Hinduism- A religious spark of the whole
A common path of invisible thread to unite all the people belonging to the
same community, customs, traditions and culture led to the concept of Religion. Religion
is a way to express love towards God and to awaken the sleeping soul within us. Religion
is created by humanity which is in turn created by God who belongs to no religion
because God existed way before the man who created religions. The various religions are
like different paths whose ultimate goal is to reach God. The one God has been
understood by various people in various ways. Every religion is like a room of a big
Mansion. People in each room worship their religious God and the essence which comes
out of each room is the same divine vibration. One such religion promoting love for God
is the Religion of ‘Hinduism.’
The origin of Hinduism dates back to 5000 or more years. The word
"Hindu" is derived from the name of River Indus, which flows through northern India.
Vedas, the repositories of Indian culture form the basis for Hindu religion. They are Rig
Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. This Vedic literature is believed to be
the ancient literary record which is not a book but ‘knowledge acquired through hearing’
which came down through the succession of sages of divine power to the disciples. It is a
treasure-house of wisdom. The laws of the Vedas regulate the social, legal, domestic and
religious customs of the Hindus which aim for the individual as well as universal welfare
of the beings. Vedas describe four goals for the human life. They are Dharma or
righteousness, Ardha or wealth, Kama or desire and Moksha or Liberation from the cycle
of birth and death. It means to say man ought to earn Wealth with Righteousness and his
only Desire should be Liberation. In all the Hindu paths, Ahimsa is a paramount virtue.
Hinduism is a whole made up of many aspects. They are astonishing to the
world and they differentiate this religion from others. Some of its main aspects are Faith
in various forms of one God, Religious tolerance, Reincarnation, Pre-destiny, Philosophy
of Karma and Moksha or Liberation. The ideals of Hinduism include non-violence,
truthfulness, compassion, fortitude, self-control, purity and generosity.
Hinduism is a monotheistic religion worshipping different forms of one
God. It is the only religion with million Gods which help us learn unity in diversity.
Hindus believe in the existence of all these Gods and still believe they are all one and the
same. Various forms of Gods are different paths to Hinduism to fit different types of
people to reach their goal. Gold is one but the jewels are many; sugar is one but sweets
are many; milk is one but the cows are many; forms of Gods are many but the essence is
one and the same. Whichever form of God people offer prayers to, the receiver called
Supreme God is one and the same. The goal is to become a perfect being. God is the final
destination though man sojourns in different ways to reach Him. Regarding Hindus
having numerous Gods, Swami Vivekananda said, "The rose, called by any other name,
would smell as sweet. Names are not explanations.”
Religions which believe in the existence of various religious Gods are the
world's most religiously tolerant. Hinduism is one which acknowledges and respects
other religions and Gods and thus strengthens one of its aspects of ‘Religious Tolerance.’
Co-existence with other religions, belief and realization that all religions are different
paths to reach God is the core of the Hindu way of life. Hindus revere not only Hindu
Gods but also Gods of other religions like Jesus, Buddha, Allah etc because they believe
that the divinity is the same in every God and the one God is beyond any religion.
Religion is man-made; man is God made and God is Love made. Selfless love doesn’t see
any differences and so is God who walks on two legs of Divinity and Compassion.
It is said- In the West woman is the Wife, in the East she is the Mother.
Motherhood represents the highest expression of womanhood in Hindu religion. Hindu
religion crowned the role of Woman as Modesty walking on two legs of Sacrifice and
Love. She is treated as the visible manifestation of God and she gives up her whole life to
be a perfect woman and to the thought that she is a mother. Hindu religion regards
woman as a matter of reverence. There is no hope of rise for that family or country where
the women live in sorrow. Vedas describe Hindu married woman thus- ‘Karyeshu Daasi,
Karneshu Mantri, Bhojyeshu Maata, Sayaneshu Rambha.’ It means Hindu wife
pleasingly serves her husband at all times with no trace of ego or expectations. She is like
a minister besides the king who stands as a key to her husband in decision-making. She is
like a mother who serves him food and looks after him with unconditional love for him. A
Hindu wife is like a nymph who gives ultimate pleasure to her husband by quenching his
sensual desires. Before she becomes a mother, she devotes her life to her husband but
once she is a mother, she gives up her life for her child. Hindu woman stands like a rock.
Whether a beautiful icon is embossed out of it or even if she is amidst heat or rain,
balance remains to be her life-breath even after her marriage.
Binding of two souls and merging of two minds is ‘Marriage.’ Marriage in
Hindu religion is viewed as a matter of divinity and not a pleasure as it is a communion
of two souls and not bodies. Marriage in fact helps two souls to work out their karmas or
actions and resolve many things together on the earth plane in order to ensure their
mutual salvation. A Hindu married woman’s eternal prayer to the Lord is to let her
remain ‘Sumangali’ all her life which means to breathe her last breath on this earth
plane before her husband. Thus the sacred Hindu marriage is strictly based on mutual
trust, true love and ability to adjust and share the responsibilities equally. Marriage is a
means for two souls to sojourn together in order to merge as one in spirit.
Hinduism is a mixture of sects, cults and beliefs which have had a reflective
influence on Indian culture. This religion is born for the people to guide their each day to
reach their spiritual object. The aim of this religion being self-realization helps human
being to recognize the divinity inherent in him. Hinduism differentiates itself from other
religions by some of its unique customs.
Hindus regard cow as sacred and they worship it with respect and love. Killing cows is
considered sacrilegious for Hindus. Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘Hinduism will live so long
as there are Hindus to protect the cow.’
Hindus believe in Shraddha karma, a form of gratitude to their ancestors. Hinduism
believes that even though the body decays, the soul is never dying. As the body survives
on food, departed souls also survive on the spiritual food provided by their successors
living on the earth plane by performing rituals with chanting of hymns in the house or at
the banks of the Holy Rivers. They are called as Sraaddha Karmas or Pithru Karyas
which will give a boost to the souls of eternal world. Though they leave the earth, they
have feelings and bless their loved ones. Parents sacrifice their lives for the mere comfort
of their children. So children show their gratitude by performing these rituals on their
parents’ Death Anniversary. As we have our earth time, eternal souls also have different
time slots, so said Vedas. An eternal soul’s one day is equivalent to one-year earth time.
That is why anniversary (in our terms) is taken as one day for those souls enabling them
to have food every day. Not only departed souls but also the ones living on the earth and
their future generations will be prospered from these rituals.
Hindus believe in Reincarnation i.e. life after death. Hindus believe that the creator of
the universe is impartial and selfless and all beings in his creation ought to be born
equal. If we are born only once why do some beings take the form of insects, animals, and
beasts and only some take the form of a human being? Why is the human birth
discriminated on the basis of health, prosperity, fortune, beauty, life span etc? Based on
the good actions in the past, some people are born happy. Some are born only to suffer in
order to face reactions to their past bad actions. The concept of Reincarnation helps
human being to always watch his Words, Actions, Thoughts, Character, and Heart.
Hindus believe the life is one continuous never ending process and that the soul is
immortal and keeps reentering a body again and again in order to reap the fruits of its
own actions and thereby learn its life lessons. Lord Krishna said, "As a person puts on
new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving
up the old and useless ones."
Hindus worship the elements of nature like Earth, Water, Fire etc so that they are
pacified and do not rebel. Nature needs to be nurtured and worshipped. If the nature
exceeds its limits, Hindus believe it is because of the increasing sins of humanity. When
there are no rains, Hindus perform Yajnas with sacrificial fire for rains to drench the dry
lands. Hindus believe humanity should be humble before the mighty nature. Hindus also
worship the planet Sun as God.
Moksha - merging with the divine is the main aim of a Hindu. To achieve
this goal, they worship the idols of some form to interact with the divine and in turn fill
those idols with divine vibrations. A common place of worship for Hindus to interact with
God is the temple. It acts as a bridge between two hearts-the devotee and the Lord. It is a
place of faith, trust and love and a way to show we love God and we have time for God.
Real properties are nothing but ‘Proper Ties’ with God. A small effort to build those
divine ties with God called ‘Temple’ gave birth to a non-profit organization called
Hanwa- Hindu Association of Northwest Arkansas. This place is not only for Hindus but
for any person who has love for God. The values which guide the organization are feeling
of oneness, goal orientation and devotion to God.
The above are only some of the unique customs of Hinduism. These
customs are followed even today in the modern technical world by the Hindus as followed
by their ancestors. These are not superstitions but are significant which help man learn
the logic and also grow spiritually.
Hinduism is thus a religion treading on two pillars of Spirituality and
Divinity. HINDU stands for Humility Individuality Nationality Divinity and Unity. A
person of Hinduism ought to have Humility but never lose his Individuality and should
always have Love for his country with the life breath of not only Divinity but Unity of all
Religions as his motto. For the society to live in peace and happiness, man needs to have
Morality, Fear of sin and Love for God. When one has all the above three qualities he is
fit to be an exemplary individual. When one has love for God, he will have fear of sin and
will also be just in his thought, word and deed. Hinduism believes that a truly religious
person is not one who fights for religion but the one who loves God of any religion, the
true meaning of religion being ‘Love for God.’
“Religion is a feeling and not expression loud; it is the heart-beat which cannot be
heard even by one’s own self.” -Sharmila Sanka
Hinduism-A Religion of Eternity
While there are thousands of species in this universe, why a human being
alone encompasses the word ‘Religion’ in the dictionary of his Life? While the world is
an emergence of various religions, why Hindu religion alone is called ‘Sanatana
Dharma?’ It is because human being alone is capable of realizing that his emergence on
the earth plane is only for the mergence with the Ultimate; it is because the religion of
Hinduism is an ancient and eternal follower of righteousness which never changes with
time. Hinduism is a way of life more than a religion. It doesn’t merely prescribe the
spiritual ways to reach God but describes unsophisticated ways for a human being to
grow higher and higher conglomerating all the social, economic, political and spiritual
aspects of life.
Sojourn from humanity to divinity is the soul purpose of any religion. Only
when man understands the true meaning of God who is the embodiment of divinity, can
he step on to the ladder of Religion to reach its peak called ‘Realization.’ Religion acts
as a bridge between man and God. It is mediation and not an obstruction, so believes
Hinduism, the world's third largest religion. While the world sees man as a body with a
soul, Hinduism sees man as a soul with a body. The ultimate truth for a human being is
to realize he is neither the body nor the mind, but the blissful Atma or Soul which is
divine, eternal and never dying. The aim of any religion is re-union with God. Unity in
diversity is the plan of nature and this has been realized by Hinduism in worshipping
various Gods but still believing that the divinity being worshipped is one.
Vedas, the repositories of Indian culture form the basis for Hindu religion.
Vedas teach, ‘Speak Truth, Practice Righteousness.’ Vedas declare, ‘Mathru devo bhava,
Pithru devo bhava, Acharya devo bhava, Athithi devo bhava.’ Mother is equal to God; so
are the Father, Teacher and the Guest. Mother is to be revered as she is the embodiment
of sacrifice, love, mercy and selflessness. She gives the moral base to mould her child
into a person of good character. Hindu woman stands as a rock amidst happiness and
sorrow. Father disciplines the child as well as sacrifices his basic necessities for the
child’s comfort and becomes exemplary for the child to imitate his virtues. The Teacher is
to be revered as God as he educates the student into a knowledgeable person of wisdom.
Last but not the least, the guest is also to be revered. He being an uninvited person needs
to be taken care of first and then look after one’s own self. Thus this religion doesn’t take
the individual away from his responsibilities and the society but leads him towards both
individual and collective goals. Vedas emphasize on human values and thus teach us the
"immortality" of the soul and also to face joy and sorrow with equal serenity. Grief is the
feet and joy the head; both are part of the same entity. One cannot welcome joy and
reject grief at the same time. Vedas thus teach us to face all the phases of life with a
positive attitude. They also teach that all forms of life are manifestations of the Supreme
God.
One of the unique understandings in Hinduism is that the residence of God
is a true heart of a devotee. This is the significance behind the word ‘Namaste’ a Hindu
way of greeting each other. Two hands joining together at the heart level represents
Namaste. It means “I bow to the divine being residing in your heart.” Hindus wear a dot
on the forehead and this has a mystical meaning behind it. The dot represents the Third
Eye or spiritual sight which Hindus seek to awaken through yoga, a process of union with
God.
Which of the world’s sophisticated philosophies strive towards world
peace not in mere teaching but in practice? It has been the Hindu tradition to pray for
the happiness of the whole world. There is a Sanskrit prayer, “Lokaa Samastaa Sukhino
Bhavanthu” which when uttered selflessly and wholeheartedly promotes peace to the
entire world. There are boundaries for the countries but not for the soul and the prayer.
The divinity present in all the beings is one and the same. So when one prays for the
happiness of all, he in turn experiences happiness and the state of equanimity. Hinduism
highly believes in contributing to the stability and peace of the world through its spiritual
undertakings.
Religious tolerance should be the breath of Hindu religion. Religious
tolerance is not tolerating the people of that particular religion but tolerance towards
any being of any religion. Hindu religion takes pride in its precious jewel of ‘Religious
tolerance.’ It doesn’t deny the greatness and teachings of other religions but accepts
them with love and forbearance. Ahimsa or non-violence is the very core of this religion.
Hinduism educates human being to live up to the human values and
achieve his life purpose. He owes immeasurable significance to human birth due to
various reasons. After taking several thousands of births as insects, birds and animals, he
assumes this human form. There are thousands of species in this Universe and the race of
humanity is merely one among them. Human beings have their own language and so as
other living beings. The same applies with regard to feelings, sorrow, and happiness,
eating, sleeping and increasing the number of generations. But man is booned with the
power of ‘DISCRIMINATIVE CHOICE.’ The choice to move further and higher in the
spiritual plane, the urge not to be born again and again and increase the effects of
karmas or actions, the eagerness to merge with the ultimate lead man forward and
further in this world differentiating him from other species. In human birth alone we see
the tendency to try to follow what is good but not what is pleasing. Great are the living
beings born human. Even great are the human beings who realize their ultimate spiritual
goal of mergence with the universal love.
Hindu religion is one of the hundreds of paths to realize the Ultimate
reality. The greatness of Hindus lies not in fighting for religion or discriminating
between different world religions but in taking pride in this great eternal religion and its
universal teachings. They believe that religion alone is not considered holy but all the
beings are considered as holy as the Lord as they emanate from Him. This belief makes
this religion shine in the spiritual world.
Dig deep with in your own self to realize its greatness; learn an inch about
its greatness in your possible multiple years of Life. Though the Eras change, though
incarnations change, though there are no true followers of Hindu religion, though the
world goes topsy turvy, I say the Religion of Hinduism remains divine and Eternal- never
changing with time and space. As an individual treading on the path of Hinduism I
respect other religions leading to truth and I now bow to this great Religion of Eternity.
“I call myself a Hindu not because I was born as a Hindu but because I
will truly live and die as one.” - Sharmila Sanka