Every Religion has its philosophy – as to how it looks at the world, its truth, its people and the life. Vedanta is the philosophy of Hinduism. Vedanta stands apart from every other philosophy of the world. It is unique, magnanimous, all-embracing and is relevant to all places & times. No wonder the real name of Hinduism is Sanatan Dharma – the eternal & timeless dharma. While dharma is not merely religion, but religion is certainly a part of the definition of dharma. Dharma is basically the truth of empirical things, and a life based on verifiable facts of life which are relevant to all times & places is Sanatan Dharma. We got the name Hindu, by our foreign visitors who wanted to indicate the ‘different’ people living on the other side of Indus river. The word stuck on and today even in our official census we are asked whether we are Hindus or of other prevalent religion.Every person whether he or she is a theist or is an atheist, has a definite understanding about the truth of life, and based on this, we all have a ‘plan of life’. Our understanding of the truth of life is what philosophy all about, and a life based on our understanding is our religion. Thus we all can be classified under some school of philosophy and we all follow some religion. Our religion could range from thoughtful conscientious living to whimsical & spontaneous licentiousness. If the religion of some people is not very healthy for themselves or for the others around, then what we need to check out and correct in their philosophy. That has been the thoughtful way of our ancient masters, that is why there was the ancient system of shastrarthas. We don’t just condemn a person, we rather try to appreciate their philosophy of life and have an open discussion on it to set things on a more factual level. Followers may be blind, but their leaders are expected to be thoughtful – so the sect leaders had these open debates.
Hinduism reveals that basically everyone is divine, good & complete. The Upanishads declare that ‘Ayam Atma Brahman’. The world is not static & permanent, but is rather a realm of change, and what we see around is what our mind considers worthy & important. A way of life based on these fundamental truths of life is the essence of Hinduism. This is Hindutva. It is only when we appreciate that Hindutva is a life based on these facts of life, that the so called Hinduism shall become all-embracing. It will not only integrate the different people of the country, but can also potentially embrace all the people & countries of the world. Belief in such facts alone shall lead everyone to a life of life, peace & lasting fulfillment. Such a way of life is conducive not only to the personal well-being & dignity of everyone, but is even eco-friendly. The world will be saved from thoughtless exploitation. It is time we redefine our understanding of Hinduism – and thus save ourselves and also the world from