God is not any separate entity in the Dharmic culture, it is a manifestation, as chosen by each individual, of the ONE, all-pervading eternal ‘Shakti’ (Divine conscious energy), that exists in all of creation, a force of Nature, with which every individual interacts continuously on a personal basis, as he strives to understand and learn from, to guide his actions in the world he lives in, to make it as best for himself as he can and also in a sustainable way with Nature and all Life, knowing that to live in consonance with such a ‘Shakti’ will benefit him in this life and in this world itself.

In Dharmic culture there is no call to fear God, only revere and regard. Dharma means “that which upholds or sustains”.

Then, into such Societies came RELIGIONS- that are born from REVELATIONS claimed to have been made to some Founder or Prophet by God himself, or by his Angels.

Judaism and Zoroastrianism and similar religions based on revelations to a Founder or Prophet, are cultures that keep to themselves. Their Leaders do not call for conquest or killing or conversion, only calling for a way of Life that seeks better connection with their God and a better life for themselves, one has to be born into these religions to be recognized as belonging, and hence are peaceful cultures that get along well with other peaceful cultures.

Jainism is an off-shoot of Sanatana Dharma and is exceptionally conscious of, and protective of ALL Life and is thus also a very peaceful culture. Buddhism can also be considered as an off-shoot of Sanatana Dharma and seen as peaceful.

In the other ‘Religious’ cultures, though also based on Revelations to a Founder or Prophet, self-professed leaders who seek power, influence and pelf / wealth for themselves, proclaim God as a separate entity and export the very concept of God, away from this world into an alleged and unproven Heaven, and then claiming themselves to be the only representatives of such a God on Earth and the sole interface between God and the others. This allows them to control the others, especially in times when the others were generally illiterate. This belief system is then imposed by such self-proclaimed leaders on their followers, based on the threat of the fear of God and of eternal punishment in Hell, for not obeying these leaders, in what they say is God’s direction for them, is called a Religion (a binding). Such religions see the Earth and all other Life on it and all its resources as given to them for their use and also to see Nature as something separate from humans and thus something to be dominated and used for their benefit, and all other people who do not share their beliefs as pagans / kafirs to be looted and plundered and killed and converted, or if useful allowed to live and be taxed as ungrateful unbelievers.

The concept of ‘Religion’ is foreign to the culture of ancient India. In-fact, the word, ‘Religion’ is derived from a Latin root meaning ‘to bind’ and does not exist in any Indian language.

Cultures arising from religions are ‘Authoritative’, ‘Declarative’ and Imperative’, centralized and rigid, while the culture arising from Dharma is ‘Interrogative’ of everything and hence, diverse, flexible, acceptive and decentralized. One is like a well-manicured and rigidly laid out garden of selected plants and flowers that cannot be changed and requiring constant supervision, compared to the other which is more like the profuse wild, and seemingly chaotic, growth in a forest of many varieties of flowers, fruits and foliage, which yet has a discerning structure in its very complexity. Interrogation in religious cultures is considered ‘Blasphemy’ and is banned and punishable, by those who are in control and are unable to answer and hence face the prospect of losing control.

The impact of the Christian Religion on the societies they ventured into, is best explained by Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, when he said, –

“When the white men came to our world, they had the Bible, and we had the Land. ’Close your eyes and pray’: they said, and when we opened our eyes, we had the Bible, and they had the Land.”

Inquisitions and Crusades, and the resulting killing and plunder, allowed their Leaders to strengthen their hold and domination over their ‘Flock’, as they designated their followers, and also gained them much power and pelf/wealth and control over their followers.

Then came the Islamists, their Religion (‘Islam’, the word itself means total submission), emphasized domination of the Earth and of ALL people on it. Calling for total submission to their Leaders, as the earthly representatives of Allah and calling for killing of the others, who they saw as non -believers, and sharing the plunder and loot from such others between themselves (the followers), with a share going to the Leaders.

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