Cultural Awareness -- Hinduism

"Sanatana Dharma" (Everlasting Religion)
Hinduism is also known as "Sanatana Dharma" to Hindus. In Sanskrit, the original language of India, 'Sanatana' means Everlasting and 'Dharma', by a crude translation, means Religion. The Everlasting Religion, Hinduism was founded, exists and flourishes in India.

Hinduism is both a religion and a way of life. India gave to the world the original, oldest and most profound philosophy of life. The ancestors of present-day Indians explored the Truth behind our existence and gave several philosophies and theories to define the Truth. At the same time, they created a set of rules for "good living" on this earth.

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The philosophical concepts that Indians gave to mankind are eternal and constitute no religion by themselves. However, the rules for good or "Dharmic" living that they laid down constitute the Hindu religion.

Sanatana Dharma does not have a starting point in history, does not have a founder, and has no Church. The sages who shaped the Hindu religion merely reiterated the teachings of the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures (most of which is unwritten). The Vedas are believed to have no origin. In ancient India, the Vedas formed the educational system and broadly comprised all the different spheres of life, such as spiritual, scientific, medical and so on.

OM
The symbol OM signifies God Almighty. Om means "That which hath No Beginning or End". The chanting of Om and meditation on the symbol are believed to bring health, prosperity, and longevity to the spiritual aspirant.

Important Concepts and Misconceptions
God is Infinite: One God, Infinite Manifestations

The Vedas states that, "What is Whole - This is Whole - What has come out of the Whole is also Whole; When the Whole is taken out of the Whole, the Whole still remains Whole".

The essence of this verse is that the Infinite cannot be measured arithmetically - God is Infinite. The Infinite can be represented in Infinite ways and does manifest in infinite ways. He is everywhere, around us and within us. In fact, Hinduism takes the bold step of proclaiming that "we are God".

Hinduism is monotheistic (Believes in One God). Hinduism believes not only in One God, but also in His Infinite manifestations around us and within us perpetually. Realizing that it is impossible for mankind to visualize the Infinite, Hinduism presents many forms and visualizations to help Man identify God. However, this does not mean that Hinduism is polytheistic.

Hinduism attempts to gives form and shape to the unending processes of birth, existence and death, which seem to be continually taking place around us these "works" of the Infinite with the Hindu Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

"Brahma" creates

"Vishnu" sustains

"Shiva" destroys or consummates everything in the Universe

That the Supreme can be worshipped in any form is a concept unique to Hinduism. Such worship is truly a tribute to His greatness.

Not Idol Worship but a call to worship God in the form of idols
Hinduism does not promote idol worship. Hinduism urges man to transcend all physical aids to worship, in our spiritual progress. Realizing that it is impossible for the mortal human to visualize the Infinite and instead of sustaining false hopes of such achievements, the religion urges us to slowly and steadily continue this progress in pursuit of the Truth. For such steady progress, the religion asks the believer to start with physical aids such as temples and idols, and through practice and devotion, ultimately succeed in visualizing God without the aid of temples and idols.

It is a call to worship God in the form of idols. This is done to facilitate contemplation of the Infinite with our finite capabilities. For the quivering and unsteady mind, there should be a visible form or a symbol, the idol, so that it becomes a foundation for his adoration. Through the instrumentality of an idol, a devotee comprehends divinity.

The Caste System of the Hindus
The caste system is seen as a representation of an efficient human society. The four castes described in the scriptures are:

1. The Brahmins: Educational/knowledge-pursuit system

2. The Kshatriyas Military and defense system

3. The Vaishyas, and Economical and business system

4. The Shudras: Productive workforce

According to the Vedas, an efficient human society is based on the strength of its educational/knowledge-pursuit system (Brahmin), its military and defense system (Kshatriya), its economical and business system (Vaishya), and a strong, happy, productive workforce (Shudras).

The caste system has been more or less abolished since Indian independence and the distinctions are beginning to disappear, although not significantly.

The Importance of Devotion to God in Hinduism - Bhakti Yoga
Devotion to God is presented as one of the several ways to achieve "Moksha" or oneness with the Infinite. Such devotion can be towards any form of the Infinite.

Devotion in Hinduism
Devotion means submitting totally to God, discharging His obligations at His behest. Concentration on the Divine requires discipline and constant practice, consisting of constant retraction or withdrawal of the mind from worldly affairs. Those who are unable to achieve this through meditation are called to achieve oneness with God through service and action.

The Origin and Nature of Man:
The cycle of birth, death and rebirth: The Transmigration of the Soul
According to Hinduism, everything is conditioned by time. The process of creation (Srishti) and dissolution (Pralaya) of the Universe is a periodic cycle in which the entire Cosmos manifests at the time of creation and withdraws at the time of dissolution. The Infinite alone is beyond time – beginning-less and endless.

This endless cycle of births and rebirths that all "souls" experience is called "Transmigration". All souls are cursed to experience transmigration, except the Infinite, which is beyond creation or destruction. This Absolute Truth or Ultimate Reality does not perish even though all beings are subject to decay. This un-manifest being is spoken of as the Indestructible, the Supreme Being, God, Almighty. "Yogis" (those dedicated to lives of meditation) strive to become one with the Absolute Truth, and this oneness is called "Moksha". In other words, it is a state of mind where we are free from encumbrances, where we are indeed the One.

Karma
Man is the most superior form of life, but there are also billions of life forms which are far less superior to Man. Even among humans, there are widespread differences in the modes of human existence. Hinduism's answer to this question is the theory of "Karma".

Karma and rebirth are interrelated concepts in Indian philosophy. According to the theory of Karma, we are all part of a cycle of births and rebirths. This cycle has neither beginning nor end. We are simply experiencing the results of our own actions in our journey through this cycle. Each spoke in the cycle is a predecessor to the next spoke. When a cycle moves, all spokes move one after the other in a never-ending chain. Similarly, in the cycle of "Samsara", life forms are spokes that evolve from one experience to another and from one form to another according to their actions. Good actions cause good effects (Law of Cause and Effects), while bad actions cause bad effects. It is as simple as that.

Our actions bind us to this world, and such bondage-causing action is known as "Karma". The bondage refers to the confinement to this "samsara" just as spokes are confined to the wheel of the cycle. While good actions cause us to be reborn to experience the good effects, bad actions cause us to be reborn to undergo pain and suffering. "Yogis", however, are free of karmic actions and reactions, therefore not bound by the cycle of transmigration. Such a state of everlasting freedom from "samsara" is known as "Moksha".