Before we can talk about Hinduism, there are some Hindu values that we need to understand. Without this understanding we risk being influenced by jokers on either side of the fence of "Hinduism sucks" vs "We want a Hindu Rashtra" thinking, most of whom have very little idea about these values. Judge for yourself if the people you have heard talk about Hinduism positively or negatively truly understand this.
Hindu Value #1: The ability to use your own mind and challenge all principles, including the “divine” word.
"Rama, even a child's words are to be accepted if they are words of wisdom; else, reject it like straw even if uttered by God himself".
-Sage Vasishtha to Lord Rama on means of gaining knowledge
The above quote is from "Yoga Vasishtha", the conversation between Lord Rama and sage Vasishtha as in the Hindu epic "Ramayana". The conversation is primarily about the means of liberation and the nature of mind. You will hear some of the Sanskrit chanting from this conversation being played at end of the first "Matrix" movie, and its ideas have inspired "Inception". Ramayana is an integral part of the Indian culture: the festival of Diwali is closely linked with it.
The quote above clearly specifies that any word, including the divine word, should be rejected/ challenged if it sounds unwise. Yes, in Hinduism even God's word is fit to be rejected and challenged without risking death for apostasy/ hurting somebody's idiotic sentiments.
Such level of freedom, however, comes with responsibility. While one is free to debate logically, twisted logic hell-bent on proving a single point of view (Kutarka) is categorically rejected. E.g. arguing that if door is half close it is half open, therefore if door is fully closed it is fully open. Respectful debate with a genuine desire to find the truth rather than chest bashing to prove whose daddy is strongest. It is not an open license to disagree without using your mind, it is a command to actively use your brain to find your way while studying anything, and trust it more than any divine word.
Debate is the only way that knowledge can be refined, and the stories of scholars engaging in "Shastrarth" i.e. debating knowledge is pretty common in Indian folk lore. And no, there was no prosecution for that. Scholars discussed knowledge while people revelled in the debates. Respectfully challenging the teacher with the intent of learning was a sign of intelligence and character. A society that cannot allow a healthy debate on the principles it wishes to enforce will soon find itself sliding into bigotry.
As Hinduism tries to get a bit more organised and militant in the face of Abrahamic religions, where God brooks no dissent, we risk losing this core value. Ours is not a vengeful God who insists that we are born of sin/ vermin crawling in the mud. Our God insists on the divinity of every single cell of this universe, and that to understand it you need to truly think and not obey. I doubt if even all Hindus understand this.
The word in Devanagari script used for religion is "Dharma". Dharma is the righteous action, a code of conduct that urges people to do the right thing in accordance with the scriptures under the guidance of a person who understands these scriptures from experience. However, while this is deemed as the best way, it is acknowledged time and again that you cannot force somebody to become spiritual with brute force, and it is important that seekers of truth use their own mind to convince themselves of the truth.
As far as religious commands go, I haven't come across anything as sensible and beautiful as this. Rote learning and unquestioning obedience is the worst thing to have in any learning system as it stifles thinking and promotes fanaticism. Rote learning can create only parrots, with the knowledge just becoming a concept in the mind.
Hinduism is not a classic religion, but a journey of self-discovery to find the subtle truth permeating every part of this Universe. Not everybody will have either the courage or the intellect to follow it. Nevertheless, I hope and pray that may we completely revive this spirit of independent thinking in India, and stand out as a positive example to rest of the world.
Hindu Value #1: The ability to use your own mind and challenge all principles, including the “divine” word.
"Rama, even a child's words are to be accepted if they are words of wisdom; else, reject it like straw even if uttered by God himself".
-Sage Vasishtha to Lord Rama on means of gaining knowledge
The above quote is from "Yoga Vasishtha", the conversation between Lord Rama and sage Vasishtha as in the Hindu epic "Ramayana". The conversation is primarily about the means of liberation and the nature of mind. You will hear some of the Sanskrit chanting from this conversation being played at end of the first "Matrix" movie, and its ideas have inspired "Inception". Ramayana is an integral part of the Indian culture: the festival of Diwali is closely linked with it.
The quote above clearly specifies that any word, including the divine word, should be rejected/ challenged if it sounds unwise. Yes, in Hinduism even God's word is fit to be rejected and challenged without risking death for apostasy/ hurting somebody's idiotic sentiments.
Such level of freedom, however, comes with responsibility. While one is free to debate logically, twisted logic hell-bent on proving a single point of view (Kutarka) is categorically rejected. E.g. arguing that if door is half close it is half open, therefore if door is fully closed it is fully open. Respectful debate with a genuine desire to find the truth rather than chest bashing to prove whose daddy is strongest. It is not an open license to disagree without using your mind, it is a command to actively use your brain to find your way while studying anything, and trust it more than any divine word.
Debate is the only way that knowledge can be refined, and the stories of scholars engaging in "Shastrarth" i.e. debating knowledge is pretty common in Indian folk lore. And no, there was no prosecution for that. Scholars discussed knowledge while people revelled in the debates. Respectfully challenging the teacher with the intent of learning was a sign of intelligence and character. A society that cannot allow a healthy debate on the principles it wishes to enforce will soon find itself sliding into bigotry.
As Hinduism tries to get a bit more organised and militant in the face of Abrahamic religions, where God brooks no dissent, we risk losing this core value. Ours is not a vengeful God who insists that we are born of sin/ vermin crawling in the mud. Our God insists on the divinity of every single cell of this universe, and that to understand it you need to truly think and not obey. I doubt if even all Hindus understand this.
The word in Devanagari script used for religion is "Dharma". Dharma is the righteous action, a code of conduct that urges people to do the right thing in accordance with the scriptures under the guidance of a person who understands these scriptures from experience. However, while this is deemed as the best way, it is acknowledged time and again that you cannot force somebody to become spiritual with brute force, and it is important that seekers of truth use their own mind to convince themselves of the truth.
As far as religious commands go, I haven't come across anything as sensible and beautiful as this. Rote learning and unquestioning obedience is the worst thing to have in any learning system as it stifles thinking and promotes fanaticism. Rote learning can create only parrots, with the knowledge just becoming a concept in the mind.
Hinduism is not a classic religion, but a journey of self-discovery to find the subtle truth permeating every part of this Universe. Not everybody will have either the courage or the intellect to follow it. Nevertheless, I hope and pray that may we completely revive this spirit of independent thinking in India, and stand out as a positive example to rest of the world.
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