From: mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU (Arindam Ghosh)
Subject: Re:Appeal to Arindam
Reply-To: mece1e3@Jane.UH.EDU
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 14:38:22 GMT

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Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: An Appeal To Arindam
Arvind writes:
...
of them will wish you VERY WELL in your spiritual quest. But please
avoid telling them how unsuited their religion is to their needs,
giving them equations like   "Bahai = Hindu + something more", 
or telling them that their religion is like an old well while yours 
is a high-tech pump. Such behavior has very little to do with spiritual 
quest. If you are going to go to another religion, be like a beacon for 
your new religion, don't behave like insurance-salesmen.

I am giving away no great secret by pointing out that you yourself are
a beginner in Bahaism. It was only recently that, in soc.religion.bahai,
you were posting questions like, "Is pre-marital sex really forbidden
in Bahaism?". (This is to drive home a point, not to embarass you.)
So just learn and think for now; you can preach later.

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Please also reconsider if you REALLY understand the Bahai religion and 
movement sufficiently deeply to take as major a decision as you have 
announced. Talk to someone high up at the national level in the American
Bahai community for his views; what harm could that do?

Arindam replies:
I asked that question not to change my views but to find if the Bahai faith
explicitly forbids it so that I can give a correct answer when somebody asks
me. The Sanatan Dharma always implicitly forbids it as a perfect marriage is
a union of two souls and has got nothing to do with physical lust. And this
shows your eagerness to make decision about others without knowing what their
intention is: this is called false ego. As said in Srimadbhagabatam a human
body is made of five material senses, mind, intelligence and false ego. False
ego is the one hardest to get rid of: not that I  have got rid of it completely



Well you are forcing me to tell things which I wanted to spare you. But
since you want to know:

There's only ONE religion in this earth: the Sanatan Dharma: Dharma = the
one which sustains, there's nothing in the world like Hinduism, Buddhism,
Christianity, Islam or the Bahai Faith. 

The different ways of Hindu worship come about from different ways of realizing
the Sanatan Dharma. The true worshippers following any way realize the ONE,
the SUPREME.

When the Sanatan Dharma gets encased in debris a manifestation of God appears
to rescue them from debris. The last most prominent one in Hnduism was
Caitanya Mahaprabhu: who showed that the devotional service is the surest
way to stick to the Sanatan Dharma: Yes you can try other ways: but the
hope of success gets much reduced

Thus its our duty to follow the latest messanger as only he knows what is
the surest method to attain the truth.

YOu can also see the beauty of the Bahai faith: I hereby stated that Caitanya
was a manidfestation. This is not written any where in the scriptures. However,
I am free to hold this belief as long as I am not forcing anybody to hold
this belief. Thus you see that the Bahai faith is going to grow and absorb
all the Sanatan Dharma has to offer in time.

Yes, my label as a Bahai is new. But as a following of the Sanatan Dharma
began when I am a child.

My status has been completely described by Caitanya Mahaprabhu in his 
discourse to Rupa Goswami.

1. First state when you attain the Godhead is Santa: which I was in the
last three months: slowly Bahaullah rescued me from material attachment.
2. The next state is dasya: or devotional service. At this stage the devotee
can think of nothing else other than serving his Ista which is Bahaullah
in this case. He cannot be a slave to anybody except the Lord. The Graduate
School is nothing but slavery to your advisor.
I guess I will spare the details of the next states: it's in the book
Bhakti-Rasa-Sindhu.


>Are you sure you know what you are talking about? This is more in line
>with Christian missionary attitude than with Bahai strategic thinking 
>on how to bring about change in the world. 
*Bahai strategic thinking is nothing but complete submission to the will
of God and Bahaullah. Since I am completely submitted to it it's a part
of Bahai strategic thinking. God plots the course for us, we do not do
it for God.

It is my understanding, and it traces to quite impeccable sources :-),
that the Bahai movement has settled on a "top down" approach to social 
change: through LEADERS and INSTITUTIONS.

*Then you better check the impeccability, as the Bahai approach is DOWN-TOP
Build institutions out of the grassroot people and ignore the established
reluigious institutions


 It is to go to and affect
the centers of power directly.

*Advise the centers of power if they are ready to take it

 Not to challenge the contemporary
mainstream society (as in revolutions),

*As that is meaningless: You cannot revive a dead body with surgery


 nor to try to bypass it (the
"down-trodden" route), but to succeed IN it, even obeying its occasional
unjust dictates, to place yourself in a position to affect change.

*Yes: to get people to realize that submission to God's will and then
bring up a creative society is the only way to go about it.

 > Only activities I can do now is to teach the children and study...
   ^^^^

Your words remind me of Hindu/Buddist monks, not Bahai leaders I have
had the good fortune to listen to and talk to.

*Well the only rule a Bahai has to follow is the wish of Bahaullah. BTW
Bahaullah told me what I am supposed to do other than teaching the children
today morning. I am supposed to free up my uncle in India who is also a
devotee by taking up the duties of his chemical farm. You see, God plots
the course for you if you are submitted to him. You don't think about
what's going to happen when you follow His will.



Look Arindam, you have a right to do what you want. That is not the issue.
BUT in my judgement you won't be in harmony with the path chosen by your
religion and the movement it represents. 

*The movement is following the will of God


You don't have to listen to me; ask a few Bahai leaders. Not recent
converts like you who would be quoting to you from books and pamphlets,
but those who are really charting the course of the Bahai community.
If you are shy about that, at least bring it up in soc.religion.bahai .
No harm can come from listening to others.

*I am constantly in touch with the Bahais all over the world
I have been selected by Bahaullah to bring back some of the select gems
of Sanatan Dharma to the rest of the world

Please share your thoughts and decisions with us. Since by your own
admission you have spread around some pain, you owe us that much. :-)

*Hope this helps

Arindam
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