08-09-2005, 09:41 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Need for Dharmic Unity
An American Hinduâs View
by H.V. Shivadas
 There is a need to create a unifying force among the Dharmic Spiritual
Traditions around the globe, to spread the message of unity in order to
defend and preserve Dharma among various sampradayas of Sanatan Dharma,
otherwise known as Hinduism, as well as other spiritual traditions that have
sprung from the same roots, such as Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and even
other traditions that may not be dharmic in name, but that are dharmic by
their nature, such as the spiritual traditions of the Roma (gypsies), the
Neo-Pagan movement growing tremendously in Europe and America that is a
revivalism of the pre-Christian European cultures, the shamanic traditions
that are found around the globe from Siberia to the Native peoples of
America, and the many nature-based and animistic aboriginal traditions found
in Africa, China, the Americas and in the Pacific Rim.
While many of these Dharmic spiritual traditions have been organizing
themselves in recent years in an effort to unite themselves to preserve and
defend their traditions, there is as yet no comprehensive unifying force
that includes all those many traditions that for millennia untold have
always held each other in respect, before the coming of the monolithic
monotheistic triad of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and
Islam. Many of these traditions have been reduced by colonization and
conversion, more often than not by force, to such small numbers that we can
fairly say that they are today an endangered species, and some that have
already become long ago extinct and found no longer on the face of Mother
Earth.
 The near decimation of many of these spiritual traditions and their
attendant cultures continues as the conversion efforts of Christianity and
Islam in particular, as well as so-called secular and humanist Communist
regimes that yet remain, continue in their efforts to drive these dharmic
traditions apart, creating division and dissention between traditions that,
before the advent of these infant monotheistic faiths and modern atheistic
ideologies, had always been of a syncretic nature in an ancient world that
may have fought wars over many things as mankind has always done, but never
over religion.
The result of Islamic and Christian efforts to drive a wedge
between the dharmic traditions have eroded the dharmic values which, even in
times of war, had always ensured fair treatment of each other, even in the
face of dissent. It was weakened the ability of these traditions to stand
against the continued onslaught of conversion efforts, these days disguised
in terms of offering humanitarian aid to the poor and suffering, as if their
own governments and religions were doing nothing, while using that aid only
as an inducement and a bribe to renounce their ancient heritage for the sake
of a few coins or a bit of food or empty promises of jobs and equality.
 The irony is that the aggressors, most evident in Islam, have achieved
such unity among themselves that even those Islamic nations that are
traditional enemies with each other will often unite to defend each other
against any perceived attack against any Islamic nation, whether friend or
foe, while the most evident result of the forced division of the ancient
dharmic traditions is found in India, where Hindus, Buddhist, Sikhs and
Jains, by now having long ago been divided by invaders and colonists, today
bicker endlessly amongst themselves as to who is right and who is wrong, as
do the Abrahamics, and some to the extent of demanding secession from the
Motherland to ape the creation of Islamic ânationsâ torn from the body of
Mother India, as seen in the demand of many Sikhs for the creation of a
Khalistan, or even worse, the discovery that Protestant Christians
missionaries from America have been providing bombs to their precious Indian
converts in the North to force the creation of a Christian state in the
subcontinent. And why should they not expect such a right to tear a piece of
Mother Indiaâs body off for themselves, when all the Western world demanded
the Partition of India, on behalf of Muslim insistence, with a cowardly,
though reluctant, Congress Partyâs acceptance, resulting in the creation of
a âpureâ Islamic state, that has only multiplied itself and today seeks to
further gain more of Mother Indiaâs flesh to feed the greedy belly of the
Uma?
 It is a miracle that the dharmic peoples of the world have not vanished
altogether by now. But if what remains of us cannot unite against this trend
of creating nations based upon religious exclusivity, then our ultimate
demise is certain. Even the largest so-called âsecularâ democracy in the
world is not secular at all - at least not by the standards of secularism
set by the Founding Fathers of America, who would be aghast at the
suggestion that such a state of affairs as exists in India today would dare
to be called secular. What American would stand by if their government
should declare to subsidize the Hajj, or sacred pilgrimage to Mecca, for
American Muslims by paying for their trips with the taxpayerâs dollars as is
done by the so-called âsecularâ government of India? Who can imagine the
American Government declaring that while all majority religions in the US
could continue to operate their places of worship and manage their finances
without accountability, the majority Christian religions must surrender
operation and ownership of their Churches and all assets to the Federal
Government as is done in India? And there would certainly be a revolution,
with every Cowboy, Redneck, Johnny Reb and Yankee in America taking their
shotguns down from their gunracks if our government declared a separate set
of civil laws for Muslims, much less any other religious minority.
 It is times, my brothers and sisters, to lay aside our differences,
whether we are Vaishnavas or Shaivas, Advaitin or Dvaita, Buddhist or Jain
or Sikh, it is time to stand together and refused to ever be divided and
conquered again!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
An American Hinduâs View
by H.V. Shivadas
 There is a need to create a unifying force among the Dharmic Spiritual
Traditions around the globe, to spread the message of unity in order to
defend and preserve Dharma among various sampradayas of Sanatan Dharma,
otherwise known as Hinduism, as well as other spiritual traditions that have
sprung from the same roots, such as Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and even
other traditions that may not be dharmic in name, but that are dharmic by
their nature, such as the spiritual traditions of the Roma (gypsies), the
Neo-Pagan movement growing tremendously in Europe and America that is a
revivalism of the pre-Christian European cultures, the shamanic traditions
that are found around the globe from Siberia to the Native peoples of
America, and the many nature-based and animistic aboriginal traditions found
in Africa, China, the Americas and in the Pacific Rim.
While many of these Dharmic spiritual traditions have been organizing
themselves in recent years in an effort to unite themselves to preserve and
defend their traditions, there is as yet no comprehensive unifying force
that includes all those many traditions that for millennia untold have
always held each other in respect, before the coming of the monolithic
monotheistic triad of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and
Islam. Many of these traditions have been reduced by colonization and
conversion, more often than not by force, to such small numbers that we can
fairly say that they are today an endangered species, and some that have
already become long ago extinct and found no longer on the face of Mother
Earth.
 The near decimation of many of these spiritual traditions and their
attendant cultures continues as the conversion efforts of Christianity and
Islam in particular, as well as so-called secular and humanist Communist
regimes that yet remain, continue in their efforts to drive these dharmic
traditions apart, creating division and dissention between traditions that,
before the advent of these infant monotheistic faiths and modern atheistic
ideologies, had always been of a syncretic nature in an ancient world that
may have fought wars over many things as mankind has always done, but never
over religion.
The result of Islamic and Christian efforts to drive a wedge
between the dharmic traditions have eroded the dharmic values which, even in
times of war, had always ensured fair treatment of each other, even in the
face of dissent. It was weakened the ability of these traditions to stand
against the continued onslaught of conversion efforts, these days disguised
in terms of offering humanitarian aid to the poor and suffering, as if their
own governments and religions were doing nothing, while using that aid only
as an inducement and a bribe to renounce their ancient heritage for the sake
of a few coins or a bit of food or empty promises of jobs and equality.
 The irony is that the aggressors, most evident in Islam, have achieved
such unity among themselves that even those Islamic nations that are
traditional enemies with each other will often unite to defend each other
against any perceived attack against any Islamic nation, whether friend or
foe, while the most evident result of the forced division of the ancient
dharmic traditions is found in India, where Hindus, Buddhist, Sikhs and
Jains, by now having long ago been divided by invaders and colonists, today
bicker endlessly amongst themselves as to who is right and who is wrong, as
do the Abrahamics, and some to the extent of demanding secession from the
Motherland to ape the creation of Islamic ânationsâ torn from the body of
Mother India, as seen in the demand of many Sikhs for the creation of a
Khalistan, or even worse, the discovery that Protestant Christians
missionaries from America have been providing bombs to their precious Indian
converts in the North to force the creation of a Christian state in the
subcontinent. And why should they not expect such a right to tear a piece of
Mother Indiaâs body off for themselves, when all the Western world demanded
the Partition of India, on behalf of Muslim insistence, with a cowardly,
though reluctant, Congress Partyâs acceptance, resulting in the creation of
a âpureâ Islamic state, that has only multiplied itself and today seeks to
further gain more of Mother Indiaâs flesh to feed the greedy belly of the
Uma?
 It is a miracle that the dharmic peoples of the world have not vanished
altogether by now. But if what remains of us cannot unite against this trend
of creating nations based upon religious exclusivity, then our ultimate
demise is certain. Even the largest so-called âsecularâ democracy in the
world is not secular at all - at least not by the standards of secularism
set by the Founding Fathers of America, who would be aghast at the
suggestion that such a state of affairs as exists in India today would dare
to be called secular. What American would stand by if their government
should declare to subsidize the Hajj, or sacred pilgrimage to Mecca, for
American Muslims by paying for their trips with the taxpayerâs dollars as is
done by the so-called âsecularâ government of India? Who can imagine the
American Government declaring that while all majority religions in the US
could continue to operate their places of worship and manage their finances
without accountability, the majority Christian religions must surrender
operation and ownership of their Churches and all assets to the Federal
Government as is done in India? And there would certainly be a revolution,
with every Cowboy, Redneck, Johnny Reb and Yankee in America taking their
shotguns down from their gunracks if our government declared a separate set
of civil laws for Muslims, much less any other religious minority.
 It is times, my brothers and sisters, to lay aside our differences,
whether we are Vaishnavas or Shaivas, Advaitin or Dvaita, Buddhist or Jain
or Sikh, it is time to stand together and refused to ever be divided and
conquered again!<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->