by Stephen Knapp
The typical Indian mentality and the path of Hinduism, or
the Vedic path of spiritual progress, is one of great individuality and freedom
for each person to decide what they want or what is best for their own
spiritual development. Thus, it is typical for Hindus to work on their own, not
necessarily as a group. There is nothing wrong in that. It is the last of the
great cultures that promote the utmost freedom for the individual. But, yet,
there is a great need that is not being met, and that is the need for Hindus /
Dharmists / Devotees, especially in India, to unite and work together as a
group, or even as a whole society, in order to continue to preserve and protect
their own culture, traditions, and certainly the freedom of the individual.
This freedom is being threatened in many ways today,
although there are those who either refuse to admit it, refuse to see it, or
are hesitant to work together to save it. This blindness and hesitancy must be
overcome.
Throughout India, for example, there are portions of the
population that belong to particular religions, such as Muslims, Christians,
Sikhs, Buddhists, etc., and they often work as a strong section of society to
protect their rights, freedoms and traditions. Especially Christians and
Muslims vote as a block to promote and vote into office particular politicians
they favor, and who favor them. They also will create an uproar when something
happens against them, or when someone desecrates their religious texts. They
hold demonstrations or even riot when a mosque is threatened. Thus, they get
there way, or at least people begin to hesitate before doing something that
will make them upset.
However, it seems that the Hindus are the most apathetic
in this regard. Though they are increasingly beginning to wake up to the
importance of being heard and making themselves be noticed, they are still, for
the most part, letting their influence and the power of numbers that they have
as the majority of the Indian population simply slip through their fingers.
It is time we learn that apathy is a disservice to Dharma
and society. It accomplishes nothing, if that is not obvious. It lets the needs
of the Dharmic society go unnoticed. The point is, if we do not take care of
ourselves, no one else will. And there are people counting on that apathy to
get their way and do things against the well-being of the majority Hindu
population. And we are letting them get away with it. This hurts those who
follow Vedic Dharma, and takes away the confidence that people need to maintain
their practice of the Dharma.
Those who say that Sanatana-dharma is eternal and, thus,
there is no need to worry about the future, do a great injustice to the Vedic
cause and to humanity. Those who say that Vedic culture has lasted for
thousands of years and will continue to last for thousands more show a poor
excuse for apathy. Though it is eternal, which is the meaning of Sanatana,
this does not mean that it will always remain a prevalent force on the face of
the earth. It can also decline into obscurity if we let it.
Those who feel that there is nothing to worry about need
to understand why the Bhagavad-gita was spoken. Arjuna did not
want to fight, and who does? No one wants war, at least if they are in their
right mind. But how many people of particular religions cry for war, or jihad,
toward anyone who is not a part of their religion? Arjuna wanted to leave the
battlefield and go to the forest to meditate, as if that would solve all of his
problems. But Lord Krishna said he was acting foolishly. Lord Krishna told
Arjuna that he should indeed fight, but fight for what? He was to fight to
uphold the Dharmic principles that the Kauravas were neglecting. Lord Krishna
specifically went to the Kauravas to try and arrange a diplomatic means to keep
everyone happy and prevent war, but they would not listen. Finally, there was
no alternative but to fight. And so the sides were drawn against those who
fought for Dharma and those who fought for their own agenda.
We could also say that we should simply let the good Lord
take care of everything. If something is meant to be, then the Lord will take
care of it. But that is not the result nor the premise of the Bhagavad-gita.
Lord Krishna showed that everything may rest on Him as pearls are strung on a
thread, but we all must do our part. It is up to us to protect Dharma if we are
indeed expecting to continue to have the freedom to practice and follow it.
Vedic culture has been attacked for the last 1200 years.
India’s history can easily show that. And it was the heroes of India, and the
millions of average everyday people of India, Hindus, who gave their lives and
underwent severe torture that kept Vedic Dharma alive for future generations,
and for the freedoms that we have today that allow us to continue these
traditions. Are we now to let those freedoms die, after so many sacrificed
their lives for us, for Vedic Dharma? This would be a great dishonor to their
memory and for the cause they fought for. We cannot allow this to happen, but
we also need to be aware of the warning signs of what is happening around us.
This is why, with a growing Muslim population in India,
and all over the world for that matter, Hinduism in India could be dead in
another 100 years. Just by their high birth rate alone Muslims are increasing
their presence in India. Thus, one hundred years from now Vedic Dharma may only
be practiced in small pockets here and there, such as in various holy places,
as long as the majority Muslim population allows it. The fact is that history
has shown that Muslims have a very low tolerance for anything that is
non-Muslim. You can see this in the ever decreasing non-Muslim population in
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Arabia, etc., etc. They have never allowed
complete freedom for non-Muslims in any Islamic country, and have passed laws
against them and persecuted them and destroyed their temples and monuments,
kidnapped and raped their women, and killed thousands of Hindu or Christian men.
So, why should we expect India to be an exception? They have already shown what
they did in India.
A rising Muslim minority in India does not have to become
a majority to begin changing laws in their favor, but simply by being a noisy
and disturbing minority they will gain the upper hand. Increasing their
political maneuvering will give them political clout and power. And when they
do come closer to being a majority, they will certainly increase the
persecution of an infidel Hindu population until they are finally extinct.
Over 400,000 Hindu Pandits were chased out of Kashmir,
and what was done about it? Take notice of how Assam is becoming the new
Kashmir with nearly 80,000 people being displaced, having left their villages
due to fear from the incoming and growing Muslims. And now the Muslim political
party in Assam is demanding a separate and autonomous region in southern Assam
just for Muslims. Is this not the same pattern we have seen time and time
again? And is anyone doing anything about it? Is anyone speaking out that
another chunk of India is threatened with being lost? In due course, what will
be left of India if this keeps happening?
Even now the Muslims of India, though they have a Hindu
ancestry, no longer identify themselves as Indians but as members of the house
of Islam. Thus, they are only taking care of unfinished business from their
previous invasions and war against Hindus. Hindus often do not conduct
themselves in a powerful way. And when they do, the Indian media is completely
against them. The secular media in India does not mean secular, it means to
bend over backward showing preference for the minorities at the expense of the
Hindu majority. Thus, secular media in India means to be anti-Hindu. But should
that stop Hindus? They cannot afford to be overly considerate of what others
think when their own future is at stake.
The next ten to 15 years will be a major turning point
and show the deciding factor for the future of Vedic Dharma on the face of the
planet, particularly in India. The thing is, even now we practically have more
freedom to practice Vedic culture in America than we do in India, in its own
homeland. Will America be one of the final strongholds for Vedic Dharma? Will
we have to one day export it back to India from America?
Therefore, we have to ask ourselves, will our temples
still be here in India in another 40 to 50 years? Or will they gradually
disappear because of Christian conversion tactics, Muslim persecution against
Hindus, or because corrupt politicians who care little about Vedic culture take
over temples to possess and sell their assets for the money? Hindu temples are
known for being income producers, for the most part. While the Indian
government cares little about possessing churches and mosques because they need
funds, they use more money than they bring in. It is the temples that are
income producers because of the Hindu majority population that give to them.
Therefore, there is no doubt that Hindus must unite as a
society while there is still time to make a difference.
CHANGES THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE
The time to act is now. Some of the things Hindus /
Dharmists / Devotees need to do include:
1. Hindus must unite and vote as a bank in all elections
to oust those who disregard Hinduism and vote in those who do. They must never
take an election for granted. They have done so in the past with terrible
results.
2. Hindus must get involved in politics in various ways
to help direct the actions of the government.
3. India must also change its politicians in order that
it as a nation takes a stronger stance against those who try to bring India
down, and to take a stronger stance to defend itself militarily. India cannot
afford to be a wimp. There is a need for younger leaders who are more aware of
how to fulfill the needs of India.
4. Hindus must work to unite all Hindus. They must wake
up other Dharmists about the need to take action. This may be a daunting task,
but let everyone become involved in the action plans that will make a
difference for their future, for their culture, for preserving their tradition,
for protecting the rights and freedoms of the individual, and certainly for the
well-being of their children. Work for the freedom to continue to construct and
manage their own temples without interference from the government.
5. The spiritual leaders and acharyas must reach out to
the villagers and people of all classes in order for the people to feel cared
for, and that they are a part of and belong to the Dharmic tradition and are
welcome in the temples. They should feel that they are not neglected, but that
they are wanted and needed in the greater cause for Vedic Dharma.
6. Indian Hindus must take care of their own people,
those who are poor, destitute and disadvantaged, or others will. And those
others are often quick to try to convince them of the shortcomings of Hinduism,
and, thus, through the guise of welfare activities, try to convert the poor
into leaving Vedic Dharma and become Christians or something else. It is true
that those who convert for material facility are not strong converts because
they could just as easily convert back to what they were once their financial
status improves. However, if a child is converted and stays in that fold for 10
to 15 years, it is not likely they will ever want to reconvert back to Vedic
Dharma after being a Christian for so long. Thus, from that generation forward,
that family will likely continue to be non-Dharmists. Children of converted
families who remain outside of the Dharmic fold for that length of time will
have little impetus to change.
7. All Dharmists must be educated in their own culture,
philosophy, and tradition to understand it clearly, and know how to explain it
to their children and others. Thus, they can also be convinced of the deep and
profound nature of what they already have, and be less likely to ever want to
convert to something else.
8. When anything in the media appears to depict Vedic
culture in a poor light, or when someone like a politician says something
against one of the Vedic Divinities, there must be an immediate outrage or
lawsuit established against such a person or incident. If people begin to see
that an immediate and strong reaction takes place whenever Vedic Dharma is
poorly or inaccurately portrayed, or when someone denigrates the Bhagavad-gita or
one of the Vedic texts, they will begin to hesitate or even stop before doing
such things in the future.
9. There must be regular programs at temples for the
education of all, and book distribution to help spread Vedic spiritual
knowledge to everyone far and wide.
10. Everyone should engage in a cultural revolution in
which we promote the true understanding of Vedic Dharma. This is one of the
best ways to spread the beauty and freedom found in the lofty spiritual
knowledge that can attract everyone. Westerners are especially and increasingly
being drawn to the beauty of this spiritual path. So, Indians should have no
doubt of its potency and work to maintain India as the homeland of a dynamic
and thriving Vedic tradition.
11. Dharmists / Hindus must work to do service for their
temples and community to take care of everyone and maintain what they have,
namely their temples, their right to peacefully observe the Vedic ways, and
care for the people who turn toward the Dharmic path.
Such changes can only take place if Hindus unite and
stand strong for Dharma and work together. We have to drop the apathy, discard
our ego, along with ethnic and class distinctions and join together under one
identity and for a primary cause. We must act like Arjuna did after having
received the instructions of Lord Krishna to stand and fight for Dharma rather
than going off into the forest to get away from everything and meditate, as if
that would solve his dislike to do battle against those who had chosen the side
of adharma.
If Hindu Dharmists do not do this, and remain as they
are, being apathetic and inactive, it is but a prescription for a slow
extinction. They may lose it all, certainly the freedom to choose what they
want to be. Only we can change the future by being pro-active and united in
this way. Then Sanatana-dharma will remain on the face of the earth as a path
that we have the freedom to follow. Do we want to see Vedic Dharma as the
tradition of the majority population in India in another 100 years, or will it
become a thing of the past, like a museum piece? This is what has happened to
the Maya, Inca, Egyptian civilizations, and many others. The choice of what
happens in the future is ours by how we act and work together now.
