Scientific Temper has no Room for Superstition
What is the divine truth and how does one find it? In a pluralistic, multi-religious society these questions become more pertinent because each of the institutional religions and their sects give different, and many a time conflicting, interpretations of the divine truth. In order to answer these questions Swami Dayananda studied original sourcebooks of various religions and sects. Wherever the translations were not available he got the sacred texts translated. However, due to his conviction that the Vedic Truth is the supreme truth some critics allege that he was not able to "grasp the deeper meaning of myth or symbol or to probe the religious and historical rationale of a custom or rite" of other religions. In his work Satyartha Prakash, Swami Dayananda argues that no reli- gain worth its salt would ever offend reason and morality. Hе rejects the possibility of miracles on the grounds that they are irrational. He discards myths on the grounds that they sometimes involve immoral acts. These myths and miracles are woven by so-called gurus so that they can maintain their flock of disciples, he said. Dayananda entered into debates with Christian priests, Muslim maulvis and Hindu pundits. All these debates were carried out in a cordial atmosphere. The purpose was to satisfy intellectual curiosity and arrive at the truth. There was no mood of confrontation. That Dayananda entered these debates with an open mind is demonstrated by the fact that in 1875 after a debate with the leading Christian representative Rev Scott on creation and salvation he changed his views about creation. Не discarded his earlier doctrine of absolute beginning to the more orthodox Hindu view that the cosmos with its cycles is beginningless. Dayananda made it the purpose of his life to purge religions in general, and Hinduism in particular, of ignorance and corruption. His aim was to establish a base from which the young could make a fresh beginning. The differences amongst religions, said Dayananda, concern only the myths and superstitions. According to him the points of agreement among all religions include speaking truth, acquiring knowledge, associating with the good, controlling sensual passions, cultivating active habits and being honest in dealing with others. Dayananda rejected the doctrine of forgiveness of sins, grace, or atonement irrespective of whether it is the act of Christ or Kridict the principle of karma which holds every individual to be responsible for her actions. An individual is awarded or punished in accordance with her deeds. Therefore, each individual must perform her actions sincerely. In case there is forgiveness, all individuals will be tempted to act in a licentious way in the hope of redressal. While Dayananda, by projecting the Vedic religion as the repertory of eternal universal truth, met the challenge of sectarianism at the theoretical plane, he successfully used the orthodox Hindu doctrine of Shuddhi or ritual purification for reforms in Hinduism from within, and for meeting the challenges from without. As a conse quence of the tool of Shuddhi developed by the Arya Samaj founded by Dayananda, the Hindu religion had become enriched with yet another dimension.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are ASHOK VOHRA kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: ASHOK VOHRA Speaking Tree,Times of India
Scientific Temper has no Room for Superstition
What is the divine truth and how does one find it? In a pluralistic, multi-religious society these questions become more pertinent because each of the institutional religions and their sects give different, and many a time conflicting, interpretations of the divine truth. In order to answer these questions Swami Dayananda studied original sourcebooks of various religions and sects. Wherever the translations were not available he got the sacred texts translated. However, due to his conviction that the Vedic Truth is the supreme truth some critics allege that he was not able to "grasp the deeper meaning of myth or symbol or to probe the religious and historical rationale of a custom or rite" of other religions. In his work Satyartha Prakash, Swami Dayananda argues that no reli- gain worth its salt would ever offend reason and morality. Hе rejects the possibility of miracles on the grounds that they are irrational. He discards myths on the grounds that they sometimes involve immoral acts. These myths and miracles are woven by so-called gurus so that they can maintain their flock of disciples, he said. Dayananda entered into debates with Christian priests, Muslim maulvis and Hindu pundits. All these debates were carried out in a cordial atmosphere. The purpose was to satisfy intellectual curiosity and arrive at the truth. There was no mood of confrontation. That Dayananda entered these debates with an open mind is demonstrated by the fact that in 1875 after a debate with the leading Christian representative Rev Scott on creation and salvation he changed his views about creation. Не discarded his earlier doctrine of absolute beginning to the more orthodox Hindu view that the cosmos with its cycles is beginningless. Dayananda made it the purpose of his life to purge religions in general, and Hinduism in particular, of ignorance and corruption. His aim was to establish a base from which the young could make a fresh beginning. The differences amongst religions, said Dayananda, concern only the myths and superstitions. According to him the points of agreement among all religions include speaking truth, acquiring knowledge, associating with the good, controlling sensual passions, cultivating active habits and being honest in dealing with others. Dayananda rejected the doctrine of forgiveness of sins, grace, or atonement irrespective of whether it is the act of Christ or Kridict the principle of karma which holds every individual to be responsible for her actions. An individual is awarded or punished in accordance with her deeds. Therefore, each individual must perform her actions sincerely. In case there is forgiveness, all individuals will be tempted to act in a licentious way in the hope of redressal. While Dayananda, by projecting the Vedic religion as the repertory of eternal universal truth, met the challenge of sectarianism at the theoretical plane, he successfully used the orthodox Hindu doctrine of Shuddhi or ritual purification for reforms in Hinduism from within, and for meeting the challenges from without. As a conse quence of the tool of Shuddhi developed by the Arya Samaj founded by Dayananda, the Hindu religion had become enriched with yet another dimension.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are ASHOK VOHRA kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: ASHOK VOHRA Speaking Tree,Times of India