In this aspect, Hinduism has seen many reformers. Vyasa, Shankaracharya, Madhawacharya, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Savarkar, Gandhi etc have all tried to reform Hinduism by discouraging evils like superstition, caste-ism, sati or by enhancing the Vedas or by deriving new philosophies to attain 'Moksha'. There are very few religions in the world that have seen such reformation.
Today MAN is global. No religion, caste can bind him. Unlimited accessibility to information and knowledge has virtually opened the doors for the people all over the world to unite under one single banner of humanity. (AOL's Vasudev Kutumbakam is one such concept). Conversion has no meaning. The holy-wars, jihads are a joke! You could see peace and tranquility in such a world.
It all depends on the individuals education and capacity to understand things. Religions only regulate us. They inject the fear of heaven and hell and direct man to do only good things (according to that religion). But any educated man should be able to do sensible and good deeds. Good deeds are not bound by religion. Generally, planting a tree is a good deed whereas killing a man is a bad deed. But if you go by religion, eating beef is a bad deed for Hindus whereas eating pork is bad for Muslims and eating meat is itself bad for a Jain. So confusing! In a situation like this, it is the individuals conscience that will help us decide which is good and which is bad.
So, my friend, it your conscience that rules you. Listen to that. Try to make sensible, judicious decisions.
Catch you soon.
--
Shashank N
1 comment:
I, for one, am very critical of religion. I also strongly feel that one ought to make a distinction between beliefs and organised religion.
Here's something I wrote about religion on the PG forum a few months back -
"Well, we often end up mixing up belief with religion...
There's nothing wrong in being a believer....It is our birthright to follow whatever practices that one considers auspicious and propitiatary, as long as these beliefs don't trespass the rights of others.
'Religion' on the other hand, is different from belief.
While Belief is purely a function of personal convictions, Religion is a means of imposing a certain world view on its adherents. Going by this definition, Soviet-style atheism is also a form of Religion - of the most vicious kind.
Organised Religion is nothing short of torture. There is no place in it for critical thought or analysis. It binds and encloses and does not liberate.
Religion is inimical to modern civilization since it tries to impose a way of life/mode of thought that is often in conflict with not just one's rational sensibilities, but the law of the land. Imposition of 'Intelligent Design' in American textbooks is an apposite example.
This is precisely the reason why in most theocratic states, sacred texts end up becoming constitutions, as there is no way that these texts can co-exist with a secular constitution!
Organised Religion distorts history and attempts to efface the past. For a convert, the period before his conversion is a period of error, something to be ashamed of and forgotten. This is very evident in the way History is taught in Pakistan where the textbooks simply don't discuss the pre-Islamic history of the land.....
So guys, the choice here is not between Belief and Unbelief.....It's between Religion and Freedom, truth and falsehood, barbarism and civilization....Fait-accompli, as the french would say."
Also, would like to share Steven Weinberg's quote on religion with you -
'Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion'
PS : Btw, since when did AOL patent the concept of 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam'???
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