The Heavenly Experience

Youth Wellness Camps - The Heavenly Experience

I am a business executive in the Boston area. For the past few years, I have been attending Youth Wellness Health Camps as a volunteer in Gujarat, India, organized by Yuva Pragati of USA in collaboration with local NGOs. This is the story of this heavenly experience this year.

In January 2018, two teams, each with 30 doctors, dentists, physical therapists and volunteers from the US, aided by local pharmacists, optometrists, dentists, dental/pharmacy/nursing students - examined a total of 2,200+ adivasi (ST) and Baxi Punch (OBC) children in 21 Ashram Shalas in rural Gujarat in 2 weeks. First week in Ajrai village in South Gujarat and second week in Boghravadar, Vangadhra, Sapar, Kalasar and Kuvadava in rural Saurashtra. These camps were managed by local partners: Adivasi Sanskar Mandal in Ajrai and Sister Nivedita Trust in Rajkot, who made arrangements for examination facilities and getting the children ready, while looking after transportation and other needs of the visitors, making their life comfortable.

During the camp, each child was examined meticulously by a doctor, dentist and other team members and given medication if necessary. About 10% of children were referred to specialists for further evaluation/treatment and eventually followed-up by the local sponsors. Teachers and administrators were given feed-back, so they can continue to follow good hygiene, while also making school-wide improvements. Health of these children has significantly improved over the last 10 years since these camps began.

These days entailed daily welcome reception, breakfast and lunch at the schools. We got to eat local cuisine, including Ponk, Ubadiyu and Ringna Nu Shak! In some schools, children performed dance for us, and in Vangadhra, children had set up an Art Exhibition, while each one of us received a gift of an art piece, painstakingly made by the children.

These weeks were also sprinkled with visits to school campuses, local farms and other local attractions: Visiting one of India’s best eye hospitals in Navsari, marveling at the passion of Yogesh Naik, who runs this modern facility; touring a large orchid farm in Sonvadi, impressed by what it takes to build and maintain it, while enjoying fresh coconut juice; visiting a Gol making factory, while swimming in fresh sugarcane juice lovingly provided by the owners; ravishing fresh Dosa and Idli at the home of Navsari’s “Mama”, with an impromptu music program as he unveiled his harmonium, getting us to sing our favorite songs; enjoying the beauty of river Ambika, on the banks of which the Ajrai school is located, surrounded by Chikoo vadis.

While doctors were examining the children in Ajrai, a Vanchan Shibir (Reading Camp) was organized under the Chikoo trees. A select group of 31 students from 14 schools spent 4 days reading, analyzing and meditating on a book, at the end of which each one spoke about its essence in front of a group of elders and children, with great confidence and without looking at any notes – a lesson in courage and public speaking! Interwoven with the Shibir were arts and crafts projects conducted by 4 young ladies from Vedcchi Ashram as a part of their teaching internship.

Yuva Pragati also sponsors various projects at these schools to improve health and living conditions of these children which enhances their education and performance. We saw some of them: bunk beds, fresh water bore, water tank, toilet blocks, leaky roof repair and an assembly hall.

It was most exhilarating to see these children. They were innocent, happy and endearing. We fell in love with them. I had a captive audience, as we talked about how to dream and what they need to do to achieve it and live a good, healthy life. We covered various areas, like  building confidence, dropping shyness, curiosity as a way of life, courage during tough times, helping others and seeking help when needed, respect for others – especially for women, tenacity, good hygiene/habits and healthy life, staying away from vices, like tobacco and alcohol and, above all, believing that they are as capable as these doctors or Gandhiji or the Prime Minister of India, and that they can conquer the world.

For all of us, it was a heavenly experience. As we traveled in the bus together, singing, laughing and sharing life experiences, we developed friendships. We also marveled at the selfless work being done by the people at Adivasi Sanskar Mandal and Sister Nivedita Trust, and their lifelong devotion to educating these young children. I would invite doctors, dentists and all others to join us for this heavenly experience in our motherland next year, and the years to come.

Satya (Truth)

When Gandhiji used the word સત્ય, I wondered what it meant. Most equate the word with "not telling a lie". Obviously, that is not what he meant - rather, he meant much more than that. I concluded that he meant "All Life is One". But, if I cut off translations and interpretations, and go to the (Sanskrit) roots, this is what I found:

Most Sanskrit words are combinations of words:

સત્ય = સત + ત્ય
સત = Visible Order
       = Phenomenon (one that can be experienced by 5 senses)
           (Radiation, Light, Delight, Life, Enlightenment - as he puts it)
       = Manifestation (પ્રત્યક્ષ)
       = પ્રકૃતિ (Nature)
ત્ય   = Non-visible Order
       = Noumenon (one beyond sense perceptions; can be possibly known without senses)
       = Mystery (પરોક્ષ) - it is subtle
       = પુરુષ
       = The object itself (as opposed to its manifestation)

Hence,

સત્ય = Phenomenon + Noumenon
        = Visible Order + Non-visible Order (= Universal Order)
        = Manifestation + Mystery
        = પ્રત્યક્ષ + પરોક્ષ
        = પ્રકૃતિ + પુરુષ
        = Something + Nothing (using Lawrence Krauss's terminology)

{પ્રકૃતિ & પુરુષ are always together. One is a creative force (feminine), while the other is the inspiring force (Masculine) - one without the other is not possible (or, shall we say unstable?)}

{In the vedic tradition, Krishna is dark (Mystery) and Radha is the glowing light (Manifestation)}

Hence, the definition of સત્ય expanded to now mean "Universal Order"
Gandhiji eventually said: સત્ય એજ ભગવાન છે (Truth is God).
So, his autobiography is titled: સત્યના પ્રયોગો (Experiments with Truth)

Interestingly, nobody ever noticed that Gandhiji was a scientist (only scientists experiment to discover truth). His life was spent experimenting - with this idea of a Universal Order (and all life being one). He experimented with the physical world to see if he can apply this principle (if All Life is one; I am hurting myself if I hurt you; Your Pain is my pain, etc.) to win against the oppression of the British in South Africa and eventually in India. The fact that સત્યાગ્રહ was such a powerful force was only discovered by him with lots of small and increasing bigger experiments in South Africa over 25 years. (All documented in a 600 page book called જીવનનું પરોઢ - by Prabhudas Gandhi - his distant nephew, who lived with him as a young boy in Phoenix Ashram near Durban.) God never gave him a magic trick - he had to experiment and find out its power himself - over time.

Over time, he equated Truth with Love. (Hence "Love is God"). That is how he won over General Smuts with his love (in S.A.) and 300M+ people in India, and got millions of people to give up their lives to join his movement of સત્યાગ્રહ. To him, Love became a very powerful force. (Incidentally, Jesus's main teaching is to "love thy neighbour". But, nobody wants to follow this inconvenient truth.)

A Universe from Nothing - Reflection on the Book

A Universe from Nothing - by Lawrence Krauss

 

This book is wonderful. Very well written. Though deeply founded in science - its depth difficult to fully comprehend - it is written in an easy style, so that the conclusions can be well understood.

It concludes that (1) Universe had a beginning (2) It is Flat (3) It has Dark Matter and Dark Energy (99% of the Universe) that we cannot see, but conclude its existence through its effects. That we have emerged from Quantum Nothingness. Nothingness has energy, but lacks matter - a "mystery", as he calls it. Quantum fluctuations at the beginning of time created what we can see (something) from this nothingness.

All of this once and for all ridicules the idea of a creator and a creation (6,000 years ago, or otherwise). This has been the basis of many religions. So, religion is discarded. And, along with it, the idea of God.

He is emphatic about the "mystery". {The origin and nature of dark energy is without a doubt the biggest mystery in fundamental physics today. It is natural to suspect that its nature is tied in some basic way to the origin of the universe. And all signs suggest that it will determine the future of the universe as well. (last para in Chapter 5)}

His conclusions are very similar to the Vedantic view of the cosmos, which states the existence of only "one" (you might call it "energy"). What we see are manifestations of the same. Vedantic view of the cosmos is that of the "mystery" (પરોક્ષ; also labeled as પુરુષ ) and its "manifestation" (પ્રત્યક્ષ; also labeled as પ્રકૃતિ ). Hence, it is the process of "emanation", where the same reality (or energy) "changes its form". {...our universe arose through a process like that of inflation, a process whereby the energy of empty space (nothing) gets converted into the energy of something....(last page in Chapter 9)}

In other words, Nature (પ્રકૃતિ) is the manifestation of the same energy that we may not see (પુરુષ ). Hence, it is the "Nature" that is revered and worshiped. In Vedanta, God is "Nature". As a result, Hindus worship all forms of Nature (Rivers, Mountains. Trees, Cows....you name it) as God. Lawrence Krauss makes a compelling argument to support this view. The behavior of "nature" is not governed by a God, but by a set of rules (discovered by Science), like Gravity, Relativity, etc. At a cosmic level, this is all pre-ordained (by these laws - not by God), so one cannot affect its course (per Krauss). But, at human level, we can affect it significantly by our thoughts, words and deeds (per Vedanta & Gita).

[To be complete, God is viewed and worshiped in both of its aspects: Mystery and Manifestation - પુરુષ and પ્રકૃતિ. The generic name for the "one" (combined) view is "સત્ય" (Universal Order) and specific name given to it in Vedanta is "બ્રહ્મન"]

On a different front, Krauss has himself wondered what caused the beginning and what was there (if anything) before the beginning (13.72 billion years ago). Vedanta says that "one" (energy) is eternal - it just changes its form. Implication: 13.72 billion years ago, it changed its form. So, the Universe as we know it had a beginning, but that energy (or "nothing") had no beginning nor will it end.

We are so lucky to have science (ancient sages would have loved it). Science has been such a great means to prove (or disprove) the Vedantic view of the world. The contention between Science and Religion arose because of the idiotic views of many religions (including those practicing Hinduism) that somehow God created the world at some point in time. Among the Hindus, use of metaphors have significantly distorted its fundamental belief. Those who understand the fact that metaphors are only what they are - describing the original reality in a poetic and understandable way - are accepting of it (I put myself in that category). While vast majority view them as the actual truth - that is when the original truth is distorted, the idea of God is distorted. Worse yet, the atheists accept them as the original truth as propounded by the religion (because that is what they see everybody practicing), and hence are repulsed by it - not knowing that the truth lies elsewhere.

There is a huge gap between Science and most religions (as they are practiced) - especially the creationist theories. However, I continue to be amazed that Science and Vedanta are so complementary. The reason I was attracted to Vedanta was because I felt it could have been founded in Science, while it also bridged the gap between the Mind and the Heart.

If I were a poet

This is the story of a satisfying, elevating and enriching experience I had at two Youth Wellness Health Camps in Gujarat, India, organized by the Share & Care Foundation of USA in collaboration with local NGOs in January 2012. It played out in the deep rural villages of India that no one equates with the progressive India. But, it is its heart and soul, as it represents 70%+ of Indian population and much of its landmass.

Villages of India are beautiful, we visited some of them: Kureliya, Lachhakadi and Vansda (in South Gujarat); Bhimora, Amrapur, Ambardi and Ghela Somnath (in Saurashtra). Moreover, we also passed through several villages as we had a bus journey every day for 30 minutes to 1.5 hours each way.

Most attendees at the camp were physicians from the U.S. and local volunteers. While they focused on attending to the health of more than 2,500 rural school children over 2 weeks, I had the opportunity to interact with these children, their teachers, organizers and local villagers.

The most rewarding experience was being with the “nature”. The serene beauty of these rural villages was captivating. The landscape – the hills, untouched forests, cultivated fields, beautiful trees, vegetable and fruit plants, flowers and bushes, colorful sand, the occasional stream - combined with the villagers – their colorful dresses, wall colors, paintings and writings on these walls – create a beautiful tapestry in my mind. Some times the earth was rugged, while at times it was rich green. Sitting under a tree in the coolness of its shadow and talking with the children was a heavenly experience. At night, it was a pleasure to see so many bright stars.

And the children! They drew us in like a magnet. They were
raw, impressionable, innocent, eager, always smiling. They were the reason we went there, and we fell in love with them. Of course, on the surface, they were shy. They are taught to be that way. But, deep within – like all children - they were not. They were playful, inquisitive and endearing. They were as pristine as the landscape around them. If nothing else, just being with them would have made the whole trip worthwhile.

Most of my time was spent on talking with them. Getting them together was easy; a one minute conversation with a couple of them would culminate into a large crowd in 5 minutes. A lecture would not hold their attention, so we had a 2-way conversation. They were engaged through (leading) questions. The themes that ran across all this dialogue were: inspiration, courage, knowledge, behavior and good/healthy living. I wanted them to know that they could accomplish a lot – just like these doctors, or Gandhiji, or Kalpana Chawla (yes, every child knew her!) – and how could they go about it. There were hundreds of questions from them on a wide variety of subjects, including life in America. An added bonus: my
Gujarati improved. (On the last day, after a 2-hour marathon Q&A session in Ambardi, I lost my voice.) Some children also sang. Local folklore all the time – no influence of bollywood whatsoever. Children in Amrapur also asked me to sing an “English” song – they had never heard one before.

Bharat, a 4th grader at Ambardi School, is worth a mention. His teachers brought him to me, saying he is brilliant, gets top marks, can run the whole class without a teacher. But, he has a vice – Gutka (chewing tobacco), for which he would even steal. They asked me to give him some advice. After I talked to him, he promised he would not eat Gutka again. Next day, as soon as we reached the school, he came looking for me, apparently to report a day without Gutka. He asked me for my phone number, saying he will call me after I leave the school. He represents the plight of many a young blood, who have tremendous potential, but need help and guidance. I hope he garners the strength to stay away from Gutka.

In South Gujarat, all were Adivasi (Scheduled Tribe – ST) children, while in Saurashtra, they belonged to the so-called Other Backward Class (OBC), also known as Baxi Panch. Communities also included other castes, like Rajput, Brahman, etc., and rare Muslims or Christians. As expected, these villagers were poor, lacking good nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, (higher) education as well as many comforts of modern life (TV, Computers, etc.), with the exception of mobile phones. They lived a hard-working and active life, because laziness was not an option. They were incredibly personable, respectful, soft-spoken and (borrowing a word from our world) cool! I can honestly say that I saw happiness all around.

Some observations about these people: Families are big (4 to 8 children) which contributes to poverty. I was surprised to find that there is no “dowry” for marriage. In fact, the boy’s family gives the girl (bride) some gold (pallu), which becomes her property for life – a lifelong fall back in case of need. Gutka is a problem in Saurashtra. Drinking is not as prevalent as I had thought. (Everybody I talked to did not drink, but they knew people who did.) Not much influence of religion or God. People are generally trusting of each other, and the environment is pretty safe.

I also got to meet some enlightening people. Bhagubhai Darji – a soft-spoken, publicity shy Gandhian and doyen of Ashram Shalas in South Gujarat; Gulabbhai and Ushaben Jani of Sister Nivedita Trust in Rajkot, who have done enormous work in educating children, especially in rural areas. I also got to know some of their staff that has worked tirelessly all through their lives – not just for a few years –towards the same goal. Dr. Kishorbhai Mistry who, after 20+ years in he U.S., now lives in Baroda, giving free medical service to its slum dwellers. (He has also started a knowledge base of Indian NGOs, called NOVOI) He was with us for 2 days – but stayed in the Ashram Shala at night (not with us in the comfort of the Guest House). These people are symbols of many such unknown stalwarts that have dedicated their lives to the upliftment of people all over the world. We can only bow to them and seek their blessings.

It is also worth mentioning Digvirendrasinh Solanki – the (ex)King of Vansda, who invited us to his palace, treated us to Upma/Tea and gave a tour of his historical adventures. He also told us that when he was a young “Yuvraj” studying at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, he met Gandhiji, who taught him that the biggest virtue of a King is not his wealth nor his power, but his humility. Personally, meeting a descendant of Solanki/Chalukya dynasty was awesome, while vivid memories of my own grandfather (who looked just like him) came back.

The backdrop of this experience was “freedom”. I was surrounded by successful doctors and volunteers. But, nobody had a personal agenda or an axe to grind. Nobody had anything to show, and nobody to show to. We were all there to see, observe, experience, give and enjoy. This was total freedom from ego (well, almost), which brought out the best in all.

Another dimension of this backdrop was “Gujarat” and “India” – the motherland to all of us at the camp. This was the Gujarat of Siddharaj Jaysinh (Solanki), Munjal Mehta, Kak and Manjari. This was the India of Gandhiji and Sardar Patel. I was happy to be in the lap of the mother. I saw everything that was familiar (a physical illusion) – or, felt familiar (the mental truth). What else could be more comforting?

Along with the familiar motherland came the lovely food, served with warmth and well-known rural hospitality - not the exotic kind, but the simple, tasteful, everyday Gujarati food, along with a variety of fruits – jambu, shingoda, peru, aamla and other familiar varieties. This was heaven for such an indulgence. It is worth noting that the schools that served us food do not have enough money, and their children hardly get to eat such food; but, the hospitality of these noble people transcends everything.

There was plenty of icing on the cake: The welcoming ceremonies and breakfast at every school, every morning, without fail; the painstakingly prepared (4+ hour) cultural program by the children at Kureliya; the courageous girls of Vanchan Shibir who spoke in public for 10 minutes without any notes; the marvelous Ambubhai (teaching for 29 years) who conducted Vanchan Shibir and who had the children laughing and jumping; visiting the king’s palace at Vansda; interesting conversations with the Adivasis who had come for training at the BAIF Training Center (and Guest House) in Lachhakadi; taking a tour of this training center, its fields, mango and cashew plantations and processing plants; buying some exotic stuff at their little store; Dr. Bharatiben showing us various crops with the passion of a seasoned gardener; taking a tour of the Okra field with a farmer and meeting his family; marveling at the farmer’s son climbing up a tree and shaking loose several bors (fruit) to the ground so we could eat them right away; taking a tour of several farms of the Amrapur Ashram Shala; the generosity of teachers at Ambardi Ashram Shala, who gave their scarce food to the 1st grade children of another school at 3 p.m. when they realized that those children had been hungry since morning.

And even more icing: The serene beauty of Ghela Somnath and mesmerizing sunset on the way there; the rugged, brave and smiling woman cook at Ghela Somnath, who joined us for a bus ride and had us marvel at her life; the calm priest of Ghela Somnath (Dada), who joined us for breakfast; the keen ear of the driver in Saurashtra – who never missed a word of his passengers in the midst of the engine noise; discovering the young poet (and singer) in Vatsalbhai in the bus; the singing by all of us in the bus as we traveled through beautiful landscapes; the sincerity, dedication and hard work of local organizers at both camps; especially Kiritbhai and Vatsalbhai in Saurashtra, who made us wonder if they ever slept; the enormous dedication of young student/physician/pharmacist volunteers in all places – especially the passion of the young pharmacist in Saurashtra; the magic of Dr. Ushaben as she produced exotic fruits for us every evening from nowhere; the dedication and desire for service among the visiting doctors, many of whom have been doing this for years; and the endless conversations with the doctors about life and its beauty – and the ensuing friendships.

Finally, a picture that vividly sticks with me is that of the smiling children, giving us high-fives (we showed them) when we arrived every morning, and when we left in the evening, underscoring the feeling that we come and go, but our bonds will stay for ever; and my own desire and wish that they will dream, and be inspired to fulfill that dream, and one day become whatever they want to be in life; and that some of them will be sitting in doctors’ chairs years from now.

I was glad to be in heaven, in the midst of the beautiful, pristine, rural India and its people. If I were a poet, I would write an epic; if I were an artist, I would paint a masterpiece. Both would not have taken up so much space.

But, at the moment, this is the best I can do.

13. Scriptures and The Absolute Truth

Q13. Do the scriptures contain the absolute truth?

A13. It is up to one to figure it out. Scriptures are nothing else but tools for the human mind to think about and act on finding the absolute truth. They may give clues to it. But, just because something is written in a scripture does not make it the truth. That is true of scriptures of all religions. If there is anything like a word of God, it is not in the scriptures, it is within one’s own capacity to find it. And (if one believes in God) one may find several words of God within.

The world provides several avenues to find the truth. Scriptures, atheists, role models, thought leaders, social service, meditation, science, and umpteen other tools are available to one. It would be a mistake to take any one of them to be a gospel, because each is imperfect, though each may contain aspects of truth in different forms, and hence very useful indeed.

The Elitist Spiral

In early 2010, I went to Westfield State College to see Greg Mortenson. I had never heard of Westfield State College – a local college not known outside central Massachusetts, though with a large enrollment, as I discovered. About 20% of the 2,000 people who came to listen to Greg were students at the college. Greg asked how many of them were first generation college students (a part of Greg’s grand plan), and to my amazement, about 2/3rd of hands went up. The place was up in roar and full of cheer as we celebrated these young men and women who were the first ever in their entire family to go to college. It was a very special moment for 2 girls sitting next to me as they realized what a great accomplishment it was for them.

It was an incredible and emotional moment. Here I was - from an elite college - sitting in the midst of what I (and many of us) consider a 4th tier college. The students and everybody around here can’t be that smart. They don’t work hard enough. Their life can’t be that exciting. They are almost at the bottom of the pyramid. We don’t even know – or care to know – that they exist.

There are a large number of people in United States (and 100 times more in the world) for whom even a rudimentary education is like conquering Mount Everest. For many of them, attending Westfield State College is far more difficult – and a much greater achievement – than many children of the Elite attending Harvard.

We are very proud of those who attend Elite colleges. Graduates of Elite colleges tend to be well off, share their wealth with their Elite alma mater, so they can churn out more Elite graduates. Graduates from Harvard and MIT donate time and money to these Elite institutions. They get a lot of news and lots of praise. How about those who are first in their family to attend Westfield State College?

The Elite breed the Elite, and the spiral continues. At a macro level, the Elitist spiral is huge, and firmly embedded in the society. I should know, because I have been a part of one.

Happily, this spiral has leaks. Recently, Deshpande foundation announced $5M for the Merrimack Valley (not an Elite community) improvement. Bill Gates broke out of this spiral long ago. And there are thousands of others who quietly give their time and money for the upliftment of others.

To be sure, Elite helping Elite is not wrong. It is a necessity for continuing improvement of the society. But, as the Elite venture more and more outside the Elitist spiral, the society has a chance to get better and better.

12. Are Hinduism and other religions well-understood?

Q12. Are Hinduism and other religions well-understood?

A12. There are several misconceptions about Hinduism. These are all wide-spread among the Hindus themselves (probably even more so among the educated and elite), not to speak of non-Hindus and atheists. Here are some examples:
1. There are many Gods in Hinduism. (Hence, it is a non-monotheistic religion.)
2. God is Good. And that God is the one I worship.
3. Leave everything to God, as HE controls all actions. We are mere pawns in HIS hands.
4. Do not expect fruits of your actions (detachment).
5. Shun material pleasures (renunciation).
6. If you sincerely pray, God will listen, and your wish will be granted.
7. Caste system, as we know it, and as it is practiced, is in accordance with Hindu scriptures.
8. Hindu scriptures are very succinct and clear, without any ambiguity.
9. Vedic scriptures are not as well-known because we don't try hard enough to publicize them.

(There are probably 100s more, but this is a good start).

Let us take each one:

1. There are many Gods in Hinduism. (Hence, it is a non-monotheistic religion.)
The Vedic scriptures, which are the origin of Hinduism, are very clear about the nature of God. They unequivocally state that there is not only one God (as stated by all major religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism), but God is the only one, and there is no second. Because nothing exists other than God, God can be seen and worshipped in anything and everything. Hence, it is OK to worship God in any form - in a stone, a tree, water, or as Vishnu or Christ or Allah - whatever suits you. Hence, people worship one God in many forms (deities), and now even the worshippers themselves believe that these are all different Gods!

2. God is Good. And that God is the one I worship.
All Hindu scriptures (Vedas, Gita, etc.) clearly declare that God is inanimate and impersonal, without any form or attribute. Hence, "Good" is an attribute that God cannot have. God cannot be good or bad. God cannot be perceived by common senses (sight, speech, hearing, taste, touch). God does not have a name either, but had to be called something ("Brahman" in Hinduism).

Interestingly, other religions say the same thing! They all declare that God cannot be described, does not have a form, does not have a name. For convenience, they attempt to give a name (with a lot of caution and caveats) - Allah (Islam), Yahweh (Christianity), YHWH (Judaism). (Note: Jesus or Muhammad or Abraham are not considered Gods - but some representative of God.) In fact, because no "one" name can be given to God, all these religions have several names of God - still they are monotheistic.

It is clear that all religions worship the same God, but struggle to describe HER (or, is IT a HE?) - the indescribable! And the moment they attempt some description, they begin to limit HER, and begin to differentiate their God from the Gods of other religions, convinced that their God is different from that of all other religions. And then, being God's real children that they are, they firmly believe that their God is the right one, and everybody else is not fortunate enough to know the truth. So, they either patronize them (God bless them, and show them the folly of their ways), or curse them (they will go to hell).

3. Leave everything to God, as HE controls all actions. We are mere pawns in HIS hands.
This is the most widely held belief in Hinduism (and also in many religions). Gita states the exact opposite in virtually all of its chapters. It urges people to take "action" - as, without action, there is no fruit, no life, no living. It makes a very compelling case for taking action - active, appropriate and selfless action - as a fundamental attribute of living. Hence, "effort" is given huge importance.

But then, why the misconception?

This is what the scriptures mean:
a. Fruits (results) of any action are governed not only by your own action, but by several other extraneous factors, beyond one's control (i.e. natural forces, action by others, etc.)
b. As a result, you should be aware that you do not have complete control over the results. A very simplistic interpretation of this: God controls everything, hence leave everything (results) to HIM.

4. Do not expect fruits of your actions (detachment).
As stated above, because the "results" are not completely in your hands, you should not grieve or gloat over the fruits - i.e. have "detachment" from the fruits of your actions. Some people have misunderstood this as "not to expect fruits of their actions". Expectation of fruits from action is essential, without which, appropriate action cannot be taken; just no need to be overly attached to the fruits.

5. Shun material pleasures (renunciation).
This is a big one. The scriptures merely indicate that material pleasures are only temporary in nature. They also indicate that in life's journey, material pleasure may become less important over time, simply because other aspects of life may become more appealing.

Because we have senses as an essential part of our physical existence, pleasures of those senses are also an essential part of living. The idea is to keep these senses under control, such that they are used in a productive (rather than a destructive) way. Hence, the scritpures emphasize "control" over senses. The false interpretation has driven people away from so much richness of the scriptures. (More about renunciation in Q5 and Q6.)

6. If you sincerely pray, God will listen, and your wish will be granted.
This statement is probably true of all religious practices. The purpose of a prayer is to seek inner peace - peace of mind, body and spirit. With peace of mind, it is likely that one would be able to think wisely. The body is likely to be more invigorated and have physical strength. And it is more likely to elevate the spirit, as prayer inspires optimism. Besides, a prayer implies some level of humility (somebody is "higher" than me), which is always a good thing, as it dampens the ego. There is no implication that prayer is the only tool to prepare for better action. But, it is one powerful tool, none-the-less, at least for a large number of people, if not for all. Hence, prayer is "self-help". And since "self" is identified with God according to Vedanta, one can argue that the statement (God will grant your wishes) may actually be even true, if one (self) tries hard enough.

7. Caste system, as we know it, and as it is practiced, is in accordance with Hindu scriptures.
There is some debate if the current practice follows scriptures. Scriptures do mention 4 castes, but that classification is according to professions - it is not a social structure. Many Hindus know this, and believe it as such. However, casteism is firmly embedded in the social structure and psyche of Hindus. This is the biggest downfall of Hinduism, and the biggest mistake the sages made (of even mentioning it, or not clarifying it enough).

8. Hindu scriptures are very succinct and clear, without any ambiguity.
All of the Hindu scriptures (Vedas, Upanishads, Gita, Puranas, etc.) unequivocally state the oneness of God with life. However, once that is done, they feel obliged to expand and explain and explore. Then, they are full of metaphors and stories. Somehow, sages preferred metaphors to express what they saw as the truth. May be, because metaphors gave the subject matter some kind of poetic quality. Or, is it that they wanted to challenge and tease the intellect to try and figure it out? Or, may be, the stories made it easy for simple-minded people to understand. The language has its limitations, and without adding color and context, it is difficult to drive home a point. Whatever may be the reason, metaphors and stories create an environment for open interpretations. Hence, in theory, one can be very liberal with these metaphors and interpret them whichever way they like, including taking them (stories and metaphors) as the fundamental truths (rather than a way to understand some aspect of the truth). However, as one explores, thinks, debates and reasons over these scriptures, the clarity begins to emerge. Without proper thought, they are subject to umpteen interpretations.

I suspect, this phenomenon is true of all religions in varying degrees. They are severely misunderstood by one and all.

I would hypothesize that some time in future (may be, thousands or millions of years from now), when humans have acquired enough intelligence and sharpened their cognitive power, they would not require "color" in order to understand a concept. In that case, future sages will refrain from metaphors and stories, and stick to simple truths without tyring to provide any color. Tons and tons of books will eventually consolidate into a few sentences, or just even a word, or just even a sound, or just only silence!

May be, this has already happened, and if we are sharp enough, we already see it!

9. Vedic scriptures are not as well-known because we don't try hard enough to publicize them.
The history books are full of long and truthful explanations about the suppression of these scriptures and their thoughts, with the rise of other religions. However, in my opinion, the biggest enemies of Vedic scriptures are Hindus themselves - 99.9% of them. Over the years, they have created so much myth and misunderstanding about Hinduism (and by extension, the Vedic scriptures), that it has driven away most of the wise people from them. As a result, the wise people have not studied these Scriptures to try and understand what they say, relying completely on what they see and hear hence, having significant misconception about them, and the religion itself.

By the same token, I think this is true of all religions. All religions have been heavily misinterpreted, misunderstood and mispractised by most people - especially by their practitioners. If the real truth were to be known, non-believers (5% of population) would become religious, and believers (95%) would have to look for other reasons to fight with each other.

11. Thank God for the atheists

Q11. What to make of atheists in the world dominated by theists?

A11. Atheists, in most cases, are very reasonable and logical people. They do not believe in God, because they have not seen any proof, nor has anybody reasoned to their satisfaction the existence of God. (Though, theists will vehemently argue that they have umpteen proofs.)They provide a valuable service to the society, because they seem to be the only logical people. Theists provide all kinds of arguments ("faith" for example) that only reinforces atheists' belief, that theists are grappling for straws, and that God's existence is non-scientific, unreasonable and unproved.

Most atheists are good people. They do good because they want to - not because of some higher level calling. They do not have to defend or argue for any God. May be, their mind is free of a lot of clutter that could (potentially) come with belief in God, especially if it is one particular God (Christ or Allah or Vishnu, etc.), as is the case with most theists. They could make space for more productive thoughts and deeds, if they don't spend their time arguing with theists. In that regard, they are very useful to the society.

Thank God for the atheists.

However, life is not simple and logical. For the theists, the heart triumphs over mind. If we think that the mind is not well understood, the heart is even less so. The world is ruled more by the heart than the mind. In that regard, theists have a better weapon - they have an advantage.

The fanatics among the theists want to convert the atheists. They want to provide all kinds of arguments to convince atheists to see the light. But, they always miserably fail, because they attempt the impossible - trying to prove the unprovable - at least, to the satisfaction of atheists. The servants of the mind do not take too kindly to the language of the heart, because they don't speak the same language. Atheists have the same problem, trying to convince the theists of the folly of their beliefs. Because of the language differences, one never understands the other. But, they keep arguing, nonetheless.

Theists are good people too, I suppose. Thank God for the theists.

The beauty is that we have the mind as well as the heart, both providing significant energy for life and happiness, if used properly.

Thank God (or, whoever) for giving them both to us - the mind and the heart; the theists and the atheists. If we did not have one of them, life won't be fun, and God would get bored. God must be smart.