The Essence of Hinduism Second EditionCHAPTER I Hinduism, an Encyclopaedia of Universal Principles If any religion in the world has been the least understood, that is the Hindu! religion,—not because it is inexplicable, not because it is irrational or illogical, but because it is so big.' It does not prescribe one set of dogmas or formulas for spiritual elevation but offers a code of universal principles with manifold deductions arrived at from different standpoints. It is like a huge banyan tree, with thousands of branches and twigs, so that even its followers have to be reminded that any one of the twigs or branches is not the tree. ‘The stem of this tree lies in the Vedas,' from which it sprang long before the dawn of human civilisation in many parts of the world? and the one sure index to find out whether any doctrine or ideology appertains to Hinduism is to inquire whether it acknowledges the authority of the Vedas or conforms to the essential principles as embodied in their philosophical part known as the Upanishads? or the Vedanta.‘ All the other scriptures of the Hindus derive their authority from the Vedas and must give way where they are inconsistent with the Vedas.° The Vedas or Upanishads are not the creation of any single man. Hinduism believes that God speaks through super-men and also that such Saviours are incarnations of God Himself, descending to humanity as occasion arises during days of the darkest gloom.® ‘And yet Hinduism does not acknowledge the finality or exclusiveness of the experience of one single Messiah or Prophet’ nor proclaim that anything other than the teachings of a particular man is heresy.* Truth is universal and the quest for truth is eternal; it can be reached in diverse ways and through diverse experiments. Sri Ramakrishna, the great seer of Bengal, used to say ‘of thought on the spiritual plane leads to God: “as many which embody the essence of Hinduism, thus, are plying themselves simultaneously,by words of mouth, generatio, tive synonym of the Vedas, aig, men, struggling in the quest of cannot but be varied. But thar etna Their authors are i of their origin is obscure, the ‘they have been handed over rld differ; and yet the verity of the ‘is remarkably demonstrated by lusions. These fundamentHINDUISM, AN ENCY¢ CLOPAEDIA OF UNIVERSAL paiNciPLes _ the erosion of ‘Time and repeated inroads of forei, .d that because they are universal. Together with thi finduism, we have to read the Bhagavad Geeta!? een apartay of Be the Vedanta’? and, i bed as ‘the divine commentary on and, in fact, represents ir of the Ve fedanta."? ‘presents the quintessence ‘These primary sources of Hinduism, it is worth reiterating, the tenets of any Church, but contain the highest realisations of god-men on in the form of Philosophy, Poetry, and Music of the highest order, combined in one. And that is why they not only inspire the millions on this sub-Continent who belong to the Hindu fold through the Ages, but have equally red those in other lands, ancient or modern,'* who have ever cared to direct themselves to matters above the common clay and beyond the reach of sense perception. Anybody who wants to have a glimpse into this vast ocean of Hindu spiritualism must, therefore, start with and always keep before his mind’s eye, the following peculiar features— L. Hinduism knows no distinction between philosophy and religion. In the West, religion and philosophy are separated from each other—the one being a matter of faith, while the other is addressed to the intellect. Christianity, for instance, professes to be a religion out-and-out. The Hindu Upanishads, on the other hand, are philosophy and religion blended in one, and this is possible ‘because both these terms bear, to a Hindu, a different meaning than it has to aWestemer. Religion, to a Hindu, does not mean a cult, but the ways and means for A the realisation of God" or the identification of oneself with the Creator Himself; religion is meaningless if it does not lead one to this sublime experience. On the other hand, while Philosophy, to a Westerner, "16 or ‘love of learning’, to a Hindu it means much more ics, The nearest Sanskrit equivalent of the word means ‘seeing’ and a philosopher is a person everything ign and aggressive dogmas!!— do not embody‘tHe ESSENCE OF HINDUISM gh which a man may, step by Step, ‘the transcendental sphere," t0 unite in short, is that in > mnt yourself become God-like, so that eventually, ‘hypocrisy, ‘I am that He's io vast, it is ancient, being the oldest living on in the world, which has earned for itself the ng.!? Nor shall it have an end, because, being 22 it has got a unique elasticity” ang circumstances without changing contradiction between these two features is apparent contradiction vanishes when one religion is not only a spiritual code ‘down a comprehensive code of ainment of its spiritual goal, to its antiquity, the social n must have become 3. But social rules ofHINDUISM, AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES 5 tolerance. It is because of this unlimited tolerance that some reformers, such as the Buddha or Mahabir, could revolt from the core of Hinduism and were yet never regarded as heretics, because they, too, were seekers of the Truth, which knows no monopoly or copyright, At the same time, even though Buddhism or Jainism springs out of Hinduism and retains the Hindu views of life and ways of higher speculation in many Tespects, it is not considered as a part of the Hindu religion because it does not acknowledge the authority of the Vedas which forms the foundation of Hinduism, On the other hand, Vaishnavism as interpreted by Sri Chaitanya or Ramanuja, is a part of Hinduism even though it does not admit of the caste system, because casteism, by birth, is not of the essence of Hinduism. In short, to discover what branch of religion can be regarded as part of Hinduism, the sure test is whether it embraces the essential principles of Hinduism as stated in the shads. Emphasis has been laid on different chapters of that encyclopaedia at different times owing to social, economic or even political exigencies, but that does not demonstrate that there is nothing which can be described as the “Hindu religion’. ___¥. The essential principles of Hinduism have taken their roots in the soil of this holy land so much so that the peasant in the field or the cowboy requires no scriptures to speak about the omnipresence of God or of God dwelling in the heart of every being; about the transience of worldly affairs; about the immortality of the soul and the continuity of life beyond death, or about the. and deaths and the escape therefrom being the objective of is in India that the highest of philosophy comes out of the te village bard,—the Bairagi or the Baul, and that is ‘universal in appeal, could be acceptable to one‘THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM @) Let us start with the very beginning, namely, the Hindu account of Genesis, which is prima facie scientific in its approach?” All that we see could not be and was not created in a day, with the iinea vicy aa turning of an inaugural switch,* nor could it be th Gentits, resultant of blind Forces. The Hindus could con of the scientific doctrine of evolution ages before Darwin or Herbert Spencer,” The process, according to Hinduism, too, is + Process of transformation or evolution of Matter and Life. The only difference Bits is that Hinduism could trace the fountain source of this unending flow of evolution beyond the point which the modern scientist has so far explored,—namely, an intelligent First ‘Cause, which sets at motion the process, and manifests, by stages, not only the Earth or the Solar system but Universes more than one,—material and ‘metaphysical, with the aid of Eternal Energy (Prakriti), which Science call Nature.” This evolution is unending and has not come to a half even today. ‘According to Hinduism it goes on through cycles of origin and decay, birth and ‘death, not only in the animal world but also in the life of the Universe itself?! ‘The constant origin, decay and transformation of matter is an axiom of modern Science.*? The gloss that Hinduism adds to this process is the ‘Soul’ (in place of the struggle for existence through destruction or elimination) as the propelling force and constant force’ in this world of change. It is the Universal Soul or _ cosmic consciousness which not only creates but enters into every particle of "the Creation in the form of the individual Soul, and then conceals itself in the If or core of each object or being, so created.*# __ There is nothing illogical or unscientific in this Hindu account of genesis, Bicol _ once it is acknowledged that something can never grow out of Nothing without a conscious propeller.** ea ’ without a ‘Maker’. Again, even the inanimate objects out of account of any theory of evolution which is cosmic, if on of the mountain into the ocean and vice versa. late is only because the Spirit or Life innate in it is . Hinduism visualises that Spirit which is involved in and This fusionHINDUISM, AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES 7 In truth, this process is not one of creation in the sense of manufacture or industrial production.*! It is an eternal process in cycles, never having a beginning nor end. The individual soul, as we shall see, is a participant of this Eternity, emerging out of the Infinite and ultimately merging into the Infinite.** In this magnificent and gigantic scheme, there is no room for despair, smallness or ego. A realisation of this golden thread leading to the Infinite at once lifts man into the stratosphere,—into the region of eternal bliss, far above the world of pettiness and squalor. (ii) This identity of the individual Soul with the Universal Soul is not merely at the beginning of Creation, but is also the Union with the goal of every individual’s career, according to . y is the goal Hinduism, It does not rest with the limited ambit of finite beings and objects but extends the message, more clearly and definitely than any other system of the world,—that one day ‘or other, whether in the present life or in a life hereafter, each one of us shall tbe united with the Infinite and also that our aim should be to make an all-out spiritual exercise so that we may hasten the process of our escape from the miseries of this finite existence. (iii) The other pillar of Hinduism, namely, the doctrine of Rebirth, is a logical offshoot of the Hindu theory of Creation, just explained. If the entire Universe be in a process of eed. constant evolution, growth and degeneration, all wet beings, including men, must have a similar part in eternal process. They are to be born and to die again and again until they by ‘spiritual elevation, merge into the source of the Creation.*® ‘will question that justice is a divine virtue and that there cannot the Will or order of God. To ordain eternal damnation’? to i's Grace may lift a man out of his fallen state; but why . who has not earned his right to such deliverance?ivi his separate existence and Ego which stand ee ce oot Pag ie aie he reaches that state of perfection, hhe reaches the level of the Creator Himself,** so that the need for pardoning the sinner no longer arises. Secondly, instead of condemning a man to his present lot or stupefying him to a life of inaction, Hinduism offers a message Of hope for the worst offender and the worst sufferer, namely, that he, too, can be sure of reaching the desideratum by his own efforts, in this very life of misery and despair.” Is this then, a doctrine of defeatism or escapism, or g ‘doctrine of valiance which teaches man how to set at naught the cramping realities of his environments, by dispelling his ignorance and resorting to right action? . : __ fiv) The very quest for God, according to the Hindu scriptures, is thus Mi founded on universal principles. It needs no argument The quest for God to demonstrate that man is not happy with the Heras § limitations of his physical existence, its shortness and sufferings, and the transience even of its objects of enjoyment. Even the -grossest materialist would therefore agree with the ancient Rishi— “It is not the finite but the Infinite _ Which is capable of delivering The maximum of happiness and bliss.” ; ; —Chandogya Upanishad (VII, xxiii, 1) € quest of man is directed towards the repository of unlimited virtues which appeal to the human being, such as nowledge and so on. Everything that is mundane is short and ‘Tepository of the maximum must, therefore, be found in the y re. It cannot be a relative object, which can be compared ‘evident, at once, that the Hindu concept ‘conscious source of creation, which weHINDUISM, AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES 9 He is within the Individual himself,—separated only by the screen of ignorance and the feeling of insignificance of the Individual, God is not merely an object of worship and prayer; God is the ideal and ultimate goal of human life. The Individual is, by ceaseless effort, to remove his ignorance and all smallness in thought and desire, to realise his partnership in Eternity and his ultimate identity with his Creator. He is to become God-like.** Whatever controversy may exist as between the different schools of Hinduism, there is a consensus on the point that realisation of God, the Infinite, is not possible unless and until the Individual himself is deified or expanded to infinity. The realisation of God, thus, is a process of self-unfolding, ennoblement and self-perfection. There is nothing of ‘sectarianism in this message of Hinduism that to realise God, you must deify ‘yourself, ascend to a divine life,—attain the likeness of God.** Hindu spiritualism, jn other words, is not a sojourn to meet the absolute Sovereign in Heaven, after the game of life is over,—to receive His awards. It is a process of manifestation _of God who is already within ourselves and that must happen in this very life,°* __ provided, of course, the earnestness is there to soar above to the divine level, cutting off the moorings of the body to the dust. Such a man would be an exception to the rule which the Bible enunciates as a universal proposition— | “For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”** "Hinduism, in short, does not condemn a man as an object of sin; rs to him the supremely encouraging message,—that God is already within that his deliverance lies through discovering his real Self which is God, by his individual effort for elevation and abstraction from paradox of Hinduism that it envisages the Earth as ° of the Creator Himself, and yet exhorts its ‘objects and pli asures. This paradox will, however, Hindu theory of Creation, namely, that the 1 who has Himself entered into every re). According to us, as pointed out“Human life is prized because jt j orld, for the Deaetrenis fet career, according to Hinduism, ‘of acts of piety done while alive, buy ous struggle for perfection, until he ig in his own self.” ation is sometimes criticised by people hs as an exclusionary or selfish aspect criticism, however, overlooks the of the Upanishads ang dwells within every being, so ig the best homage to God ig fit to be elevated to the ‘Supreme Reality.” The but also the welfareHINDUISM, AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES I “phe saints, Whose sins are destroyed, whose doubts dispelled, ‘Whose minds are disciplined, and Who are engaged in doing good to all beings, ‘They attain union with God."*" VIL. A fundamental reason for the absence of any rigid formula or creed in ere is the basic assumption that religion is A matter for personal realisation through transcendental ‘personal realisation experience, Communion with the Supreme Being ‘and supersensual cannot be achieved by adherence to fixed dogmas experience. which may not be suitable to everybody. Nor is it a for speculation or abstract reasoning. It is to be attained by perception and supersensual experience, of which anybody is ‘Way #0 many Paths. capable, provided he undergoes a schooling in purity \d perfection, ipaivicually. It matters little to which school he belongs, his . Here comes another essential feature of Hinduism, which is apt to \ mislead people of other Faiths, namely, that the prescriptions of our Scriptures for the attainment of the spiritual goal are graded, according to the receptivity (adhikar) of each individual. The equality of all men is an assumption necessary for the establishment of the political equality of ‘one man, in the spiritual sphere. If everybody is not fit 1s or metaphysics, how can each individual be assumed n ital experience in the same manner and at the caused by environments, Hinduism ascribes‘one of the firmest convictions rtal” and that though we are {0 our ignorance of that origin ang igi , one day or other, we shal sh the time required to reach that y. Hinduism prescribes different f because the stage which ‘same; but the assurance ofHINDUISM, AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES B JI. Itis not the message of a single Prophet or Messiah, but consists of in universal principles, arrived at by the process of meditation and verified i reasoning, by numerous Sages over millenniums before Christ (pp. 1-2, amit God and Man are not separate entities. 1 is God who, through the process of evolution, creates the Universe and all beings and objects, and then ia in the core of every man as of other creatures. JV. Man has become separate from his Creator because of his ignorance real Self. The object of Hinduism is to discover the process by which reunited with God, by realising his real Self or the divinity that himself.”° ‘The goal of human life is to attain liberation (moksha) from the of births and deaths, which bring in other miseries as well. VI. This can happen only if the individual can be merged in his Creator ‘no birth or death, but exists for ever, without any origin or decay, and voir of all joy, happiness and bliss (p. 8, ante). to achieve union or merger with his Creator, nothing short e deification or perfection of the individual will suffice (p. 9, s down diverse paths (to suit the receptivity of each individual) reach this optimum of perfection, and these are narrated ters of this book, Hinduism (as will be elaborated in the differentPeople who inhabited the tert, vendants of those people who Profes, of the Vedic religion, because x Ms of the Hindu scriptures as wei) 7" adem ees. Christan have an mayHINDUISM, AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF UNIVERSAL, PRINCIPLES ce ieaahleed mn ate eee —— it embodies the synthesis Bhasve sophy s ine: i oe mouth of Lord Krishna (the incamation of God) onal ee ‘who wavered in discharging his duties as a warrior in the cause of righteousness. 13. A.complementary literature, which is usually mentioned as the thid somes af jam, is the Vedanta Sutra (otherwise called Vyasa Sutra, Brahma Sutra) of Badarayana fr vasa. These attempt to synthesise the philosophy of the Upanishads in the forg ot statements which simulate geometrical axioms, — though in the scriptures, the foundation of Hinduism is said to be threefold, the Geeta and the Vedanta Sutra, in the ultimate analysis, the source is eee paaiely the Vedanea, The resnon is that wit the Vedanta alone represents experience, both the Geeta and the Vedanta Sutras are commentaries on the Se compiled by a named author,—Vyasa, aan though any conflict between the Vedanta and these high commentaries is ‘gato be imagined, even the Geeta, being the work of a named author, must give way fo the Vedanta, the revealed knowledge, in case of any irreconcilable controversy _gising because of any deficiency in language or of any change in the text through the 15 #2 a. Ex. (@) Schopenhauer—"In the whole world, there is no study so beneficial ‘and so elevating as that of the Vedanta. It has been the solace of my life, and it will ce of my death.” [Sacred Books of the East, Introduction, p. Ixvi, quoted ‘Muller, Collected Works, p. 254]. Max Muller—"Vedanta is the most sublime of all philosophies, and the most forting of all religions.” [What India Teaches, p. 253]. )) Paul Duessen—“The oldest interpretation of Nature and therefore the first sophy of a is its religion, and for the origin and essence of religion there ‘world more instructive than the Rig Veda.” [Outlines of Indian Curtis (1907), p. 7. appearance of Vedanta in the West as a living religion, and not inevitable just because the religious heredity of the West has pot of cosmology in which it had been growing for two nta for Modern Man (Allen & Unwin, 1952), p. Iff.). us ‘constrained to bend the knee and to see in this the land of the highest philosophy.” [Works of Victor Dee ' , Teligion is only a part of life, there are things -and secular. To the Hindu, his whole life was religion.ywardly,—from sense-objects tg a sys of intellectual exercise ® ie idealism of Reason, as is n with the abundant light : in the full flood of heave tobe B enlingusbed.” Undian Langua, ly Be, to) India for instructions— rks of Voltaire (Black,18 ‘THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM Sri Aurobindo, The Life is the condition of His integral attainment” Diving pp. 34, 37, 41). 46. Geeta (VIII. 16). (30.12, 15-16, 25, $7; 50.20-21, 26, 34-35; 9.113); Matt 2) 47. Cf, Koran (XXV. 31-46; XVI. 27); Dan. (x ). 6); Geeta (XVIII. 5. 54); Mu, (IL, ii (IV. iv, 7); Ka, (I. 4, 14); Mukti. (IL, 38); Geeta (i. 71-72), {Tho (like Wilkins, Modern Hinduism, 1887, p. 141) who hold that the Hindu doctrin, o karma breeds fatalism are farthest from the truth, Fatalism means that you ay of improve upon your preordained lot by any means. Hinduism, on the other hand, proclant that your future is the result of your own actions: ‘as you sow, $0 you reap’ (Cy 4 Kav. 1), A man's good deeds will thus lead him to greater and greater perfection, in it wad in future births, until he becomes the very best and becomes merged into this Sublime, Instead of goading a man to inaction and surrender to destiny, it lends o > fay of hope to the worst of sinners that by his good deeds (without attachment to ae id his path to Salvation. Paul Deussen does not fail to realise 1 ee 49. Bi ‘objects), he may buil 9). This basic feature distinguishes Hinduism from Christianity, as c: ‘explained better than the following words of Paul Deussen [Foreword to eae ‘Upanishads, Vol. I, pp. xiii-xiv: we dia..that the God who alone effects whatever is good in us, is g diferent from, and juxtaposed to, us but that He is. Rertbaa prejudie ; in 1 contrast to our own corrupt empirical ‘I’, our own permanent, self coduring a sberations of human naar; He is our Atman... We the Upanishads, if we wish to bring our Christian consciousnessHINDUISM, AN ENCY: 5 ‘CLOPAEDIA OF UNIVERSAL PRINCI Li IPLES 19 . i .g. Kena, I, 5 wind scriptures [e.g. Ker ] that impels a Chy kins, Modern Hinduism (1887), p. 418) ristian writer t of ‘ (wil Beaten yieps ns p4 i8 1 hi i 10 conclude his work pelieveth on the Son has everlasting life’. The eer more than this; * gee asting life’, The assuranc an this; ‘He that forgiveness of sin, an the certain hope of blessedni ince that the Christian h: ‘ve words the Christian can offer to Renin in heaven, is one of Nog aio. Sv. (IL. 5): ea 7}, Much misunderstanding regarding the offi fact that owing to historical east, thie cio, te Preceptor has been caused But priesthood is not of the erence of tas ‘was turned into a hereditary Beeile is individual, so also the merit and quali Pe eee fete in the uphill journey towards divinity is spit iy person to become the torch- and which exists in a24 ‘THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM ending, Is this not consistent with the scientific theo ay its conservation? The motion towards creation for a new cycle took place when ‘The Impersonal (conscious, not sentient) Spirit came to will tha his Brahman takes the would create the worlds,2” by projecting itself et role of a personal the implementation of this will, the Spirit turnea For Te for purposes of into. a personal God (Iswara) and with the ian creation. the latent cosmic Energy (prakriti;? Fubbodae k of $s maya), which was so long iying at rest within the Universal Spirit nown created the entire Universe, through a process of gradual evolut Mselt, cesformation of matter, which has been Peis edt the outset. The Univer’ is thus created not out of qothing’, but out of the Absolute Reality i niverse the same manner as a spider makes its web by spreading itself,** and aise in Universe with all its objects and beings is pervaded’ by that Spirit. h e entire and process of creation, the impersonal Creator has to take a ce My the act pecause iti only as the personal Supreme Being that he Bee cneraatn veces have to be conferred on the different objects and beings so aoa webring to Hinduism, is thus both within and without.—pervadin: ated, Goa, ding, the creation.”® This explains what is meant by saying that ag transcen. ws It ora mm, is both the efficient and the material cause of the es I always be remembered that the impersonal Brahi ot 1 Iswara are not separate entities. Out of the formless Bi ya and the Creator, and yet Brahman remains as full pangs emerges "identity of the two roles may perhaps be explai red ey Brahman exists all the while, both Be ena as God at rest and - and also after the A. rem ee, oa outside the creation man again. It is the One who is the ulti ppeeriecnlisward reaches Him, in whatever form it i imate refuge of beings ‘the receptacle of infinite joy i is offered. 8, ante). To attribute the Dats axe of the basic postulates to create to this infinite and at ‘the creation to be a projection or manifestation of creation is thus non- of eternal energy and ¢ may at once raise is—why should there be so oat pervaded eee all-joyous Creator? The t's pleasure patie after creating the Universe eee ei Pes nal . It is owing to that vel his Creator*! and acquires E20 sorrow and suffering, caused e existence as soon as he| GOD EXISTS 25 Analogous is the problem of Bvil in a world created by the Immaculate. That problem is also solved by the Hindu theory of Creation. It has been pointed out earlier that after the creation of each being, the Creator, by the exercise of His maya, conceals Himself in the inner core of each such being, so that He cannot be discovered or realised by a being so long as he does not perfect himself to the maximum point when only he can acquire the vision of seeing the Divine within himself." This sojourn from imperfection to perfection is the story of the Universe, which is consistent with the scientific theory of development in Nature which believes in progress and improvement. The Evil is not created by a Satan“ at the dawn of Creation; the Satan has been created by ourselves, Though each individual is a spark of the Divine, the Creator has also endowed him with the sense organs and Ego, for launching into an individual career of good and evil, consequent upon the working of this ‘equipment. That individual career of pain and pleasure, good and evil, comes to an end only when the individual learns to forget Relation between the his infinitely smaller self and realises his identity aaeee ‘self. with the Universal Self, which is not tainted with any virtue or sin.” It is the delusive feeling that “I * which is the root of all evil; and, as we shall see, one of the in the spiritual sojourn to perfection is the elimination of this __ The Universe is a variegated marble mosaic composed of numerous slabs of different shapes and hues, the utility and fitness of each of which could be only if we could comprehend the entire plan, which is beyond the __ difference between which becomes obliterated to one when he realises the Unity in Diversity (Chapter 1).26 ‘THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM gifted with such transcendental vision, saw God, as we see physic a aioe i M see physical objects “T have seen the Almighty Effulgent as the Sun, Behind this veil of darkness; Knowing Him alone Death can be overcome; There is no other path to Immortality.” —Svetasvatara Upanishad (II, 8), ‘Testimony is essential in this realm beyond the senses, beyond the intellect and beyond all reason, Christianity is founded on the testimony of one person, Fesus Christ, who declared that God exists. So says the Gospel of St. John G, 18)— sa¥o man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the ‘bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” Hinduism relies on the testimony, not ‘of one man, but of numerous men, that they have seen God, in their "in different ages, and, curiously, they say vision and experience. "Ibis because of such transcendental vision that only the other day, Sri Ramakrishna of Dakshineswar, @ suburb of Calcutta, introduced the sceptic Narendranath, to God, in the form of the Mother of the Universe, and the introduction was so realistic that the modern-educated was transformed into a Swami Vivekananda, who later with his realisation. mean that the existence of God is a matter of speculation. at realisation of the Divine is demonstrable and it prescribes h which each one of us can reach that destination, But si > sary for that purpose: (a) The availability ‘God, like Christ who could proclaim ‘The disciple must have withdrawn his d them inwardly to visualise the Supreme ‘The processes of the course adopted must tion is reached.** e of seeing our Creator once we areGOD EXISTS 27 by the time he reaches that level, his questionings about the existence of God will ipso facto disappear, The only proof, therefore, available to an ordinary mortal about the existence of God is the testimony of the Seers, not merely the almost legendary Rishis but historical figures like Sankaracharya, Chaitanya, or Ramakrishna. Apart from an ultimate goal of individual salvation, there are certain practical and immediate utilities of this hypothesis of God, The consciousness ‘of good and evil, virtue and vice are innate in human nature and that distinguishes ‘man, as a class, from other animals. Apart from the advocates of gross materialistic hedonism like the lone Charvaka in India, there is a consensus of opinion in ‘the world that the progress of human civilisation is towards the evolution of a better conduct of life and the development of a moral order which alone can ‘establish peace amongst human beings warring to further their self-interest. It is true that the greatest atheistic religions like Buddhism and Jainism be _ hold that such moral elevation of man is possible as an abstraction, without the aid of any concept of God; but there is no denying the fact that the simple task of keeping men on the right direction becomes rudder in the‘THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM si But it is open to a human being to start in the of all nectar,®® and to immortalise himself in the real sense ‘the Eternal Spirit which never decays™ and gives life ang ‘nor fear of Death can strike such a person ‘from the Upanishads the conclusion that the world was full of miseries and that, accordingly, the aim of human | fife should be to find out a way of escape from these miseries. But he exaggerated the aspect of worldly was no God to draw a silver lining to the darkes, ‘The truth, according to the Upanishads, is tha, is also a potential source of joy in this earth | realisation that God, the supreme reservoir of i ‘dwelling in this Earth of His creation” to Bi is a rigorous abstraction — beginning of his spiritual by a consciousness of theGOD EXISTS 29 perfection,”® because it speaks of love of fellow-beings,” renunciation and Imumility 4s step sowards the goal, but there is no other means of salvation than faith in Christ as the Saviour." Those who have no faith in him or do not obey his gospel must suffer in eternal flaming fire.*! Let us now gather up what distinguishes Hinduism from Christianity inasmuch as both are agreed on the existence of God. We have just seen that, according, to Hinduism, God is both personal and impersonal. Christianity regards God as a living person" and does not bother to explore anything behind this God in the shape of a superman, who created man in ‘his ‘own image’.®* He is the Creator of the Universe," who lives in Heaven,** and jis thus invisible.*® As the ‘heavenly Father’, God rewards the humble and the ‘good and the righteous.®” He is also the redeemer or saviour’ of man from his eae ee ae sea or atria Were arose Ry ee i - But believers in Jesus Christ? will eventually be liberated eatin ins yf he30 ‘THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM These are the beliefs which have made Religion the mainspring of life of a Hindu from his birth (o the last moment of his breath. The wor, ‘religion’, to a Hindu, has a meaning deeper than mere adherence to the (ety of a Church. It is the means of sustenance of every moment of his life and ey, . while drawing his breath, he imagines taking the name of God, and the soln aim of his life is to reach his Creator by an unceasing effort to elevate himsely to reach that height,” or, in other words, to unfold the infinite potentiay) which is already within himself, " NOTES AND REFERENCES 1, Pra. (1, 3); Sv. (l, 1); Kena. (1, 1); Ka. (1, 1, 20). 2. Neither Buddhism nor Jainism believes that the universe has been created but ‘accepts it as it is, governed by a law of constant change; both devote themselves more to the remedy for the evils of the world than to their origin. Though Buddha, at places ‘spoke of an unborn and unoriginated something (Udhana, VIII, 3; Dharmapada, WV, 2, ‘as contrasted with the changing world, he never elaborated the relation between the ‘unbom and the world and never affirmed the Upanishadic doctrine that we came from God and unto Him we have to return. Supreme Bliss and deliverance from worldly ‘suffering, according to him, is not to be attained by reunion with God, but by attaining rue Wisdom, through perfection, because, according to him, all suffering is due to g ‘which brings in a chain of forces, leading unto birth, death and other sufferings, The Upanishads go behind this Ignorance and attribute it to the Maya of the Creator, es in Rebirth and the law of Karma—two central beliefs of Hinduism — man must strive to escape from this Wheel of Existence, by acquiring g but a state of enlightenment and peace; but there is no place jidual self with the universal Self as the means enlightenment and perpetual peace. (1962), pp. 1-2. 1 was practically a lone figure, and his revolt met with a ‘the later philosophies like that of Kapila do not attribute the ‘Universe to Brahma, but it should never be forgotten that na Dharma, is a matter of transcendental experience; 3d the spiritual problem from the point of view of intellectual , accordingly, failed to replace the Vedanta, and 1 who have more interest in intellectual exercisesGOD EXISTS 31 status of a Sudra (Manu, II, 168), Conversely, there is no class discri matter of acquisition of knowledge of Brahman, and if a low-born is initiated in this pa, = is to be treated as a Brahmana (Mahanirvana Tantra, TI, 146, 151; Bh. VII, XI, 35). The neuter derivative ‘Brahma’ is also to be distinguished from the masculine derivative “Brahma’, Both are derived from the word ‘Brahman’; but while the former refers to the impersonal supreme Spirit, which is the first cause or the ultimate Reality, the masculine "Brahma’ refers to the personal form which the supreme Spirit assumes fot the purpose of creation (Amarkosha), This evolution or manifestation of the Universal Soul for the purpose of creation will presently be explained. 6. Sy. (l, 2-3), 7. Also Br, (Il, iv, 5); Sv. (1, 12); Geeta (XV, 15). 8. That is why an astronaut, even after exploring the astral regions which were hitherto unknown to mankind, hastens to the Church to offer his homage to that Almighty who has brought him back to his near and dear ones, after performing a near impossible feat. This explains, more than anything else, that the realms of Science and Religion ‘are separate; while Science caters to the material welfare of man, religion alone can ive him mental peace [vide Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Idea, Vol. 1, p. 404; Sorrand Russell, Impact of Science on Society, p. 77; Millikan, An Autobiography (Out of My Years, p. 26, Conclusion)]. In the memorable words of Einstein— sience without religion is lame, religion without science is blind”. seeks to achieve its object by exploring Nature; Religion seeks to by controlling Nature. The world of research of a scientist is external; because the field of research for the scientist is physicalyy 32 ‘THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM a, tei concise account of this evolution is to be found in Taittiriya Upanishay 21. It must be mentioned that different schools of Hindu Philosophy off of evolution which differ because they approach the problem from different stand But in the present discourse, I shall take the basic account on which there ig ¢ pi agreement. ee 22. It is patently wrong to say (Monk, Exploring Religious Meanin, .B ¢ 1980, p. 336)) that “because Hindus stress the union of an individual's soul a ot, ‘world-soul, they are less concemed, with concepts of rime and history’. Just the cont is the testimony of Huxley, Monier Williams, Parrinder and others which hay pe” ‘quoted at p. 17, fn, 28, ante. In the words of Monier Williams {Hinduism and Brahman p. Ui: “The Hindus were evolutionists many centuries before the doctrine of €VOlution had been accepted by the scientists of our time...” TA comparative study of the Hindu theory of Evolution is to be found j Abhedananda, India and Her People, 8th ed., 1968, pp. 15ff., 100ff.). ~! 23. Assuming that the Universe was created as the result of a cosmic explo ‘science has so far failed to explain how or by whom was created the first particle o who caused the i ‘sts, failing to discover the answer from matter, have to fall back on the Hindu ‘of evolution, namely, that all that exists is the manifestation in differen, - forms of one ultimate Reality or Consciousness [Schrodinger, What is Life, pp. 90.9); Sapra, The Tao of Physics, pp. 25, 51, 130-31, 211, 300, 305]. Pe 1); Ka. G,, iii, 15; Ul, ii, 13); Br. AV, v, 13); Kai. (6); Ya. (26). 1); Pai. (1). (W, 3); Geeta (VIM, 18-19).GOD EXISTS 33 . Mund. (Ill, i, 1-2); Sv, (1, 6-7). . Ka. (IV, 1); Ma. (1, 16); Mund. (II, 1, 2). . Ch. (VIL, i, 1); Mai. (Il, 1); Mund, (II, ii, 9); Nar. (X, 7). . Cf. 1 Cor. (Il, 16-17; VI, 19-20). . Mund. (I, ii, 12-13); Geeta (IV, 34). . Cf. John (10.30). . Ka. (IV, 1). . Sy. (IV, 20); Ka. (1, iii, 14; Ul, i, 1, 14); Mund. (7, i, 8). . Ka. (Il, iii, 14), . Rg. (I, 10, 6; VII, 11, 98); Geeta (IX, 18), . Ka. (1, ii, 18); Mund. (1, i, 6). |. Cf. Matt, (XIX, As ot neeCHAPTER III God is All-Pervading The second axiom of Hinduism is that God is omnipresent and aj pervading, as declared in the very first verse of the Ishopanishad:! . “God covers all that moves In the Universe”." Even the Karma-Kanda of the Vedas, which eae, advocates the worship of the different manifestation, Berea Tea bat of God, does not confine Him either in a distant pervades the Universe. Heaven or in any shrine. He is omnipresent ang _ immanent in all that exists in the Universe.” This all-pervasiveness might apparently seem to be inconsistent with the concept of a personal God which Chapter II might suggest. But the two concepts are not, in fact, inconsistent with each other. It will be demonstrated before % that the two concepts are complementary and, in fact, the one is the on of the other. The ultimate Reality, which has been referred to as the - at the outset,’ is a Universal Spirit which assumes the form of a creation is intended. The Hindu theory of Genesis is thus akin n what it is elsewhere. ersal spirit or Soul (Brahman) which manifests itself in the __ form of diverse objects and beings which we see as entities (owing to our ignorance). Once this ‘ of this big Universe will merge into one s concept of Unity in Diversity is thus another primary s all sublime thought towards rit which manifests itself in the of countless stellar systems—GOD IS ALL-PERVADING 35 might seem strange that the same religion, which postulates freedom from bondage to earthly life as the goal of a spiritual career Coroltaries fromthe and prescribes renunciation of selfish desires and the God: I, Sweetness of elimination of ego as its primary conditions, could all that exists. yet preach the sweetness of this Earth and our mortal existence. This sweetness, however, is not a feeling on the sensual plane or the experience of a reveller in the garden of pleasure; it is the feeling of a man who cannot see anything but sweetness all around because his vision has been coloured by the conviction that all that exists is the manifestation of God who is the reservoir of unlimited joy.'° “Supreme Bliss is the attribute of Brahman; From that Bliss all beings originate ‘And are sustained after birth by that Bliss; They move towards and in the end merge in that Bliss.” —Taittiriya Upanishad (I, vi, 1). Not only the beings but the Earth seat A is sweet because it is the manifestation of that source of all sweetness.' “Whatever exists is the manifestation Of the Blissful and the Immortal.” —Mundaka Upanishad (II, ii, 7). ‘Whoever realises this becomes a co-sharer of that supreme joy and bliss.’ ___ If this mortal life is sweet, it is not for its own sake to a Hindu, but bec ives him an opportunity to feel the touches of the Creator of all also to prepare for a higher life beyond, which leads him unto eRe derisive of the visible ‘shadowy things. On the other hand, human life is regarded tn ge agapam dete tm that, to Immortality and ee = itiae36 nothing short or momentary in the Infinite. On the other hand, since ¢ pervades every particle of His creation (as we have already seen), and dye! at the core of every being, my Real Self cannot be this body of disease, qe,” and death, but the Universal Soul which is imperishable and the embodime, of unending Joy. Since this Real Self is concealed within the cage of my boy" owing to my own ignorance, the goal of Hinduism is to discover that Univerg, Soul behind this veil of ignorance. Once this is realised, the conception » ‘mine and thine’, which is at the root of most miseries, will disappear." Jonger any hankering for building tp a personal empire. Even the family mo would then consider his wife and children, not as his possession, but ax the media of his service to the Universal Soul who is manifested before him 4. parent, wife, child or friend. Conversely, one who embraces Sanyas or the Pay, ‘of Renunciation does not do so out of disdain for the material world, bur ¢, ‘a more exclusive dedication to the service towards God's creation." as ve shall see, hereafter, domestic life and renunciation are not alternatives, competing prescriptions addressed to one and all; they are prescribes cumulatively, for human beings at different stages of their spiritual uplift, aad graded (generally speaking) according to age. But the vision before the ming’, eye of a housewife and an ascetic, according to Hinduism, is the same, namely - the existence of one Universal Soul covering all (as the Ishopanishad, quotes putset of this Chapter, says). It is because of our ignorance that we ger Je to the Truth that “the kingdom of heaven is within"? ourselves and Jal ious all the while that the puppets, unconscious wi master plays puppets. chamber of each one of our hearts.”! uism, in fine, is to realise the presence of the Immoral of perennial bliss and joy—for, as soon as that is remain any misery, any fear.? \NCE is another corollary (pp. 4-5, ante) thatGOD IS ALL-PERVADING 37 Critics of Hinduism forget that religious tolerance, which is essential for world peace, can be ensured only if the followers of each religion believe in the fundamental oneness of all religions—as the Hindus do—, and not by preaching the exclusiveness of each, or the superiority of any particular race of religion.” ci 4 as it embodies the We are not unmindful of the fact that every religion, a noblest thoughts of supermen, must contain kindly words towards followers of other Faiths. But the foundation-stone of most of them, which believe in an exclusive Faith®® and a single Messiah, remains that that Faith is the exclusive property of God's ‘chosen people'** and that that Messiah is His ‘only begotten Son’.2” so that those who do not abide in him, will be cast as a ‘withered’ branch and be ‘burned’.”* If “God is love’,?? and He be our ‘Father in Heaven’ how can He love only a particular race or the followers of a particular Faith and condemn others simply because they have chosen to love Him in a different way? As the Geeta teaches,*! the Creator has no bias or prejudice either in favour of or against any class or group amongst His children; if anybody is to be rewarded for his love for God, it is the intensity of that love, and not its form, nor the caste or sex ‘of the devotee, which can bring him nearer to God. That intensity measures his progress towards perfection and divinity; it is not due to any differentiation of the love of God towards any of His children. If God is the embodiment of the Ideal, He cannot but be equal and impartial. As stated earlier, there is no favoured race, no privileged class or individuals, according to Hinduism. In the words of God Himself— “Impartial and equal am I to all beings None do I despise nor love more than any other.” —The Geeta (IX, 29). Hinduism does not condemn to eternal perdition those who do not come within its fold nor profess to save them from such damnation with the aid of ‘the only key to the Gate of Heaven.”* Hardly has any other religion professed a wider catholicity in such matters as those form the very core of a religion, siya ‘on the simple logic that it is the same God who is worshipped by An orthodox devotee of Hinduism like Shri Ramakrishna demonstrated the universality of religion by himself practising the courses prescribed by different religions, including Christianity and Islam, and proclaiming to the ‘World that it was possible to reach the same God by different courses, provided ‘only you faithfully adhere to the essential principles of the course you adopt. Itis not by the profession of particular dogmas but by a sincere pursuit of the Sublime, whatever be the method, that you can reach your spiritual destination.>? - It is this belief which has enabled India to welcome and absorb into her ‘own land Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, and Jainism and to sive shelter to refugees belonging to other Faiths like the Parsees, the Israelites the Tibetans. For the same reason, we adore Buddha and Christ as ‘or incarnations of God” even though they Sb as seb ieigsis the third corollary that follow, -all-pervasiveness of the Creator. If Gog ‘His entire creation and rests within every in-every object, there cannot be any clash Mind another, and one who has this insigh ee hb TadGOD IS ALL-PERVADING 39 This is more emphatic, curiously, in the Bhagavata (Puran) which further extols the worship of God as a Person. There it is stated”? that image worship or the like is only a preliminary stage, which becomes unnecessary when the devotee comes to realise the presence of that God in all beings, as in himself, and dedicates himself to their service as the worship of God, without which conviction, offerings before an image would be a fruitless endeavour, ‘The very first verse of the Ishopanishad (referred to at p. 34, ante), which is addressed to every individual, enjoins him to think of others before enjoying any material object himself," because what one thinks to be his does not really belong to him, but is pervaded and given by God who has created all beings together with the objects of enjoyment.*! ‘The Geeta emphasises this to the extent of declaring that he who prepares food only for himself consumes vice;"? on the other hand, if he takes what is left after feeding others, he is feeding from all sins.*? Similarly, the Bhagavata™* condemns accumulation of property and concentration of wealt “A person has right to property to the extent that it is necessary for his maintenance; ‘one who desires for more deserves punishment like a thi Af th generation of Hindus had cared to remember this basic social service, there would not have been any need i because Hinduism places the philosophy of pedestal than what was meant by Plato by the ‘is mine’ Hindu spirituality. As has been pointed apter I, pp. 10-11, ante), the du is not merely personal 's creation, in its entirety,career, It has (Brahman) during lifetime ig theGOD IS ALL-PERVADING 41 2. Rg. (1, 22, 17; VIII, 98, 4; X, 32, 2; 153, 5 5 ot 0 Surat kn 5); Yaj. (XXXIL, 4); Geeta (VI, 31; Pp. 2iff., ante, Geeta (IX, 8). Geeta (IX, 43). Cf. 1 John (V, 7). Geeta (IX, 17); Mark. Chandee (XI, 3; IV, 29), Rg. (1, 1, 9 10, 6; 11, 2; VIM, 98, 11; X, 7, 3). Geeta (IX, 18); Mark, Chandee (XI, 12). (Cf. Psalms (46, 1)—“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble"; Deut, (33, 27); Psalms (23, 4; 62, 6; 68. 5]. 10. Tai, (IML, vi, 1); Mund. (Hl, ii, 7). (Cf. Psalms (24, 1); 1 Cor. (10, 26)). 11, Br. (iy, 1). 12. Tai, (Ul, vii, 2), Br. (IV, iv, 6); Nr (UNV, 3); Ka. (UL, iii, 18); Sv. (II, 14-15); Mund. (IL, ii, Ka. (L ii, ©). ‘Thus observes Eliade (Yoga, Immortality and Freedom, 1958, p. 10)—“India rejects the profane cosmos, because it thirsts for a sacred world and scared mode of Be-errr 16. True Christianity cannot say otherwise, as St. John explained (I John, 15— 17)}—"Do not set your heart on the godless world or anything in it. Anyone who loves the world is a stranger to the Father’s love....And that world is passing away with all its allurements, but he who does God’s will stands for evermore.” 17. CE. Job (14, 1). 18. Geeta (VIII, 15). 19. Geeta (V, 25). 20. This observation of St. Luke (17, 21), it should be remembered, is historically to the repeated teachings in this behalf of the Hindu Upanishads, the Geeta | the Puranas which are anterior to the Bible. 2 (5, 6). = Christianity among the Rlsos ofthe Mol pp. 17ff. enough to appreciate42 ‘THB ESSENCE OF HINDUISM 26. 1 Timothy (IM, 15); Isiah (XL 21-22). 27. John (Ill, 16, 36; XIV, 6). 28. Psalms (149, 7)—“To execute vengeance upon the heathen...’ To quote 5 John (Ill, 36)—"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believer Hhot the Son shall mot see life; but the wrath of God abiderh on him"; II Thess. (1.8.9) 4 “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them...that obey not the gospel of our Lord jes, ‘Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction. us, ‘As for idolaters, the Bible prescribes “the lake which burneth with fire” [Rey (XXI, 8). ‘This intolerance, having its roots in the Bible itself, took an extreme and vioy, form in the Church of Rome which would extirpate even Protestants of other sects of sr heretical, Here is an extract from the oath which every Jesuit or pries ‘of the Church of Rome has to take even today [55 Truth, pp. 646-47), _ = "Lnow in the presence of Almighty God,..do by the womb of the virgin, the Of God, and the rod of Jesus Christ, declare and swear that his Holiness, the is Christ's Vice-regent, and is the true and only head of the Catholic or Univers throughout the earth; and that by the virtue of the keys of binding and looring ito his Holiness by my Savior, Jesus Christ, he hath power to depose heretics) 6 commonwealths and governments, all being illegal without ju ‘confirmation, and that they may be safely destroyed. 4 "1 do further declare, that I will help and assist and advise all or any of his “oe shall be, and do my utmost to extirpate the doctrines and to destroy all their pretended powers, e and declare, that I will, when opportunity presents, make and etly or openly against all heretics, Protestants and Liberals as te and exterminate them from the face of the whole earth, , age nor condition, and that I will hang, waste, boil infamous heretics; rip up the stomachs and wombs ’ heads against the wall, in order to annihilate openly, I will secretly use the Poison cup, the inard, or the leaden bullet, regardless of the ; whatsoever may be their conditionGOD IS ALL-PERVADING 43 salvation of my parents, Has any loftier ideal even be on the earth? 29. 1 John (IV. 8, 16). 30. I John (V. 7). 31. Geeta (IX, 29-30)—"Impartial and equal am 1 to all beings. None do I despise nor love more than any others”. (Cf, Psalms (7, 12)—-"God is a righteous Judge..."]. 32. This does not mean that it matters little to a Hindu whether he gets converted, formally ot informally, into another religion, as some misguided people amongst the Hindus themselves have construed Ramakrishna’s immemorable saying (p. 1, ante)— “as many views, so many are the paths"—to mean, It does not mean that a Hindu must give up his Faith in order to attain the Truth, It only means that a Hindu must not have hatred or intolerance for other Faiths, like those who regard their own religion (say, ‘Christianity or Islam) as the only means of salvation and all others as heresies which deserve eternal perdition and hell-fire. The ultra-catholic amongst moder Hindus (who go to the length of demonstrating their liberality by eating cakes on the X'mas day or by placing the image of the Goddess of Learning in a structure simulating a church or a mosque) cite the example of Ramakrishna himself in that he practised the tenets of other religions as well. But they forget that even after practising the paths prescribed by other religions, he returned to the Hindu fold, to worship Mother Kalli (the abominable ‘naked woman in the eyes of non-Hindus) until the very last moment of his life [Isherwood in Vedanta for the Western World, 1963, pp. 23, 25, 26]. ‘It is possible for an Avatar like Ramakrishna, who has reached the summit of ‘realisation according to the teachings of his own religion, who can afford to make an experiment of diving into other religions. That would be an act of insanity for the ‘common man, for, life is short, and would “en conceived by any other religion‘THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM Fa 48. Geeta (III, 24), 49, Deussen, The Philosophy of the Upanishads (1906, P. $0, Deussen, Sixty Upanishads (1). p. xiii 3 tis a pity that this lofty ideal, expressed in the words ‘Samah sarvesu bh, ya western scholar as ‘indifferent to all beings’ [Parrinder, Upanisit lads, . 49). Bible, p. 98}. St would equally be an injustice to Christianity to say that i always speak ‘S Of i ‘of God being ‘in Heaven’. Se answer to the query ‘when the Kingdom of God should come’, s + St nr of God is within you” [Like (17.21), he does note: sree, and there is always in the back of such bservition st Shove the earth {ibid., 2, 14}, in a realm where man may oat ‘or nets of piety Libid., 16, 22-25], such as charity to ted Ta. 22, 25), See also 1 Con, 15, 24ff; Becles. (5, 2). Poor various acts of piety conducive to the welfare Mnitiate oneself in the cult of renunciation but urges the elo. ‘0 realise God within himself he must be absolute! ene and reac 8 tage of perfection whichis divine yin ‘concept of heaven and hell in the Karma kanda but they are not held out as the goal of human life, oh Be Nodes may be rewarded for his acts of piety but even the heavenly sie ® {Geeta, Il, 43], He will be born again as soon as the measu ot s consumed or spent up {Mund. I, 2, 9, Geeta, IX, 20-21 "The goal and, isthe redemption fom tifgoudending cycle of bisths aaa cee si he alien of > Divinity and by deifyi nae ML, 3, 14-15; Kau. . 4; Mund. Ill, 2, 5-9; ae 24.25, Vill, 16): that is the essence of Hinduism (see he soaimed is, according to Hinduism, not an act of pomple? and ego; not an act of piety, whichCHAPTER IV Formless, Yet Manifested in Endless Forms If God is omnipresent and all-pervading, it must follow that He has no particular form or shape.' He is the same everywhere and at all times. “He is below and above; He is at your back and in front; ‘He is in the south as in the north; That is all this.” —Chandogya Upanishad (VIL, xxv, 1). that the infinite is formless” and devoid of any tangible qualities* efore, be reached by our senses which are capable of ‘only gross concepts and objects.’ is, He is not like anything we know of. ‘ hk aaeoeee ‘an ephemeral world.”46 ‘THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM So does the One Self, Dwelling in the inmost hearts Of all beings Assume different external Forms in different bodies.” Katha Upanishad (I, ii, 19, ‘0 ‘This rebuts the criticism that Hinduism ranks with heathenism Hinduism does not worshipping the forces of Nature, such as the § worship the Sun or the Moon, Fire, Water, Wind "Te is in no we atrat a weaiters unreasonable or superstitious to say that the One bis = a has created everything has manifested Himself j tation of the Creator, endtjess shapes of His diverse creations," nor oa the different attributes of the Creator as so manifested because though that One jis not visible his reflections are.'? The external manifestations of magnitude are used as an aid to the comprehension of the Invisible and Indescribable One according to the varying capabilities of the persons who have taken upon ‘themselves the almost impossible task of comprehending the formless Spirit. j, ig not that the Sun is God or the Moon is God; on the contrary, each one of ‘them is a page of the Creator, carrying out its respective errand as commanded ‘We look at the pages only to have access to their Master. a uurther criticism that the Hindus worship a legion of Deities overlooks tween a Deity and God! running through the entire mass of Veda, which speaks of the adoration of Agni (Fire), Surya 1) and the like, unequivocally declares: Him by many names...”.!° ka Upanishad, where Yajnavalkya is giving an only In whatever name or form the it the Deity of Deities,"*'* whoFORMLESS, YET MANIFESTED IN ENDLESS FORMS. a pranded 1949 Bonn Constitution for West Germany speaks of the responsibility of the makers of the Constitution to God a A greater pity is that those who describe themselves to be Hindus should jack the knowledge and understanding which a trenchant universal critic like Bernard Shaw did not lack: “The apparent multiplication of gods is bewildering at the first glance, but you soon discover that they are all the same God. There is always one uttermost God, who personification. This makes Hinduism the most tolerant religion in the world, decause its one transcedant God includes all possible Gods.” The critics in the Constituent Assembly failed to realise what even a Mustim like Abul Fazl, the author of the Ain-i-Akbari, had no difficulty to proclaim to his Islamic brethren who branded the Hindus as polytheists and jdolators. Abul Fazi told them: “The Hindus worship only one God, At any religious function, the Hindus utter the dominion of one God and to Him they direct the offerings of every religious ritual ‘or observance whatever be its form. It is only fools who call the Hindus as idolators on |e ground that they offer their devotion through some image built of stone or wood.” q Since the human mind, because of its inherent limits, is incapable of fully | fing the Absolute and Infinite, each worshipper can only have a ‘partial conception embodied in those qualities of the Creator which appeal to ‘his mental attainments and experience. This is why different forms with different ‘guributes have been resorted to by worshippers belonging to different Schools of the Hindu religion (just as other forms have been conceived of by the followers of other religions) as a means of concentrating their minds on the ‘Ultimate Reality.” "Similarly unjustifiable is the charge that Hinduism is guilty of idolatry by f worshipping different human forms in the name of God. Never have the Upanishads preached that the _ Ultimate Reality is a human being or a monster having a thousand heads or hands. If the Creator can be ‘or mouths, those must be the heads or mouths of all ‘created,? comprised in the entire Universe. , no hands or feet, eyes or ears,”* tte e yes, heads or mouths of all.8 {THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM “Man is made ‘in the image of God’, Whether this phrase implied the belief th God had a body of not is not certain, but the likeness of man to God is stressed," ‘The truth is that our concepts and beliefs cannot but be related to oy, ‘knowledge and experience and, to comprehend the Unknown, we must necessary proceed from the known, To resort to a human image, with the attributes a divinity, is not, therefore, heresy, but proceeds from the very Biblical concep, of the hierarchy of God-angel-man The form of the object of worship, therefore, is immaterial. It is only ay aid to train up the mind in the discipline of co entration 0 that it may nd the abstract, formless Spirit pervading the Universe, If it is not idolatry to call God our Universal ‘Father’, as the Bible does ' Gia ee ‘a thousand times,?*”? how can it be idolatry if the Father, worshipper gives a shape to the Universal Father be according to his notions, so that he may be reminded ‘of the Creator more closely and constantly?°° This may not be required as soon ‘as he realises that the Creator is within himself already. The resort to the p "as a means to the realisation of the Impersonal represents only two ‘stages in one’s spiritual career according to Hinduism. The hypothesis onship with the Creator and love for Him on the basis of that relationship ‘stand in the way of discovery of the divinity of one’s own soul and ne identity of that soul with the Universal Soul, but disciplines the mind for 31 ‘This is the foundation of the cult of Bhakti or Love of branches of Hinduism. Christianity, indeed, reflects this cult ‘of ‘our Father in Heaven’; enjoins man to seek ‘The ‘(Matt. VI. 33), which is in “The highest heaven’ (Luke, I ‘ceasing’ (Thess. V. 17), but has eventually to conclude— within You’ (Luke, XVII. 21). f relationship with the Universal Father cannot be ed as idolatry, no less unjustifiable it would mn that branch of Hinduism which extends ip to the Universal Mother as well. g the image of a woman do not know -as an object of enjoyment but as the m t to be found in the human n mother but everybody's mother as also answers the accusation to thePORMLESS, YET MANIFESTED IN ENDLESS PORMS: a seclusion for them, contrary to the Vedic ideal of equality, that was because there was NO other alternative to protect them from the sinister eyes of people to whom the conversion of a ‘heretic’, the spoliation of his women, and the desecration of his shrines, appealed as acts of piety. In an impartial estimate of any religion—not Hinduism alone—, it should never be forgotten that while religion embodies an Piace a ideal, social practices and relations are the reflections Christian of the contemporary historical, social and even political = background. The confusion between the two standards would disappear as soon as we dive into the essence of the religion in question ‘Tais only can explain the attitude of the Bible towards woman. Though God Himself created both man and woman, woman was made out of a rib from His earlier creation—man;** it is only of man that it is said that he was created by God ‘in his own image’ and if man has miseries Biblical view. that is only because he is (since his Fall) ‘born of a woman’.*® who is inherently and perpetually wicked because of her initial sin, gs a temptress, in the Garden of Eden, so that a virtuous amongst women is hard to find.*” The climax is in these words—“All wickedness is but little to the wickedness of a woman”.** Having caused the fall of man she is a sinner ‘ab initio and must, therefore, expiate eternally®® for that sin by way of being subjected to man as an inferior being. ‘Byen otherwise, the concept of equality is incompatible with the Biblical image of woman as a chattel for the pleasure of man—“man was not created for woman's sake, but woman for the sake of man”,*° so that he might, ‘cleave ‘unto hhis wife’ as ‘one flesh’.*! She was, therefore, to “submit” to her husband “gs unto the Lord”,*? for “the husband is the head of the wife,** even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body”.“* ee are religions which do not permit women even to join men in re zation. Though Christianity does not go so far, there are indices that a woman must cover her head, while man should not, a woman must not speak while in Church (there being no against man), and, if a wife wants to learn anything at learn from her ‘husband at home’.*° and subjection is so much manifest throughout h oe ey Sheena has been constrained ogee: Church, even more than in the Christian52 THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM. does not place God outside the Universe as “our Father who art in Hi - eave, but attributes His presence throughout the Universe and amidst what ” has created. God is not ‘separated’ ”* but is always with us, according to Hinds He ‘duisn, The Tantras, which advocate the worship of Deities in dif rent ¢ themselves explain the object as well as the limitations of such worshi™ Mahanirvan Tantra, for instance, starts with Brahman,” the formle ”. Me only object of spiritual aspiration.” The entire Chapter Il of this ‘tar bs devoted to practical instructions on the realisation of this Absolute ya. theditation, The manifestation of that Brahman in different forms is dene tth in Chapter IV, where it is stated that though Brahman is formless, the Ean by means of which it originates, sustains and destroys the Universe, manite® itself in different forms, for the purpose of protecting the good ty Against the ey i and for the purposes of its worshippers."! While the realisation of unity with God within each of us is the hy : : ithe and ultimate stage of the spiritual sojourn, thie." K nn nd , this ig carl within an easy reach of the common folk, for it reqs” to reach that goal, an austere control of the sense organs and exclus,.. ‘viz., the realisation concentration of mind. Hinduism, however, is na ‘the formless callous to the spiritual requirements of those wa, have not attained such high degree of mental disciplin. For those who are unable to draw their senses inwards from the material worl ‘and to imbibe the abstract concept of the Universal Spirit, Hinduism prescribe, ‘the worship of objective symbols of that very Universal Spirit. It never say, hi at symbol is God. The symbol represents some attribute of God, of e worshipper has acquired previous knowledge and which is akin to equipment. Even in the Vedas, the Creator has sometimes been Universal Father, in the sense of the origin of the Universe. t of this very concept is the symbol of the Universal Mother we have been brought to this Earth and are being sustained life. rs the stone or clay figure as identified with God. The image assists the uninitiated to focus his mind on the Universal Spirit, by representing some of the of perfection in the symbol, which appeals devotee.** The image, in short, is in the nature com nd an abstruse concept. The image is d after duly invoking the Universal ip; just like trying to remember one’s deceased ‘or portrait." The processes which have 0 t ‘also aim at transporting the dive \self so that, after this is achieved, permanent arrangemet! alae he image before him *FORMLESS, YET MANIFESTED IN ENDLESS FORMS 53 a mere spectator at a tableau or dramatic show, He has to chant the name of God all the time and to realise the concept or attribute which is embodied in the particular symbol, by shutting his eyes, nay, all his sense organs. His training in meditation and abstraction thus begins, Image worship is therefore step in the training t0 withdraw the senses from inferior objects and, at the same time, a step which ultimately leads to the communion of the individual Soul with the Universal Soul, at the stage where the worshipper forgets his existence and, in a trance, identifies himself with the Universal Father ‘ot Mother whom he has invoked by his worship. To know the Sublime within ourselves is to become identified with the Being Himself, No warmer message of hope was perhaps ever extended to suffering humanity: “Anyone who knows ‘That Supreme Brahman Becomes Brahman Himself.” —Mundaka Upanishad (II, ii, 9). ‘This is perhaps the only religion in the world, under which a preceptor ‘ventures to tell his disciple: “That (the Ultimate Reality) thou art.”°** And ‘when the disciple comes to realise this fully, he feels bold to proclaim—“I am ‘that Brahman”. For the realisation of the Ultimate Reality, which according to is the goal of human life, one need not travel to external objects. The Knowledge leads him to the discovery of that Reality within himself. ‘so, a critic might question the need for rituals or any worship of a any form. The answer, which has been given in other contexts also, \duism does not prescribe any exclusive formula for salvation; different been suggested keeping in view the different mental and spiritual ‘different individuals. It is obvious that the discovery of the inner degree of intellectual attainment, and even for those who h that asset, it is not any easy task to pursue the abstract, of any form or symbol.*’ At the same time, astounding as it any, at the highest stage of the aspirants’ ascension, there is no m1 but even for worship, because once the worshipper ion of his physical existence and Ego and comes to | as identified with the Universal Self, and , whom shall he worship any longer?** | solution of our problems, no54 ‘THE ESSENCE OF HINDUISM 3 this all-embracing religion if it is remembered that whatever be Worship adopted by a particular member of the Hindu ‘family’, then’ £m religion is a quest for the Infinite"? and an endeavour to be nec of 4! Infinite through diverse means of developing and projecting into Sublimity, by deifying himself (see pp. 9, 14, ante), ited wirh His finite ex, Neg NOTES AND REFERENCES . Isa, (8); Mund. (I, i, 6; I, i, 2); Tai. (1, vii, 1); Kai (1, 6). Ch. (IM, xiv, 2). 5); Sv. (VI, 11). , 15). . 6), (III, 9, 26). of ‘nirvikalpa samadhi’ (transcendental meditation). Ka, ¢ 9-10, 12); Sv. (IV, 1; VI, 12). ML i, 1) luality of the Supreme Being is explained in the Geet: v. (IV, 1). 2 XY, 16-19) (1, 3-5)—“through him all things come to be; no single thin, him. All that came to be was alive with his life.” Psalms (xix®"® are the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwo.> , iii, 3); Tai. (II, viii, 1); Br. (UU, viii, 9). ze the Bible, it is to be noted, describes the Creator as ‘the God of gouy ), who makes the Sun and the Moon rule by day and by night (Psa, g a wami Vivekananda, Complete Works, Vol. 1, pp. 347 et seq. 164, 46; X, 82-83; Atharva XIII, 4-14-21. ; Sv. (I, 2). iv, 6). the Geeta, which conveys the message of personal God, is never exclusive ‘that any religion, and form of worship, will reach the One who is absolute (Geeta IV, 11; VII, 21-22). 439-441 of these Constitutions, see Author’s Select Constitutions of the : sez 8 i iz It to explain this apparent ‘mysticism’ than in the language of the Western World (Unwin, 1975), p. 16]— because it is fundamentally monistic, has no difficulty in believing B may have an infinite number of personal aspects. AS are worshippers... These aspects are represented in Indian art, with such a wealth of form and attribute that the Westem ; mentality is dualistic, is apt to mistake them for gods and ‘to éxplain indignantly that this is polytheism..’ SB: Mena, (i, 6; raproduced in the Gost XI Bible, p. 53. 15.9, 10; Matt—5.46; 6.2, 5, 8, 9. 18:PORMLESS, YET MANIFESTED IN ENDLESS FORMS 55 jvine families, but because fatherhood is the noblest of human status” (Parrinder, Gpanishads, Geeta and the Bible, 1962, p. $5), What, then is the wrong if a Hindu says that he worships the Creator as the Universal Mother because ‘motherhood is the noblest ’ status’? (For a balanced view on this point, see Sydney Cave, Hinduism or Christianity (1939), pp. 42, 49). 29. Personality is also attributed by the Bible to G ! by saying that God made gman ‘in his own image’ (Gen., 1, 26-27) and ‘breathed into his nostrils the breath of tife’ (/bid., T, a very concept of Christ as the ‘son of God’ (John 3, 16) attributes to worship of Jesus, Mary and of other saints only shows that Christians are . The Hindus, too, worship images of Rama, Krishna and other incarnations human form (because of their deeds for the redemption of mankind). If this js not idolatry, —to rise one step further and to conceive of an image of the Supreme ing according to those attributes which appeal most to the particular devotee and him in achieving concentration and meditation of that Supreme be condemned as ‘idolatry’. . 23. purity of motherhood, not womanhood, which is worshipped in the56 ‘THE BSSENCE OF HINDUISM means ‘viraha’ which is used in verse 149, It does not mean that woman mu mr a vr tut that she should not live separate from the family nue 1. Br, I, iv, 3; Shatapatha Brahmana (V.2, 1,10). 66. Manu (IX, 101). — _— (IX, 45), 1. (X, 85.26, 46; VINLS1, 5-6); Atharva (XIV.2, 15); Macdonnell & Ke; Vedic Index, pp. 455-56. 7 145); Yajnavalka Samhita (1, 34-35) 72. Mark. Chandee (V, 71-73). 3. By i. i, 1); Br CL, 9% 9). BESS 2RieRz It may even be a sound-symbol, e.g., Om; but the object in all cases of symboj “worship is the same, namely, to suggest the Universal Spirit which can hardly be com. prohended by a beginner without some aid (Vivekananda, Bhakti-yoga, pp. 68 et seq) "$4. Christian theologians have made too much of this ‘image worship’ of the If no image is necessary to comprehend the incomprehensible, why shoulg "be described as ‘the image of the invisible God’ [Col. (1, 15); Heb. (1, 3)]? The ‘given is that “no one has seen God; but God's only Son, he who is nearest to ‘heart, he had made him known” (John I, 18); “Christ is the exact likeness “God” (Col. 1.15: the Oxford version of this Epistle is more explicit—“He ze of the invisible God”); “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” |. And that is why we find images of Jesus and Mary in every Church, ‘innumerable shrines and statues of saints and apostles (Ellwood, Faiths (1987), p. 251]. If that is not idolatry, why should it be so ‘of Shiva or Durga in temples as a means of remembering ‘the universal Father or Mother? An image of Shiva does not n an image of Jesus or Mary does. ‘does not rest with representing Christ as the ‘Son’ of er’s will’ (Matt. VII.21; XIV.6) but ends in identifying it the complete being of the Godhead dwells embodied” X.9); “Christ himself is the Creator” (Col. 1.16; ‘Be still, and know that I to Hinduism, not Christ alone, but all of st has actually raised himself to the level otentially divine (this will be explained fully ourn is towards realisation of that divinity in d my Father are one”. Just as the image of es an image of the Invisible serve as anCHAPTER V Immortality and Divinity of the Soul The greatest solace that man could have from religion is an assurance that amidst this world of change and decay, his Real Self survives for ever, though his body must inevitably perish. Hinduism not only holds out this assurance,! but something more, namely, that every So arwigrdigkone man is potentially divine because his Real Self is a ee uetatty reflection of and identical with the Universal Soul. = The spiritual sojourn of man, as will be explained in this chapter, is one of discovery and manifestation of that potential divinity or sublimity.? Though to the common man his existence is identified with his body, a moment’s reflection will reveal that the Real Self of a man is not his hand or feet or eyes, for, there are human beings who have Jost or have been born without any of these organs or all of them and are yet known as human beings. The Real Self of man is, therefore, something other than the body or its organs; it is a spirit lying within the body, and that spirit, ‘being a reflection of the Universal Spirit,” is immortal and indestructible though ‘dwelling within a mortal body.* ‘The reason is obvious—Matter decays but not Spirit ‘Much has been made of the Hindu theory of Rebirth,° without realising ; that it is an inseparable part of the ennobling doctrine Rectiecet Rebicth. of immortality of the Soul. As to the mortality of the body, there is no difference, and there cannot be any, as between the different of religion in the world. The difference arises on the question—What the decay of this body of flesh and blood? One thing is, however, een all systems that go by the name of religion,—that the mortal short, low and imperfect and that the aim and business of religion this inferior being to a superior plane.’ How, then, does one attain existence? The answer, according to Hinduism, is very simple— yourself to the standard of the Maximum,* until you become the Creator Himself who embodies the Maximum," in which case, ns of your mortal existence can no longer stand in the way of your ‘unlimited bliss. ae 458 THE RSSENCE OF HINDUISM . | uncleanliness, mere washings may take a long time before you can be prep, ain by g are for receiving any lesson at all, The higher the stage you ‘of your lower cravings and inclinations," the nearer you ec your journey to the City of God, And, if you are in the right path will be a step forward'' towards your destination, for “Your life beyond death will be shaped by your efforts whi Chhandogya Upar etting rig This progression of the S by the fact that there are persons who display prodigiot whether material or spiritual, at a very young age—a 5: his Commentary on the Vedanta at the age of 12; a Goethe who becam,. master of seventeen languages at 10; a Mozart who could demonstrate music, ‘and a Colburn who could demonstrate mathematical, marvels in their tec, Such prodigies cannot be explained by the theory of heredity because parents of such prodigies or of god-men like Christ, Buddha or Ramakrish,. id not possess divine or intellectual qualities of such high order as couig y. transmitted by sheer biological reproduction. ‘The truth is that equality at birth is not the order of nature. This wy, ‘perceived by the Hindus long before Aristotle propounded it. It is often forgot, ‘that the doctrine of equality of men is a slogan intended to achieve politica, ‘equality, such as “one man, one vote” or legal equality, such as “equality of 4 ore the law”. It is often overlooked that the doctrine of equality 2, d in the bed-rock of that doctrine—the French Declaration of the from discrimination by the body politic, as enumerated in Articles ming after Article 1 which says—“Men are born and remain free and respect of rights”. All this has nothing to do with the natural inequality birth, whether in the matter of intellect, virtue or spiritual attainments sion. Even the children of the same parents are not on the same The Hindus attribute this initial inequality to the deeds of rel s births. It is not a blind faith or Fatalism, but a lem which cannot be explained by any other will pursue this sojourn after a man is dead? iswer of the Hindu is—the Real Self or the lies within the body. That, being the Spirit, cays. It assumes newer forms through newer bodies! to attain perfection in this earthly ssary because it has reached its goal." been and research throughout the world. is shifting of the Soul from one at the Western world has come a Man—the highest stage Rishis asserted’” at the |IMMORTALITY AND DIVINITY OF THE SOUL 9 very dawn of civilisation that it is after numerous births'® that the lowest creature attains the human form as a result of ceaseless Hindu arcane & effort for a better life. This process of evolution, a ia Send according to Hinduism, starts even earlier, i.e., from aan modern inanimate existence.'"!? One thing is clear: if the theory of Evolution, Ape and the Man are different entities, there is no sense in saying that the Ape has been transformed into a Man by biological evolution. Only the other day, the scientific world came to acknowledge that there is life even in a plant. It is only one step further to assert that though the body is decomposed, the Spirit which dwells within it does not decay but enters into different bodies which are constantly created and recreated by the process of biological evolution and the composition ‘and decomposition of matter by different forces of Nature.”° The evolution of ‘man, thus, is not and cannot be out of tune with the evolution in the cosmic ‘order, and this is the foundation of the Hindu doctrine of Rebirth; the propeller behind this biological evolution is the individual Soul, just as it is the Universal Soul in the Universal order. ‘Shorn of details, the process in which the Spirit which discards one body at death takes up another body”! is as follows: ‘Though the Spirit leaves the physical body, it retains the mind.”* Even at the moment of death, the mind works according to the incentives and desires ‘which the man had cherished during his lifetime, and these desires propel the Spirit to be born amidst the very surroundings which he had desired at the moment of his previous death.”* The desires cherished in one life up to the ‘moment of death, thus, drag us through repeated births and deaths.*> The of all desires is, therefore, the basic requirement for getting freed ling cycle of births and deaths,”° and for attaining Salvation”” bondage**—which is the goal of every individual.” all the desires dwelling in one’s heart are rooted out, | becomes immortal and realises Brahman in this very body.” —Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (IV, iv, 7). , not be wholly correct to say that only the desires death. All the work done by the man, material and x ; of such doings prior to death—all follow e next birth.?? fruits of one’s deeds, good and bad, are in future lives.° This is the much- en misunderstood by60 Zp HSsENCE OF HINDUISM y As to the other part of the criticism, the truth is just the contrary, 1, ; Dste Hina demning the low and the poor, the docty°%4 ju doctrine of econ : POOF, the doctring KGAne Ghd rebirth. Karma holds out an unfailing ray of light tory! | future, A hapless man’s existing miseries ; ir | , been due to his misdeeds;"2 but he is capable of improving his lot By gee conduct in the present life,*? irrespective of his birth amongst environme? which are beyond his control, The spiritual career of man is not neces." dependent on his financial status, More often, it is just the reverse," ang 43,1 history,>> not merely legends, abounds in examples of numerous saint had risen from the lower strata of society.?° ‘On the other hand, to say that a man is born only once and that his after death, has to rest in sleep till the Domeg, SNS Kala. to receive the awards for his actions in th; id ‘ does not, according to Hinduism, answer the pr, Jogically. It is reasonable to think that the awards will vary according to y nature of one’s deeds. But why should men be born with unequal gifts le ‘environments so that the poor will be led into crimes by sheer poveny nd while alive and suffer eternal hell-fire or “ever-lasting punishmeny- hereafter as a penalty therefor? To infer that it is God who has created 1 inequality at the birth so as to confer His blessings upon the privileged fey 1 to serve His damnation for those who were not favoured at their star 5, Himself, would be an imputation of partiality and injustice to the Creaty ‘Himself. Nor would it be fair for the Supreme Arbiter if He gives no chance r betterment to an erring man while even human justice provides fo, Hind S Who soul, days 8 life, ‘oblen, ang imputes the initial inequality to the deeds of each individual jn his former births. As stated earlier, human life “according to the Hindus, is a continuous stream of ____ progression from one physical form to another, so fs that the shape that one takes at his present birth is the result of his own acts at a previous stage of his , existence.” This is not ‘fatalism’, as many would Tt does not mean that everything is predestined so fruitless. Far from leaving the matter to fate ot your present lot to yourself; far from encouraging you cannot escape the fruits of your own acts, without an effect. The Hindu doctrine of not superstitious but founded on the law afford to encourage irresponsibility who has performed ten pious acts, ‘may be tempted to grab another's of his wrong-doing migh!IMMoI r" MORTALITY AND DIVINITY OF THE sou the fallen so that he can improve his lot solely by what he himself does today, irrespective of his birth or environments which are beyond his control. His misfortune, whatever be its nature or extent, is not because God has forsaken him or because God is not impartial, but because he f already within himself and that he is, with all his { means of extricating himself from this misfortune only to restore his vision so that he may see,"! but that may require hundreds of births because the attraction of worldly trifles clouds his vision constantly and it requires ceaseless efforts to pierce through them. He is not condemned because he may have an inferior existence in the present life commensurate with his past deeds; he has infinite potentiality to elevate himself by his deeds in this life, and to reach divinity by successive rebirths if it is not possible to achieve that in one birth. In short, the final trophy, according to Hinduism, is not and cannot be awarded on the results of the first round. Nor is there an eternal damnation for anybody or an El Dorado for the chosen few.’ Everybody is on the march to Divinity and is sure to reach that goal, one day or the other. What time will be required to reach that destination will depend upon himself,** and he must thank himself if he is lagging behind, instead of cursing the Umpire. If, however, he takes up the exercise to unfold his divinity, which he must, sooner or later, it is Hinduism which will come to his aid at every step, from limping up to the flight into space. One thing, however, is clear. The goal is not reached so long as you are not spotlessly clean and you do not attain perfection.*? Even if Salvation itself may depend upon the mercy of God, you cannot expect that mercy to be showered so long as you do not deserve it. Hinduism does not believe in any short-cut for it. _ Once the immortality of the Soul is conceived, the constant fear that chases and paralyses man at once disappears, that is, the Fear of Death. Death cannot be averted but may be ignored if we realise that this life is not the end but only a way-side station on the perennial journey to Divinity. __ The infinite potentiality of the Real Self** of Man is thus the message of ( y ie hope extended by Hinduism to mankind. But it is not by the charm of an amulet supplied by a Preceptor or Messiah, but by the efforts of Man himself that he from eternal bondage.** d earlier, a maximum degree of purity and perfection is necessary T feature of Hinduism is that that goal of perfection y a man not after death—after having had his fill of all the ails to see that God is ‘aults, potentially divine. The is in his own hands—he has ey towards that goal by shaking off all that stands in the potential divinity within himself.“ self of every being with the Creator Himself*” the axiom of all-pervasiveness, of God“* (see nothing but the projection of the Creator62 THE BSSENCE OF HINDUISM creation of each individual, because from the moment of birth, he is sh, in ignorance, owing to the results of his actions at previous. sta, existence, and becomes oblivious of his potential divinity, of the living pre, of God within himself, This ignorance chains him to the wheels of birt;. deaths, until he realises his divinity—the maximum of his potentiality « “4 The goal of « Hindu, thus, is to realise that his Real Self is not his but the Divine, who dwells in the core of his entire bodily existence 50 '%Y If the Creator lives within His creation and the human soul has eman, from, or is a manifestation of, that Universal Soul,?! it cannot but be q,."° human soul of, rather, the Real Self of man, is the reservoir of infinite Potentig, in strength, purity and bliss, ? and that the realisation of this Infinite is hinga ‘only by the cramping desires and other petty limitations of this body of 4\°4 and blood which tend to bind him down to trifles. Salvation, to a Hindy not drop from the above; it will have to be achieved by freeing his Rea) TOUdg, f hi Nee ‘d hat th flesh will 8 from the bondage of his sensual existence,® and then only he will realise 4 am that Brahman”.** ‘This simultaneous co-existence of the finite and the Infinite within the ‘same being is an apparent riddle®® of Hinduism, which, however, would mey, Away as soon as it is realised that the two concepts refer to different leve|, ‘The human soul (Atman) is, es reality, a with the Creator (Brahman),°° and in the Upanishadic literature, 1 apes ne two words “Atman” and “Brahman” are often ws res as identical or alternative terms.°’ The various qualities of Brahman are also imputed to the Atman. Just as infinite, unchangeable, indestructible and eternal, so also is Atman5* ‘man is human and not instantly divine because he is oblivious of this he goal of Hinduism is the perfect realisation of this identity, for, as happens, he would be freed from the bondage of illusion and which ties him to this world of misery.°? ong as man is contented with his body with its finite physical attributes, but a finite thing (fiva). He is then as small as a split hundredth as soon as he learns to be oblivious to this cramping individual ty of his soul with the eternal and Infinite Brahman reveals zled at this theory of identity of the human thing is said of the inferior-most of beings. on one realises the theory of potentiality core of Hinduism.“ volution is not unintelligible, there is no on should be so. The Infinite is it is possible for it to reach