Hari Aum.
A common misconception about Hinduism, particularly outside India, is that it is a polytheistic religion. People who are unfamiliar with this philosophy think that this is similar to the Greek and Roman gods. Nothing could be further from the truth.
This article is meant mainly for those who are unfamiliar with Hinduism and curious about the basic concepts.
I would like to begin by saying that 'Hinduism' is not the proper name for the religion of the Hindus. It is a foreign name made by people who invaded India over the centuries. However as Hindus themselves have unfortunately accepted this name, I will continue using it here.
I would like to mention that the proper name for Hinduism is 'Sanathana Dharma' which means 'Eternal Truth/Goodness/Religion'.
Some facts about Hinduism:
1. Monotheism: Hinduism is a monotheistic philosophy. There is One God. The word for God in Sanskrit is 'Ishwara'.
However, this one Ishwara can be called by many names and can be represented by many forms.
This Ishwara is said to have a 'personal aspect' (known as Bhagavan) which is represented as a specific form, and also an 'impersonal aspect' which is formless (known as Brahman).
2. Bhagavan: The personal aspect of Ishwara is represented as a male or female God. There are many such names and forms of the personal aspect of the Supreme God such as Shiva, Narayana, Durga, Ganesha, Subramanya etc. All these are considered equal and worthy of worship. A devotee is free to choose any name and form that they like best to worship.
3. Brahman: The impersonal aspect of Ishwara is called Brahman. This is a formless aspect which is represented by infinite light, love and wisdom.
4. Nature of God: The qualities of God, written in some Hindu scriptures, are said to be six:
i. Jnana- Wisdom
ii. Vairagya- Dispassion (not bound by any desire)
iii. Kirti- Fame
iv. Shri- Wealth
v. Shakti- Strength
vi. Dharma- Goodness/Righteousness/Justice
God is also described in other Hindu scriptures as infinite, immortal, peace, wisdom and bliss. He/She is described as pure consciousness, as Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute i.e. Sat-Chit-Ananda.
5. One God, many paths: Hindu worshippers have the freedom to choose any name and form/formlessness they like to worship. This freedom within Hinduism, is also the reason why Hindus tend to be very accepting of other religions. Hindus believe that God is one, but the paths to Him/Her/That can be many.
The Hindu scriptures also say, that to define God is to deny God. In other words, according to Hindus, God cannot be defined fully using human language. He/She/That is beyond the mind, beyond the comprehension of the intellect. God is to be directly experienced, according to Hindus, not argued or debated about. This is another reason why Hinduism teaches that one should not argue with other religions about the truth of God, but rather let everyone find God in their own way.
6. Meditation: Hindus believe that God can only be experienced through meditation with a pure mind that is filled with virtues and free of all vices (sattvic mind).
7. Yoga: Yoga means a path that leads to union with God (it also means union with God). It is the path and the goal.
All paths of yoga are ways to achieve a pure mind that can then be used to meditate and directly experience the reality of God. The reality that we are one with God, that we are part of God, that we are immortal, pure, blissful, not the impure body and the impure mind.
8. God is everything and everywhere (in you, in me and in everyone and everything):
The Hindu scriptures state that everything is God. Other religions teach that God made the world but He stands outside it. Hindus believe that God made the world out of Himself/Herself- that He/She is present in every speck of space and every atom of matter. There is nowhere where God is not, according to the Hindu.
In fact, the Hindus believe that, ultimately, there is nothing but God. For this reason, one could perhaps call this the ultimate monotheistic religion.
Hindus pay reverence to living beings as a manifestation of God, to the Sun, water, fire, earth, plants and animals and much more as various representations of God.
Many Hindus close their eyes and meditate on brilliant light as seen in the Sun as a representation of the Supreme God who represents the light of wisdom. In the Gita, Krishna, an avatar of Ishwara/God, states that He is in water, earth, air, fire, living beings, everywhere, in everything.
9. Yogi: A yogi is a Hindu who seeks spiritual wisdom, direct experience of God, not mere worldly pleasures, or even heavenly pleasures.
10. Samsara: Hindus believe that there is an eternal cycle of birth and death called 'samsara'. This samsara, which is filled with suffering (of pain, disease, death and birth) is an illusion in the sense that it appears to be real but is not. It is like a dream- it appears real when you are in it, but you realise it was unreal, the moment you wake up. The Hindus see this world as a sort of dream world where things are not really as they seem.
11. Breaking out of the cycle of samsara: The attainment of God realisation (experience) is what breaks the cycle of samsara. When a soul (known as 'jiva') realises its oneness with Ishwara, the experience of suffering in samsara vanishes like a mirage in a desert.
However until the soul attains oneness with God, it moves endlessly through different realms of existence in samsara. According to Hindus, the creation of God is infinite, not limited to this little Earth or even this universe.
12. Creation of God: Hindus believe that God has created infinite universes, and several realms of existence. Individual souls are born in different realms according to their own karma, or actions.
There are heavenly realms in which souls who have done countless good deeds are born temporarily to enjoy the results of their good actions as 'devas' or 'demi-gods'. These demi-gods are bound souls within samsara and serve the Supreme God, Ishwara. Once their good karma runs out, they return again to this Earth plane, which is the place where good and bad karma is produced.
Ishwara gives the demi-gods the responsibility of handling certain aspects of nature such as fire, water, rain and so on. (Note- these demi-gods may seem similar to Greek and Roman gods but this is not the case as the demi-gods in Hinduism are not the supreme God, it is only Ishwara who is supreme).
Those souls who do evil actions on this Earth plane go to various hell realms to suffer in accordance with their own evil deeds. Once they have completed their time there in accordance with their evil actions, they are again reborn on Earth and have a fresh chance to do good or evil as they wish.
Heaven and hell are not permanent places where souls can live according to Hindus. These form part of the many realms of samsara.
13. God-realisation (self-realisation): The only permanent state of peace, wisdom, bliss and immortality is the state of oneness with Ishwara. This state, known as self-realisation or God-realisation, is regarded as the highest and best spiritual goal according to Hindus.
However, God gives freedom to humans to choose what they want. Humans who do good deeds with a wish to enjoy sensual pleasures for a while in heaven, may do so. However, according to Hindus, wisdom lies in desiring the experience of permanent peace and bliss of the Ishwara, not the temporary sensual pleasure of heaven.
14. Guru: A Guru is regarded as a guide on the path to God-realisation. This is usually an individual soul who has completed his/her journey to Ishwara, and who is now one with Ishwara (i.e. God Him/Herself). Sometimes a Guru may be an avatar or direct manifestation of God Him/Herself. A Guru is regarded as essential on the path to God. (Note- not everyone who calls him/herself a Guru today is a genuine Guru. True Gurus are rare to find).
According to all Gurus, the real Guru resides within us (as God is the real Guru, and resides within us). Until we learn to hear the voice of the inner Guru, we take an external Guru as our Guru. The bond between Guru and disciple is eternal according to yogis.
15. Hindu scriptures: Hindus have many holy books, some of which are said to be the word of God Himself (e.g. the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita) and others which are said to be written by ancient God-realised saints (these include the Upanishads, Puranas and Itihasas, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata). The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most well-known of these and contains the essence of all the teachings of Hinduism.
I hope the above article is useful for those who would like to know a bit about Hinduism.
Please see below for a link to an excellent online book by my Guru Sivananda on Hinduism, which explains in more detail about this wonderful, ancient religion.
http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.htm
Hari Aum Tat Sat
A common misconception about Hinduism, particularly outside India, is that it is a polytheistic religion. People who are unfamiliar with this philosophy think that this is similar to the Greek and Roman gods. Nothing could be further from the truth.
This article is meant mainly for those who are unfamiliar with Hinduism and curious about the basic concepts.
I would like to begin by saying that 'Hinduism' is not the proper name for the religion of the Hindus. It is a foreign name made by people who invaded India over the centuries. However as Hindus themselves have unfortunately accepted this name, I will continue using it here.
I would like to mention that the proper name for Hinduism is 'Sanathana Dharma' which means 'Eternal Truth/Goodness/Religion'.
Some facts about Hinduism:
1. Monotheism: Hinduism is a monotheistic philosophy. There is One God. The word for God in Sanskrit is 'Ishwara'.
However, this one Ishwara can be called by many names and can be represented by many forms.
This Ishwara is said to have a 'personal aspect' (known as Bhagavan) which is represented as a specific form, and also an 'impersonal aspect' which is formless (known as Brahman).
2. Bhagavan: The personal aspect of Ishwara is represented as a male or female God. There are many such names and forms of the personal aspect of the Supreme God such as Shiva, Narayana, Durga, Ganesha, Subramanya etc. All these are considered equal and worthy of worship. A devotee is free to choose any name and form that they like best to worship.
3. Brahman: The impersonal aspect of Ishwara is called Brahman. This is a formless aspect which is represented by infinite light, love and wisdom.
4. Nature of God: The qualities of God, written in some Hindu scriptures, are said to be six:
i. Jnana- Wisdom
ii. Vairagya- Dispassion (not bound by any desire)
iii. Kirti- Fame
iv. Shri- Wealth
v. Shakti- Strength
vi. Dharma- Goodness/Righteousness/Justice
God is also described in other Hindu scriptures as infinite, immortal, peace, wisdom and bliss. He/She is described as pure consciousness, as Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute i.e. Sat-Chit-Ananda.
5. One God, many paths: Hindu worshippers have the freedom to choose any name and form/formlessness they like to worship. This freedom within Hinduism, is also the reason why Hindus tend to be very accepting of other religions. Hindus believe that God is one, but the paths to Him/Her/That can be many.
The Hindu scriptures also say, that to define God is to deny God. In other words, according to Hindus, God cannot be defined fully using human language. He/She/That is beyond the mind, beyond the comprehension of the intellect. God is to be directly experienced, according to Hindus, not argued or debated about. This is another reason why Hinduism teaches that one should not argue with other religions about the truth of God, but rather let everyone find God in their own way.
6. Meditation: Hindus believe that God can only be experienced through meditation with a pure mind that is filled with virtues and free of all vices (sattvic mind).
7. Yoga: Yoga means a path that leads to union with God (it also means union with God). It is the path and the goal.
All paths of yoga are ways to achieve a pure mind that can then be used to meditate and directly experience the reality of God. The reality that we are one with God, that we are part of God, that we are immortal, pure, blissful, not the impure body and the impure mind.
8. God is everything and everywhere (in you, in me and in everyone and everything):
The Hindu scriptures state that everything is God. Other religions teach that God made the world but He stands outside it. Hindus believe that God made the world out of Himself/Herself- that He/She is present in every speck of space and every atom of matter. There is nowhere where God is not, according to the Hindu.
In fact, the Hindus believe that, ultimately, there is nothing but God. For this reason, one could perhaps call this the ultimate monotheistic religion.
Hindus pay reverence to living beings as a manifestation of God, to the Sun, water, fire, earth, plants and animals and much more as various representations of God.
Many Hindus close their eyes and meditate on brilliant light as seen in the Sun as a representation of the Supreme God who represents the light of wisdom. In the Gita, Krishna, an avatar of Ishwara/God, states that He is in water, earth, air, fire, living beings, everywhere, in everything.
9. Yogi: A yogi is a Hindu who seeks spiritual wisdom, direct experience of God, not mere worldly pleasures, or even heavenly pleasures.
10. Samsara: Hindus believe that there is an eternal cycle of birth and death called 'samsara'. This samsara, which is filled with suffering (of pain, disease, death and birth) is an illusion in the sense that it appears to be real but is not. It is like a dream- it appears real when you are in it, but you realise it was unreal, the moment you wake up. The Hindus see this world as a sort of dream world where things are not really as they seem.
11. Breaking out of the cycle of samsara: The attainment of God realisation (experience) is what breaks the cycle of samsara. When a soul (known as 'jiva') realises its oneness with Ishwara, the experience of suffering in samsara vanishes like a mirage in a desert.
However until the soul attains oneness with God, it moves endlessly through different realms of existence in samsara. According to Hindus, the creation of God is infinite, not limited to this little Earth or even this universe.
12. Creation of God: Hindus believe that God has created infinite universes, and several realms of existence. Individual souls are born in different realms according to their own karma, or actions.
There are heavenly realms in which souls who have done countless good deeds are born temporarily to enjoy the results of their good actions as 'devas' or 'demi-gods'. These demi-gods are bound souls within samsara and serve the Supreme God, Ishwara. Once their good karma runs out, they return again to this Earth plane, which is the place where good and bad karma is produced.
Ishwara gives the demi-gods the responsibility of handling certain aspects of nature such as fire, water, rain and so on. (Note- these demi-gods may seem similar to Greek and Roman gods but this is not the case as the demi-gods in Hinduism are not the supreme God, it is only Ishwara who is supreme).
Those souls who do evil actions on this Earth plane go to various hell realms to suffer in accordance with their own evil deeds. Once they have completed their time there in accordance with their evil actions, they are again reborn on Earth and have a fresh chance to do good or evil as they wish.
Heaven and hell are not permanent places where souls can live according to Hindus. These form part of the many realms of samsara.
13. God-realisation (self-realisation): The only permanent state of peace, wisdom, bliss and immortality is the state of oneness with Ishwara. This state, known as self-realisation or God-realisation, is regarded as the highest and best spiritual goal according to Hindus.
However, God gives freedom to humans to choose what they want. Humans who do good deeds with a wish to enjoy sensual pleasures for a while in heaven, may do so. However, according to Hindus, wisdom lies in desiring the experience of permanent peace and bliss of the Ishwara, not the temporary sensual pleasure of heaven.
14. Guru: A Guru is regarded as a guide on the path to God-realisation. This is usually an individual soul who has completed his/her journey to Ishwara, and who is now one with Ishwara (i.e. God Him/Herself). Sometimes a Guru may be an avatar or direct manifestation of God Him/Herself. A Guru is regarded as essential on the path to God. (Note- not everyone who calls him/herself a Guru today is a genuine Guru. True Gurus are rare to find).
According to all Gurus, the real Guru resides within us (as God is the real Guru, and resides within us). Until we learn to hear the voice of the inner Guru, we take an external Guru as our Guru. The bond between Guru and disciple is eternal according to yogis.
15. Hindu scriptures: Hindus have many holy books, some of which are said to be the word of God Himself (e.g. the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita) and others which are said to be written by ancient God-realised saints (these include the Upanishads, Puranas and Itihasas, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata). The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most well-known of these and contains the essence of all the teachings of Hinduism.
I hope the above article is useful for those who would like to know a bit about Hinduism.
Please see below for a link to an excellent online book by my Guru Sivananda on Hinduism, which explains in more detail about this wonderful, ancient religion.
http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.htm
Hari Aum Tat Sat
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