The Study of Indian History and Culture - Vol - 09 of 18 General Editor - Shripad Kulkarni Hindu Dharma is not religion or some ism with dogmatic belief system such as the semitic faiths like Christianity or Islam Even if the Hindus have developed some beliefs such as the theory of re birth, they are even prepared to discard these if they are proved to be unscientific or irrational The missionaries of the other faiths portray a Hindu as a man burdened with rituals from cradle to grave This is not true. More than 95% of the Hindus ha very simple rituals like a daily bath and bowing before an image of some god kept at the hou Only the priests bear the burden of these rituals They perform these for an honorarium, for those who invite them. And these number hardly 1% of the population What then is Hindu Dharma? The short & pithy answer is Hindu is Vishwabandhu. He basically believes in universal brotherhood & follows certain ethical rules, the observance of which binds the society together in bond of love & respect for each other and keep it on even keel. These ethical values ues are based on the foundational nature of man, like nonviolence or love, truthfulness in word & deed, ceiling on desires, control over waywardness of senses & cleanliness of mind & body The Hindu is never communal in character His love extends to all believers in God, as well as heretics His conception of God is Conscious Energy - which even the scientists would find it as the most rational. Published on 1997 Available in ENGLISH and MARATHI Hardcover, Pages: 381 Publisher: Shri Bhagwan Vedvyasa Itihasa Samshodhana Mandir (BHISHMA)