*HINDUISM SEEN FROM WESTERN PERSPECTIVE* - by Francois Gautier

HINDUISM SEEN FROM WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

1) Believe in God ! - Aastik - Accepted
2) Don't believe in God ! - You're accepted as Nastik
3) You want to worship idols - You are a murti pujak.
4) You dont want to worship idols - no problem. You can focus on Nirguna Brahman.
5) You want to criticise something in our religion. Come forward. We are logical. Nyaya, Tarka etc. are core Hindu schools.
6) You want to accept beliefs as it is. Most welcome. Please go ahead with it.
7) You want to start your journey by reading Bhagvad Gita - Sure !
8) You want to start your journey by reading Upanishads - Go ahead
9) You want to start your journey by reading Purana - Be my guest.
10) You just don't like reading Puranas or other books. No problem. Go with Bhakti tradition. (devotion)
11) You don't like idea of Bhakti ! No problem. Do your Karma. Be a karmayogi.
12) You want to enjoy life. Very good. No problem at all. This is Charvaka Philosophy.
13) You want to abstain from all the enjoyment of life & find God - jai ho ! Be a Sadhu, an ascetic !
14) You don't like the concept of God. You believe in Nature only - Welcome. (Trees are friends and Prakriti or nature is worthy of worship).
15) You believe in one God or Supreme Energy. Follow the Advaita philosophy.
16) You want a Guru. Go ahead. Do seva & Receive gyaan.
17) You don't want a Guru! Help yourself ! Meditate, Study !
18) You believe in Female energy ! Worship Shakti.
19) You believe that every human being is equal. Vasudhaiva kutumbakam" (the world is a family)
20) You don't have time to celebrate the festival! Don't worry. One more festival is coming! There are multiple festivals every single day of the year.
21) You are a working person. Don't have time for religion. Its okay. You will still be a Hindu.
22) You like to go to temples. Devotion is loved.
23) You don't like to go to temples - no problem. You are still a Hindu!
24) You know that Hinduism is a way of life, with considerable freedom.
25) You believe that everything has God in it. So you worship your mother, father, guru, tree, River, Prani-matra, Earth, Universe!
26) And If you don't believe that everything has GOD in it - No problems. Hinduism Respect your viewpoint.
27) "Sarve jana sukhino bhavantu " (May you all live happily) You represent this! You're free to choose, my dear Hindu!
This is exactly the essence of Hinduism, all inclusive. That is why it has withstood the test of time inspite of repeated onslaught both from within and outside, and assimilated every good aspects from everything. That is why it is eternal !!!
There is a saying in Rigveda, the first book ever known to mankind which depicts the Hinduism philosophy in a Nutshell -" Ano bhadrah Kratavo Yantu Vishwatah"- Let the knowledge come to us from every direction"