2.
The First Fundamental: The Concept of India a Hindustan


A genuine Hindu awakening cannot be directed against any other community. A renaissance which aims at self-purification and renewal is by definition liberal. Bigots and compradors are forever afraid of liberals. The fundamental freedoms which such a renaissance affords to the individual will frighten any reactionary.

In case of the Muslims, the basic fear of a renaissance is that thereby even if it is given only an indirect chance, Hinduism will assimilate the Muslim into the Hindu fold. This fear is understandable. Everyone knows how Hinduism accommodated and then absorbed within its framework Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and now Zoroastrianism. However, such a parallel cannot be drawn for Islam. Buddha, Mahavir and Guru Nanak were Hindus who founded their religious schools in order to preach a more enlightened and liberated version of what we later accepted as within the basic structure of Hinduism. Zoroaster may have gone from Vahika Prant of India to Persia. The Zend Avesta, the scripture of Zoroastrianism is very close in theology to Hinduism. In particular, in essence therefore, none of these holy men ceased to be Hindu-like since the sanctum sanctorum of their theology is cloned Hindu.

Who is then a Hindu? From what I have been able to learn, a person—if that person wants to be called a Hindu—is one if he believes in the following nine points that constitute the core of Hindu theological beliefs. Thus such a person is deemed to be a Hindu if he:

1. Believes in one, all-pervasive Supreme being who is both Immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.

2. Believes that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

3. Believes that all souls are evolving towards union with God and will ultimately find moksha, spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny.

4. Believes in karma, one law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.


to be continued...

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