The best way Hindus can influence the world into accepting the universal principles of the Upanishads is to practise their religion well instead of clamouring cacophonous over the weaknesses of other faiths. While defending Hindu rights is justified, the best defence would still remain being religious about one's daily practice and leading a life of principled purity. Precept fails to teach where practice sure makes its mark. In witnessing devout Hindus practising their faith, people from other faiths will be attracted to the Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) and accept it as their own spiritual habitat as well.
The reason why after over a thousand years of Islamic and later Christian occupation in India (here spoken strictly from the angle of religious affiliation of the invaders) the Hindus, despite massive conversion to Islam and Christianity, could not be totally wiped out as a religious force and even today maintain such a huge following crossing a billion is on account of the constant appearance on the national scene of Hindu saints, sages, seers and savants who through their ardent practice of the faith kept alive the flame of the Vedas. These spiritual luminaries have been the living lights of Hinduism and have saved it from utter annihilation at the proselytising hands of Islam and Christianity. They created their spiritual movements and gathered millions of fresh adherents to their sects. These followers in turn, rejuvenated by the inspiring message of their spiritual masters, obeyed their instructions and practised the faith which kept Hinduism in all its diverse fold vibrant and alive.
It, thus, stands to reason for us, modern Hindus, to emulate the instance of our forefathers and practise our faith with ardour so that we may spread its influence across the wide world and help usher peace and harmony in our strife-stricken world. In doing so we will do Hinduism a far greater service than we are wont to doing now en masse through our collective cacophony about rights lost and freedom infringed and religious space transgressed by aggressors in diverse ways. May we follow in the footsteps of our great sages and fulfil their expectations of us and only then call ourselves Hindus, otherwise not ! May Sri Ramakrishna, who was the embodiment of the Vedas, whose life was the highest commentary on the Upanishads and who was a veritable Ganga of spirituality himself, bless us all in our common endeavour to enliven ourselves spiritually and with it vivify our ancient religion, the grandest ever man has discovered in his spiritual odyssey thus far ! May the Sanatan Dharma through our collective creative active endeavour triumph over those inimical forces that are trying to crush it in its onward course !
Written by Sugata Bose
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