I had read Shashi Tharoor’s article and made some comments earlier, which have been forwarded, to him.
Just as he is from a Christian School so are we all boys from Goethals, also from Catholic school.
Mr. Tharoor is out to pander to the western press whose product he is as he is seeking posts in the UN and other agencies.
We are not bogged down by these restrictions. We love our Motherland.
We are all against the violence, which is being carried out in the name of religion.
In any violence, it is the poor people who suffer.
The politicians and leaders who instigate the violence move into the background after lighting the match.
Anybody caught in the violence is a human being, a creation of God/Allah/Christ or Brahma.
There may be different religions but there is only one Dharma of / for Mankind.
There is no direct translation of the word dharma; it means the path of righteousness.
Dharma is how we should act, opposed to adharma, which means how we should not act.
Dharma is the path of righteousness and living one's life according to the codes of conduct as described by the Hindu Scriptures
Hinduism describes dharma as the natural universal laws whose observance enables humans to be contented and happy, and to save oneself from degradation and suffering.
Dharma is the moral law combined with spiritual discipline that guides one's life.
Hindus consider dharma the very foundation of life.
It means, "that which holds" the people of this world and the whole creation.
Dharma is the "law of being" without which things cannot exist.
Anything that helps human being to reach God is dharma and anything that hinders human being from reaching God is adharma.
According to the Bhagavat Purana, righteous living or life on a dharmic path has four aspects: austerity (tap), purity (shauch), compassion (daya) and truthfulness (satya); and adharmic or unrighteous life has three vices: pride (ahankar), contact (sangh), and intoxication (madya).
The essence of dharma lies in possessing a certain ability, power and spiritual strength.
The strength of being dharmic also lies in the unique combination of spiritual brilliance and physical prowess.
Manusmriti written by the ancient sage Manu, prescribes 10 essential rules for the observance of dharma: Patience (dhriti), forgiveness (kshama), piety or self control (dama), honesty (asteya), sanctity (shauch), control of senses (indraiya-nigrah), reason (dhi), knowledge or learning (vidya), truthfulness (satya) and absence of anger (krodha). Manu further writes, "Non-violence, truth, non-coveting, purity of body and mind, control of senses are the essence of dharma". Therefore dharmic laws govern not only the individual but also society.
The purpose of dharma is not only to attain a union of the soul with the Supreme Reality; it also suggests a code of conduct that is intended to secure both worldly joys and supreme happiness.
Hinduism is the religion that suggests methods for the attainment of the highest ideal and eternal bliss here and now on earth and not somewhere in heaven. For example, it endorses the idea that it is one's dharma to marry, raise a family and provide for that family in whatever way is necessary. The practice of dharma gives an experience of peace, joy, strength and tranquility within one's self and makes life disciplined.
Now, we compare with what was handed over by God to Moses and which forms the basis of Christianity, the Ten Commandments.
1. You shall not worship any other god but YHWH.
2. You shall not make a graven image.
3. You shall not take the name of YHWH in vain.
4. You shall not break the Sabbath.
5. You shall not dishonor your parents.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not commit perjury.
10. You shall not covet.
The first Three of the commandments are allocated to the denial existence of any other way of worshipping God.
According to these you should not have any statues of Christ or Virgin Mother or Joseph.
The 4th is about observing a day for worshipping God.
The 5th to 10th separately mention what comes to us as our Dharma
When our dharma tells us exhaustively what are the essential qualities required by us, why should anybody else impose their faith on us.
Shashi Tharoor admits India's is a civilization that, over millennia, has offered refuge and, more important, religious and cultural freedom, to Jews, Parsis, Muslims and several varieties of Christians. Christianity arrived on Indian soil with St Thomas the Apostle ('Doubting Thomas'), who came to the Kerala coast some time before 52 AD and was welcomed on shore by a flute-playing Jewish girl.
Shouldn’t he therefore ask why the same Hindu’s are behaving the way they are.
It is because the people, whom we welcomed, looted us.
First the Muslims came from Afghanistan, Iran and other Muslim countries and looted our wealth and converted our people by force. Those same converted people have now become difficult. For them, religion comes before nation and they support our neighbours in any dispute, even to the extent of raising their flag.
Then the British came as traders requesting permission to trade. Then they ruled over us and when they left us they broke our country to three pieces.
And the other two pieces that broke up on the basis of religion are exporting terrorism to our country and our eastern neighbour is swarming India with refugees, people who had earlier decided to have their own country, based on religion. The problem has become so acute in Assam that the local people are struggling for survival.
USA, UK, Australia are making stricter laws to prevent unwanted immigrants to swarm their countries.
Why shouldn’t India also do so?
Is it any surprise that the Hindu is awakening to the fear of becoming a minority in his own country?
We all agree that there should be no violence.
But then, the Christians should declare THERE WILL BE NO MORE PROSELYTIZING.
You want to serve mankind, well and good,
Those who are Christians on date should continue to practice their faith unhidered, but no more conversions, please.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
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