What is Sanatan Dharma?

Sanatan, means Eternal and Universal. Dharma, is a collection of practices based on the Vedas. 

Sanatan literally means "no beginning no end". we need to understood this across three dimensions - Time, Space, and Causation. 

On the time dimension implies that it is ETERNAL. In other words, there was never a time when it did not exist. It existed at all times - before creation (Srishti) and after destruction (pralayam). 

On the space dimension it implies that it is UNIVERSAL. Per the vedic scriptures, there are billions of such universes each consisting of 14 planes of existence that sustain intelligent life forms. The 14 planes (Loka) include the 7 Northern loka's - Bhoo:, Bhuva:, Svarga, Maha:, Jana: Tapa: and Satyam; and the 7 Southern loka's - Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Mahatala, Rasatala, Talatala, and Patala. 

The Causation dimension implies that it was not created by an individual being. Even God, the Brahmam, did not create the Vedas, the  body of knowledge that form the basis of Sanatan Dharma.

What is Dharm?

Dharm, is defined as "Veda Bodita Ishata Sadanam". Firstly, Dharm is a practice that has be described in the Vedas. It has to be followed as described. When done so, it is supposed to bestow the desires of the person who performs it. Activities not described in the Vedas are not Dharm, even if they are Just, Legal, and Humanitarian. For Example, donations given to humanitarian causes do not fall under what is described in the Vedas as "daan". On the other hand, the vedic practice of "marriage" in which, the father performs the "kanya daan" of his daughter to the groom, is a Dharmic practice. Similarly, there are specific procedures defined in the vedas for donation of cow (Go Daan). 

The other interesting aspect is that the procedure described in the vedas do not change wherever in the universe it is practiced. 

Knowledge in Hinduism

 In English, there are only two states to Knowledge - Knowledge and Ignorance. Our Shastras identify 4 states -- ज्ञान अनुदय , विपरीत ज्ञान, अन्यथा ज्ञान , यातावस्तित ज्ञान - roughly translatable to : forgetfulness, distorted knowledge, incorrect knowledge, and correct knowledge. These states are respectively driven directly by our "Gun" - These are of three types - Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. High in Tamas leads to Forgetfullness. Moderate to high Tamas leads to विपरीत ज्ञान. High in Rajas leads to अन्यथा ज्ञान. Sattva Gun leads to यातावस्तित ज्ञान. Gun, is in turn fostered by our dietary habits. Sattvic diet and morning time leads to high levels of Sattva Gun. Rajasic Diet + afternoons leads to Rajo gun. Tamasic Diet + evening time leads to Tamo Gun. Diet is therefore very very important in the acquisition of "Correct knowledge". Vegetables like Onion and Garlic and classified as Tamas. High in chilli and salt is classified as Rajas. Bland to balanced food is Sattvic. All forms of Meat (animal derivates) with the exception of Milk and milk products are Tamasic. However, Even milk has become contanimated these days because of excessive use of harmones etc. to boost Cow productivity. Vegan Diet devoid of Onion and Garlic is highly recommended for the "Expansion of knowledge" ज्ञान विकास।

ज्ञान विकास is fundamental to the "intellectual evolution to higher capabilities" The primary differentiator between us human. beings and Devas is their knowledge is more expanded than ours.The primary differentiator between us and animals is that our knowledge is more expanded than theirs. The primary differentiator between animals and plants is that the knowledge of animals is more expanded than that of plants.

Why do shastras use the word "ज्ञान विकास"? because, in its pristine form (कर्म विनिर्मुक्त) form आत्मा is pure intelligence (ज्ञानमय और ज्ञान गुणक)। अनादि कर्म forms a covering layer on it disallowing the ज्ञान to shine. Our learning does not impart new knowledge to us. Learning only serves to "remind" us of what we already know.

When Bhagvan says in the Bhagavad Gita, that he has created the 4 varnas per Gun and Karma, know how the Gun influences knowledge as above. Evidently, there is an interconnection between Gun and Karm...because Gun influences knowledge, that influences our intent, decision and action. Sattva Gun leads to elevated knowledge and thus Punya Karm or Nishkamya Karm, while Rajo Gun and Tamo Gun drive knowledge that leads to higher Pap karm than Punya karm. Thus, based on the karm performed in previous lifes, Bhagvan, through the system of Karma assigns the future varna in which the individual would be born. He thus ensures the individual's desires from the previous janm are also satisfied. How you are in this life, your thoughts, intent, decisions, and actions, and accumulated karm thereof, determines your state of birth in the next life.

Charuvaka Matham

 Charuvakan is called Atheist in common parlance.

Pramanam - only Pratyaksham

Consciousness (Self Awareness) - Chaitanyam is born when the (4 or) 5 stoola bhootas - (Akasham,) Vayu, Agni, Aapa:, and Prithvi interact together.

Example: There is no red color inherent in the Betel Leaf. However, it causes red color on the tongue when chewed. 

Svarga/Naraka: The experiences - favorable and unfavorable, enjoyed/suffered by the "chaitanyam" is the Svarga/Naraka.

Death: When the 5 Stoola Bhootas disintegrate (separate), the chaitanyam is destroyed. This is death/moksha. There is nothing beyond this (i.e no after life etc.)

The theory of Three

Three things exist in eternity. That means, they always exist. That means they do not have a created/manufactured date and no expiry date either.

They are:

1. Chit - the Self-Aware Intelligence Faculty in each living being, that helps it to identify itself as "I".
2. Achit - the non-intelligence material body take up by the Chit. Every living and non-living matter that we can see/experience through sense organs is pervaded by a Chit/Self-Awareness Intelligence Faculty. 
3. Ishwara - the Director of the Chit and Achit.

Please note that the every living being and non-living being is a physical object composed of matter, pervaded by an invisible Chit through a capability/faculty of "external knowledge" referred to as Dharma Bhuta Gnana (DBG)

Therefore, when I say, "My body" - the My refers to the invisible Self-Aware Intelligence Faculty and the Body refers to the physical matter. When this SAIF leaves the body, the body loses its "external knowledge" as well. The faculty of external knowledge (DBG) works as an intermediary function between the external world, sense organs, and the SAIF - carrying the knowledge about external objects back and forth.

The expression "My Body" clearly establishes the My to be different from the Body. Thus, the SAIF is an independent separate entity from the human  body it has occupied.

Ishwara, the Director is a silent spectator, who pervades inside the SAIF, inside the physical body/matter, and outside the physical body/matter - thus, filling everything, everywhere. Hence Ishwara is Omnipresent. It being a Super-Conscious ALL AWARENESS, is also called Omniscient. Being In and Out, at all times, eternally, it knows the Past, Present, and Future. Being the Director, provided the SAIF is tuned to listen to it, Ishwara can direct the Chit in the right direction for its betterment and happy future.

What have you done today, for a better next life?

He works today to lead a better life tomorrow
He earns grains today to eat for tomorrow
He sleeps today to feel fresh tomorrow
He eats today to feel energetic tomorrow
He establishes a home to come back to it tomorrow
Alas, foolish man!
What have you done today for a better next life?

Antaryami - The Omnipresent who pervades in and out

1. Antaryami is the fourth state in which the Lord exists.
2. The Lord pervades everything and every one in the cosmos that we know (through Hubble et al.) and don't know (that have thus far defied our advanced intellect and collective scientific knowledge to discover)
3. He pervades everything and everyone FROM INSIDE and OUTSIDE (Antar bahishcha tat sarvam vyapya narayaNas stitaha - is the line from Narayana Suktam indicating this)
4. This makes him Vibhu (All Pervading)
5. This makes him Brahmam (Literal meaning of Brahmam is "That which is BIG" or "Immesurable")
6. Yet, it makes itself small enough to reside inside the sentient being (faculty of knowledge and intelligence) within each of us - a faculty referred to as Atma.
7. The Atma is anu (micro/atomic in size)
8. That means, that which is Brahmam (BIG) pervades inside that which is is anu (atomic). Seemingly (scientifically) contradictory, but possible ONLY for HIM.
9. The Hindu Brahmam does not discriminate anyone by religion, caste, color, country, languages known, educational qualifications, ability to analyze things scientifically, etc. 
10. One does not have to be a Hindu to try to know Him or have a relationship with him.
11. He is available and accessible to each of us in our own capacity. All it requires is to know that He is within each of us, and an intent to know Him, and build that relationship.
12. Even if you are the follower of a different religion that has taught you to hate Hindu Gods and its ritualisitc, and idol worshipping methodologies, He is in each of you waiting for you to acknowledge and talk to Him. Yes, He is waiting, within you ... even if you are in denial of His existence within you! That is the hard reality - but a reality that makes the whole cosmos a Hindu by existence. 
13. That makes Hinduism the de facto existential religion of mankind and the religion of all life that you/scientists will find in other planets elsewhere in some galaxy far far away.
14. When scientists will find life in space, in another planet, they should not be surprised to find them reading and practicing the Hindu scriptures - the Vedas. So, Hindus, be assured, it is a religion that cannot be wiped out, how much ever "conversions" take place. 
15. In Kaliyuga, Dharma will take a severe beating. It is visualized as a calf standing on one leg. At the dawn of the next krita-yuga it will return to stand on all four.
16. Dharma is neither created, nor destroyed, nor modified in any of the four yugas. Dharma is Dharma - it always remains the same. Number of people realizing, propagating, practicing, and protecting Dharma will decline from Krita Yuga to Kaliyuga and the cycle will repeat every Chaturyuga.
17. If you are reading this, and recognize yourself as a Hindu, your only duty during this existence is to practice your Dharma - that has been assigned to you owing to your Varna and Ashrama.
18. Varna's are four categories of people - Knowledge workers dedicated to the propagation of Dharma and creation of the ambience for the practice of the Dharma (Brahman), Rulers and Warriors that defend and protect the knowledge workers who propagate Dharma (Kshatriya), Traders that focus on wealth creation in order to sustain the pursuits of Dharma by the two categories stated above (Vysya), and Labor force, Utility and Service providers that help with all the remaining service tasks required to sustain Dharmic practices of the three categories stated above (Shudra). Thus, the distribution of work between the four varnas is oriented towards the propagation and the practice of Dharma. That means, for anyone that recognizes as a Hindu, the practice of his/her Dharma is sole purpose of LIFE. Wealth creation is the Dharma only of Vysya community and not that of others. Wealth flows from Vysya to Kshatriya (through Taxation) and from Kshatriya to Brahman (through Dana/gifts) and from Brahman/Vyashya/Kshatriya to Shudra (payment for services). 
19. Coming back to the Antaryami, who is seated in each of our hearts, His sole purpose is to sit there and watch you - whether you are practicing your Dharma or not. If you practice your Dharma, you can make Him happy. If He is happy, he will help you in progressing in the pursuit of Dharma by removing obstacles on your way. 
20. If on the other hand, you ignore your Dharma and go on doing something un-related to your Varna, it displeases Him. He will create obstacles on the path of your wrong pursuit so as to make you think and act decisively in favor of your Dharma. If you persist with the wrong (Adharmic) pursuits, He will hand you a Paap (karmic points) for your wrong doing which you have get rid of by taking repeated births in this karmic world.
21. Antaryami will not act on your behalf. He is merely the faculty of consciousness - merely a witness - sitting there to guide you. So if you do something wrong that is against your Dharma, and as a result if you suffer its consequences, do not blame Him for that result. 
22. Learn to know and recognize the presence of the Antaryami in you, befriend Him, and in every decision and action of yours, request Him to show you the path to practicing your Dharma.
23. It does not matter how old you are, once you start engaging Him, you will see quick results. 
24. If you recognize yourself as a follower of a religion other than Hinduism, please realize that you are also pervaded by the Hindu Brahmam in its Antaryami form. The fortunate thing is that the Brahmam with it innumerable beneficial attributes does nor discriminate. Acknowledge its beneficial attributes and ask it to guide you in what would be your Dharma for this life. He will point you in the right direction. Make the Antaryami your friend. He is very much part of you, as He is part of every thing and every one in this cosmos.

Creation and Evolution Should be Studied In the light of Sentience in Living Beings

Dictionary defines science as "the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment."

Let us try to digest this definition first:

What is science? It is an Activity;  It is an Intellectual Activity; It is a Practical Activity; It is a Systematic Study
What does it encompass? It encompasses the Systematic Study; (Of Structure and Of Behavior;) (of Physical and Natural World) (Through Observation and Experiment)

Two Dissimilar things are acknowledged here in this definition:

1. There is "Intellect" and therefore there is "Intellectual Activity" that can be performed.
2. There is a Physical and Natural World that can be Observed and Experimented with by the "Intellect"

The Physical and Natural World includes a complex combination of two dissimilar things, from the point of view of "Living Beings." (From Unicellular Organism, all the way to Human Beings).

1. The Physical Body - The visible material thing made of 5 elements - Water, Air, Space, Fire and Physical Matter.
2. Life - the invisible, abstract component that keeps the visible component running

This article attempts to explore/understand Life, and its relationship with the physical body.

Life is the "Intelligence" faculty that is continuously operating within each of us. The Intelligence not only tells helps you in decision making when faced with a complex situation, it also takes makes certain decisions involuntarily to keep the body operating - maintain the body temperature, keep the internal organs operating etc.

When "Intelligence" goes away - the remaining Physical Body - will not respond to any medical treatment nor will its internal bodily organs function.  Death is therefore the "Separation of Intelligence" - or simply put, the separation of the two dissimilar things that came together at the time of birth of the "living being".

Therefore:

LIFE = INTELLIGENCE

It is the same with other life forms - insects, fishes, birds, animals, etc. However, the maturity of the "intelligence" faculty varies  from the Human's. The intelligence faculty is the highest in human compared to other life forms, because it is in this form that a person is capable of owning the responsibility for one's actions. If a tiger kills its prey, even if it is a human being, it will not be tried in a court of law and hung for the murder. Humans are the only ones that need a constitution and a code of law within the framework of which, he/she may act responsibly in "pursuit of happiness."

Responsibility, Restraint, Charity, Kindness, etc are all considered virtuous human qualities. Intelligence is the trigger to feel and practice these qualities. Such a human being is considered to be "more evolved" than the ones that practice meaningless violence in the name of some warped scriptural injunction. People that practice these virtuous qualities also feel more at peace with themselves than the others. Education is the process by which we expand the horizons of the knowledge and fine tune the intelligence to pursue these human values, and seek happiness within the framework of law.

That means the primary role of the intelligence (that makes humans superior) is the ability to discriminate the good (virtue) from the bad (non-virtue). We humans, as decision makers in every situation in life, are responsible for our actions, and pursuits. We may consider ourselves as the enjoyer /sufferer of the results of our actions and pursuits. The residual result of each of our action is called Karma.

Karmic Debt we have collected as a result of our decisions to act in a certain manner accumulate over a life-time and it, along with our strongest desires at the time of death, determine the circumstances of our future birth. We are very much born in the next life, to fulfil the desires from past life. However, the life-form we will assume will depend on whether we behaved "responsibly" in previous life - by refraining from harming other living forms, conducted ourselves in compliance with the law of the land, refrained from harming nature in our pursuit of wealth, etc.

Therefore, acting responsibly in this life has an implication on our future life. This cycle continues on and on, until we become devoid of desires. At the zenith of the evolution of intelligence - human desires in pursuit of happiness will die down - and we will come to an understanding that our happiness is intrinsic to each of us - and does not lie in our material possessions. When desires die out completely, in that birth, the human being attains the so called nirvana or the escape from the birth/death cycle. The logic is straight forward - you have no more desires - what do you have to take another birth for?