Anirban Choudhury
(eternalflamenew@gmail.com)
The attack on members of the Hindu community outside the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton, Canada, during the Diwali weekend by the Khalistanis, or the series of vandalism of Hindu mandirs across Australia and Bangladesh recently, shows how followers of one of the ancient Dharmic traditions on earth continue to face violence from organized faiths across the globe. The incidents also lay bare how the Sanatanis (aka Hindus) are still vulnerable to organized violence, as they have been for the past few thousand years since the emergence of organized faiths.
Before focusing on the seemingly never-ending attacks on the Sanatanis, it’s also important to understand the ancient Dharmic tradition and its profound philosophy. Unlike other organized religions, the oldest surviving tradition, Sanatana Dharma, isn’t just another faith system. And as the name itself suggests (Sanatana means eternal), it’s ancient, and the term Hinduism is actually a misnomer. Sanatana is a Dharma, not a religion, which famous American writer and professed Sanatani Dr. David Frawley had described in one of his books as an “unquestionable organized dogma.” Dharma, on the other hand, is a broader concept that syncs with the laws of nature—it’s about truth, wisdom, and enlightenment. And, as with other Dharmic traditions such as Buddhism and Jainism, it’s not parochial or sectarian, respects spiritual diversity, and never aspires to form a world order based on a specific faith system. Rather, it espouses embracing humanity.
So, while Sanatana Dharma has evolved through the millennia, it also helped shape the liberal outlook of the people in this ancient land of Bharatvarsha. There was never any attempt by anyone to organize the people of this land on the basis of faith. As pluralism was an intrinsic part of popular outlook, other sects/belief systems too thrived. The subsequent emergence of other popular Dharmic traditions, such as Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, can be attributed to this distinctive trait of Sanatana Dharma. In fact, Bharatvarsha is the only nation that gave the world some of the most profound philosophies, like Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), Aha? Brahmasmi (divinity of the soul), etc., which speak volumes about the wisdom prevalent in this ancient land, nurtured by a pluralistic worldview. Ancient Sanatani scripts such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, etc., are not about worshipping or beliefs but about enlightenment and wisdom. They hold profound significance for the entire human race. To cite another instance, the Pavamana (purifying) mantra “Asatoma Sadgamaya…” is a prayer for leading one from illusion to truth, from darkness to light, and from death to immortality—not eulogizing a particular god or declaring his greatness. Sanatana Dharma is thus not merely about idolatry or some customs and traditions, as the popular narratives seem to suggest, but a way of life. And, through the ages, it has enriched human wisdom, art, culture, and literature.
However, while all these had deeply influenced the Bharatiyas in their thoughts, ideas, and deeds through the ages, the basic character of Sanatana Dharma has also proven to be its Achilles heel. Due to their liberal outlook, the people of this ancient land never organized themselves on the basis of belief, thereby providing a window of opportunity for the foreign invaders subsequently to loot, plunder, and commit some of the most horrendous acts of genocide in human history since the seventh century. These invaders with their dogmatic belief found an easy footing in the land as the sons of the soil were more than accommodating in accepting their belief system. And the varna (class/caste) system that seeped into the Sanatani samaj gradually too helped in the proliferation of the invaders’ organized faith. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Agreed that the rigid varna system, or casteism, had weakened the greater Sanatani samaj consequently, but it ought to be borne in mind that varna is a social construct, not spiritual. Also, it is not unique to the Sanatani samaj but prevalent across societies to this day under various garbs. Actually, casteism is nothing but another form of class system that is rampant across the world and even institutionalized. To cite instances, seats are reserved for dukes and duchesses in the House of Lords in the UK even today, while “Lordship” titles are still bestowed by the British monarch. Similarly, class systems were rampant across African, Chinese, European, Japanese, West Asian, etc., societies. Further, the caste/class system is still prevalent among followers of other faiths too. For example, an Arzal (Dalit) Muslim man in India can’t marry an Ashraf or Ajlaf Muslim girl, while an upper-caste Christian girl won’t be given in marriage to an Adivasi Christian boy. However, the opponents of Sanatana Dharma, who constantly decry casteism in Sanatani samaj, remain silent on the prevalence of this social evil in other communities. They created such a narrative as if the varna system is unique to the Sanatani samaj, which can’t be farther from the truth.
But truth be told, despite being much abused and mocked through the centuries, Sanatana Dharma’s inherent resilience has seen it through to date, while other ancient faiths had been virtually wiped out from the face of the earth. Notwithstanding the waves of attack on its followers from organized faiths since their emergence, the core philosophy of Sanatana Dharma has survived to this date. For, it’s universal, beyond time and space. No wonder its followers are now not confined just to this land but dispersed across the globe, while more people are discovering the gems of Sanatana Dharma. Actually, in a world torn asunder by sectarianism and religious extremism, only Sanatana Dharma holds the future for humanity. It is thus incumbent upon the practitioners of this ancient Dharmic tradition to steadfastly uphold and promote its basic tenets for humanity's sake. The Sanatanis also ought to rally themselves together in the face of growing attacks across the globe, as they had done rightly so in Bangladesh and Canada recently.
The bottom line is if Sanatana Dharma is lost, humanity will be doomed.