Introduction to Dr. David Frawley's Book "Universal Hinduism: Towards a New Vision of Sanatana Dharma"

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Introduction to Dr. David Frawley's Book "Universal Hinduism: Towards a New Vision of Sanatana Dharma"By Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya

Universal Hinduism: Towards a New Vision of Sanatana Dharma David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri)xxiv, 214 pages, 22cm.ISBN: 9788185990897

"Universal Hinduism" is the latest title (fall 2010) of PanditVamadeva Shastri (David Frawley) on the Hindu tradition and itsglobal relevance. It follows his several best sellers in the field andhis books on Hindu Dharma which have gone through more than

twenty reprints in India since 1994. The book explains the relevanceof Sanatana Dharma not only for the past but also for the future, notonly for India but for all countries. Notably the book explains howHinduism can be of universal and eternal value and yet have its ownspecial identity among the religions of the world.

The book features introductory notes by Sri Sivananda Murty and by Dr. Frank Morales (Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya). Sivananda

Murty is one of the most respected Sadgurus in India today with a large following in AndhraPradesh. He heads the Sivadvaita Shaktivishta tradition of Yoga and is closely connected withRamana Maharshi's teachings and is well known for his insight into Yoga, astrology andclassical Indian music. Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya is one of the most important westernteachers of Sanatana Dharma and has written several important books on related subjects.

O rder this important new book here:

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Introduction to Dr. David Frawley's Book

" Universal Hinduism: Towards a New Vision of Sanatana Dharma "

By Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya

The spiritual tradition of Hinduism was intendedfrom its very inception in the heart of God to be aninherently universal phenomenon in both the scopeof its philosophical concern and in its practical

applicability. Hinduism is a religion that is designed by its very nature to be open and welcoming

to all of the world's diverse people, regardless of their individual ethnicity, race, caste or language. This global reality of Hinduism is clearly reflected in the original Sanskrit terms foundwithin its own Vedic scriptures that are used to describe the religion. Hinduism is historicallyreferred to in the scriptures as Sanatana Dharma, the "Eternal Natural Way"; Vishva Dharma, the"Universal Way"; and Vaidika Dharma, the "Way of Truth", among many other self-referencedappellations.

Hinduism was always in reality so much more than merely the "religion of India". Throughout itshistory, Hinduism has always been a trans-geographical spiritual-cultural matrix, a universalspiritual culture designed to be practiced by all the people of the Earth. This fact is attested to bythe history of Sanatana Dharma. Even as recently as 2500 years ago, the Hindu sphere of directcultural influence was not limited in any way to only India, but ranged over at least two-thirds of Asia. In the pre-Buddhist era, the entire territory ranging from much of ancient Persia (today'sIran), Central Asia and Afghanistan in the West; extending into the South Asian region thattoday includes such nations as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh;and including the South-East Asian nations of Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia,Vietnam, Indonesia, and much of south China and the Philippines were predominantly Hindustates.

On a more peripheral scale, centuries of scholarly research have repeatedly demonstrated thatHindu and Dharmic influences extended also to much of ancient Celtic, Germanic, Greco-Roman, Hittite, Mesopotamian and pre-Columbian cultures as well, to name only a few. Indeed,in the ancient world scene of pre-Abrahamic history especially, it could be justifiably argued thatthe Dharmic way of living and thinking served as the paradigmatic foundation of almost everyimportant culture and civilization on earth.







understanding of universal law that cannot be made subordinate to religious dogmas, beliefs,faiths or institutions. Hindu universalism leads us to a rigorous science of consciousness, notsimply to an attempt to make all religious doctrines the same." (pg. 48)

As Sanatana Dharma currently finds itself in its on-going attempt to interface its concerns witheternality vis-à-vis the present fact of modernity, it must both re-embrace its universal relevancefor all of the Earth's diverse human beings, while simultaneously retaining its own uniqueidentity. Hinduism is not Christianity, nor is it Islam, Buddhism or Taoism. Hinduism isSanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way. It is only in rejecting the extreme notion of RadicalUniversalism, and asserting instead the universal applicability of Dharma in everyday life, thatthe future of Hinduism will remain secure, strong and relevant to the entire world.

Up until the appearance of this present work by Dr. Frawley, very few Hindu writers had writtenabout the overtly political implications of Dharma as instantiated in contemporary political and

governance issues. Two of the few exceptions to this rule were the brilliant Hindu scholars andwriters Sri Ram Swarup and Sri Sitaram Goel. While many knowledgeable Hindus had alwaysrecognized that Dharma is not merely a spiritual path, but is also an ideological world-view thathas direct insights to offer in the realms of politics, economics and social sciences, not many had

been able to envision precisely what an ideology of Dharma politics would entail or even look like. In recognizing that Sanatana Dharma now finds itself once again in a position to assert itself as a growing global force for future spiritual, political, economic and cultural change, Dr.Frawley outlines throughout this book precisely what a healthy politically-engaged Hinduismwill look like, as well as what it must emphasize and seek to accomplish, in overt political terms.Part three of Dr. Frawley's work is especially innovative and crucially relevant in this regard.

Up till now, the political expression of Hinduism has been relegated to no more than a confusedand not wholly successful sense of Indian nationalism, or "Hindu Nationalism", as its

polemically-driven critics in academia and the media have repeatedly termed it. In keeping withthe universal nature and relevance of Sanatana Dharma, however, Dr. Frawley correctly assertsthat confining Hinduism to a mere parochial sense of Indian or Hindu nationalism is ultimately

both politically shortsighted and not in keeping with the eternal mandate that Hinduism has to potentially inform and reform all political discourse universally. Dharma politics, like the eternal path of Sanatana Dharma that forms its very basis, cannot be relegated only to the current political scene in contemporary India, but must offer a vision of a better world for all human beings who inhabit our increasingly shrinking planet. Dharma is not a genetically circumscribedrace or a nationality, but is universal Truth. Similarly, Dharma politics is necessarily open to alland has practical answers to offer all people, regardless of race, nationality or even religiousaffiliation.

In Dr. Frawley's vision of what such a universal, Dharma-based political ideology seeks, he



states: "To create a society in harmony with nature and with peace among all people, there mustfirst be a dharmic foundation in order to uphold it...we need a view of human civilization inharmony with all life...". (pg. 173) The author then clearly states what some of the importantissues are that Dharma directly addresses. Thus, Dr. Frawley asserts, Hinduism can and must

provide the philosophical foundation of not merely a narrowly envisioned Indian nationalism, but a universally applicable Dharma Nationalism that all human beings can employ in their respective nation-states, communities and villages to make our world a more peaceful,compassionate and civilized place. While " Universal Hinduism " is designed to be neither anexclusive exposition on Dharma political science per se, nor purely a political manifesto, it doescover previously unchartered ground in this regard, and I look forward to seeing Dr. Frawleywrite in an even more concentrated way on this precise topic in the future.

The fact that Dr. Frawley's " Universal Hinduism: Towards a New Vision of Sanatana

Dharma " is destined to become an instant classicin modern Hindu literature is both a given and ahighly appropriate fact in my mind. It is a

brilliant work. In it, Dr. Frawley provides thetools necessary to reformulate the eternalmessage of Hinduism, to communicate thatmessage in until now untapped avenues of outreach, and to thus potentially reposition

Hinduism on the world stage as the noble and keenly relevant global religion that it always has been. Dr. David Frawley - Sri Veda-Acharya Vamadeva Shastri - may have chosen to be

physically born in a White American, formerly Christian, body in this lifetime. But I assure thereader that his inner self is nothing less than one of Dharma's most cherished children, born inour day to elucidate the way of Hindu Dharma for all the world to better understand andappreciate.

Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya(Dr. Frank Morales, Ph.D.)International Sanatana Dharma SocietyThe Center for Dharma StudiesOmaha, Nebraska, USAMarch 31, 2010

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Introduction to Dr. David Frawley's Book "Universal Hinduism: Towards a New Vision of Sanatana Dharma"