(Maṫonmādam: Religious fanaticism, religious frenzy; Rahita: Separated from, deprived of, abandoned, deserted)
Unmādam (fanaticism) is a dangerous physical and mental disease. A fanatic not only brings danger to him-self but also to society, countries and even to the world. When a dhārmic spiritual mind progresses, it not only helps that person as well as the entire community. When religious madness grows as a virus in a person or group of people, it will lead to the destruction of mankind. That's why, our ancient Rishis have included śānti mantras (peace hymns) in our daily prayers. By constantly reciting those mantras, our minds will be peaceful. The Rishis also preached tolerance and non-violence against other religions and religious followers. They taught us to nurture the sāttvic (peaceful) virtue in us by conveying detailed instructions about our diet which promotes that sāttvic quality in us, so that we can live in harmony with people of other faiths and religions.
Of all the fanaticisms, religious fanaticism is the most dangerous.We see that now with what's happening across the world, the terrorism and the chaos due to religious fanaticism and extremism. Everyone has religious beliefs of his or her own. Most are taught by religious authorities that their religion is the only true religion and theirs is the only one that guarantees heaven. They really don't have an understanding of what the real meaning of religion is. God is to be realized and not to be believed in. So we can see the fundamental problem in other religions, which preach supremacy, and hatred against other religions.
From ancient times, our Rishis were very open -minded, preached religious tolerance, and advised us to avoid religious fanaticism and zeal. Our land is 'Maṫonmādarahita Bhūmi'.
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