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Coming from a synthetic and open religious tradition Hindus like to include other religions within the scope of their own, as if other religions, even those trying desperately to convert them, should be like Hinduism. Modern Hindus like to say that they are also Christians or Muslims, that they believe in the Bible and
Koran, or that they respect Jesus or Mohammed as avatars and
great Yogis.
Modern Hindus have reinterpreted other religions in a Hindu
light, claiming that Christ went to India, that the Bible
teaches the law of karma, that yogic practices can be found in the Koran,
and so on. Hinduism itself may
not be specifically the ground of such synthetic equations but Yoga
or Vedanta or a particular Hindu based teacher. Some Yoga teachers
say that Yoga is not merely Hindu but also Christian and Islamic and
that any mystic of any background is also a yogi.
Some Vedantins say that Vedanta is
the essence of all religions and look for Christian Vedanta or
Islamic Vedanta, even speaking of Hindu Vedanta as if Vedanta was
not Hindu but some broader teaching. Such groups may do chants and
prayers using the names of God and saints from various religions.
They may celebrate the holy days of all religions as well.
Author : David Frawley
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