Introduction to Hinduism (Part 2)
The Contradictions and Dimensions Of HinduismIt is interesting to note that the religion does not seem to scoff at the idea of the non-existence of God. Even those who do not believe in the existence of God can call themselves proudly Hindus, though it is doubtful whether they would ever gather a wider acceptance.Today there are a number of people among Hindus who are basically non-believers of God and who do not accept any religion to conduct their activities. Still it is very doubtful whether anyHindu would consider them as non-Hindus. In this article we will examine the contradictions inherent in Hinduism and try to formulate a fair idea of who a Hindu is.
That Hinduism is mass of self-contradictions becomes very clear when one goes through the richly engrossing stories of the Hindu mythology. It is amusing to note that the Trinity of Gods would rarely discriminate between a god and a demon while bestowing favors upon them, as long as they fulfilled certain conditions.Sometimes they would be extremely generous to some wicked soul from the underworld in granting boons, well knowing that it would lead to trouble and disturbance. It is as if they have chosen for themselves the principles of non-discrimination, secularism and equality of opportunities!Some of the demons and villainous characters in the epics and puranas were also great devotees, who by virtue of their devotion and strength of character went to heaven after their demise, though while alive they committed many heinous crimes.Examples of some apparent contradictionsIn the following lines we highlight a few of the well known contradictions inherent in the traditions of Hinduism. It must be added here thatHinduism does not consider these contradictions as irreconcilable.At the deeper level they all merge into one harmonious whole. But on the surface they seem to contradict each other.All the apparent contradictions like the devas andthe asuras, like the many manifestations of Iswara, resolve themselves harmoniously, almostmysteriously into an acceptable single truth. It is as if what is contradictory outside is in league and harmony with the Truth inside.The devas and the asuras in reality are working for the same end!. The asthikas (believers) and the nasthikas (non-believers)at the end of their debate prove the same point : that any conclusions we draw about the Absolute Truth, with our semi-evolved consciousness is incomplete and imperfect. When Truth in all its full glory stands in front us, we are as helpless, asimperfect, as ignorant , as innocent or as wicked as an insect in front of man!Such a reconciliation of divergent truths into one harmonious whole, which is difficult for a novice to understand, aptly summarizes and concludes what Hinduism in essence actually declares to us: that the One (Truth) manifests itself into many (truths) at the time of creation and that the many (truths) slowly in the end resolve themselves into One Truth again ! Let us now examine a few of theapparent contradictions that baffle many who arenot familiar with Hinduism:
1. One God Vs No God2. One God Vs Many Gods3. Vedic rituals Vs Spiritual practices3. The path of Knowledge Vs the Path of Devotion.4. Saivism Vs Vaishnavism5. Purusha Vs Prakriti6. Monism Vs Dualism7. Vedas Vs Tantras8. The concept of Divine origin of man Vs Caste System9. The concept of renunciation Vs the concept of four Purusharthas.10. The concept of self-control Vs the revelry of gods.11. The concept of monogamy Vs the polygamous gods.12. Hindu ethics Vs the behavior of gods.12. Worship of Mother Goddess Vs the Devadasi system and the position of women in society.13. Ritualism Vs Spiritualism.14. Buddha as an incarnation of Vishnu Vs Buddha's own teachings about God, gods and theVedas.And so on.Hinduism truly believes that when one goes beyond the sensory field there are hardly any rules. Whatever that is within in the field of illusion is also strictly a part of illusion, whether itis a moral code, a particular belief or a way of doing things.True freedom is when you break through all barriers of mental conditioning and try to transcend your limited vision and all manner of choosing, discarding and selecting. For that you need not have to worship God as others do, or seek Truth like others.You can purse your own path and follow your own convictions, as long as it is in harmony with your true nature. You may worship God in whatever way you want. You may even deny Him,because understandably you are living in a state of ignorance and illusion. You may consider Him either as the Known or as the Unknown, either as the Being without form or as the Being with innumerable forms.The choice is yours. It is ultimately your salvation. They are your decisions and those actions that you would undertake to pursue such decisions are also essentially your actions only. And you alone would suffer from the consequences.It is of course difficult to follow certain paths like for example the path of the formless or the Unknown. But if some one wants to follow them, there is nothing that one can do. There are many paths that lead to Him and how can one say anything with conviction and finality on such issues?How can any one frame any rules about the One who is beyond all rules? How can any one say anything with certainty about the One who is beyond the known as well the unknown? "He whosays he knows Him knows Him not, but he who knows that He knows Him not really knows Him"Rigid approach to theological matters is thereforenot central to Hinduism. What is important is relentless pursuit of Truth through intelligent discrimination or proper use of ones buddhi. The books and the teacher can only suggest ways andmeans. It is up to the individual to decide what is best for him.Surprisingly, as we have seen in the previous pages, even the word Hindu is not a Sanskrit word. It is derived from the name given to the river"Sindhu". For several centuries the word was used to denote the people of the subcontinent, not people of a particular faith. Hindustan was the land that existed beyond the river Indus, and those that lived there were referred to as Hindus. Thus we can see that the word Hindu was originally meant to define people living in a particular region rather than those practicing a particular religion.Hindu society was as complex in ancient and medieval India as it is today, consisting of divergent groups of people, following different faiths, worshipping different gods, speaking different languages, and belonging to different social and ethnic backgrounds. There were Buddhists and Jains and even among the so called Hindus there were a number of divergent beliefs and practices.Yet to the observant foreigner, in that medieval environment they all appeared to be bound together by some invisible bond, as if they all evolved together distinctly, as if they were one group of people who shared a long tradition and a great many common beliefs.And how correct they were in their observation! From the global perspective, even today, if you setaside religion and look at the people of the subcontinent, they all undoubtedly represent one distinct group, possessing certain characteristicsthat are unique, unusual and peculiar to themselves.Hinduism is very much like a giant banyan treeWe can define Hinduism as a set of religious beliefs, practices, and traditions that has been gradually evolving over a period of time in the Indian subcontinent with its primary roots in the Vedas but like a giant banyan tree with its secondary roots deriving succor from all directions and various sources, providing shelter to many divergent beliefs and practices and still spreading farther and farther from its base.The beliefs of a devout HinduFor our understanding we may also define a Hindu in the following manner. A Hindu:1. believes in the omnipresent existence of One Imperishable Universal- Self and also in the existence of many individual Selves.2. believes in the existence of various manifestations of God starting with the Trinity.3. believes in the existence of various paths to reach God, especially the path of knowledge, the path of renunciation, the path of devotion and the path of action.4. believes in the eternal and immutable nature of self.5. believes in the theory of karma and reincarnation.6. believes in the evolution of not only man but allthe beings.7. believes that the path to God are many and hence tolerates other forms of religious worship and practices.8. believes in the concept of maya or illusion.9. believes in the sacred knowledge of the Vedas, the Vedanta, the Bhagavad-Gita etc.10. and also, understandably,believes either in some or in all or in none of the above!Although this definition does not take into consideration many divergent views and approaches to the understanding of the vedantic philosophy, this can be regarded as the broad definition of a Hindu for our understanding.
The dimensions of HinduismIt may also be noted that Hinduism has many dimensions. There is a scholarly dimension (the systems or traditions based on gnana or knowledge), a devotional or popular dimension (the systems and traditions based on bhakti), a physical dimension (the esoteric, fierce and sexual cults of tantrism) and a folk dimension (the traditions of superstition, obscurantism, animism, animal sacrifices etc, practiced by rural people, tribals etc.)Hinduism has so many dimensions and inherent contradictions because Hindus have never accepted any particular person, god, prophet, theory, dogma or institution as central to Hinduism or spiritualism. Whoever joined it, brought with them their own set of beliefs and practices and integrated them into the religion they accepted as their own. In this we cannot judge Hindus to be either right or wrong, from the standards of another religion. The followers of Hinduism are mostly guided by their staunch belief in karma, according to which an individual makes choices according to his or her past inclinations and actions. Therefore they do not show much interest in interfering with other people's belief or in forcing their own brethren to blind adherence.The strength of the religion lies in its emphasis onindividual choice, in seeking spiritual answers, inproviding unconditional freedom to its adherents to explore the vast unknown areas of Truth and in its glaring indifference to the concept of proselytization.Truly Hinduism is a living and continuing tradition, a group of religious and spiritual beliefstested for long in the furnace of human knowledge and spiritual wisdom and accepted asvalid milestones in the spiritual achievements of the Indian subcontinent.
Just as the world and the human civilization evolve and expand, Hinduism also evolves and expands, incorporating the new knowledge and the new Truths that become a part of our growing and expanding consciousness.In whatever direction the mankind may progress, whatever new scientific truths it may unravel and revel in, Hinduism surely has the tenacity and sagacity to survive and continue for generations, with greater and greater vigor, unique wisdom and wider responsibilities, providing solutions tothe challenges that may arise as we progress. Definitely it has an inherent advantage over those religions which suffer from the limitations of the scriptural framework which they blindly adhere.An Overview Of Hinduism - What It Is and What It is Not1. According to Hinduism God is One, but also Many. The One becomesmany and the many haveto begin their journey finally towards the One as aprocess of creation.2. Hinduism believes that man is divine in nature.The basic purpose of a human being is to realize this divine nature in him.3. Hinduism firmly declares that the ego or ahamkar is the root cause of all suffering. If an individual has to escape from suffering he has to cease to be his egoistic self and identify himself with his limitless inner self.4. Hinduism believes unquestionably that the world is an illusion or maya. Attachment with it isthe cause of birth and death. When a person overcomes this illusion through detachment and withdrawal of senses he will become qualified forself-realization.5. The Hindus believe in reincarnation or rebirth, according to which each individual lives many lives because of his ignorance and the play of maya before he attains liberation.6. Hinduism believes that all beings have souls, are equally important in the scheme of creation and that they all evolve continuously till they achieve final freedom. Man is but one stage in this evolution of life and in the soul's upward journey towards such liberation. This is the reason why many Hindus choose to remain as vegetarians throughout their lives.7. Hinduism believes in the concept of incarnation of God. According to this concept Godis an active and dynamic principle, who sometimes descends into the earth's consciousness directly and assumes human formto protect the weak and restore world Order.8. Hinduism has given to the world the concept of karma, according to which all actions produce positive or negative reactions and effect our lives.There is however no scope here for fatalism. Actions done as an offering to God do not effect us. Sacrifice through surrendering to God is therefore the basis of salvation. Hinduism offers the best way to live a life devoid of anxieties and worries. It says, "Live your normal life, offering allyour actions and possessions mentally to God in the spirit of sacrifice without bothering about the results of your actions."9. Hinduism gives immense freedom to each individual to choose whatever path he or she wants to choose. It does not believe in super imposition of faith from outside, nor changing of ones faith to another because it is more attractive.Each has to pursue the path of God according to his or her inner nature and evolution. Hinduism says, "Follow your own self, live according to your own dharma and discover you own truth that is in harmony with yourself."10. Finally Hinduism does not believe in converting people from one faith to faith in an organized way. If an individual want to change his religion that is his inner choice. But no one should force him or tempt him to change. Hinduism strictly prohibits teaching of the scriptures to people who are not inclined to understand them or follow them. There are many ways in which one can approach God. All paths in the end lead to Him only.Truly speaking every one in this world is a Hindu, whether he believes in God or not, whether he is a Hindu or a Buddhist or of some other faith. A Hindu is an individual soul who has been separated from God, is under illusion and has to rejoin God some day. No one need force him to become a Hindu in the physical sense, because one day, in some birth, he will become aware of what he is or who he is. What he does in between is all part of a Divine Play.Hinduism, Way of Life, Beliefs and PracticesIn Hinduism, religion (dharma) influences the way people live and view themselves. The very act of living is regarded as an obligatory duty andan opportunity to fulfill the aims of creation and participate in God’s eternal dharma. Tradition holds that religious duty (dharma) is the primary aim (purusharthas) of human life since it is the foundation upon which one develops the wisdom and discretion to pursue wealth (artha) and happiness (kama) without compromising the chances liberation (moksha). From the Book, Introduction to Hinduism by Jayaram V.Living According To The Hindu Dharma"The Hindu man drinks religiously, sleeps religiously, walks religiously, married religiously,robs religiously." - Swami VivekanandaHinduism is not considered to be a religion but a way of life, because religion is deeply interwoven into the life of a Hindu the way nerves are interwoven in our bodies. It is very difficult to separate living and religion in the life of a devout Hindu. Both are inseparable. Both compliment each other. Both exist because of each other and both would lose their meaning and significance without the other. Religion is the center of living and living is the center of religion.In the following article we will try to understand the philosophy hidden behind this beautiful and noble concept of life and why a Hindu considers his it as a way of life rather than as a religion.Religion is there in every aspect of a Hindu's life. Religion is his inseparable companion, guide andphilosopher. It is there, always, however modern or advanced he may be, whether he believes in God or not, at the back of his mind, like a tuft of hair on the head of a priest, deeply rooted in his subconscious, firmly entrenched in his being, from which he cannot escape even if he chooses to follow another religion.It is there when he is born, as if he comes into this world carrying with him the burden of his religion, with all his deeply rooted religious beliefs and practices, as if they are his traditional family tools from which he can never be separated, because his present life is but a continuation and result of his past one.
And it stays with him till the end, influencing every action of his and helping him to adjust to the harsh realities of life in a rather philosophical and stoical way and accept suffering as a part of his self-purification and inner correction.According to Hinduism, religion is not separate from living. It is living itself. God does not exist in temples and sacred places only. Going to the temples is a good practice, but that is not the only way to worship God. God does not exist in temples alone, in some particular altar or sacred place.He exists every where and can be approached in every way, not just by performing some special yagnas and rituals, but also through the very process of living ones life and discharging ones responsibility towards oneself, ones family, ones society and ones own religion. Even helping otherreligions is not an abominable act.The very life that we live on earth is divine. Every aspect of it is infused with Divine presence. Hidden behind the illusion of life is God's golden and immortal presence. If we are clever enough and careful enough in our thoughts and deeds, we can see His foot prints every where, in our lives and actions.We can realize Him right amidst our active living process. If we are careful, if we are intelligent, if we have the right discrimination,we can make the very process of living a kind of daily worship, a means to establish contact with the Divine, a way to purify ourselves and ennoble ourselves, and create, in this very life, amidst this very society, a strong foundation, a lasting basis, for our spiritual growth that would eventually lead ustowards self-realization.The Hindu way of life encourages us to accept living as a means of self-realization. Every activity that we perform while living and every aspect of life that we know and deal with becomes means to realize God. In this approach there is very little difference between living and worshipping.Life is but divine and sacred. The Divine does not exist elsewhere in some heavenly regions, separate and distinct from ours. He is right here, amidst us, at the centers of our very lives and activities. Every act that we perform in this life will either contribute towards our evolution or inhibit it.Life is verily an opportunity to receive into our selves, the Divine force, the illuminating and enlightening awareness of God, the overwhelming and all encompassing should consciousness. Life is an opportunity to discover our hidden selves. It is a great way to go beyond our limited vision and limited capacities. It is the best possible instrument with in our reach to realize Truth of ourselves and of God in the truest and grandest possible manner.Performing ones duties with a sense of detachment and as an offering to God, or worshipping God in a temple or during a ritual, are conceptually one and the same. Self-realization can be achieved not only by renouncing the world and performing tapas, but living amidst society, with a sense of detachment,untouched by the corruptions of life, like a lotus leaf in a pond.If we live with a divine sense of responsibility,every act that we perform in the course of our lives can lead us into the mysteries of divine life and into highest transcendental state of light and delight.Every Hindu artist brought in the true traditions of Hinduism know this secret. For him his art is simply an inseparable from of divine worship. For him it is the best and the easiest way to be in touch with the heart of God. His devotion to God flows out of him in the form of an artistic expression. His art flourishes to the extent he is devoted to God. It is the same conviction, the same philosophy, the same approach, which prompts a karmayogi to perform his duties with a degree of detachment that is rare to come across elsewhere in the world.The present life is but a continuation of the previous. It is another opportunity that we create for ourselves to continue our experiments with truth, to correct our past mistakes, cleanse our souls and make ourselves more qualified for the infusion of light and ascent into higher planes of existence. The present is so because of the deeds of the past.We are the creators of our own lives and destinies. We create them out of our right and wrong actions which have both positive and negative consequences. So if one has to change the conditions and secure a better future one has to live more responsibly and more carefully.And this has to be done right now, here and in thisvery life.This is the philosophy, the line of thinking, behindthe concept of Hinduism as a way of life. The concepts of the omnipresence of God and his inviolable law of life (dharma) operating universally keeps the typical Hindu careful in his actions and responsible towards his own life. Forthe typical Hindu religion is thus a way of life, a means of self-purification and inner evolution.The Hindu Way Of Life, Living According To Hindu Dharma For Self RealizationThere is a misconception among many Hindus that since Hinduism is not a religion in the strictest sense of the word, but a way of life, everything that we do in our lives is acceptable to the religion. This is a simplistic attitude with serious consequences for the future of Hinduism and the values it represents.Hinduism does indicate that human beings are completely responsible for their actions and the way they chose to lead their lives. It gives them complete freedom to follow their inherent nature and explore their inner world to arrive at the absolute Truth about themselves and their existence. However, this does not mean that it advocates permissiveness or an incorrect way of life. It cautions its adherents to be wary of the illusory nature of our existence and suggests several ways and means to deal with it.The scriptures make it amply clear that whoever indulges in wrong actions has to suffer from the consequences of such actions. The epics and the stories from the Puranas convincingly illustrate this fact. They depict how the asuras or demons who live their lives wrongly and egoistically and indulge in incorrect actions suffer from divine retribution as well as from the consequences of their evil actions. Repeatedly they emphasize in many words, through aphorisms, stories and verses, how wrong actions would lead sinful people towards the darkest hells and their moral and spiritual downfall.
Therefore, the religious freedom Hinduism offers should not be misconstrued as religious permissiveness.A person who willfully chooses to follow a wrong way of life has to suffer from theconsequences of his actions. Religious freedom means living one's life with a great sense of responsibility,not irresponsibility. The responsibility is primarily and essentially towards maintaining and following one's basic dharma (meaning duty). Your duty comes with your position, status, knowledge, fate and relationships. You have to perform those duties that are obligatory to your position and status in life. You can only avoid it at a great spiritual cost to you. This is the message you will find in every major Hindu scripture, including the Bhagavadgita.Hinduism does emphasize that one should live upon earth morally and responsibly according to one's dharma and the authority of the scriptures. Those who try to rationalize their wrong actions and unethical living do so at their own peril. In this regard there is neither confusion nor contradiction about what the religion stands for and what it upholds. Let us examine how true thisis.
According to Hinduism every human being, who is an aspect of God, has to live, practice and protect his dharma or religious laws. If he does not participate in God's work to keep the order and regularity of the world (rtam) and does not protect His Law, he is not entitled to moksha or salvation. Therefore, he has certain duties and obligations towards himself, his family, his ancestors, gods, other humans and living beings.He has a primary duty to serve gods and nourish them because they keep a protective watch over him and help him to secure name, fame, wealth, progeny and other material comforts. In return fortheir services, the gods need to be nourished because they cannot make their own food. If he does not make them offerings or acknowledge their help, he will not only lose their support and blessings but also morally becomes responsible for their becoming weak and vulnerable against the demons. The gods exist not only outside in themacrocosm, but also in the microcosm of each being as their internal organs and power centers. In their subtle states, they are the spiritual energies that reside in him and help him to progress towards Aditi, the Light, and attain"Soma," the state of divine bliss.It does not mean that the gods are selfish, weak, or biased. The gods are obliged to help you if you observe certain conditions and perform the ritual and spiritual sacrifices in your life according to the injunctions of the Vedas. It means the gods are impartial, who discharge their respective duties strictly according to the rules of creation and the universal laws of Eternal Dharma, laid down by the Supreme Self, including the law of karma, which means their response to your devotion and propitiation may depend upon your past deeds.The scriptures are very clear about what be our attitude towards religious texts and in case of doubt what we should follow. In Hinduism, an individual must revere and respect the Vedas, because they are revealed by God for the general welfare and guidance of the world and contain nothing but truth. Since we cannot verify transcendental truths with mere intellectual knowledge, we have to depend upon the revelatory scriptures for fact check. Therefore, it isexpected that every devout Hindu should show respect towards these sacred books, engage in their proper study and understanding called svadhyaya (self-study) and practice the truths and laws prescribed by them. Their knowledge may still be inferior to the self-knowledge achieved through self-realization, but they are important for our spiritual and material welfare.The scriptures also suggest that every human being must live selflessly. He will be responsible for his actions if he lives selfsihsly, but becomes free if he lives selflessly and without egoism. It means one should cease to exist as an individual to satisfy one's own desires, and learn to see himself or the omnipresence of God in everything and everywhere. He who sees Him in all and all inHim would lead a deeply religious and spiritual life, because having realized the presence of God in all, he develops compassion and right attitude towards the whole creation of God.Therefore, every Hindus is expected to live his life strictly according to the laws laid down in the scriptures.
He must perform his daily rituals, obligatory duties, and various samskaras (sacraments), which depend upon his position and status in society, and live the four stages of his life (asramas) as prescribed in the scriptures.Unfortunately, many modern Hindus have a poor knowledge of Hinduism and great contempt for the observation of rituals, which they believe are nothing but acts of superstition and blind faith. They miss the obvious fact that the rituals are meant to inculcate in us feelings of reverence and devotion to god or gods, and remember our dutiesand obligations. The rituals are like milestones along a path that remind us constantly that we are in a journey and our destination is the immortal heaven.
