What is Hinduism? A Personal View

Urstruly (#327),

… and then there is another kind of hell, right here on earth. It starts with the mindset that … I have nothing to live for; so I’ll blow myself up and take a few infidels with me. Tick, tick, boom.

Look, zeemax here would be happy to pull the string for you. My only suggestion is that you do it when there is no one else around. I hope this is not too much to ask for.

#328 ... cont.

Khurram,

I thought that I might add one more piece of information that is hardly ever discussed in chowk. You may have heard about the naxal movement in parts of Andhra, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bengal. Well, it can be said that, they are fighting for a panchayat raj. But who are they fighting against? Landlords? No! The region hardly has big farmers, except for a very few in Telengana and Orissa. Even these guys are more intereseted in selling their lands as the families have moved into cities (and yes, with sons educated in the US who may glance over chowk once in a while). The basic fight is with the "contractors" who have procured licenses to collect "forest products" from these areas (And hence, as if by divine rights bestowed upon them by the govts. they are also involved in illegal mining and land grabbing). These naxals, just like the Satnamis and Vaishnavites of the past, are setting up their own powerful panchayats.

p.s. The Satnami panth was set up by what would today be known as dalits. The Vaishnavites on the other hand, were very educated relative to those in power.

#300 Posted by khurram:

Khurram,

Nice to hear from you after a long time. Hope you have been fine. You have asked me for examples and I have none but ones which are hypothetical. I remember having talked about curricula being regulated by panchayats a long time back in chowk, but cutting and pasting is beyond me. If you are interested in ideas you may choose to read on.

1. I started getting interested in local governance because of government taxes and revenues. You see in India farmers do not pay taxes. The biggest beneficiaries of this are big farmers who are very rich. Plus they get subsidized electricity, water and credit. You will note immediately that electricity, water and credit cannot be controlled at a local level their domains are large. Furthermore, big landowning is geographically concentrated even within districts. Most villages DO NOT HAVE large landlords. So landlords have typically enriched themselves by controlling the whole state. Moving a sizeable proportion of the tax-subsidy-investment policies back to panchayats and municipalities would usher in competition and break the monopolistic clutches of the landlords. I have to quickly add that today in India this monopoly is being challenged by industrialists and that is good. But we need to bring in a larger set of players.

1 a. (I had mentioned this earlier in chowk). As an example of 1, take investment in infrastructure. The federal govt. allocates a chunk and the rest is transferred to the states. In most cases these transfers are tied up to federally sanctioned projects. A part of it is left to the discretion of the states. What is amazing is that the rate of growth of infrastructural spendings is less than the rate of growth of govt. revenues, even when everyone agrees that infrastructure is extremely important for growth! The problem is that the marginal return (in terms of votes) to investment spending is very low given the bureaucracy involved in its disbursement. If such funds can bypass the bureaucracy directly to panchayats then the marginal return would increase! But the problem is that state goverments, under the clutches of the landed gentry, oppose such a move.

1 b. (Another example). A lot of the increase in educational spending is due to the mid-day meals program. Yet, most schools have one or two teachers. They end up cooking this food rather than teaching! Allocations cannot change because of the "one rule has to fit all" policy. Here is a situation where nobody would oppose a change. Yet changes have not come forth because of a small group of "suppliers" in Delhi who have held it hostage inspite of questions regularly being asked in the state assemblies.

2. Given the economic problems highlighted above it seems rational to shift some budgetary policy making back to local governments. In this context, I thought, why not give the panchayats more civil power. I should hasten to add that there is no credible documentation of panchayats EVER having such autonomy, be it under the Mughals or the Brits. I have seen evidence of such powers been TAKEN by the Satnamis from the Muslim/Maratha powers in the Chattisgarh region and by a Vashnavite sect in the North East corner of India just before the advent of the British. I would love to know about more examples. However, these examples might not fit the bill because the groups involved were very homogenous.

Regards.

Re: # 296 SR

I do not see any contradiction in these verses. It only shows that the menu in hell is not large and contains mainly three items i.e. Dhari (Dried throny twigs/grass), puss, and Zaqoom (which is usually compared to Saguaro cactus whose three branches silgouhette like demons in dark).

We also know that hell is described to have different levels; it is quite possible that the patrons at each level get only one menu item.

Another explanation could be that that from the description of it Dhari (dried grass) sound like relatively more delectible than zaqoom and puss. But try feeding a human quorma or roasted chicken three times a day every day for couple of months, I think by second month he will definitely at least yearn to check out the puss or zaqoom just for the change of taste. But the taste of the later too would repulse him back to Dhari. Now put yourself in the shoes of a condemend, facing that situation, would you not say that "There is no goddamned thing to eat here but Dhari". This is what the hell is all about. Wouldn't you try your damndest to avoid that?

=============

Please keep in mind that the three things Dhari, Zaqoom, and puss are the things that are in the realm of Unknown. No one has seen or tasted them. But in order to explain it to humans God must make reference to things that are in our realm of Known. If we find these things so repilsive and disguting in this world just by looking at them, then imagine a world where these are the only food. Oh and don't forget the boiling water, to wash it all down you throat.

why do not = why do

#322 Posted by laddu,

Yaar chup! Go to faithfreedom.org and have an orgasm.

In fact, I have often wondered why do not people like you, hamidm, arjun, mohar11, SR, jayP, nkg, humsab and some others come here at all?

I mean it would be quite pleasurable for you folks to have circle jerks with like-minded people at the forums on faithfreedom, because you scarcely know anything beyond that anyway.

Now Shoo!

#321 Posted by harish_hyd,

I wish you would say something similar to your ill-informed c/p artists who have nothing better to offer. I would welcome them if they did.

And no, I don't want it to become a better place. I have no such inclination. Chowk is a gutter and will remain so because that's what it's owners want it to be.

Hope this helps!

Hinduism is Sanatan Dharma. Dharma is to be practiced at individual level. One can make analogy to the rocket with its boosters. Kama and Artha are the two boosters. But they are fueled and regulated by Natural or Societal Dharma. The journey and the destination is Moksha.

This is a good reflection of Sanatan Dharma in action reflected off a western mind and expressed in western language. http://www.themystic.org/

See how he is expressing Dharana, Dhyan and Samadhi here
http://www.themystic.org/transcendental/index.htm
Idol is for Dharana. For a scientist it could be puzzle obsereved in the nature. For an entrepreneur it could be the product or service he is bringing to the market.

When Societal Dharma is in danger ie when Gurus are butchered in Delhi a Guru (Gobind) is sent with sword in hand. When this societal or natural (ecology) dharma is in bad condition Moksha is not possible for many therefore Avataars appear.

By writing this I cleared my mind.

Re: # 320

Zee Bhai,

Aap to sarvopari hain.

Aapke "Diya al Din" ke saamne hum mushriq kuch bhi nahin keh sakte.

Allahu!!!

#320 by zeemax

Zee bhai, on the one hand you complain Chowk has become a cesspool; OTOH you remain an active contributor to its slide into the gutter. For your complaint to be taken seriously, you need to be above board - this way, you'll only be laughed off as a hypocrite. Sad, but true!

I accept I have contributed my bit to this slide, which is why I don't even try to preach civility. I'm trying to curb this instinct to respond to abuse word for word, and I'd like to think I've succeeded to some extent.

There will be provocations, there will be abuse all around but if you want to really make this a better place, you will have to curb this urge to retaliate.

The alternative is to live with it.

Wow ... I have never seen cockroaches so worked up.

Swarm around cockroaches. Then head for the drains.

laddu ji Maharaj
Pranaam
Great logic in #314. It seems since nature lover does not have any logical arguement, he is now on this trip of diverting the issue.
Keep it up.
regards

Re: # 315
Not a single person in this world follow you but 1.5 billion love and follow prophet of Islam... why..?? think about it..

Ans: Only couple of thousands of people were honoured with Noble, but billions of people smoke tobaco.
So tobaco smoking is reasonable and winning Noble prize is crap!!!!
See the effect of Islam on humanity (similar to tobaco smoking on human health) (Pakistan, Afghanisthan, India, Bangladesh, Sudan...).

Re: # 267 Urstruly,
The Christians in Middle East use "Allah" to refer to God.

Re: # 262
" have asked this one question probably a dozen times, at least, without EVER getting an answer. WHAT political settlement would have been simultaneously satsifactory to both Muslims and Hindus in 1947?".

Kaal Sahib,
I think this question is improperly framed, for the obvious
answer to it is "NONE". Had there been such a settlement, and had it been acceptable to both, it would have been implemented. Is that not self-evident?

A more realistic question to ask is whether there were political settlement(s) possible that could have avoided the partitioning of India? And the answer to that is empatically, "yes there were". The only problem is that the solution acceptable to the Muslims was not acceptable to the Hindus, and vice-versa.

Re # 314:

Laddu..., it is so obvious that You are projecting your own hatred, your own doubts about existence of God and darkness of your own soul on the prophet of Islam...

Not a single person in this world follow you but 1.5 billion love and follow prophet of Islam... why..?? think about it..