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The Universal Relevance Of Sanatana Dharma

David Frawley - Jan 25, 2017, 12:00 pm

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Hinduism has always been a universal tradition and India has been its
geographical centre, not its limiting location.

As a western Hindu, I have sometimes been told that I cant truly be a Hindu
because I wasnt born one. One encounters this opinion not only in India but
throughout the world, where many non-Hindus think that being a Hindu is by
birth only.
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Recently, an Indian writer on mythology stated that Hindus should not look to the
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books of white westerners for their study of Hinduism even the books of western
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Hindus because they werent born Hindus. This kind of reverse racism,
understandable to some degree because of biased anti-Hindu attitudes from the Baijayant 'Jay' Panda
colonial era, is contrary to the deeper truth of Hindu Dharma that does not Jobs And Jallikattu: Why Youth Mutinies
circumscribe its teachings in any historical, geographical or ethnic boundaries. Are Careening Out Of Control
That Hindus do not proselytise does not mean that Hindu Dharma is limited to a R Jagannathan
community of birth and is not of any universal relevance.
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Ever since Swami Vivekananda brought the teachings of Yoga and Vedanta to the Farmers?
world in 1893, Hindu-based teachings have been spreading worldwide. This
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extends to all aspects of Yoga not only asanas but also pranayama, mantra, and
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meditation, and now kirtan is a popular musical movement in the West. Ayurveda is Opportunities, And Also Spooky
similarly gaining a global following as a profound system of mind-body medicine. Challenges
Sanskrit, Indian music and dance are expanding their influences as well. A global
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tradition now exists of numerous Hindu gurus travelling and teaching before
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millions of followers from all levels of society and relative to all aspects of life.
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The Hindu diaspora is another important component of the new global Hindu
movement. Hinduism is gaining respect owing to the success financially and
educationally of immigrant Hindus, as well as their peaceful and tolerant nature.
Beautiful Hindu temples can be found in the main cities of the West, which
westerners are also visiting. The number of westerners formally becoming Hindus
is slowly increasing through the efforts of organisations like Hinduism Today,
Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Arya Samaj.

Unfortunately, there has been considerable distortion and commercialisation of

Hindu teachings in the West, as with some Yoga groups downplaying or denying
the Hindus basis of the practices they follow. This needs to be addressed by a
proper presentation of the teachings, not by trying to limit these practices only to
those born in India. The new globalisation of Hindu Dharma should be promoted in
an authentic manner for the benefit of all humanity.

Historical Spread of Dharmic Traditions

We should remember that Hindu, Vedic and Dharmic teachings have had a wide
geographical influence for thousands of years. Their modern impact is only a new
phase of the development of Hindu Dharma in its universal relevance.

It is well known that Buddhism spread throughout Asia over the past 2,500 years,
but people forget that Hinduism also spread widely and from an earlier era.
Hinduism was prominent in Indonesia, where Bali remains a pocket of its former
influence, and in Indochina, where Cambodias Angkor Wat of a thousand years ago
remains the largest Hindu temple in the world. Hinduism along with Buddhism
spread into Central Asia along the Silk Route from China to Europe. The Hindu
Ramayana remains the most popular story of Southeast Asia.

Image:Wikimedia

Such Hindu groups outside India were clearly not born in the Indian subcontinent.
The geographical idea of Hinduism as limited to India or Hindustan is a modern
idea coming from western invaders, not the actual history of Hinduism. Hinduism
has long shared its teachings with a wide variety of countries, cultures and ethnic
groups.

World Vedic Heritage

There is yet a greater world Vedic heritage extending through many cultures of the
ancient world, East and West.

Vedic related teachings and traditions dominated Europe, West and Central Asia, as
well as India going back 5,000 years, including various Indo-European groups like
the ancient Germans, Slavs, Celts, Thracians, Greeks and Romans. The Hittites and
Mittani dominated West Asia 4,000 years ago, with Mittani dynasties with Vedic
names intermarrying with the pharaohs of Egypt.

Vedic teachings spread north and west from India through the Scythians and
Iranians, who dominated West and Central Asia from the second millennium BCE
to the later period of the Roman Empire. These groups followed similar traditions
as the Vedas, with their sacred fire worship and honouring of the Sun. The
Zoroastrians are only one such group with Vedic affinities.

The ancient Greeks and Romans had a religion that resembles Hinduism, with
temples, iconic worship of deities, and similar traditions of philosophy, medicine
and astrology. The ancient Middle East extending from Mesopotamia to Saudi
Arabia had similar deities and forms of worship as the Hindu, with gods, goddesses,
icons and temple worship in the pre-Islamic era, including an extensive trade with
India.

Hinduism as Sanatana Dharma

We must remember that the term Hinduism is only a modern designation of a

tradition properly known as Sanatana Dharma, the eternal or universal Dharma.
Once we understand Hinduism as Santana Dharma, its relevance for all humanity
becomes clear. We can easily set aside the misunderstanding that one must be born
a Hindu, or that Hindu is merely a geographical term. Anyone who truly follows the
principles and practices of Sanatana Dharma is a Hindu.

Hinduism has always been a universal tradition and India has been its geographical
centre, not its limiting location. Hinduism has shared the expansive nature of
Indian civilisation with its great tradition of travel and trade by sea and land, such
as the terms Indonesia and Indochina reflect.

One must remember the ancient prayer of the most ancient Rigveda, Krinvanto
Vishvam Aryam, Make the Entire World noble. Sanatana Dharma has the
universal vision to link all humanity together in a recognition of the One Self or
Paramatman in all beings the unitary consciousness behind and beyond all time,
space, karma and manifestation, such as the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita
proclaim.

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China HInduism Swami Vivekananda Vedanta ramayana Bhagavad Gita Saudi Arabia yoga
Sanatana Dharma Vedas Upanishads Europe Middle East Vishwa Hindu Parishad Central Asia
Rigveda Arya Samaj Mesopotamia Greeks Romans Silk Route Hinduism Today Asanas
Pranayama Mantra

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David Frawley is an American Hindu teacher and author. He has written more than 30 books on
the Vedas, Hinduism, Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedic astrology.

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