Updating the “Hindu Operating System”

Every software that is written, is contextual to the times it is written in and to the needs of those times. It is true for computers as it is true for any sentient being including people. So a deer’s operating system has adapted itself to the opportunities and risks of being in the forest, for it to survive. However if an alien threat is introduced(poisonous grass or predator that looks like another deer) it’s software needs to adapt to the new risk, else it will not survive. It is true for computers as well. That is why there are regular updates to thwart the cyber threats detected in the environment, that can be exploited to the detriment of it’s owners

The Hindu operating system has been slow to adapt to the risks that it’s environment has brought about. The philosophical system, that evolved over millennia, interprets everyone’s way of worship as another path to the mountain top. That is it’s inherent design, it’s inherent bias. So when Jains or Buddhists or other sects discovered a newer way to the mountain top, they were either debated with or welcomed, but always engaged with and became a part and parcel of Bhartiya milieu. 

Enter Abrahamic religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. As they were detected in the environment by the software of Hindu mind, they were accorded the same treatment, as benign models to understand the truth and provided the friendly space and accommodation in the Hindu mind.

But alas they all are exclusivist(only their adherent goes to heaven, everyone else is consigned go eternal hell by their loving God). Their design, except for Judaism which is exclusivist but not evangelical, is to progressively annihilate any other paths to the mountain top. For that they will bribe, kill, force, coerce and everything in between. But they are clever about the way they do it based on the power they hold in the society they are in. While Christianity has somewhat moderated in terms of violence, Islam is right there in middle ages still. But their ends have not changed. Turns out they showed up as paths to mountaintop but are merely political philosophies to gain political power over people. 

The Hindu operating system has been slow to recognize them and adapt to the threat of wolf in sheep’s clothing. Three updates we need to survive as a philosophy.

1. Organize : Hindus are not unified is a common refrain and true. In spiritual ways, each Hindu follows pretty much their own path. This is because spiritualism by definition is an individual walk. Hindus therefore do not have a default mechanism of organizing groups of people. Islam with Friday prayers and Christianity with Sunday Mass has that perfected. There is no regular congregation in the Hindu methods of worship. It is quite clear why it exists in the evangelical religions.  So Hindus also need to find ways of building congregations. Plain and simple. 
2. Simplify: Being a spiritual quest, Hinduism is remarkably democratic in it’s ways. It’s traditions vary from house to house community to community. That is it’s beauty and power, simply because no two people are same, so their ways of worship, seeking will be different. However that also introduces a level of complexity to the new generation. If they are not seeing Sanatan Dharma(Hindu way of life and worship) being showcased at home, they do not have a clear understanding of why so many Gods and all the different versions of seeking exist and what does even seeking mean. So we need to have clear, cogent, simplified message available and discussed.
3. Being aggressive or not : I have heard multiple times that Hindus do not like to impose. We are not aggressive people, in-fact quite the opposite. We are not violent. But Bhagwan Ram was both aggressive and violent when his interests were trampled upon. So was Krishna. Yes, we do not seek to impose our designs on people, since we do not see value in it, but we should learn to play on front foot and not be afraid to call out and act against violence, injustice and coercion, with equal or more force. That’s the only language a bully like Ravan or Duryodhan understood. That’s the only language today’s bullies who are wolves in sheep’s clothing will understand.

With these three updates to our operating system and with all the advantages of honest hard work, accumulated wealth and associated influence in power centers, Hindus can and should continue to thrive and open the world’s eyes to how higher states of conciousness can be realized. 

We can’t do that if we perish.