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[sarabhanga]

Sudarshan ~ I am not sure analogies actually help to describe how to access the summit of truth. The spoke/wheel example may be incorrect. These analogies are all based on speculations.

It would appear that you have little respect for the national flag of the Republic of India.

Only someone without a Guru could possibly be made less disciplined or more complacent by understanding that many paths are valid. For an aspirant who has submitted to instruction by a Guru, there truly is only one path ~ and by understanding that many other paths are in fact valid for other aspirants, there should be absolutely no need to argue with others about the correctness of their path ~ and full attention can be given to the aspirant’s own progress along his own chosen path.

[Sudarshan]

It would appear that you have little respect for the national flag of the Republic of India.

Seriously, what has it to do directly with Hinduism? It is Ashoka Chakra, which is related to King Ashoka, who was a Buddhist. It is one of those things borrowed from Buddhism because Sanatana Dharma also shares the idea of Dharma Wheel - representing our continuos state of existance: birth, life, death. I would have loved to see Bhagavan preaching Arjuna in there - the Parthasarathy, wouldn't you?


I respect rest of your comments, but cannot take them very seriously because most traditions do not teach that idea. There will always be many religions in the world, and some will accept this "all path" thing and most wont. All you can say is we cant verify anything that relates to religion, unless you have a true spiritual master as a guru, or have a divine experience. If you dont have either, all you have is scriptural evidence, which is usually ambiguos and all confusion in the world is due to this.

All I can tell you is only this- right or wrong path, I have no doubt that everyone will come to attain the truth by the kindness of the merciful Lord. One of the greatest Alwars, Nammazhvar sang this - "It is the inescapable destiny of man, that he should enter the portals of Vaikunta and enjoy infinite bliss for ever". You are fated to be liberated, someday.

[Namo Narayana]

It is more appropriately called dharma chakra.

The divisions of hinduism buddhism jainism is pretty new. I would be really doubtful if Ashoka followed Buddhism as a religion or as a p hilosophy.

It is not totally accurate to call him a buddhist. The chakra was his state symbol which would have been even before his kalinga war . so i dont think it is right to say that dharma chakra was borrowed from Buddhism.

Personally I woulld like to discourage the classification of hinduism or buddhism or jainism as a religion.

Religion only adds ego to a mortal.

[sarabhanga]

Sudarshan, I am being very serious here!

Do you really think that the Dharma Cakra is placed in the heart of the Indian flag merely as a celebration of Buddhism?

The Dharmacakra is the ancient sign of the Sauras ~ the sign of Surya, and the Vedic ideal of Brahman.

The Dharmacakra is the symbol of Time (both Kala and Akala).

The Dharmacakra is the weapon (power or Shakti) of Mahakala.

And the Dharmacakra is the very form of Lord Krishna!

The Dharmacakra IS the veritable instruction of Arjuna by Krishna.

The Dharmacakra is Shri Krishna, and Krishna IS the very Sudarshana cakra of Vishnu.

The flag of India celebrates Sanatana Dharma and Lord Krishna and even you, Sudarshan!

The Dharmacakra is integral to Trayi Vidya, and the Dharmacakra is the essential emblem of all Vedic Aryan Dharma (i.e. true Sanatana Dharma).

No serious Religion accepts that ALL paths lead to God.

Sanatana Dharma knows that the paths to God are various; but only Ajativada suggests that absolutely every path is in fact one path, since Ajativada denies absolutely that Jivatman has ever been separated from Paramatman, and so there is no need (or possibility) of any so-called “paths to God”.

The non-existence of Dharma is a reality ONLY for the highest of Yogins (e.g. Guru Dattatreya).

The non-existence of variety in Dharma is a reality for ALL serious Sadhakas.

The acceptance of internal diversity in the context of Sanatana Dharma is an important lesson of the Dharmacakra, and that is one of the essential themes of Ashoka Maurya’s unifying message.


P.S. I think that some image incorporating the Dharmacakra (especially in motion!) would actually be perfect for the HinduDharmaForums insignia. And also, I am not sure that most of this thread really belongs in the “Christianity” section (?).

[sarabhanga]

Nari Devi is the Shakti of Nara-Narayana.

[Ram]

Traditionally, the flag had a Charka( a product of the freedom struggle) instead of the Chakra. So they just "dropped" the thread apparatus in the Charka to get the Chakra.

[sarabhanga]

You are not worthy of the name Ram !

Carka is a Hindi term for “leprosy, damage, fraud, or swindle”, and it is NOT connected with spinning wheels, and nor is it connected in any way with the divine Dharmacakra.

Others may not have understood your slanderous (and truly anti-Hindu) remark ~ but your true nature is now quite apparent.

Please withdraw your unwarranted and highly offensive comment.

[satay]

You are not worthy of the name Ram !

Carka is a Hindi term for “leprosy, damage, fraud, or swindle”, and it is NOT connected with spinning wheels, and nor is it connected in any way with the divine Dharmacakra.

Others may not have understood your slanderous (and truly anti-Hindu) remark ~ but your true nature is now quite apparent.

Please withdraw your unwarranted and highly offensive comment.

hmm...I think there is some misunderstanding here. Charkha was part of the flag representing Mahatma Gandhi's charka weaving wool. That part was dropped from the flag and the wheel remained with the number of lines equal to then number of states in India.

Ram can clear this up but I think he didn't make any anti-hindu comments here.

satay

[sarabhanga]

The spinning wheel is a carkha or carkhI; and this Hindi term is a variation on the original Sanskrit cakra.

carka is Hindi for leprosy, fraud, or swindle.

Perhaps Ram has innocently dropped the ‘h’ from Carkha ~ in which case I must apologize.

In the context of the historical development of the modern Indian flag, it is true that the image was originally a Carkha; although it is flippant to suggest that the Indian Cakra concept is merely a later variation on the Gandhian Carkha ideal.

[Sudarshan]

hmm...I think there is some misunderstanding here. Charkha was part of the flag representing Mahatma Gandhi's charka weaving wool. That part was dropped from the flag and the wheel remained with the number of lines equal to then number of states in India.

Ram can clear this up but I think he didn't make any anti-hindu comments here.

satay

Hehe, English spellings for Indian words are misleading, eh?