Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma) - Perspectives on World's Third Largest Hindu Religion
Introduction -
Hinduism is one of the world's oldest religions. It is not a particular creed but a way of life. Hinduism is a system that encompasses within its fold an infinite variety of thoughts. No one person solely created the religion and philosophy of Hinduism. It is rather the sum total of all the thoughts developed by philosophers over many centuries.
Essence of Hinduism -
Sanatana Dharma, more popularly known as Hinduism, is in essence an internal order, a set of rules for governing and smooth functioning of the universe. It is the inherent nature of things, like the sun giving out light. According to Sanatana Dharma there are three spiritual truths all humans have to deal with:
God (Brahman), Individual Soul (Atman) and Creation (Jagat).
That which is Omniscient, Omnipresent and Immutable is Brahman.
- Taittareeya Upanishad
God (Brahman) is defined as the entity that is Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient and Immutable. God provides support to all of Nature's creatures but does not need support from anyone or anything. Hinduism belives that God manifests Himself in personal forms. Thus, in Hinduism, God is imagined as Male entities (such as Ganesha, Vishnu and Shiva) or Female entities (Durga, Lakshmi and Sarasvati). Hindus believe that whenever there is a decline in righteousness, God incarnates as a human being like Rama and Krishna. As declared by Lord Krishna in Gita, "Whenever there is a decay of Dharma (righteouness) and rise of Adharma (unrighteousness), I embody Myself, O Arjuna; for the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of Dharma I am born from time to time."
The Individual Soul (Atman) is like a ray of consciousness of the Supreme Soul. Just as an Image in a mirror has no existence without God. Atman has the same attributes as the Supreme. Atman is the "God" residing in every creature just as a king resides in a palace, but It's true divine nature is not realized due to ignorance.
Thou Art That (Brahman.)
Chandogya Upanishad
The Creation (Jagat) is infinite without a beginning and without an end. Hindus believe that the universe we live in has always existed and will always continue to exist. Unlike God, who does not alter, Nature (Prakriti) is in a state of eternal and constant change. God is the cause for the existence of Prakriti, just as He is the cause for the Atman's existence. Due to God, Prakriti is undergoing a never-ending cycle of creation, sustenance and dissolution. According to Hinduism, creation, when properly translated, should be thought of as a projection of God Himself, and not just his creation.
...the whole earth should be construed as one family.
Hindu Scriptures
Scriptures -
Hinduism considers the knowledge contained in the mass of writing called the Vedas to have been communicated to seers, called Rishis, by God. The date for the writing of the Vedas has never been conclusively fixed and according to Hindus, the Vedas are eternal. The Vedas do not owe their authority to anyone, as they are an authority onto themselves. Since the Vedas have been eternal, Hindus believe that they were never created, but rather that they have existed throughout time. Just as creation is infinite and eternal, without a beginning or an end, so is the knowledge of God, without a beginning and without an end.
The seers received this knowledge from God, just as an antenna receives radio signals from the original source. To facilitate eay assimilation of this knowledge, a seer called Veda Vyasa compiled the content of the Vedas into four major books: Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana. Each Veda consists of four parts: Samhithas, consisting of beautiful poems that glorify God; Brahmanas that enumerate procedures for carrying out sacrifices; Aranyakas (Forest Books), developed primarly for the forest dweller who his spending his time in pursuit of the Supreme; and the Upanishads. The Upanishads, or Vedanta (the definitive end of or closure to Vedas, is considered the cream of the Vedas. The Upanishadic thoughts have influenced the Western philosophers significantly in both ancient and modern times.
Since the Upanishads are massive, an integrated synopsis of the Upanishads is provided in the Brahmasuthras. Another largely populare book that contains Upanishadic thougts is the Bhagavad-Gita, in which Lord Krishna, who is God personified, teaches the ordinary human Arjuna the essence of the Upanishads. These three texts (Vedanta, Brahmasuthras and the Gita) form the basis for the Hindu philosophy.
Hindu Schools of Thought -
Since Hinduism is a very tolerant religion, many diverse schools exist within its domain. Advaita (Non-dualism), a school popularized by the 8th Century AD monk named Shankara, contends that the universe as we see it is transitory and therefore illusive. Other schools of Advaita and Veerashaivism do not agree. Advaita also teaches that when the final liberation comes, man will merge with the This final liberation from the cycle of births and deaths (Jivan Mukti), possible with the present life itself, is compared to a little drop of rainwater joining the vast ocean.
Hinduism teaches that there is one all pervading, all knowing God. Brahmasuthras reject the possibility that God is distinct from Nature. If God were distinct from Nature, then God would be limited; a God who is not infinite is no God at all. It follows that, humans, animals and every living and non-living beings are part of God. Living creatures such as humans and animals have a non-destructible, distinct part known as the Atman that is eternal, unchanging and is basically non-distinguishable from The Supreme. The many Gods worshipped by Hindus are the higher forms of life and are essentially representations of The Supreme Lord known in Vedanta as Brahman. Prayers to any of these Gods will be directed to Brahman. Hinduism points out that an infinitely mature entity such as God would fully understand and accept worship in any form from a living being with finite thinking faculties. Therefore man has the freedom to imagine God in any form or as formless if he or she so chooses.
Just as the rainwater that falls from the sky reaches the ocean,
salutations to God in any form will ultimately reach Him.
Hindu Philosophy
The Karma Theory -
The Karma Theory, accepted by Hinduism as well as other religions like Buddhism, states that every action carried out by man will have a consequence (Karmaphala). Good actions result in rewards such as time spent in the heavens and bad actions result in appropriate punishment in the hell. After one exhausts one's Karma, the Atman returns to the earth (enters a new body) to accumulate more Karma. To achieve "Jivan Mukti" (liberation), Hinduism advises us to totally give up the Karmaphala and follow one or more of the Yogas described below...
Realization of Divinity in Man -
The ultimate goal of life is to achieve salvation (Moksha), that is, to unite the individual soul with the Supreme Being. Hinduism teaches four Yogas (Yog=to join) to achieve this goal. Depending upon the natural tendency of the person, one selects one or more of the four Yogas to achieve this goal. These Yogas are described in detail in the Bhagvad Gita - (according to Gita, Four Stages of Life are - Instinctive, Learning, Intellectual
and Spiritual or Adhyatama)
| Karma Yoga (Unselfish Action) | - Relinquish attachment and desire for fruits of action - Carry out actions to help the Universe as a worship of God. |
| Jnana Yoga (Knowledge) | - Inquire into the true nature of Brahman, Prakriti and Atman. |
| Bhakti Yoga (Devotion) | - Love of a Personal God with Name and Form. |
| Dhyana Yoga (Self Knowledge) | - Contemplation/meditation on the Supreme. |
Significance of Aum or Om -
Aum is described in the Vedas as the primordial sacred sound of creation. It consists of three primary notes, A, U and M, that represent several three-fold entities such as
- Creation, Sustenance and Dissolution
- States of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep, or
- Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshvara.
Additional Quotes from Hindu Scriptures
All of this (universe) is verily Brahman
Aithareya Upanishad
He who dwells in all beings. Who is within all beings;
Whom no beings know, Whose body is all beings and
Who controls all beings from within --- He is your Self,
the Inner Controller, the Immortal (Atman).
Brihadaranyaka Upnishad
He who sees Me everywhere and sees all in Me, he
never becomes lost to Me, nor will I be lost to him.
Bhagavad-Gita 6-30
Truth is one, the wise call it by various names.
Rig Veda (1.164.46)