15 Questions for all

The Hindu : 'Disunity in Hindu samaj' worries RSS

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 14, 2002 Group Publications

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/01/14/stories/2002011400300500.htm

Southern States - Karnataka

'Disunity in Hindu samaj' worries RSS
By Our Special Correspondent
SHIMOGA Jan.13. K.Suryanarayan, Member of the All India Executive
Committee of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said here on
Sunday that the only way to meet the challenge of disintegration
posed to Hindu society, particularly in the light of the growing
menace of terrorism, was to consolidate all its sections
irrespective of caste, creed, and region and help it emerge as ``one
family''.

Mr. Suryanarayan said the RSS was trying to unify fragmented parts
of the Hindu Samaj by adopting a harmonious approach and by
arousing the feelings of the national unity and integrity.
He said the unity among Hindus could be achieved only by bringing
together its diverse cultural groups under the ambit of the Hindu
Samaj.
When it was pointed out that some of the Veerasaiva sections were
reluctant to call themselves as ``Hindus'', Mr. Suryanarayan said it
was really an unfortunate development as ultimately it was bound to
weaken the Hindu Samaj.
The RSS was trying to convince the heads of Veerasaiva religious
institutions to desist from such campaign and become integral part
of the Hindu Samaj.

arunma said:

I hope you see a difference between raising children, and allowing grown men to exercise their own freedom of thought. Freedom of religion doesn't require that people give raise their children by exposing them to all religions equally. It does require that Hindus not take legal action against the peaceful spread of the Christian religion.

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Show me one legal action taken by Hindus.

No, I don't. Have you seen me asking Latreia to cease her interest in Hinduism?

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The only interest she seems to have about Hinduism, drawing from her posts on this thread, is making generalizations about it being an uncompassionate religion based on the actions of a few.

If you take a look at the Hindu posts on this forum, you'll find that they are highly negative to Christian missionaries. This is due to the fact that in addition to contributing to the relief of the poor, missionaries actively seek converts. It seems to me that Hindus oppose the presentation of any alternative religion to current Hindus. If you disagree, then you ought to explain why.

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If you take a look at a Hindu post even hinting anything about conversion of Christians to Hinduism, you will see the Christian response is highly negative.

You deliberately made a comparison to racist groups

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Bravo, give me your address, so I can send you a Ph.D. Just joking around, arunma. I hope you don't take it too seriously.

K.Suryanarayan, Member of the All India Executive
Committee of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said here on
Sunday that the only way to meet the challenge of disintegration
posed to Hindu society, particularly in the light of the growing
menace of terrorism, was to consolidate all its sections
irrespective of caste, creed, and region and help it emerge as ``one
family''.

Click to expand...

I don't see anything wrong with that goal.

vajradhara said:

Namaste NFF,

thank you for the post.



how do you know that this is so?

there are several places where karma is expounded in the Torah and the New Testament. in particular, these verses:

Job 4:8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

Hsa 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for [it is] time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Mat 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Pro 22:8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

1Cr 9:11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, [is it] a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

and it really gets no more plain than this, in my view:

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.


metta,

~v

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I agree that our actions will be rewarded, for example someone who is loving and kind will not only be treated likewise but such a person's heart will become lightened and that will be the consequence of their loving demeanor. a hateful person will be treated with hate and will become bitter.

You can call this 'karma' if you wish, but I think of it as cause and effect. Karma in the hindu sense infers reward or punishment in a next life, after the process of reincarnation. With this, both I and St. Paul would strongly disagree.

Latreia said:

Arya Samaj ("society of honourable ones")
http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/ascetic/arya.html

The influence of the Arya Samaj was mainly in north-west India. It followed Dayananda in
being a militant missionary movement, which attacked image-worship, the multiplicity of gods
and goddesses, the idea of avatars, ancestor worship, the doctrine of maya, the caste
system, child marriage, the inferior status of women, fatalism, belief in the Puranas and
Tantras, and meaningless rituals. It was important also in the nationalist movement.
Today the Arya Samaj is still an important religio-political force in urban and rural areas
mainly in northern India. It is active in the educational and social fields. Politically it
is associated all over India with militant Hindu fundamentalism.

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arya samaj is a hindu reform school that seeks to reform HINDUS and their approach towards their own religion . they are quite moderate and having lived in india my whole life i have never seem them being associated with "militant hindu fundamentalism" . can u please tell me a little more about ur site . on their official site i failed to see any mission statement seeking conversions of non hindus to hinduism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arya_Samaj
Arya Samaj (Aryan Society or Society of Nobles) is a Hindu reform movement in India that was
founded by Swami Dayananda in 1875. He was a sannyasin (renouncer) who believed in the
infallible authority of the Vedas. Dayananda advocated the doctrine of karma and
reincarnation, and emphasised the ideals of brahmacharya (chastity) and sanyasa
(renunciation).
Dayananda claimed to be rejecting all non-Vedic beliefs altogether. Hence the Arya Samaj
unequivocally condemned idolatry, animal sacrifices, ancestor worship, pilgrimages,
priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability and child
marriages, on the grounds that all these lacked Vedic sanction. It aimed to be a universal
church based on the authority of the Vedas. Dayananda stated that he wanted ‘to make the
whole world Aryan’. That is, he wanted to develop a missionary Hinduism based on the
universality of the Vedas.
To this end the Arya Samaj set up schools and missionary organisations, extending its
activities outside India.It now has branches around the world. It has a disproportional
amount of adherents among people of Indian ancestry in Suriname and the Netherlands, in
comparison with India.

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um those 2 statements are contradictory . do u have a direct source for that quote or any incident where arya samaj went around recruiting non hindus ?

Latreia said:

arya samaj

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar http://whiterabbitcult.com/Sanctuary/SriSriRaviShankar.html

In 1982, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar established the Art of Living Foundation, as an educational

organization designed to assist all levels of society in reaching their full human

potential. His educational programs offer innovative tools for managing stress, resolving

conflict, improving health and living life with more joy and enthusiasm. The foundation is a

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in special consultative status with the United Nations.

In 1992 he launched the Prison SMART Foundation (Stress Management and Rehabilitative

Training) to address the needs of individuals and professionals impacted by the criminal

justice system. Programs are offered to prison inmates, at-risk youth, victims of crime and

criminal justice professionals. Today, training programs in the United States and India are

receiving national recognition as an effective solution for breaking the cycles of violence

in society.

In 1995 Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was a speaker during the 50th Anniversary celebration of the

United Nations. Since that time, his organization continues to work with a variety of NGOs

[Non-Govermental Organizations] and UN groups to raise awareness of the need to focus on

human values as a fundamental step in realizing universal human rights.

Many television and radio programs have been produced on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's principles

of effective living and peaceful coexistence. Of particular note is the 1996 Swedish public

television special that featured Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Dalai Lama.

He will launch a world Human Values campaign in 1999 and his Association continues to work

with other organizations around the world who are dedicated to similar goals for humanity.

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um he teaches stress management through breathing techniques . again where has he tried to convert non hindus to hinduism ?

You know, it's really a shame that this thread got so derailed. I was really enjoying reading the different answers to the questions.

Latreia said:

Anna Hazare SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ACTIVIST

http://www.southasianmedia.net/profile/india/india_leadpersonalities_social.cfm


Mata Amritananamayi "Mata Amritanandamayi"
http://www.singingmountain.org/y2005mar12.html

http://www.singingmountain.org/ammachi-divine-mother-criticism.html


Mata Amritananamayi "Mata Amritanandamayi"
http://www.singingmountain.org/y2005mar12.html
http://www.singingmountain.org/ammachi-divine-mother-criticism.html


GIVE WORLD INC.

http://www.giveworld.org/ngo.htm
Our Partner Organizations:
We work with the following NGOs:
Ahmedabad Women's Action Group, Gujarat
Amar Seva Sangam, Tamil Nadu
AMBA, Gujarat
ANANYA, Karnataka
Apnalaya, Maharashtra
Ashadeep, Assam
ASSIST, Andhra Pradesh
Association of People with Disability , Karnataka
Association for Rural Development and Action Research, Andhra Pradesh
Association for Sustainable Community Development (ASSCOD), Tamil Nadu
ATMA NIRBHAR – EK CHALLENGE, Assam
Bani Mandir, West Bengal
Banyan, Tamil Nadu
Bharath Charitable Cancer Hospital & Institute (Trust), Karnataka
Blind People's Association, Gujarat
Centre for Environment and Development, Andhra Pradesh
Centre for Research in Mental Retardation, Maharashtra
Child Aid Foundation, Andhra Pradesh
Child Survival India, Delhi
Children Toy Foundation, Maharashtra
Deepalaya, Delhi
Divya Chaya Trust, West Bengal
Drashti Netralaya, Gujarat
Economic Rural Development Society , West Bengal
Gramin Evam Nagar Vikas Parishad, Bihar
Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti, Rajasthan
HELP, Andhra Pradesh
Hindu Mission Hospital, Tamil Nadu
IBTADA, Rajasthan
Indian Council for Mental Health , Maharashtra
International Human Development & Upliftment Academy, Karnataka
Jeevan Blood Bank And Research Center, Tamil Nadu
Kaingkarya Social Welfare Organisation, Tamil Nadu
Kutumba, Karnataka
MELJOL, Maharashtra
Mitra Jyothi, Karnataka
Mother Saradadevi Social Service Society, Tamil Nadu
National Association for the Blind, India, Maharashtra
National Society for Equal Opportunities for the Handicapped, Maharashtra
NAZ Foundation (India) Trust, Delhi
PARIPURNATA HALF-WAY-HOME, West Bengal
PREED, Tamil Nadu
Relief Organisation For Handicapped, Andhra Pradesh
Saath (Initiatives for Equity in Development), Gujarat
SAHARA, Andhra Pradesh
Sahyog Sansthan, Rajasthan
Sai Kripa, Uttar Pradesh
SALAAM BAALAK TRUST, Delhi
Sampark, Karnataka
SAMUHA, Karnataka
Sankara Nethralaya, Tamil Nadu
Sense International (India), Rajasthan
Seva Mandir, Rajasthan
Shikshan Ane Samaj Kalyan Kendra, Gujarat
Social Action for Manpower Creation, Maharashtra
TANKER Foundation, Tamil Nadu
Valluvar Gurukulam, Tamil Nadu
Vidya Bhawan Society, Rajasthan
Vikahar Paribar Bikash Kendra, West Bengal

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ur anna hazare link failed to show where he goes around converting non hindus to hinduism .
as for ur criticism of Amma ji , all i can say is even Mother Teresa had her attackers . and ur criticism comes from sources which obviously think that hinduism is a false religion . all i can say is She is an extremely compassionate person who donated a billion rupees after the Tsunami and helped do disaster relief work in villages . i have read her material and even the member "proud hindu" is a follower of her and we dont see any problems . people flock to her for healing , she does not go around recruiting people or telling them to convert

Latreia said:

The Hindu : 'Disunity in Hindu samaj' worries RSS

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 14, 2002 Group Publications

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/01/14/stories/2002011400300500.htm

Southern States - Karnataka

'Disunity in Hindu samaj' worries RSS
By Our Special Correspondent
SHIMOGA Jan.13. K.Suryanarayan, Member of the All India Executive
Committee of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said here on
Sunday that the only way to meet the challenge of disintegration
posed to Hindu society, particularly in the light of the growing
menace of terrorism, was to consolidate all its sections
irrespective of caste, creed, and region and help it emerge as ``one
family''.

Mr. Suryanarayan said the RSS was trying to unify fragmented parts
of the Hindu Samaj by adopting a harmonious approach and by
arousing the feelings of the national unity and integrity.
He said the unity among Hindus could be achieved only by bringing
together its diverse cultural groups under the ambit of the Hindu
Samaj.
When it was pointed out that some of the Veerasaiva sections were
reluctant to call themselves as ``Hindus'', Mr. Suryanarayan said it
was really an unfortunate development as ultimately it was bound to
weaken the Hindu Samaj.
The RSS was trying to convince the heads of Veerasaiva religious
institutions to desist from such campaign and become integral part
of the Hindu Samaj.

Click to expand...

again this concerns only hindus , do u know anything about what hes saying or did u just type "criticism of RSS" in ur google search engine

Namaste NFF,

thank you for the post.

New_Found_Faith said:

I agree that our actions will be rewarded, for example someone who is loving and kind will not only be treated likewise but such a person's heart will become lightened and that will be the consequence of their loving demeanor. a hateful person will be treated with hate and will become bitter.

Click to expand...

yes, then we agree with this. this is good

You can call this 'karma' if you wish, but I think of it as cause and effect.

Click to expand...

that is, in point of fact, what karma is... cause and effect on the moral level.

Karma in the hindu sense infers reward or punishment in a next life, after the process of reincarnation.

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whilst this seems to be correct, it actually is not. reward or punishment requires a being to reward or punish, like your God. Sanatana Dharma does not have this feature. neither does Buddha Dharma for that matter. as a consequence, there is no punishment or reward, there is the natural reaping of the moral consequences of ones actions.

it can be difficult to come to an accurate understanding of another religions point of view if we are not able to extricate ourselves from our operative paradigm. whilst one can appreciate that this is difficult to do, it has always seemed to be rewarding to the being that can.

With this, both I and St. Paul would strongly disagree.

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as would Sanatana Dharma and Buddha Dharma. see... we have more in common that it would initially appear.

metta,

~v

vajradhara said:

hey, Satay,

you don't have to "buy" anything.

it is, however, demonstrably the situation at this forum.

metta,

~v

Click to expand...

No I don't buy that either.



just kidding around of course.

Metta,
satay
ps: I am curious...what was the sanskrit term that got your thread deleted...I hope it wasn't Maleccha.

vajradhara said:

that is, in point of fact, what karma is... cause and effect on the moral level.

Click to expand...

In my discussion with Rahul, he seemed to infer that this 'karma' exists on the physical level as well (if you do something immoral, you may suffer physical consequence in another life.) Would Buddha Dharma agree with this?

Latreia said:

Contemporary Hindutva Anti-Christian Pogroms and their Nineteenth Century Roots c 1999 by

Geoffrey Cook
International Institute of India Studies
"a history of religious controversy=85gave the Christian religion a reputation for

aggressiveness, intolerance and even unIndianess which its adherents have had a difficult

time changing."
Hindutva's rhetoric and most recently overt physical attacks against Christians are

partially based on "fundamentalist" Hindu projections on Christian missionary activity

which, in turn, have their roots in Christian evangelical patterns of the nineteenth century

and their interaction with the Sanatana Dharma."


"To be or not to Be - The Conversion Debate 4 Dec 1999 by P.R.Ram

Today, despite the claims to the contrary some followers of Hinduism are indulging in

proselytisation. Christianity and Islam are not the only religions today, which proselytise.

Hindutva, which is Brahminical Hinduism based Nationalism has used the conversions to

strengthen Hinduisms' flanks by co-opting the low castes and Adivasis earlier through

shuddhi and now through Gharvapasi. It is to its 'credit' that its propaganda machinery can

'successfully' project these proselitisations as this that and the other phenomenon

simultaneously claiming that Hinduism is implicitly superior to other faiths as it does not

indulge in conversions. "
It also claims that conversions done by others spread discord in the communities and that

conversions show disrespect to others' religions. Bravo! Gobbels has been beaten at his own

game. What is remarkable is not that conversions as a marginal phenomenon have been a part

of Indian reality from ages but the fact that political phenomenon called Sangh Parivar can

make an issue out of it even today. What is remarkable is that this political multiheaded

hydra (Sangh Parivar) can make the 'forced conversions' an issue to build its political base

even at a time when the actual percentage of those being targeted is on the decline.

www.comebackkid.com/frenzy.html

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oh i missed this post . ur link is not workin
anyway please learn a little about RSS (ive posted a link to their official site)before posting such things . they seek to bring "low caste hindus" into mainstream hindu society and to eliminate discrimination . just recently they rescued a group of stranded christian preists . also read their statement about diversity . i agree there have been attacks against christians but they have been isolated ones , a few were when foriegn preists were caught evangelizing on a tourist visa( which is not allowed) . again , the attacks were isolated and their mission is not to persecute christians

indianx said:

If you take a look at a Hindu post even hinting anything about conversion of Christians to Hinduism, you will see the Christian response is highly negative.

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No, the only response is "your thread has been deleted"

satay

rahul_sharma said:

Dear all credit goes to BLAME GAME started by Latreia

Click to expand...

Perhaps it was my fault. Oh well...one more...

satay

I am starting to feel guilty...oh oh...

sanaa said:

again this concerns only hindus , do u know anything about what hes saying or did u just type "criticism of RSS" in ur google search engine

Click to expand...

satay

1- What happens to you after you die?
2- Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?
3- Describe God.
4- How does one obtain true peace?
5- When is war justifiable?
6- Describe Heaven; and how do you get there.
7- What is the greatest quality humans possess?
8- Why are so many people depressed?
9- What is the meaning of life?
10- How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?
11- What are we all so afraid of?
12- What is your one wish for the world?
13- What is our greatest distraction?
14- "We are all one." What are your thoughts on this?
15- "One way mentality of some religions". Don't you think it is Illogical w.r.t to God ? If God is infinite, do you think one book with some verses can disclose his divine plan ?

Click to expand...

I dont claim to know all the answers of the universe, but I will try to answer these questions to the best of my ability. All of these answers are subjective and not fact, because no one can know for sure how the spiritual realm works. These answers are based on my own perseptions and beliefs.

1. No one can know for sure... but I believe its something along the lines of our spirits being sent to the Astral Realm to be cleansed. Then after a time, when the soul is ready, it is sent back to the world (reincarnation) to work out the rest of its Karma.

2. I'm not really sure why. I dont necessarily think its divine influence. Sometimes things just happen. Sometimes its as a result of bad choices and/or bad Karma. Sometimes its just for a lesson. There could be several other reasons as well.

3. There is no way to accurately describe "God" as we have know way of knowing how or why it exists (and yes, I can honestly say that it does exist, because of my own spiritual experiences, although it is unprovable by our earthly means). Everyone views it differently. My view is that Spirit (what I call the higher power) is not an actual being sitting on a thrown... but rather is pure energy. The energy that is all around us, and in us. We are each a part of Spirit and Spirit is a part of all of us... thus we are all interconnected... thus Karma: the energy you send out is the energy you send to yourself. I believe that Spirit is made up of both masculine and feminine energy... what I call the God and Goddess, respectively. The God and Goddess have several different aspects of themselves and can be called gods and goddesses. I do not view Spirit as being all powerful nor all good. Spirit is like nature to me... it can be splendid, beautiful and miraculous... and at the same time it can be hideous, terrible, and chaotic.

4. I'm not sure if it is even possible, much less do I know how to achieve it. Maybe throughout lifetimes and throughout lessons we become more and more enlightened and reach a state of enlightenment. Maybe not. I really dont know.

5. Hmm... I dont know if it actually is. I believe in defending oneself, so I guess maybe in the form of self-defense. I'm not really sure how I feel about war. I will say that my husband is in the military (and my mom is retired from the military), so I have always been around it. I feel honoured for them defending our country, but at the same time... I'm not exactly sure if war could be justified...

6. Well I dont call it "Heaven". I just call it the Astral Realm, and you dont have to be dead to visit it. You can go to the Astral Realm through meditation and Astral Travel/Projection. It takes practice, but is most certainly possible. As for the dead, I believe we all go to the same place... the Astral Realm. We are not "judged" but rather our souls are cleansed of the impurities of this world. Our "punishments" and "rewards" are simply through Karma, and no one judges what kind of Karma you are going to receive, it just happens through the energies that stick to you. Certain energies stick, and sometimes these energies can be passed down through lifetimes. Smaller amounts of energies are resolved in one lifetime, but sometimes the larger energies may resolve in the next lifetime or lifetimes after that. I hope that made sense.

7. I'm not sure. Maybe the ability to go through several lives and learn and experience through each one. But whos to say that there arent other beings out there who experience the same thing? And whos to say that every human experiences this? There is a term... "once born" which indicates someone who is either in their first incarnation or someone who is just here for one lifetime. Of course I dont know how to determine who is a "once born" or if they even exist...

8. Same as the suffering question.

9. I guess this would be different for each person. I think everyone has their own purpose... its not necessarily a generalizing thing.

10. Well, honestly, I dont think Spirit really cares how we conduct ourselves on this realm. I dont view Spirit as someone who is concerned with which bed we're sleeping in, or which country we are invading/defending. I'm not even sure if Spirit is a thinking entity. I believe that we should just have our own personal set of morals, and try to live by those as best as possible.

11. Different things for different people. I for one am not afraid to die, however I am afraid to leave this world without leaving my mark... and for me that would be having children, and I'm afraid that I will never have that chance, as its been about two years of trying and no hint of a pregnancy. But like I said, its different for different people.

12. That my husband and I conceive children and live a healthy prosperous life. A worldly wish, I know... but its honestly what I want.

13. I'm not sure how to answer this question. Whos to say we are distracted at all?

14. already explained.

15. I dont like the idea of "only one religion is the true religion." I believe that all religions are equally valid as there is no way to know how the spiritual realm works or how "God" works. Each person sees (or doesnt see) the higher power in their own way. I dont think it matters what way we connect with the Divine, or if we even connect with it at all. Religions are just a group of people who have a similar view and way of connecting. And as for the second question (which would actually make this 16 questions to answer lol), I dont necessarily believe Spirit has a "plan", and I definately dont think it could be contained in one book. Thats just my opinion though.

Well I tried to answer these questions as best I could and as honestly as I could. A few of them I really didnt know the answer to, but thats fine by me... I'm content in knowing that I may never know. I'd like to think that I would know when I die, but I may not even know then, and thats fine with me. ;-)

Blessings!
~Niamh G. Dhabolt

latreia , for the article u posted against RSS i found something that will help u to understand . this is from their offical site

http://www.rss.org/New_RSS/Mission_Vision/RSS_on_Minorities.jsp

RSS Stand on Sikhs

We regard the Sikh religion as a separate religion, but we regard the Sikh people as belonging to our Samaj. When we say that they are a part of the one great Hindu Samaj, we do not deny the existence of their separate religion and separate beliefs. Hindu Samaj is a commonwealth of many religions. It includes idol worshippers as well as those that are against idol worship. It includes those who accept the authority of the Vedas as well as those who do not. They are all included in the wider Hindu conceptualization.