When Germany is Christian, is India Hindu?

 I came across this and couldn't help but share it on my blog :


When Germany is Christian, is India Hindu?

May 4, 2013 · 

by mariawirthblog ·

Though I live in India since long, there are still some points that I find hard to understand – for example why many so called educated Indians on TV discussion forums become agitated whenever ‘Hindutva’ is mentioned. The majority of Indians are Hindus. India is special because of its ancient Hindu tradition. Westerners are drawn to India because of it. Why then is there this resistance by many Indians to acknowledge the Hindu roots of their country? Why do some people even give the impression as if an India that values those Hindu roots was dangerous? Don’t they know better?

Their attitude is strange for two reasons. First, those people have a problem only with ‘Hindu’ India, but not with ‘Muslim’ or ‘Christian’ countries. Germany for example, is a secular country and only 59 percent of the population are registered with the two big Christian Churches (Protestant and Catholic). Nevertheless, the country is bracketed under ‘Christian countries’. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor, stressed recently the Christian roots of Germany and urged the population ‘to go back to Christian values’. In 2012, she postponed her trip to the G-8 summit for a day to address the German Catholic Day. In September 2011, the Pope was invited to address the German Parliament. Two major political parties carry ‘Christian’ in their name, including Angela Merkel’s ruling party. Government agencies even collect the Church tax (8 percent of the income tax) and pass it on to the Churches.

Germans are not agitated that Germany is called a Christian country, though I actually would understand if they were. After all, the history of the Church is appalling. The so called success story of Christianity depended greatly on tyranny.  “Convert or die”, were the options given not only to the indigenous population in America some five hundred years ago. In Germany, too, 1200 years ago, the emperor Karl the Great ordered the death sentence for refusal of baptism in his newly conquered realms. It provoked his advisor Alkuin to comment: ‘One can force them to baptism, but how to force them to believe?’’ Heresy was put down with an iron hand. I still remember a visit to the Nuremberg castle prison as a school kid. There, we were shown the torture chamber and the torture instruments that were used during inquisition. Unbelievable cruelty!

Those times, when one’s life was in danger if one dissented with the dogmas of the Church, are thankfully over. And nowadays many in the west do dissent and leave the Church in a steady stream – in Germany alone over 2 million officially signed out in the last ten years and during a survey in 2011, 5,5 million Germans ‘considered’ leaving the Church – partly because they are disgusted with the less than holy behavior of Church officials and partly because they can’t believe in the dogmas, for example that ‘Jesus is the only way’ and that God sends all those who don’t accept this to hell.

And here comes the second reason why the resistance to associate India with Hindutva by Indians is difficult to understand. Hinduism is in a different category from the Abrahamic religions. Its history, compared to Christianity and Islam was undoubtedly the least violent as it spread in ancient times by convincing arguments and not by force. It is not a belief system that demands blind belief in dogmas and the suspension of one’s intelligence. On the contrary, Hinduism encourages using one’s intelligence to the hilt. The rishis enquired into truth, discovered universal laws and showed how to live life in an ideal way. Hinduism (please don’t get irritated by this ’modern’ word. In today’s world it is in use for the many streams of Sanatana Dharma) comprises a huge body of ancient literature, not only regarding Dharma and philosophy, but also regarding music, architecture, dance, science, astronomy, economics, politics, etc. If Germany or any other western country had this kind of literary treasure, it would be so proud and highlight its greatness on every occasion.Yet we Germans have to be content with only one ‘ancient’ epic which was written around 800 years ago and probably refers to incidents around 400 AD. That is how far back ‘antiquity’ reaches in Europe, and of course children in Germany hear of this epic, called ‘Nibelungenlied’, in school. Naturally westerners consider the existence of Sri Krishna and Sri Rama as myths. How could they acknowledge a civilization much more ancient and much more refined than their own?

Inexplicably, Indians cater to western arrogance and ignorance by downplaying and even denying their tradition. There is a “Copernicus Marg’ in New Delhi and Indian children do not get to hear in school that the rishis of the Rg Veda knew already that the earth is round and goes around the sun – thousands of years before westerners ‘discovered’ it. (Rg 10’22’14)

When I read some Upanishads, I was stunned at the profundity. Here was expressed in clear terms what I intuitively had felt to be true, but could not have expressed clearly. Brahman is not partial; it is the invisible, indivisible essence in everything. Everyone gets again and again a chance to discover the ultimate truth and is free to choose his way back to it. Helpful hints are given but not imposed.

In my early days in India, I thought that every Indian knew and valued his tradition. Slowly I realized that I was wrong. The British colonial masters had been successful in not only weaning away many of the elite from their ancient tradition but even making them despise it. It helped that the ‘educated’ class could no longer read the original Sanskrit texts and believed what the British told them. This lack of knowledge and the brainwashing by the British education may be the reason why many ‘modern’ Indians are against anything ‘Hindu’. They don’t realize the difference between western religions that have to be believed (or at least professed) blindly, and which discourage if not forbid their adherents to think on their own and the multi-layered Hindu Dharma which gives freedom and encourages using one’s intelligence.

Many of the educated class do not realize that on one hand, westerners, especially those who dream to impose their own religion on this vast country, will applaud them for denigrating Hindu Dharma, because this helps western universalism to spread in India. On the other hand, many westerners, including Church people, very well know the value and surreptitiously appropriate insights from the vast Indian knowledge system, drop the original source and present it either as their own or make it look as if these insights had been known in the west.

Rajiv Malhotra of Infinity Foundation has done painstaking research in this field and has documented many cases of “digestion” of Dharma civilization into western universalism. Hindu civilization is gradually being depleted of its valuable, exclusive assets and what is left is dismissed as inferior.

If only missionaries denigrated Hindu Dharma, it would not be so bad, as they clearly have an agenda which discerning Indians would detect. But sadly, Indians with Hindu names assist them because they wrongly believe that Hinduism is inferior to western religions. They belittle everything Hindu instead of getting thorough knowledge. As a rule, they know little about their tradition except what the British told them, i.e. that the major features are caste system and idol worship. They don’t realize that India would gain, not lose, if it solidly backed its profound and all inclusive Hindu tradition. The Dalai Lama said some time ago that already as a youth in Lhasa, he had been deeply impressed by the richness of Indian thought. “India has great potential to help the world,” he added. When will the westernized Indian elite realize it?

 

by Maria Wirth

You may visit her blog  khttp://mariawirthblog.wordpress.com for knowing Hinduism more

 

 

It's Your Life

Being Lazy is sometimes good

Water Melon is one of my favourite fruits and I can eat it all day long. My husband likes it but won't eat it  cos he does not want to go through removing those numerous seeds.I devised a unique way of removing them -  the natural way all waste is thrown out from our body. Yes I swallow the seeds.It was such a relief not having to pick out those innumerable tiny seeds.

Today while eating this wonderful fruit I suddenly felt the urge to "google" for the nutrition facts about these tiny black irritants.I am sure most of you would think I was crazy for the seeds found in any fruit is considered an unnecessary part of it and which most of us spit out.I was surprised at the fact that it was very very nutritious.Here are a few excerpts from the articles I found.

Watermelon seeds are very high in protein, with 1 cup of dried seeds containing 30.6g, which is 61 percent of the daily recommended value. The protein in watermelon seeds consists of several amino acids, one of which is arginine. While the body produces some arginine, the Mayo Clinic states that there are times when people need to take in additional arginine. Some of the health benefits of arginine include regulating blood pressure and treating coronary heart disease. There are several other amino acids that make up the protein in watermelon seeds, including tryptophan, glutamic acid, and lysine.

Watermelon seeds are also loaded with several of the B vitamins. The American Cancer Society reports that B vitamins are necessary for converting food into energy and other important bodily functions. The most prevalent B vitamin in watermelon seeds is niacin, with 1 cup of dried watermelon seeds containing 3.8mg, which is 19 percent of the daily value. Niacin is important for maintaining the nervous system, digestive system and skin health. Other B vitamins in watermelon seeds include folate, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid.

Minerals abound in watermelon seeds. Magnesium is the most abundant mineral, weighing in with 556mg, or 139 percent of the recommended daily value, in 1 cup of dried seeds. According to the National Institutes of Health, magnesium helps regulate blood pressure and the metabolism of carbohydrates, which has a beneficial effect on blood sugar as well. Other important minerals in watermelon seeds are phosphorous, iron, potassium, sodium, copper, manganese and zinc.

The most surprising thing about watermelon seeds is the amount of fat they contain. In 1 cup of dried seeds, there are 51g of fat, with 11 of those being saturated fat. The other fats are monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and omega-6 fatty acids. The American Heart Association reports that mono and polyunsaturated fats reduce blood cholesterol, and omega-6 fatty acids can help reduce high blood pressure.

I am still surprised about these facts but glad I started swallowing the seeds.

Champions of the Future

Putting up this article to divert attention from the bad bad world we see daily in the newspapers and electroninc media to the good good world of samaritans like U C Paulose. You can read more such  moral stories and inspiring thoughts from eminent scholars at  http://indianthoughts.in.

  

Life's Lessons are exemplary life situations, where ideal solutions are properly fit into. Sri. Joseph Mattappally, Founder and Director of Indian Thoughts, is a yoga teacher and a trainer in individuality development workshops. He believes in the harmony of physical, mental and spiritual aspects of human existence.

Recently I came across the success story of a young man who belonged to a family that migrated from Kerala to Karnataka. He was neither well educated nor rich. In 1999, while he was waiting in the railway station for his passenger train to come, he happened to see a few bones-thin mentally challenged persons fighting with stray dogs, just for the leftovers of a railway station dustbin. He was moved beyond words. The man, U C Paulose, decided to raise these mentally handicapped and abandoned humans in an Ashram. He had almost nothing to begin with, except his trust in the divine magnificence. Paulose, his wife and children began caring the abandoned in the streets and gradually a thatched hut emerged; it grew longer and slowly multiplied into a village, where God could not resist visiting. The Hebrew word Seon literally means ‘the realm of God’. Now, ‘Seon Ashram’, which Mr. Paulose founded, supports a multitude of impoverished & emotionally oppressed individuals, regardless of their belief, caste, economic conditions or age. Now, Seon Trust dreams include accommodating more than 500 psychiatric patients alone, developing their Little Flower English Medium School to a full-fledged college and finally, help all the orphans to settle down comfortably. Presently, Seon Ashram and its 440 occupants are assisted by volunteers hailing from distinct religions and various places. They are all united in the ‘love of God’. The ashram needs about 15 lakh rupees a month to function; God keeps helping them in the disguise of responsible donors and patrons. They all talk about a transformation from heroes of yesterday to Champions of tomorrow. We wish, Shri. Paulose and companions continue in the same enthusiasm and spirit, rather than falling preys to the State, Union Government and other public awards and honours that came along. Just a few days back (3rd July 2011), I got a mail from a friend, who belongs to the regular line of Seon promoters. His mail says that as monsoon has stepped in, at Seon, they have great difficulty in cleaning and drying the cloths of the inmates. According to him, unless their cloths are properly washed and dried out, skin infections are possible. He says that thanks to a Bangalore based company Seon Ashram could pay an advance amount of Rs.50,000/- and bring to the Ashram, the proposed type of washing machine and dryer. It is clear that they are looking out for somebody to help them for the remaining amount. God’s mercy is so programmed that it manifests on all who trust in Divine Providence; the one who knows it experiences it. Is there anyone who still is not sure of this divine rule? Contact them on (+91) 9448011928 or 9483907728 (URL: http://www.seonashram.in Email: contact@seonashram.in) within a few days from now and ask them how they could pay the dues. You will be surprised to learn about the unique divine technique that worked in Seon Ashram. Understanding is not enough; a cook who hesitates to eat remains hungry.

Corruption express

Sunanda K Datta-Ray: Corruption express

The extent of lawlessness dressed up as law in the country is unimaginable

Sunanda K Datta-Ray / New Delhi June 18, 2011, 0:21 IST

The people I am writing about will never read this column. But anyone who does might consider the irony of kidnap and ransom camouflaged as law enforcement at home while civil-society stars rant about bringing back lakhs of crores of black money salted away in tax havens and whip themselves up into a frenzy over placing the prime minister under the Lok Pal’s discipline. It’s said the darkness is greatest under the lamp.

It was around 3.40 in the afternoon on a gusty Friday and South-Eastern Railway’s Dhauli Express between Puri and Howrah was about to leave Bhadrak station in Orissa. An athletic young man who had got to Bhadrak from his village and paid Rs 82 for a ticket to Howrah ran up and down the train looking for a place to squeeze in. But the general compartments were tightly packed with the doors firmly locked from inside. Our young man hammered on doors and shouted through windows but to no avail.But around 35 passengers were huddled on the floor of the vendors’ van meant for luggage. There was no luggage and no guard and the doors were wide open to wind and rain. The train was about to leave Bhadrak, and the young man’s job as a condominium durwan in Calcutta would have been in danger if he didn’t get there that night. Moreover, the vendors’ van crowd was welcoming, and with no other choice, he jumped in as the train began to move.
He jumped out again at Kharagpur in West Bengal at about 7.00 p m but the rain was lashing down hard and all the compartments were still locked. No one would let him in. So it was back to the vendors’ until they reached Santragachi, 7 kilometres from Howrah, an hour later. That’s where the drama began. Four or five men boarded the vendors’ van, announced they were plainclothes policemen, pushed the passengers out and handed them to Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel who made them squat in an outside lock-up. Our man from Bhadrak tried to explain but they shut him up.

The RPF returned nearly three hours later to ask how much money each had. Some produced Rs 500, some a thousand: the money was seized and they were let off. The man from Bhadrak had only Rs 400, which they also took but it wasn’t enough to buy his release; he and 13 others were ordered back into the lock-up where they were given chapatis and sabzi to eat and told they would be dealt with in the morning. It was quite late next day, around 11.30 a m, when they were taken in a local train to Howrah and locked up in a cell.
A magistrate in a black jacket, white shirt and tie appeared later in the day and fined each prisoner Rs 300. Having already paid Rs 400, the Bhadrak man asked for the balance but the court mohori retorted that, on the contrary, he would have to pay another Rs 250 to be released. “There are so many of us, and we’ve been working all night for you!” was the explanation.

A personal disclosure is called for: my flat is in the condominium where the durwan works. I know him to be of impeccable integrity. He called me several times from Santragachi and Howrah, but when I wanted to have a word with one of the RPF officers, I heard the refusal. They would confiscate the phone, they warned, if he didn’t shut up. Since our durwan had no more money and they wouldn’t release him unless he paid up, I sent my car and driver to Howrah with money. The receipt they brought back – High Court Form No. (A) 23 (Civil) / (A) 18 (Criminal) – was for Rs 300. He had paid Rs 650.

Such things happen all the time all over India. The difference between our police and Somali pirates can sometimes be a matter of scale. If Mamata Banerjee were suddenly to visit a railway station or hop on an unfashionable train, just as she drops in unannounced on hospitals and offices, she might see for herself the extent of lawlessness dressed up as law in her own backyard. Baburao Hazare, Ramdev and all their pious social activist friends should accompany her.

Incidentally, HAPPY JOURNEY is printed on both the Howrah-Bhadrak and Bhadrak-Howrah railway tickets. I hope it is so this time for my durwan for he is back in his Bhadrak village this weekend getting married.


 Appeared in today's Business Standard
 

An Ode To My Mom On Her Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM

My Mom is loving ever caring

Really understanding too

There with love when things go either

Really good or bad for me

Mum is there with love and guidance

During every trying time

Mum would always clap the loudest

When I got the smallest of successes

Even when I was quite little

Mum made me feel ten feet tall

So I honour Mom and thank her

Each year on this day  in June

Hope we have you around for many more years , Mom

A Simple Solution

Dunno if anyone has faced a similar situation. Getting small  domestic repairs done has always been a pain  and the pain somehow seems to be increasing by the day. This sector is the most unorganised.Of course in India most sectors are unorganised which leads to this constant tussle in the mind , was I duped? Could I have bargained for less?

In the area where I reside , there are about four electricians. I have patronised one. My neighbour said he is a cheat . So I tried my neighbour's electrician but there seemed to be a nexus between them and I was still with the tussle. Hubby dear said better the known devil. So it was back to the first electrician.

The moment I need to call him , I go on my back foot and quiz him a lot about the bill he submits , but have to pay the amount finally, feeling defeated. The feeling is worse than the emotions which arise when I make a loss on my stock market trades. Losses which run into thousands sometimes compared to the few rupees the electrician may be duping me of. But then my trade losses are ones I am willing to take .Losses which have occured knowingly and not one out of cheating. The feeling of betrayal is horrible and I am forced to trust him!! Am  I making a mountain out of a molehill?

Today I found the solution ! I follow  "Ancient Proverbs" on twitter  and this common sense Chinese Proverb did it. 

If you suspect a man, don't employ him, & if you employ him, don't suspect him. -Chinese Proverb

So that does it, I won't  torture myself anymore over the electrician.