What is Hinduism? A Personal View

Kaal, you want the truth? You can't handle the truth..


Son, we live in a world that has walls. And those walls have to be guarded by men with guns and intellect and capital(NOT scripture). Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Mohar? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Muslims and hinjews and you curse the Secularoon. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: That religions's death, while tragic, will probably save lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don't talk about at mosques and temples, you want me on that wall. You need me there. We use words like honor, code, loyalty, universality and TRUTH...we use these words as the backbone to a life spent defending something. You use 'em as a punchline . I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it. I'd prefer you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to.



:) sorry kaal...couldn't resist when you go a bit overboard with your muddled thoughts.

Re: # 49 kaal
[...let's not rush to installing statues in mosques so soon.
...]

Once again - another strawman argument...

Hinduism does not need statues at all... God is Omnipresent... you don't need statues in temples or mosques... Some people want to have idols which is fine too...

There is no need to have statues in mosque

hamidm2

hindooism seems to be a complex religion for thinking folks (arjun being the exception)

being the equal opportunity religion trasher that you are :), if memory serves me correctly, arjun does not claim to be either hindu or christian - being a product of both. So he cannot be the exception.

furthermore bhai saheb, whatever heaven or hell is, merely accepting jesus christ as the son of god and personal savior does not get you a ticket to heaven. I know dubya hopes it will. :)

"Hingboos have been civilized to some extent by the Mughal and British rules. The missionaries are doing a good job now."

HAHAHA. Mughal = Civilized? A political system where brothers killed brothers, fathers killed sons and vice versa, people were bricked alive? Mughal Rule belongs, along with Nazism, in the dustbin of history.

An excellent summation of a complex and fascinating belief system.


Thanks dost-mittar.

"Indian thought lacks that drive. So we can call the former 'universal' truths and Indian thought 'Indian.' But I suspect that is not quite right."

eklavya, it right right that you are not right. But you know that. I urge you to try to understand concepts like "universal" and "truths" etc.. before using them. Idnian views vs. outsiders views has the same universality as outsiders view and indian view. spreading doesn't make it either truth or universal.

Re: # 51

Hi wolfy,

How is your sunnat?

interesting write up dost-mittar sahib----enjoyed it. thanks.
it is a pity that many hindus nowadays don't understand hinduism as you do in your concluding paragraph...
where does the whole caste system come into it? How is Manu related to Hinduism? These are serious qs.

khurram, the only connection I see to India is that this view, or rather approach to understanding the reality around us, has been best and most consistently been developed in India, and by its own inner logic, has no inherent drive to convince others (mostly non-Indians) of its 'truth.' It just doesn't approach 'truth' in those terms.

There was a gentleman on chowk sometime back who wrote beautifully on that important point. He described in detail why a semitic religion 'had to' spread out because its own inner nature.

Indian thought lacks that drive. So we can call the former 'universal' truths and Indian thought 'Indian.' But I suspect that is not quite right.

Mohar, there is definitely a "oneness" best articulated by my friend thinkingstorm, who is a good Muslim/Hindu/human being.

Since it can be argued that everything - Hindus, Muslims, man, dog, pig, fish, mountains, galaxy, and anti-matter- came from some one source, they are all basically the same, and we need not worry about separating them.

This kind of "oneness" comes naturally to Hindus since it is part and parcel of our core beliefs. Still, let's not rush to installing statues in mosques so soon.

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laddu bhai, ok. Perhaps we will have occasion to pursue an understanding of sufism sometime.

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khurram, yes, I was actually astonished to see the same point of view expressed by cobra, our rss friend. The focus there is exclusively on geographical identity, not on any principles or ways of thinking. So, for instance, cobra does not consider Bali Hindus Hindu at all (Bali Hinduism has no overwhelming connection now to India. It makes all local references.)

I am not sure if I fully comprehend that view.

Eklayva,
All pagans are not hindus. Hindus have a connection to a body of Indian thought - no matter how vaguely defined. This is missing from DM's definition in the last paragraph.

Re: # 45

Eklaya ji,

I think you got it all wrong..........you would probably NOT find a sufi heading a mosque!!
And there is already a Vishnu in Mashhad Masjid in Iran.

Re: # 43

Eklavya Bhai Saheb,

Sufism's summum bonnum is "Fanaa" which is like ascetic goal of "Samadhi" - so it is very much part of hindu ascetic orders!!!

LOL, you may be right, after all, mohar bhai. Still, for the sake of peace and preservation of life, I would advise my Hindu friends to not want to intall a statue of Vishnu in any mosque anytime soon, even if it is a mosque headed by Indian "sufis". :)

Re: # 37kaal

dude - it's the same thing - religion, dharma, faith... you and DM - you guys just raising strawmen out of nowhere and then stomping on it and creating a big hoopla about nothing...

I am not sure what's the reason for this hair-spliting excercise, this urge to define and re-define ancient concepts... you guys have studied abrahmic faiths and may be got too "close" to it... you guys are getting too narrow and one-dimensional in your thinking... :)

Vishnu has a thousand names and 10 different manifestations, but He is One... religion, faith, dharma - it may be a dozen different words, it's the same thing...

Come on - do i really have to teach you the basics?

laddu bhai, unfortunately, that is a suicidal path for Hinduism, but for reaching that conclusion we need to figure out what sufism exactly is. If that is ok with you, let's leave that for another time.

For now, all I would submit is, sufims is NOT hinduism, it has nothing to do with Hinduism. It is not Islam either, not by a long shot, but merely one of the many tools towards the larger unit/unity of Islam.

That is perfectly fine and respectable, but it is just different. Probably that is not convincing enough, for which, I apologize.