Hinduism
Truth is one, the wise call It by various names. — Rig Veda
Being born and raised in a Hindu family, I have observed various rituals, enjoyed every festival, and learned, rather heard stories about many gods and their phantasmagorical deeds. The notion that there are 330 million Hindu gods used to give me a sense of security and plentiful options to pick any god or switch from one to another as my boyish mind pilgrimaged from one epic to another. I would listen attentively to the same ordeals of the same people and how they were rescued by the same gods. I would run outside leaving half-eaten dinner to watch dances when I would hear the music of “Pulu Kishi” (elephant) or “Lakhe” (daemon). Not until I was in my thirties, my attempt to unravel the purpose of my life led me to the world filled with my childhood heroes.
In the first stage, according to Hinduism, we seek pleasure. Every thought, speech, and action of ours is aimed at achieving pleasure. The object we focus on attaining pleasure is “I”. We work constantly to make “I” the center of attention. Hinduism does not object to our pursuit (of pleasure) as long as we play fairly. But, for some of us, “I” is not big enough to provide perpetual satisfaction. There will be a time when some of us realize the pleasure from “I” is nothing but vanity and those who realize move on to the next stage.
In the second stage, we seek success. Success, like pleasure, is self-centered: we can’t achieve it without making others miserable. Success is fugitive: we never know when someone will wrest it from us. Success is exclusive: it diminishes when shared. The hunger for success is insatiable: the more we have power, fame, and wealth, the hungrier we become. There is no such thing as eternal success. Again, there will be a time when some of us realize success too is vanity, and they move on to the next stage.
In the third stage, we seek duty. Arriving at this stage, we realize our egocentric nature and its failure in attaining everlasting satisfaction. We sense greater pleasure in giving than in receiving and a shift in our tendency from “will-to-get” to ‘will-to-give”. We make the lives of those living in our communities fulfilled. During the course, we realize the love, joy, and fortune when shared, unlike in previous stages, multiplies. The majority will remain in this stage throughout their remaining lives. A few will find the joy, achievement, and recognition earned in this stage too will perish in a few generations or centuries if not along with their bodies. This is when Hinduism comes in to rescue those few.
We will become victorious only if we achieve our Goal; we will know our Goal only if we perceive our true nature. The world we see around us is Maya, an illusion, and there is more in us than what we reflect in the mirror. We are neither the horses, the senses, that run on roads, the objects of our desire, nor the rein, the mind, that controls the horses, or the charioteer, the highest intellect that guides mind, or the chariot, the body, but, the passenger, the Self or Atman, whose destination is the unification with God. The realization of Atman is a rigorous task; Hinduism prepares us, exhibits ways, and guides us to perceive it.
The Hindu school of thought says:
- We are our soul, Atman, which is amorphous, immortal, and omnipresent.
- The knowledge of Atman, which brings knowledge of everything, is the ultimate knowledge.
- Only through the realization of Atman (or the detachment from finite self and world around) will bring the eternal bliss.
- The purpose of our life is to realize Atman and, through it, unite with God.
Hinduism proffers 4 ways to achieve our purpose (Moksha or liberation) –
Bhakti yoga — the way to God through love — is for those who are emotional or illiterate
Jhana yoga — the way to God through knowledge, is for those who are reflective or reasoning
Karma yoga — the way to God through work, is for those who are active or engaged.
Raja yoga — the way to God through meditation, is for those who are empirical or experimental
The role of religion, as it seems, is to help liberate those few of us, who are lost in their quest to discover the purpose of their lives and look for an authority for guidance.
Feb, 2009