Humanism and Ancient Indian Dharma

The idea of Humanism was the hottest topic during the intellectual ferment in the post Enlightenment era in the west. It was promoted as a crusade against the hegemony and the authoritarian attitude of the organized religions over every aspect of human life. The revolt was so loud that Humanism was termed as an anti-religious movement. However, as theidea evolved itself through intellectual debates, many versions of it were produced reflecting divergent viewpoints. Indian thinkers were not happy with Humanism’s anti- religious crusade. But they took notice of it and welcomed it for a positive debate with regard to future evolution of Humanity. The central thought that emerged out of this debate was that the ancient Indian Dharma can serve as a fitting model for Humanism. Keeping that in perspective, this study deals with the tenets of ancient Dharma,which was conceived as repository ofEternal Truths and simultaneously had tried toaddress the evolutionary concerns of the Humanity. The ancient Indian Dharma has its roots in Vedas, was enriched through the philosophical churnings in Upanishadas, synthesized in Bhagawat Gita and illustrated by legendary life styles in mythology.It has continued to evolve through centuries.20th Century witnessed a remarkable renaissance in the Indian religions.A lot of soul searching seems to have been done to cleanse the morrases and regain the vibrancy and universal spirit of the Ancient Dharma. The sum and substance of this great churning is thatSpirituality is the essence of religiosity and is the true reflection of Divinity on earth. Peace and Harmony in the world can only be achieved through that. True Humanism can only be persued through Spirituality. That has been the message of Ancient Indian Dharma.