TLEM
True Light Educational Ministry
Then
you will
know the Truth and the Truth will set you free ( John
8:32)
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What
About Hinduism?
The word
derives from an ancient Sankrit term meaning "dwellers by the Indus
River."
Hinduism
is one of the oldest of the world's religions. It dates back more than 3,000
years, though its present forms are of more recent origin. Today more than 90
percent of the world's Hindus live in India.
Hinduism
is so unlike any other religion that it is difficult to define with any
precision. It has no founder. It origins are lost in a very distant past. It
does not have one holy book but several. There is no single body of doctrine.
Instead there is a great diversity of belief and practice. It is a religion
that worships many gods. Yet it also adheres to the view that there is only
one God, called Brahman. All other divinities are aspects of the one absolute
and unknowable Brahman.
Another
distinctive feature of Hinduism is belief in the transmigration of souls, or
reincarnation. Associated with this belief is the conviction that all living
things are part of the same essence. Individuals pass through cycles of birth
and death. This means that an individual soul may return many times in human,
animal, or even vegetable form. What a person does in the present life will
affect the next life. This is the doctrine of karma, the law of cause and
effect. The goal of the individual is to escape this cycle, or wheel of birth
and rebirth, so that the individual soul, Atman, may eventually become part of
the absolute soul, or Brahman.
The
writers of the Vedic hymns seem to have believed in a heaven and hell to which
the dead pass, depending on the quality of their earthly lives. Sometime after
600BC, however, the belief in reincarnation appeared. Although at first
confined to small groups of ascetics, it soon spread rapidly throughout India.
The doctrine was first expounded in written form in a body of literature
called the Upanishads, a term that means "sitting at the foot of a
teacher." The purpose of these works is the gaining of a mystical form of
knowledge that allows the individual to escape the cycle of rebirths.
By the
time the Buddha appeared in the 6th century BC, the belief in reincarnation
was firmly established. From that time Hinduism's main concern became release
from the cycle of birth and death instead of making offerings to please or
pacify the gods. Sacrifice became infrequent because of an unwillingness to
destroy living things. This doctrine of reverence for life, called ahimsa,
became one of the chief teachings in Jainism.
At this
time the primary older gods of the Vedas named Brahma (not to be confused with
Brahman), Indra, Agni, and Varuna were slowly displaced by newer deities
primarily Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti who still have millions of devotees. Many
of the earlier gods were absorbed by these three. The Hindu teaching on divine
incarnation (gods becoming flesh) made it possible for the older gods to be
accepted as incarnate in the newer ones. The religious development of this
period is reflected in two great literary works, the Mahabharata and the
Ramayana.
The
Mahabharata, or Great Epic of the Bharata Dynasty, is the world's longest
poem. It is a masss of legendary material about the struggles for power
between two families. It is also an extensive code of conduct (dharma) to
guide those seeking release from the birth-death cycle. Within the narrative
is one of the most famous literary works in the world, the Bhagavadgita, or
"The Lord's Song." The book is written in the form of a dialogue
between Prince Arjuna and his charioteer, Krishna an incarnation of Vishnu.
The Ramayana, also an epic poem, is about 24,000 couplets long. Its theme is
the life of Prince Rama and his adventures.
The
Puranas contain a great variety of legendary material, their main purpose was
glorifying the gods Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma. Of the 18 principal Puranas
that survive, the most popular is the Bhagavata-Purana on the earth life as
Krishna.
In the
early part of this ear, the Hindus generally worshipped without the aids of
statues or other images of the gods. By AD 300-650, however, the worship of
images in stone temples was firmly established. The worship of female
divinities had also become common. The Mother Goddess, most commonly called
Shakti, was worshiped in various forms and under differing names. She was the
subject of another body of literature called the Tantras. Some animal and
human sacrifices were revived by the end of this era, as was the practice of
suttee, the burning of a widow on the funeral pyre of her dead husband.
In the
period immediately after 550 BC, Buddhism and Jainism emerged, religions
entered on the monastic life. A strong emphasis on the ascetic life in these
religions had a profound influence on Hinduism. Asceticism was unknown to the
religion of the Vedas, and the priestly class of Brahmins looked down upon it.
However, more and more young men became religious devotees and gave up the
worldly life to become wandering hermits and beggars. Asceticism grew rapidly
and has remained a prominent feature in Hinduism.
From AD
800 to 1800 the division of Hinduism into sects and schools of philosophy, the
writing of devotional hymns to the gods, and the influence of Islam in India
occurred. By this time the creative vitality of Hinduism had moved to southern
India, home of several of the devotional movements collectively called bhakti.
Six
schools of philosophy emerged during this time. The two most significant were
based on the teachings of Sankara and Ramanuja. Sankara was the chief exponent
of the Vedanta school of philosophy, from which most of the main currents of
modern Hinduism derive. The several school of Vedanta all believe in the
transmigration of souls, the authority of the Vedas, Brahman as the creator of
the world, and the responsibility of the individual for his actions.
Sankara
taught a doctrine called monism, which means that all things are God, the
world, and the individual soul are basically one in spite of appearances.
Ramanuja, the single most influential thinker for devotional Hinduism, was
also of the Vedanta school. His teachings differed, however, from Sankara.
He
believed that God, the soul, and matter are three separate realities. The goal
of the soul is to serve God, just as the body is meant to serve the soul. The
goal of meditation is the contemplation of God.
An
unusual school was founded in the 12th century by Basava. It rejected all
forms of image worship, the Vedas, and all caste distinctions. It is probable
that Basava's teachings were influenced by Islam.
A
similar doctrine was taught by Kabir in the 15th century. He denied image
worship, the castes, asceticism, sacred texts, and pilgrimages. He accepted
the doctrine of reincarnation. His God was called Rama, thought he accepted
the minor gods of Hinduism as having some reality. He was also a hymn writer.
More
significant than Hindu schools influenced by Islam was the emergence of
Sikhism. It was founded by Kabir's disciple Nanak. Sikhism's theology is
basically Hindu, but it took over a number of elements from both Islam and
Christianity. It, too, denies the use of images, and has a form baptism and a
communion meal. In the long run Hinduism probably had a more powerful
influence on Muslims living in India than Muslims did on Hinduism.
Hindu
devotional literature and hymns honoring Vishnu and Shiva were first written
in the Tamil language. Collections appeared as early as the 17th century. By
the time Europeans arrived in large numbers in India, they found a
conservation religion steeped in tradition. The chief aim was preserving a
rigid social order by means of complex rituals and regulations.
British
colonialism and the arrival of Christian missionaries were the primary
influence on Hinduism from the early 19th century. Because of both Hinduism
underwent a revival.
While
rejecting the doctrines of Christianity, Hinduism was strongly influenced by
its social consciousness.
Although
many divinities may be worshiped, modern Hindus are generally divided into
followers of Vishnu, Shiva, or Shakti. Nearly all Hindus look upon one of
these as an expression of the ultimate being, the one in charge of the destiny
of the universe.
Each
group of followers holds the Vedas in high regard, but each also has its own
scriptures. In the Bhagavadgita, for example, Vishne is honored in his
incarnation Krishna. Another incarnation, Rama, is the hero of the Ramayana.
Vishnu is the protector and preserver of the world, and he is worshiped by
many cults in various forms besides Krishna and Rama. The worship of the god
is called Vaisnavism. The beginnings of this cult were about the 7th century
BC> Shiva, a Sanskrit word meaning "auspicious one," is a more
remote god than Vishnu. His worship is called Shivaism. Shiva is a more
difficult god to understand than is Vishnu. He is regarded as both destroyer
and restorer. Doctrines about Shiva may have merged roles that were once
assigned to various earlier gods.
Shiva
has a female consort who goes under several names. He is occasionally paired
with Shakti, the mother goddess. They and their sons Skanda and Ganesa live on
top of Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas. He is depicted in a number of forms
such as a wandering beggar, half man and half female, or a dancer.
Shakti
is the mother goddess. Like Shiva, she can be either beneficial or fierce,
depending on her form. As Parvati she is depicted as a beautiful woman in
middle age. As Kali she is a giantess with black skin, a blood-red tongue, and
large tusks.
Kali
carries an assortment of weapons and wears a garland of human skulls around
her neck. The mother goddess thus stands for all aspects of nature from birth
to death.
In
addition to the three primary deities, there are several others who are still
worshiped. Ganesa, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Shakti, is prayed to
before all undertakings. Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, is patroness of wealth.
Sarasvati is the goddess of learning and arts. Hanuman is the monkey-god
associated with adventures of Rama. He appears as the personification of the
power of God on Earth. Manasa, the goddess of snakes, is worshiped by peasants
in some areas.
Many
animals and plants are also regarded as sacred. Most notable is the cow. All
cattle are protected, and even among castes that are not vegetarian, beef is
not eaten. Monkeys, tree squirrels, and some snakes are also considered holy.
Among sacred trees are the banyan and the tulsi. All rivers are considered
somewhat holy, but the Ganges in the north of India is the holiest of rivers
because it supposedly flows from the head of Shiva. It is the focus of
pilgrimage for millions.
People
are also sacred according to their station of life. Thus parents are holy to
their children and teachers to their students.
Temples
of any significance hold a festival at least once a year. Festivals are
combinations of religious ceremonies, processions of the locally favored god,
music, dances, and other forms of celebration. Most festivals are related to
the cycles of nature. The New Year celebration, Diwali, takes place with
exchanges of gifts, lighting of ceremonial lamps, gambling (a ritual designed
to gain luck for the coming year), and fireworks to frighten away spirits of
the dead.
Pilgrimages
to holy places have been common since the Vedic period. Certain places are
considered sacred because of a specific historical event, connection with a
legendary figure, the appearance of a god, or location on the bank of a holy
river.
Visits
to sacred places are supposed to confer some benefit upon the pilgrim
frequently the healing of a dread disease. People who travel to Varanasi (Benares)
when death is near hope to be released from the birth-death cycle by dying
near the Ganges Rover.
Services
are not carried out at fixed times as the are in Western religions. The
worship itself is an act of calling forth for god's presence and entertaining
the deity as a royal guest. Temple visitors may take part in chanting or
listening to doctrinal expositions. Images of the gods are honored with gifts
of flowers, fruit, or perfumes, and visiting worshipers are given small
portions of consecrated food.
In
addition to temple worship, there are daily household rites, including an
offering of food, often fruit, or flowers to the gods and recitation of the
Vedas. Household worship focuses on the transitions in a person's life, such
as the rite of passage from childhood to adult responsibility, marriage, or
childbirth.
The
intention of this pamphlet has been to point out some similarities between
Hinduism and many of the New Age concepts and philosophies that are slowly
diluting the message of Christ. In particular is the changing attitude from us
being good stewards of Gods creation to making that creation god itself, and
having overall rights (sometimes greater than mans).
Very few
people in the western world would in this day and age invite a cow into their
house and entertain it as God; however when things are placed in front of us
in a very logical and scientific manner we are often eager to make that leap.
Mother nature now becomes more important than the Deity of Christ and His
teachings.
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