Sanathana Dharma

How can we promote Sanatana dharma ?

Sanatana Dharma is not merely a religion it's a way of life. The word Sanatana dharma is composed of two words Sanatana (means: eternal) and Dharma (means: law) hence Sanatana dharma means a never-ending law. It is the oldest religion on the planet and is mostly referred to as Vedic religion and Hinduism. This religion believes in the Oneness of God and Vedas (means: knowledge) is considered the source of divine knowledge as it aids in every matter and provides remedy to all the problems of mankind. Vedic religion in short can be defined as: 'To accept truth through a continuous process of rejecting falsehood every moment to best of one's abilities in the most sincere manner is Vedic religion'

This is beautifully described in Yajurveda 1.5:
"O Supreme Force governing the world! You function as per unchangeable laws which remain the same throughout without slightest of deviations. May I also seek inspiration from You to be unflinchingly principled in my life. Thus, I resolve to seek truth constantly by eliminating the false from my life every moment to the best of my abilities, intentions and efforts. May I be successful in this noble decision of mine."

This sums up the entire Vedic religion. This is the starting point. Everything else is secondary or a corollary. If this core spirit exists, one is a follower of Vedic religion. And if this does not exist, and yet everything else exists, it is still not Vedic religion. Note that this spirit of falsehood rejection is a core trait for all human beings. We cannot survive without this ability. This inspires us to learn walking, talking, seeking education, making new discoveries and seeking growth and progress in life. Whether we consciously know it or not, whether we openly accept it or not, we all are actually surviving because we follow this Vedic religion or Vedic Dharma. Dharma means a natural property. Unlike a cult, Dharma is not and cannot be imposed. It is something natural and innate. Thus, seeking truth is a natural trait of us all and the very fact that we live implies that we all follow the Vedic Dharma.

There are certain beliefs which are basic to Sanatana Dharma. The belief that the atma is superior to the body, the conviction that the atma must strive for moksha, the belief in repeated births until the atma is finally liberated, the belief that God alone can liberate us, the belief that the liberated soul is never reborn.

The Vedas have no beginning. Likewise, The Supreme One has no beginning either. Sanatana Dharma talks about the Vedas and the Supreme One.

Ways to reach God

All jivatmas are born due to their karma, and what they face in life is a result of their karma. Every atma must resort to a way to reach God. God Himself has given us many choices in this respect. We can resort to karma yoga, bhakti yoga or gnana yoga, or Saranagati, to reach Him. And this should be our aim in life. Moksha is the goal we should work towards.

We often say that we have studied the Itihasas and the Puranas and we think this is sufficient to get us across the ocean of samsara. But how have we studied these works?

Have we studied them with a view to adhering to the morals they give us? Do we ignore abuse, or do we lose our temper when confronted by someone inimically disposed towards us?

Speak the truth

Do we have equanimity of temper? Do we follow at least a portion of what the Lord asks us to? We could make a small beginning by resolving to speak the truth always. This will slowly lead us to a desire to help others. From the stage of dharma, we graduate to the next stage and so on. What is difficult is for us to take that first step. Once we do it, the rest will follow. Sanatana Dharma shows us that the Lord can be reached, if we try to reach Him.