This blog lists down a few blunders that we Hindus have committed in the past and are still doing them.
Disclaimer- I am not a guru; I am just an ordinary Hindu who keeps on reading and observing things. Bouquets and brickbats are most welcome.
I am aware that temples are an important part of Hindu Dharma. But they are not essential to our civilization. Our Sanatan is much more vast and comprehensive than our temples. Unfortunately, most Hindus that I know are still fascinated with temples, particularly the ancient ones. Let me elaborate on this.
Stop this fascination with Temples
When Islam first attacked Bharat in the 8th century, the first thing it did was demolish our temples. This destruction started in Sindh, and later spread to vast parts of North India. Afghan Hindu temples were razed down after the conquest of Gandhar by Ghazni and his predecessors. Over the next 900 years, there were hardly any temples left in the standing condition in many parts of India. Delhi was bereft of temples and so was Uttar Pradesh. There are hardly any ancient temples in Bihar and Bengal.
Now that we are independent, many latter-day Hindus consider temples as synonymous to Hindu Dharma. A vast majority of them (particulalry on Twitter) think that restoration, conservation, and management of ancient temples is the only way to revive the Hindu Dharma. How much more wrong can they be! Some of them even go further and advocate that temples be made into centers of learning!
Reform Modern Education- Make it Job Friendly
It is true that by the restoration of our ancient temples should be an important step but not the only priority. We need to do much more than put our attention to these places of worship. And please, let's stop promoting temples as places of learning.
I am not an enemy of temples but we need to do much more for our society than just Mandir promotion. We need to improve our schools and colleges so that our students receive a quality education. This education should fetch them jobs. Dispensing education from temples and pathshalas looks glamorous but serves little or no purpose. Why don't some of those who live in the US or the UK send their kids to study in temples?
Let me repeat- I am no enemy of temples, but sorry to say, these holy places should be left for spiritual upliftment and nothing else.
Temple Construction in the Ancient and Medieval Eras couldn't Stop Invasions
Even as I write this article, I am struck by the stupidity of our Indian kings who were making grand temples between the 11th and 16th centuries, oblivious of the Muslim invasions. Had they spent a fraction of the temple expenses in learning and science and technology, external affairs, etc, we would not have become slaves. So, let's re-assign our priorities and learn from history.
Another thing that rankles me is our fascination with Sanskrit. Some of us, particulalry who are super rich and have nothing to do except pontificate, are the greatest supporters of Sanskrit.
Replace English with Sanskrit, they say. Send kids to Sanskrit Pathshalas, they shout in unison.
Reinvent Sanskrit
Sanskrit is a beautiful language, I agree but to consider it to be a modern tool would be a dangerous thing to do. Sanskrit cannot provide employment to the masses, I dare say. At best, it is a wonderful medium to meditate and deliberate on Upanishads and other texts. For example, can Vedic Mathematics help us Hindus to crack the JEE? I am dying for an answer.
Let me throw a challenge to all those Hindu tigers living in the United States and Singapore- please send your kids to Sanskrit pathshalas if you are so committed to the cause! I am sure, you will chicken out.
However, Sanskrit can be put to use in a wonderful way. Our marriage mantras are composed and delivered in Sanskrit, aren't they? All our special rituals are conducted in the Sanskrit language-- birth, death, namakaran, etc.
So here is an idea- if you are an avowed Hindu and have kids, make sure they marry and raise children. Make sure that they marry according to the wishes of their parents i.e.YOU. When they go through all the rituals mentioned above, Sanskrit comes into play. The more our Hindu kids adopt our rituals, the better it will be for this ancient language. Sanskrit will remain alive only if our rituals are followed, else, it will die just as Ganga and Yamuna are dying slowly.
Unfortunately, we aren't rearing our kids the right way. Study after study suggests that most of the millennials want to remain single. For them, marriage is an outdated custom and given to themselves, the millennials would prefer a live-in relationship. We need to change this thinking.
1. Introduction; Working Papers on Sanskrit Knowledge Systems on the Eve of Colonialism
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1022826320489?LI=true
2. The Sudden Death of Sanskrit Knowledge -https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10781-004-9058-y?LI=true
How to Reform Hindu Dharma
As I grow older, I realize that we are still committing the same mistakes that we did 1,000, years ago. We still haven't learned from the past and I hope we don't repeat them after reading this blog.Disclaimer- I am not a guru; I am just an ordinary Hindu who keeps on reading and observing things. Bouquets and brickbats are most welcome.
1. Fascination with Temples
I am aware that temples are an important part of Hindu Dharma. But they are not essential to our civilization. Our Sanatan is much more vast and comprehensive than our temples. Unfortunately, most Hindus that I know are still fascinated with temples, particularly the ancient ones. Let me elaborate on this.
Stop this fascination with Temples
When Islam first attacked Bharat in the 8th century, the first thing it did was demolish our temples. This destruction started in Sindh, and later spread to vast parts of North India. Afghan Hindu temples were razed down after the conquest of Gandhar by Ghazni and his predecessors. Over the next 900 years, there were hardly any temples left in the standing condition in many parts of India. Delhi was bereft of temples and so was Uttar Pradesh. There are hardly any ancient temples in Bihar and Bengal.
Now that we are independent, many latter-day Hindus consider temples as synonymous to Hindu Dharma. A vast majority of them (particulalry on Twitter) think that restoration, conservation, and management of ancient temples is the only way to revive the Hindu Dharma. How much more wrong can they be! Some of them even go further and advocate that temples be made into centers of learning!
Reform Modern Education- Make it Job Friendly
It is true that by the restoration of our ancient temples should be an important step but not the only priority. We need to do much more than put our attention to these places of worship. And please, let's stop promoting temples as places of learning.
I am not an enemy of temples but we need to do much more for our society than just Mandir promotion. We need to improve our schools and colleges so that our students receive a quality education. This education should fetch them jobs. Dispensing education from temples and pathshalas looks glamorous but serves little or no purpose. Why don't some of those who live in the US or the UK send their kids to study in temples?
Let me repeat- I am no enemy of temples, but sorry to say, these holy places should be left for spiritual upliftment and nothing else.
Temple Construction in the Ancient and Medieval Eras couldn't Stop Invasions
Even as I write this article, I am struck by the stupidity of our Indian kings who were making grand temples between the 11th and 16th centuries, oblivious of the Muslim invasions. Had they spent a fraction of the temple expenses in learning and science and technology, external affairs, etc, we would not have become slaves. So, let's re-assign our priorities and learn from history.
2. Fascination with Sanskrit
Another thing that rankles me is our fascination with Sanskrit. Some of us, particulalry who are super rich and have nothing to do except pontificate, are the greatest supporters of Sanskrit.
Replace English with Sanskrit, they say. Send kids to Sanskrit Pathshalas, they shout in unison.
Reinvent Sanskrit
Sanskrit is a beautiful language, I agree but to consider it to be a modern tool would be a dangerous thing to do. Sanskrit cannot provide employment to the masses, I dare say. At best, it is a wonderful medium to meditate and deliberate on Upanishads and other texts. For example, can Vedic Mathematics help us Hindus to crack the JEE? I am dying for an answer.
Let me throw a challenge to all those Hindu tigers living in the United States and Singapore- please send your kids to Sanskrit pathshalas if you are so committed to the cause! I am sure, you will chicken out.
However, Sanskrit can be put to use in a wonderful way. Our marriage mantras are composed and delivered in Sanskrit, aren't they? All our special rituals are conducted in the Sanskrit language-- birth, death, namakaran, etc.
So here is an idea- if you are an avowed Hindu and have kids, make sure they marry and raise children. Make sure that they marry according to the wishes of their parents i.e.YOU. When they go through all the rituals mentioned above, Sanskrit comes into play. The more our Hindu kids adopt our rituals, the better it will be for this ancient language. Sanskrit will remain alive only if our rituals are followed, else, it will die just as Ganga and Yamuna are dying slowly.
Unfortunately, we aren't rearing our kids the right way. Study after study suggests that most of the millennials want to remain single. For them, marriage is an outdated custom and given to themselves, the millennials would prefer a live-in relationship. We need to change this thinking.
References;
1. Introduction; Working Papers on Sanskrit Knowledge Systems on the Eve of Colonialism
2. The Sudden Death of Sanskrit Knowledge -https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10781-004-9058-y?LI=true
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