Dharma: “Dharma is a term intrinsically unique and central to the Indian civilization. It is derived from the Sanskrit root dhr which means ‘to support’ or ‘sustain’; dharma thus means ‘that which supports or upholds the world and its beings.’ Hinduism is called Sanatana dharma (i.e., the eternal dharma) which supports the physical, social and moral order of the entire manifested world.”
—From pg 159, Sanskrit Non-Translatables by Rajiv Malhotra and Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji

There is a lot of confusion amongst Hindus regarding the Hindu Rashtra. Many would say, they are secular and hence, they don’t want the Hindu Rashtra. Some would say, Bharat already is a Hindu Rashtra, since Bharatiya culture is the living, flourishing and dominant aspect of the present-day Bharat. That is partially true. But Bharat is far from Dharmic Hindu Rashtra. Meaning there are lots of Adharmi, Vidharmi elements working against Dharma and the number of people fighting for the Dharma is not many. To add to that, there are Adharmic elements in Bharat’s state machinery and institutions too including our Constitution, IPC, CrPC and numerous acts of parliaments and state governments. So, Hindus in Bharat have a long way to go before establishing Dharma as the dominant element not just in our societies but also in our state narrative. And by the way, Dharma doesn’t discriminate people based on their religion. So, the so-called “secular’ Hindus and non-Hindus shouldn’t have any problems with Dharmic Hindu Bharat unless they are Adharmis themselves.

But what I am proposing is one step further. See, almost all the problems humanity is facing today is because of the lack of Dharmic values amongst humans. Be it global warming, religious terrorism, rape & crimes against women, racism, animal cruelty, or even the latest Wuhan coronavirus. You name the problem and an accurate diagnosis of the problem would lead you to only one conclusion: lack of Dharmic values. If you consider yourself to be a follower of Dharma, by corollary you should in your personal capacity try to make other people Dharmic too i.e. the followers of Dharma. This is not equivalent to the active religious conversions being carried out by the Abrahamic religions, although it is certainly a counter to it.

No matter how much morally superior people consider themselves to be, the world for the most part seriously lacks Dharmic values. And hence is facing serious problems today. Even the so-called humanitarian projects, environmental efforts are half-hearted, inorganic and forced. If people had Dharmic values, there would be no need for active environmental, animal protection efforts in the first place. And my guess is that the problems are only going to increase with humans reacting from one problem to another and many times, making things worse with their forced solutions. Establishing Dharmic Rashtras or spreading Dharmic values amongst masses is a good solution to the problems of mankind. And by the way, many people in Europe, Americas, African nations are actually ready for it. So many people from the Abrahamic faiths are turning towards atheism. People of Africa have suffered so much at the hands of these religions. Whole cultures have been digested and wiped out. However, in today’s world, many people are seeking to rediscover their old pre-abrahamic cultures. Africa: Vishnu Kojo Coleman’s Journey to Sanatana Dharma.
Many are distressed and seeking inner solutions especially in the times of Covid. The time is ripe. Dharmic Hindus should try to educate these people about Dharma. And we should actively seek to promote our Dharmic festivals, music, scriptures. The best way to do that is through Hindu temples. By the way, Hinduism is so beautiful, diverse and easy to market. For example, Hinduism is instantly more attractive to women because there are so many Devis in Hinduism and women are worshipped in many ways. Same is true for the animal lovers who would be instantly attracted to the fact that animals also have Atman. Similarly, Hinduism can be marketed to non-whites, atheists, etc. And in the long run, say 40-50 years from now, we may have a few more Dharmic Hindu majority Rashtras particularly in Europe, Africa and the Americas. And if by the time, Islam becomes less hostile, we may try our hands in the Middle East too. One thing which is important to clarify here is that these Dharmic Hindu Rashtras will not be the copies of Bharat. Each will have its own unique culture and Dharmic Hinduism will only enhance and enrich their culture. And for those of you who think that there is no concept of conversion in Hinduism. Well, I will repeat again that this is not forced, manipulated, coerced religious conversion. This is enhancing our own Dharmic values and seeking to establish and spread those Dharmic values around the globe. By the way, our ancestors already achieved that in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Tibet, Japan, etc.

धर्म एव हतो हन्ति धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः
तस्- माद्धर्मो न हन्तव्यः मानो धर्मो हतोवधीत्

Dharma destroys those who destroy it, Dharma protects those who protect it.
Dharma does not destroy and cannot be destroyed.
Let’s all work for Dharma and seek to establish Dharmic values where-ever we are.

 

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