Hinduism
is the oldest religion in the world and is the faith of over four-fifths of the
diverse peoples of the vast sub-continent of India, of the people of Nepal and
Bali (Indonesia) and of millions of Indians who have migrated overseas. There
are, besides, many ancient cultures, as in South-East Asia, which have been
greatly influenced by the Hindu cultural ethos.
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The
history of the Hindus, as we know it today, goes back 5000 years, but Hindus
believe that their religion is without beginning or end and is a continuous
process even preceding the existence of our earth and the many other worlds
beyond. Science today accepts that there may be other worlds in the vast
Universe, each with its own laws. Hindus have held this view from time
immemorial.
The word
Hindu is of geographic origin and was derived from the name originally given to
the people settled on the River Sindhu. It was corrupted by foreign visitors to
the word 'Hindu', and the faith of the Hindus was given the name 'Hinduism' in
the English language. Scholars however call this the Brahmanical faith, for, as
we shall show later, to attain the Brahman or the Universal Soul is the
ultimate aim of all Hindu thought.
Philosophic
thinkers of recent times do not like to describe Hinduism as a mere religion as
they feel that this narrows it down and does not bring out adequately its great
qualities of catholicity of outlook and free thinking, as even an atheist is
not precluded from being a Hindu and no hell nor doomsday envisioned for the
agnostic. It is therefore called Sanatana Dharma or the Eternal Religion.
Others call it a fellowship of religions from its liberal absorption of the
faiths of others. The greatness of Hinduism is at once its complexity and its
simplicity, and the fact that it permeates totally the life of every Hindu from
the moment of his birth, be he a believer or non-believer, a scholar or an
illiterate. It is for this reason that it is often said that Hinduism is not
just a religion but a way of life.
It is
important to realise, before we delve further, that Hinduism is a rare faith
with few "do's" and "don'ts" postulated, but one which has
many signposts showing the different spiritual paths available to different
types of people. It accepts the reality that there are varying intellectual and
spiritual levels in each one of us and all cannot therefore take the same path,
although the goal may be the same. Hinduism therefore offers different
approaches to persons of different aptitudes, depending on whether he be a
philosopher or a poet, a mystic or a man of action, an intellectual or a simple
man of faith. This is a unique feature of the religion as it permits the
greatest of freedom of worship and insists that each person must be guided by
his or her own individual spiritual experience. It does not accept dictatorship
in religious guidance.
Another
quality unique to Hinduism is its tremendous tolerance of other religious
faiths and beliefs. In the Bhagavad-Gita, an important scripture of Hinduism,
Lord Krishna, worshipped as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself, says,
"Whosoever follows any faith and worships me under whatsoever denomination
in whatsoever form with steadfastness, his faith shall I indeed
reinforce". Most other religions say, "Your religion is wrong and to
follow it is a sin. Get converted to my religion and Heaven will be
yours". The Lord worshipped by the Hindus implies in effect, "Come to
me as a Hindu, Christian, Muslim or Sikh. I shall make you a better Hindu,
Christian, Muslim and Sikh". Conversion to Hinduism (minimal as it is) has
therefore never been through force or wars, nor as a result of bigotry or by
temptations offered to the economically weak, nor does bringing about
conversions confer any special spiritual benefits.
Hinduism,
again unique amongst religions, allows a Hindu to worship in a church, mosque
or gurdwara as freely as he does in a temple. Very few religious faith have
such a tolerant approach nor would their priests or religious heads permit it.
Hinduism
has attracted thinkers from all over the world through the ages, and today
there is a great thirst for knowledge of this faith which is practical enough
to permit social change and scientific progress, yet highly philosophical and
sublime, aiming at ethical perfection. However it is most unfortunate that
today even educated Hindus are often unaware as to what the religion teaches or
stands for, or what its fundamental beliefs are.
This
ignorance can be traced to the breaking up of the joint family system in urban
areas. In small towns and villages, where it still exists, all members of a
family headed by a patriarch live under one roof, and the young are taught all
aspects of their religion by grandparents, both in the form of stories and by
precept. Today most young people growing in urban surroundings are not aware as
to what Hinduism is, as few parents spare the time to teach them the
fundamental beliefs of their faith. What is often picked up by the young are
superstitions which have nothing to do with the religion, while their parents
perform rites and rituals periodically without understanding their symbolism or
even the meaning of the mantras or prayer chants that go with them. The freedom
permitted by this faith, which does not even ask for a weekly visit to a
temple, has been misused, leading to widespread ignorance of what it stands
for.
An
attempt is therefore being made in this book to briefly mention the main groups
of scriptures of the Hindus and to explain the main tenets and beliefs of one
of the most ancient people of this earth. To do so in one volume and a small
one at that, and to condense scriptures of hundreds and thousands of pages into
half-a-page or one page are onerous tasks, but are unavoidable if a total
picture of the religion is to be given in the briefest form possible. If the
continuous thread running through and binding seemingly contradictory beliefs
of this faith can be clearly discerned, then my task would not have been in
vain. To make it easier for the reader, the meanings of Indian words are given
in the text itself. The Glossary contains some of the popular words used with
simplified pronunciations.
This
study is neither a comprehensive one nor the final word on the subject. It is
hoped that it will whet the appetite of the readers to go to-the originals and
study for themselves the truths of one of the great religions of the world.
Equally important, I hope it will serve as a short introduction to the foreign
visitor before he or she finds more comprehensive studies on a subject which is
as brilliant as the sunrises of our great land, whose scriptures are as poetic
as its sunsets and whose faith is as tolerant as the gentle smile of this
beautiful earth which has always cherished and welcomed the visitor, sending
him back the wiser for his visit, even while partaking of the wisdom that he
brings with him to our shores.
Writer-Shakunthala Jagannathan
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