Perhaps, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard learn more from Hindu intellectuals before spewing out "non-secular" nonsense about Hinduism.
A sensible Hindu intellectual dissects the Bhagavad Gita:
Hinduism is in danger: Today Hinduism is in great danger of being hijacked by ignorant Hindu extremists. When responsible Hindus utter nonsense such as elephant headed Ganesha was a product of transplant surgery, we have to sit up and pay attention to its degradation. Today it is fashionable for ignorant ministers, judges, bureaucrats and Hindu extremists to declare the Bhagavad Gita as national text. If you ask these people a simple question, “What is the central message of this text?” they have no sensible answer. Much of what you read in commentaries on this text is utter nonsense. Just as Taliban and other extremist groups have hijacked Islam, several ignorant fanatical Hindu groups are busy hijacking Hinduism. Those of us who still have our senses together must do everything within our means to enlighten people what true Hinduism is all about.
Defensive stance of Hindus: Most Hindus I know think Hinduism is the most perfect Dharma without any blemish. When someone points out to them its darker side, their typical response is, “Islam and Christianity are not any better!” This kind of response is a sign of immaturity, insecurity and ignorance. Brahmanic scribes of ancient India said the same thing when they felt threatened by Buddhism (Read the Bhagavad Gita: 3:35; 18:47-48). Great institutions are not afraid to know the defects in their system. In fact, they are eager to know them. Unless one acknowledges the deficiencies in the system and takes corrective measures, the system would end up more and more archaic, irrelevant and useless.
Our ancestors were intelligent but not perfect: We Hindus must acknowledge that our ancestors, though very intelligent, were not perfect. They created Sanatana Dharma to address certain sociopolitical issues prevalent in ancient India. They did whatever they did, right or wrong, within the limitation of their intellect, nature and circumstances. We need not be defensive about their actions or results thereof. We need to accept the reality that not everything they created has relevance to modern times, accept the ones that are relevant, reject the ones that are anachronistic, and move on for better future. For example, our ancestors practiced Untouchability till recently. We need to acknowledge this defect in Hinduism, which affected millions of innocent people, and take corrective measures instead of being defensive about it.
The Untold Story of the Bhagavad Gita
By K. P. S. Kamath
A sensible Hindu intellectual dissects the Bhagavad Gita:
Hinduism is in danger: Today Hinduism is in great danger of being hijacked by ignorant Hindu extremists. When responsible Hindus utter nonsense such as elephant headed Ganesha was a product of transplant surgery, we have to sit up and pay attention to its degradation. Today it is fashionable for ignorant ministers, judges, bureaucrats and Hindu extremists to declare the Bhagavad Gita as national text. If you ask these people a simple question, “What is the central message of this text?” they have no sensible answer. Much of what you read in commentaries on this text is utter nonsense. Just as Taliban and other extremist groups have hijacked Islam, several ignorant fanatical Hindu groups are busy hijacking Hinduism. Those of us who still have our senses together must do everything within our means to enlighten people what true Hinduism is all about.
Defensive stance of Hindus: Most Hindus I know think Hinduism is the most perfect Dharma without any blemish. When someone points out to them its darker side, their typical response is, “Islam and Christianity are not any better!” This kind of response is a sign of immaturity, insecurity and ignorance. Brahmanic scribes of ancient India said the same thing when they felt threatened by Buddhism (Read the Bhagavad Gita: 3:35; 18:47-48). Great institutions are not afraid to know the defects in their system. In fact, they are eager to know them. Unless one acknowledges the deficiencies in the system and takes corrective measures, the system would end up more and more archaic, irrelevant and useless.
Our ancestors were intelligent but not perfect: We Hindus must acknowledge that our ancestors, though very intelligent, were not perfect. They created Sanatana Dharma to address certain sociopolitical issues prevalent in ancient India. They did whatever they did, right or wrong, within the limitation of their intellect, nature and circumstances. We need not be defensive about their actions or results thereof. We need to accept the reality that not everything they created has relevance to modern times, accept the ones that are relevant, reject the ones that are anachronistic, and move on for better future. For example, our ancestors practiced Untouchability till recently. We need to acknowledge this defect in Hinduism, which affected millions of innocent people, and take corrective measures instead of being defensive about it.
The Untold Story of the Bhagavad Gita
By K. P. S. Kamath