus, this is only partly due to higher birth rates among them; Hindus, on the other had, also carry a responsibility for the trend in the form of lower longevity, as well as widespread prevalence of gender discrimination and higher mortality among children.

Explaining the trend

The proportion of Hindus has in the population shrunk from 83.4 percent in 1961 to 80.5 percent according to the 2001 census. This trend matches with an almost equivalent proportional rise among the Muslims — from 10.7 percent to 13.4 percent from 1961 to 2001 (and for this reason we also restrict our study to a comparative analysis between these two religions). A declining proportion of Hindus means either that the growth of Hindus is declining or that of other communities is rising. Or, as in this case, a combination of both. Decadal growth in the Hindu population has fallen to 19.3% compared with 23.8% in 1961, as per our estimates based on data from the National Minorities Commission and the Census of India 2001. In comparison, the growth in the Muslim population accelerated from 30.6% in 1961 to 34.6% in 2001. (Figures for religious demography in 2011 are yet to be made available).

For a country that has been battling the population problem for decades, while a decline in the proportion of Hindus has been flagged as a source of concern by religious organisations, to others it actually indicates social progression. It is seen as socially progressive since population growth depends on factors like fertility rates and birth rates. These, in turn, are influenced by social factors like literacy, in general, and female literacy, in particular, awareness about contraception methods, average age of marriage and the proportion of working women. Lower fertility and birth rates then are pointers to the development of societies as such.

The social factors

On some metrics, Hindus do perform better. According to estimates published in an EPW research paper on “District level fertility estimates for Hindus and Muslims” in 2005, Crude Birth Rates (CBR, as defined by number of births per 1,000 persons) for Muslims are a much higher at 30.8 as compared with the Hindu number of 24.9 and the all-India average of 25.9. This is also mirrored in a higher Muslim Total Fertility Rate (TFR, as defined by the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years) of 4.1 as compared with 3.1 for Hindus and 3.2 for all India.

It is hard to overlook the fact that trends in birth rates and fertility rates are seen as commensurate with the expected trends for literacy, use of contraception and workforce participation, despite the differences in methodology of estimation and sources.

Hindu women have slightly higher literacy rates than Muslim women at 53.2 percent and 50.1 percent, respectively as per Census 2001, which has been considered as compared with Census 2011 to keep time periods comparable. Moreover, the last National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in 2005-06 found that while 57.8 percent of Hindus were using contraception, the figure was much lower at 45.7 percent among the Muslims — suggesting, at least in part, a greater awareness about use of family planning among the Hindus. We also observe a higher proportion for working women among the Hindus — at 27.5 percent, this is higher than even the all-India average of 25.6 percent, with the Jains, Muslims and Sikhs accounting for a lower than average proportion.
However, this is only half the story told.

The other side

True, the Hindu population growth has declined because of some social progression. However, Hindus also show dismal performance when it comes to other crucial social attributes, namely, focus on healthcare and gender bias. According to a study by the International Institute for Population Sciences, “Inequality in Human Development by Social and Economic Groups in India”, the life expectancy at birth for Hindus in 2005-06 was 65 years while it was higher at 68 years among Muslims. There is, of course, an element of economic prosperity here as well, with the gap between life expectancy for “poor” Hindus and Muslims being wider than that for the “non-poor” in the two communities. The overall point, however, remains, that at birth a Muslim has a chance of living longer than a Hindu.

This is clearly related to the fact that in childhood itself a higher proportion of Hindus die. Hindus have an infant mortality rate of 58.5, while the same rate among the Muslims is at 52.4, according to the National Family Health Survey (2005-06), where the infant mortality rate is defined as the probability of dying before the first birthday. Similarly, under-5 mortality is at a high of 76 compared with 70 for Muslims. This fact is also echoed in a research paper by the University of Bristol on “Religion and Childhood Death in India”, which says “Muslim children in India face substantially lower mortality risks than Hindu children. This is surprising because one would have expected just the opposite: Muslims have, on average, lower socio-economic status, higher fertility, shorter birth-spacing, and are a minority group in India that may be expected to live in areas that have relatively poor public provision.”

While it remains to be conclusively proved whether Muslims as such provide better healthcare, it has been pointed out that gender bias is one explanation for this trend. According to a 2004 research paper on “Religion and Fertility in India: The role of son preference and daughter aversion” by researchers at University of Ulster and University of Cambridge, “Muslim fertility in India may be higher than Hindu fertility, but we argue that an important, albeit neglected, issue is not that Muslims have more children than Hindus, but that they treat them better on account of significantly lower levels of daughter aversion.”

As per their estimates, male infant mortality rates (where infant mortality rate is defined as the number of infant deaths as a proportion of live births) among Hindus and Muslims are at 4.5 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively, but the difference in female infant mortality rates is much higher, with the rate among Hindus at 6.3 percent and that among Muslims at 4.6 percent, respectively. The numbers are further corroborated by the fact that Hindus have among the lowest overall sex ratios and child sex ratios in the country as per the Census 2001. The overall sex ratio is higher only than the Sikhs at 931, compared with the Muslims’ sex ratio at 936. The child-sex ratio for Hindus is even worse than Muslims at 925 as compared with 950 for Muslims. In Census 2011, the overall sex ratio has risen from 933 to 940, but the child-sex ratio has fallen from 927 to 914. The religion-wise breakup will be available only later.

Looking Ahead

So what do these trends mean for the future? That’s tough to say. While for now it might be difficult to know for sure how religious demographics will develop over the coming decades, what is clear is that it looks to be less about one religion’s growth versus the other, and more a reflection of serious demographic issues to be addressed by both.

Proportion of various religions in population : Sheet-1

All	100	100	100	100	100
Hindus	83.4	82.7	82.6	82.0	80.5
Muslims	10.7	11.2	11.4	12.1	13.4
Christians	2.4	2.6	2.4	2.3	2.3
Sikhs	1.8	1.9	2.0	1.9	1.9
Buddhists	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.8
Others	0.7	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.6
ReligionNot stated	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1
Source: National Commission on Minorities

Demographics by Religion : Table 2

All religious communities	Sex Ratio	Sex Ratio 0-6 yrs.	Proportion of Population in 0-6 yrs.	Literacy Rate	Female Literacy Rate
Hindus	931	925	15.6	65.1	53.2
Muslims	936	950	18.7	59.1	50.1
Christians	1009	964	13.5	80.3	76.2
Sikhs	893	786	12.8	69.4	63.1
Buddhists	953	942	14.4	72.7	61.7
Jains	940	870	10.6	94.1	90.6
Other Religions	992	976	18.0	47.0	33.2
Source: National Commission on Minorities

Courtesy : http://www.firstpost.com/

Some Solutions :

Marriage must be within age 25 for female and 30 for male Hindus.
At least THREE babies for every able rural couple and TWO babies for able urban couple.
One baby more considering the capable situation in the name of Dharma.
Strict negation and punishments for female foeticides.
Stress upon small business, self entrepreneurship, small village industries, group farming-cultivation for the maintenance of families, not relying upon services in public or private sectors.
Inter caste marriage under broad Hindu basis avoiding blood relations.
Accept and Marriage with the girls of other religions to mitigate the ill effect of Love Jihad.
Marriage without dowry and other superstitious prejudices.
Marriage to maintain divine life and the gaining the full strength of the Hindu society.