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Hindu
Dharma requires not merely a spiritual revival today but a cultural
and intellectual renaissance. Hinduism was never merely a philosophy
for monks and renunciates alone but contains teachings for all
levels and types of individuals. It was never a religion whose only
concern is going beyond the world but a vast culture addressing the
whole of life and all aspects of existence. While the spiritual core
of Hinduism through Yoga and Vedanta, the Science of Self-knowledge,
has perhaps been preserved, its cultural forms are deteriorating
and, in many cases, disappearing.
Culture, after all, is the field (Prakriti) in
which the spirit (Purusha) is cultivated. The daily life and
environment of a country creates the basic samskaras or tendencies
through which individuals can grow or decline. Without the proper
cultural field, the spiritual force has no place to descend. Unless
Hindu culture is reinvigorated, what remains of the spiritual
essence of Hinduism will have no proper ground on which to flourish.
One cannot neglect culture in the spiritual life. Though the goal of
the spiritual life may be to transcend all outer and cultural
limitations it cannot do this without the right cultural foundation
on which to develop.
Such a Hindu renaissance must address all aspects
of Hindu Dharma, not just its yogic traditions but its philosophy,
art, medicine, science, and politics. Only with the full awakening
of Hindu Dharma can this renaissance be complete and able to serve
for a new spiritual regeneration, not only of India but also of the
entire world. While there has been an important Hindu renaissance
over the past two centuries, and while there is a new intellectual
awakening among Hindus today, this has yet to achieve its real
flowering. Now is the time to push this movement forward and bring
it into the entire cultural sphere.
Author : David Frawley
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