Baba Ramdev goes politically correct…

Harry, good points.

You will enjoy reading this post…

The Dreaded “H-word” and this article by Pritish Nandy (which I just stumbled across on the web):

Why is being a good Hindu politically incorrect in secular India?

hari om,

regarding “Baba Ramdev goes politically correct…”

he was talking about the popular meaning of ‘hinduism’ there – that its a bunch of superstiotions etc. but any ways, he should have clarified that.

also, regarding your point that this can be misused by the other monolithic religions, i do not think it will happen. infct, i feel it will make them closer to the core hinduism, making it more popular.

we shouldn’t think with a closed mindset, we should be bold and open enough to see all (good)people as same, irrespective of religion. after all none of our scriptures say that it belongs to only hindus. its for EVERYONE.

who ever practiece it, they own it. if a muslim practieces all this(i wonder if this can happen), he owns it.

i also remember a famous saying by one of the indian saint – “you do not belong to any religion, instead, religion belongs to you”

Mahesh and Nandan: Thank you for your comments.

As I wrote above, “Sadly, Baba Ramdev seems to have has decided that he would rather be popular than be right.”

*** COMMENT EDITED ***

All the Heads of Departments / Institutions

A positive thinking for good work can make the work easier for the society at large i.e. city, state, country & the whole world. Any good work can be done regularly by devoting some time and some money necessary for interactions with various people to explore novel ideas by way of arranging programmes or any other easier possible way for the benefit of the people. People have time only where there is money and if such trend continues the future of our children will lead towards a wrong work even lower than the animals. The children should not be considered like goats, houseflies, cows etc.

Some suggestions are enumerated below for the creation of the best world:-

To start a good work, teachers can move forward in assembly and drop Rs.1/= to Rs.5/= in a locked box as per their wishes in front of students and students should know that this fund will be used for the good society and best future to explore good things through our guest / students & teachers of other schools of other cities i.e. state level programme. It may be announced that the box will be kept for three days and everybody’s contribution should be there for a good work. The students can also contribute for a novel work and they can contribute also Rs.1/= to maximum Rs.5/= before or after assembly as per their conveniences for a good social cause.

A teacher of world class can think & interact with people strongly for the benefits of everybody. Now, think about so many religions / shastra / ethics / God are there in India / world. The students studied good things in schools and unknown about these vast & confused educations which lead people to be slaughtered in remote areas.

In the World all religion has females & male. How to identify peoples by religion??? Why all these religion has been created????? Please reach to a simple Shastra / Ethics by competitions keeping above truth in mind, which is best for everybody & simple to known by everybody through school educations and should be added in world educational curriculums.

*** NOTE by MODERATOR ***

Pl. stick to the topic being discussed and pl. avoid giving out personal details on the web.

I thought of posting links here, but the post do not appear – may be some checks in the blogging system.

So I listing some sources of information in text here

– To understand latest developments and plans of Swami Ramdev, watch Rasthra Dharma program on Sunday 8-9pm. This program is not to general public, but is telecast to all on Aastha channel. This is motiviational, inspirational, and directive meeting with Yog teachers

– To watch his videos, there are many sources: Youtube, some sites which have illegally uploaded his numerous VCDs, and http://www.totalbhakti.com. Of these there are certain videos on TotalBhakti site that are must see: Watch his Guru Purnima message last year, watch his Houston India House address, and for a recent video watch Swadeshi Yog Shivir video

– His Yog camps are telecast live morning 5-7:30 am in India. This also telecast in other 169 countries, thru Aastha. Yog camps cover lots of topics: Health, Spirituality, and now Corruption and how to resolve all this and make India the best place, or swami ji calls it Vishwa Guru. However Yog watching all camp telecasts of a place will give a clear view what is being done by him. Only those who have patience or actually do Yog with him may go for it.

– Select part of Yog camp is daily telecast at least in India on Aastha 8-9pm. This at times also has his address to public on such matters like corruption, rastra dharma, and other videos to public

– Then is his website, though poorly maintained, it is updated with information

– Finally as I stated, I will soon post on my blog vikramsjn.blogspot.com, detailed posts with information regarding Swami Ramdev and all I know about him

Thanks to all
OM

@ Vikram: Thanks for the links. I will have a look.

***

@ Kaffir: I went back and checked the Q&A. Here is how it went:

Q: In America, some people call yoga ‘Christian yoga.’ Is that fair?

A: Yoga has nothing to do with religion. It is not Hinduism

In my humble opinion, Swamiji could have said something along the lines of there being no Christian or Hindu Yoga…and yes, perhaps it has nothing to do with religion as it is understood in the Abrahamic sense but don’t you think Yoga has deep spiritual roots…and in that sense, is linked to “Hinduism”?

These Christian and Muslim yoga trends are just a part of a continuous effort to delink Hinduism the religion from the Hindu cultural practices so that these practices can be repackaged as a part of another religious tradition. We have a Christian Bharata Natyam institute in Trichy which claims that both Christianity in India and Bharata Natyam are 2000 years old–as if there is actually a link there somewhere!! Just as Bharata Natyam comes out of the Hindu religious expression, so is yoga, ayurveda etc. It is part of a complete world view. I went once to a Christian wedding where all of the words used were Sanksrit words to refer to the Christian religious doctrines. Next we’ll be hearing Sanskrit slokas in praise of Jesus. There are many ashrams in India, which are created to look like Hindu ashrams with the monks in saffron robes, but these are actually Christian ashrams. The bhajan sampradaya (tradition of bhajan singing) is now regularly practiced by christians.
All these steps are actually a part of a project called replacement theology where the cultural practices of a nation with a non-christian religion is taken over and the existing religion which gave rise to these practices are replaced with christian theology. This method has been around for a long time and is encouraged by the church. They are able to sell this package to the natives usually under the guise of making Christianity more culturally relevant.

The problem we as Hindus face is that most of us don’t know what our values are or if we know our values, we don’t know the value (worth) of those values. Even organizations and spiritual leaders who are supposed to represent us don’t understand the nature of the enemy. Thus we have Ramdev saying that yoga is not part of Hinduism and the RSS asking the Church to become more Indian, as if these measures will protect Hinduism.

Here is one more politically correct article on dangerous minorities. Apparently Hindus the the most dangerous minority of all. We who want to claim a place in our nation because we have nowhere else to go (there is no other Hindu nation in the world now that Nepal is gone commie) have no rights here. I absolutely agree now that liberalism is a mental disorder. This liberalism combined with the inertia of most self identified Hindus will be the end of us.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/SUBVERSE-Dangerous-minorities/articleshow/4171659.cms

Shantanu,

The eSnips link in comment 19 has some recent audios too – from the programs of Bharat Swabhiman camps, on page 2.

I have not listened these, but I believe they will be in working condition (I listened to couple of them on the first page)

Best wishes

@Vikram

I have seen BabaRamdev patriotic heart at one of the SaReGaMa show after Mumbai attack. I think he was excellent!

Jai Hind!

Link to Seedhi Baat interview of Swami Ramdev, by Prabhu Chawla of India Today:

संप्रदाय से हटकर है योग: बाबा रामदेव – Part 1

This a blunder by Ramdev to say that Yog has nothing to do with religion and it not Hinduism. This is a white lie and that too from a Hindu Yogi.He will realise and would have to swallow his own words one day becuse it is a fact that YOG is one of six pillors of Hinduism.
He may have said this to attract and appease Muslims and Christians but they are not attracted to Yog and those who are in very small number say o.1% even in India.In foreign countries Muslims and Christian are next to noything.
All his Yog camp attendees are Hindus,Sikhs and hardly a few Buddhists but he can claim that he is conquereing the world by arranging Yog out side India is far from truth.Iwish to say one thing that he is doing well and wish him well but must remember not to negate what truly belongs to Hindus and Hinduism.He must learn this lesson from Swami Vivekanand who proudly said that he was proud to be a Hindu. These six pillors are[1] Sankhya [2] Vaiseshika [3] Nyaya [4] Yogof Patanjali [ 5]Mimansa [6] Vedanta.

Vivek, it may have more to do with generating revenue during these times rather than any enmity to yoga. Besides, the Malaysia ruling was quite different and was motivated by religion.

Baba Ramdev is merely reiterating what generations of yoga masters to the west have been stating. Nearly all of the early Yoga teachers to the West, including Swami Satchidananda of Yogaville, Vishnudevananda of the Shivananda yoga movement etc. have tried to distance yoga practice from Hinduism. The blame is on those who wanted to gain popularity and followers at the expense of their own religious heritage. The Americans merely took the lead in using what the insecure Hindu teachers were saying and now we see that Americans claiming quite often that the American yoga movement is quite separate from its Indian roots etc.

The reason why Indian born Hindus don’t do yoga is often that in India, yoga has been undervalued and often seems a comical act done by those “weird” sadhus. I remember that recently one of the states wanted to introduce the Surya Namaskar in its schools and immediately there was protest by the secular brigade. The funny thing is yoga is often taught in community centers around the U.S. funded by taxpayer money.

As long as Hindus have no deep knowledge about their heritage and feel inferior to the West, we are doomed to losing our heritage to the avaricious West. They have more money and are capapble of appropriating all traditional knowledge systems for their own benefit without even a passing acknowledgement. We saw that in the Super-brain yoga trademark and the patenting of turmeric, neem and basmati rice.

Shantanu & Harry,

I read Pritish’s piece. I think Pranab Mukherjee’s quoting Kautilya during the budget speech should dispel that silly notion.

I think it’s also about “who” is saying it.

Hindus like Gandhiji, Nehru, Pranab etc. had nothing to be ashamed of. They are good sons of Hinduism. They make Hinduism proud.

The guys that Pritish speaks of… they kinda bring shame to the good Hindu name…

35-
Thoughtful and enlightening, by and large.

However, “The contention that because the word Hindu is given by outsiders to refer to people of a certain geographical location and of a certain religious persuasion and therefore it carries no meaning is not true. Just because it is a “foreign” term doesn’t mean that the term is invalid, or that the people of the said location did not recognize their common dharma or the threats against it ,or that the word has no meaning in sanskrit.”

At the same time, that foreign word need not be the crutch used to define the identity of the people of this ancient land.
Why not Bharatiya, which will indicate one belonging to the ancient land of Bharat and appreciating of the thoughts and philosophy developed in this land through generations, if at all a label is necessary.

The problem with adopting a foreign word to define a people is that the definition of that word is what the foreigner chose to give it, which is naturally to suit his purpose and not really defining of the people.

This is why indians presently are a deracinated lot by and large and this is also why India is facing so much divisiveness within it.

What Prof Kapil Kapoor discusses in the quote given below is the result of being defined on another’s terms, the subject term being cleverly manipulated by ‘them’ to meet their ends-
“The Indian educated elite has been brought up on an anti-self – more than true to Macaulay’s cheerful submission to his sister, the educated Indian, particularly the Hindu, suffers from such a deep loss of self respect that he is unwilling to be recognized as such. He feels, in fact, deeply threatened by any surfacing or manifestation of the identity that he has worked so hard to, and has been trained to reject. But it lies somewhere in his psyche as ‘an unhappy tale’, as something that is best forgotten. It is these people wearing various garbs – liberal, left, secular, modern – who oppose, more often than not from sheer ignorance, any attempt to introduce Indian traditions of thought in the mainstream education system – a classic case of self-hate taking the form of mother-hate! ”

He further writes- “That things are changing and are bound to change is a testimony to the sheer vigor of an intellectual tradition that has seen, in its attested history of thousands of years, many cycles of recession and renewal. Arguments against Sanskrit poetics are a part of this larger political argument against the Indian – and to drop the euphemism – what may be generally described as the Hindu intellectual traditions.” -http://www.indianscience.org/essays/st_es_kapoo_eleven.shtml (emphasis added )

The result of adopting foreigner’s word to define a people means accepting the baggage that comes with the word, which the foreigner loaded to meet his ends. And when you accept that baggage, you will have to suffer under its weight.
Moreover, when the people are defined by a term different from what the anscestors used, a word of foreign connotation, then you are cutting off the people from their roots in a psychological way- deracinating them.

That is why India of today is at such a contrast to the values this land nurtured millenniums back. And the gap is widening with time.

39-
Some relevant extracts from Stephen Knapp’s article.

“So again, in any way these theories may present their information, and in any way you look at it, the name “Hindu” started simply as a bodily and regional designation. The name “Hindu” refers to a location and its people and originally had nothing to do with the philosophies, religion or culture of the people, which could certainly change from one thing to another. It is like saying that all people from India are Indians. Sure, that is acceptable as a name referring to a location, but what about their religion, faith and philosophy? These are known by numerous names according to the various outlooks and beliefs. Thus, they are not all Hindus, as many people who do not follow the Vedic system already object to calling themselves by that name. So “Hindu” is not the most appropriate name of a spiritual path, but the Sanskrit term of Sanatana-dharma is much more accurate. The culture of the ancient Indians and their early history is Vedic culture or Vedic dharma. So it is more appropriate to use a name that is based on that culture for those who follow it, rather than a name that merely addresses the location of a people. …. ”

“Whereas the main Sanskrit texts, and even the rituals that have been performed in the temples from millennia ago, used the word “Bharata” in reference to the area of present-day India. Thus, it is traditionally and technically more accurate to refer to the land of India as “Bharata” or “Bharat varsha”. ….” (emphasis added)

“Unfortunately, the word “Hindu” has gradually been adopted by most everyone, even the Indians, and is presently applied in a very general way, so much so, in fact, that now “Hinduism” is often used to describe anything from religious activities to even Indian social or nationalistic events. Some of these so-called “Hindu” events are not endorsed in the Vedic literature, and, therefore, must be considered non-Vedic. Thus, not just anyone can call themselves a “Hindu” and still be considered a follower of the Vedic path. Nor can any activity casually be dubbed as a part of Hinduism and thoughtlessly be considered a part of the true Vedic culture. …”

“Therefore, the Vedic spiritual path is more precisely called Sanatana-dharma, which means the eternal, unchanging occupation of the soul in its relation to the Supreme Being. Just as the dharma of sugar is to be sweet, this does not change. And if it is not sweet, then it is not sugar. Or the dharma of fire is to give warmth and light. If it does not do that, then it is not fire. In the same way, there is a particular dharma or nature of the soul, which is sanatana, or eternal. It does not change. So there is the state of dharma and the path of dharma. Following the principles of Sanatana-dharma can bring us to the pure state of regaining our forgotten spiritual identity and relationship with God. This is the goal of Vedic knowledge and its system of self-realization. Thus, the knowledge of the Vedas and all Vedic literature, such as Lord Krishna’s message in Bhagavad-gita, as well as the teachings of the Upanishads and Puranas, are not limited to only “Hindus” who are restricted to a certain region of the planet or family of birth. Such knowledge is actually meant for the whole world. As everyone is a spiritual being and has the same spiritual essence as described according to the principles of Sanatana-dharma, then everyone should be given the right and privilege to understand this knowledge. It cannot be held for an exclusive group or region of people. …” (emphasis added)

“Sanatana-dharma is also the fully developed spiritual philosophy that fills whatever gaps may be left by the teachings of other less philosophically developed religions. Direct knowledge of the soul is a “universal spiritual truth” which can be applied by all people, in any part of the world, in any time in history, and in any religion. It is eternal. Therefore, being an eternal spiritual truth, it is beyond all time and worldly designations. Knowledge of the soul is the essence of Vedic wisdom and is more than what the name “Hindu” implies, especially after understanding from where the name comes. …” (emphasis added)

“Even if the time arrives in this deteriorating age of Kali-yuga after many millennia when Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and even Hinduism (as we call it today) may disappear from the face of the earth, there will still be the Vedic teachings that remain as a spiritual and universal truth, even if such truths may be forgotten and must be re-established again in this world by Lord Krishna Himself. I doubt then that He will use the name “Hindu.” He certainly said nothing of the sort when He last spoke Bhagavad-gita.”

—-
This particular line is very significant. “Therefore, being an eternal spiritual truth, it is beyond all time and worldly designations.”

That is the essence.

Labelling is the characteristic of exclusivistic ideologies such as christianity, islam, communism, fascism, nazism, liberalism, secularism, marxism and so on, all orginal to the west, that provide different labels for its followers and for the rest and having done so, persecute the non-followers.

Such practice is not applicable to the ancient indian philosophy and tradition because it is inclusive and unlimiting. It gives stress on dharmic living, not dogmatic living. It recognises that different people having different characteristics have to follow different ways to progress spiritually. It recognises that just as water flowing through different streams merge together in the ocean, similarly people travelling different spiritual paths arrive at the same destination. It also recognises that dogmatic belief systems and exclusivistic ideologies, being adharmic, are not spiritual paths.

In today’s meeting with children Mister Prime Minister MMS, said that he is proud of being Sikh and embraces it more than anything else. I watched this on one ‘IBN Lokmat’.

I was thinking that what would have happened in this hapless media if any Hindu leader would have quoted this “I’m Hindu and I embrace it”.

Jai Hind!

Dear Aman,
{note: I’m not against any religion}
“an aggressive militant type of guy says that he is proud of being a Hindu”
What do you mean by saying this? Whom you are pointing to?
The media has always been Hindu bashing. It has accredated the RSS as a terrorist organization because RSS is a Hindu organization. Some of the members might have been responsible unrest but there is no way to blame the organization in whole.
Why not the whole Shikh community to be blamed for killing of Indira Gandhi?
But you will never find people from Hindu community blaming anyone for misdeeds of their ancestors (take example of Islamic invaders) or anyone from their community.

It is well-said by Rajmata Jijabaisaheb “Son/Daughter can not be held responsible for doing of his parents” while a listening on the verdict in mid 17th century when she was working a chief justice.

I’m not saying that PM MMS has said it wrong, but in the same ways others too have to be treated.

Jai Hind

Can elaborate on the following quote by backing it with evidence thanks

“The rss, golwalkar, savarkar etc. were all the embodiment of evil.”

Aman,
“The rss, golwalkar, savarkar etc. were all the embodiment of evil
Please provide evidence of involvement Veer Savarkar, who was a great force in the independence struggle of Bharat, in Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. Be responsible for your statements. Because if you say Veer Savarkar was a member of RSS and the person who killed Gandhi was also a member of RSS, then if you are a Muslim you are a terrorist by your logic (because as LET, HIJBUL, SIMI are Islamic terrorist organization).

See my comment#46 again.

Jai Hind!

Guys,
Sorry my fault I stretched the discussion about RSS here, I’ll take my comments to the appropriate thread, as time permits.

Jai Hind!