07-16-2006, 11:14 PM
Post 68,
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->That is not a myth and it holds, because Christianity and Islam are adharma. Therefore, that Hindu statement does not refer to nor include them at all. It's time that Hindus (and all those in the world uninfected by ChristoIslam) realised to stop extending tolerance and respect to these two intolerant terrorist religions. It's strange how much respect the avg Hindu has for Islam and Christianity (the article pasted in post 49 is a case in point), without actually knowing anything much about these religions. It's sad how little Hindus know about the many natural religions that do deserve the respect that Hindus have been ignorantly wasting on the two mass-murdering unnatural religions.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Husky,
The slogan Sarva Dharma Sambhava was coined by Gandhi, and applied to Chiristianity and Islam. Dharma here was not meant as a moral code or right conduct, but a belief system. Among Hindus this slogan has only put a mental block against knowledge, while it is used as a weapon by their enemies to silence them. Hinduism has always tolerated various point of view, but never gave equal respect to all of them, even when those views had originated in India. Here are Sita Ram Goel's obesrvations on this modern myth:
"Sarva-dharma-samabhAva was unknown to mainstream Hinduism before Mahatma Gandhi presented it as one of the sixteen mahAvratas (great vows). in his booklet, MaNgala-PrabhAta. It is true that mainstream Hinduism had always stood for tolerance towards all metaphysical points of view and ways of worship except that which led to AtatAyI-AchAra (gangsterism). But that tolerance had never become samabhAva, equal respect for all points of view. The acharyas of the different schools of Sanatana Dharma were all along engaged in debates over differences in various approaches to Sreyas (the Great Good). No Buddhist acharya is known to have equated the way of the Buddha to that of the Gita and vice versa, for instance."
"In modern times also, movements like the Brahmo Samaj which recognised Islam and Christianity as dharmas had failed to influence mainstream Hinduism, while Maharshi Dayananda and Swami Vivekananda who upheld the Veda and despised the Bible and the Quran, had had a great impact. This being the hoary Hindu tradition, Mahatma Gandhiâs recognition of Christianity and Islam not only as dharmas but also as equal to Sanatana Dharma was fraught with great mischief. For, unlike the earlier Hindu advocates of Islam and Christianity as dharmas, Mahatma Gandhi made himself known and became known as belonging to mainstream Hinduism.
It remains a mystery as to how Mahatma Gandhi came to regard Christianity and Islam as ways of spiritual seeking rather than as terrorist and totalitarian ideologies of predatory imperialism."
"Mahatma Gandhiâs recognition of these ideologies as dharmas as good as Sanatana Dharma leads only to two conclusions. Either his own perception of Sanatana Dharma was not as deep as it sounds. Or the politician in him prevailed over his spiritual perception and he said what he did from the platform of Sarva-dharma-samabhAva in the hope of winning over Christians and Muslims to the nationalist camp. In any case, the utter failure of his attempt to achieve this goal proves that the attempt was foolhardy. He failed to win any significant section of Christians or Muslims either to the nationalist cause or to the camp of Sarva-dharma-samabhAva. But in the process of popularising this slogan, he diluted the definition of dharma beyond recognition, and placed Hindu society permanently on the defensive. No other slogan has proved more mischievous for Hinduism than the mindless slogan of Sarva-dharma-samabhAva vis-a-vis Christianity and Islam."
Sarva Dharma Sambhava or any variation of it (Sarva Panth Samadar) need to go.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->That is not a myth and it holds, because Christianity and Islam are adharma. Therefore, that Hindu statement does not refer to nor include them at all. It's time that Hindus (and all those in the world uninfected by ChristoIslam) realised to stop extending tolerance and respect to these two intolerant terrorist religions. It's strange how much respect the avg Hindu has for Islam and Christianity (the article pasted in post 49 is a case in point), without actually knowing anything much about these religions. It's sad how little Hindus know about the many natural religions that do deserve the respect that Hindus have been ignorantly wasting on the two mass-murdering unnatural religions.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Husky,
The slogan Sarva Dharma Sambhava was coined by Gandhi, and applied to Chiristianity and Islam. Dharma here was not meant as a moral code or right conduct, but a belief system. Among Hindus this slogan has only put a mental block against knowledge, while it is used as a weapon by their enemies to silence them. Hinduism has always tolerated various point of view, but never gave equal respect to all of them, even when those views had originated in India. Here are Sita Ram Goel's obesrvations on this modern myth:
"Sarva-dharma-samabhAva was unknown to mainstream Hinduism before Mahatma Gandhi presented it as one of the sixteen mahAvratas (great vows). in his booklet, MaNgala-PrabhAta. It is true that mainstream Hinduism had always stood for tolerance towards all metaphysical points of view and ways of worship except that which led to AtatAyI-AchAra (gangsterism). But that tolerance had never become samabhAva, equal respect for all points of view. The acharyas of the different schools of Sanatana Dharma were all along engaged in debates over differences in various approaches to Sreyas (the Great Good). No Buddhist acharya is known to have equated the way of the Buddha to that of the Gita and vice versa, for instance."
"In modern times also, movements like the Brahmo Samaj which recognised Islam and Christianity as dharmas had failed to influence mainstream Hinduism, while Maharshi Dayananda and Swami Vivekananda who upheld the Veda and despised the Bible and the Quran, had had a great impact. This being the hoary Hindu tradition, Mahatma Gandhiâs recognition of Christianity and Islam not only as dharmas but also as equal to Sanatana Dharma was fraught with great mischief. For, unlike the earlier Hindu advocates of Islam and Christianity as dharmas, Mahatma Gandhi made himself known and became known as belonging to mainstream Hinduism.
It remains a mystery as to how Mahatma Gandhi came to regard Christianity and Islam as ways of spiritual seeking rather than as terrorist and totalitarian ideologies of predatory imperialism."
"Mahatma Gandhiâs recognition of these ideologies as dharmas as good as Sanatana Dharma leads only to two conclusions. Either his own perception of Sanatana Dharma was not as deep as it sounds. Or the politician in him prevailed over his spiritual perception and he said what he did from the platform of Sarva-dharma-samabhAva in the hope of winning over Christians and Muslims to the nationalist camp. In any case, the utter failure of his attempt to achieve this goal proves that the attempt was foolhardy. He failed to win any significant section of Christians or Muslims either to the nationalist cause or to the camp of Sarva-dharma-samabhAva. But in the process of popularising this slogan, he diluted the definition of dharma beyond recognition, and placed Hindu society permanently on the defensive. No other slogan has proved more mischievous for Hinduism than the mindless slogan of Sarva-dharma-samabhAva vis-a-vis Christianity and Islam."
Sarva Dharma Sambhava or any variation of it (Sarva Panth Samadar) need to go.