| | | |
| | Principles
and Practice of Hindu Religion | |
Chapter
- III : A Historical Approach to the Hindu Traditions
| A
Study of the History and Evolution of the Faith along with
the
Beliefs and Culture of India over the Time of Several Millennia |
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| | Lesson
- 48 : | The
Modern Age of Nationalism and Growth The
New World and New Leaders ( 1750's to the 1990's ) | |
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| | The
Modern Age from 1750 AD.: The modern period constitutes from the period
of the formation of British Raj all over India to India's Independence in 1947
and today. The British came to power with several battles and agreements slowly
throwing out the Maratta and Sikh rulers, several hundred small Hindu and Muslim
rulers and Moghul kings who were fighting among themselves. This period consists
of the age of the reform movements from 1750 to 1885 AD which saw the rise of
the Christian Missionaries and social reformers of the Hindu society. Many Hindus
were showing interest in education in Western culture and ignored the Hindu values.
Almost all Indigenous arts and religious works languished under alien rules of
Christians and Muslim rulers, with ignorance of local people and obstruction to
the practice of religion by the foreign rulers. This was the stimulus for the
reform movements. The great works of classical music by Saints Thyagaraja, Syama
Sasthri and Muthuswami Dikshithar were seen at this time.
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The
age of the Renaissance: This started after 1885 when the Indian National
Congress was formed and movement for self rule and Independence started. Many
leaders from different regions of India including Mahathma Gandhi, Gokale and
Thilak joined hands with political leaders of other religions. This gave rise
to secular thoughts and ideals for the future of independant India. Sri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa and Vivekananda started the renaissance of Hinduism at this time.
Later, in 20th Century, Sri Ramana Maharishi, Tagore, Aurobindo and Radhakrishnan
established a new order of Hindu religious thoughts and Philosophy which became
known to the Western world. Many of the political leaders were also strong in
their Hindu beliefs and were responsible to introduce the reform movements in
the thoughts of the common people, though many were trying to support some form
of secularism. Chairs of Hindu Philosophy and Sanskrit and other Indian languages
were established in many Western Universities. Hindu thoughts and Philosophy gained
popularity among the educated people and reached the shores of Western countries
through many emigrants, Religious leaders, Gurus and new converts.
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| | | | | The
greatest Philosopher of the Twntienth century, Dr. Sarvepalli
Radhakrishnan, past
President of India, explains the true nature of the Supreme God and the human
Spirit very well. | "The
Divine is both in us and out of us. God is neither completely transcendent nor
completely
immanent. He is divine darkness as well as 'unencompassed light.'
The
philosophers with their passion for unity emphasize the immanent aspect, that
there is no barrier dividing man from the real. Those who emphasize the Transcendence
of the Supreme to the human insist on the specifically religious consciousness,
of communion with a higher than ourselves with whom it is impossible for
the individual to get assimilated." [This is seen both
in Eastern and Western Faiths] | | |
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| Lessons
: -
33 , 34
, 35 , 36 , 37
, 38 , 39 , 40
, 41 , 42 , 43
, 44 , 45 , 46
, 47
, 48 . | | | |
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