Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Official Report 688KB pdf

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Time for Reflection

Good afternoon. Our time for reflection leader today is Dr Ravindra Mehta, who represents the University of Glasgow Hindu society and is a foundation doctor at Ninewells hospital in Dundee.

Good afternoon. It is an extraordinary privilege and honour to be here today addressing the leaders of our nation in time for reflection.

My name is Ravindra Mehta, and I am here to talk about Hinduism. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world; it is at least 5,000 years old. It is an ancient tradition that is, at its heart, spiritual, altruistic and egalitarian. Perhaps one of the most defining features of Hinduism is its pluralism—not tolerance, because tolerance is by definition a clause of disagreement by means of mutual acceptance. Pluralism is a contemporaneous notion, it is a belief, if you will, in finding points of convergence in world beliefs and in celebrating—not to mention respecting—the similarities between different faiths. That is what Hinduism encourages. Hinduism has no conversion criteria and is, by definition, a non-proselytising faith.

A good example of pluralism would be the story of a young Hindu prince named Siddharta, who travelled through his native India more than 2,000 years ago. His ideas—like those of many people before him—inspired people to do good and better themselves. He was respected and revered as the Enlightened One: the Buddha. That was one of many branches of Hinduism that is known today as Buddhism.

Hinduism represents thousands of beliefs that all conform to a universal code of conduct: karma, which is a cyclical belief in cause and effect and in treating others in the way in which you would like to be treated; dharma, which is righteousness, non-violence and respect for all humanity, creation and the environment; moksha, which is spiritual guidance and ethics; and artha and kama, which concentrate on wealth creation, hard work and having a happy and fulfilling life.

India, which is 80 per cent Hindu, has traditionally welcomed people of all backgrounds—from the Zoroastrian Persians to the Jewish migrants of the middle east and, most recently, the Tibetan exiles.

Another important attribute of Hinduism is its emphasis on education and economic progress, Hindus are one of the most enterprising and educated groups in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Hindus earn the highest amount of all the ethnic groups, with a median income of more than $100,000. That is reflected in India’s history; it was the richest country in the world for thousands of years. A quote from one of our holy books—we have a lot of holy books; whatever you would like to choose, it is there for you—specifies economic duty by stating:

“Our duty to the country of our birth and our contribution to its social and economic advancement is of utmost importance”.

The wealth that I mentioned was due not just to education and economic advancement, but to pluralism, charity and respect for one another. As Mahatma Gandhi, a true definition of a Hindu, once said:

“Gentleness, self-sacrifice, respect and generosity are the exclusive possession of no one race or religion, but are universal qualities”.

Thank you very much indeed. [Applause.]