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सर्वधर्म समभाव के नाम पर || आचार्य प्रशांत (2020)
12.2K views
5 years ago
Sarvadharm Sambhav
Dharma
Religion
Secularism
Discrimination
Spirituality
Identity
Consciousness
Description

Acharya Prashant responds to a question from a woman whose husband wants to name their daughter 'Durga Julia Rabia' as an example of 'Sarvadharm Sambhav' (equal respect for all religions). The speaker begins by acknowledging that the husband's intentions—to not discriminate and to respect all religions—are correct. However, he immediately points out a tremendous discrimination inherent in this action. He explains that by choosing names from only three religions, the husband is being unjust to the more than four thousand other organized religions in the world. Sarcastically, he questions why the husband wants to discriminate against the remaining religions, including major ones like Buddhism, Jainism, and Judaism, which have also been excluded. He suggests that to truly express the sentiment of 'Sarvadharm Sambhav', the daughter's name should be thousands of words long to include all faiths. The speaker calls this entire exercise a joke, absurd, and foolish. He clarifies that spirituality is meant to liberate one from the entanglement of names, not to pile one name upon another to build a social image. This is not about pleasing everyone, like ordering from a buffet. He critiques the modern trend where educated, intellectual people try to appear non-communal or 'religion-neutral' by keeping a distance from all religions or by giving their children unusual, often foreign, names to seem unique and modern, without any real connection to the underlying cultures. He asserts that this is a mockery of religion. Acharya Prashant explains that religion is not a fashion item or a toy; it is a medicine and the most fundamental necessity of human consciousness. The purpose of Dharma (true religion) is to provide a path to purify consciousness and free oneself from inner flaws. Pure religion, or spirituality, is the inquiry into fundamental questions like 'Who am I?'. He concludes that religion is not for exhibition, and to make a mockery of this essential human need is a grave mistake. The name given to a child should remind them of something higher, not just serve the parents' social image.