Hinduism - Comments
From LoveToKnow 1911
Hinduism Though Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism generally means a plethora of gods and goddesses and colourful or horrific rituals, Hinduism is a profound philosophy dating back to at least 2500 BC and evolving over time through interpretations and reform movements.
The Vedas Hinduism draws its inspiration from the vedas, which are more a record than an interpretation of religious experience.
The Vedas contain praises of different deities, such as agni, Indra, Varuna, etc, who are deified forms of different aspects of nature. These gods are powerful entities, competent to bestow bounteous gifts on those who pray to them. The gods invoked in the Vedas may also be seen as different manifestations of the same truth. Thus one aspect of truth is represented as the Fire God, while another is described as the Rain God and so on.
The Vedas comprise of four parts, each of which developed in different periods of the Vedic Age. The first phase of the Vedic period is marked by the composition of the Sanghitas, four collections of hymns dedicated to one or the other aspect of the Supreme Truth. The second phase is characterised by the composition of the Brahmanas, texts which describe the rituals associated with sacrifice. Hinduism regards sacrifices as one of the most sacred tasks, the performance of which opens the gates of heaven. The third phase of the Vedic period is characterised by the composition of the Aranyakas, which describe different methods of spending one's life in the forest and of how to develop one's spiritual self. The fourth phase is characterised by the upanisads, which record the human urge to unravel the mysteries of the universe. Vedic literature, thus, moves from the craving for physical satisfaction of material needs to the eternal aspiration of the human mind.
While the authority of the Vedas is final, the expression and interpretation of the religious experience is by no means final. This interpretation constitutes smriti literature. The Vedas, representing Eternal Truths, do not change, but interpretations change as the social structure changes. However, neither Vedic nor Smrti literature contain the entire truth of Hinduism. The seers themselves prescribe that in order to arrive at the core content of Truth it is necessary to dive deep into the epics, the ramayana and the mahabharata, as well as the puranas, which are interpretations and expositions of the fundamental truths preserved in Vedic literature.
The Bhagavadgita, the Gospel of Hinduism The bhagavadgita is the gospel of Hinduism. According to the Bhagavadgita, the religion it propounds is not restricted to a particular community or time, but is an eternal religion handed down to humanity through the ages. The Sanskrit word dharma, employed in the Bhagavadgita, does not refer to the faith professed by a particular community or section but rather to a religion capable of being practised by all human beings irrespective of faith or creed. Greater emphasis is laid in Hinduism on the code of conduct, than on faith in the divine. It is curious to note that one can become a Hindu without believing in the existence of God. It is sufficient to believe in the unquestionable authority of the Vedas and to follow the code of conduct prescribed by the scriptures.
One of the fundamental characteristics of Hinduism is represented by the philosophy of 'Selfless Action' or 'Work without Motive', which has been structured in a beautiful manner in the Bhagavadgita. This philosophy states that obligations to the community must be discharged by human beings, because without work the wheel of human life cannot go on. However, one must discharge one's own duties without caring for reward. When duties are discharged with one eye on the reward, the work becomes a source of bondage. On the other hand, if work is done without consideration of personal gain, it becomes a source of liberation. Human beings are then no longer confined within the boundaries of the self, but are lifted onto a higher plane where they experience a oneness with the universe.
This question naturally leads to the bigger issue of who is to be benefited by such action. If the performer discharges his obligations without any consideration of gain and does not want to be benefited personally by the fruits of such action, then who benefits from the action? It is here that the Bhagavadgita refers to God as the agency at whose feet the fruits of action are to be surrendered. The Bhagavadgita proclaims: 'Whatever you do, whatever you sacrifice, whatever you donate, whatever penance you practiceall these are to be dedicated at the feet of the Supreme Lord'. Elsewhere the Bhagavadgita says that God resides in the heart of all beings, animate and inanimate. When these two projections are taken together, it means that the fruits of all actions are to be surrendered for the benefit of all beings, and not for the personal benefit of the performer.
Hinduism does not believe that the use of force is immoral in all circumstances. The Bhagavadgita, for example, lays stress on the duties of the warrior and the claims of the nation. There is a place for politics and heroism, but wisdom and love are more than politics and war.
Animals are also included as objects to be treated with compassion. All life is sacred, whether of animals or of human beings. Hindu custom allows meat-eating but prefers vegetarianism. On days dedicated to religious function, however, meat-eating is disallowed.
Priestly codes tend to confuse virtue with ceremonial purity. To kill a man is bad, but to touch his corpse is worse. The great scriptures, however, disregard technical morality and insist on the spirit of self-control and love of humanity. To be able to fulfil the obligations expected of human beings, self-control must be practised. Cardinal sins are those that destroy the self: lust, anger, and greed. The true Hindu makes war upon these vices with the weapons of the spirit, opposing chastity to lust, love to anger, and generosity to greed. The Vedas say, 'Cross the bridges hard to cross. Overcome anger by love, untruth by truth'. The Mahabharata says, 'The rules of dharma or virtuous conduct taught by the great seers, each of whom relied on his own illumination, are manifold. The highest among them all is self-control'. It is in order to develop self-control that austerities and asceticism are practised, but when self-control is attained, these rigorous practices are unnecessary. Insistence on discipline or self-control avoids the two extremes of self-indulgence and asceticism.
Hinduism also allows for repentance: 'If he repents after he commits the sin, the sin is destroyed. If he resolves that he will never commit the sin again, he will be purified'. Hinduism also does not differentiate between meditation and right action. The sannyasi is not one who abstains from work. Meditation and action both express the same spirit; there is no conflict between wisdom and work. 'It is the children of this world and not the men of learning who think of wisdom and work as different. The peace that is won by the knower is likewise won by the worker. He sees in truth who sees that wisdom and work are one'.
