By Promod Puri The expression Hindutva emerged from Hinduism which simply means a state or quality of being a Hindu. However, going through its etymology Hindutva sought a wider demarcation to move free from Hinduism but keeping a bonded identity with it as well. The Hindutva ideology was first introduced in 1923 by Maharashtra-based Hindu…
Category: Articles on Hinduism
Hinduism and Vegetarian Diet
By Arran Stephens The overwhelming majority of the world’s Hindus live in India, which has the largest vegetarian population on earth, numbering many millions. Within the Indian subcontinent, the spectrum of religious thought ranges from strict monotheism to a sweeping panoply of gods, goddesses and animist dieties. Vegetarianism is practiced and scripturally supported by the…
Message of Universality in Hindu Mantra
By Promod Puri OM PURNAM MANTRA “Om purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam udachyate purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavashishyate”. An ideological and free translation of the mantra begins with the word Om which is personified here as God. The word ‘purnam’ and its related derivates in the mantra mean complete, and signifies His completeness….
Bad Rituals Breed Fanaticism
One major drawback instituted in ambiguous rituals is the fear factor. And in absurdity some rituals promise to work like cure-all miracles. Illogical rituals block the real spirit of a religion. Such customs generate fanaticism. Rituals help in cult formation. The entry of fake gurus in the Hindu faith is thru the contamination created by…
BUILDING DIVINE RESIDENCY MORE RELEVANT THAN KNOWING GOD HE OR SHE
By Promod Puri If God or the Supreme Being is He, She or It; residing in heaven, up there in the sky or just omnipresent in the known or unknown universe. Do we need to indulge in this debate? Not really. Rather we create our own god based on noble thoughts, ethics, and good karma….
MANUSMIRITI AND WOMEN
(From the book Hinduism Beyond Rituals, Customs And Traditions by Promod Puri) Since bias knows no boundaries, Manusmriti not only expounds the social distance between the upper and lower castes, but it also delineates the status of women by curbing their rights. It lists guidelines for men in selecting marriage partners and puts a stamp…
From The Pen Of Baba Bulleh Shah
Parh parh Alam te faazil hoya Te kaday apnay aap nu parhya ee na Translation: You read to become all knowledgeable But you never read yourself You read so many books to know it all, yet fail to ever read your heart at all. Bhaj bhaj warna ay mandir maseeti Te kaday mann apnay wich…
Hindu Swastika Exhibits Tolerance, Fortune and Auspiciousness
By Promod Puri Despite being stigmatized as Nazi emblem of anti-Semitic, hate and violence, Swastika, the world’s most recognized sign, represents an auspicious and sacred symbol in Hinduism. Swastika is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘svastika’ which simply means ‘lucky’. The geometric pattern of Swastika is believed to have its origin over 10,000 years ago…
Progressive Hindu Dialogue 