Hindus over the last 150 yrs have forgotten the difference between advaita and vaishnavite dvaita philosophies. And, Since now-a-days lot of people, don't read originals but read the reviews of shastras and puranas, are reading the review texts written by confused scholars, who doesn't care for the difference between advaita and Vaishnavite Dvaita.
The effect is that the points in the texts seem to be self contradicting, mythical and unscientific. At times, people even claim hinduism accepts everything. It is far from Truth. How can Dharma accept 'all', which Includes blatant Adharma ? It is only 'The Hindus' who (offlate) are accepting everything.
Educated, Upper/Middle class hindus must learn the difference between the Original Advaita and several vaishnavite dvaita schools and review the hindu thought process. They are sure to be surprised. MK Gandhi was a sectarian fanatic of his Suddha-Dvaita school, and misused the pro-independence political crowd to preach his religion (aka sect) without spelling it out, which led to this confusion. His SuddhaDvaita school doesn't believe in rebirth, karma yoga and one same god being in all moving and non-moving(char-achar) beings.
This is something that relates to every facet of life and so every issue of our times.
SuddhaDvaita school doesn't believe in Rebirth, Karma Yoga and One Same God being in all moving and non-moving(char-achar) beings.
Thus every Real Concept of Sanathana Dharma has been accordingly Tampered, Confused and Ridiculed in the minds of hindus by this 450yrs old religion of India called Suddha-Dvaita Vaishnavism.
MK Gandhi ridiculed us saying
When you believe in rebirth - Why don't you die for the thirst of muslim killers carving for 'their' heaven ? Anyway, You believe in taking several more births ?!
His SuddhaDvaita didn't believe in Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga. It outright declared, We humans are incapable of achieving them in kaliyuga. So, He preached just plead to the enemy or pray to god - But do nothing. Thus, His masochistic socalled satyagraha of fasting, taking baton blows, show the other cheek, etc.
For Suddha-Dvaiti vaishnavites, Death of This life is Moksha. And only prescribed work for life is bhakti and bhajan keerthan - eagerly waiting for death.
He said when you believe in one god in all, Why do you pain/kill the God in the Others ? This is a ridicule of Sanathana Dharma Advaita philosophy. Becoz, in Bhagavad-Gita, SriKrishna said to Arjuna, It is prakriti/body which is the cause of pain and purusha/atma is not the cause - like dust creating itch or acid causing burns or sandal causing coolness to our skins. So, As you clean dust on your body, Clean the world off pain-causing evil people. So that, in the process, their atma is rescued from the itch caused by their body, which is the cause of their evil-behaviour with others. Thus is our age old no first attack principle. Otherwise, Our body shall be considered the real cause of pain.
SuddhaDvaita believes that Moksha means, atma going to paramatma's abode and just sitting beside. and so, atma and paramatma don't merge.
Advaita said it is the same atma living in all bodies. It did not say, All bodies are same. MK Gandhi shamelessly & moronically ridiculed the majority, Advaiti Hindus, asking to spare the real pain causing other body, in the name of not paining the god in the other's body. (while advaita philosophy is that atma cannot be pained, as it cannot be torn by a weapon or burnt or made wet or dried with air.)
More over, SriKrishna said, If at all one can realise GOD/atma in the body, It would be firstly possible to feel/know about the one in their own body. The atma in other bodies can then just be a realisation by inference. So, Arjuna! First ensure the interests of atma/god/dharma in your body, whose existence you are sure about.
So, It is not just about himsa or ahimsa. It is about Sanathana Dharma or Duty for sustainability of the creation and values in society. It is about proper paradigms about life for our future generations, since we are likely to take birth again in this very same world.
Understand the fraud of MK Gandhi - the sectarian fanatic of Suddha-Dvaita Vaishnavism, a Masochistic Religion, found just around 450 yrs back. He was such a fanatic of his religious sect, and preached secularism to all of us.
Any observer of history can understand that dvaita vaishnavite philosophies were founded around 700 AD and got popular by 1100 AD and the downfall of India/hindu kings started around 800 AD and they lost decisively by 1200 AD.
If we the followers of Sanathana Dharma, Ignore Advaita and the fallacies of Dvaita, and just follow Bhakti without believing in Karma Yoga or Jnana Yoga, It will just be a few decades, We will vanish, As we will ignore Jnana & Karma Yoga and so remain ignorant and unprepared to protect ourselves, leave alone practising our Dharmic Duties towards Moksh.
While Dvaita – Advaita difference makes a lot of difference in Inferences, Rebirth or Lack of It make a Lot Of Difference in our decisions and bringing responsibility in our behaviours towards society and life.
Yes! It takes a bit of time to understand the importance of this point, And its relevance to our lives. But I can assure you, It is worth investing that time, as early as possible in your life.