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| + SPIRITUALITY IN INDIA |
- An enlightened master, or “Satguru”. He/She is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God.
- Sanctity of all life. All forms of life are to be loved and revered, and therefore, practice ahimsa, or, non-injury, in thought, word and deed.
- The fact that no one religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others. Instead, all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, leading the individual to
personally experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of
consciousness where man and God are one.
Although the Hindu has belief in the trinity of Creator, Preserver and the Destroyer, they are ultimately One, known as Brahman.
Hinduism is a deeply symbolic religion with every facet of its ritual standing for a profound meaning. Although one sees idols everywhere, they are points of concentration on the aspects of the one Supreme Reality. As one grows inwards, one moves from the dual or one with form to the non-dual or the formless. Unlike the followers of any other religion, Hindus enjoy the freedom of worshipping their personally chosen icon to offer their prayers to the indefinable Brahman, or the Ultimate Reality. Each deity in Hinduism controls a particular energy. These energies, present in man as wild forces must be controlled and canalized fruitfully to infuse a divine consciousness in him.
In a person's path of spiritual progress, he or she needs to develop the various attributes of these godheads in him or her to attain all-round spiritual perfection.
There are 4 major sects of Hindus: Vaishnavas (follower of Vishnu, the Protector), Shaivaites (followers of Shiva, the Destroyer), Shakti (worshippers of the Divine Mother) and Smarthas. The Smarthas have free rein to choose whichever deity they wish to worship.
For the Hindu, the Vedas, The Bhagvad Gita, Ramayan and Mahabharata hold supreme importance and are the holy scriptures that have the final authority. Each Hindu God and Goddess has many characteristics, such as their dress, 'vehicle,' weapons, etc., that are themselves symbols of the deity's power.
Brahma, the Creator, holds the Vedas in his hands, which signifies that he has the supreme command over creative and religious knowledge. Vishnu holds a conch, which stands for the five elements and eternity; a discus, which is the symbol of the mind; a bow that symbolizes power and a lotus, which is the symbol of the cosmos. Shiva's trident represents the three gunas (qualities), the Satwic (purity, light, harmony), Rajsik, (activity and passion), and Tamsik (dullness, inertia, ignorance). Similarly Krishna's flute symbolizes divine music.
Each deity has a particular vehicle on which he or she travels. These
vehicles, which are either animals or birds, represent the various forces that he or she is in control of. Vishnu sits on the primal serpent, which represents the desire of consciousness in humankind. Shiva rides a bull, which stands for the brute and blind power, as well as the unbridled sexual energy in man - the qualities only he can help us control. His consort Parvati, Kali, or Durga, rides on a lion, which symbolizes mercilessness, anger and pride - vices she can help her devotees check. A mouse, Ganesha’s vehicle, represents the timidity and nervousness that overwhelm us, of which Ganesha is in total control of.
There are about 900 million followers today. Hinduism, like all religions of the world, is profound. You may want to visit the following sites, apart from several others, to know more about this religion:
www.hindunet.org
www.himalayanacademy.com
hinduism.about.com
www.hinduism.co.za
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism |
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