Vedic culture is the original ancestor of all religions
By Stephen Knapp
Not only is the Vedic culture the source if architectural art, music, language, and most learning in the world, it is also the original or primary faith and basis of spiritual development of all humanity sonce the beginning of time. So, no matter whether one claims Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Jain, Sikh or whatever, he or she is still a descendant of Vedic culture. This is because all other genuine religions and spiritual paths have numerous traditions, legends and names of God that have been carried over, or have been adopted, from the Vedic culture. However, we need to remember that they look different because as the once united Vedic world became fragmented, portions of the Vedic culture began to emerge in what became faiths and customs based on regional preferences. Thus, bits of the Sanskrit literatures turned up in portions of other religious texts, as found in, for example, what became known as the Talmund of the Jews, the Zend Avesta of the Iranians, the Eddas of Scandinavia, and so on. So from Vedic the Vedic culture came many breakaway cults and creeds. Unfortunately, as previously discussed, many cultures have forgotten their histories and fail to understand their true origins and ancient connections with others. What is worse is that as this age of Kali-yuga unfolds, there will be an increase of societies splintering off from Vedic culture, or whatever is left of it. In fact, this is the prophecy as found in the Vedic literature, which I have especially elaborated in my book. The Vedic Prophecies: A New Look into the future. This means that theree will be a continued decrease in moral standards, behaviour, our spirituality, and less ability to see what we all have in common.
Another reason why many portions of history have been forgotten or buried is that is was typical of the conquering religions that make converts through military force for them to destroy any historical evidence of the previous culture. Especially when it displays loftier principles and more advanced levels of consciousness. So rampaging Roman Christian and Arab Muslim armies destroyed as much of any remaining Vedic culture they could. This, unfortunately, also helped plunge the world into what has been called the Dark Ages, which included terrible crusades, witch burning of thousands of innocent women, and intense torture of any so called infidels.
Consequently, the teaching of Vedic sciences suffered a severe. This meant that the further development of society also ceased to progress and was forced to discover things all over again that were previously known. This provided the basis of the glorification of the inventions and discoveries of such men as Galileo, Copernicus, and Newton, who really were discovering what the Vedic literature had described thousands of years before. Thus, there was a period of several hundred years, if not thousands, in which societies become more distanced from Vedic culture, and they also became more backward and underdeveloped. In fact, in some distant regions, humanity sank to a state of primitive living.
Theologically, however, the Vedic pantheon was shared by many breakaway religions and cults, each swearing allegiance to some particular form of Divinity. Many philosophies and religions that were started by societies that broke away from Vedic cultur still kept many of their Vedic traditions. The differences is that the Vedic knowledge and traditions came at the time of creation, and can certainly be traced back many thousands of years, while the more modern scripture, such as the Bible and Koran, were developed many years later, appearing comparatively recently within the last 2000 years. The Vedas were given to mankind by Lord Vishnu to Brahma, the creator of the universe, and were later compiled By Srila Vyasadeva, an incarnation of the Supreme Being, for the benefit of humanity. The bible was supposedly developed by men who were said ti be inspired by God. However, the more scholars focus their research on historical evidence, the more they find that the formation of the Old and New Testaments is far different than what the Bible tradition claims. The Koran is said to have been given to Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. However, this is questionable because history records that Muhammad could not even read or write. So how could have the original writings of these revelations take place? Furthermore, the Koran was put into it's official form years after death of Muhammad.
In any case, the concepts and scope of the Vedic literature is much
broader than that of the Bible, Koran, or other religions. The Vedic
literature is a compendium of universal truths and knowledge. The Vedic
texts contain a higher level of spiritual understanding and universal
love between God and humanity compared
with the Koran, which contains many threats and curses for those who do
not follow it sent percent. The Bible and Koran are, therefore, local
scriptures that pertain primarily to the people of its immediate region.
Such scripture deals almost exclusively with the local prophets and
customs of the people. This also causes a division between then and
everyone else. In this way, we can understand that the Vedic texts are a
universal scripture which are based in the principle of Sanatana
Dharma, the eternal nature of the soul regardless of where or what a
person may be. It is this process which can provide the means for people
to return to their natural, spiritual state of being, and find common
ground with all people.Nonetheless, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam incorporate many Vedic traditions, which we will discuss much further in the chapters that follow. Even much of Islamic religious terminology is rooted in Sanskrit. For example, the term “Allah” is a synonym for a goddess in Sanskrit, usually in reference to Durga or one of her forms. Also, one of the Indian Upanishads is the Allopanishad.
Another example is the origin of the word Satan, which both Muslims and Christians use in their scripture. The term “satan,” or Shaitan as Muslims call him, comes from the Sanskrit word Sat-na, which means unreal or nontruth, Sat means the true and eternal, while Sat-na means opposite. From that we can get the Satan, which takes on a personality in the Bible and Koran, indicating our attraction or temptation to that which is impermanent.
The word “prophet” is a synonym for the Sanskrit word avatar, or one who descends from heaven, from which comes the concept for prophet. The correct Sanskrit word is pri-pata, which is being pronounced as Prophet in English. Pri-pata is also similar to the Sanskrit word pita, which means father.
Another similarity deals with Abraham. In the Jewish tradition Abraham was one of the progenitors of the Jewish race. However, there are religious scholars who question historically if there ever was an Abraham. There are stories about him, but little historical evidence can be found. But this Abraham, who is accepted by the Jews, Christians, and Muslims, is a reference to none other than Brahma of Vedic tradition. Brahma is explained in the Vedic texts to be the first progenitor of the human race. It is this Brahma who is referred to under the mispronounced name of Abraham, wi then became one of the progenitors of the Jewish people, and associated with and the basis of many stories within the new cultures and their scriptures. Therefore, Abraham is another misunderstood carry-over from the Vedic tradition.
Even the story of the creation of the world, as explained in the Bible, has its roots in the Vedic tradition. In the first sentences of the Bible it states: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” So, herein we can see that the Bible begins with the same but summarized story as recorded in the Vedic texts, when Lord Vishnu was lying in the universal waters in a dark and empty universe and created all the universal elements to form heaven and earth.
This is continued in the New Testament, in the oepning lines of the book of John which states, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God,” That first word, as described in the Vedic texts and related earlier in this volume, was OM. That word was present at the time of creation and was with God, and is God.
Shortly after the creation, the Bible refers to the story of Adam and Eve, the first couple from whom the human race was born. However, this is similar to the previously recorded story in the Vedic texts of Svayambhuva Manu and his wife Satarupa who, after coming inti being, were essentially advised by Brahma, the creator, to “Beget many children and rule over the earth, for you shall be the ruler of the men. “The Koran also follows the biblical tradition, accepting the lineage of the prophets.
The trinity of the Chritians of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost has also been a derivative of the Vedic tradition of Bhagavan (the individual Supreme Being), Paramatma (the internal incarnation and expansion of God, the Son), and the great, all pervasive Brahman (Holy Ghost). This trinity can also be compared to Vishnu, Brahma, and Mahesh (Shiva). Mother Mary of the Christian tradition also reflects the Vedic goddess Mari-amma, where amma designates mother. Even the Christian term mater Dei is but a reflection of the Vedic term Matri Devi—Mother Goddess.
There are even similarities between Christian, Buddhist, and Vedic styles of Meditation, such aswith the use of prayers beads. The use of beads goes back to prehistoric times. The word bead comes from the word bid, to plead or petition, which is done to awaken the spirit of God, or to open the channel of communication between God and man. Thus, chanting the name of God is to invoke God himself. The followers of the Vedas, the Vaishnavas, have 108 beads on their japa mala or rosary, while Buddhist also have 108, Catholics have 54, and Muslims have 99 plus one head bead. Vaishnavas, Buddhist, and Muslims use beads to chant the names of God. Catholics chant prayers to God, and sometimes they just chant the names, especially in the Eastern tradition. The names of Krishna, Rama, and Hare are the original names of the Supreme Deity before were changed in their theosophical and linguistic forms through variations in location and cultural traits.
In other aspects of spiritual practices, many cultures provided a means of entering into the higher levels of knowledge, which was often kept secret from the uninitiated. The Persians, Egyptians, Syrians, Cretans, Greeks, Romans, Celts, Druids, as well as the Mayans and American natives all had their rituals of initiation into the mysteries of the unknown after which, in many cultures, the initiates were called twice-born. This is identical to be earliest known practice of the Vedic brahmanas who are initiated into spiritual understanding and , thus, are called “twice-born” to signify their spiritual birth which is over and above the common animal birth that every ordinary creature undergoes when born from the womb.
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Since there are so many similarities between the cultures of the world, the most ancient of which can be traced back to the primal Vedic traditions, a return to Vedic culture, or at least the realization that it is the original and primordial tradition of humanity as given by Divinity, should be helpful to establish peace and social unity. With the highest common factor and background among us all being the Vedic heritage, the recognition of this can surely help break down the regional barrier as well as the distinctions created by present-day organized religious. This should be done for ultimate peace, idealism, and happiness.
Many more of these similarities in words, traditions, rituals, stories, and architectural discoveries will be explained in the following chapters as we look deeper into each area of the planet. This will help prove the existence of a global Vedic Aryan culture that preceded all others.
