In veDik lifestyle, one's life has
to have 4 objectives called puruSHaaARth......and
these 4 objectives have to co-exist for a holistic harmonious, peaceful and
stress-free life in which one does not hurt any other creations and also one
does not let any other creation hurt oneself....the
4 puruSHaaARth are:
- DHARm = living one's life in
conformance with the laws of universe and its creation, sustenance and cyclic
re-creation ordained by creator bRHmH;
the basic tenet of DHARm is not to
hurt any fellow creation and to always work to provide for one-self and other
creation who need help to sustain their life;
aARth and kaam
objectives should be pursued based on the tenets of
DHARm.
- aARth = in one's life create
wealth and ordered governance in society termed as polity following the tenets
of DHARm;
- kaam = use of wealth and polity
in fulfilling ones' all life desires of prosperous and progressive lifestyle
including satisfying the need of personal pleasure and recreation in one's
life following the tenets of DHARm;
- moKSH = aiming to live life
based on DHARm and pursuing
aARth and
kaam without desiring any payback or profit or rewards for
one-self; thus depending for sustenance of oneself on
creator bRHmH.
But in the current veDik time era
called kli-yug.....humankind is
pursuing only aARth for selfish ends
and to accumulate personal wealth and use that wealth for personal
kaam to a point of addiction....and in
pursuing both these life objectives humankind is forgetting or compromising or
corrupting the foundation of life which is DHARm
.....on which aARth and
kaam sustains themselves....and if
DHARm is thrown on the wayside then
there is not the slightest hope of attaining moKSH.....(the
blue, bold and italics are sNskrut
language words and to understand in-depth the above please look up these
sNskrut words in SANSKRIT GLOSSARY,
TODAY'S PRAYER, TODAY'S veD LESSONS and
veD pages and some veD
posting on AASHRAM NEWS page on this web
site).
In the western culture and lifestyles...which is founded on economic
and scientific growth only .....and which lifestyle is becoming borderless
meaning everything in life is becoming global....but globalization is faltering
through clashes with non-western cultures and lifestyles...which still have sort
of "remembered" and thus latent foundation of spirituality meaning belief in a
CREATOR who ultimately controls everything in this creation....which is a sort
of anti-thesis to western lifestyle and culture which is founded on reason and
science only about 500 years ago with Rene Descartes saying everything in life
is mechanical and there is no need for aatmaa
or soul....
Ira Rifkin is an award-winning journalist
and the editor of Spiritual Innovators: Seventy-Five Extraordinary People Who
Changed the World in the Past Century...who is previously news producer of
Beliefnet, a multi-faith Web magazine, and a national correspondent for Religion
News Service, he lives near Washington, D.C.....has expounded
SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE ON GLOBALIZATION....in
this latest book...please click on the next line to read publishers commentaries
on this book....
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Spiritual Perspectives
on Globalization:
Making Sense of Economic and Cultural Upheaval
Author: Ira Rifkin
Comments From
HINDUISM TODAY.....
UNITED STATES, February 27, 2003: Ira Rifkin's new book, "Spiritual
Perspectives on Globalization -- Making Sense of Economic and Cultural
Upheaval," takes the globalization debate global -- exploring how it looks to
Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants, Baha'is, pagans and Muslims.
This look by a noted religion author at globalization from other cultural
perspectives helps to understand the phenomenon from their point of view and why
some cultures may be less than enthusiastic. The chapter on Hinduism introduces
readers to Indian Hindu expatriates working in the Washington suburbs high-tech
industry. The author uses their efforts to maintain links to their cultural
roots to illustrate the global spread of Vedic thought. But the chapter also
delves into the concerns of Hindus who worry that globalization's free-market
capitalism and Western-oriented consumer lifestyle undermine Hinduism's
traditional emphasis on spiritual advancement over material acquisition. "For
traditional Hindus," author Rifkin writes, "both the earth and nonhuman life are
sacred, and concern that transnational corporations, abetted by compliant or
corrupt governments, have turned both into commodities are cause for additional
opposition to globalization."
Editorial Reviews From
AMAZON.CA
From Publishers Weekly
Globalization as we know it emerged in a 1944 plan for post-war economic
recovery, starting with the World Bank. This first institution and indicator has
multiplied in many ways over the last half-decade, and globalization has become
a contentious international issue.
One of the lessons of September 11 is that the time for spiritual
provincialism is clearly over. Religion journalist Rifkin produces a highly
readable, quick study that begins to come to terms with the global religious
agendas arising within and outside our borders. The book's interesting personal
narratives, sprinkled throughout, reflect a true pluralism and enliven what
could be a dry, doctrinaire approach. Rifkin examines Roman Catholicism, Islam,
Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, the Bah '¡ faith, tribal and earth-based religions,
and Protestantism for evidence of how they view the economic, cultural and
personal aspects of globalization.
Writing with balanced appraisal and astute depth, Rifkin provides readers
with a sense of how the major tenets of each tradition give rise to individual
perceptions and actions on globalization. His understandings of the social
constructs that arise out of belief are fascinating and essential reading.
Avoiding a jargon-laden treatise, Rifkin keeps the writing light and clear,
using eminent support from the likes of Huston Smith and Karen Armstrong. For
anyone who has asked why terrorism has come to American shores, Rifkin supplies
some well-informed and quite broad answers.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Ira Rifkin is an award-winning journalist and the editor of Spiritual
Innovators: Seventy-Five Extraordinary People Who Changed the World in the Past
Century. Previously news producer of Beliefnet, a multi-faith Web magazine, and
a national correspondent for Religion News Service, he lives near Washington,
D.C.
From the Publisher at
Chapters.indigo.ca
The economic and cultural dynamic of globalization is transforming the world at
an unprecedented pace. But what exactly is it? What are its origins? What is its
impact on our spiritual lives?
This lucid introduction surveys the religious landscape, explaining in clear and
nonjudgmental language the beliefs that motivate spiritual leaders, activists,
theologians, academics, and others involved on all sides of the issue. Included
are the points-of-view of:
• Bahá’ís • Buddhists • Earth-based and tribal religions
• Hindus • Jews • Muslims • Protestants • Roman Catholics
Unlike other books on this controversial issue, this easy-to-read introduction
won’t tell you what to think; it gives you the information you need to reach
your own conclusions.
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