ALL ABOUT HINDUISM

2y ago
45 Views
2 Downloads
556.46 KB
183 Pages
Last View : 23d ago
Last Download : 2m ago
Upload by : Milena Petrie
Transcription

ALL ABOUT HINDUISMBySRI SWAMI SIVANANDASri Swami SivanandaFounder ofThe Divine Life SocietySERVE, LOVE, GIVE,PURIFY, MEDITATE,REALIZESo SaysSri Swami SivanandaA DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION

First Edition:Second Edition:Third Edition:Fourth Edition:Fifth Edition:Sixth Edition:(Copies 5,000)194719611977198819931997World Wide Web (WWW) Edition: 1999WWW site: http://www.rsl.ukans.edu/ pkanagar/divine/This WWW reprint is for free distribution The Divine Life Trust SocietyISBN 81-7052-047-9Published ByTHE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETYP.O. SHIVANANDANAGAR—249 192Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh,Himalayas, India.

DEDICATED TOALL THOSEWHO LOVE HINDUISMAND ITS SUBLIME PHILOSOPHYAND PRACTISE ITS TEACHINGS

PUBLISHERS’ NOTEHinduism is veritably the fountain-head of all religions. It contains within itself the seeds ofall religions. It includes all religions and excludes none.It is but natural that people all over the world should show increasing interest in a religionwith so universal an appeal.“ALL ABOUT HINDUISM” is intended to meet the needs of those who want to beintroduced to the various facets of the crystal that is Hinduism. The book, which was first publishedin 1947, has now been rearranged in a more convenient form, with useful additions here and there,and is now released in its fifth edition.We do hope that all serious students of Hindu Religion and Philosophy will find the bookuseful and interesting.—THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY.iv

THE UNIVERSAL PRAYERSIO Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love!Salutations and prostrations unto Thee.Thou art Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute.Thou art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient.Thou art the Indweller of all beings.Grant us an understanding heart,Equal vision, balanced mind,Faith, devotion and wisdom.Grant us inner spiritual strengthTo resist temptations and to control the mind.Free us from egoism, lust, greed, hatred, anger and jealousy.Fill our hearts with divine virtues.Let us behold Thee in till these names and forms.Let us serve Thee in all these names and forms.Let us ever remember Thee.Let us ever sing Thy glories.Let Thy Name be ever on our lips.Let us abide in Thee for ever and ever.—Swami SivanandaIIO Thou Invisible One! O Adorable One! O Supreme! Thou permeatest and penetratest thisvast universe from the unlimited space down to the tiny blade of grass at my feet. Thou art the basisfor all these names and forms. Thou art the apple of my eye, the Prema of my heart, the very Life ofmy life, the very Soul of my soul, the Illuminator of my intellect and senses, the sweet Anahatamusic of my heart, and the substance of my physical, mental and causal frames.I recognise Thee alone as the mighty Ruler of this universe and the Inner Controller(Antaryamin) of my three bodies. I prostrate again and again before Thee, my Lord! Thou art mysole refuge! I trust Thee alone, O ocean of mercy and love! Elevate, enlighten, guide and protectme. Remove obstacles from my spiritual path. Lift the veil of ignorance. O Thou Jagadguru! Icannot bear any longer, even for a second, the miseries of this body, this life and this Samsara. GiveDarsana quickly. O Prabho! I am pining. I am melting. Listen, listen to my fervent, Antarika prayer.Do not be cruel, my Lord. Thou art Dinabandhu. Thou art Adhama-Uddharaka. Thou artPatita-Pavana (Purifier of the fallen).Om Santi Santi Santih!v

IIISarvesham Svasti BhavatuSarvesham Santir BhavatuSarvesham Purnam BhavatuSarvesham Mangalam BhavatuMay auspiciousness be unto all;May peace be unto all;May fullness be unto all;May prosperity be unto all.Sarve Bhavantu SukhinahSarve Santu NiramayahSarve Bhadrani PasyantuMa Kaschid-Duhkha-Bhag-BhavetMay all be happy;May all be free from disabilities;May all behold what is auspicious;May none suffer from sorrow.Asato Ma SadgamayaTamaso Ma Jyotir-GamayaMrityor-Ma Amritam GamayaOm Santi Santi Santih!Lead me from the unreal to the Real;Lead me from darkness to the Light;Lead me from mortality to Immortality.Om Peace! Peace! Peace!vi

CONTENTSPUBLISHERS’ NOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ivTHE UNIVERSAL PRAYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vHINDU RELIGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Purpose Of Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Distinguishing Features Of Hinduism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1The Glory Of Vedanta And Yoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Emphasis On Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Who Is A Hindu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Origin And Significance Of The Term . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4The Spiritual Soil Of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5The Facts Of History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Reasons For Survival Of The Hindu Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Its Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6HINDU SCRIPTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Sanskrit Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7The Scriptures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7The Secular Writings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22HINDU DHARMA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Definition Of Dharma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23The Sole Authority Of The Vedas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24The Changing Dharma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Dharma In Other Religions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Benefits Of The Practice Of Dharma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Kinds Of Dharma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Sanatana Dharma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Samanya Dharma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Varnasrama Dharma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Yuga Dharma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38HINDU ETHICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Conduct And Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Ethics Or The Science Of Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Ethics, Spirituality And Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Benefits Of The Practice Of Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Ethical Codes In Hinduism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39The Foundational Principles Of Hindu Ethics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Service As Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Ethical Culture Or The Process Of Purification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Philosophy Of Right And Wrong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Yogic Gardening. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44vii

HINDU TENETS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45The Law Of Karma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45The Doctrine Of Reincarnation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49The Concept Of Avatara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51HINDU RITUALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Sandhyopasana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52The Ten Scriptural Samskaras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56The Pancha Mahayajnas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Sraaddha And Tarpana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Pitripaksha And Mahalaya Amavasya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Navaratri Or The Nine-Day Worship Of Devi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63HINDU WORSHIP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Worship Or Upasana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Benefits Of Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65Saguna-Upasana And Nirguna-Upasana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66The Bhavas In Bhakti Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Puja And Ishta-Devata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68The Philosophy And Significance Of Idol-Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69From Ritualistic Bhakti To Para-Bhakti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74The Glory Of Hindu Philosophy And Hindu Mode Of Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76HINDU YOGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77The Four Paths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Karma Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Bhakti Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Raja Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Jnana Yoga. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81The Yoga Of Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82HINDU THEOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83Theological Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83The Vaishnavas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84The Saivas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87The Saktas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88The Arya Samajists And The Brahma Samajists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Sadhus And Sannyasins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89HINDU MYTHOLOGY AND SYMBOLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Hindu Mythology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Hindu Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99HINDU PHILOSOPHY—I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99Philosophy—Its Origin And Its Limitations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99The Orthodox And The Heterodox Systems Of Indian Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . 101The Shad-Darsanas Or The Six Orthodox Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101The Nyaya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103The Vaiseshika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107viii

The Sankhya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Purva Mimamsa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Vedanta Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HINDU PHILOSOPHY—II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Advaita Philosophy Of Sri Sankara . . . . . . . . .The Visishtadvaita Philosophy Of Sri Ramanuja . . . .The Dvaita Philosophy Of Sri Madhvacharya . . . . . .The Dvaitadvaita Philosophy Of Sri Nimbarka . . . . .The Suddhadvaita Philosophy Of Sri Vallabha . . . . .The Achintya Bhedabheda Philosophy Of Sri ChaitanyaHINDU PHILOSOPHY—III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Saiva Siddhanta Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Sakti Yoga Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EPILOGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Unity—The Need Of The Hour . . . . . . . . . . . . .Who Is Qualified To Serve Religion Efficiently . . . . .Education And Nation-Building . . . . . . . . . . . . .Call For Consolidation Of The Nation . . . . . . . . . .APPENDIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I. The Siva-Linga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .II. Indian Culture Based On The Bhagavad-Gita . . . 64164164165167168168170

CHAPTER 1HINDU RELIGIONSilent adorations to Satchidananda Para-Brahman, Who is the silent Witness of all minds,Who is the Indweller in all beings, Who has projected this world for His own Lila or sport, Who isthe support for this world, body and mind and all movements, and Who is the foundation for allsocieties and their activities.PURPOSE OF RELIGIONThe word Religion comes from the Latin word religio which consists of two words, viz., re(back) and ligare (to bring or bind). That which binds the soul back to God is religion. Religionshows the way for the attainment of God-realisation.Religion satisfies the deep inward craving in man who is not always content with leadingmerely an animal existence and wants spiritual consolation, solace and peace. Man cannot live bybread alone. A time comes in the life of many of us when mere worldly prosperity does not satisfyus and we hanker after something more. In the case of many more, trials and tribulations of life turntheir attention to spiritual solace.DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF HINDUISMA REVEALED RELIGIONHinduism is the religion of the Hindus, a name given to the Universal Religion which hailedsupreme in India. It is the oldest of all living religions. This is not founded by any prophet.Buddhism, Christianity and Mohammedanism owe their origin to the prophets. Their dates arefixed. But no such date can be fixed for Hinduism. Hinduism is not born of the teachings ofparticular prophets. It is not based on a set of dogmas preached by a particular set of teachers. It isfree from religious fanaticism.Hinduism is also known by the names Sanatana-Dharma and Vaidika-Dharma.Sanatana-Dharma means eternal religion. Hinduism is as old as the world itself. Hinduismis the mother of all religions. Hindu scriptures are the oldest in the world, Sanatana-Dharma is socalled, not only because it is eternal, but also because it is protected by God and because it can makeus eternal.Vaidika-Dharma means the religion of the Vedas. The Vedas are the foundational scripturesof Hinduism. The ancient Rishis and sages of India have expressed their intuitive spiritualexperiences (Aparoksha-Anubhuti) in the Upanishads. These experiences are direct and infallible.Hinduism regards the spiritual experiences of the Rishis of yore as its authority. The priceless truthsthat have been discovered by the Hindu Rishis and sages through millennia constitute the glory ofHinduism. Therefore, Hinduism is a revealed religion.1

ALL ABOUT HINDUISMA RELIGION OF FREEDOMHinduism, unlike other religions, does not dogmatically assert that the final emancipation ispossible only through its means and not through any other. It is only a means to an end and all meanswhich will ultimately lead to the end are equally approved.Hinduism allows absolute freedom to the rational mind of man. Hinduism never demandsany undue restraint upon the freedom of human reason, the freedom of thought, feeling and will ofman. It allows the widest freedom in matters of faith and worship. Hinduism is a religion offreedom. It allows absolute freedom to the human reason and heart with regard to questions such asnature of God, soul, creation, form of worship and the goal of life. Hinduism does not lie in theacceptance of any particular doctrine, nor in the observance of some particular rituals or form ofworship. It does not force anybody to accept particular dogmas or forms of worship. It allowseverybody to reflect, investigate, enquire and cogitate. Hence, all sorts of religious faiths, variousforms of worship or Sadhana, and diverse kinds of rituals and customs, have found their honourableplaces side by side within Hinduism and are cultured and developed in harmonious relationshipwith one another.Hinduism does not condemn those who deny God as the creator and ruler of the world, whodo not accept the existence of an eternal soul and the state of Moksha or state of liberation.Hinduism does not render the upholders of such views unfit to be recognised as pious andhonourable members of the Hindu religious society.The religious hospitality of Hinduism is proverbial. Hinduism is extremely catholic andliberal. This is the fundamental feature of Hinduism. Hinduism pays respects to all religions. It doesnot revile any other religion. It accepts and honours truth—wherever it may come from andwhatever garb it may put on.There are considerable numbers of the followers of other religions in India. And yet, theHindus live in perfect harmony, peace and friendship with all of them. Their tolerance andfellow-feeling towards the followers of other religions is remarkable.Despite all the differences of metaphysical doctrines, modes of religious discipline andforms of ritualistic practices and social habits prevalent in the Hindu society, there is an essentialuniformity in the conception of religion and in the outlook on life and the world, among all sectionsof Hindus.THE GLORY OF VEDANTA AND YOGAVedanta, or the philosophy of the Upanishads, is lofty, sublime and unique. The Westernphilosophers have paid their tribute to the ancient seers of the Upanishads. They have been amazedat the lofty heights scaled by them. Schopenhauer studied the Upanishads and meditated on thethoughts of the Upanishads just before going to bed. He said: “The Upanishads are the solace of mylife and they will be solace to me after my death also.”2

HINDU RELIGIONThe Raja-Yoga system of Hinduism is also splendid and unique. The lessons are immenselypractical and highly instructive. No system of physical exercise on the surface of the earth cancompete with Hatha-Yoga. Kundalini-Yoga is wonderful. Hence the Americans and Europeans arein search of Hindu Sannyasins and Yogins. They visit the Himalayas frequently in quest of Yogateachers. Some are living under Hindu Yogins as disciples and are practising Yoga. ManyEuropeans and Americans are even now Hindus by faith and practice, though they are bo

supreme in India. It is the oldest of all living religions. This is not founded by any prophet. Buddhism, Christianity and Mohammedanism owe their origin to the prophets. Their dates are fixed. But no such date can be fixed for Hinduism. Hinduism

Related Documents:

Hinduism is an embodiment of a vast body of literature. M.N. Srinivas and A.M. Shah (1972) point out that the doctrines of Hinduism are not embodied in one sacred book, nor does Hinduism have a single historical founder, There is a vast body of sacred literature in Hinduism. These are the Vedas, Brahmanas, Upanisads,

HINDUISM Hinduism is the world’s oldest surviving religion, with most historians believing it has existed since prehistoric time. Hinduism is now a collection of practices belonging to several different religious groups that developed in ancient India. It is also an entire culture based on many customs and ideas about faith. BELIEFS

Hinduism is the third largest religion practised in the UK, yet this report finds that the teaching of Hinduism in mainstream UK schools is very limited, flawed and often ignored. This imbalance has led to an inaccurate portrayal of Hinduism and can result in feelings of negativity and ignorance when meeting

Hinduism Hinduism grew out of the ancient beliefs of the Aryans. Reading ConnectionHave you ever wondered why most people try to behave properly or do good deeds? As you read this section, find out how a Hindu would answer this question. Hinduism (HIHN doo IH zuhm) is one of the oldest religions in the world, and today it is the third .

May 30, 2011 · International Journal for the Study of Hinduism Volume 23 December 2011 ISSN 1016-5320 . Nidān International Journal for the Study of Hinduism Theme: Hinduism and Materiality 2011 December Durban, South Africa

Comparisons of Hinduism and Confucianism and philosophical systems including some underlying similarities in cementing a social hierarchy. Hinduism: Philosophy The Dharma Hinduism is following the Dharma (eternal way). dharma is a set of spiritual laws that are always true no matter how human societies develop. They are the soul of existance.

The Spread and Influence of Hinduism Unlike Christianity and Islam, Hinduism did not spread far beyond its land of origin. Although its values are universal in many ways, Hinduism is strongly linked to Indian culture. Nevertheless, through trade and migration, Hindu belief

Buddhism, Sikhism, and Krishnaism have their roots. The study of Hinduism, then, lays the foundation to understanding other eastern religions. Hinduism - An Evolving Religion Hinduism, like Judaism, is a religion named after a people rather than a particular founder or doctrine. Hinduism is a