Konkani Kesari

A Brief Introduction to Hinduism
Part I of II

This article was written with the purpose of educating my children on the essence of Hinduism and how it compares with other religions. My forthcoming article will contain a brief comparison of other religions.

Religion has been a part of every society since the beginning of humans. Oral traditions passed on the beliefs and practices of societies that did not have a writing system to record the history of religion. In these early societies, religion played a controlling part in the lives of people, much as some religions do today.

According to Stephen Oppenheimer of Oxford, the journey of humankind started with its roots in Ethiopia over 160,000 years ago (see www.bradshawfoundation.com/journey). It took a considerable amount of time for the human mind to evolve and introduce the concept of religion as it is known today. By most scholarly estimates this may have occurred between 5,000 and 7,000 years ago.

So, how did humankind survive as a society for such a long period of time? It is believed that society could not have survived without Dharma which is ingrained in every living being. Dharma can be defined as “our right to live a truthful and just life,” which implies that we are at liberty to live our lives without encroaching upon the rights of other individuals. This right of Dharma gives freedom to every individual human being to live an independent life. Dharma provides a rational approach to distinguish right from wrong and good from evil. In this philosophy, duties and responsibilities are emphasized more than rights and privileges.

Sanatana Dharma
Even before the advent of organized religion and Gods like Krishna, Moses, or Jesus, and even before the human mind could even comprehend and articulate the concept of religion, Dharma is what helped humanity survive. The root of Dharma is Sanatana Dharma which has existed since time immemorial.

Sanatana denotes that which always is, that which has neither beginning nor end, that which is eternal in its very essence. Dharma is designed to communicate the view that there is an underlying structure of natural law that is inherent in the very intrinsic constitution of Being itself – an essential nature.

Sanatana Dharma comprises spiritual laws which govern human existence. Sanatana Dharma is to human life what natural laws are to physical phenomena. Just as gravitation existed before it was discovered, the spiritual laws of life existed before they were discovered by the ancient sages. Sanatana Dharma declares that something cannot come out of nothing, and therefore, the universe itself is the manifestation of the Divine being.

The universe comes forth from the Divine and therefore all things and beings are sacred and must be treated so in human thought and action. The Divine sleeps in minerals, awakens in plants, walks in animals, and thinks in humans.

Sanatana Dharma recognizes that the Ultimate Reality, which is the ground of infinite potentiality and actualization, cannot be limited by any name or concept. The potential for human wholeness (or in other frames of reference, enlightenment, salvation, liberation, transformation, blessedness, nirvana, moksha) is present in every human being. No race or religion is superior and no color or creed is inferior. All humans are spiritually united like the drops of water in an ocean.

Hinduism
Hinduism appears a strange amalgam of classical literature with gods and goddesses, rituals and festivals, ceremonies and celebrations. The Hindus themselves are confused and confounded by this mixture. Hinduism is not a polytheistic religion. The different forms of worship, the number of superstitions and misleading spiritual practices have all contributed to the wrong impression that the Hindus are polytheistic. The different gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon are mere representatives of the powers and functions of the one Supreme God in the manifested world.

The terms Hindu and Hinduism were created by Persian invaders, sometimes using them as derogatory terms, to refer to the culture of the people on the other side of the Sindhu River. The original term describing the religion of these people predates these terms by thousands of years and is called Sanatana Dharma. The modern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, all emerged out of Sanatana Dharma.

Sanatana Dharma has existed since time immemorial and therefore Hinduism is not a religion about preaching, but when defined as Sanatana Dharma Hinduism has existed for the existence of life itself. Society has survived because of the ingrained Dharma in every living being and even before the word Hindu was coined by Persians.

Sanatana Dharma teaches that all forms of life are different manifestations of Brahman (the Ultimate Reality or the Ultimate Self, and not to be confused with Brahmin which is a caste). The individual Self is called Atman, and it is identical with Brahman in the sense that our real Self is not different from the ultimate Reality called God (or Brahman). This realization is described in the Hindu Upanishads by the phrase “Tat tvam asi” meaning “Thou art That.”

Sanatana Dharma looks upon a person as a part and parcel of the mighty Whole, but never regards a person as “the Measure of all things.” In the West, “person” is a supreme and final value, while Sanatana Dharma regards person as a part of the Whole, having the same vital essence as all other human and sub-human creatures of the universe. This cosmic view of Hinduism transcends the sectarian or group dogmas and paves a way for the coexistence of all creatures under the Vedic principle of “The Universe is One Family” (Vasudev Kutumbhkam). This principle guides humankind towards universal harmony through acceptance and tolerance.

The three main Hindu Gods who are worshipped, Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva (Shiva), represent the three fundamental powers of nature which are manifested in the universe, namely, creation, maintenance, and destruction, respectively. The word karma literally means “deed or action” but implies the entire cycle of cause and its effects. According to the Law of Karma, every human action—in thought, word, or deed—inevitably leads to results, good or bad, depending upon the moral quality of the action. It adjusts wisely, intelligently and equitably each effect to its cause. But it is also the law of opportunity, which allows an individual to change his past for a better future. If we understand karma as the law of order and opportunity, we will become self-reliant and understand that we cannot and should not escape responsibility. In this sense the law of karma is a law of harmony and equilibrium and not a doctrine that punishes the wicked and rewards the virtuous.

The goal of a Hindu is to realize that God has become this universe and everything in it. Till this goal is realized, an individual goes through a cycle of births and deaths until he achieves the state of moksha, or freedom from limitations where there is no more need for birth or death. And when one prays to God, it should not be, as many do, for personal gain or wealth, but for help in enlightening one’s understanding of the mystery of creation. The traditional Hindu prayer, the Gayatri mantra can be translated as: “O Lord, You are the Light of the World. Please enlighten my understanding. Let me see everything in the right light.” The attitude when praying should be one of thankfulness for what you have, and of seeking guidance to put you on the right path towards your goal in life.

Practical Spirituality
There are many so-called Hindu “worshippers” who give donations to temples and go temple-hopping (like bar-hopping) to curry personal favors from God for their continued professional success and wealth accumulation. These very same worshippers, however, engage in selfish actions and activities based on a question of greed, namely, “What’s in it for me?” This question, though, is not the right one to ask and answer. A fundamental question one must answer is: Are we essentially human with occasional spiritual experiences, or essentially spiritual beings with occasional human experiences? Spiritual seekers of Vedic Dharma believe in the second part of the question.

For a spiritual seeker, there are two practical approaches to life, regardless of which religion he or she follows. The first is to choose actions that bring happiness and success to oneself and to others. By so doing, the fruits of your own karma will be happiness and success. The second is to acknowledge that every human being, including you, has unique talents. You should discover and develop your unique talents and list all the things that you love to do when expressing your unique talents. When you use these unique talents in the service of humanity you create abundance both in your life as well as in the lives of others. Only by being true to your own Self will you be able to open the door to the Divine Self within you (being true to your own Self is how Lord Krishna summarizes the concept of Dharma to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita).

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References (and some good books to read, in no particular order)

1. Kim Knott, Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 1998.
2. Stephen Knapp, The Power of the Dharma: An Introduction to Hinduism and Vedic Culture, iUniverse, 2006.
3. Arun Shanbhag, Prarthana: A Book of Hindu Psalms, 2007, www.ArunsPrarthana.com
4. Stephen Oppenheimer, The Real Eve: Modern Man’s Journey Out of Africa, Basic Books, 2004.

Filed under: Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma, Spiritual | Tagged: Bhagavad Gita, Hinduism, Krishna, Sanatana Dharma, Spirituality