INDIAN RELIGION.

HINDUISM
EXPOSED.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

ANZAR ALI.
1/12/2009

.
Fundamental Questions on
Hinduism.
1.1. What is Hinduism ? When was Hinduism founded ?

The name 'Hinduism' is of a much recent origin, coined by the Greeks and Arabians to refer to
the religion of the people living around and to the East of the river Indus. The earliest records of
this religion are in the Rig Veda, the oldest known human literature. Some portions of the Rig
Veda have been dated to before 6000 BC. This implies that the religion was in vogue atleast a
few centuries earlier than that. Hinduism has been gaining increasing popularity due to its high
philosophy, broad outlook and non-dogmatic approach. Hinduism is different from many other
religions in that it does not have a founder and does not claim exclusivity. It explicitly accepts all
religions as valid.

1.2. How has Hinduism survived for so long ? Is the Hinduism practised today
the same as that practiced a few millenia ago ?

Hinduism has stood the test of time much more effectively than any other religion of the world.
This is mainly because of its clear separation of the essentials from the non-essentials. Every
religion has a few principles, which are independant of the cultural context of the followers, and
a few practices which need to vary with time, place and cultural background. Hinduism has
clearly separated these two right since its known history. The principles are presented in texts
classified as 'Sruthis', which primarily comprise the part of the Vedas called Upanisads. The
changable texts are classified as 'Smritis', which include various texts on etiquette, moral and
ethical codes of conduct, law and justice. The former form the universal principles and the latter
form their culture-dependant implementation. The essential principles of Hinduism are the same
as they were concieved of by the sages who lived during the Vedic period. Even the Vedas have
come down to the present day unaltered. The Vedas are being chanted even today with the same
melody and rhythm as they were chanted during the Vedic age. The social customs and values
have changed to cater to the needs and to utilize the means of changing times and culture,
without altering the basic principles and goals.

1.3. Why is there so much confusion about Hinduism ? I see Hinduism as a mass
of conflicting ideas.

Due to the enormous time period through which Hinduism has been practised, it has passed
through a huge spectrum of cultural environments. Due to this, the non-essential portion of
Hinduism has passed through so much changes in various places during various times. This has
resulted in a situation where even people who have born and grown in Hinduism face a lot of
difficulty in understanding Hinduism. Many see Hinduism as a huge mass of conflicting ideas.
This is mainly due to two interrelated reasons.

1. Not distinguishing between the essentials and the non-essentials.

2. Trying to apply the culture-dependant non-essential concepts out of context.
This gives rise to a plethora of questions in the minds of almost anyone who come in touch with
Hinduism. This FAQ is an attempt to answer a few of these questions.

1.4. What are the basic principles of Hinduism ?

The basic principles of Hinduism are in the Upanisads. They have been collected, organized and
explained in various other texts, but the root source are the Upanisads. Hinduism has three basic
principles.

1. It is God who has become this Universe and everything in it.

Whatever is seen, dreamed or imagined are nothing but manifestations of God. God is
beyond space, time, causation and all distinctions like gender, race, species, living/non-
living and form/formless. Since He is beyond space, He is omnipresent. Since He is
beyond time, He is eternal. Since He is beyond the concept of form, He is with form,
without form, both and neither. Every form is His and yet He is formless and beyond the
concept of form. Similarly with all attributes concievable by the mind.
2. The aim of life is to 'know' God.
God cannot be 'known' in the usual sense of the word. God is the Knower of everything.
We call it 'realizing' God. This is beyond the mind. It is a direct experience of God. This
is the ultimate goal of life. Till we reach this goal, we will have to live again and again.
Till we reach this goal, we have to undergo birth, death and again birth and so on.
Everytime we are born, we continue our journey towards the goal from where we left. So
nothing is lost by death on this journey. When the goal is reached, there is no need for
anymore death or birth. The person is said to have attained Immortality. Actually the
person goes beyond all limitations. Even the basic limitations imposed by the concept of
individuality and personality vanish.
There are intermediate milestones and targets set by Hinduism. They are Dharma -
righteousness, Artha - wealth acquired by righteous means and Kama - quenching of
desires within the limits of Dharma and Artha. As there is a scope for lot of
misconception about these intermediate targets, there are several texts explaining them.
These are intermediate targets and not ends. The ultimate aim is Moksha - freedom from
limitations by God realization. Dharma, Artha and Kama should be stepping stones and
thus means to the end, which is Moksha. But this does not mean that Artha and Kama are
forbidden by Hinduism. According to Hinduism, if people pursue and enjoy Artha and
Kama within the boundaries of Dharma, they will naturally develop the maturity to
enquire and aspire after Moksha in due course of time.
3. As many people, so many ways to God.
Every religion is a way to God. No way to God is superior to the other. However,
depending on the mental temperament and cultural background of a person, one way
might be better suited to him than another. This is difference arises due to the difference
in the temperament of the person and cannot be used to judge the general efficacy of a
path. "All paths are true. Your path for you. My path for me." This is the principle of
Hinduism.

Everything else is secondary and should not violate these three basic principles.
Beginner Level
Questions:
2.1. Is Hinduism polytheistic (accepts many gods)?
Is Hinduism pantheistic (involves worshipping nature - trees, hills, etc)?
Why do Hindus worship stones ?
Why do Hindu Gods have fancy forms like elephant faced, monkey faced, with
six faces, with four hands, etc ?

Hinduism says that there is one God. Just as a man is called "father" by this son, "husband" by
his wife, "son" by this father, and so on, God is called by various names and worshipped in
various forms depending on the mood and approach of the devotee. When God is worshipped to
remove hurdles, He is worshipped as "Ganesha". When God is worshipped to bless with good
understanding of art and science, He is worshipped as "Saraswathi", and so on. Similarly, when a
devotee wants to worship God as mother, he may worship as "Kali". When a devotee wants to
worship God as a child, he may worship as "Krishna". If a devotee wants to worship God as the
formless, attributeless, transcedent being, he may worship as "Brahman". These are all to suit the
various temperaments of the devotees. By all these various forms and names, the devotee very
well knows that He is worshipping God only. So Hinduism is monotheistic.

Hinduism also accepts that all religions talk about the one God. It does not have concepts like the
god of the Egyptians and the god of the Jews, which basically implies that there are many gods.
Hinduism says that the god of the Hindus, Egyptians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Zorastrians,
Aztecs, Mayans, Maoris, etc are all the same God. Hinduism says that all are worshipping the
same God in different ways. Again, one way is not better than the other way. All ways to worship
God are accepted by God if performed with faith and devotion.

In fact, it goes one step ahead than other religions. Not only that it says there is only one God; it
says that everything in this universe are manifestations of God. In Hinduism, there is no the
concept of "creation" in the literal sense of the word. It is God who becomes or manifests as the
universe. The universe is not different from God. Everything is God. So, the devotee can take
anything which appeals to him as a form of God, and worship Him. The omniscient God knows
that the devotee is worshipping Him. The exact name and form do not matter. The attitude and
sincerity is what matters.

Similarly a Hindu does not worship a tree or a hill just because it is a tree or a hill. The tree or
hill is considered a symbol of God and it is the transcendent God who is worshipped through the
natural objects. It is the Creator who is worshipped through the creation. So Hinduism is not
pantheistic.

An abstract idea is expressed in a concrete form for the mind to grasp easily. For example, to
depict the idea that God protects the devotee from the forces of evil, God is depicted with various
weapons. Every small aspect of the forms of various Hindu Gods and Goddesses have a meaning
behind them. There is a technical convention of symbology followed. For example, a bow
indicated the mind; arrows indicate the senses; noose indicates death; drum indicates time; rosary
indicates austerity. The symbology is very elaborate and quite context independant. The picture
with all this symbology indicate the personality attributed for the particular form of God. If the
devotee also has similar aspirations, he chooses the form of God for his worship. As he thinks
about the various aspects in the form, he thinks of the aspect of personality the symbol indicates.
This way the form is an excellent aid to think of God with certain attributes. For a person who
does not know the language of this symbology, it is a fancy picture. But for a person who
understands, it is an excellent aid for worship. Also, there is a lot of myths, legends and nice
stories associated with every form of God. This allows the devotee to get a very good hold on to
the personality and also have a personal psychological relationship with the personality. This
offers great stability to the personality of the devotee. The characters which he is aspiring for are
deeply engraved in his mind and provide a strong foothold. It is common in the picturization to
use various human, animal and even mixed forms. All these have meanings. Any book on the
particular aspect of God will give you the exact symbology.

To give further aid to the devotee, even historical characters like Rama, Krishna and various
people who lived exemplary lives are given a form with a lot of symbols added. A good example
is Hanuman, the monkey-faced. He was a highly self-controlled, learned, wise and loyal devotee
of Rama. His devotion to Rama was outstanding. He was very strong in all aspects - physical,
mental, moral, emotional andd intellectual. He is worshipped by devotees to grant them his
qualities. The story of Rama has accounts of numerous incidents where his hero has showed his
covetable qualities. These stories create a vivid picture in the mind of the devotees and
encourages them to develop the same qualities.

The ancient Hindus were highly advanced in the science of psychology. There are numerous
treatises on this subject. Different forms are found to create different psychological effects. It is
by considering this that the various forms are given to various aspects of God. For example, the
forms of elephant and mouse seem to arouse the security consciousness in the mind of man.
These are used in the form of Ganesha. Thus the form of Ganesha will increase the alerness of
the mind. So a worship of Ganesha is advocated before starting anything new. These symbols
come from the technical expertise of the ancient Hindus in this field.

2.2. Who is the founder of Hinduism ? Which is the book of Hinduism ?

Hinduism does not have a founder. It has been there from prehistoric times. It is based on the
spiritual concepts discovered by numerous people. These concepts are impersonal like other
concepts in science. These concepts have been validated by innumerable people. Hinduism
invites everyone, irrespective of the cultural background, to validate the truth of the spiritual
concepts for themselves.

There is no single book for Hinduism. If you are looking for a source where all the principles are
given, then there are three texts. They are called "Prasthana Traya" - the principal three. They all
present the same truth.
The first is the Upanisads. These are parts of the Vedas. There are innumerable Upanisads. Ten
of them were chosen by Sri Sankara, a great saint and philosopher, as to contain the ideas in all
the Upanisads put together. This forms the first principal text. These are unadultered, raw, first-
hand observations of spiritual phenomenon. They do not try to propose a model to fit the
observations. The observers have not imposed their ideas or even tried to classify the
observations.

The second is the Brahma Sutras. This was authored by Veda Vyasa, who masterminded the
current organization of the Vedas and the same person who authored other great works like
Mahabharata and Bhagavata. Brahma Sutras present the concept in the Upanishads in a logical
and highly technical manner. It is a scholarly work which establishes the concepts in the
Upanishads on a strong logical foundation.

The third is the Bhagavad Gita. This is a record of the conversation between Sri Krishna and
Arjuna. This text talks about the practical application of the concepts in the Upanisads to
everyday life.

Thus these three texts present the Hindu philosophy and religion in a scientific and practical
manner as - observation, modelling and application.

2.3. Who is a Hindu ? Can I get converted into Hinduism ?

A Hindu is one who believes in the basic principles of Hinduism and applies them to everyday
life. The principles are explained above. To repeat, basically they are

1. There is one God, who has become everything in this universe. This implies that
everyone and everything has to be considered with due regard. This talks about the basic
unity of the whole universe. This implies that one had to strive for the welfare of the
whole. There is no place for selfishness and narrowness.
2. The aim of life is to realize God. There is no room for a desultory living. Life has a great
divine purpose. It is to overcome all limitations by realizing the divinity within.
3. Every path to God is true. Everyone has to chose a path to God according to one's own
temperament. There is no conflict between various religions.

If you follow these principles, you are a Hindu. It does not matter whether you worship Krishna
or Christ or Allah. If you believe in the inherent equality and divinity of the universe, strive to
realize the divinity in yourself and accept the plurality of religion, you are a Hindu.

As Hinduism considers all religions as equally valid paths to God, there is no concept of
conversion. Hinduism is a sort of meta-religion. It encompasses the basic principles of religion.
It helps you to fix your religious goal, choose any religion of your choice and encourages you to
follow the religion with all sincerity. Understand the aim of religion. Weigh the pros and cons of
various ways of worship available in world. Choose one of your liking and follow it with full
zeal. In all probability, you are already worshipping God in your favorite way. Hinduism helps
you to follow you religion more knowingly, with a clearer understanding of the goal and with
more zeal.
2.4. Should I know Sanskrit to be a Hindu ?

No. Almost all the scriptures and traditional prayers are in Sanskrit. So if you want to go to the
source, you need to know Sanskrit. But to follow the religion, you need not know Sanskrit. There
are good translations of almost all the major texts in several other languages, from which you can
derive benefit. What is important is to understand and follow the principles. But, if you want to
understand and appreciate Indian culture, a knowledge of Sanskrit and other Indian languages is
necessary. Much of the culture is embedded in the word formations and connotations. Also, you
cannot have a direct first-hand experience of the Indian culture without the knowledge of the
language in which the culture is implemented.

2.5. Does Hinduism consider monastic life better ?

No. During the course of Indian history, late Buddhism brought in this idea, which led to the
downfall of India. The genius of Sri Sankara converted this downfall into the "downfall of
Buddhism in India" and put the society back onto the progressive track. Hinduism considers the
householders and monastics as two wings of the bird called society. Whether to chose the life of
a householder or a monastic depends on the individual temperament. The aim of life - God
realization - can be achieved in both the ways of life. Just as there are various duties to various
people in the society, the monastics also have their role and duties. The monks are the
repositories of religious knowledge and are teachers of religious life. The respect given to their
position is a psychological necessity to derive maximum benefit from their knowledge. Also,
they are supposed to expressedly and explicitly follow the virtues like service, sacrifice and
nobility which the householders are supposed to implicitly follow. This way they are role models
for the rest of the society. But this does not mean that the monatic way of life is better than the
householders. The same virtues are expected in both.

2.6.Does Hinduism consider vegetarianism better ?

No. The concept of vegetarianism is recent (less than 2000 years old). The historical accounts
recorded in the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas depict people as non-vegetarian.
Hinduism accepts the law of nature that one life is the food for another. However, Hinduism
accepts that just as the mind affects the body (you want to lift your hand and your body does it),
the body also affects the mind. The food eaten affects the organization and type of thoughts. For
example, eating stolen food has been found to make the mind morally weak. Similarly, different
types of food cause different effects in the mind. Non-vegetarian diet has been found to cause a
condition called "rajotamas" - a mixture of delusion and hyperactivity. This is an undesirable
condition for aspirants of God. A vegetarian diet aids control of the mind and religious study. For
this reason, modern Hinduism advises a vegetarian diet to most spiritual aspirants.

2.7.What does Hinduism say about polygamy, homosexuality, etc ?

The aim of life according to Hinduism is God realization. Social issues like polygamy are outside
the jurisdiction of religion. If the question is "What does Hinduism say about lust?", then there is
a prompt and vehement reply that "Lust has to be overcome." Social rules will change with time
and place. Some societies consider polygamy as normal. There are Hindu societies in North
Eastern India, which consider polyandry as normal and anyone opposing it as "selfish".
Nevertheless, they are good Hindu societies. Almost all of today's Hindu society is monogamous.
A few years before polygamy was accepted. It may again get accepted after a few centuries.
Hinduism is not bothered about these. It has higher goals for life.

Marriage is not merely a licence to give vent to lust. It has a lot of other duties also. The role of a
family in the society is important as an institution to give birth to and grow physically, mentally
and morally healthy children for the society. As a homosexual family does not cater to this
important duty, it cannot be considered as a complete family.

Mastubration is another question often raised. Nature has a balance. No wealth or pleasure comes
for free. Nature will extract the work from the enjoyer in some form of the other. In case of
normal sex with spouse, there is a commitment in the form of a family and the individual repays
to Nature for the pleasure he gets out of it. When the costs are not apparent, it has to be assumed
that there are some hidden costs, which we may not understand or appreciate with our present
perception and concepts. But, the law of cause and effect is universal and cannot fail. The costs
can come in terms of impaired physical or mental health, a feeling of guilt, etc. So, it is better to
enjoy something where the cost paid for it is apparent, than hidden.

2.8.What is the Hindu concept of life after death ? What is the Hindu concept of
Heaven and Hell ?

Hinduism believes in the law of cause and effect applied to all spheres of phenomenal existence.
Since different people are born to different people in different environments (which is an
observed effect), a previous cause has to be assumed. The only logical explanation possible is a
previous life very similar to this. And by the same argument, since different people are involved
in different thoughts and activities till death, the effects of these must occur in an after-life very
similar to this. Hinduism says that everyone is responsible for his life. There are no extraneous
causes for one's condition in life. If a person is facing hardship in life it has to be due to his
earlier thoughts and actions in this or previous life.

2.9.Is there the concept similar to Satan in Hinduism ?

Hinduism does not have a concept similar to Satan. Hinduism says that all that happens are due
to the power and will of God. Whatever happens is neither good nor bad. It is human beings who
attribute those ideas to events. We call something which we think will cause intended effects,
within the purview of our understanding, as good. All understanding is limited and hence the
very concept of good and evil is relative and depends on time, place and people involved.

2.10.Is there a concept of sin in Hinduism ?

No. Hinduism says that one has to reap what he sows - good or bad. If a person makes mistakes,
he will have to face the consequences. If a person does good, he will enjoy its fruits. Hinduism
opens the door fully for a person to form his own life and future. No one is eternally glorified or
eternally doomed. It accepts that people make mistakes whose logical effects have to be faced, its
lessons need to be learnt, and life has to continue with more knowledge and understanding.

2.11.Do all Hindu saints perform miracles ?

No. Miracles are considered mere dynamics of Nature which are not understood fully by the
observer. Miracles are nothing different from regular events. If something is not expected, it is a
miracle. They are not worth to be sought after. The goal of Hinduism is to realize God. Miracles
are considered objectionable hinderances towards that goal. No teacher of Hinduism advises his
disciples to attain the power to do miracles. Seeking after miracles is considered a sign of
spiritual weakness.

2.12.Does astrology come under Hinduism ?

No. Astrology is just another science like agriculture or metallurgy. It is well developed in India,
just like religion and philosophy. The theory behind astrology is based on the Indian view that
everything in this universe originate from one source. So by a reasonable understanding of the
dynamics in one part of the universe, one can expect a particular pattern of events in another part
of the universe. Beyond that there is no relationship.

2.13.There are many contradictions in Hinduism. For example, Rama is hailed

for monogamy, but Krishna has many wives.

This again is the result of applying today's social norms like monogamy to people who lived a
few thousand years back. Rama is hailed for monogamy today. But during his time, polygamy
was not considered objectionable.

2.14.What is the Hindu concept of creation ?

Hinduism considers that the world is a manifestation of God. There is no concept of Creation and
a Creator. The world came from God, exists in God and will return back to God, just like waves
arise from the ocean, exist in the ocean and subside back into the ocean. And this happens in
cycles, again and again.

As there is no concept of creation in the literal sense, there can be no concept of destruction also.
There is a concept of unmanifestation. God withdraws Himself and creation vanishes.
Manifestion is instantaneous, if the word can be used, because even time is a part of
manifestation only. Similarly unmanifestation is also instantaneous. It is like a dream. How was
the world in your dream created ? The dream world, including its own timeline were created
instantly. When you wake up, the world just vanishes. Same is the case with this world too.

There are graphic and poetic descriptions about God creating the world, maintaining it and then
destroying it. These are only figurative to explain the above concept. They should not be taken
literally.

2.15.What does Hinduism say about conversion ?

There is no concept of conversion in Hinduism. Hinduism believes in one God. If you read the
Bible, you can see expressions like "God of the Egyptians", "God of Israelites", etc. Hinduism
does not believe in many Gods like this. Hinduism believes in one God, whom everyone of every
religion call by various names and worship in their own way. It is said in the Vedas that "God is
one. The wise men call Him by various names." You should note here that the people who call
God by various names are called "wise men". In the Bhagavat Gita, it is said that in whatever
way a man worships God, God being Omniscient, knows that He is being worshipped and
responds to the sincerity of the worshipper. Hinduism accepts diversity of religions and accepts
the validity if several paths, and so there is no concept of conversion.

Hinduism cares only about vertical conversion. Hinduism encourages and helps a Christian to be
a better Christian and a Muslim to be a better Muslim. Any Hindu saint will ask a Christian to
have faith in Christ and go to Church regularly. He will ask a Muslim to have faith in Allah and
perform the religious duties ordained in the Koran sincerely. Hinduism does not support
horizontal conversion from one faith to another.

Hindus consider claims that "if you do not believe in Christ, you will be doomed" as a
disparaging remark on Christ. Christ is a personification of selflessness. His love is
unconditional. Putting conditions like this on Him is blasphemy.

2.16.What does Hinduism say about science ?

Science and Hinduism do not contradict. They complement each other. Science and technology
cater to the meterial needs of man. But man does not live by bread alone. The psychological,
emotional and spiritual needs of man are catered to by arts and religion. They have entirely
different domains of operation. So there is no way they can be compared. Both are needed for a
balanced life.

2.17.What is Hinduism's stand on human cloning ?

Hinduism considers the cloned persons to be different from each other. Hinduism sees the soul
and not the body. Even if the body is cloned, the soul is different. So from the religious point of
view, there is absolutely no difference between a normal human being and a cloned human being.
Biological issues like dangers of genetic disorders, etc are left to the biologists to discuss.

2.18.What is Hinduism's stand on euthanasia (assisted suicide) ?

According to the Doctrine of Karma, a person cannot escape from his/her Karma by commiting
suicide. Whatever has to be faced has to be faced. If one tries to escape from a problem in this
birth, it will have to be faced in a higher proportion in a subsequent birth. Also, committing
suicide adds a big Karmic burden on the individual.

Coming to Euthanasia, assisting the suffering person by giving moral and other form of support
to bear with the difficulties and if possible to alleviate the difficulties is the best thing that his/her
well wishers can do. Taking away the life is only postponing the problem. If the suffering person
is not a party in the decision, then it is a mere postponement of the manifestation of the Karma
for the suffering person. Whereas for the people involved in making the decision, the mental
attitude is what counts.

To summarize, in the best case, it does not help anyone in any way.

2.19.What is Hinduism's stand on abortion and contraception ?

Issues like pre-marital and extra-marital sex are social issues. From the religious point of view,
uncontrolled lust is harmful for the spiritual development of the individual. Abortion and
contraception for reasons like family planning, to avoid an unhealthy child, etc are perfectly
acceptable. Even in case of unsocial conception, it is better to abort than to leave an uncared for
child who may grow up into an anti-social human being.

2.20.How do Hindus pray ? What is the Hindu prayer ?

The sign of showing respect in India is to join both the palms facing each other vertically. The
level of the palms can be at heart, throat, forehead or above the head. At the heart level, it shows
an expression of loving devotion. At the throat level, it shows an expression of a servant to the
Master. At the forehead level, it shows an expression of respect because of the acknowledgement
(by knowledge) of the greatness of God. At the level above the head, it is an expression to tell
"Lord, it is You who has become everything in this world. There is nothing in this world but
You."

The traditional prayer of the Hindus means this: "Oh Lord, You are the Light of the world. Please
enlighten my understanding. Let me see everything in the right light." The prayer does not ask
for anything else. This prayer is called the Gayatri. The idea is that we learn from mistakes and
suffering in life. It is the hours of sorrow that remind us of God. So merely asking for freedom
from misery and suffering may actually stunt our growth. What we need is strength to carry our
load. Again, strength without understanding will be more destructive than constructive. Right
understanding of the choices and experiences in life will enable us to take the right decisions,
give us strength to carry out our plans and the fortitude to face success and failure. So the prayer
asks only to "enlighten the understanding". Growth will follow naturally.

In the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord says, "Whoever worships in whatever form, by whatever name,
by whatever means, worships Me alone. I am the recepient of all worship. I respond to their
worship and strengthen the faith of people in the form and name they worship." Thus, what us
needed is sincerity. Form, words, rituals, etc dont really matter. God looks into our hearts. The
best prayer that one can offer to God is to tell Him from the heart "I love You".

2.21.Do Hindus say any prayer before eating food ?

Traditional Hindus tell a prayer before food. The prayer means this: "The food is God. The
plates, spoon, etc are God. The eater is God. The fire of hunger is God. The act of eating is God."
A peculiar prayer!! It implies that I dont eat for my sake. I eat as an activity ordained by Nature.
The order of Nature is such that one organism lives at the cost of another. Life to one being is
death to another. It is impossible to maintain the life of this body without taking the life of
millions of germs, food grains, fruits, leaves, seeds, plants, animals, etc. So the prayer before
food implies that life is being offered to life. It is not for mere enjoyment that you eat, but as a
necessary action to keep the body alive. This attitude is applicable to almost all actions in life.

Intermediate Level
Questions:
3.1. How is man reborn ? Why do bad things happen to good people ?

According to the doctrine of Karma, every situation we face in life is the result of our past
aspirations and actions. Actions are mere expressions of aspirations. Also, they are reflective. To
put it crudely, if you wish that a dog should get hit, then it sows seed for you to become a dog
and get hit. If you wish and do good to others, you will see all good people around you helping
you when you are in need.

During the course of our life, we think and do so many things. Every thought and action has to
bear fruit. Some of our thoughts and actions may be such that it is not possible for them to bear
fruit in this life itself. This necessitates a subsequent life.

Bad things happen even to people who think and do good in life as the result of their thoughts
and action in a previous life. So calamities in life should not discourage a person to sever from
the path of virtue.

Now the question is, since we think and do things till the last breath, how is it possible to get out
of this cycle of birth and death. The answer is that thoughts and actions are binding only when
there is a sense of doership. Actions done for the sake of action, without a sense of reward or
doership do not bind, and do not force personal effects.

3.2. What is the aim of life ?

The aim of life is to realize the freedom of the Self from all limitations. In reality, the Subject -
the real Self - is totally free from the apparent bondage and limitations imposed by the mind. The
concept of individuality, world and their interaction are all in the mind only and do not affect the
real Subject. When the person realizes this, he is no longer subject to sorrow and other
psychological problems and inconveniences. His leads life in a very natural and harmonious
manner. The aim of life is to achieve this freedom.

3.3. How do I determine what is right and what is wrong ?

The aim of life is spiritual freedom, which can be perceived in life as psychological freedom.
Anything which leads you to more psychological freedom is right. Anything which leads to
psychological bondage is wrong. The problem is that psychological bondage creates aberration in
perception, which leads to not being able to clearly see which way leads to bondage and which
way leads to freedom. In such cases, you may need the guidance of social norms, words of saints
and the law. To start with, you should follow the right path as much as visible and possible. As
the result your psychological bondages will become weaker. Your vision will become clearer.
With this you will be able to make better decisions, which will make the distinction still clearer.

You should also keep in mind that in most cases, right and wrong are relative to the person
involved and cannot be judged rightly from the point of view of another person.

3.4. Which is the path better for me - Karma, Bhakti, Jnana or Yoga ?

It depends on your mental temperament. Everyone of us have the abilities to work, to love, to
analyze and to cencentrate. One might have more of something that the other. The paths are not
contradictory. They aid each other. So you need not worry too much about which path to take. To
start with, you can take an integrated approach. Soon a natural shift will come to whatever you
are more inclined to. Still it is better to keep some of all the paths to be more balanced. This will
lead to better results.

3.5. Who is a Guru ? Is a human Guru really needed ?

A Guru is one who can inspire and instruct you towards God realization. In fact there is only one
Guru, who is God Himself. The human Guru is God Himself instructing the disciple. A very
advanced aspirant may not need the Guru in a human form. But, in general, a human Guru is
needed. The human mind always wants a live example to imitate and a live hero to worship. The
human Guru fulfils these psychological requirements and effectively brings about God
realization without much difficulty.

3.6. Can I have more than one Guru ? How do I identify my Guru ?

You should have one primary Guru, who is the one who has given you a mantra to chant or a
spiritual practice to follow. You can have other holy people who can give you supplementary
instructions, but these should never contradict the primary Guru's words. The former is called
Diksha Guru and the latter are called Shiksha Gurus. As it is God himself who comes as all
Gurus, you should never take lightly the person who has told you explicitly that he is your Guru.
If subsequently someone else tells you that you have gone to a wrong Guru and asks you to
completely discard the words of the first Guru, ruthlessly discard the words of the second person.
Stick to the first Guru and pray to God to clear you off your confusion and guide you. A real
Guru always takes you higher based on the past path. He never asks you to discard any faith you
have followed before.

In most cases, you do not have to make a real search for the Guru. You need to understand that
the aim of life is God realization and try to have the company of holy men and other aspirants as
much as possible. In due course of time, you will naturally develop a liking towards one holy
person and the person may become your primary Guru. Most of the holy men can quickly see
your temperament and tell you if they can be your Guru and if necessary suggest another holy
man as a possibility of being your Guru. What is needed is the zeal towards God realization. The
rest will follow at the right time. You need not be too anxious about it.
3.7. How do I meet a saint ? What are the formalities involved ? How should I
approach him ?

A saint should be approached with reverence and an open mind. Often you would have heard or
read several things about the saint before you meet him. Brush everything aside - both the good
and bad remarks. Approach with an open mind and reverence as a person who is devoted to the
Goal. Most of the saints do not expect any formalities. As a way to express your reverence, you
may take some offerings of fruits and flowers to the saint. This is not a barter system or a
business. It is just an expression of reverence and love. In most cases, the saint will not give
much importance to your offerings. The saint may distribute your offerings to the people there,
or keep it for distributing later. Very rarely he may take these for his perusal. If he does so, it is a
great previlege to you.

3.8. What is Brahman ? What is my relationship with Brahman ?

Brahman is the term for God in Hinduism. Brahman is the core of your existence. Hinduism
defines Brahman as existence, consciousness and bliss - Sat-Chit-Ananda. Do you exist? That
existence is a property of the Brahman in you. Are you aware of your existence? That awareness
comes from the Brahman in you. Have you felt joy anytime in your life due to any reason? That
joy comes from the Brahman in you. This is the definition of Brahman or God given by
Hinduism. Brahman is infinite and so perfect.

3.9. If Brahman is infinite, where does the imperfection which we see come
from ?

The imperfection is only in the mind. The imperfection is an illusion. We are all perfect. We are
in a state of hypnotism that we are not perfect and so we behave imperfectly. It is like a person
getting dressed like a beggar to play the role of a beggar in a drama, but getting lost in himself
and thinks he is really and beggar and suffers because of that. Hinduism calls us "Children of
immortal bliss". We are the children of God and so rightful heirs to his purity, peace and glory.

3.10. What are the defects in man ? What is karma yoga ? How does it take man
to perfection ?

Man operates in three basic realms. The gross, subtle and causal. In the gross level, the physical
body with its sense organs and organs of action is the field of operation. In the subtle level, the
mind with its organs like intellect, memory and the faculty of emotion is the field of operation.
The causal level consists of the basic limitation, which makes a person feel an individual
existence in relation to the environment.
Defects in these three realms of operation manifest as lust (desire for sensual pleasure and
comfort), greed (desire for possessions and human relationship) and ego (desire for fame)
respectively. All other defects like anger, jealousy and delusion result from these three basic
defects.

These realms can be related to the three Gunas (qualities) of man. Tamas is when the goal of a
person is in the physical realm. Rajas is when the goal of a person is in the mental realm. Sattva
is when the goal of a person is in the causal realm. When a person goes beyond the three types of
defects, he naturally goes beyond the three Gunas. The aim of human life is to overcome these
three types of defects, transcend the three Gunas, and thus become perfect.

Karma Yoga defines three practices to free ourselves from these three defects. They are Yagna
(activity), Daana (charity) and Tapas (austerity). Yagna helps us to move from Tamas to Rajas.
Daana helps us to move from Rajas to Sattva. Tapas helps us to transcend Sattva. Every person
has a mixture of all the three Gunas and so we should follow all the three practices.

The desire for physical pleasure is the vestigial remnant of animal nature in us. This has to be
countered by Yagna.

Yagna is activity. Whenever there is a choice between action and inaction, we should choose to
act. Action is different from reaction. Reaction is blind retort against a change in the
environment. Action is a step taken not merely in reply to an environmental change but in view
of positive development. Reaction should be avoided. We should always be engaged in some
positive developmental activity. Activity is both physical and mental. Activity will free us from
desire for physical pleasure. Activity results in wealth, which forms the basis of the next practice
- Daana.

Daana is charity. The fruits of action should be put back into the environment (society). Nature
follows a strict causal law. We will get what we deserve - nothing more, nothing less. But this is
in the long run. There can be apparent violations to this in the short term, which is often
misleading. If we take more than what we deserve, later we will have to part with something
close to our heart. So, the best course is to give back to Nature anything more than what is barely
necessary. This positive step to maintain the balance will free us from unnecessary anxiety and
trouble. Charity leads to fame, which forms the basis of the next practice - Tapas.

Tapas is austerity. The doership of Yagna and Daana should be renounced. There is an
underlying oneness in Nature. We are all instruments in the hands of God. It is God alone who
has become everything and it is God alone who acts through everyone. Man is absolutely
powerless before the Will of God. Man's capacity to help is very limited compared to the amount
of help needed in the world. It is God who creates the seeds of activity and charity in the minds
of men. We are all mere machines in the hands of the Operator. This renunciation of doership
takes us beyond the three Gunas, which is the aim of human life.

Thus Karma Yoga takes us from wherever we are to the highest goal.

3.11. Why should one realize God ?

Most of the Upanisads start with one or many of the three questions:

1. Can we have eternal life?

2. What is that, knowing which, everything is known?
3. Can we be free from misery?

These three are the fundamental questions of mankind anywhere in the world in any age. The
student starts with concepts like life, happiness (or the lack of it - ie. misery) and knowledge,
which are cannotations of the limited mind. But, the answer to the questions can be found only
beyond the mind. That is where philosophy ends and religion starts. The questions are posed by
an enquiring mind under the auspices of philosophy, whereas the answers are given by a person
who has had an experience beyond the mind under the auspices of religion. Note that this
distinction is made only in Western culture. Indian culture does not make any distinction between
philosophy and religion. Both are complementary and fulfil each other.

The question "Why" is always a more deeper one than "What" or "How". Take any subject and
put the question "Why" in any form, like "Why does this happen?", "Why should I do this?", etc
Apply the same question to the answer. Repeat this again and again. Invariably you will land up
with either "Why should I exist?" or "Why should I be happy?" or "Why should I know?". Thus,
existence, happiness and knowledge are the three most fundamental quests and urges of
mankind.

1. Urge to Exist
2. Urge to Know
3. Urge to Be happy

These three urges are incompletely, temporarily and most of the times illusorily satisfied by the
various pursuits and achievements of life. Thus, every activity is an urge to fulfil one or more of
these three. The solution given by religion has its basis beyond the mind, and completely satisfies
all the three urges. It is important to note that only the basis of the solution is beyond the mind,
but it effect is in the mind too. Otherwise, we will be solving a wrong problem. All our bondage
is mental and is due to a state of dissatisfaction of these urges. When the urges are satisfied fully,
the mind is naturally free from all bondages. This is called Mukti or Freedom.

Thus, whether we like it or not, whether we know it or not, the aim of all pursuits and activites is
towards Mukti or Freedom.

Now, let us go one more step ahead and put a final "Why?" to this urge itself. "Why these
urges?" The answer given by the Indian scriptures is "Because that is the natural state." Our
natural state is to have the three urges fully satisfied. The mind is under a state of delusion that
they are not satisfied. The mind is under a hypnotic spell of dissatisfaction. The urge is merely
the eagerness to return back to the natural state. When the mind gets dehypnotized, it gets back
its natural state and that is Mukti. A dehypnotized mind clearly reflects the true nature, which is
called Self. The Hindu scriptures describe the nature of the Self as Sat (Existence), Chit
(Consciousness) and Ananda (Happiness).
3.12. Why is there evil in the world ? Why is the world far from being perfect ?

The problem is in our expectation that the world should be free from evil and misery. Why
should it be so? We assume that a world with a mixture of good and evil is imperfect. This
assumption arises from our tendency to strive towards joy and avoid sorrow. We have taken the
aim of our life to be happiness. When this is our aim, naturally a world which has a mixture of
joy and sorrow, good and evil appears imperfect to us.

The aim of life is not happiness and not even virtue. Aim of life is wisdom. Misery and evil make
us work towards their alleviation. This work gives us experience. We face joy and sorrow. We
face success and failure. We face hopes and disappointments. This makes us think. We start
seeking a general solution to this problem. Thus experience forms the foundation of our
philosophical contemplation. This struggle towards understanding the Truth eventually leads to
an intutive understanding. This wisdom is the aim of life.

Thus, without this mixture of good and evil in the world, no one can attain the ultimate aim of
life. Thus, if we consider wisdom as the aim of life, we do not find this world imperfect. We find
that the world has the right setup for every individual to attain this aim of life. There cannot be a
more perfect world !!

Advanced Level Questions:

4.1. What is Brahman ? What is Maya ? What is the nature of this world ? What
is Nirvikalpa Samadhi ?

Warning: The presentation below gives an entirely different world view. Though I have tried to
present it as clearly as possible, it is prone to be misunderstood. The idea may be revolting to
your current understanding of the world. You are free to write to me to discuss the presentation
below. My email address is at the bottom of this page.

Let us take the sun. It emits light. Assume that it does not emit light. It emits heat. Assume that
heat is also not there. It has a gravitational field. Assume that that is also not there. It has a mass.
Assume that mass is also not there. It has a form and occupies space. Assume that that is also not
there. What is left? We have removed everything by which the sun can interact with our senses
and various scientific instruments which basically extend our senses. Still the sun is there in our
minds. Assume that everyone forgets about the sun. Now, in the words of Indian philosophy, we
have removed the form (sense interactions) and name (mental image) of the sun. In short, we
have removed all concepts of the sun. This does not mean that we have removed the sun. There
is two more factors which remain. One is called "limitation". Still we distinguish the sun from
other things. The other is called "existence". The existence of an object is independant of its
name, form and limitation. Now let us remove the limitation. Now it is pure existence. Now there
is no difference between the sun and any other object. So at the existential plane, there is only
one that exists. There cannot be two. The concept of two comes only by the introduction of a
factor called limitation. This One is called Brahman. The only attribute it has is that it exists.
Thus we say that everything is Brahman. As there is no limitation, we say it is infinite. This gives
us an idea of Brahman.

Now, let us see where do the other things come from. The first thing to come is limitation. How
does this arise? We say Brahman is aware of itself. This creates a duality in the Whole. We
cannot say why this arises. This limitation aspect of Brahman is called Maya. Brahman does not
change. As Brahman has only existence as its attribute, the only way it can change is not become
non-existent, which contradicts itself. So Brahman cannot change. So what is that which changes
? Nothing. So we say that the change is only an appearance. Once we assume that duality has
arisen, then we have to see how the two parts interact. One part takes the role of the perciever
and the other part takes the role of the percieved. Just as a person creates worlds when he day-
dreams, the world with all its diversity is created. The mind arises as a means to percieve.
"Brahman sees itself as the world." says Yoga Vasishta. A concept of "I am so and so." arises and
we get entangled in what is percieved and forget the true nature.

With this background, what is the nature of the world ? It is only in the mind of the perciever.
Who is the perciever ? "I" is the perciever. It is just like a dream. Dream starts abruptly and ends
abruptly. A world is created in a moment where you are the daughter of so and so, born in some
city, aged a number of years, with a few faculties and skills, etc. You do something in the dream
and suddenly the dream ends abruptly, the dream world vanishes and another dream starts. This
world is similar. It comes into perception suddenly, occupies the mind for a while and goes out of
perception as suddenly as it came. Birth, death, etc are all mere concepts. As every dream world
has its own timescale, every world has its own timescale. Just as one cannot say how long a
dream will be in the mind, no one can say how long this world be in the mind. Just as you do not
remember the incidents in one dream in another, you do not remember the details of one world in
another. The appearance of a world in the mind is called birth and the disappearance of a world is
called death. Karma (fruits of thought, word and deed) and Samskara (tendencies formed) are
carried across. If you wish that you want to become a doctor, it will create a Karma and to satisfy
it, a world will appear in your mind where you are a doctor. This happens just as a person who
strongly desires to become a doctor gets dreams in which he is a doctor.

There is no difference between the waking state and the dream state. You see one world when
you are awake. You "dream" into another world. Then you "wake up" into another world. It is
pre-filled memory which makes you feel a continuity. Waking, sleeping, dreaming, etc are all
concepts in the mind. The "present" is the most real of all these conceptual worlds. Why are the
worlds created ? Because of Karma and Samskara. It is desire which creates these worlds. If a
person is desireless, then there is no reason why the worlds should appear. There is no birth and
no death. This is the state of Nirvikalpa Samaadhi.

Even before that, when a person fully understands this and is fully convinced, he sees the
Brahman underlying this world. He is able to see through the names, forms and limitation and is
able to see the Reality. Though the mind and the world have not vanished altogether, the person
has seen the Truth. This brings about a profound change in the attitude of the person. Slowly
desires die a natural death. There comes a time when they have totally died off and the world
vanishes for the last time. He reaches the state of Nirvikalpa Samaadhi. What happens after that
cannot be described.
Now what about the concepts of God, Guru, etc ? They all hold good. It is like a person in your
dream comes and tell you that you are dreaming and asks you to wake up to the reality. There is
no other way of a dreaming person to know that he is dreaming. It is Grace that appears in the
form of scriptures, Guru, etc to indicate this to us. God is the name we give to a person who
knows the truth. The knower of truth knows himself as the Truth itself. So the knower of truth is
Truth itself. The various attributes we ascribe to God helps us to slowly realize the Truth.

What about the various forms of God, lokas like Vaikunta, etc ? They are all as real as this world.
If you accept the world before your eyes, you should accept all these also.

All this happens without any real change in Brahman. The change is only an appearance. Why
does this happen ? There can be no proper answer to this. We may dismiss the question by
saying, "It is all a game", "Just to enjoy", "Just for fun", etc, but there are not real answers. The
most convincing answer (to me) is "It is natural to happen like this". We do not ask "Why should
the fire be hot?" It is similar to that.

Now the question is "What should a person do ?". Just because the world is unreal, do we idle
away ? The answer is "The world is as unreal as your body and your hunger. If you can say "I
will not eat because my hunger is unreal." then he can idle. One has to do whatever is expected
in the situation he is in. But one should not get attached to the results or doership.

4.2. What is the relationship between Maya and the Brahman ? Does Maya 'exist'
?

If you accept the existence of mind, you cannot negate Maya. Mind is just another name of
Maya. What is Maya in the cosmic level is seen as mind in the individual level. Brahman and
Atman are names given to the same Reality at the cosmic and individual level. The
intermediaries are Maya and Mind. The illusive objects percieved are the World (Jagat) and
Personality (Jiva). Do not be to much distracted by the terms. There is a heavy loss of terms here,
especially because we are using English. The same concept here will be named differently
elsewhere.

Theoretically speaking, it is possible for Brahman to exist without being aware of itself. All
concepts and discussion about Brahman are by the mind, which exists only when Brahman is
aware of itself. So, there is no way in which the mind can even get an inkling of a state when
Brahman is not aware of itself. So such a state is beyond description of the mind. So one school
of thought is to say Brahman cannot be without being aware of itself. This is to say that Brahman
and Maya cannot be separated. This is reflected in the common paralance as "Without Sakti there
is no Siva; without Siva there is no Sakti." This is to say that Existence (Siva or Brahman) and
Manifestation (Sakti or Maya) cannot be separated. This is the only conclusion any mental
process can arrive at. So from this point of view, I agree that Manifestation is also an attribute of
Brahman. But the mind has the capacity of extrapolation. By extrapolation, the mind can
intellectually imagine a state where Manifestation is not there. When you extrapolate thus, you
are required to explain how Manifestation arises. This again is not possible for the mind. It is like
a doctor being the gynaecologist to her grandmother during her mother's birth, which is not
logical. This has been explained with so many analogies. Sri Ramakrishna says, "A salt doll went
to measure the depth of the ocean, but nothing was left to tell how deep the ocean was." He says
this is what happens when a person enters Nirvikalpa Samadhi. From all these, we can assume
that such Brahman can be there without Manifestation, but it cannot be described or discussed by
the mind.

4.3. What is the use of all this theory ?

All this ultimately tells you three things:

1. The world is only a creation of the mind.

2. And so is the individuality.
3. Brahman alone is real, which appears as all these.

From this you need to draw a practical philosophy of living. Otherwise it serves no purpose. This
practical philosophy can be based on Jnana or Bhakti, both are the same. Jnana culminates in
Bhakti and Bhakti culminates in Jnana.

Basically do all your duties, but be unattached. An easy way to do this is to surrender to God. It
is God who has become everything and everything happens by his wish. So everything will be
for your good in the long run. Whereever the Lord places you, do whatever is expected of you
and do not worry about the results and do not be attached to the doership. Every work is God's
work. You are not indispensable. You only a medium through which God gets work done. It is
ultimately He doing the work. Take whatever results that come as His prasad. Do not have
preferences. If you are given a choice exercise it intelligently, but if you are not given a choice,
accept whatever you get. Forget that you are interacting with the world. You are really interacting
with God in various forms and roles. Approaching the world with this attitude will not bind you.
Also do not take more than you need from the world. The world may thrust wealth in your hand.
It is really the Lord's wealth. It has been given to you for proper disimbursement. Look upon
yourself as a manager, while the wealth really belongs to God. Put the Lord in the position of an
Employer and do every work as an offering to Him. Do not assume ownership of any
possessions. Once you start doing this, all the details of this path will fall in their place. The path
will become clear as you walk along it with the lantern of Faith in your hands. There is nothing
to be anxious about. You have the zeal. You add faith to it. This chemistry will work wonders.

From the point of view of Jnana, we say everything happens by coincidence. The concept of
cause and effect is only in the mind. So it is not proper to expect some results for our work. That
does not mean we should be idle. We should merely rise up to every situation we face. When
everything is coincidental, there is no concept of destiny or freewill. It is a state beyond both.
With this attitude to total detachment from the fruits of work and from the sense of doership, live
in the world naturally. Every occasion arises, exists and subsides in your mind. There is nothing
external. The real "I" is both all inclusive and transcendent of all these. Be a mere witness.

Though both the paths sound different, essentially they are the same. A bhakta says "everything
is God". A jnani says "everything is I". The bhakta says "everything happens by the will of God".
The jnani says "everything happens by mere coincidence". Both mean the same - "I am not the
doer".
There is a danger in accepting this state prematurely. There are two stages to this. The first is
surrender of fruits of action. The second is surrender of doership. The second can be taken only
after the first is perfected. Otherwise it will be a mere escape route. First you have to learn to
accept whatever that comes, irrespective of your efforts. Not a thought of dissatisfaction should
arise in your mind. Only when this is achieved, you are ready for the second stage. Till then, you
have to take responsibility to your actions.

What is the result of this? Peace of mind. Unalloyed joy. Unshakable bliss. Nothing in the world
can disturb you. Nothing can make you sad. Ultimate and permanent freedom from all anxiety
and sorrow. In one word - "FREEDOM". This is called Jivanmukti. This is the goal of human
life.

4.4. Is celibacy essential for spiritual progress ?

As long as the mind dwells in the plane of the body and sense pleasures, it cannot think of subtle
things. Sex is not a physical need of the body like food and water. It is a mere psychological need
and in fact a remnant of the animal qualities of man. Just as the body has a few vestigial organs,
sex is a vestigial faculty of the human mind. When animals have only physical means of
reproduction, man has higher means. When a teacher teaches a student and passes on knowledge,
the student becomes partly a mental progeny of the teacher. When an artist draws a picture which
represents his thoughts, it becomes a means of his mental proliferation. Every work of creativity
leaves a mark about the person in the lives and minds of generations to come. This is a unique
way of reproduction endowed to man. An animal physically attains immortality through its
offsprings. A man attains mental immortality through his deeds. Both these are imperfect means
to immortality. A still higher means is religion. By realizing the immortality of the Self, real and
absolute immortality is reached. Physical and mental means of proliferation are crude
approximations of this grand phenomenon of Self realization.

By freeing the mind from the psychological bondage of sex, the animal becomes a man. This is
an essential step to Self realization. By freeing the mind from the idea of sex, the mind becomes
capabale of thinking at a subtler plane. Self realization is the pinnacle of subtlity of the mind. So
celibacy is essential to spiritual life beyond a certain stage. In the early stages, an aspirant may
be able to get away with the mind still dwelling in sex, but in course of time, he will hit a wall.
The mind will not be able to proceed further due to its inability to grasp subtler ideas. To cross
that threshold, celibacy is a necessity.

Miscellaneous Questions:
5.1. Who asked the questions in this FAQ ?

These questions have been asked, mostly by email, by people from varied backgrounds, with
varied intentions. Mainly there are two types of questioners.
1. People who are interested in Hinduism in an academic sense. They do not have any
intentions of applying the principles or willing to try the practices in the near future.
Theirs is a mere intellectual curiosity.
2. The second class of questioners are more serious about Hinduism. Some were already
practising Hinduism and were facing some practical problems or were not able to get the
correct attitude to face some situations. Some were trying to find a meaning to their life
in a rational manner and were facing some questions for which they are not able to arrive
at a satisfying answer. Some were trying to approach life very emotionally and were at a
loss of any grip to hold on to with faith. Some were practising some other path or religion
and were not able to find a convincing solution to some problems from others following
their path. In these cases, Hinduism was able to cater to their needs, without disturbing
their faith in their own path or religion.

A Brief Outline of
Hinduism.
3. This article is based on a lecture deliverd by Swami Vivekananda at Jaffna in 1897. It is
the second lecture in the series of lectures he gave from Colombo to Almora. It is titled
"Vedantism". The full lecture can be found in "Lectures from Colombo to Almora" or in
the "Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda" Volume III, pages 118-135.
4. The word `Hindu' originally meant `those who lived on the other side of the river Indus
(in Sanskrit, Sindhu)'. Alternate names for the people following the religion can be
`Vaidikas', followers of the Vedas, or `Vedantists', followers of the Vedanta. So, let us
have a brief overview of the Vedas.
5. The Vedas is not the utterance of persons. The Vedas do not owe their authority to
anybody, they are themselves the authority, being eternal -- the knowledge of God. They
were never written, never created, they have existed throught time; just as creation is
infinite and eternal, without beginning and without end, so is the knowledge of God
without beginning and without end. And this knowledge is what is meant by `the Vedas'
(`Vid' -- to know). The mass of knowledge called the Vedanta was discovered by
personages called Rishis. The Rishi is a seer of thought. He is the discoverer of the
eternal Vedas. The Rishis were spiritual discoverers.
6. The Vedas are divided into two principal parts, the Karma Kaanda and the Jnaana Kaanda
-- the work portion and the knowledge portion, the ceremonial and the spiritual. The
Karma Kaanda consists of the duties of man, duties as a student, duties as a householder,
duties as a recluse, and the various duties of the various stations of life. The spiritual
portion of the religion is the second part, the Jnaana Kaanda. This is called `Vedanta' --
the end of the Vedas, the gist, the goal of the Vedas. The essence of the knowledge of the
Vedas was called by the name of Vedanta, which comprises the Upanisads. All sects of
India which comes within the fold of Hinduism must acknowledge the Upanisads of the
Vedas. They can have their own interpretations, but they must obey the authority. All the
 various symbols used for worship come from the Vedanta. They are all present in the
Vedanta as ideas, which these symbols represent.
7. Next come the Smritis. These are books written by the sages. These are subordinate to the
Vedanta. The Smritis have varied from time to time. As essential conditions changed, as
various circumstances came to have their influence on the race, manners and customs had
to be changed, and these Smritis, as mainly regulating the manners and customs of the
nation, had also to be changed from time to time. But the basic principles in the Vedanta,
like the dynamics of the soul, which are eternal do not change.
8. Then there are the Puraanas. They deal with history, cosmology, symbolic illustrations of
philosophical principles, and so forth. They were written to popularise the religion of the
Vedas. They give the lives of saints and kings and great men and historical events, etc.
The sages made use of these to illustrate the eternal principles of religion.
9. There are still other books, the Tantras. These are very much like the Puranas in some
respects, and in some of them there is an attempt to revive the old sacrificial ideas of the
Karma Kaanda.
10. All these books constitute the scriptures of the Hindus. When there is such a mass of
sacred books in a nation and a race ehich has devoted the greatest part of its energies to
the thought of philosophy and spirituality, it is quite natural that there should be so many
sects. These sects differ very much from each other in certain points. But there are some
essential principles which are common to all sects and which constitute the core of
Hinduism.
11. First is the question of creation. The idea of Hinduism is that this nature, Prakriti or
Maayaa is infinite, without beginning. The creative energy is ever active. There never
was a time when that energy did not work. The Sanskrit word for creation, properly
translated, should be `projection'. There is the law of cycles. The whole of this nature
exists, it becomes finer, subsides; then the whole thing is again projected forth, only again
to become finer and finer, until the whole thing subsides, and again comes out. Thus it
goes on backwards and forwards with a wave-like motion throughout eternity. Time,
space and causation are all within this nature. To say, therefore, that it had a beginning is
utter nonsense. No question can occur as to its beginning or its end. Therefore, wherever
in the Hindu scriptures the words beginning and the end are used, it means the beginning
and the end of one particular cycle; no more than that.
12. What makes this creation ? Brahman. There is no suitable word in English. He is eternal,
eternally pure, eternally awake, the almighty, the all-knowing, the all-mercifull, the
omnipresent, the formless, the partless. If this is so, then why is there partiality in the
world ? Why is one person happy and another person unhappy ? Who makes it ? Vedanta
says: We ourselves. There is a cloud shedding its rain on all fields alike. But it is the field
that is well cultivated is the one that takes the best advantage of it. The fault is not on the
cloud. The mercy of God is eternal and unchangable. It is we who make the difference.
We reap what we have sown in several previous births.
13. This leads to the next concept. Life is eternal. It is not that it has sprung out of nothing.
That cannot be. Each one of us is the effect of the infinite past. Each one comes to work
out his own past deeds. This is the law of Karma. Each one of us is the maker of our own
fate. We, and none else are responsible for what we enjoy or suffer. We are the effects,
and we are the causes. We are free therefore. If I an unhappy, it is of my own making, and
that shows that I can be happy if I will. The human will stands beyond all circumstance.
 Before it -- the strong, gigantic, infinite will and freedom in man -- all the powers, even
of nature, must bow down, succumb and become its servants. This is the result of the law
of Karma.
14. The next question is: What is the soul ? There are differences of opinion among the
various sects, but there are certain points of aggreemnet. The souls are without beginning
and without end, and are immortal by their very nature. Also, all powers, blessing, purity,
omnipresence and omniscience are buried in each soul. In every man and in every animal,
however weak or wicked, great or small, resides the same omnipresent, omniscient soul.
The difference is not in the soul, but in the manifestation. This is the greatest idea that
India has preached -- brotherhood of all creation. The Sanskrit word for soul is Atman.
The Atman is separate from the mind. This Atman goes through birth and death,
accompanied by the mind, the Sukshma Sharira (the subtle body). And when the time
comes that it has attained to all knowledge and manifested itself to perfection, then this
going from birth to death ceases for it. Then it is at liberty either to keep that mind, the
Sukshma Sharira, or let it go for ever, and remain independant and free throughout
eternity. The goal of the soul is freedom.
15. What is heaven ? Hinduism also has the concept of heavens. But, these are not infinite.
They are just repetitions of this world, with a little more happiness and a little more
enjoyment. There are many of these heavens. Persons who do good works here with the
thought of reward, when they die, are born again as gods in one of these heavens, as Indra
and others. These gods are the names of certain states. They also had been men, and by
good work they have become gods; and those different names like Indra and so on are not
the names of the same person. It is a position, and remains in it only a certain time. He
then dies and is born again as man. But the human body is the highest of all. It is this
earth, which is the Karma Bhumi (the place of work); it is this earth from which we attain
to liberation. Even the gods have to be born as men to become liberated.
16. The goal is to become liberated. So long as time and space works on you, you are slaves.
The idea is to be free of external and internal nature. Nature must fall at your feet, and
you must be free. No more is there life; therefore no more is there death. No more
enjoyment; therefore no more misery. It is bliss unspeakable, indestructible, beyond
everything. And this eternal Bliss is the goal.
17. How did the soul come to earth ? What caused this bondage ? The answer to it in the
scriptures is ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of all this bondage. It is by ignorance that
we have become bound; knowledge will cure it by taking us to the other side. How will
that knowledge come ? Through love, Bhakti; by the worship of God, by loving all
beings as the temples of God. He resides within them. Thus, with that intense love will
come knowledge, and ignorance will disappear, the bonds will break, and the soul will be
free.
18. There are different natures of men. And so it is natural that there are different ways of
worshipping God. Your way is good you,but not for me. My way is good for me, but not
for you. Hinduism allows infinite variety. If a temple, or a symbol, or an image helps you
to realise the Divinity within, you are welcome to do it. If certain forms and formularies
help you realise the Divine, God speed you; have by all means, whatever forms, and
whatever temples, and whatever ceremonies you want to bring you nearer to God.
19. This is the gist of Hindusim.