I am not any Authority on Aryanism(I hate the word coined by those barbarics, but I really marvel often how you a non-aryan can understand this simple fact & we all the born-ins & followers of all rituals fail to understand this.Unity in Diversity has been the defining Element of Sanatan Dharma.I think 14 centuries of slavery has killed the espirit-de-corps of Aryan Subject & religion itself.Even Sri Aurobindo's Supramental fails to convince us of Unity & we consider the diversity as differences.Its all very unfortunate.I join you in effort & prayer! Let the Sprirt of Eternal Religion rekindle & let us relive the lives we had been living so beautifully creating a potent & perfect socio-cultural & economic order. Hats off to you too Sir.
Shri.Francois Gautier has made his point well. It is time all the "Hindus" united - rather than the Hindu gurus uniting. The greatness of Sanathana dharma, i.e., the Hinduism is that there is no single God, there is no single guru. if there were to be one, then it is not "Hinduism". In fact this is the only 'religion' that can accomodate an atheist in its fold. Even a god baiter Shishupala had his moksha. In Sanatana dharma, you may not beleive in any God, and yet if you follow dharmic principles in your day to day life, you attain salvation. The one-Man-one-God-one-Book religions can not understand this. The contemporary Hindus of the Brinda Karat variety, can ot certainly understand this, though, they are born to 'Hindu' parents, because a modern day, English educated, middle class 'Hindu', see the Hindu religion through the prism of Christianity or Islam, though they may not be practising these religions. The effort should be to make the young Hindus to feel proud about their heritage, culture and 'religion'. Tough task indeed ! RPG, 10.01.06
Dear Mr. Gautier, I must thank you for the fervour with which you defend Hinduism, but cannot accept the zeal with which you give a clean chit to all these 'gurus' that you have mentioned. Many of these godmen have had little to do with the religion except as purveyors of influence. If a Guru was truly great, s/he would not have to rope in people to go in for 'specialised courses'. The thing is that our celebs have a need to be fashionably spiritual, in addition ot be able to network with the other 'disciples'. This is the source of the Guru's power. The brutal fact is that unless a 'guru' as in a lama, a pope or a Shankaracharya is passed the mantle through tradition, the others like OSHO, or Dhirendra Brahmachari are deeply flawed in annointing themselves as one. It would be beyond ordinary comprehension to even come to terms with the immense political power, cash resources and even access to political and defence deals that some of these men are privy to. Guru Ramdev has a full fledged pharmacy, with striking workers as proof of his need for worldly resources. Hindus can do without any edicts and even any religious authority, the beauty of the religion is its openness.
while i agree with most of what fancois has said, i have to disagree on the way hindus need to unite and being bound by a few spiritual leaders. hinduism encourages debate and argument recognition and tolerance of one and all. so they have to unite and realise that this great spirituality is of no use to mankind and india if we keep quarreling amongst ourselves, lest prove to the world that hinduism is not good on paper alone but in deed too
It is very painful to see leaders of one's community being systematically vilified. There is no doubt about the spiritual power possessed by all the leaders mentioned here. However, "Hinduism" is merely a term coined by people who lived outside India. It is not an organized religion, nowhere near being similar to Christianity (eg: Catholicism, whose structure is quite akin to a political system) or Islam (in which Monotheism and partisanship figure prominently). What you refer to as "Hinduism", I would prefer to call "Dharma" -- the Way of Life, the Art of Living. No one can claim a monopoly over it; no one can claim to own it... and most importantly, no one can destroy it. Dharma is Truth, Love, Kindness and Peace. Dharma is in the soul of every human born in this sacred land. Can you not see it in the core of every Indian religion? The very fact that no one can monopolize it, explains why there can never be one "leader" or even a group of leaders. Dharma is for each and every human individually, to learn, practise and realize. The wise ones can only show the way. One does not need to "save" Dharma. It is Truth! It will always be there, for anyone who wishes to realize it.
This is with ref. to Mr. Gautier's article "In defence of Hindu Gurus". Some of his views (in particular Hindus/Hindu Gurus' disunity...) are perfectly acceptable, but a few sound like a fanatic. I don't know why he regards Satya Sai Baba and in particular Osho Rajneesh as Hindu Gurus. Rajneesh turned his so called movement/Ashram into a Prostitution House. Satya Sai Baba's deeds may not be as serious as Osho, but his credentials are also doubtful.
He also refers to Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin as 'irrelevant'. They had several good points to say. The Communist movement suffered defeat in the world, but evil also can emerge victorious. Mr. Gautier conveniently forgets the greed and wicked deeds of wealthy industrialists and their henchmen, are such people in a way not against Hindus?
Why this slanderous campaingn against this God Men or Guru's or Pontiff??Let us take the case of Guru's of yester years like Paramacharyal,Ramanamaharishi,Yogi Ram Surat Kumar who were real asetic and they dilengently spread the culture and values of what religion presribed.They knew all yogas and they never went commercial.That is not the case today, every Guru is after name& fame.Name and Fame according to them is Maya this is what they preach .It is applicable to all including them.Kanchi Sankarachariar was not put behind bars for propagating religion, he is accused for COLD BLOODED murder.Many know that he was using the Kanchi Mutt as a tashildhar office promoting real estate business.These swami's misuse the spritual power vested in them by making riches out of it.These Guru may travel a bit,but when they fall it will be from great heights.You will see more swamis and gurus falling as they have not done justice to their predecesors.
