Aadi Dharam

The Indian Constitution has granted the countrys approximately 100 million tribal people a social and economic identity as Scheduled Tribes (STs). However, in the absence of a specific code reflecting tribal beliefs in the census process, the majority of this population has been declared Hindu, assuming Hindu-like. There is certainly an uncertain code, Other, but no one deliberately chooses to join this option for the lost and the lost. Despite a narrow range of similarities and superficial differences, tribal beliefs are intrinsically connected to all religions. This book highlights these distinctive features of tribal beliefs and proposes identifying them under Adi Dharam and granting them legal recognition. These distinctive features include: prioritizing elements of nature (mountains, forests, rivers) as Gods home, rather than any artificial structures. After death, humans return to their own communities and live forever with their ancestors. Therefore, living a life in harmony with society and earning merit is the best ideal. Going against society is considered a sin. Therefore, heaven and hell exist on this earth, not elsewhere. Adi Dharma is inherent in creation, not initiated by any incarnation, messiah, or prophet. Society is guided by the collective leadership of the communitys former souls. The Adi Dharma system offers the freedom to connect directly with God. There is no need for an intermediary priest or pastor. There is a coherent, interconnected relationship with other creations. These intentions are verified in the book through the rituals of festivals and ritual mantras associated with individual rites of passage in hunting and agriculture-based community life. The book places special emphasis on the mantras recited on these occasions, as descriptive information is available in earlier sources, but linguistic facts are rare.