Shree Hari Ram Ram
Please share your thoughts on this topic? Any additional suggestions, ideas on how to increase awareness? Gita Talk Moderators, Ram Ram
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Dear Sir,
In my Humble Opinion, adopting promotions like the corporate model works would dilute the lessons of Vedic Principles.
Vedic Principles don't need to be propagated like viral marketing. It will kill the essence. Moreover, Krishna himself tells in Gita not to give these lessons to non-believers. Only when people are thirsty, they look out for water. We shouldn't go in hard selling of water like corporate does. Its okay if ISCKON has adopted corporate model abroad, but atleast India should be spared of such exercises.
regds,
rakesh
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Thank you Brother Stephen ji
I totally agree with you about the promotion aspects. We who profess Hinduism are not proactive and the points you have enumerated are easy to follow..... at least some of them can be immediately put in action.
Of course there are many groups who are doing a great job such as the Sai groups, Chinmaya missions, Vendanta societies etc. But the temples have to engage with the grassroots and be part of the solutions to their day to day struggles, like the Christian missionaries do.
I have been so fortunate because my parents taught me both the rituals and the philosophy of Sanatana Dharma. I wish all will get the same exposure.
In my small way, I work with children who come to the temple with their parents and give them practical knowledge using the Dharmic content with prayers to enhance their beliefs and show them that this way of life will produce the outcome they want to achieve.
Hari Om
lakshmi
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as i feel vedic culture and spirituality should be tought right from primary classes and special courses should be designed for that age group secondly older and uneducated people should also be tought or at least made aware of this .people should take this also as a social responsibility .it is my humble suggestion .jai shree krishna .
Chaman nigam
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Dear sadaks,
Vedic culture or Sanathana Dharma is never taken serious until the truth behind it understood. These truths are never easily available. People talk of Bagavath Geetha, Soul and body, heaven and hell, good and bad deeds Etc. But true impart of knowledge is unavailable. Unless it is given do`s and dont`s, not only Hindus, humanity at large will not benefit. Only when a person made to know that he benefits this and looses this, he show very keen interest on knowing further. Ex: In Kapila Geetha, it is said, a sperm in a womb how it develops stage by stage, when hair grows, nail grows etc and finally as infant on this earth. As a scientist will get dismayed and wants to know further. Again how this infant is given parents etc. It is said about Black hole- life span of earth planet in Upanashids and in old testament. If we impart these know how, then the vedic culture rejuvenates. By mating with neighbor wife, what is effect. A hot copper doll of the woman whom you had illicit love will be offered to you looking as natural, after your death. You will embrace her and get burns, then insects lives on it for years. Ref: Srimath Bagavatham. "Though shall not cast your eyes on neighbor`s", Bible says. What If I cast eyes is not there. If it was told, he would refrain thinking of its seriousness. This subject is vast. I remain in short.
B.Sathyanarayan
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-Shree Hari-
Namaste!
In Ch 32: 21 of Essence of Yogavaasishtha, it makes it quite clear that
the Veda-s are the highest authority.
I have read of water conservation in the Veda, the rights of widows, and
young women in the Veda,
but also Asvamedha, and all manner of sacrifices and carnage. Fire
ritual and so on.
All this ritual, what of this, is this necessary?
It seems to me that it is fine to preserve the Veda for academic
posterity, and maybe an understanding how all this complexity of the
Indian tradition started, but surely the Bagavadgita lays simply and
purely to guide one to 'Realization/Liberation: Chapter 7
19. At the end of many births the wise man comes to me, realising that
all this is Vasudeva (the innermost Self); such a great soul (Mahatma)
is very hard to find.
20. Those whose wisdom has been rent away by this or that desire, go to
other gods, following this or that rite, led by their own nature.
21. Whatever form any devotee desires to worship with faith—that (same)
faith of his I make firm and unflinching.
22. Endowed with that faith, he engages in the worship of that (form),
and from it he obtains his desire, these being verily ordained by me
(alone).
23. Verily the reward (fruit) that accrues to those men of small
intelligence is finite. The worshippers of the gods go to them, but my
devotees come to me.
In summery the world does not need the the Veda although there are many
practical ideas locked within them.
See the words of Swamiji: 'Follow whatever you want to - the
Gita, Ramayan, Bible or Koran or anything else - but in the end you have to
remove your likes and dislikes - all are same. No likes or dislikes.
They have
to be removed. Gita is liked by all because there is no like or dislike
for any
particular path.'
Finally regard the following: "They are enveloped in darkness, in other
words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of
misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause
of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship
visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies
(human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater
darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful
hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time."
[Yajur Veda 40:9.]
Here is the paradox, on the one hand animal sacrifice and obscene acts
on the other hand the lines from Yajur Veda, and the pure lines of
Bhagavadgita.
Om ... Shanti ...
Mike.
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I agree that Vedic Culture must be protected and promoted. I believe that the strongest and surest way of promoting Vedic Culture is if
Of all religious groupings in the world Hindus are and have always been the most disunited between themselves to their common detriment. Hindus must unite at the time of every election, but without any jingoisms or notions of Hindu superiority or desire for dominance or to threaten anyone else, to ensure that they actually come out and vote and only vote for parties (candidates are not of much use as we have seen that the party whip is supreme) who safeguard Hinduism, Hindu interests and true secularism, in talk and actual deeds on a continuing basis and without appeasement of any group to create votebank advantage for themselves !
If we are not willing to do this basic and elementary essentials all talk of and efforts at protecting and promoting Vedic Culture will be futile.
Vijay
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Without Promotion Vedic Culture Cannot be Protected
By Stephen Knapp
Vedic culture has more to offer the world than many care to admit. It has always served the people as a gift from God, a gift from the great sages and rishis to bring humanity to a higher standard of consciousness and living, and a gift from all those Hindus who gave their lives for its continuation throughout the attacks of the last 1000 years from the invaders of India who tried to exterminate the Vedic tradition.
However, many people do not know the profound nature and depth of insights that the Vedic philosophy and tradition has to offer. And no one will know if it is not promoted and taught properly, which seems to be increasingly the case in India. It is not enough to simply do the worship or practice of Vedic Dharma, but a person also needs to know why to do these things. They need to know what's in it for them, and what they are going to get out of it? This is what needs to be explained. It is like this; even if you are an author of a great book, if no one knows about your book, no one will buy it. It has to be promoted. There is no question of this. In the same way, Vedic culture has to be promoted and then taught properly in order for people to realize what it really is and what it actually has to offer.
If you think you can merely sit back and do nothing, and people will still be attracted to investigate the Vedic tradition and its philosophy, then you do not understand the reality of the situation. If you think the acharyas and spiritual masters can merely sit on their high seats and everyone will come to see them at their ashramas and that is enough to preserve and protect Vedic Dharma, then you do not understand the reality of the situation. If you think that there is nothing to worry about because Sanatana-dharma is eternal and will always exist somewhere, then you do not understand the reality of this world, nor the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. When there are far more people in India converting to Christianity and Islam than to Hinduism, this is no time to sit on our laurels and merely watch to see what happens.
In the West, however, there are still many people who take up Vedic customs, and it continues to grow, but that is primarily because of its promotion, and the freedom that still exists to investigate it deeply. When people see how it can help them reach their true and higher potential, or a deeper level of spirituality and understanding about life, they become interested. They want to know how it can help them. And many are those who look for answers from the Vedic traditions, whether it be through yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, Jyotish, Vastu, or any of the other aspects of Vedic culture. But again, these have to be promoted and taught so people can understand how to proceed and use these for higher benefits.
For example, I've been a practicing Krishna bhakta or Hindu for 40 years, at least in this lifetime. I keep getting stronger in my convictions everyday. But that is because of my deepening realizations that come with the spiritual development that can be attained along the path of Vedic Dharma. And that comes from practicing it and taking it seriously. Then the proof of its validity becomes self-evident.
So, for the general masses, we must look to the future to see what Sanatana-dharma can do for society, and how it fits into the lives of others. But we must also see how we must preserve our place in the world, and protect the future of Vedic Dharma. It is one of the few cultures that actually promotes the freedoms of the individual and does not force a dogma on anyone, but offers a person to make their own choice and to take up any portion of it, according to one's interest and level of awareness. In other words, it does not force a set of rules and then punishments on those who do not follow them. It is not based on the fear that other religions often use to acquire converts and keep everyone in line, and, thus, a part of its congregation. We have discussed this more thoroughly in other articles.
However, the world today is extremely competitive, and every political party or institution is often engaged in promoting itself as the best of all others, and then criticizing and demeaning whatever competition it has. And that can be plainly seen in the world of religions as well. But it is not the nature of the Vedic tradition to do that. Nonetheless, if we are not going to be a doormat for everyone else, there are certain things we need to do.
First, we need to understand the danger of remaining silent. This is often viewed as apathy by many, which is used to the advantage of those who would rather see an end to Vedic Dharma. If we do not take a stand to defend our culture, then others will certainly use that to gain ground for themselves or whatever institution or religion they represent. Therefore, as I have related in other articles, we must understand the need to protect and even promote the Vedic path. The fact of the matter is that you cannot properly protect and preserve Vedic culture in today's world without its promotion.
A FEW WAYS OF PROMOTION
There are many simple and non-imposing ways to do this. It is not like you have to become a salesman, or take to the streets to demonstrate as political activists, or the like. But you can easily do one or a few of several things.
1. Create a spiritual revolution by widespread distribution of spiritual knowledge. There is no deeper spiritual knowledge than what is offered in the Vedic literature. Thus, the more that people have access to this knowledge, the more they will see the depths of it. Therefore, there is a great need for introductory literature and simple explanations of the lofty philosophy in the Vedic tradition. Such books, along with the likes of Bhagavad-gita and other Vedic texts need to be distributed on a wide-scale basis. People everywhere can take advantage of this and use it in their lives. ISKCON, for example, has shown so many different ways of accomplishing this, which anyone can learn how to do.
2. Books that enter mainstream markets with an accurate portrayal of Vedic Dharma and the reasons for its traditions are also very important, which is one area that I work in, along with making more kinds of introductory literature.
3. In this same line of thinking, websites and blogs have been very effective as well. This has also shown that people from many walks of life, even in India, are looking for this knowledge but do not always know where to find it. It has to be more accessible, and websites offer tremendous help in this way.
4. Radio and television shows are also very effective. I have had friends who have taken it upon themselves to arrange for making radio programs about various aspects of Vedic culture, or who have made television shows for the cable networks, which is much simpler than many people may think.
5. Courses for schools are also important. And by schools I do not mean necessarily public schools. There are many private or neighborhood weekend schools that are organized by parents who help train their own children as well as the children of their friends and neighbors in the ways of the Vedic customs, legends, histories, and philosophy. I have met with husband and wife teams in India that do this on Sunday mornings for all the children who want to attend their programs, or even here in America where temples offer fun classes for the children to attend and learn all about the Vedic tradition and the moral values that are part of it.
6. Classes in the temple for adults. Many temples in India do not distribute the Vedic knowledge or teach it. They are mostly open to do the worship and collect donations. But this is not enough to allow people to understand the depth and importance of the philosophy. Therefore, more temples need to create an atmosphere for greater understanding of the traditions they utilize. They need to be centers for higher knowledge and learning, not just a place for rituals that many people do not understand.
7. College and university student clubs and associations. This is easy to do for most any college or university students. They can get permission of the college to form a club or association based on furthering their understanding of Vedic culture, yoga, etc., and have meetings, activities, book readings, slide shows, guest speakers, dinners, and so on. This helps attract more students and encourages everyone to look at and participate in the Vedic tradition more deeply, and see how it really may be able to assist them in their own progress.
8. Acharyas and spiritual teachers should get out of the ashramas and tour and do programs, not only in the cities but also in the villages. They need to show how important it is to them that others also have the rights, freedoms and privilege to participate in the Vedic traditions and its philosophy. This can be very important and inspiring for the common masses to see, and it can create lasting impressions in the public that someone cares about their participation in Vedic culture if the Acharyas and spiritual teachers would do this on a regular basis.
9. Techniques of the Swadhyaya Movement. Beyond merely distributing books, there also needs to be the follow up in ways of engaging people and giving them association for enthusing them to stay together and learn and become active together. The Swadhyaya Movement is an organization that I have admired for a long time now, and who are most successful in this regard. Here is an institution that has been growing intensely for the past 60 years or so, and their techniques of sharing are quite simple but most effective. They mostly do one of two things: first individuals simply invite people they know to come to their meetings in which they learn more about the Bhagavad-gita and the Vedic culture, or they call up people they know and ask to come over for a visit and simply talk and become better friends. Then they may discuss the Bhagavad-gita and invite their new friends to their meetings simply to learn more about their own customs. Then they help serve each other on the basis of the teachings of Lord Krishna. Teaching and inspiring their youth is also very important. They have now developed into an organization of many millions of members worldwide through these simple means. There are many ways that other organizations can do this as well to grow and expand by merely being friends and growing in the Vedic tradition through fellowship.
10. Being Vedic ambassadors—showing by example & sharing what we know. I have explained more about this in other articles, but the above points can also fit into the idea of merely being a Vedic ambassador and simply showing others how the Vedic tradition and philosophy has helped you, and then share with others your story of how it has done that. This can be done on a personal level or through more technological media, as described above. But it requires very little but a friendly disposition and a little knowledge about your own culture to simply share it with others.
11. Taking care of others. Simply being nice and known as a Hindu or devotee is also part of being a Vedic ambassador. It lends for a good impression on other people about who and what you are. And often times I have seen that when people know you as a decent and upstanding person who follows a particular culture, they want to know more about it. They may ask questions, and how you respond will make a difference in the impression they have about the culture. This is all part of being a Vedic ambassador and helping promote the qualities that are attained by following the Vedic teachings.
12. Inviting others to participate in the colorful and joyful Vedic festivals can also be very effective. Everyone loves a good time, and if you invite others to join or participate in such festivals, it can create lasting impressions of good will. And if they are new to Vedic traditions, if you or someone can show them around and explain things to them about the meaning of what is happening, it will only increase their good impressions and what they get out of it. This may also lead to their desire to learn more or increase their participation in the culture. And all you have to do is simply show your friendly personality and be yourself.
People need a reason to unite, to feel unified for a cause. Are we going to supply the means and the reason for this? Or are we going to sit back and wonder why someone else should have done this? We have to see the need to do this and then get up and be active in the same way that Lord Krishna encouraged Arjuna to be active to defend Vedic Dharma. There are so many ways to do this, of which the above list is a few.
These are but important suggestions on how to easily promote the Vedic Dharma, which is necessary if we expect to protect and preserve it. There are, of course, many other things that can be done, many of which I have written about elsewhere. But see which ones pique your interest or fit your character and then move forward with a plan to help out, or team up and help with others who may already have some ideas or are engaged in such ways. This will greatly assist everyone in their own spiritual growth and development, and also help the world attain a higher recognition of who we are and the purpose of life, which we all share.
Further action plans and details of these are given in my book "Crimes Against India: And the Need to Protects its Ancient Vedic Tradition."
By Stephen Knapp
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Related Link:
http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.net (english)
http://www.swamiramsukhdasji.org (hindi)
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