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Hinduism
is the mother of all religions and it is individual's (jeevatma)
association with the Supreme (Paramatma), and the ultimate objective of
religion is realization of Truth. Forms which symbolize Truth are only
indications; they are not Truth itself, which transcends all
conceptualization. The mind in its efforts to understand Truth through
reasoning must always fail, for Truth transcends the very mind which
seeks to embrace it. (Tatwamasi)
It is
unique among the world's religions. We may boldly proclaim it the
greatest and oldest religion in the world. To begin with, it is
mankind's oldest spiritual declaration, the very fountainhead of faith
on the planet. Hinduism's venerable age has seasoned it to maturity. It
is the only religion, to my knowledge, which is not founded in a single
historic event or prophet, but which itself precedes recorded history.
Hinduism has been called the "cradle of spirituality," and the "mother
of all religions," partially because it has influenced virtually every
major religion and partly because it can absorb all other religions,
honor and embrace their scriptures, their saints, their philosophy. This
is possible because Hinduism looks compassionately on all genuine
spiritual effort and knows unmistakably that all souls are evolving
toward union with the Divine, and all are destined, without exception,
to achieve spiritual enlightenment and liberation in this or a future
life.
Any
religion in the world is considered as a mind stratum within people It
is a group of people who think consciously, subconsciously and
subsuperconsciously alike and who are guided by their own
superconsciousness and the superconsciousness of their leaders which
make up the force field which we call a religion. It does not exist
outside the mind. People of a certain religion have all been impressed
with the same experiences. They have all accepted the same or similar
beliefs and attitudes, and their mutual concurrence creates the bonds of
fellowship and purpose, of doctrine and communion.
The
people in Hinduism through a shared mind structure can understand,
acknowledge, accept and love all the peoples of the world, encompass
them within their mind as being fine religious people. The Hindu truly
believes that there is a single Eternal Path, but he does not believe
that any one religion is the only valid religion or the only religion
that will lead the soul to salvation. Rather, the Eternal Path is seen
reflected in all religions.
The will
of God or the Gods is at work in all genuine worship and service. It is
said in Hindu scripture that "Truth is one. Paths are many." The search
for Truth, for God, is called the Sanatana Dharma, or the Eternal
Path because it is inherent in the soul itself, where religion begins.
This path, this return to his Source, is ever existent in man, and is at
work whether he is aware of the processes or not. There is not this
man's search and that man's search. And where does the impetus come
from? It comes from the inside of man himself. Thus, Hinduism is ever
vibrant and alive for it depends on this original source of inspiration,
this first impulse of the spirit within, giving it an energy and a
vibrancy that is renewable eternally in the now.
The Hindu
feels that his faith is the broadest, the most practical and effective
instrument of spiritual unfoldment, but he includes in his Hindu mind
all the religions of the world as expressions of the one Eternal Path
and understands each proportionately in accordance with its doctrines
and dogma. He knows that certain beliefs and inner attitudes are more
conducive to spiritual growth than others, and that all religions are,
therefore, not the same. They differ in important ways. Yet, there is no
sense whatsoever in Hinduism of an "only path." A devout Hindu is
supportive of all efforts that lead to a pure and virtuous life and
would consider it unthinkable to dissuade a sincere devotee from his
chosen faith. This is the Hindu mind, and this is what we teach, what we
practice and what we offer aspirants on the path.
To the
Hindu, conduct and the inner processes of the soul's maturation are more
essential than the particular religion one may be by the accidents of
birth, culture or geography. The Hindu knows that he might unknowingly
disturb the dharma of the individual if he pulls him away from his
religious roots, and that would cause an unsavory karma for them both.
He knows, too that it is not necessary that all people believe exactly
the same way or call God by the same name.
Hinduism
is also extremely sectarian, altogether dogmatic in its beliefs. Its
doctrines of karma and reincarnation, its philosophy of nonviolence and
compassion, its certainty of mystical realities and experience and its
universality are held with unshakable conviction. Perhaps this is due to
the fact that Hinduism is a religion more of experience than of
doctrine. It prefers to say to its followers, "This is the nature of
Truth, and these are the means by which that truth may be realized. Here
are the traditions which have withstood time and proved most effective.
Now you may test them in your own life, prove them to yourself. And we
will help as we can." It will never say, "You must do or believe thusly
or be condemned." In Hinduism it is believed that none are eternally
condemned. That loving acceptance and unremitting faith in the goodness
of life are another reason I boldly say that Hinduism is the greatest
religion even though not the largest in the world.
Within
Hinduism, as within every religious system, are the practical means of
attaining the purity, the knowledge and the serenity of life. Each Hindu
is enjoined to attend a puja every day, preferably at a certain and
consistent time. He must observe the laws of virtue and the codes of
ethics. He must serve others, support religion within his community. He
should occasionally pilgrimage to sacred shrines and temples, and
partake in the sacraments. If he is more advanced, an older soul, then
he is expected, expects of himself, to undertake certain forms of
sadhana and tapas, of discipline and asceticism.
Though it
is broad and open in the freedom of the mind to inquire, Hinduism is
narrowly strict in its expectations of devotees--the more awakened the
soul, the higher the demands and responsibilities placed upon him. And
though other systems of belief are fully acceptable mind structures
within the structure of the higher mind, there is no way out of
Hinduism. There is no excommunication. There is no means of severance.
There's no leaving Hinduism once you have formally accepted and been
accepted. Why is that? That is because Hinduism contains the whole of
religion within itself. There is no "other religion" which one can adopt
by leaving Hinduism, only other aspects of the one religion which is the
sum of them all, the Eternal Path, the Sanatana Dharma.
It can be
said that, if it lacked all the qualities of open-mindedness and
compassion and tolerance just mentioned, that Hinduism would be the
greatest religion on the basis of its profound mysticism alone. No other
faith boasts such a deep and enduring comprehension of the mysteries of
existence, or possesses so vast a metaphysical system. The storehouse of
religious revelation in Hinduism cannot be reckoned. I know of its equal
nowhere. It contains the entire system of yoga, of meditation and
contemplation and Self Realization. Nowhere else is there such
insightful revelation of the inner bodies of man, the subtle pranas
and the chakras, or psychic centers within the nerve system.
Inner states of superconsciousness are explored and mapped fully in
Hinduism, from the clear white light to the sights and sounds which
flood the awakened inner consciousness of man. In the West it is the
mystically awakened soul who is drawn to Hinduism for understanding of
inner states of consciousness, discovering after ardent seeking that
Hinduism possesses answers which do not exist elsewhere and is capable
of guiding awareness into ever-deepening mind strata.
The
various scriptures written thousands of years ago explain how we should
live, and saints and rishis and seers throughout the ages have told us
that it is impossible to live that way. So, Hinduism has a great
tolerance for those who strive and a great forgiveness for those who
fail. It looks in awe at those who succeed in living a life according to
its own strict ethics. In Hinduism we have many, many saints. You don't
have to die to be acknowledged a saint in our religion, you have to
live. The Hindus, perhaps beyond all other people on the earth, realize
the difficulties of living in a human body and look in awe at those who
achieve true spirituality.
Hindus
believes in reincarnation. He believes that he is not the body in which
he lives, but the soul or awareness which takes on a body for a definite
purpose. He believes he is going to get a better body in a better birth,
that the process does not begin and end in a single life, that the
process is continuous, reaching beyond the limits that one life may
impose on inner progress. Of course, his belief in karma assures him
that a better birth, that progress inwardly, will come only if he
behaves in a certain way. He knows that if he does not behave according
to the natural laws, to the Hindu ethics, that he will suffer for his
transgressions in a future life, or future lives, that he may by his own
actions earn the necessity of a so-called inferior birth, earn the right
to start over where he left off in the birth in which he failed.
This
belief in more than a single life brings to the Hindu a great sense of
peace. He knows that the maturity of the soul takes many lives, perhaps
hundreds of lives. If he is not perfect right now, then at least he
knows that he is progressing, that there will be many opportunities for
learning and growing. This eliminates anxiety, gives the serene
perception that everything is all right as it is. There is no sense of a
time limit, of an impending end or an ultimate judgement of his actions
and attitudes. This understanding that the soul evolves gives the Hindu
remarkable insight into the human condition and appreciation for all men
in all stages of spiritual development.
Within
it there is a place for the insane and a place for the saint. There is a
place for the beggar and for those who support beggars. There is a place
for the intelligent person and plenty of room for the fool. The beauty
of Hinduism is that it does not demand of every soul perfection in this
life, a necessary conclusion for those who believe in a single lifetime
during which human perfection or grace must be achieved. Belief in
reincarnation gives the Hindu an acceptance of every level of humanity.
Some souls are simply older souls than others, but all are inherently
the same, inherently immortal and of the nature of the Divine.
In
Hinduism it is believed that the Gods are living, thinking, dynamic
beings who live in a different world, in an inner world in the microcosm
within this world in which there exists a greater macrocosm than this
visible macrocosm. For the Hindu, surrender to the Divine Will, that
created and pervades and guides the universe, is essential. The Hindu
believes that these beings guide our experiences on earth, actually
consciously guide the evolutionary processes. Therefore, he worships
these beings as greater beings than himself, and he maintains a
subjective attitude toward them, wondering if he is attuned with these
grand forces of the universe, if his personal will is in phase with what
these great beings would have him do. This gives birth to a great
culture, a great attitude, a great tolerance and kindness one to
another. It gives rise to humility in the approach to life. Not a weak
or false humility, but a strong and mature sense of the grand presence
and purpose of life before which the head naturally bows.
There are
said to be millions of Gods in the Hindu pantheon, though only a few
major Deities are actually worshipped in the temples. That God may be
worshipped as the Divine Father, or a Sainted Mother or the King of
Kings is one of the blessings of Hinduism. It offers to each a personal
and significant contact, and each Hindu will choose that aspect of the
Deity which most appeals to his inner needs and sensibilities. That can
be confusing to some, but not to the Hindu. Within his religion is
monism and dualism, monotheism and polytheism, and a rich array of other
theological views.
God and
Goddess in Hinduism is accepted as both transcendent and immanent, both
beyond the mind and the very substratum of the mind. The ideal of the
Hindu is to think of God always, every moment, and to be ever conscious
of God's presence. This does not mean the transcendent God, the Absolute
Lord. That is for the yogi to ponder in his contemplative discipline.
That is for the well-perfected Hindu who has worshipped faithfully in
the temples, studied deeply the scriptures and found his guru. For most
Hindus, God means the Gods, one of the many personal devas and Mahadevas
which prevail in our religion. This means a personal great soul which
may never have known physical birth, a being which pervades the planet,
pervades form with His mind and Being, and which guides evolution. Such
a God is capable of offering protection and direction to the followers
of Hinduism. The Hindu is supposed to think of God every minute of every
day, to see God everywhere. Of course, most of us don't think of God
even one minute a day. That's the reason that each Hindu is obliged to
conduct or attend at least one religious service, one puja or ceremony,
every day in his temple or home shrine. This turns his mind inward to
God and the Gods.
Hinduism
is an Eastern religion, and the Eastern religions are very different
from those of the West. For one thing, they are more introspective.
Hinduism gave birth to Buddhism, for Buddha was born and died as a good
Hindu. And it gave birth to other religions of the East, to Taoism, to
Jainism, to Sikhism and others.
There are three distinct aspects of Hinduism:
the temples, the philosophy and the guru. It is very fortunate that in
the last decade Hindu temples have nearly circumferenced the world.
There are temples in Europe, in the United States, in South America, in
Africa and throughout Southeast Asia. The Hindu temple and stone images
in it work as a channel for the Deity, for the Gods, who hover over the
stone image and in their subtle etheric forms change people's lives
through changing the nerve currents within them through their darshan.
People come to a sanctified temple and go away, and in that process they
are slowly changed from the inside out. They have changed because their
very life force has changed, their mind has been changed and their
emotions have undergone a subtle transformation. The temples of Hinduism
are magnificent in their immensity and in their ability to canalize the
three worlds, the First World of physical, outer existence and the inner
Second and Third Worlds. Hindu temples are not centered around a priest
or minister, though there may be a holy man associated with a temple
whose advice is cautiously and quietly sought. There is no sermon, no
mediator, no director to guide the worship of pilgrims. The temple is
the home of the Deities, and each devotee goes according to his own
timing and for his own particular needs. Some may go to weep and seek
consolation in times of sorrow, while simultaneously others will be
there to rejoice in their good fortune and to sing God's name in
thanksgiving. Naturally, the sacraments of name-giving and marriage and
so forth are closely associated with the temple. One has only to attend
a Hindu temple during festival days to capture the great energy and
vitality of this ancient religion.
In its
second section, of philosophy, Hinduism has influenced the deep
religious thinkers of all cultures through known history. It is not a
single philosophy which can be labeled "Hinduism." Rather, it is a
network of many philosophies, some seeming to impertinently contradict
the validity of others, yet on deeper reflection seen as integral
aspects of a single radiant mind flow. In the area of philosophy must be
included the enormous array of scripture, hymns, mantrams, devotional
bhajan and philosophical texts which are certainly unequaled in the
world. In the natural order of things temple worship precedes
philosophy. It all starts with the temple, with this sacred house of the
Deities, this sanctified site where the three worlds communicate, where
the inner and outer mesh and merge. It is there that devotees change.
They become more like the perfect being that lives in the temple, become
the voice of the Deity, writing down what is taught them from the
inside, and their writings, if they are faithful to the superconscious
message of the God, become scripture and make up the philosophies of
Hinduism. The philosophies then stand alone as the voice of the
religion. They are taught in the universities, discussed among scholars,
meditated upon by yogis and devout seekers. It is possible to be a good
Hindu by only learning the philosophy and never going to the temple, or
by simply going to the temple and never hearing of the deeper
philosophies.
Hinduism
has still another section within it, and that is the guru--the teacher,
the illuminator, the spiritual preceptor. The guru is the remover of
darkness. He is one who knows the philosophy, who knows the inner
workings of the temple, and who in himself is the philosopher and the
temple. The guru is he who can enliven the spirit within people. Like
the temple and the philosophy, he stands alone, apart from the
institutions of learning, apart from sites of pilgrimage. He is himself
the source of knowledge, and he is himself the pilgrim's destination.
Should all the temples be destroyed, they would spring up again from the
seeds of philosophy, or from the presence of a realized man. And if all
the scriptures and philosophical treatises were burned, they would be
written again from the same source. So Hinduism cannot be destroyed. It
can never be destroyed. It exists as the spirit of religion within each
being. Its three aspects, the temple, the philosophy and the guru,
individually proficient, taken together make Hinduism the most vital and
abundant religion in the world.
Hinduism
has a grand diversity among its many sects. That diversity is itself
strength, showing how broad and encompassing Hinduism is. It does not
seek to have all devotees believe exactly alike. In fact, it has no
central authority, no single organized institution which could ever
proclaim or enforce such sameness. There is an immense inner unity, but
the real strength and wisdom of Hinduism is its diversity, its variety.
There are so many sects within Hinduism that you could spend a lifetime
studying them and never begin to assess them all. More is there than any
single human being could assimilate in a single lifetime. Hinduism,
therefore, has the magnetism to draw us back into its immensity life
after life. Each sect may be said to be a full religion in its own
right, with all the increments of faith, with no necessary part missing.
Therefore, each sect works for the individuals within it completely, and
each tolerates all the other sects. It does not totally divorce itself
from the other sects, denying their beliefs, but simply separates to
stress or expound a limited area of the vast philosophy, apart from all
others, to be understood by the limited faculties of man.
These
various sects and divisions within Hinduism all spring from a one
source. Most Hindus believe in the transcendental God as well as the
personal Lord or God, and yet there is within the boundaries of the
faith room for the nonbeliever, for the atheist or for the agnostic who
is assessing and developing his beliefs. This brings another unique
asset to our religion--the absence of heresy. There is no such thing as
a heretic in Hinduism, for there is no single right perspective or
belief. Doctrine and sadhana are not considered absolutes, but the means
to an absolute end, and they can be tailored to individual needs and
natures. My Guru would say that different prescriptions are required for
different ailments.
In
Hinduism there is no person or spiritual authority who stands between
man and God. In fact, Hinduism teaches just the opposite. The priests in
the temples are the servants of the Deity, the helper, the keeper of the
Gods' house. He prepares and purifies the atmosphere of the temple, but
he does not intervene between the devotee and his God--whichever of the
many Gods within our religion that he may be worshiping. Without a
mediator, responsibility is placed fully upon the individual.
There is
on one to intercede on his behalf. He is responsible for his actions,
for his thoughts, for his emotions, for his relationship with his God.
He must work out his beliefs from the inside without undue dependence
upon external influences. Of course, there is much help, as much as may
be needed, from those who have previously gone through what he is now
going through. It is not enough that he adopts an authorized dogma. He
must study and bring the teachings to life from within himself.
Within
the philosophy each philosopher proclaims that God can be found within
man if man practices the proper precepts of yoga and delves within
himself through his kundalini force. The guru himself teaches the
awakening of that force and how God can be realized in His
transcendental as well as His personal aspect within the sphere of one's
own personal experience in this very lifetime if he but pursues the path
and is obedient.
Hinduism
is unique because God and man, mind and God, instinctive mind,
intellectual mind and super conscious mind, can merge as one, according
to the evolution of the individual. Each one, according to his own
self-created karma, has his own fulfillment. Those in the first stages
of evolution, whose interests and experiences are basically instinctive,
who possess little intellect or mental prowess are guided by their
emotions and impulses are generally fearful. They have a personal
experience of the Deity in the temple, but it is generally a fearful
experience. They are afraid of God. Alongside of them during a puja is a
great rishi who has had many hundreds of lives on this planet. He has
his own personal experience of God, but it is an experience of love, of
oneness and of union. There they are, side by side. Each experience of
God is as real to one as to the other. There is no one in-between, no
arbitrator of the experience to compel the one to see God exactly as the
other one does.
Hinduism
is as broad as humanity is, as diverse as people are diverse. It is for
the rich and the poor, for the mystic and for the materialist. It is for
the sage and the fool. None is excluded. In a Hindu temple one can find
every variety of humanity. The man of accumulated wealth is there,
supporting the institutions that have grown up around the temple,
seeking to spend his abundance wisely and for its best purpose so that
good merit may be earned for his next life. The pauper is there, begging
in hopes that perhaps he will eat tomorrow and the God will inspire some
devotee to give Him a coin or two. So a Hindu temple is a reflection of
life, set in the midst of the life of the community. It is not making an
effort to be better than the life of the village, only to serve that
life and direct it to its next stage of evolution. The same Hindu mind
which can consume within it all the religions of the world can and does
consume within it all of the peoples of the world who are drawn to the
temple by the shakti, the power, of the temple. Such is the great
embracing compassion of our religion.
The
greatness of Hinduism cannot be compared with other religions. There is
no basis for comparison. Hinduism has no beginning, therefore will
certainly have no end. It was never created, and therefore it cannot be
destroyed. It is a God-centric religion. The center of it is God. All of
the other religions are prophet-centric. The center of those religions
is a great saint or sage, a prophet, a messenger or messiah, some
God-Realized person who has lived on earth and died. Perhaps he was born
to create that particular sect, that particular religion, needed by the
people of a certain part of the world at a certain time in history. The
Hindus acknowledge this and recognize all of the world's religious
leaders as great prophets, as great souls, as great incarnations,
perhaps, of the Gods, or as great realized beings who have through their
realization and inward practices incarnated themselves into, or
transformed themselves into, eminent religious leaders and attracted
devotees to them to give forth the precepts of life all over again and
thus guide a tribe, or a nation or a race, into a better way of life.
The Hindu
mind can encompass this, appreciate it, for it is firmly settled in a
God-centric religion. The center of Hinduism is the Absolute, the
timeless, formless, spaceless God who manifests as Pure Consciousness
and as the most perfect form conceivable, the Primal Soul. He radiates
out from that form as a myriad of Gods and Goddesses who inhabit the
temples and bless the people, inspire the scriptures, inspire the
spiritual leaders and uplift humanity in general. It is a one God in
many forms.
There are
nearly sixtyfive crores Hindus in the world today. Hinduism attends to
the needs of each one. It is the only religion in the world today that
has such breadth and depth. Hinduism contains the Deities and the
sanctified temples, the esoteric knowledge of inner states of
consciousness, yoga and the disciplines of meditation. It possesses a
gentle compassion and a genuine tolerance and appreciation for other
religions. It remains undogmatic and open to inquiry. It believes in a
just world in which every soul is guided by karma to the ultimate goal
of Self Realization, or moksha. It rests content in the knowledge
of the divine origin of the soul, its passage through one life and
another until maturity has been reached. It offers guidance to all who
take refuge in it, from the nonbeliever to the most evolved rishi. It
cherishes the largest storehouse of scripture and philosophy on the
earth, and the oldest. It is endowed with a tradition of saints and
sages, of realized men and women, unrivaled on the earth. It is the sum
of these, and more, which makes us boldly declare that Hinduism is the
greatest, even though not the largest, religion in the entire world.
People in other religions may question the sanctity of idol
worship and we can say it is only due to ignorance.
God is
all-pervading formless Being.
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