INDIA & THE RELATED MISCONCEPTION

I wanted very earlier to clear some misconception about India in everyones mind, 
but I was unable to do so. Now by this column I am supposed to do it. 

Actually India is always misunderstood, though it’s true that some popular writers have written that India is what you make out of it. Unless one opens his or her mind they can’t understand real India.

  After learning the Korean mind, as it is the only foreign country I know better than any other country, the reason is my know how of their society and the language. Right now I am in Korea and though I have to learn so many things, I believe that I have understood much of Korean mind since 7~8yrs of my carrier. The thing, which I will learn, is nothing but the day-to-day life of Koreans. In first place I want to discuss, the concept of caste divide in a foreigners mind, especially Koreans.

       If Koreans has to understand the caste divide of India in a real sense then they should first understand what “Confucianism” has to do with the Korean mind. In India life is in fast pace, alike it is in any part of the world, and yet it also differs at several levels. Although Indians do have a daily life running at much pace in the metro cities, yet it’s unlike in most of the places. Indian mind is evolving at a fast rate in all type of business industry. 

Part-2. In this part I want to express the story behind the caste divide in India. There was a time when there was a need to divide the people to work according to their ability, else the development was not possible. So in those days a man of high order (i.e. Mannu) made the caste system according to the ability. He placed the brain at the top, so he named the people with the intelligence as “Brahmins”, then second were those people who had the guts of steel, hence they were called as “Kshatriyas” or the warriors. At third level he placed those who were good at doing business and other related works which needs transaction and all, they were classified as “Vaishyas”, at the last/ fourth level he placed those who were weak and knew only those work which needs no brain or power, they were called as “Shudras”, they were the labor class. It continues in the society even now, but it’s well understood that one can change his/ her caste by the ability of work. In general when a person is best at that work which he or she can do according to the inborn talents, then it’s but obvious that one can be placed even now by the ability of work. In this context one can also understand the reason why several religions clustered out the Hinduism. 

I just want to take the readers mind to one thing which has been common in every religion is the quest for power by the religious leaders sitting at the high end. Brahmins were the reason behind the birth of several religions in India. When I talk about Brahmins, I want to make it clear that in present day, Brahmins are in every religion. 

A NEW WORLD ORDER! 

One may ask the reason why it’s so?  Why India will rise as a Superpower, for that I will say, kindly have a look of the whole India, in terms of History, Geography, Culture, & Civilization etc. Then have a look of the changes in the present world order, which was needed but not the way it looks to someone. I’ll certainly ask to have a look of the world after Sept.11 incident, if you want to broaden your thought then Michael Moore’s movie is a worth watch. I totally believe that it was designed in a very ugly way. If we are putting our finger on terrorists only then we should also be aware of the zeal thing inside every nation, which can’t evaporate unless the mass living in every nation should understand the need of what is right for our planet and the present civilization. Only India has the every reason to multiply its pace of development, to conquer this world unlike it was tried in many centuries by other nations. We Indians have started everything at first, whether it is civilization or giving Zero or Decimals to the world we should make it easier for other nations to understand this, so that they should keep away from our path, and let it be our turn once again my brothers and sisters of India to show a new path to this world. 

By RAJAN SINGH…….

HINDUISM

This religion is called:-

Sanatana Dharma, “immortal religion,” and

Vaidika Dharma, “religion of the Vedas,” and

Hinduism - commonly used name in North America.

Various origins for the word “Hinduism” have been suggested:

It may be derived from an ancient inscription translated as: “The country lying  between the Himalayan mountain and Bindu Sarovara is known as Hindusthan  by combination of the first letter ‘hi’ of ‘Himalaya’ and the last compound letter  ’ndu’ of the word `Bindu.‘” Bindu Sarovara is called the Cape Comorin Sea in  modern times.

It may be derived from the Persian word for Indian.

Ø It may be a Persian corruption of the word Sindhu (the river Indus).
Ø It was a name invented by the British administration in India during colonial times.
Early history of Hinduism:
There are many beliefs about the early development of Hinduism:

Ø The classical theory traces the religion’s roots to the Indus valley civilization  circa 4000 to 2200 BCE. The development of Hinduism was influenced by many  invasions over thousands of years. The major influences occurred when    nomadic “Aryan” Indo-European tribes invaded Northern India (circa 1500 BCE) from the steppes of Russia and Central Asia. They brought with them their  religion of Vedas. These beliefs mingled with the indigenous Indian native  beliefs, often called the “Indus valley culture.” This theory was initially  proposed by Christian scholars in the 19th century. The classical theory is now  being rejected by increasing numbers of archaeologists and religious  historians. The originators of the theory were obviously biased by their prior  beliefs about the age of the earth and the biblical story of the flood of Noah.

Ø Emerging theory: Archaeological digs have revealed that the Indus Valley culture lasted from about 3500 to 1800 BCE. It was not “destroyed by outside invasion, but… by internal causes and, most likely, floods.” A series of cities in India have been studied by archaeologists and shown to have a level of civilization between that of the Indus culture and later more highly developed Indian culture, as visited by the Greeks. Finally, Indus Valley excavations have uncovered many remains of fire altars, animal bones, potsherds, shell jewelry and other evidences of Vedic rituals. “In other words there is no racial evidence of any such Indo-Aryan invasion of India but only of a continuity of the same group of people who traditionally considered themselves to be Aryans… “ “There was no invasion by anyone.”
During the first few centuries CE, many sects were created, each dedicated to a specific deity. Typical among these were the Goddesses Shakti and Lakshmi, and the Gods Skanda and Surya.

Sacred texts:
Hindu sacred texts are perhaps the most ancient religious texts still surviving today.

Ø The primary sacred texts of Hinduism are the Vedas: the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. The Vedas contain hymns, chants, and rituals from ancient India. The Rig Veda is said to be the oldest of the four. Estimates of its date of composition in oral form range from 1500 BCE to 4000 BCE. The Sama Veda is a collection of hymns used by the priests during the Soma sacrifice. The Yajur and Atharva Vedas refer to the vernal equinox (Either of the two times during a year when the sun crosses the celestial equator and when the length of day and night are approximately equal) having occurred in the Pleiades constellation - an event dating from about 2500 BCE. 

The date when the Vedas were placed in written form is unknown. Various dates from 600 to after 300 BCE have been suggested.

The Upanishadas (108 in number) deal with Vedic philosophy and form the conclusions of each of the Vedas, and were written between 800 and 400 B.C.“They elaborate on how the soul can be united with the ultimate truth through mediation, as well as the doctrine of Karma - the collective effects of a persons’ actions.”

Ø An important text is the Ramayana, written by the poet Valmiki. Various sources have dated it to:

The first century CE in written form.
4th century BCE in written form.
4000 BCE in oral form. 

Ø The Mahabharata is a group of books attributed to the sage Vyasa. They have been variously dated as having been composed between 540 and 300 BCE, between 200 BCE and 2000 CE, the to the 15th century BCE. They record the legends of the Bharatas, one of the Aryan tribal groups. The Bhagavad Gita is the sixth book of the Mahabharata. It is a poem describing a conversation between a warrior Arjuna and the God Krishna. It is an ancient text that has become a main sacred text of Hinduism. 

Ø Other texts include the Brahmanas, the Sutras, Puranas, and the Aranyakas. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describes an early stage in the philosophy and practise of Yoga. Dating from about 150 B.C., the work shows dualist and Buddhist influences. The Puranas are post-Vedic texts, which typically contain a complete narrative of the history of the Universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of the kings, heroes and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology and geography. There are 17 or 18 canonical Puranas, divided into three categories, each named after a deity: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. There are also many other works known as ‘Upapuranas.’

Hindu beliefs and practices:
Ø Hinduism has commonly been viewed in the west as a polytheistic religion - one that worships multiple deities: gods and goddesses. But this is not particularly accurate.

Ø Some have viewed it as a monotheistic religion, because it recognizes only one supreme God.

Ø Some view Hinduism as Trinitarian because Brahma is simultaneously visualized as a triad — one God with three persons:
Brahma the Creator who is continuing to create new realities
Vishnu, (Krishna) the Preserver, who preserves these new creations. Whenever dharma (eternal order, righteousness, religion, law and duty) is threatened, Vishnu travels from heaven to earth in one of the ten incarnations.

Shiva, the Destroyer, is at times compassionate, erotic and destructive. 

Ø Most forms of Hinduism are henotheistic; they recognize a single deity, and recognize other gods and goddesses as facets, forms, or aspects of that supreme God.
Most urban Hindus follow one of two major divisions within Hinduism:

Ø Vaishnavism: which generally regards Vishnu as the ultimate deity.
Ø Shaivism: which generally regards Shiva as the ultimate deity. 

However, many rural Hindus worship their own village goddess or an earth goddess. She is believed to rule over fertility and disease, and thus over life and death. In rural Hinduism, non-Brahmins and non-priests often carry out ritual and prayer there.
Hindus believe in the repetitious Transmigration of the Soul. This is the transfer of one’s soul after death into another body. This produces a continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth through their many lifetimes. It is called samsara. Karma is the accumulated sum of one’s good and bad deeds. Karma determines how you will live your next life. Through pure acts, thoughts and devotion, one can be reborn at a higher level. Eventually, one can escape samsara and achieve enlightenment. Bad deeds can cause a person to be reborn at a lower level, or even as an animal. The unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, suffering are thus seen as natural consequences for one’s previous acts, both in this life and in previous lives.
Hindus organize their lives around certain activities or “purusharthas.” These are called the “four aims of Hinduism,” or “the doctrine of the fourfold end of life.” They are:

Ø The three goals of the “pravritti,” those who are in the world, are:
Dharma: fairness in their religious life.
Artha: success in their economic life.
Kama: gratification of the senses; pleasure; sensual, sexual, and mental enjoyment.
Ø The main goal for the “nivritti,” those who renounce the world is:
Moksa: Liberation from “samsara.” This is considered the supreme goal of mankind.
Meditation is often practiced, with Yoga being the most common. Other activities include daily devotions, public rituals, and puja, a ceremonial dinner for a God.

Hinduism is highly tolerant of other religions.
The caste system:
Although law abolished the caste system in 1949, it remains a significant force throughout India. Each follower of Hinduism belonged to one of the thousands of Jats (communities) that existed in India. The Jats were grouped into four Varna (social castes), plus a fifth group called the “untouchables.” A person’s varna determined the range of jobs or professions from which they could choose. Marriages normally took place within the same varna. There were rules that prohibited persons of different groups from eating, drinking or even smoking with each other. People were once able to move from one Varna to another. However, at some time in the past, the system became rigid, so that a person was generally born into the Varna of their parents, and died in the same group. Almost every local unit of a caste has its own peculiar customs and internal regulations. The Rig Veda defined four castes. In
decreasing status, they are normally:

Ø Brahmins (the priests and academics)
Ø Kshatriyas (rulers, military)
Ø Vaishyas (farmers, landlords, and merchants)
Ø Sudras (peasants, servants, and workers in non-polluting jobs)
 

The Dalit were outcasts who did not belong to one of the castes. Until the late 1980’s they were called Harijan (children of God). They worked in what are considered polluting jobs. They were untouchable by the four castes; in some areas of the country, even a contact with their shadow by a member of the Varnas was considered polluting.

Practicing untouchability or discriminating against a person because of their caste is now illegal. The caste system has lost much of its power in urban areas; however its tradition is largely unchanged in some rural districts. The government has instituted positive steps in order to help the Dalit and lower castes.
Many Dalit have left Hinduism in recent years. This has sometimes been motivated by a desire to escape the caste system. On 2001-NOV-4, one million low-caste Dalits were scheduled to meet in Delhi, India, for a mass conversion to Buddhism. Mass conversions to Christianity have also occurred.

Hindu sects and denominations:
About 80% of Hindus are Vaishnavites. Others follow various reform movements.
Various sects of Hinduism have evolved into separate religious movements, including Hare Krishna, Sikhism and Theosophy (Religious philosophy or speculation about the nature of the soul based on mystical insight into the nature of God). Transcendental Meditation was derived from a Hindu technique of meditation. 

Misconceptions related to Hinduism:
A popular misconception is that Hinduism promotes idol worship. Hinduism does not promote idol worship. To the contrary, Hinduism urges us to transcend all physical aids to worship. Realizing that it is impossible for the human to visualize the Infinite and instead of sustaining false hopes of such achievements, the religion urges us to slowly and steadily continue our progress in search of the Truth. For such steady progress, the religion asks us to start with physical aids such as temples and idols, and through practice and devotion, ultimately succeed in visualizing God without the aid of temples and idols. We are asked not to worship idols, but worship God in the form of idols.
    Another popular misconception is that all Hindus are vegetarians and Hinduism prohibits meat eating. Kshatriyas are allowed to eat meat, as long as it is offered to the Almighty first. At the same time, a Brahmin’s Dharma is education and pursuit of knowledge. He is asked to refrain from killing and is encouraged to eat simple food in order to maintain equanimity.

From a philosophical perspective, a “Yogi” or one who has known and seen the Infinite cannot and will not kill to eat meat because he sees God in every form of life.