United Communities of Spirit
World Scripture |
Interspirit |
Gallery |
SourceBook
Lightweavers |
Vision |
Volunteer |
My Teams |
Workspace |
Lightmail
UCS Forum |
Our Beliefs |
Webnet |
Members |
Index/Site Map |
Email Help |
Home |
Log In
Become a Member
HINDUISM: A PORTRAIT
by Dr. T. K. Venkateswaran
Professor of Religious Studies (Emeritus), University of Detroit; former
Research Scholar, Harvard University; member, International Advisory
Council, The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions; member,
International Board of Advisors, The Temple of Understanding
Introduction
Hinduism is the oldest and perhaps the most complex of all the living,
historical world religions. It has no one single identifiable founder. The
actual names found for the religion in the Hindu scriptures are Vedic
Religion, i.e. the Religion of the Vedas (Scriptures) and Sangtana
Dharma, i.e. the Universal or Perennial Wisdom and Righteousness, the
"Eternal Religion." Hinduism is not merely a religion, however. It
encompasses an entire civilization and way of life, whose roots date back
prior to 3000 BCE, beyond the peoples of Indus Valley culture. Yet, since
the time of the Vedas, there is seen a remarkable continuity, a cultural
and philosophical complexity and also a pattern of unity in diversity that
evolved in the course of its history, also a demonstrated propensity for
deep integration and assimilation of all new and external influences.
Main Sources of Religious Knowledge
Scriptures:
The four Vedas -- Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas -- are seen as
Sruti, "heard," as Revelation and "not human-originated," though human
beings, wise and holy sages, seers and prophets were the human channels of
the revealed wisdom. They "heard" in their hearts the eternal messages and
"saw" and symbolized various names and forms of the One, Sacred, Ultimate
Reality, Truth, God from different perspectives and contexts. The Hindu
gods and goddesses, worshipped with different names and forms and
qualities are, in reality, many aspects, powers, functions, and symbols of
the only One all-pervasive Supreme Being, without a second. The
Upanishads, later portions in the Vedas, teach that
salvation/liberation is achieved in an experiential way and that oneness
with the supreme Reality, Brahman, is possible; the supreme goal, Brahman,
is also the One Self, the higher Self found in all. The philosophy and
spiritual practice is known as Vedanta.
The Agamas (Further Scriptures) teach union with God as the Lord,
the Highest Person, Brahman seen in the process of action.
Supplements to the Scriptures:
Smritis (works of Hindu Law, etc.).
The two epics: the Ramayana and the Mahabharata (along with the
Bhagavad Gita in the latter, seen almost as an autonomous scripture) and
the various Puranas.
Basic Beliefs, Values, Paradigms and Teachings
The one all-pervasive supreme Being is both immanent and transcendent,
both supra-personal and highest person (God), who can be worshipped as
both Father and/or Mother of the universe.
The universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and
dissolution. All souls are evolving and progressing toward union with God
and everyone will ultimately attain salvation/ liberation.
Karma is the moral and physical law of cause and effect by which each
individual creates one's own future destiny by accepting responsibility
and accountability for one's own thoughts, words and deeds, individual and
collective.
The individual soul reincarnates, evolving through many births and deaths,
until all the karmic results, good and bad, are resolved. One can and
should strive to attain liberation from this cycle of constant births and
deaths in this very life, by pursuing one of the four spiritual paths to
God-realization -- the ways of Knowledge, Love and Devotion, Selfless
Action, and Meditation.
Four aims or goals in life are arranged hierarchically: the joy cluster
(sensual, sexual, artistic, aesthetic joys, compatible with ethics), the
economic and social fulfillment cluster, the morality cluster (duties,
obligations, right action, law, righteousness, general virtues, and
supreme ethical values, etc.), and the spiritual goal of
salvation/liberation (union and oneness with God). All the elements that
are usually seen as exclusive or antagonistic in life are brought together
in this holistic model, in which every goal has its own place.
Each individual passes through several stages in his/her journey through
life toward the spiritual goal. The four classical stages in life are: (1)
the student, (2) the house-holder, (3) retirement to the woods for
spiritual pursuits and (4) renunciation (optional). Within each stage are
specific goals which provide a practical model for the organization of
life.
Divine aspects and elements of God, the "presence," are invoked through
ritual symbolism and prayers in consecrated images and icons for purposes
of worship. God also "descends," periodically, in incarnations and
historical personalities such as Rama and Krishna.
All life is sacred and is to be loved and revered, through the practice of
nonviolence, realizing that there is unity and inter-dependency among all
forms of life and all aspects of the universe. Exemplary spiritual
teachers (gurus) who themselves are liberated in this life help the
spiritual aspirants with their knowledge and compassion.
No particular religion (including Hinduism) teaches the only, exclusive
way to God and salvation, above all others. All authentic, genuine
religious paths and traditions lead to the One God and are facets of God's
love and light, deserving proper respect, mutual tolerance, and right
understanding.
Hindu Sub-traditions (sampradayas)
The One Brahman is conceived and symbolized according to divine functions
as Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Sustainer and Preserver) and Shiva
(the Destroyer of evils and the Dissolver of the universe). This is
referred to as the Hindu Trinity.
Within the Great Tradition of Hinduism are four main, living sub-
traditions, called sampradayas: (1) Shaivites (2) Vaishnavites (3) Shaktas
and (4) Smartas. The differences are based upon conceptions and worship of
the central name, form, symbols, liturgies, mythologies and theologies of
the One God, Lord and highest Person, as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti (the Divine
as Mother), etc. Smartas worship, equally, several personal manifestations
of the supreme Reality and philosophically emphasize the ultimate
identity-experience of the individual self with the supreme Self, which is
also Brahman.
Hinduism has a vast network of sacred symbols. Some are drawn from sacred
geography like the Ganges River, others are drawn from plant, bird and
animal life; other symbols include profound polyvalent (multi-level
meanings) symbols such as the sacred sound-syllable Om (also written as
AUM) which contains all reality, and Shiva's icon as the "Cosmic Dancer,"
fulfilling all the divine functions.
Approaches to Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation
There are several hymns in the Vedas and other scriptures which
categorically declare that there are different approaches and perspectives
to God and experience of God and ultimate reality. This also arises,
necessarily, from different human contexts. The central teaching,
constantly repeated, is: God is One, but names and forms are many; symbols
and paths are many. Thus, there arose a rich theological and philosophical
pluralism within Hinduism creating an internal "parliament of
sub-traditions and sub-religions," but all grounded in the unity of the
Vedas and One Brahman. Also, multiplicity is encouraged and thrives by
means of the free choice and self-determined identification with one
specially loved manifestation of God -- Shiva, Krishna, Shakti, Rama, and
so on -- in pursuing the moral and spiritual path to salvation/liberation.
Because people are at different starting points and stations, Hindu
scriptures affirm and accept variety in religious experiences as a
necessity and psychological reality. This wisdom is extended to other
non-Hindu religions as a spontaneous and logical outflow of the same
ethos. There is no historical tradition or theological necessity in
Hinduism for proselytization or conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism. All
authentic religions and traditions, all over the world, rising from
different historical and cultural starting points and contexts, are to be
respected, accepted, appreciated and cherished.
Multiplicity brings with it differences, which one cannot destroy or do
away with. Yet, the deep commonalities in structures of religious
experience and in the profound moral values found in all religions are to
be constantly probed and appropriated for the development of a deeper
spiritual and human solidarity and fellowship, transcending the cultural
and other barriers. At the same time, the distinctive theological and
core-symbol elements and central rites of all religions are to be
respected in dialogue and interrelations, based on correct and accurate
understandings and on mutual empathy. All should work together to
eliminate, in the future, horrors that have been committed in the name of
God and religion. Truth values are equally important to the values of
religious satisfaction.
Primary Challenges Facing Humanity at this Time
Our age has deteriorated to an age of quick fixes of meaning from sources
such as science and the media; it has become an analgesic culture. Our
contemporary metaphors, symbols and signals are mixed, confused and
contradictory. Several examples can show that we live in a mosaic of
fragmentation in consciousness, with nothing to hold the pieces together,
nothing beneath to connect them and provide a meaningful substratum. We
inhabit several historical ages simultaneously.
Social stability and participation in a common good have vastly eroded; we
lack a broad consensus where an intricate web of mutual obligations and an
accepted network of responsibilities uphold society. Family integrities
are threatened.
Cultural and ecological balance and harmony in the universe are being
depleted. Economic and technological progress has limits. It now seems
unlikely that the wasteful affluence of the West can become available to
all. Everyone should learn to endure more weal and woe equally, develop
more patience, and pursue real quality of life on the planet, which is not
found in the acquisitive amassing of material goods.
Uncontrolled population growth has become another global war, a war which
must be won. Religious, cultural, and ethnic hatreds are on the increase;
horrors of unprecedented scale, violence, and cruelty are being unleashed
in different parts of the world. Group identities and ideologies are being
sanctified and absolutized.
Holistic human development and the complete fulfillment of all needs --
material, moral and spiritual -- have been lost from view; physical and
mental health and the quality of our lifestyles have deteriorated.
Depersonalization caused by mega-cities and technology continues to
cheapen the richness and meaning of human joys and life. Computer
simulations usurp relationships and are on the verge of providing the most
intimate pleasures, on-line, providing virtual sex.
How Do Members of the Hindu Community Respond to These Issues?
The responses of both the Hindu community and contemporary Hinduism are
briefly summarized below. Some of these responses are still modest.
There is a renewed and vigorous interest in restoring the rich, polyvalent
Hindu myths and their moral, philosophical, and spiritual impact through
new artforms, media ventures, etc. Of all the peoples, Hindus never
abandoned their myths through excessive de-mythologization and heavy
rationalization, as happened in the West. If the body needs a house and
nourishing food, provided by latest technologies, the soul equally needs
an abode in which to grow. In Hinduism, the religious myths built that
house and provided a unified and integrated vision of life. One cannot
live with values that are only contingent and ephemeral. Hindu art and
myths save one from the one-sided, reductionistic understanding of
reality. It should be carefully noted that myth is different from verbal
dogma and ideology. They also help to raise the human consciousness to the
highest levels and heal fragmentations.
The "four-fold goals" scheme and the "four-stages in life" paradigm, found
in the Hindu Dharma, are both needed for holistic human development.
These are now being carefully re-studied in their contemporary contexts
with help and insight derived from the social sciences. Further relevant
interpolations and applications are being generated, with universal
implications. Too much emphasis on individual rights has somewhat torn the
intricate and delicate network of obligations and duties that are
necessary to sustain and uphold family integrity, restore a sense of
community, and foster world-responsibilities. This shredded fabric has
thwarted the creation of abilities and energies needed to create new forms
of consensus on the common good.
One of the central definitions of God (Brahman) found in the Vedas is
Rta, which is manifested in the universe and also on planet Earth. Rta
also has mystery and transcendental dimensions, with many meanings,
including Order, Balance, Harmony, Law, Unified Life-Energy and the
principle of Intelligence. The divine Rta is the foundational and
fundamental norm of existence, the ground of cosmic and human morality and
intelligence. To be fully and really rational is also to be fully moral.
Satya (Truth) and Rta are two sides to the same Divine. Divinity
should not be segregated from creation and the all-embracing presence
should be constantly felt. This truth, a vital part of the Hindu
tradition, is being researched and re-probed to formulate sound
environmental and ecological policies and programs at the highest levels.
The aim is to seek to restore cultural and ecological balance and harmony,
including new population- management and family planning programs with a
Hindu ethos, combined with the latest scientific help.
Preventive medicine as seen and practiced in the ancient Hindu
medicine-texts and life-sciences such as Ayurveda and yoga- manuals,
along with the already established and well-documented mind-body
connections found in those ancient texts, have spurred vast new research
and applications world-wide, with future relevance for all. Renewed
interest in and use of ancient meditation-systems and techniques is
supported by pioneering brain-studies, consciousness research and new
mind-body behavior modifications techniques; together these are pointing
toward renewed physical, mental, and spiritual health in humanity.
Conclusion
The respect within Hinduism for other religions has been discussed in
detail. Beyond that, Hindus everywhere are actively promoting and
aggressively participating in interfaith dialogues and other
interreligious projects. The constant message is: one should not delimit
or circumscribe God by one's own concepts or by one's own religion or
world-views.
Taken from A SourceBook for Earth's Community of Religions
Voices of the Light |
The Bridge Across Consciousness |
The Global Spirituality Report
About Us |
An Unfolding Project |
UCS Icons |
Privacy |
Report Problems |
Global Handshake |
Origin |
Origin Research
You are not logged in to a UCS member account
|
|
