According to the scriptures, humans got a hundred years of life blessing from god. Rishi (sages) or senior people gave blessing to the junior people as a blessing. “ जीवेम शरदः शतम्” It means blessing given to live for 100 years. In this ashram Vyavastha applied suppose human life is 100 year. They are divided into four stages of life. Every stage 25/25 years is as arranged. Which are as follow : a) Brahmacharya b) Grihastha c) Vanprastha d) sannyasa
a) Brahmacharya Ashram: Brahmacharya means walking to understand Brahma (god). When a boy’s age reaches seven years, parents send the Gurukul to acquire education /knowledge for life. when they wear yagyopavit ( as Hindu ritual). Gurukul was an ancient residential school to get higher education and acquire useful knowledge for life.
The brahmacharya ashram is the age of up to 25 years for gaining strength, intellect and knowledge. Nobody was in the cast before Brahmacharya at that time. Teacher guru selected the student in four categories. If the students are talented and interested to read, write and understand Veda and Upanishad. These types of students were selected in the brahmin group.
If the students are strong, brave, and have leading power. who wants to know and interested in the skill of diplomacy, fighting and dhanurvidya. These students were selected in the kshatriya group. They were taught political sciences. If students are interested in loss and profit and want to benefit from others.
These students are in the Vaishya group. They were taught trade and business. If students were not interested in the above things. They were taught technical training education like instrumental music, crafts, tailoring, making daily goods for all students and socially useful wooden, metal goods.
All these students were in the sudra group. In summary, it is a student life that acquires knowledge for 25 years of initial life. According to eastern philosophy, students came out from gurukul.
They had four types of quality and ability. Like Brahmin, kshatriya, Vaishya and sudra . Actually these were educational degrees of Gurukul. When they came to Grihastha life they applied their knowledge. In this way, In Hindu sanatan dharma has started a caste system.
a) Dharma : You have to follow, performing your own duty and toward the path of salvation with knowing yourself, Dharma and self deeds. You have to pray and meditate on the supreme being and formless god through the following rules of Yam, rule regulation, Asana, pranayama and pratyahara. Achieving Dharma is also a kind of Purusharth (goal).
b) Artha (economic) : we have to win the sorrowful life to achieve material happiness. Let’s do such deeds that can earn money. Money is the most important thing to sustain life. So Artha is very essential to achieve happiness and prosperity. Artha is also the goal of life or Purusharth.
c) Kam: (deep extensive desire, ego, sensuality) : whatever every kind of extreme desire and greed to get happiness and sexual fulfillment, all these things are kam. If you’re doing as you desire, you would be in hell. You have to fulfil your desire within your Dharma, social and family rule regulation. Otherwise it will damage your life.
d) Moksha (freedom from rebirth) : Moksha means a liberation from the material life. It is called samadhi in Yoga and nirvana in Buddhism. This is self realization and enlightenment. Who have attained salvation were called Ishwar, Buddha purusha or Bhagawan.
It is also argued, they have named our Vedic Sana tan Dharma’s name as Hindu religion. There was no protest from Vedic Sana tan dharma’s followers at that time. It was automatically established in the name of Hinduism the people of Indian continental other than Muslim and Christians.
One of Indian man swatantra Savakar taking credit for naming him for Hindu religion. He even wrote such verses in Sanskrit.
असिन्धू सिन्धू पर्यन्ता यस्य भारत भूमिका ।पितृ भूःपुण्यभूश्चैव स वै हिन्दुरितीस्मृतः।।
It means : The land from Himalaya (the source of river Sindhu ) to the indian oceans, which was called Indian continental in ancient Vedic time, They consider that land as holy place and fatherland/ motherland. Those who live there are called Hindus.
What exactly is the essence of the so-called Hindu religion ?
I found it from several sources, I tried to explain what I understand.
There are four basic pillars. Which is also called the four rituals.
Purusharth (four human pursuit) a) dharma b) Artha (economic) c) Kam (deep extensive desire, ego, sensuality) d) Moksha (freedom from rebirth)
Ashram system (four age-based life stages)
a ) brahmacharya ( student) b) grihasthashram( householder) c) Vanprastha ( freedom from family responses) d) Sannyasa ( renunciation)
Varna system(four social classes/ cast) Varna contextually means “color, race, tribe, species, kind, sort, nature, character, quality, property” of an object or people in some Vedic and medieval texts. Varna refers to four social classes in the Manu smriti.
Rin system (loan/credit like responsible arrangement) a) Dev Rin (loan/credit of god) b) guru (rishi)rin ( credit of teacher) c) Pitri Rin ( loan/credit of parents ) d) Lok / Manav Rin (social responsible )
Beside this four pillars there are four Veda a)Yajurveda – this related with religious ritual ceremonialb) Sam Veda ( related literacy, melody chanting and singing lyrics ) C) rig Veda ( hymns about mythology)d) Atharva Veda (“the procedures for everyday Vedic art life architecture)
And four mind conscience: a) man ( mind) b) buddhi ( intelligence) c)Chitta ( heart) , d) Ahamkara (ego)
धारणात् धर्ममित्याहुः धर्मो धारयति प्रजाः।यः स्यात् धारणसंयुक्तः स धर्म यति निश्चयः।।
Dharma is the only one on this planet. Above Sanskrit sentences gave the meaning of the Dharma is that do not revel, do not covet greedy, to be celibacy, to be kindness for whole animal kinds, mercy for animal kinds, involving worship with devotion, follow the path of truth and hold the feeling of mercy and forgiveness, Such as dharma holds its followers without discrimination, That has ability to keep own followers in one thread. Of course it is the same as Dharma. That was the scriptures explaining Dharma. The riots that are going on in the name of religions in the world. Most people blamed Dharma but it is not so. But it is happening due to religious politics. It is just a vicious cycle of hypocrites who boast of being great in the name of religion. That is my opening.
यतो अभ्युदय निः श्रेयस सिद्धिः सः ःधर्मः
It means Dharma is to attain prosperity in this life and to attain salvation in future life.
Progress is definitely natural science but salvation is a Dharma. The above version told us that human beings can be improved if we could balance science and Dharma. We can describe if science supports the save of human beings on this planet, salvation is the goal of dharma. According to these verses If we live with balanced science and Dharma, Human life can be improved and developed. If Science saves and keeps people on the planet, but Karma/dharma decides to accept or reject people from the world.
How did our Vedic Sanatan dharma become Hinduism ?
Arabia’s people had been trading with India since immemorial time. They purchase herbs, spices, diamonds, clothes, silk, gold and silver from India. They used to trade in Europe through the Sindhu valley. There were more than a hundred countries in Indian continental. Indian people never know India is a country. Indian continental cover the more than hundred small countries in India and including Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. British never couldn’t make colonization to Nepal, Gorkha was very brave they couldn’t take over Nepalese soldiers, but large part of land of Nepal taking with diplomatic way, that called “Sugauli Treaty””. British was return from India but they did not return the land of Nepal which undertaking “Sugauli Treaty”
Main sources of Sindhu river from Sindhu valley. Sindhu valley was the main national border check post of Indian continental. Arabizes European even English people called the Indus for their resident people. Then they started calling this country India. In course of trade, Muslim mugals ruled India for hundred years. It was named Hindustan as it is the country of Hindus. Mughal and British governments used to dominate and discriminate against words like Indian. At that time, in the Oxford Dictionary – 1900 century at Page no. in 789, it was written Indian word means Poor – Old fashioned – Criminal people. They used to word Hindu as the dominant word for Indian. British ruled India as the name of an East India company for more than 200 years.
Millions of people are embracing Hindu Sanatan Dharma, most of the saints and sages in all religious sects want to see the desire for enlightenment and nearness of God. As for the attainment of God, The sect is vague and incomplete as for the attainment of God. There is no way without coming into the Vedic Sanatan (Hindu) as science of religion. That’s what those people say That other religions in the world are called religions, not actual Dharma.
The meaning of religion is “the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods” Therefore they said.So all these religions are religious sects, the community in which they believe God is worshiped.
The religion of monotheism was developed by the ancestors of Israel 500 years before Christ. Which is called Judaism... Christianity began in the first century after Jesus’ death. Jesus was also a Jewish teacher and healer. Who declared the world to be God’s empire. He was crucified between 30 and 33 in the first century.. He was Jewish before that. Islam is believed to have originated in Mecca, Medina, 600 BC, in the seventh century.
The Qur’an was written in 610 BC. The angel Gabriel appeared and recited the Koran to Muhammad Giving this all a quick read. It seems we are pretty much understanding islam and Christianity developed from base of Jewish religion. Even these religions became divided. Orthodox Judaism (Jewish) and Conservative Judaism. Similarly, Christians were divided into Protestantism, Orthodoxies and others. Similarly, Muslims are also divided into Shia and Sunni.
Similarly, there are hundreds of sects close to our Vedic religion, Buddhism, Jainism, Vaishnavism, Shaivism and its branches as their Gurus.
Our ancestors Rishi Muni considered the world our own family and they said thousands of years ago.
Meaning of this sentence is: There is such a kind of man who has narrow thoughts like this is mine and that is yours. But some people with generous thoughts who say that the world is one family.Now everyone has accepted that the world is a global village. After a while, all the people will say that this earth is equal to all living beings. It is my belief that a person or creature has the right to say that this is my earth.
How did Vedic dharma come to be established as Hinduism ? In fact, Our Dharma is not Hindu. Our Dharma is the Vedic sanatan Dharma. There was no book of Dharma and Religions on the earth before than Vedas. Many Upanishads were created from Vedas to make it easier. Therefore Vedic Sanatana Dharma is the original Dharma which is only one in the earth. According Vedic Dharma all religions were created from Vedas. Now all people known as Hindu dharma.
Hindu people believe in the Vedic religion. This Dharma is called as Vedic Sana tan dharma. This Dharma is the oldest and first religion on the earth. This Dharma to be established when human civilization developed on the earth. Vedic Sana tan Dharma is established thousands of years earlier than all of the religions. Nobody is known as Vedic Sana tan Dharma. But all people known as Hindu religion.
We have no choice to write other than Hindu, when the international job market and traveling documents should have enclosed the religion on the form. In Vedic Sanatan Dharma’s scriptures defined Dharma as a practice of human charity, chanting, forgiveness, grace, devotion, adoration, celibacy , angry less ness, greedy less ness. It is the characters of Vedic Sanatan Dharma.
All religions are as rivers but Vedic Sanatan is the ocean. If mankind wants to be satisfied with spiritual life. They would reach the way toward the Vedic Sanatan. Most religions spent a lot of money to spread their religions. But nothing spent motivation toward the Vedic Sanatan, still this dharma is touching the human heart. Even westerns countries started to follow.
Any object has its own nature and quality that elemental quality which is natural quality within itself. That is also literally called dharma. Dharma is the essence of a person and an object. Dharma law of nature which is interrelationship between the universe and the creatures. Dharma is the internal science within animals and objects.
Dharma was searching for hidden rule regulation within life cycle. Dharma is the internal law of the universe who can experience the inner law of life as an awakening of the spirit of “Vasudeva Kurumba” बसुदैब कुटुम्बक’ that is called human Dharma. The Culture and spirituality were bounded by Dharma. Dharma is only one faith.
So no one can be impartial. There are two ways of Islamic religion as sea and Sunni. Christians also have roman and protestant. Like this way several ways in Vedic Sana tan (Hindu), Sikh, Jain, Buddhists Shaiva, Vishnu, ram Krishna as well as many gods and goddess.
All these sects have known as dharma. But we have to known all these are religions even Islam and Christians. The word dharma is Sanskrit that why people could not find out the accurate meaning of dharma in English. So Vedic Sana tan(Hindu) also known as Hindu religion. Now it has been established.
Westerns culture and language dominated to eastern philosophy so Vedic Sana tan Dharma was forced to the join as Hinduism and now it become a synonym. The word Dharma has now entered in politics. Islamic ruled India for centuries and British (Christians) ruled India for more than two hundred years. They were involved in destroying the Aryan culture.
They misused and destroying eastern philosophy literatures such as Veda, Purana, shastra. But some British ruler saved the eastern philosophy literature books. In this time Sanskrit shastra education started to be taught in London and German. The word Dharma is misused as religion took root in nations politics.
There are some countries in the world where religious law is stronger than state law. Religious law can overturn the law of the state and most of Islamic countries and few Christian countries are affected. Most countries of the world have implemented regimes based on religion.
Nepal was only one country of Vedic Sana tan(Hindu) countries in the world; even people would be free to follow other religions. There were no religious laws. Nepal was a peaceful country. When new constitutes announced with secularism, It works as poisonous in local communities. Even most countries follow religious laws in their state law.
The real meaning of secular is not to discrimination to the people on the basis of religion in the law of the state. Secularism completely separated and out of role in the running of the state from religious institutions.
In fact, no more Hinduism remains in this world geography. Nepal was the first and last Hinduism country on this planet by constitution. There was despite religious tolerance being a Hindu state. The state also supports followers of Buddhism, Islamism and Christians.
The state also supported monasteries, madrasa and missionary. Hindu religious institutes never interfered with the laws of Nepal and court decisions. Finally Nepal has been made a secular country by foreign interest.
People are falling in the minority in the world, being followers of propaganda and money with bad intellects. We are full of hatred that has spread among us through misinterpreting religious rituals and understanding in the name of religion.
Vedic Rishi sage muni explained that the meaning of Dharma is joyful, peaceful, happy, loving, truthful, kindness, forgiveness and love of the animal kingdom to the human race. It is sad for us to ridicule for Dharma without understanding its true meaning.
In fact, it is not necessary to give a long explanation of Dharma. The root of an object for Dharma expresses its power and virtue. If mankind fulfills his duty faithfully, it can be said that is his Dharma. The religions Islam, Christians, Jain, Buddhism, Sikhs, Vaishnava, and many other sects are not a meaning dharma it is partial things.
Dharma is a greater philosophy above the religion. We can find partial Dharma in the bag of each religion. You can not find any religions and sects in the bag of Dharma. That is why Dharma is so Great. All these religions and sects, philosophies even atheism originated from dharma.
It has been fragmented from Dharma. Therefore according to the interpretation of dharma is a warehouse of the universe while all religions and sects are retail stores. I understood about dharma like this.
If any religion has to dominate mankind. They do not follow their religion. If they do violence to living beings. If they thought that we are great other than. If they thought we are superior other than religions. They did not establish a Dharma. So Dharma is not a name like religion. It is a character.
Muslim people said his religion as Maj hub. That also means religion. So we can call religion a kind faith of tradition. Dharma is establishing human life as excellent, happy, joyful, peaceful, loving, true , kind and forgiving with balancing to the natural laws. That is called dharma.
These include the duties, rights, policies, law, truthful justice, manner of conduct, kindness and forgiveness, devotion, morality and other things that human beings have to follow. Dharma is a constitution of human civilization and culture that is disciplined in accordance with nature.
If any dharma is used to humiliate, hurt, to human beings as name of Dalit and lower caste that is not a Dharma or religion. It is hypocrisy. It is not a Dharma that insults one god to another, which are universally accepted in the scriptures, but the politics are involved in religions and they exploit human beings today.
Dharma is that which brings the life of the human race to a higher level and promotes higher civilization. Dharma should respect and promote not only human beings but that entire animal kingdom and nature. Dharma has to lead where everyone is happy, loving, peaceful, truthful,
असतो मा सद्गमय । तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय । मृत्योर् मामृतं गमय ।
Dharma is that which leads from falsehood to truth and darkness to lights, leads from death to immortality.
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिन: सर्वे सन्तु निरामया:। सर्वे भद्राणी पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दु:खभाग्भावेत् । ओम् शान्ति: शान्ति : शान्ति :।।
A man naturally wants to seek knowledge about Dharma and religion who wants to take the path of spirituality. That would be necessary. That’s why I tried to in written what I have learned from studying. There are many weak points in this.
Sometimes I think that I would die without knowledge of most subjects in my life ! Many people have died neither knowing oneself nor understanding life and the universe. There are very few people who could understand what man has created in the world.
So the universe is a big mysterious thing to know. However, the supernatural element created living beings and materials. They are bound in it and that power is automatically controlling and operating the lunar sun and planets through magnetic attraction.
That supernatural divine is formless and omnipresent. Maybe some great philosopher could understand that ? I couldn’t dare say because It could be daredevil.
If people are understood a Dharma as Hindu, Muslim, Buddha, Christians, Jain and Sikhs etc.. It will be meaningless. Dharma is not a denomination, religion or cult. Dharma are not Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Christians, Muslim, Jewish, Jain and others etc. All of these religion organizations have their own gods, whom they worship. Religion does not literally mean dharma.
According to eastern philosophy, dharma is called qualitative quality of living and even material. Dharma may be hidden within religion, but Dharma cannot be divided nor can it be torn apart. Dharma is a great eternal belief, rites and spirituality.
The interpretation of dharma began to change with time. People have succeeded in confusing the people by uttering the same words religion and Dharma. So the word Dharma began to be interpreted in conjunction with religions and sects. Thousands years ago, our Rishi(explained) dharma in this way.
अद्रोह्श्चाअप्यलोभश्च दमोभुतदया तप:। ब्रह्मचर्य तथा सत्यमनुक्रोश: धृति :।।
Means: “not to be malice, betray, greedy, to subdue the senses, to be celibacy, to be merciful to the animal kingdom, to worship devotion, to be on the path of truth, to hold the feeling of mercy and forgiveness.”
All these qualities must be accepted by a Dharmic person. Eastern philosophers said that it is the Dharma of mankind. In this way eastern philosopher said that dharma is as cosmic order, dharma as a social order, dharma as ethical behavior, dharma as duty or responsibility, dharma as service to the community, dharma as self- expression, dharma as a means for Moksha,
This earth is also made of atoms. Everything exists from a bunch of the smallest particles. In fact, the smallest particles are known as atoms. Everybody knows each atom consists of a nucleus made of protons and neutrons orbited by electrons.
We can say atoms are made up of these three smaller particles. It has unlimited power. Scientists have discovered the most mysterious and smallest particles form. Scientists can only reveal the results that have taken place when that exists.
Scientists were researching and studying physics and they explained the properties of largest and smallest physical objects, but they were surprised that this world is not just only physical matter. They have been forced to accept that there is not only physics but also the identity of metaphysics.
Metaphysics accept the cosmic power existing in this universe such as amazing beauty and uniqueness for the human being. What proposes all these mysterious things, nobody knows? How is the interrelationship between the material and living creatures connected?
The sky, the stars, moon and sun or these nine planets and constellations, the air, were connected to its effects on living beings and plants. All these things were run in systemic and interrelationship. How is it all managed ? Who is controlling and making its rule regulation ?
Who is controlling and managing this universe? No one can give the answer for these things. If there was nobody to lead in even a small family, that home would destroy family relations. Then this is the universe.
If a bitter gourd grows on soil. It tastes bitter but orange grows on the same soil that tastes sweet on it, pepper fruits grow on it, it’s taste is hot.
Everybody knows that the soil is the same. Who has been making different tastes inside the fruit? Who injects all these sweet, bitter, hot things inside the different plant fruits? You never know bitter, sweet or spices when you touch these things.
Why do we need to find out taste depends on the tongue? Science cannot change their tastes. Science cannot make sweet bitter gourds. Science cannot make chilies sweet to chilly. Science could not change their physical and chemical properties.
Soil is the same but it gives different tastes for different fruit plants. For what purposes invent all these different seeds? Who is putting the special quality inside the tiny seed that would be a different plant and fruits in future ?
Who make inventions these properties include inside the tiny seeds. Nobody can give the answer? All the creatures that originated on the earth such as living being animals, birds, insects and plants. But all creatures have a special quality or properties.
Even they would be bounded interconnection with each other and universe. How to hang all planets in the sky? Who balances the gravity power of each planet? Who has maintained all these things? Why did I come to earth? Who am I ? some people tried to think about these things.
Almost mankind would be finished their life with eating food, having sex, making child, collecting new luxuries and comfortable things in whole life. But some people were still living in this world who think about whole planets, They worried to save the nature and natural value.
They think to make themselves happy for mankind in this world. They want stability of humanities all over the world. They worried about destroying the environment of the earth. They want to stop the end of destruction and encroachment on nature.
They worried animals are suffering and extinction from the world. They don’t want to see hungry and miserable humans and animals. They are wishing everyone to be happy.“सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिन: सर्वे सन्तु निरामया:। सर्वे भद्राणी पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद्दु:खभाग्भावेत्”। All living beings were happy and nobody suffered from miserable conditions .
If men follow the path of spirituality that can become a great person. That kind of man who can assess the beauty of nature. That man understands the world and life. If man can love himself and others equally such a person having a truth dwells in his heart. Who can feel the relationship with the soul and divine.
That man always stands for truth and does not get upset under any circumstances. Who does not have feelings of pride, arrogance, jealousy, greed, high and low attitude. Even they do not desire respect from others. We can say that person was a spiritual man.
So religion is not spiritual, but people who go to the temple, masjid, church, stupa, Gurudwara or religious places to worship are called spiritual. But these things are not facts.
Religion is a sect. It is a social strong organization under religious faith. Here we made a man to god who broke the egg of religious faith. People right way make that person enter the world as god for a new religion.
The Buddha was born in Hindu family as prince and his rites were Hindu. But he broke the egg of hard covered Hinduism to apply by Yoga sadhana. After that people were followed by Buddha then his followers made him god and his new ideas and arguments were made as religion.
Buddha was an enlightened person who was a free not bound of any religion. He denied to worship on the statue of god. He never told their followers to make his statue and worship but today they did which buddha was not accepted.
In the same way, Jesus broke the religious egg of Judaism and came out. That is he was freed from the so-called religion. The free man did not establish religion by tying a circle around someone in the name of religion. He protested against the exploitation in the name of religion.
He sought religious liberation. But society considered him as god and imprisoned him in idols. The spiritual man is the one who can come out of the egg shaped bondage by searching for the truth. That person could be free from religion and caste boundaries. All these things are the difference between religion and spirituality.
