| Awaken Bharata |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| THE TWO WINGS OF DHARMA | |
| In
the case of India it has been said that the non-violence of the
country allowed it to be overrun by foreign conquerors. Historians
like Toynbee have noted that the Muslim conquest of India was one of
the bloodiest in history and that Hindu non-violence does not appear
to have been able to save lives or protect Hindu culture.
Oriental cultures which incline toward non-violence are looked at by Western people as inferior, as lacking in strength compared to those in the West who stand up for their rights by force of arms as soon as they see the need. Hindu non-violence and tolerance has been perceived by such groups not as a form of strength or spirituality but as a type of weakness, cowardice or lack of faith. After all, if you really believe in something, won't you stand up for it when it is challenged or attacked? When a violent group perceives a non-violent group as weak, this very non-violence gives them the incentive to promote their advantage. Hence it is argued that non-violence can actually incite violence, while a strong defense can protect against attack. |
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