KATHMANDU, NEPAL, October 21, 2019 (The Himalayan Times by Manish Khadka): Among the many principles in Hinduism, the core tenet is this idea of pluralism — the ultimate reality is one, but it is manifested in different forms. As Rig Veda, the oldest text in Hinduism, describes it, “Truth is One, though the sages call it by different names.” This can help explain why religious prosecution is rare in our part of the world. It is this idea of acceptance of other faiths that has allowed the sub-continent to be a safe place for minority religions, such as Judaism and Parsi. A Hindu can never say to another person that their faith is wrong. One can attain moksha with the path that one considers fit for oneself. The path doesn’t even have to be theistic, for example, in Buddhism, there is no creator God, yet it is as equally a viable path to salvation as the path through Lord Krishna or any other Hindu manifestation of God. Unlike other holy books, including the Bible where Christ says in Luke 19:27- “..bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me,” in Hinduism you cannot prosecute people from other faiths. No wonder, Hindus or Jains or Buddhists don’t go around the world trying to convert people from other religions.
I was always open to the idea of learning from other religions, but can the same be said about practicing Christians and Muslims who believe that only their path is right? The freedom in Hinduism allowed me to explore the teachings in other religious philosophies. In the West, people are now conceptually aligning themselves to pluralism, idea of karma and freedom from within their religions to practice or not to practice their religion. So, I think Nepal and Nepali youth should make themselves aware of what their own culture has to offer. Just like you wouldn’t want anyone else to define your identity, don’t let others define your religion. You are as much a part of this community as the greatest of sages and gurus who have walked on this earth!
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