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Hinduism Reader

The term Hindu allegedly derives from a mis-pronunciation of Sindhu by the Greeks when referring to the people dwelling to the East of the Sindhu river. Most modern religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Ba'hai, etc) are messianic religions. A prophet or offspring of God visits Earth and informs us of our duties to God in these religions. Hinduism is not revelation, it is realization. Hinduism is essentially the realization of the ancient seers about the self-evident truths of the Universe. Hinduism is a henotheistic faith. Henotheism is when one God takes many forms. Its conceivable to be an atheistic Hindu.

In this entry I'll explore some of the basic concepts of Hinduism.
disclosure: Rather than treat the subject matter independently I've interspersed my knowledge of Zen buddhism. This has the potential to confuse the reader.

4 goals in life
dharma: appropriate living
artha: pursuit of material gain by ethical means
kama: delight of senses
moksha: liberation from samsara

Hindu scriptures are broadly classified into Shruti (heard), Smriti(remembered) and nyaya (logic). Vedas are the oldest of the scriptures and they are classified under Shruti (as they were heard from seer's who've had spiritual experiences). The four vedas are Rig, Sama, Yajur and Atharva.

Misc other info:

Given that Hinduism is a way of life and most modern Hindu literature stresses the oneness of humanity and how all religions lead to the Brahman you'd think converting to Hinduism would be a simple step. Turns out, in order to become a Hindu you must perform the namakarna samskara (name giving ritual) whereby you are given your new Hindu name and you join your sect within Hinduism. Here is some more info, you'll find useful:

When seeking out a liturgist who will perform the name-giving rite, or namakarana samskara, it is necessary to approach a priest from within the sect that one wishes to enter (note: Smarta priests most likely will not give namakaranas). Bring with you to the ceremony an offering basket of incense, fruit, coconut, candy, loose flowers and a beautiful flower garland for Lord Ganesha. Dakshina, a love offering for the priest, is traditional in appreciation for his services in bringing you into the Sanatana Dharma sect of your choice. A generous dakshina, a sum of $900 or more is appropriate by 1995 standards in the US, depending upon the number of priests attending. It is estimated that such a Vedic ceremony will take one to two hours and require many more hours of strict preparations. The presiding priest would be given us$301 or more, his second helper $201 and other helpers $101. Traditionally, cash is wrapped in a betel leaf or its equivalent, and handed personally to the priests right after the ceremony. Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime happening, the cost of the giving should not be a consideration. Of course, when the rite is performed in a temple, the management should also be given $100 to $200 for the use of their facilities, which would be arranged in advance with the management and could be paid by check. In general, generosity is preferred to miserliness when it comes to rewarding our priests for these enormously important sacred ceremonies and passages. Such appreciation in the form of equitable payment ensures the gratitude and good feelings of the priests for the life ahead. If more than one family member is receiving the namakarana samskara, the amount paid to the priests and the temple would not necessarily be increased. This depends on the protocol of the particular temple. Any reception held afterwards would, of course, involve additional costs. You may elect to give gifts to the temple, such as a picture of your guru and his books and other publications, in thanks for the assistance and services

note: this is just one view point and view points diverge more often than they merge.

What do Hindu's believe in? Here is one view point:

Sri K. Navaratnam enumerates a set of basic beliefs held by Hindus:

A belief in the existence of God.
A belief in the existence of a soul separate from the body.
A belief in the existence of the finitizing principle known as avidya or maya.
A belief in the principle of matter--prakriti or maya.
A belief in the theory of karma and reincarnation.
A belief in the indispensable guidance of a guru to guide the spiritual aspirant towards God Realization.
A belief in moksha, or liberation, as the goal of human existence.
A belief in the indispensable necessity of temple worship...in religious life.
A belief in graded forms of religious practices, both internal and external, until one realizes God.
A belief in ahimsa as the greatest dharma or virtue.
A belief in mental and physical purity as indispensable factors for spiritual progress.

Gayathri Mantra: Om Bhur Bhuva Suvah Tat Savithur Varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat

We meditate on that most adorable, most desirable and most enchanting luster (effulgence) of our supreme Lord, who is our creator, inspirer and source of eternal Joy. May this light inspire and illumine our intellect (and dispel the darkness).

The stages of a man (male) according to Hinduism are:

1. Brahmacharya (celibate)
2. Grihastha (householder)
3. Vanaprastha (recluse)
4. Sanyasa (renunciation).

Importance of Sankaracharya
Sankaracharya holds a special place in Hindu philosophy. His interpretation of the Vedanta has contributed greatly to the corpus of exegesis available on the subject. Authors seem to find no bounds for their admiration for this apparent prodigy. He has is also considered an avatar in some circles. He estabilished five religious centers called mutts.

I have my own prejudices over Sankaracharya's real intentions. They are likely to be betrayed in the following paragraphs. Please keep this disclosure in mind during your journey. Sankaracharya is most renowned for his formulation of the advaita interpretation of the Vedas. The Brahman is generally accepted as nirguna (without gunas or attributes. Some people like to say without negative attributes. My belief is that nirguna refers to the ultimate truth that has no attributes (yes this is a specious argument)) or saguna (with attributes). Sankaracharya believed in the final status of Jnana (knowledge) as the ultimate state.

Brahma Satyam. Jagat Mithya. (Brahma is the truth. the universe is unreal). The vast majority of Hindus refer to this statement when they talk about how Maya (illusions) dominate the universe. My personal opinion using the sophisticated duck test (if it walks like a duck , quacks like a duck then it is a duck) is that Sankaracharya was referring to the same ultimate truth as Buddhism, where the self doesnt exist and the samsara (universe) is an illusion. There are some astounding disagreements on the time frame of Sankaracharya's existence. The generally acknowledged time frame appears to be 8th century A.D. (about 1100 years after Buddha). However Kamakoti.org claims to have unbroken lineage dating back to 486 B.C. which would put Adi Sankara 100 years after Buddha.

In anycase Adi Sankaracharya's paramaguru was apparently influenced greatly by a certain branch of Buddhism. Given the similarities and the actual pronounciations of the Sankaracharya I have a tough time coming to terms with the dichotomy of the different branches of Hinduism. While in the common case Hindu's regard Sankara greatly and accept his advaita, the concept of soul remains a central theme of Hinduism.

Adi Sankara's theory stresses the universality of the Brahman. To use an example (pg 231. Ten Commandments of Hinduism by V. Krishnamurthy) the Brahman is like a movie screen upon which the "reality" of our lives plays out. The screen is the ultimate reality. It exists but is not affected by our reality. Further we know not the true state until we have woken up from our "dream-reality". Sankara also uses the analogy of a rope mistaken for a snake because of poor lighting.

Everything is in me. Nothing is in me This phenomenon of Brahman not being visible but something else, the universe being visible is called Maya in the Upanishads and is exploited by Sankara to the hilt. Maya has two powers: one to hide the Brahman from you and the other to project a false thing. The declaration that this is what is happening clearly comes forth from the Lord himself in the ninth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. Everything that is perceptible is pervaded and permeated by Me, who is unmanifested; all the beings are estabilished in Me but not I in them; they are not in Me either, this is my divine Yoga. He remains unmanifested while what is visible is basically a permeation by him. While he remains unchanges, and imperceptible, the universe is what is perceptible. Everything visible is supported by Him as the only substratum, whereas He Himself is not supported by anything. He is his own support. The snake appears on the rope, the rope does not undergo any change, but the snake is supported by the rope (meaning, without the tope there is no snake). But in reality the snake was never there and so it is also true to say that the snake is not in the rope. To the question: Where is the snake? the answe is: it is in the rope. To the question, Is the snake there? the answer is: there is no snake, the snake was never in the rope. It is in this strain that the Lord gives out, almost in the same breath, what appears to be two contradictory statements. Everything is in me; and nothing is in me. This is the cosmic mystery of the Universe. It is and it is not - sad-asad-vilakshana

Upon reading this paragraph I was immediately reminded of a koan (Johu's dog from the Gateless Gate by Mu-mon (Ekai) - (excerpted from Zen Flesh, Zen bones))

A monk asked Joshu a Zen master: "Has a dog buddha-nature or not?" Joshu answered: "Mu"

Advaita Bhakti
All this brings up an obvious question. Given that advaita says that the atman and the brahman are the same how does one resolve the conflict that this philsophy with the rest of Hinduism which advocates dualism. There are three schools of thought in modern Hinduism:

1. Advaita - Adi Sankara's philosophy that we have discussed at length. Practised by Iyers and other Shaivites (followers of Shiva)
2. Vishitadvaita - Ramanuja's philosophy. Iyengar - Vaishnavite (followers of Vishnu)
3. Dvaita - Madhwa.

The author of the book (Ten Commandments of Hinduism) copped out of giving an answer to the question. He claims we're not equipped to understand the answer.

Sankara also says that Jnana (knowledge) alone will result in the achievement of Moksha. He however recommends the use of unattched work (Nishkama - karma) to help you achieve Moksha. This is pretty much what buddhism says. Knowledge alone will help you achieve Nirvana and mindfulness will help you get there.

Sankara does not ask you to throw away Works or Devotion. These wil drop off by themselves. The very consciousness that one is foing works is enough to make it obligatory on you to do the works. It is the same thing with Devotion. In the ultimate analysis devotion has to take you to that state when you are no more conscious of the difference between you and the worshipped. When this duality dissappears nothing more is desired. What remains is only the subject, the worshipper in whom has merged the objective world of duality.

Here are some more interesting parallels between Buddhism and Advaita.
Sankara says Brahmana-bhava (or being brahman) results in brahmana-ananda a blissful feeling. (akin to Satori / Nirvana?).

It does not come out of studies or scholarship. It does not come out of studies or scholarship. It is a state to be enjoyed internally, not by the external apparatus. It blosseons when one is no more alive to any worldly distraction or glamour. Just like waking up from a fream, you know when you are awake, not before. It is a divine perception of equanimity, that sprouts forth intuitively. When that experience crystallizes there is no more knowledge, no more ignorance, no perceiver, nothing perceived, no perception.

While I will not quote him here I recommend the reader read Zen Buddhism: Selected writings of D.T. Suzuki for a strikingly similar description of satori.

Prakriti - Cosmic Energy
Prakriti has three strands Satva, Rajas and Tamas.
Glossary
Samadhi: altered state where one becomes one with the Truth
Atman/Brahman: Reality, Absolute Consciousness
Avatar: When humanity loses its realization the Reality takes human form to lead us to the Truth again
Samsara: continuous cycle of birth and death
Moksha: liberation from Samsara
Jeevanmukti: One who has been liberated while embodied (i.e. like one who has experienced Nirvana)
videmukti: one who has achieved Nirvana on death becomes a videmukti and is freed from the cycle of re-birth

Sources
Int'l forum for NeoVedantins
Himalayan Academy
Indian Philosophy Page
Bhagavad Gita

To the reader: All factual errors in this entry are mine. While the text may carry the tone of confirmed factual evidence it is wholly not the case. The constant apologetic interjection of "I think", "it appears" and other mechanisms of informing the lack of unalloyed conviction are unappealing to the author. If you wish to contribute constructively and reform any questionable facts please use the comment forum. Your response will be absorbed and your contribution duly noted.