Ishwa helper Reged: 03/03/02 Posts: 553

Re: I Have Just Converted.. [Re: GuruDas] #20140 - 09/13/02 04:35 AM Edit Reply Quote

Hmm, Gurudas, do you really understand what Svadharma means? It means the Dharma=Constitution (from dhr) of the Sva=Self. That which IS or is closest to the Sva(rupa' avasthanam), that is the Parama-Dharmam. Re-ligion just means re-connection. Which means making contact again with your Self, and re-cognizing that. The rest of religion is ritualism and individual and social rules to guide that re-cognition. But that last may be equally helpful as disturbing and confusing, for, there is too much diversity. The SvaDharma is to lift yourself from the ritualistic and social level to the real spiritual level, where 'religion' ends and re-ligion starts. That is real sprituality. About conversion Conversion by own understanding or through preaching or through force are different things. If someone chooses his own path, that's a voluntary conversion. (When someone changes his religion, but still fails to re-cognize his re-ligion, that's no real progress in your personal Sva-Dharma. It's more a change of surrogates). I wonder where the fairy tale of Hindus not converting comes from. How else is S-E Asia Hinduised? How else did the Baudha Hinduism reach Greece and Alexandria in Egypt and most probably did exercise influence on Jesus' way of thinking? The Hindu way was of course much different than the Christian and Muslim way of converting. The Hindus went mainly as merchants and influenced some local people. These themselves converted their own people. At least that's my understanding. What if a non-Hindu believes in being a Hindu in his previous birth and thinks that his 'Karma' is to be a Hindu again to fulfill his Sva-Dharma in the best way? Should you prevent him from his own personal choice if he's really determined? Every choice is meant for your personal development to be completely your own Sva-Dharma. That's the only way to dissolve finally your Sva-Dharma to become one with the Absolute. That's Hinduism.