ABOUT HINDUISM: editor's choice

ABOUT HINDUISM


Hinduism is a unique faith. Much can be written about it. For the sake of brevity and clarity, I would adopt a question-answer style. Given below is a mix of my own writing as well as that of others. Wherever I have used others’ words, the source has been given.

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Q 1—WHAT IS HINDUISM?

Answer-- [Adapted, in part, from the booklet HINDUTVA AND THE NATION by David Frawley and N.S Rajaram (Naimisha Research Foundation).]

The essence of Hinduism is spiritual freedom. Hindutva is the ideology devoted to safeguarding this freedom. It is important to note that Hinduism is not a religion deriving its authority solely from one book or prophet or founder. In fact, Hinduism, the proper word for which is ‘Sanatana Dharma’, is not a creed like Christianity or Islam, but a code of conduct and a value system that has spiritual freedom as its core. Any pathway or spiritual vision that accepts the spiritual freedom of others may be considered part of Sanatana Dharma. As Sri Aurobindo described it, Sanatana Dharma is also the basis of Indian nationalism.

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Q 2—WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIALS OF HINDUISM?

Answer—Adapted from:
http://veda.wikidot.com/sanatana-dharma

1--Hinduism is very ancient. It is the oldest of all religions. Its most revered and the oldest scriptures, the Vedas, of which the Rig-Veda is the oldest, are said to be timeless. This is not to say that the Rig-Veda always existed. It means that we cannot point to a particular time or person in history and say: “Before this man spoke, the Rigveda did not exist.”

2--The basis of Hinduism is the quest for cosmic truth, in the like manner as the basis of science is the quest for physical truth. The earliest record of this quest is the Rig-Veda. It is the record of ancient sages who by whatever means tried to learn the truth about the universe, in relation to man’s place in the cosmos. They saw nature — including all living and non-living things — as part of the same cosmic equation. This search has no historical beginning. This contrasts with the religions of the Book, such as Christianity and Islam, because they are associated with Jesus and Mohammed, whose dates of birth and death are recorded in history. These religions cannot exist without their founders. On the other hand, Hinduism does not depend on any one person or authority for its existence.

3--Hinduism means spiritual freedom or the freedom of the spirit, as mentioned earlier.. It embodies freedom in the exploration of the spiritual realm. There are no dogmas or prophets — or their agents — to block the way. This allows Hinduism, like science, to grow and evolve with time. Dogmatic religions, on the other hand, are frozen in time. (In fact, a good deal of the effort by the priesthood in Islam and Christianity is to ensure that the original teachings do not become corrupted due to change.)

This freedom of spirit is most concisely expressed in the famous Gayatri Mantra, which prays: dhiyo yo nah prachodayat— which means, “Inspire our intellect.” So the greatest prayer in Hinduism is for clarity of thinking. It does not ask anyone to accept anything on blind faith in a prophet or any other agent of God. Teachers in Hinduism are only guides who suggest pathways. They have no authority. The seeker has to find his or her own path, with the help of guides if needed.

4--‘Conversion’ to Hinduism is not merely a question of changing faith and adopting a new mode of worship. It entails accepting a free and open and logical and unbiased way of looking at the world. Above all, it means acknowledging spiritual freedom and rejecting exclusivism. It is like accepting the scientific method, which also is a way of looking at the world. It cannot be done by force or with promises of profit. This is why converts to Hinduism in the West tend to come from the most educated classes.

Learning about Hinduism can be done in several ways.

a--By studying various works like the Vedas, Upanishads and the Gita, preferably with the guidance of a teacher, or by studying the lives of sages and heroes in the epics and the Puranas.

b--By personal experience through meditation and yoga.

Whatever the path chosen, it is basic that every Hindu must place the pursuit of truth and knowledge above faith. There is no place for dogma.

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Q 3—WHO IS A HINDU?

Answer--

This is a question not only of academic and cultural importance but also of great legal importance. It will be answered from three perspectives.

A—ANSWER FROM GANDHI’S PERSPECTIVE

Mahatma Gandhi or M K Gandhi called himself a Hindu and gave the following rationale:

“I call myself a Sanatani Hindu, because:

(1) I believe in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puran and all that which goes by the name of Hindu scriptures, and, therefore in avatars and rebirth;
(2) I believe in the Varnashrama Dharma in a sense, in my opinion strictly Vedic, but not in its present popular and crude sense;
(3) I believe in the protection of cow in its much larger sense than the popular, and
(4) I do not disbelieve in idol worship.”

He further explained his belief in cow worship as follows:

“The central fact of Hinduism, however, is cow-protection. Cow-protection to me is one of the most wonderful phenomena in human evolution. It takes the human being beyond his species. The cow to me means the entire sub-human world. Man, through the cow, is enjoined to realize his identity with all that which lives. Why the cow was selected for apotheosis is obvious to me. The cow was in India the best companion. She was the giver of plenty. Not only did she give milk, but she also made agriculture possible. The cow is a poem on pity. One reads pity in the gentle animal. She is the mother of millions of Indians. Protection of the cow means protection of the whole dumb-creation of God. The ancient seer, whoever he was, began with the cow. The appeal of the lower order of creation is the gift of Hinduism to the world. And Hinduism will live so long as there are Hindus to protect the cow”.

B—ANSWER FROM TILAK’S PERSPECTIVE

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, an eminent lawyer and freedom fighter and Hindu scholar, wrote:
"Acceptance of the Vedas with reverence; recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvation are diverse; and the realization of the truth that the number of gods to be worshiped is large, that indeed is the distinguishing feature of the Hindu religion."

C—ANSWER FROM LEGAL PERSPECTIVE

The Supreme Court of India has defined Hindutva in three separate judgments: 1966, 1977 and.1995. In all these cases, it accepted Tilak's definition.


(i)The first judgment of the Supreme Court in 1966 [In Shastri v. Muladas, decided by Supreme Court in 1966]:

“Unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one god; it does not subscribe to any one dogma, it does not believe in one philosophical concept, it does not satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion.” It maintained that constitution makers were fully conscious of the broad and comprehensive character of the Hindu religion, which included Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists within the term “Hinduism.” It quoted the following:

(i) S. Radhakrishnan-- that the term Hindu implies residence in a well-defined geographical area, that is India;
(ii) Monier Williams-- that Hindu religion is based on the idea of universal receptivity;
(iii) Arnold Toynbee-- that Hinduism takes for granted that there is more than one approach to truth.

P B Gajendragadkar, Judge.[later, Chief Justice of India], described Hinduism as follows:

“Beneath the diversity of philosophical thoughts, concepts and ideas expressed by Hindu philosophers, who started different philosophical schools, lie certain broad concepts which can be treated a basic. The first among these basic concepts is the acceptance of vedas as the highest authority in religious and philosophical matters. This concept necessarily implies that all the systems claim to have drawn their principles from a common reservoir of thought enshrined in the vedas. …………….The other basic concept which is common to six systems of Hindu philosophy is that all of them accept this view of the great world rhythm, vast periods of creation maintenance and dissolution follow each other in endless succession…………it may also be said that all the systems of Hindu philosophy believe in rebirth and pre-existence.”


(ii)The second judgment was delivered in 1977 by five judges including Justices M. H. Beg and R. S. Sarkaria – both of whom were non-Hindus. It describes Hindutva as follows: “In principle, Hinduism incorporates all forms of belief and worship without necessitating the selection or elimination of any.” “The Hindu is inclined to revere the divine in every manifestation and is doctrinally tolerant, leaving others, both Hindus and non Hindus – to whatever creed and worship practices suits them the most.” “A Hindu may embrace a non-Hindu religion without ceasing to be a Hindu.” “Hinduism is then both a civilization and conglomerate of religions with neither a beginning, a founder, nor a central authority hierarchy or organization.” This judgment also quoted Encyclopedia Britannica.


(iii)The third judgment by the Supreme Court was delivered in 1995. It describes Hindutva as follows. “Hindutva is indicative more of the way of life of the Indian people.” “It is not not Hindu fundamentalism”; “nor is it to be confined only to the strict Hindu religious practices;”“[nor is it] unrelated to the culture and ethos of the people of India, depicting the way of life of the Indian people.” Considering Hindutva as hostile, inimical, or intolerant of other faiths, or as communal “proceeds from an improper appreciation of its true meaning.”

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Q 4— WHAT ARE THE CARDINAL FEATURES OF HINDUISM?

Answer—(Based up on my readings from various sources)

1. Belief in soul and rebirth;

2. Karmic theory, which means that:
--firstly, deeds done in this life determine circumstances in the next [hence we should do pious deeds in this life];

--secondly, circumstances in this life are determined by deeds done in previous lives [hence, we should not lament our fate in this life but accept it with equanimity];

--thirdly, deeds done by a person influence his next life only if he is mentally attached to the deeds;

--Fourthly, if he develops a state of mind [called sthit-pragya, which literally means “stable, non-wavering mind”], where he merely performs his duty without desire or fear, without being attached to the deed or its outcome, then he attains moksha or salvation and is not reborn on earth.

3. Amhinsa or nonviolence [this includes not hurting anybody, not only physically but even mentally;

4. Unified concept of god as a conscious energy force that created the universe, sustains it and will destroy it in course of time, in repeated cycles; this same conscious energy source is present in all living, even non-living beings, meaning thereby that the soul in man and dog and cow and pig is the same tiny fragment of god energy, hence all beings need to be respected, cared and protected and preserved, thus explaining the spirit of nonviolence unique to Hinduism].

It is also an important feature of Hinduism that it does not claim its origin to a God-given text. In this connection, it is worth citing the following—

' Yes, all our religious Books are man- made, hand-written and we feel not shy of it. For they are man- made, they are better suited to the needs of mankind. The God revealed Books are for Him.'
----- C.P. Ramaswamy Iyyengar, intellectual, Diwan (Prime Minister ) of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore, Kerala.

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Q 5— WHAT IS SPECIAL IN HINDUISM?

Answer—[Patterned on -- http://mailerindia.com/hindu/veda/index.php?special ]

1-- Hindu Religion is the world's oldest faith.

2-- Hinduism is as much a "way of life" as a religion and affects every aspect of life for Hindus from birth till death. It is followed by the devout Hindu in every aspect of life and activity, and not just in a prayer only.

3-- Hinduism is flexible. You can have whatever you want. If you want to live a
hedonistic lifestyle, Hinduism will show you a way to live it without hurting
yourself or others. If you want to dedicate your life to worldly successes, Hinduism will show you the way to do so within limitations. If what you want is liberation you
can be shown the way.

4—Hinduism has a highly philosophical thought process at its core and gives an answer for any question that you might have about your life. With each answer, Hinduism gives a reason and a possibility of strengthening your understanding of the answer.

5-- Hinduism is guided by the teachings of the Vedas. The Great Seers and Rishis of ancient times recited these Vedas, obtained by their meditative powers, as the teachings of God. These teaching are very ancient and were memorized and recited by generations of sages, teachers and their disciples until they were written down as texts and codified as the Four Vedas by Sage Vyasa. The concepts of Hinduism are further explained by subsequent texts written by seers and religious leaders based on these Vedas. Thus, besides Vedas, Hinduism is also guided by these Upa-Vedas, Vedangas, Upanishads, Ithihasas and Puranas, which contain the prayers, philosophy, rituals and mythology, all in one, to suit everyone's cultural and mental development. While the learned person can read at a philosophical level, the illiterate one can imbibe the essence through mythological stories and simple forms of prayers to His manifestations.

6. The philosophy of Hinduism allows and accepts varying forms of
worship with a tremendous tolerance of other religious faiths and beliefs.
Though one may not agree that the other paths are better or perfect, everyone
is allowed to follow his own path. Often a devotee is urged to study all the paths and variations to fully understand his own faith.

7.A very important and valuable specialty of Hinduism that it has not closed itself inside any contours. Its philosophy is the realistic representation of the limitlessness of knowledge and experience. It is absolutely open- minded. This is the religion that gives the call—“ Let the good things come from all the directions of the world (aa no bhadrAH kratavo yantu vishvataH)”. Hinduism has nurtured good concepts, from wherever they came, with a neutral mindset. Hinduism is more of a dharma (discipline) than a religion. Hinduism is not a religion of just postulations.

8. Hinduism does not force even the acceptance of God. The Hindus are not threatened that they would be punished for not believing in god or not praying to him. It is true that the major scriptures advise the followers to hold to the God in order to get liberated from the rough road of pleasures and pains. However, the choices are left to the follower himself. All concepts undergo a very healthy debate. Nothing is unquestionable. The Hindu scriptures, instead of defining the way in which the Hindus should live, act as supporting material for the individual to decide the course of life and stand by that.

9. Hinduism, unlike most religions, has no founder and no one scripture. Hindus do not have one "Holy Book" like many other religions, but many texts including the four Vedas along with their Upanishads, called the "Sruti", several Dharma Sasthras or Smrutis, Ithihasas and Puranas including the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Bhagavad Gita, or "Song of God", comes as part of Mahabharata. It is an essence of the message of the Upanishads and Hindu Philosophy and is considered to be a guide on how we should live as told by Lord Krishna to Arjuna.

10. Hindus believe that as all streams and rivers lead to the same ocean, all genuine religious (spiritual) paths lead to the same goal. So we do not try to convert others to our religion. The path to the top of the mountain may differ but the view from the top of the mountain will be the same.

11. Hindus believe in one God, who is beyond form, space and time and beyond human comprehension. They believe that God is Transcendent and Immanent at the same time and can create Itself according to everyone’s desire and needs to protect the pious, to destroy the evil and establish the divine rule of law and justice or dharma / discipline.

12. Most Hindus, needing a form on which to concentrate, worship that one God in different forms, worshiping one aspect of that One Divine Supreme Truth. -- Hindus see God in masculine as well as in feminine forms and also like a family. At the same time, they all understand the True nature of the Supreme.

13. In the masculine forms, Hindus see that One God as Brahma - the creator, Vishnu - the protector and maintainer, and Shiva as Siva-Nataraja – the destroyer and retreater. -- In the female forms, Hindus see that One God as Sakthi or Durga, - provider of energy and power, as Lakshmi, - provider of prosperity and wealth and as Saraswathi, - provider of knowledge and intelligence.

14. Hindu Rituals and Worship take into account the capacities and inclinations of different individuals. --Types of worship include Ritualistic worship (temple or home), offering (directly or through the priest) flowers, coconut, fruits, incense, flames of oil lamps and camphor, chanting of prayers in Sanskrit (or their mother tongue), etc.

15. Hindu religion advocates worship through service of one's fellow beings (charity) and by one's activity, as well as through devotion to the Supreme; --Worship through meditation with physical and mental discipline and through understanding first the inner self then the divine that is everywhere.

16. Hinduism has also defined concept of Yogas. Jnana yoga is for people who are reflective and seek knowledge find their divinity through rationality and spirituality. Bhakti yoga is the path to God through love and devoted service. It insists on God's otherness and teaches love of God through adoration. Karma yoga is the path to God through work. Be productive and strive to work towards high rewards and work unselfishly. Raja yoga is known as the path to reintegration, a way to God through psychophysical experiments. Self-searching could be one way of describing Raja Yoga-- Looking inward to discern the humanness from the Godness and bringing them together. It involves meditation and self discipline.

These and many more specialties of Hinduism make it a harmonious
religion that is suitable for any time in present or future, for any land or
creed.

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Q 6— WHAT ARE THE THOUGHTS HINDUS GAVE THE WORLD?

Answer—[patterned upon -- http://mailerindia.com/hindu/veda/index.php?special]

These are many. Some are listed below--

1--Brahman, the eternal Trimurti, or Three-in-One God: Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Preserver; and Shiva, the Destroyer;

2—Fate and Karma. One needs to submit to Fate, since man is not outside, but part of Brahman. However, such submission is not impotent and is coupled with the knowledge of operation of the Law of Karma, (that from good must come good, and from evil must come evil);

3--Reincarnation, as a chain of rebirths in which each soul, through virtuous living, can rise to a higher state;

4--Nirvana, the final stage reached upon the emancipation of the soul from the chain of rebirths;

5--Yogas, the disciplines which enable the individual to control the body and the emotions;

6-- Dharma, the Law of Moral Order, which each individual must find and follow to reach nirvana.

7--Vegetarianism (vegan lifestyle)

8--Ahimsa ("no injury", avoidance of all animal products)

9--Astrology and horoscopes

10--Gurus and swamis (monks and spiritual leaders)

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Q 7— HOW MANY HINDUS ARE THERE IN THE WORLD?

Answer—[Reproduced from-- http://mailerindia.com/hindu/veda/index.php?special]

Hinduism is found in nearly every corner of the globe. Hindus are estimated at
1,000,000,000 worldwide.

According to the CIA, the largest concentration of Hindus is in India (81% of population) and Nepal (86%). Countries with the fewest Hindus include Thailand (95% Buddhist), Malaysia, Singapore, Oman, Yemen, Pakistan (mainly Islamic). Nepal is the only state in the world that is officially Hindu.

A large number of Hindus also reside in South America and the Caribbean, including in the countries of Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. The small island of Mauritius off the coast of South Africa (near Madagascar) is 54% Hindu. Britain and the United States have significant, but relatively small, Hindu populations.

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Q 8— CAN YOU ANSWER A FEW PERSONAL QUERIES?

[These 15 questions were put to me in a series of e-mails by a foreigner from a different faith during 16 to 17 May 2008.]


1) Does God play games with the innocent ones also? If so, is it just because of past life karmas?
How about the present life; what if it is led in pureness, to its best?

>> God does not play games with anybody. He sends the pure soul along with an intellect, a mind and a body, in that hierarchical order. Karmas are done through the body. When the body works under the dictation of intellect or Buddhi, the Karmas are pure and good. When done under the influence of the mind, they are likely to be sullied, impure and bad. God has given intellect to man, but not to animals, so that man may decide for himself whom to follow. What he does is through his own free will. Nobody is playing games with him. God has already given his word to man in every religion. It is up to man to follow or not to follow that word. If one leads the present life in purity, one does not carry the bag of bad karma with him when he dies. Hence, he attains salvation easily.

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2) How does one apply God in medicine and law? How does a lawyer or a doctor put aside religious beliefs when practicing their profession?

>> Whether in medicine or law, it is the professional and moral duty of the service provider to help the one who seeks relief. Relief depends upon doing the professional job properly. Religion does not come anywhere in his calculations while doing professional work.

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3) Is it possible for anyone; even the most religious, the most disciplined, the most loyal, the purest; in this present world to lead a sinless life?

>> Yes. It is possible. It is not easy. But, the effort is not lost. A person who has lived a pure life but still needs more purity will be reborn in an enlightened family to enlightened parents who would further motivate and enable the child towards more purity, till, through a few birth cycles, salvation is reached and no rebirth occurs.

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4) Is it possible in this chaotic world for people to lead their life without a single karma, especially if it is circumstantial?

>>> Yes. It is possible in a way. Karma has got to be done by the body, if nothing else, then for the sake of the body. What matters is the attachment to Karma. If one carries out the Karma without being attached to it, merely as a part of duty, without bothering about the consequences, then the Karma does not attach. The answer to the previous query is relevant here also.

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5) Aren't these circumstances also considered the written fate? That these may be God's answers or guidance to overcome "chronic" dispositions and situations where the sufferings are never ending?

>> Circumstances are part of fate. Whatever the circumstances, man always has intellect / discretion / conscience / sense of right and wrong. Using that discretion, if man chooses not to be attached mentally to the circumstances and not to be affected by them, persevering on the righteous path irrespective of those circumstances, he will sail through.

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6) However, when a human being is conscious about karmas, they might not even want to perform their duties that have karmas attached to it. Yet, it is said that these are unattached karmas. How about those in dire circumstances, to whom, sometimes after prayers to God, the karma linked solution appears in front of them? Do they still put a strong front against these karmas, in the belief that their answers to the troubles will appear one day?

>> The proper lies not in shunning karmas but in being not attached to them while doing karmas that ought to be done as duty. Deeds can be of two types—those done for duty; those done for pursuit of pleasure or desire. Do the former without motive of desire; karma won’t attach to you. Do the latter, karma is attached. This is the essence of verse 47 of Gita, the revered Hindu scripture where God / Lord Krishna himself speaks. You can refer to this verse at the footnotes to my poems “WHO AM I--SIX QUESTIONS”, " WHO AM I?--SIX QUESTIONS" ; JUDGE NOT, "JUDGE NOT" ; GAIN OR LOSS?—"GAIN OR LOSS?" , and THE PATH OF DUTY: ruba’I, "THE PATH OF DUTY--ruba'i" , You may also view the links provided therein. This will clarify your concepts.

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7) How can mere humans not be affected or attached to severe problems in life?

>> By remembering that whether he has severe problems or sunny happiness, at all times his duty is to follow the path of duty and not deviate from it.

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8) How does one evaluate right and wrong? What is poison to one, may be nectar to another.

>> Ask your own conscience. What it tells is right. If sometimes there is doubt, apply the litmus test: LITMUS TEST: editor’s choice, "LITMUS TEST--editor's choice" 

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9) Why can't the theory of unattached karmas be applied to these poor souls too? Wouldn't it be too late to save them before we decide that unattached karmas are applicable to them too, especially if these karma linked solutions are put forward before them after a prayer to God?

>> No soul is poor. All souls are equal. Each is a part of God and, on salvation, merges with Him. It is the mind that is enveloped by desire, which taints karma. Karma without desire, only for duty, is pure, unattached. Everyone must earn his or her salvation. However, even if a person has bad karmas, if he truly surrenders to God and changes himself, he can attain salvation even in a single go. That is the beauty of dedication, prayer and surrender to His will.

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10) Aren't those who commit karmas or face karmas usually linked to their past karmas as well?

>> All karmas accumulate. From all lives.

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11) And based on this, again it will be said that these people who endure severe problems have to face their karmas and try to endure it in this lifetime, so that it doesn't carry forward too much into the next life.

>> Yes.


12) As a child, we were warned about being thrown into torture chambers for mischiefs. As an adult, there is an undying wish not to have another life.

>> Children should not be threatened about imaginary fears. They should be told to live good lives, that’s all. The results of bad life are usually seen in this life itself. One should not be afraid of another life. Another life means another chance to reform ourselves.

***

13) It is difficult and confusing to lead a peaceful life when the thoughts of karma are always there subconsciously, at the top of our minds.

>> There should not be any difficulty. Karma is like life’s bank balance. If you have a bank account, won’t you like to know how much balance you have?

***
14) Is Hinduism really a way of life as some put it? If so, weren't all these believes created as rules and regulations for humans to follow in order to live a chaos free life?? For example, if I remember accurately; the Aryans were banned from eating beef as the cows were depleting fast? Is this a rule for a way of life??

>> Yes, Hinduism is a way of life. There is no rigid ritual system or dogma in Hinduism. It is not simply a belief system. It is a deep philosophical approach that is totally logical. No Hindu is required to believe in anything by force. He chooses what he wants to believe and practice and in what manner. Judge P B Gajendragadkar [later, Chief Justice of India], in a 1966 Supreme Court judgment [In Shastri v. Muladas], has stated as follows:“Beneath the diversity of philosophical thoughts, concepts and ideas expressed by Hindu philosophers, who started different philosophical schools, lie certain broad concepts which can be treated a basic. The first among these basic concepts is the acceptance of vedas as the highest authority in religious and philosophical matters. This concept necessarily implies that all the systems claim to have drawn their principles from a common reservoir of thought enshrined in the vedas. …………….The other basic concept which is common to six systems of Hindu philosophy is that all of them accept this view of the great world rhythm, vast periods of creation maintenance and dissolution follow each other in endless succession…………it may also be said that all the systems of Hindu philosophy believe in rebirth and pre-existence.”

You would note here the vast flexibility of Hinduism in that it does not even require a Hindu to believe in God. An atheist can still be a Hindu.

As regards cow worship and not eating beef, your statement is correct that it is a way of life. However, I have nowhere read or heard that at any point of time in India, cows were depleting fast. I don’t think that is true.

***

15) I am sure any conscious person has no intentions of committing sins but this does not make life any easier either.

>> Well. Life is NOTeasy:)


• Showcased as Editor’s Choice in the Spiritual Newsletter dated 24 September 2009


M C Gupta
26 August 2009