On Sunday 02 Mar 2008 12:48:53 am va wrote: > Well, I like to believe it survived because amongst all the the > different philosophies, dualism, non-dualism theories and what not it > has "non-violence" as a core part of the ideology.
The survival of anything good depends on the existence of people who value it and are willing to ensure its survival. The absence of such people will inevitably erode what is considered good. Given human ingenuity, it is unlikely that India, and Hindus alone came up with such gems. God (literally) only knows how many cultures and their literature were lost forever in the blitzkrieg of organized religion spreading across the world. A philosophy of non violence invariably gets defeated by an ideology that calls for violence against all who disagree. Only a tit for tat response can lead to truce. Not capitulation. In fact I am entirely in agreement with the idea that Hindu thought (apart from caste, sati and everything else that people are fond of recalling at the drop of a hat) has also produced some of the most timeless gems of philosophy. It is a realization that those timeless gems cannot survive unless someone takes a stand and actively protects and ensures their survival that has gradually converted me into a being who sounds more and more right-wing. On another note I have begun to see that liberalism protects nothing and has little to protect. Liberalism survives in an artificial space or window of opportunity within a framework created by a balance of conservatives and cannot survive outside of that. It is necessary to take a stand. shiv
