… I was articulating a geo-political vision for India. She has to interpret and integrate her past in determining the choice of her present actions in interaction with her complex challenges.
The British had a geo-political vision while they were running India. But the Republic Of India had none. We had an ideology in non-violence and non-alignment. But ideologies are empty unless you have the power to protect and expand it.
The collapse of Soviet communism and third world non- aligned movement is ample evidence for that. The Hindu civilization does need a state. Just as the Judeo-Christian civilization had a succession of states (the present one, but not the last, being the United States) to further its influence globally (through proselytization, colonization, techno-knowledge, capital, consumer goods and services and ideologies).
Similarly Hinduism has to aspire for global influence. Dharma in its minimal sense is universal to all religions. Hinduism has no lock on that idea. But Hinduism has better vocabulary and institutional, intellectual and spiritual frameworks to investigate, interpret, innovate, protect and propagate the idea of dharma.
Thus an idea has to become a way of life and culturally and politically expressed in legally and morally justifiable institutions and practices. Dharma has also to be expressed in people's productive and distributive enterprises, in the modalities of defending their way of life, and expanding their influence.
If Hindus don't expand/ adapt/innovate they will continue to be an ensemble of empty noises. Creative peace and happiness in which every individual is free to grow and express the way he/she chooses should be the Hindu ideal. Mere sloganeering about dharma will not take Hindus to that goal. What Hindus need is purposive action, not pious words.
Its driving force will be geo-economic-political.
Swami Bodhananda
From an email response to J K, 1 August 2003