Akhand Bharat : A stand against genocide.

No fire zone is much talked about documentary about the civil war in Sri Lanka. Over a span of two years the LTTE slowly lost ground against the Sinhalese army and during the final months of the conflict, roughly 300,000 people were herded into a space of a few kilometers on a beach. (1) What followed is a gruesome story of systematic genocide and torture of the civilian population on a horrifying scale. Using air power and heavy artillery on a herded population speaks volumes of the intent of the armed Sinhalese forces to completely ethnically cleanse the area  of the Tamil people.

Apologists will often be quick to counter that the LTTE were a equally cruel lot, but i'm not speaking of the LTTE per say as the local civilian population that were exposed to such cruelty. However in my mind it's not the first time that Hindus have been a target for such terrible violence. The list in my mind stretches to all of our neighbors and beyond and where Sri Lanka is only a new link in the chain.

Another genocide being the 1971 Bangladesh war in which an estimated 2-3 million people notably Hindus were reported to have been killed. The numbers are mind boggling and probably the largest post world war 2 holocaust. (2) Yet this is hardly talked much in the mainstream Indian media. Post India's intervention and defeat of the Pakistan military, the hatred of Hindu ideals has continued to reduce Hindu presence in Bangladesh to being negligible.

Ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus serves as a another example. Upto 300,000 Kashmiri pandits have been forced leave the vale of Kashmir which includes Srinagar due to Pakistan sponsored terrorism and ethnic cleansing.(3)

Pakistan in itself has virtually exterminated it Hindu population through forced coercion, abduction and ethnic cleansing. Cases of Hindu abductions of girls are almost a daily occurrence with the notable case of Rinkle Kumari(4) being etched into my mind. Indeed the hatred among Pakistanis is so far etched as national TV programs broadcast live conversions of Hindus taking the Shahada.(5)

Yet while India's battle with Pakistan and Islamic extremism is well known (and a separate topic to be discussed). What I find troubling is that in the new millennium, how could such mass slaughter escape Indian eyes as it did in Sri Lanka? With satellite imagery, including the TES as well as ongoing intelligence, how is it possible that we were unaware of the ongoing carnage and if we were aware, how can it be possible that we allowed such carnage to continue.

The documentary spells that many countries were kept at bay by the constant reassurances that the civilian population was being dealt with appropriately in that supplies were being delivered and the sanctity of the no fire zone would be maintained. On the other hand video evidence and UN representatives have maintained that none of these conditions were being met amounting to war crimes. Yet again the question remains, how did such mass slaughter escape attention on our doorstep? If so did our government choose to ignore the slaughter?

Indian vedantic thought maintains that all actions have  two forms of responses.'Dhrishta' being the immediate seen response, in which the army is massacring the civilian population. The vast pain and suffering endured at the hands of the Sinhalese army forms the 'Adrishta' or unseen response. Indeed it maintains that such suffering is a action unto itself and cannot remain unanswered. It deserves that a equal response to the suffering must be maintained and this forms the basis for the 'Law of Karma'. Indeed such suffering on a vast scale causes the manifestation of Bhagwan to reappear as a Avatar or in other cultures as the Messiah. In recent times past, we may envisage that Chhatrapati Shivaji was seen a a divine response to the suffering felt by the people at the hands of Aurangzeb. 

In our case, to allow such suffering to go unchecked places the burden of guilt and the consequences of Adhrista Karma on our shoulders. The gruesome murder of children such as Balachandran Prabhakaran(6) and the rape and killing of Isaipriya(7) has far reaching consequences. Indeed such actions have been repeated manifold over the final months of the war and remains ongoing in the continued repression of Tamilian Hindu identity post war. The silence and inaction from the central government of India is tantamount to supporting the cause of genocide and should be reported as such. 

How is it then that in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh where the Hindu minority are visible targets for extermination and intolerable suffering, that we as a community of Hindus in India numbering close to a billion fail to act? We are even unable to make a stand towards friendly countries like Bhutan in ejecting it's Hindu Lhotshampas. Thirty years on the Kashmiri pundits are still living as refugees in Jammu with no plans towards being repatriated. Why have we become such a soft target for mass killing and suffering with no response? 

Perhaps then the concept of Akhand Bharat holds more meaning. An ideal to work towards to ensure that Hindu communities may live in a environment that promotes growth of an individual to reach his or her fullest potential without the threat of coercion, intimidation or extinction. If our neighbors fail to provide security because of religious animosity, we should shoulder the responsibility to provide safe havens for all such involved. Previously I have debated the stand that 'Ahimsa', acting in the cause of the least harm proves a better standard to live by than 'Tawhid' or the one god. It's effects can be seen in India where minorities from numerous backgrounds are afforded security compared to it's neighbors.

As a stratagem towards working to this ideal perhaps some general outlines can be formed.  I shall try to limit myself to the Sri Lanka situation but the generalities may be assigned to all India's neighbors.

 Highlighting the suffering of Hindus should get more media attention. Suffering it seems, in the eyes of the world has the highest human value and moral effect cause. In the case of Sri Lanka, the ongoing intimidation of Tamilian Hindus post war, and the destruction of Hindu temples in Sri Lanka deserve more attention on the mainland. This effectively has a far more outreaching cry to involve Indians and Hindus from all backgrounds to support the cause. 

Far too long has Tamil nationalism hijacked the efforts of Sri Lankan Tamils in trying to project a homeland for themselves. 

Certain apologists have often argued that Tamil nationalism might have separatist tendencies on the mainland itself, stemming any efforts to project a secure homeland for Sri Lankan Tamils. 

If our neighbors cannot ensure safety for Hindus, why can't it become a question for the Indian Hindu majority as a whole? 

The creation of a homeland does not become one of a Tamil homeland but of a Hindu homeland. Eelam then has a new connotation, an extension of India's borders to secure the rights of individuals facing genocidal extinction. Akhand Bharat has a new ideal, the protection of Hindus who can't protect themselves. 

The ideal begins a framework to formation of homelands to ensure the safety of the minority Hindu populace. An Eelam for Sri Lankan Hindus. A homeland in Sind, Pakistan for the protection of the Hindu minority with a likely candidate being Tharparkar district. A Chittagong homeland for the protection of Hindus and Buddhists in Bangladesh. 

It does however require a change in thinking for most of us Hindus. Segregated into states barely 50 years ago, our identities often jump to the regional state we hail from and pride ourselves in vague state oriented uniqueness. This often has detrimental effects on the nation as a whole, indeed why should I care about my fellow Indian in Assam if I am Maharashtrian? Indeed why should I care about Hindus in Sri Lanka being massacred? 

For the betterment of all those who question thus, I would ask to be more compassionate. Hindu Vedantic thought has contributed to betterment of society in maintaining that actions in doing the least harm to all serve as a guide to live by. It is these ideals which have protected our society and encouraged refugees the world over to find safety in India. Zorastrians, Syrian Christians, Tibetans, Sikhs, Ahmadi Muslims and even animals have found refuge in India due to non violent thought.

 In Sri Lanka, the hatred has overwhelmed the teachings of the Buddha himself to dehumanize and inflict such tremendous suffering.  The regular break out of communal riots in India are ample evidence that Abrahamic ideals surge to supplant Hindu ideals. Why protect that Hindu in Assam or in Sri Lanka? It seems quite clear that as a community we have become the targets for Abrahamic and now Buddhist violence. Only through unifying our collective through an ideal of a Hindu Akhand Bharat, we may stem the bloody tide that sweeps against us. 

In trying to make a start, the process begins at various levels. Notably the individual to believe that he does belong to a greater collective in being a Hindu. In trying to make the effort to remain compassionate and to alleviate the suffering that many Hindus face in a daily basis one requires a start in learning the basics of Vedantic thought. I would hope that through such study one may have a shield against Abrahamic and now Buddhist hatred that propagates the world over wherever Hindus live. Akhand Bharat serves as a ideal where India grows in thought and mass to protect within it's borders those who serve as targets for victimization. Akhand Bharat can slowly become a living ideal against Hindu Genocide.

References :

1)  Sri Lanka : War Crimes Unpunished. 

2)  Genocide in Bangladesh

3) Kashmiri Pandit

4) Facebook : Justice for Pakistani Hindu girl Rinkle Kumari

5) Hindu Boy converts to Islam on live television show in Pak

6) Balachandran Prabhakaran

7) Isaipriya : Raped and killed by Sri Lankan army : Channel 4 video

Other :

1) Persecution against Hindus

Majma Ul Bahrain : A new thought to the Communal politics of India.

Religious riots seem to hit India more frequently nowadays. Termed 'communal' it is a term that is constantly thrown around on the Indian media. Communalizing, Communal tensions, Communal politicians and their Communal politics are often terms which are bandied about. However it often becomes a term to desensitize the horrors which often happen on the ground.
Violent religious riots erupt with gruesome consequences and horror stories of communities turning on each other often plagues my mind for a solution.

Analyzing the problem of Hindu - Muslim violence stems from 2 diametrically opposed philosophies. The concept of Tawhid is central to Islamic faith yet the Hindu ideal espouses a principle of Adhikari Bhera (the uniqueness of every individual gives the individual the right to follow his/her own path).  Idolism is abhorred in Islamic tradition and many verses are written against this greatest sin of Idol worshiping, yet the Hindus laud the virtues of Murti's in which divinity is given a visual focus for worship.
Dar Ul Islam and Kufr are terms used to divide Islamic countries and Muslim believers from the rest of humanity while Hindus use the term Vasudaiva Kutumbam to describe the world as a single family. Evil intentions placed by Shaitan are to be constantly guarded against in the Islamic tradition while in the Hindu tradition, Ignorance forms the greatest danger.

The list of differences is indeed huge and one often wonders how the two communities can resolve such opposing values, but perhaps dealing with this Hindu concept of  Ignorance is a fine place to start. The belief of ignorance is often meant in the specific context of the ignorance of Bhagwan or God which can lead to increased suffering and dissatisfaction with life. Expanding from this line of thought, perhaps we can say that if spiritual ignorance is a cause for suffering between the two communities then perhaps some basic religious study between the two communities may improve inter religious harmony.

Which brings me to two historical figures and the trials they initiated but ultimately failed. Akbar created the Din-I-illahi a syncretic mix of Sufism and Bhakti. He repealed the Jizya taxes on the Hindus and abolished to a large extant hunting of game in perhaps a changing of his values from Islamic to Ahimsa. He himself is to have reported to change his diet to almost completely vegetarian on the principles of Ahimsa taught taught by Hir Vijay Suri. His attempts though were deemed blasphemous by muslims including the Qadi of Bengal and Sufi Shakh Ahmad Sirhindi. (1)

His great grandson was to have little success either. A few days back I eagerly came across of a translation of Dara Shikoh's : Majma Ul Bahrain or a mingling of two oceans. I had often envisioned that Dara had picked up where his great grandfather had left off in trying to reach some commonality between the two religions. By the time I had reached halfway through the book, I was plagued with more doubts. Perhaps I had asked for too much from Dara, and it seemed in my view that he upheld the gold standard of the Quran while desperately trying to find a patchwork of Hindu sources to corroborate his ideas.

A few examples come to mind, in his opening few paragraphs, he makes the proposition that monotheism sets the highest standard and listening to the Indian monotheists, he did not find significant difference in the way each religion sought the truth... 

Indeed quoting Khwaja Ahrar he says : If i know that a infidel, immersed in sin, is, in a way, singing the note of monotheism, I go to him, hear him and am grateful. (2)

Here he already sets the gold standard of Abrahamic monotheism being the highest pinnacle that one can reach and has to find equivalence among Hindu ideals to prove that the latter can indeed meet the test.

Reading further, he makes a equivalence of the Hindu trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh to  the angels Jibrail, Mikail and Israfil. It is indeed a stretched reasoning on one hand to compare three aspects of Bhagwan to the three subservient angels in Islamic philosophy. (3)

Another example is the transitory nature of the soul in Indian religious thought which is intrinsically linked to the law of Karma. While one may stay in heaven or Swarg for a time, they eventually exhaust their cumulative good(punya) Karmas and are bound to be reborn again as humans to carry on in their quest for spiritual enlightenment. If successful in reaching enlightenment (Mukti), upon their death they shall eventually merge into God. This forms little resemblance to Kiyamat (Qayamat), the day of resurrection in which Dara tries to equate. (4)

Still, I believe Dara should be praised for his effort. Indeed it is said that he went on to translate the Upanishads into Persian and later the Bhagavad Gita shortly before his death.

The story of his death being a tragic one, defeated at the battle of Samugarh and betrayed into the hands of his brother Aurangzeb by a man he twice saved Malik Jiwan, he and his son were strapped to the back of a worn and filthy elephant and rode into Delhi. Covered in filthy robes, they were paraded around the city to be sighted by the Delhi residents who bitterly wailed at his condition. They remembered the same Aurangzeb imprisoned his father, brother and son and filled with hate, would no doubt plan a more gruesome fate for one he hated the most. (5)

Aurangzeb quickly convened a mock trial by some Ulema who deemed him Takfir (apostate) thereby sealing his fate.
Imprisoned, Dara was cooking his evening Dal with his young son, when four assassins sent by Aurangzeb fell upon them. Apparently he tried to fight with all he had, a small kitchen knife, before he was held down and quickly decapitated in front of his young son. His head was taken to Aurangzeb who exclaimed; 'Ah wretched one! let this shocking sight no more offend my eyes, but take away the head, and let it be buried in Humayun's tomb.'  (6)

A painful end to promising son of India, but what lessons may Dara offer to the 'communal' politics of India? Consider the diversity and plurality of Indian tradition where Adhikari Bhera stands for the idea that every individual has the right to pursue the religion of his or her own choice. Where one finds solace in Krishna, another may find such peace in mother Lakshmi yet the individual, has the choice of his own will to pursue his/her spiritual quest to the fullest.

Islamic Tawhid opposes this view and effectively sets the gold standard that the Quranic verses are the only verses for all man to live by. The punishments for deviation are death, and therefore can it be unsurprising that the world produces many more Aurangzeb's than Dara's?

What if more people were to open their minds to the heroic deeds of Akbar and his grandson Dara by trying to make a study of Vedanta from a Islamic perspective. Try to build on what Dara tried to create and consciously recognize that Arabian ideas may not be the gold standard to which Hindu ideas must match.

A small spark can reduce a mountain of wood to ash, may it be then that the spark that Dara started to burn will continue to burn the mountain of ignorance that exists among some Indians. Burning in time that communal hatred to ash....

References :

1) Akbar

2)  Majma Ul Bahrain : M.Mahfuz Ul Haq : Asiatic Society :  II-4, pg 38

3) Majma Ul Bahrain : M.Mahfuz Ul Haq : Asiatic Society : II-10, pg 44

4) Majma Ul Bahrain : M.Mahfuz Ul Haq : Asiatic Society :II-33, pg 67

5) Death of Dara Shikoh

Travels in the Moghul Empire : 1656 - 1658 : Francois Bernier. 

6)  Death of Dara Shikoh

Other links :

1) Dara Shikoh

2) Picture credit and more : Dara Shikoh, the forgotten Prince of Islam

3) Picture caption :

Dara Shukoh presenting a carved railing for Keshva Rai Temple at Mathura. Later, Auranbzeb orders (1666 AD) demolition of the temple. From Fact India.

Vijayanagara and Contempory lessons.

Narasimha lies broken, his hands and feet broken off and the Lakshmi from his knee missing. As I look around the destruction is rampant and murti's lie defaced, broken around me. A few hundred meters away the Ganesha murti's are equally vandalised and many of the stone mandir's have the unmistakable evidence of charring from the fires that once raged throughout the city.
This vast city, once the bulwark against Islamic proselytism and aggression to the south collapsed on a fateful day of 26 January 1565. In this battle of Talikota, five sultanates of the Deccan finally united to inflict a lasting defeat on the Hindu army led by Aliya Rama Raya.(1)

Aging emperor Rama Raya was surrounded, dragged from the battlefield and was beheaded by sultan Nizam Shah or his executioner. His head was set upon a pole and waved to back to his army causing fear and panic. Soon after,  the vast army crumbled and retreated back to the city. Tirumala. the surviving brother of Rama Raya, gathered what treasury he could  and fled to the fort of Penukonda.
Waiting in the city, the people confused and protected for generations by great emperors like Devaraya II, Krishnadevaraya and Achutadevaraya were suddenly prey for the invading Deccan sultans. For those that had a little time, they fled with family and belongings into the numerous caves in the region. What followed was a bloody hunt by the hordes to capture all booty available. Numerous Hindus were slaughtered in resistance while many were taken as slaves.
It is said the looting and vandalising went on for six months, from which the city never recovered.
Hampi forever remains a city frozen in time with the charred remains still evident.

A lot of reasons have been given for the defeat of Vijayanagar to the Deccan sultanates. Better cannons and trained gunners in the sultanate armies have been given as one reason. This included the Malik-i-Maidan , reputed to be the largest cannon ever cast in bronze. (2) An interesting story abound is of Rumi Khan taking a innovative decision to load the cannons with gun powder and copper coins, while continually discharging  the blast onto the oncoming Vijayanagar army. (3)
Another reason commonly discussed is the betrayal by the Gilani brothers. Invited to join the muslim armies prior to the battle, they secretly switched loyalty.  At a critical point, they suddenly turned their regiments back onto the unsuspecting Vijayanagar army raising confusion and inflicting a heavy toll.

Reading through the history, a interesting question crops up in my mind. How Hindu were the armies of Vijayanagar and was this really a epic battle of Hinduism vs Islam. Burton Stein gives a interesting narrative of the armies of Vijayanagar employing numerous muslim mercenaries into their artillery division. Indeed, masjids and muslim cemeteries were a  feature of the city and by the time of Devaraya II numerous muslims held prominent positions in the army. (4)
Rama Raya had openly felicited Adil Shah of Bijapur as his adopted son who sadly  could not save his 'father' from being beheaded at Talikota.

Indeed the like was commonly seen in the opposing side as well. Burton Stein discusses the fact that numerous Hindus fought for the sultan of Golconda with the Reddy clan being especially noteworthy. (5)
There is a mention of Raja Ghorpade and his army fighting under Adil Shah of Bijapur. (6)

I am reminded of something similar in the stories of the first muslims invasions of India with Ghaznavi. No recourse came for Somnath when Ghaznavi invaded and sacked Somnath and its Shiv mandir voraciously.  Jai Chand allying with Muhammad Ghori against Prithviraj led to the gates of invasion opening for India. Raja Mansingh fighting for Akbar against Rana Pratap is yet another example. Another memory serves in Rani of Jhansi fighting hindu allies of the British like Jayajirao Scindia. The List goes on....

Fast forward to today and news like beheading of Indian soldiers on the border is largely forgotten (7). Large infiltration attempts and numerous cross border raids illicit no pro active reaction. Terrorist attacks go on unabated and even large scale attacks such as Mumbai hold no accountability. Communal riots between Muslims and Hindu's are occurring with alarming frequency with the most recent Muzzafnagar hiding horrific details. (8)

 Fact is Indians are dying in their tens of thousands over the last decade due to Pakistani sponsored terrorism with no response from the ruling Congress party of India. Islamic theology drives the momentum to conquer and convert all those who don't follow their god or the teachings of their prophet. In this mass delusion the suffering of Hindus is indeed great for they are killed, forced to live as third class citizens, forcibly abducted and raped, forcibly converted and forcibly evicted. (9)

These horrors are hardly ever talked about and when they do reach media attention, a vast disinformation campaign is created to protect the ruling Congress family and their personal agenda's. Hindus are being equated with radical wahhabi Islamists and at every opportunity gross violations of human rights illicits a barrage of dubious equal-equal arguments and no action taken.
New wine in a old bottle of Hindus working with foreign agents against a Hindu identity. In this mass delusion, it seems that we are our own worst enemies in consistently voting for and electing political parties that hold such animosity to Hindu ideals.  What continues is a silent genocide for which thousands have died and continue to lose their lives. (10)

The story of Narasimha reminds me that insurmountable situations and people enduring great suffering can be overcome. The story states a individual filled with unquenchable greed attained near immortality in being granted several boons. Filled with desire  he began to terrorize the populace of the earth inflicting great suffering. Hindu philosophy states all actions must have a corresponding result and the suffering of a nation caused the avatar of Narasimha to appear and rid the world of the agent of suffering.

In our case, the answer lies in our own effort. Hindu identity must rise to conquer Islamic imperialism. Hindu ideology of humanitarianism, rationalism and universalism must rise to counter the barbarity of Islamic theology espoused by the mullahs and politicians. The Hindu co-agents must be rationally debated with and their arguments counter challenged regularly. We should seek to expose and report the suffering of our brethren on a more regular nature. The need of the hour is to educate and convince through reason tens of millions of muslim Indians on the like minded nature of their countrymen, while taking a more proactive course with regard to mullahs and hostile madrassah's. (11)

Vasudaiva Kutumbam is the Hindu ideal  for the world living as one family. Perhaps through steady education this ideal can serve as a counter attack to the various foreign proselytization efforts that divide and in the long run harm our own. The stone dead city of Vijayanagar serves a cold reminder of the alternative if complacency serves to be our only shield. The Jewish people remember well the atrocities committed to them at Masadah and shout never again! Vijayanagar holds many lessons but it too should be a rallying cry that never again should such destruction ensue and such large scale massacres of Hindus take place.

References :

1) Battle of Talikota 
2)  Malik I Maidan

3) Last of the Rayas

4) Vijayanagara : Burton Stein : mosques built pg, 29,35 and army page 29,70

5) Vijayanagara : Burton Stein : Pg 80

6) Battle of Talikota

7) Beheading of Indian Soldier

8) Muzaffarnagar Riots

9) Cases too numerous to be noted individually : A repository of articles are here :
Oppression of Minorities thread

10)  Persecution of Hindus
notable is genocide of Bangladesh.

11) Akbaruddin Owaisi

Souls to be Saved..

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.(1)

 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.(2)

Such quotes have empowered missionaries the world over to spread the gospel to the ears of the naive. If you are unfortunate enough to not have heard the gospel, your damnation is assured.For those that hear the gospel and reject it, they are still damned. The blinding faith of missionaries drives them on, in the belief that sharing  the 'good news' of Jesus Christ will save the ignorant  from the fires of hell.  Indeed, only by accepting Jesus Christ as their savior can they be forgiven for their sin, and be reunited with God. No unborn is sin free however as they still carry the taint of original sin through Eve eating a forbidden apple.
It becomes a bitter pill to swallow if you are outside this saved circle. Missionaries are doing this charitable work in your favor, to help you save your soul and you have no choice but to accept the message for the other option is to burn for a eternity.

Indeed through a combination of coercion which may involve political motives, monetary, social incentives millions of less fortunate have gained short term favors for long term education of a harmful nature. Indeed a strong memory lingers in my mind of a trip to Southern India, driving through a village affected by drought.  The poverty was quite apparent with groups of tribal families living in huts made of an assortment of branches and this year the crops had failed.While governmental agencies had been trickling in to assist, it seemed the first responders had been international Evangelical missions who set up a huge camp on the outside of town.
A huge tented auditorium had been set up and free food and drink to assist in the relief efforts. Loud speakers blared as the people received they food packages and were baptized to Christ.

That night as we came back, the roads were filled with previously hindu tribals staggering and collapsing intermittently yet joyous that having drunk 'the blood of christ' they were now redeemed and better off. Such  actions starts a rippling effect that can turn 

“ ‘a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—

a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ ⁽³⁾

Such actions I am sure have ruined the harmony of cultures the world over. Short term sacrifices of religion and culture have caused long term harm. My last flight to Africa was packed with missionaries to 'help' like minded Africans as well. One has to only look at the Joshua project (4) to see the determination of missionaries to spread the 'word' the world over in the Great Commission. What follows is a loss of traditional culture and values which not only affects the person and his immediate family, but society has a whole. 

Perhaps we can understand that the danger of literal meaning of such translations. The gospels offer much in value of ethics and morality and also help us grow as individuals. While there is much doubt over the authorship and age of each gospel, readings of it's teachings can hold value. However, the danger again lies in taking the literal meaning and enforcing it to a community. 

Indeed we are lucky to be in a position where we are able to read various gospels simultaneously including those that were suppressed by the early church, like the gospel of Thomas discovered at Nag Hammadi.(5) All have valuable information to offer, but to read and enforce only the canonized versions as authoritative and as the actual words of Jesus is misleading.  In fact we can see that even in the oldest gospel of Mark, circa 50 AD that additional verses have been placed much later :

 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.(1) (16.15)

This is not there in the oldest codices of Sinaiticus and Vaticanus which ends at 16.8. 

They went out, and fled from the tomb, for they were trembling and bewildered; and did not say a word to any one, for they were frightened.(16.8)

Here later additions were placed to spread the gospel which did not exist before. 
 

I often feel that suffering is a high value emotion. Christ suffered for our sins, we are often told and through his suffering humanity was saved and reconnected to God. People however continue to suffer on a daily basis, and suffering is universal. What can make suffering worse is delusion. Harmful education can isolate members of well knit community and even turn their minds against the very community that sheltered them. Through proper instruction and education, i feel, that even the misguided and deluded can be brought around. If we celebrate the diversity of cultures, study the wisdom they provide throughout history, we can slowly turn the tide against the unyielding Commandments of Abrahamic monotheism.

References : 

1)  Mark 16;15
2) Matthew 28;18
3) Matthew 10;34
4) http://joshuaproject.net/
5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nag_Hammadi_library

Others : 

1) http://codexsinaiticus.org/en/
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_16

 

Introduction

Often I have spent my time thinking about the harm of the Abrahamic religions on ancient societies. Man has through history in various cultures expressed profound thoughts on ethics and morality. Unfortunately, such thoughts are often purged through socioeconomic incentives, eliminated by violence and crushed by ideas from God's 'favored' people.
Ideas should be stated to be better ideas if they on the whole cause less harm. Opinions should be stated to be better opinions if they cause less harm. Ideas that stand the test of time and hold value in today's world should be gathered and savored. The fallacy that the truth of an idea only makes sense during a particular period of time in a particular context should be closely scrutinized and contested.
It is my personal wish to see, contrast and compare ancient voices. To draw upon their wisdom as the struggle to extinguish them is ongoing. The harm to ancient civilizations continues and millions even today i believe continue to suffer because of a lack of understanding.
Here i hope to share stories of value that i have come across, questions and suggestions are welcome and i would hope to document ideas which I hope would be beneficial to a few who cross the blog.