01-25-2006, 05:44 PM
Following Dharma is Hinduism/Jainism/Buddhism. No set of laws in Hindu Dharma (other than the Dharma itself of course).
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->theocratical hindu central command<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Don't know that there was such a thing.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->and then ... free of a theocratical hindu central command.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->So what exactly does this mean? Pax Americana? Go with the flow of progress (whatever's fashionable), calling it Hindu Dharma so you get popular support? It's not the Hindu religion at all.
More importantly what is it you want to change - what do you identify as a theocratical Hindu central command? You've obviously identified this as a problem, but there is no central command. This is not Islam, Christianity or Marxism as you yourself admitted. So I'm really curious what you are referring to here.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->indian people who do their duty follow their dharma (duty).<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->And not being able to distinguish right action/duty from wrong is known as adharma. So what's the source (book, sloka, whatever you've learnt from your Hindu environment) which helps you decide what is dharma and what is not? Do you randomly decide that what your mind tells you to do is dharma? Then everyone in the world follows dharma. Why oppose the commies/Muslims/Christians/imperialists when they attack Hindus? They're following their "duty" (which you've equated with dharma).
If you refer to humanism as being your guide to duty, then that's a different matter. But it still isn't Hindu Dharma.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->hinduism isnt a religion (as the abrahamics understand it) - its a way of life, and of the people, by the people and for the people.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> It is a way of life, but it is the way of life our ancestors had and improved upon. Your suggestions don't seem to be improvements. The people didn't invent it ("by the people") but the ancient rishis were great Yogis who gleaned universal truths and passed them on for the betterment of humanity. To forget and bypass all of that and call whatever goes "Hinduism" isn't Hinduism at all.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->mugging slokas... doesn't help. you seem to lok at hinduism as a set of laws to be followed.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> You know nothing about me.
And these statements seem to indicate you know little of Hinduism too. I suggest you read the Gita and the Upanishads. If that doesn't interest you, read the Dhammapada (Buddhist) or any Jain scriptures in English translation. Or the Tao teh Ching. Some of this is bound to interest you. If nothing appeals to you, look at Bertrand Russell or some other western atheist/agnostic authors (I don't think Thomas Paine et al's Deism will appeal to you, because it involves a God).
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->and firstly i'd want india to be free - and then free from islam, marzists and free from lunatic analogies and free of a theocratical hindu central command.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> (Assuming "free from Christianity" is included somewhere in there)
And then....? Pax Americana, sorry Pax Indiana?
By the way, if you get the India you want, quite a few Hindus will want to seccede. It's no Hinduism we know, nor an India we want. It's odd that at some point you accused me of being a greater evil than any of the 3 ideologies threatening India. And yet, the more you post, the more I get the feeling that you are not quite certain what Hindu Dharma is and what it isn't.
- If you want an atheist country, one that is proud of a historic "Hindu culture and thought" (but which is nevertheless confined to history), fine. Say that then.
- If you want to just exist with your wife and children and coexist with others, fine. I guess that's a form of Hinduism... and Deism... and many other religions.
- But if you want to <i>guide</i> the country down a path that is beyond anything that is familiar or acceptable to the part of the Indian population that does follow Dharma, then know that it is not Hinduism you are following.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->i always thought hinduism ws something that followed the peope of india, cos its the bell curve of all our existing religious belief.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> So I guess if we all became Christians - then Christianity is Hinduism. "Whatever we do, whatever we become - it's Hinduism." Interesting concept, but it's wrong.
It is supposed to be: <i>as long as we follow and are guided by the Eternal Dharma</i>, what we do and become adds to the evolution of Hinduism.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->i am not a religious person, just a proud hindu, not a pious hindu.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> You're a proud Indian who prefers Hinduism to Christianity/Marxism/Islam. If born a Buddhist or Jain you would identify yourself as a "proud Jain/Buddhist and proud Indian". Or would you have gone out of your way to convert to the mainstream Hindu Dharma?
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->theocratical hindu central command<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Don't know that there was such a thing.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->and then ... free of a theocratical hindu central command.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->So what exactly does this mean? Pax Americana? Go with the flow of progress (whatever's fashionable), calling it Hindu Dharma so you get popular support? It's not the Hindu religion at all.
More importantly what is it you want to change - what do you identify as a theocratical Hindu central command? You've obviously identified this as a problem, but there is no central command. This is not Islam, Christianity or Marxism as you yourself admitted. So I'm really curious what you are referring to here.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->indian people who do their duty follow their dharma (duty).<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->And not being able to distinguish right action/duty from wrong is known as adharma. So what's the source (book, sloka, whatever you've learnt from your Hindu environment) which helps you decide what is dharma and what is not? Do you randomly decide that what your mind tells you to do is dharma? Then everyone in the world follows dharma. Why oppose the commies/Muslims/Christians/imperialists when they attack Hindus? They're following their "duty" (which you've equated with dharma).
If you refer to humanism as being your guide to duty, then that's a different matter. But it still isn't Hindu Dharma.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->hinduism isnt a religion (as the abrahamics understand it) - its a way of life, and of the people, by the people and for the people.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> It is a way of life, but it is the way of life our ancestors had and improved upon. Your suggestions don't seem to be improvements. The people didn't invent it ("by the people") but the ancient rishis were great Yogis who gleaned universal truths and passed them on for the betterment of humanity. To forget and bypass all of that and call whatever goes "Hinduism" isn't Hinduism at all.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->mugging slokas... doesn't help. you seem to lok at hinduism as a set of laws to be followed.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> You know nothing about me.
And these statements seem to indicate you know little of Hinduism too. I suggest you read the Gita and the Upanishads. If that doesn't interest you, read the Dhammapada (Buddhist) or any Jain scriptures in English translation. Or the Tao teh Ching. Some of this is bound to interest you. If nothing appeals to you, look at Bertrand Russell or some other western atheist/agnostic authors (I don't think Thomas Paine et al's Deism will appeal to you, because it involves a God).
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->and firstly i'd want india to be free - and then free from islam, marzists and free from lunatic analogies and free of a theocratical hindu central command.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> (Assuming "free from Christianity" is included somewhere in there)
And then....? Pax Americana, sorry Pax Indiana?
By the way, if you get the India you want, quite a few Hindus will want to seccede. It's no Hinduism we know, nor an India we want. It's odd that at some point you accused me of being a greater evil than any of the 3 ideologies threatening India. And yet, the more you post, the more I get the feeling that you are not quite certain what Hindu Dharma is and what it isn't.
- If you want an atheist country, one that is proud of a historic "Hindu culture and thought" (but which is nevertheless confined to history), fine. Say that then.
- If you want to just exist with your wife and children and coexist with others, fine. I guess that's a form of Hinduism... and Deism... and many other religions.
- But if you want to <i>guide</i> the country down a path that is beyond anything that is familiar or acceptable to the part of the Indian population that does follow Dharma, then know that it is not Hinduism you are following.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->i always thought hinduism ws something that followed the peope of india, cos its the bell curve of all our existing religious belief.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> So I guess if we all became Christians - then Christianity is Hinduism. "Whatever we do, whatever we become - it's Hinduism." Interesting concept, but it's wrong.
It is supposed to be: <i>as long as we follow and are guided by the Eternal Dharma</i>, what we do and become adds to the evolution of Hinduism.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->i am not a religious person, just a proud hindu, not a pious hindu.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> You're a proud Indian who prefers Hinduism to Christianity/Marxism/Islam. If born a Buddhist or Jain you would identify yourself as a "proud Jain/Buddhist and proud Indian". Or would you have gone out of your way to convert to the mainstream Hindu Dharma?