In India, spirituality and religion are part of everyday life. In no other country, perhaps, will you see a sadhu (a renounced ascetic or a practitioner of yoga) walking on the street with just a blanket and his rosary as his possessions without attracting any attention. India is home to all the major religions of the world, thriving in harmony since centuries. Although we will discuss the predominant religions in the country, we begin with Hinduism since it is the dominant religion in the subcontinent. Hindu’s comprise 80% of the population in India.
HINDUISM
To understand Indian spirituality, it is essential to understand the basic tenets of Hinduism. A rich, complex and deeply symbolic religion, Hinduism is, actually, called Sanatana Dharma or the eternal truth/tradition/religion. The Vedas are considered the Divine Revelations, revealed to sages and seers in higher states of communion with the One. They are believed to be the world’s most ancient scriptures.
Hinduism is sometimes called polytheistic religion, but, actually, it would be more appropriate to call it henotheistic. The Hindu scriptures depict God both as a personal being (as in the Judeo-Christian religions) and also as a principle. The same Absolute is understood in three ways: as Brahman (the nonpersonal, all-pervading aspect of the Supreme), as Paramatma (the Oversoul or Supersoul, the aspect of God within the heart of all beings), and, as Bhagwan, the Absolute in the transcendent personal feature.
All the world is an illusion, a mere shadow of the Reality, so believes the Hindu. It is only through turning inward, whether as an ascetic, a householder, a King, a beggar, that the Truth can be seen. The Hindu recognizes the difference between belief and faith. A belief may or may not be true. Faith is assurance or a guarantee. Although, faith is very often used to mean acceptance, this distinction is important to understand. For example, for a long time it was believed that the earth was the centre of the universe and the sun went round it. Now, we have the assurance that the earth goes around the sun. According to the Hindu, the key to faith is experience. This is central to Hinduism. It is good to have beliefs as long as one is "working" on them and testing their truth or untruth. Each individual is encouraged to develop a solid faith grounded in experience. The Sanskrit for the word "faith" is Visvas, which means "to breath easy" or "to let go." In other words, after a thorough testing of one's beliefs, one arrives at the relaxed state of faith or assurance.
For the traditional Hindu, the mother, father and the guru (teacher who leads an individual from darkness to light, towards God) are akin to God. Ahimsa or non-violence to all forms of life is a principle that is the reason for vegetarianism amongst the Hindus. However, not all Hindus are vegetarians. Broadly speaking, Hinduism believes in moderation in everything. Nothing is considered bad as long as it is within limits and the body accepts it. It is widely believed that excess in anything leads to sin.
To sum up briefly, the Hindu believes in :
* A one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.
* Karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds. Karma is not fate, for man acts with free will, creating his own destiny. God does not punish, you reap what you sow. The time for the reaction takes several births and until all the debts are paid, we keep meeting those who owe us and to those we owe, whether good or bad. However, prayer and purity of heart brings Divine Grace. Man is not born a sinner. He is a spark of the divine who, based on his personal choices, creates his own destiny. Divine grace is equal for all. One only needs to have a pure heart.
* Soul reincarnation, where the atma or soul evolves through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha or liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny.
* Existence of divine beings in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these “Devas” or Gods.
* An enlightened master, or “Satguru”. He/She is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God.
* Sanctity of all life. All forms of life are to be loved and revered, and therefore, practice ahimsa, or, non-injury, in thought, word and deed.
* The fact that no one religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others. Instead, all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, leading the individual to personally experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where man and God are one. Although the Hindu has belief in the trinity of Creator, Preserver and the Destroyer, they are ultimately One, known as Brahman.
Hinduism is a deeply symbolic religion with every facet of its ritual standing for a profound meaning. Although one sees idols everywhere, they are points of concentration on the aspects of the one Supreme Reality. As one grows inwards, one moves from the dual or one with form to the non-dual or the formless. Unlike the followers of any other religion, Hindus enjoy the freedom of worshipping their personally chosen icon to offer their prayers to the indefinable Brahman, or the Ultimate Reality. Each deity in Hinduism controls a particular energy. These energies, present in man as wild forces must be controlled and canalized fruitfully to infuse a divine consciousness in him.
In a person's path of spiritual progress, he or she needs to develop the various attributes of these godheads in him or her to attain all-round spiritual perfection.
There are 4 major sects of Hindus: Vaishnavas (follower of Vishnu, the Protector), Shaivaites (followers of Shiva, the Destroyer), Shakti (worshippers of the Divine Mother) and Smarthas. The Smarthas have free rein to choose whichever deity they wish to worship.
For the Hindu, the Vedas, The Bhagvad Gita, Ramayan and Mahabharata hold supreme importance and are the holy scriptures that have the final authority. Each Hindu God and Goddess has many characteristics, such as their dress, 'vehicle,' weapons, etc., that are themselves symbols of the deity's power. Brahma, the Creator, holds the Vedas in his hands, which signifies that he has the supreme command over creative and religious knowledge. Vishnu holds a conch, which stands for the five elements and eternity; a discus, which is the symbol of the mind; a bow that symbolizes power and a lotus, which is the symbol of the cosmos. Shiva's trident represents the three gunas (qualities), the Satwic (purity, light, harmony), Rajsik, (activity and passion), and Tamsik (dullness, inertia, ignorance). Similarly Krishna's flute symbolizes divine music.
Each deity has a particular vehicle on which he or she travels. These vehicles, which are either animals or birds, represent the various forces that he or she is in control of. Vishnu sits on the primal serpent, which represents the desire of consciousness in humankind. Shiva rides a bull, which stands for the brute and blind power, as well as the unbridled sexual energy in man - the qualities only he can help us control. His consort Parvati, Kali, or Durga, rides on a lion, which symbolizes mercilessness, anger and pride - vices she can help her devotees check. A mouse, Ganesha’s vehicle, represents the timidity and nervousness that overwhelm us, of which Ganesha is in total control of.
There are about 900 million followers today. Hinduism, like all religions of the world, is profound. You may want to visit the following sites, apart from several others, to know more about this religion:
www.hindunet.org
www.himalayanacademy.com
hinduism.about.com
www.hinduism.co.za
SIKHISM
Founded over 500 years ago, Sikhism has a following of over 20 million people worldwide today, and is ranked as the worlds 5th largest religion.
Sikhism denounces blind rituals and superstitions. It teaches equality of all mankind. It is open to all those who wish to follow through the teachings of its 10 Gurus. These teachings are enshrined in the Sikh Holy Book and Living Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
There is no consensus about the origin of this religion. According to historians, it is believed that it is a syncretistic religion, originally related to the Bhakti movement of Hinduism. While some Sikhs believe that their religion is a re-purification of Hinduism, others disagree and opine that it is a direct revelation from God - a religion that is not a branch of Hinduism.
The founder of Sikhism was Shri Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1538) who was born in the Punjab area which is now in Pakistan. It is believed, that at Sultanpur, he received a vision to preach the way to enlightenment and God. His teaching, that There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim became one of the pillars of Sikhism. He taught strict monotheism, and the brotherhood of humanity. He rejected idol worship, and the Hindu concept of caste system.
Sikhs believe in a single, Formless God, who is known by many names, and who can be known through meditation. The Mool Mantar(central hymn), composed by Guru Nanak, is recited daily by many Sikhs. Translated, it goes like this: There is only one God. His Name is Truth. He is the Creator. He is without fear. He is without hate. He is beyond time. He is beyond birth and death. He is self-existent. Only he can be worshiped.
The Sikhs believe in samsara (the repetitive cycle of birth, life and death), karma (the accumulated sum of one's good and bad deeds), and reincarnation the belief of a rebirth following death. To quote, Each individual has many reincarnations, but being born a human means the soul is nearing the end of rebirth. God judges each soul at death and may either reincarnate the soul or, if pure enough, allow it to rest with him.
A Sikh is supposed to follow the 5 K’s, which are:
* They must always have “Kesh”, or long hair that must never be cut.
* They must always possess a “Kangah”, or comb.
* They must always wear “Kachha”, or short pants.
* They must always wear a “Kada”, or metal bracelet.
* They must always carry a “Kirpan”, or ceremonial dagger.
Due to changes in surroundings, situation, and times, these clothing practices are followed by strict Sikhs.
The religion also forbids drinking of alcohol, and smoking.
A succession of nine Gurus (regarded as reincarnations of Guru Nanak) led the movement during the period from Guru Nanak's death until 1708. From then on, the functions of the Guru passed to the Panth (Guru Nanak’s followers) and to the holy text, considered the 11th Guru.
An interesting fact is that all Sikh males share the last name, ‘Singh,’ which means a lion and females, ‘Kaur.’ This has origins in a reaction against the Hindu caste system where the last name of a man was reflective of his caste.
For more information on Sikhism, you may visit:
www.sikhs.org
www.religioustolerance.org
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikhism
www.srigurugranthsahib.org
JAINISM
Mahavira established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. He was a contemporary of the Buddha, and the last Tirthankara or a human who achieves Enlightenment or Perfect Knowledge. A Tirthankar is the founder of a "Tirth," a Jain community which acts as a "ford" across the "river of human misery."
Jainism recognises the fundamental natural phenomenon of symbiosis or mutual dependence, which forms the basis of the modern day science of ecology. For a Jain, life is viewed as a gift of togetherness, accommodation, and assistance.
Jainism teaches equality, democracy, and forgiveness as means to acquire spiritual perfection. Some of the tenets of the religion are:
» Dharma. This has several connotations.
* Duty towards others, elders, dependents, sub-ordinates, society country.
* Religion that saves one from sinking in the temporal ocean of births and deaths (Samsar). Religion comprises Dana(charity), Sheel(Chastity), Tapa(Penance) and Bhava(Intention). The highest Charity is to provide freedom from the fear of death, injury, torture, hurt or oppression. Chastity means complete control of impure desires of five senses and mind including celibacy. Penance is of twelve kinds to purify the soul from all Karmic energies. By “Intention” it means that all of the above should be done with soul intent of achieving the spiritual zenith.
* Spiritual, as in, Jnana (Right and True Knowledge), Darshana
(Faith), and Charitra (Conduct).
* Shramana Dharma (monkhood).
This has ten fold qualities:
(i) Khsama or forgiveness
(ii) Mardava or humility, politeness, or courtesy
(iii) Arjava or frankness, straight forwardness
(iv) Mukti or desireless, free from greed and expectations
(v) Tapa or penance
(vi) Samyama or to stop all inflow of karmas
(vii) Satya or truth
(viii) Saucha or purity of conduct
(ix) Akimchanya or abstinence material desires, even love and undue affection of one’s own body
(x) Bhramcharya or complete celibacy, chastity in thought, word and deed.
» There are 9 fundamental principles:
* Jiva: Life with sentience
* Ajiva: Non sentience
* Punya: Merit
* Paap: Sin
* Ashrava: Inflow (The soul attracts subtle forms of matter to itself as result of the action of the sense which impels it towards external objects, good or bad).
* Samvara: Restrain. This blocks the inflow of subtle-matter (energies) through Ahimsa (non-injury), right conduct, etc.
* Nirjara: To liberate and remove the impurities of subtle matter
* Bandha: Bondage or assimilation of the subtle matter (energy) in the soul, whether good or bad.
* Moksha: Absolute freedom. This is the final pure state in everlasting bliss
» Belief in the fact that the individual alone is responsible for all that happens in his life, not an external force.
» Belief in Karma. Owing to vices, the soul attracts negative energies that bind the soul to its actions. Through repentance, penance, self-control, renunciation, religious deeds and ahimsa or non-injury, the soul gets liberated from a chain of action and reaction or karma.
The Jain lays specific emphasis on ahimsa and self-control. Vegetarians, and even vegan, a Jain is extremely tolerant and compassionate towards all living creatures. Human life is deemed the highest and it is vital to never harm or upset another. It is not rare to see monks walking down a road barefoot and sweeping the ground in front of them to avoid killing an unseen insect in some parts India. While performing holy deeds, Jains cover their mouths with a piece of cloth (called a Muhapatti) and noses to avoid saliva falling on texts or revered ../images or for the hot air from exhalation to kill bacteria. The Jains have identified 18 papasthanakas or activities leading to sin, that need to be eradicated: Violence, untruth, theft, possessiveness, anger, unchaste behavior, arrogance, greed, hatred, attachment, arguments, deceit, gossip, accusation, criticism, malice, prejudice and wrong belief. Today, there about 4 million Jains all over the world.
For more information on Jainism, please visit:
www.jainism.org
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jainism
www.religioustolerance.org
www.jainworld.com
BUDDHISM
Gautam Siddharth, the first Buddha, was the founder of Buddhism. A handsome prince, he is said to have renounced the world in search of the answer to the problems of birth, old age, pain, sickness, and death. It is said that at the age of 29, he came across what is now known as the Four Passing Sights: an old crippled man, a sick man, a decaying corpse, and finally a wandering holy man. These four sights led him to the realization that birth, old age, sickness and death come to everyone. After years of penance and trials, he attained Enlightenment.Buddhism believes that for all sentient beings, there is an endless cycle of birth and death owing to one’s own acts.
There are Four Nobel Truths to all life, say the Buddhists:
1. Suffering. Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one wants is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.
2. The cause of suffering: Craving. This rebirth.
3. The cessation of suffering: end of craving or desires.
4. The way leading to the cessation of suffering: The Eight-Fold path.
The Noble 8-fold path:
1. Right View
2. Right Intention
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration
These are progressive stages through which an individual moves towards higher realms of spirituality. According to the Buddha, it is through moderation that one may hope to follow the Nobel path. The first step towards the Nobel path, the Buddhists believe, lies in following the Three Jewels:
1. Buddha: The Awakened One
2. Dharma: Teachings as propounded by the Buddha
3. Sangha: Congregation which has come to be applied to either the Buddhist monastic or the community that has attained the first stage of Awakening called Sotapanna.
The Buddhists believe that there is no other-worldly way to salvation; that there is no escape from one’s karma except through the 8-fold path. There are five precepts that a Buddhist must follow. He must refrain from:
» Taking life
» Stealing
» Sensual misconduct ( gluttony, sexual excesses, etc.)
» Incorrect Speech
» Intoxicants
Today, there are about 370 million followers of Buddhism in the world.
To know more about Buddhism, you may want to visit:
www.buddhanet.net
www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/buddhaintro.html
www.religioustolerance.org/buddhism.htm
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism
CHRISTIANITY
A monotheistic religion centred on Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Christianity has about 2 billion followers in the world today. Today, it has several divisions based on the diversity of doctrines and practices. However, Roman Catholics are the predominant sect. There are Protestants that include Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Anabaptists, et al.
The Christian believes that salvation is possible through faith in Jesus since his sacrifice on the cross paid for the sins of mankind. Most Christians believe in the existence of the distinct yet indivisible trinity of the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. It is believed that the Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures.
Christians regard the Bible as the final authority.
For the Christians, the soul is eternal, and consciousness continues after death. Life after death continues in heaven or hell, as will be judged by Christ on the Day of Judgment.
All Christian traditions affirm that Christian practice should include acts of prayer, Bible reading and leading a Christ-like life. This includes following the Ten Commandments as interpreted by Christ. They are:
* "Do not put anything ahead of God your Creator."
* "Do not make or worship idols."
* "Do not take the name of God in vain."
* "Take one day of complete rest each week, in honor of God."
* "Honor your father and your mother."
* "Do not commit murder."
* "Do not commit adultery."
* "Do not steal."
* "Do not tell lies against anyone."
* "Do not covet other people's possessions."
The Bible lays emphasis on love in both attitude and action for the Christian and the non-Christian.
For more information on the religion, you may want to visit:
www.christianity.com
geneva.rutgers.edu/src/christianity
www.newadvent.org
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity
ISLAM
Islam literally means peace. Muslims believe that God revealed his direct word for humanity to Muhammad (c. 570– July 6, 632) through the angel, Gabriel and earlier messengers, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last prophet. They assert that the main written record of revelation to humanity is the Koran or Quran, which is flawless, immutable. It is considered by the Muslims as the final revelation of God to humanity.
Muslims must perform daily prayers at the specified five times. This is a practice that stands as a form of submission to Allah, or God. It is supposed to be a reminder of abstinence from shameful acts and harmful deeds. Alms-giving to the poor, or zakat, is mandatory and is a Muslim’s personal responsibility for the upliftment of the economically depraved.
Another mandatory practice among the Muslims is that of fasting during the month of Ramazan or Ramadan. From dawn to dusk, every follower is supposed to abstain from sexual intercourse, and intake of water and food.
Islam believes in one God who is absolute. Islamic laws that were covered expressly in the Quran were referred to as hudud laws and include specifically the five crimes of theft, highway robbery, intoxication, adultery and falsely accusing another of adultery, each of which has a prescribed hadd or punishment that cannot be forgone or mitigated.
There are a number of Islamic religious sects or denominations, each of which has significant theological and legal differences from each other, even though they possess similar essential beliefs. The major schools of thought are the Shias and the Sunnis, the latter being the larger group.
There are about 1 billion followers of Islam in the world today.
To know more about Islam, you may visit:
www.islam.com
www.islamworld.net
www.islamicity.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam
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