A Civilization worth fighting for.....
Sanatana (सनातन) is another addition to the English vocabulary whose root originates from Sanskrit. We are hearing this Sanatana word quite often in various discussions across the globe in recent days, especially in the context of India and south Asian geopolitical discussions. Also it’s great to observe that the cultural legacy of India has started correctly been pronounced as Sanatana Drarma, not as Hindu religion. The fact is, associating Indian socio-cultural practice as Hindu religion is technically incorrect. The name Hindu itself is coined by Europeans borrowing the term from Parsian’s, who referred the socio-cultural practice of the people lives beyond Sindhu river as Hindu. People around middle east region pronounces Sindu and Hindu for their limited use of “S” sound in the vocabulary. where as, people from the land of Bharata always refer their culture as Sanatana Dharma across its geographical length and breath. But understanding Sanatana is little difficult for the rest of the world and there is not a readily available definition of Sanatanta dharma either. Let’s take a short walk on Bharatya cultural to understand Sanatana.
Again, when it’s aired that India will become Vishwa-Guru! what does it mean? Does India want to bring the entire world under its own socio-cultural or religious umbrella? Never, Its totally absurd and alien idea from Indian practices or Sanatana Dharma. Doubt like this comes from today’s understanding of religion and analyzing so called Hindu or Sanatana Dharma in same context. In today’s common understanding, religion or dharma is visualized closely as cult practices which tries to survive itself by giving a distinct identity who practices it.
To understand Sanatana, we have to come out of this framework. The literal meaning of Sanatana is eternal. If we closely observe any society from any part of the world, across the cultures, we'll find it has some characteristics which appears have been passed down from the beginning, the flow of time brought many changes in culture, also many alteration lost over the period of time but certain attributes appear as never changing. That is what gives that culture its identity and uniqueness, and that is supposed to be close to Sanatana. If Sanatana is to be understood from the standpoint of Europe, the Pagan religion is also its parts, Iranian Sanatan is not excluding Zoroastrianism, Egyptian Sanatan has element from Pharaonic culture, America’s Sanatan carries contribution and history from Native American.
The most harmful impact of the Abrahamic religions (as well as the non-believer's religion - Communism) on the society comes from the fact that each of them has to assert its supremacy over every other practices under the sun, in order to continue the existence of this Faith. Because unless it can demonstrate (or orchestrate a show ) of its supremacy by any means, the faith will become irrelevant and soon cease to exist. This is the primary difference and also root of all the conflicts of these faiths with Bharatiya Sanatan concept.
In the light of Indian Sanatana, people always have their own choice of options while manifesting their thoughts into action, one option is identified as Dharmik (righteous) path and the other is an Adharmik (unrighteous). But the righteous path has no constant or universal definition, it is always relative to the context, place and time. What is righteous in one situation appears as unrighteous in another situation. But what is important here is the expansion of the soul, which is deciding and acting at this moment picking the righteous path in the present situation. People were encouraged to consider the Dharmik or Shreya (righteous) path over Preya, which apparently ensure easy and selfish in nature. The more purified the soul is, the more its judgment will be in the direction of universal wellness. But the freedom to decide his/her own path is completely in his/her own hands. But the judgment of the religious path in Abrahamic religion is not independent, it is to be fixed by someone from outside.
Sanatan Dharma encourages to find and realize the same goal in every panth or spiritual path, and Abrahamic religions try to promote a single path for everyone, seeking the goal is not get the priority here.
When we try to pick our right path from available options in light of Sanatana, consideration should be, what goes in line with the eternity and universal values. And more importantly we should not jump into decision based on others found success taking this path or it’s the new world truth or justifying, as we have made enough of progress the old value systems are irrelevant now. It is good to remind here, attempt of imitating any foreign value, specially going against of own legacy doesn’t do good for anyone and only brings misery, history witnessed it again and again.
The concept of Sanatana doesn’t have any geographical boundary also; in support of this statement we can bring the concept of reincarnation. The very common believe about re-incarnation is, it’s an eastern theological idea, more precisely it is coming from so called Hinduism or its derivative religions. But the example from another part of world, I would like to refer here, doesn’t have any connection with Hindu religion. In fact, as I mentioned before, in our modern world, the word religion almost became synonymous to occultism. What external world refers as Hindu religion in perspective of other religions or faiths or occultisms, which is so inappropriate. The Sanatana Dharma always tries to find the common thread among so called religions, the closest word of which from popular vocabulary is humanity. Let’s go back to the topic of reincarnation, which has been part of the school of thoughts of none other than Plato, whom the modern world considers as pioneer of Logical and Scientific thinking. Dr. Raymond Moody had done extensive research on this topic. May check this podcast where this universal awareness of soul is discussed :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqsmGXvtDFU
The strength of Sanatana comes from its inclusiveness as basic foundation, where highest value has been given in seeking or self-realization not in practicing or adopting or preaching or converting.....this doesn’t encourage to increase the headcounts of one’s own community…doesn’t even attempt to stop the debate abruptly exclaiming your path is good for you so my path for me…rather logically can explain and conclude that, where your philosophy, your practice, are trying to direct you is not different from mine as long as the goal and objective is to realize Him, which is no different from knowing self in Bharatiya spirituality. Beauty of this concept is, this even includes who doesn’t want to agree with so called god and religion.
In Indian spiritualism Nastik never considered as sinner how many other places people do. In the contrary, Nastik has its own place of honor in Indian spiritualism. Nastik philosophy is not truly western atheisms , in atheist school of thought one will go against anything in name of god, but Nastik philosophy one try to justify what people are celebrating as God, He cannot be there! That’s of course true because very few can comprehend god or divinity at every single moment of one’s life, and its not possible to express true nature of God by literature or any other mean, so quite possible our personal god, can be a distorted form of god…so advocating and prescribing it for everybody cannot be acceptable…… so what true Nastik tries to express, is also a kind of seeking…so should have a place of respect in this spirituality.
The importance of Sanatana is, it embraces every diversified school of thoughts and try to be respectful to them and to each and every possible soul which has manifested these thoughts. At the same time it always anchored to the idea of expansion or uplift as common goal for each soul. The unity in the diversity what gives glory to the Indian culture is a organic derivative of its Sanatana Dharma ( Culture ) only…....
And the result of this is - Indian continent is the only part of world whose history has uninterrupted continuity ....