I am proud to be a Hindu.
More than a religion, a way of life.
At the heart of which is individual liberty.
For a person can still be a Hindu.
But throughout his life, he is always free.
To fast or not, on any day he likes.
To eat whatever he finds tasty.
To go to a temple or pray at home.
To be an atheist or a devotee.
To treat any religious text as holy.
To learn from countless ancient scriptures.
To avail of a priest’s services or perform rituals himself.
To go on a pilgrimage if he so desires.
To worship an idol or find God in anything.
To seek the blessings of any preacher.
To be open-minded and question the wrong.
To respect the religion of others.
To not blindly believe something he is told.
To adopt if he chooses a tradition or custom.
To pray to any of the deities.
To believe in none, all or some.
To live his life the way he so pleases.
To do whatever he wishes to do.
And that is the reason I unabashedly say.
I am proud to be a Hindu.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Shukr Usgaokar
Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
- Being a Hindu - April 18, 2020
Hindu ko naam me tuh chanda lega meaning… !!!???
I agree with all expressed in the poem. But who or what is a Hindu? Don’t you mean a Sanathani or Dharmi?
Strictly speaking, a Hindu is one who lives in Hindustan aka India. So we can have Hindu Sanathanis or Dharmis, Hindu Muslims, Hindu Christians, Hindu Sikhs….Of course, the culture is Hindu across the spectrum, the Hindu way of life.