Brahman: the common essence in all

things

“Like all water droplets are from the ocean and will return to the ocean – so are all things from Brahman and will return to Brahman.”

Brahman can only be described by what it is not. (*Why do you think this is?)

Neti, neti “not this, not that” – the Upanishads.

Atman:

One can discover Brahman by discovering the ultimate reality in oneself – which is called Atman.

(The best way in the west to understand Atman is to think of the soul.)

Brahman is Atman, and Atman is Brahman.

One can experience Brahman by:• Contemplating the universe• Contemplating the inner self :– the Atman.

Polytheism – Points of contactHuman beings need points of

contact with the divine.

What are our ‘points of contact’?

One reality, many masks:

Gods and goddesses are seen as the various masks of GOD, the ways that people can experience the divine.

…many oceans and seas, one large body of water….

Traditionally the number is 330 million – but all are masks of the one GOD – of the one ESSENCE – BRAHMAN.

People are free to worship which gods they please.

This plethora of gods reflects the diversity of human experience.

*Do you see a theme

arising in the Hindu

religion?

Hinduism does not dwell much on the why of creation.

Hinduism sees creation not in a linear way (as in the West) but

cyclically.

The nature of the universe:a cycle of birth, destruction, and rebirth.

This is a rhythmic pattern that repeats itself over and over.

The universe is created by the God.

• Brahma.

It is kept in existence by • Vishnu,

and destroyed by

Shiva.

All three gods

are necessary

for the cycle of existence – even Shiva who prepares the way for new life to come.

This pattern plays itself out in human life.

Humans are born again and again until they can

escape the cycle and be reconnected with Brahman.

This wheel of

life is called

samsara.

Two principles connect the cycle of life with the divine:

• Karma• Dharma

Karma literally means “action” or “deeds.”

Every action produces an effect.

Karma is unaffiliated with any god.It has nothing to do

with judgment of people or gods,but it is the natural

consequence of an action.

It is like the law of gravity – impersonal.

*How is this different from how we sometimes view suffering?

Karma so permeates samsara

that one’s karma stays with one from one life to the next.

Only human beings can affect karma.

Other life forms cannot –-- so being human is a great responsibility and great privilege.

In theory, Karma is a wonderful explanation for the things that happen

to a person in his or her life.

If one suffers, it is because of

bad karma in a previous life.

If one thrives in this life, it is because of

good karma.

Dharma:

doing one’s duty – doing what your life asks of you.

Dharma is a complete rule for life.A particular person’s dharma is determined by • gender, • caste, and• stage of life.

CasteThe caste system

seems to have emerged during the

Aryan settlement

as a way of maintaining social order.

All people were divided into hereditary castes:

Brahmin –

Priests

Kshatriya –

warriors

Vaishya –

producers (farmers, merchants, artisans)

Shudra-servants and laborers

An additional category of “outcast” exists for all those who are deemed outside the social system.

This group includes the “Untouchables” who only recently began to enjoy legal rights due to the work of Gandhi.

He renamed them the Harijan:“God’s beloved.”

In 1948, he helped pass legislation to end discrimination of the Harijan.

Karma determines caste identity,

and caste identity determines dharma.

One’s dharma is also determined by your stage in life.

Hinduism sees four stages to life:

1) Student

2) Householder

3) Forest Dweller

4) Wandering Ascetic

These four stages mirror the four goals of life:

1) Pleasure – Kama2) Success – Artha3) Duty – Dharma4) Release or enlightenment – Moksha

Hinduism offers

three paths

to liberation.

This reflects Hinduism’s appreciation for the diversity within human nature.

1) Karma Marga

The Path of Works

This is the path of most people.

It means to do your ethical duty.

Gandhi is the exemplar of this tradition.

“I am being led to my religion through Truth and Non-Violence, i.e. love in the broadest sense.

The bearing of this religion on social life is, or has to be, seen in one’s daily social contact. To be true to such religion one has to lose oneself in continuous and continuing service of all life.

Hence for me, there is no escape from social service; there is no happiness on earth beyond or apart from it.”

The path of works succeeds when one does right action and is able to not

identify oneself with the action.(What does this really mean?

Why is it important for Hindus to not ‘identify themselves’ with their actions?)

“Be intent on the action,

Not on the fruits of the action;

Avoid attraction to the fruits

And attachment to inaction.” - Bhagavad-Gita 2:47

2) Jnana Marga

The Path of Knowledge

This path is intended for those who do well with philosophical reflection.

There are several schools of thought within this path,

Including Vedanta and Yoga. All emphasize the basic task:

The attainment of knowledge over the ignorance that binds the self to samsara.

Human beings can attain awareness of the

fundamental illusion of existence--

that I am an individual – something separate from Brahman, from the entirety of existence.

This illusion is referred to as

“maya:”

a cosmic illusion.

Vedanta

• A system of Hindu philosophy whereby people seek ultimate reality through

knowledge and self-discipline

Adi Shankara

Yoga

Yoga refers to any sort of spiritual practice.

Yoga is meant to strip away the layers of

false self –

-- to free the eternal self from the bondage of existence.

3) Bhakti Marga

The Path of Devotion

Suited for those who naturally favor emotional attachment.

This is the practice of devotion to a deity.

There are many popular deities in Hinduism.

Some are

avatars:

Incarnations of other gods.

Example: Krishna & Rama are avatars of Vishnu

Those following the path of Bhakti Marga practice many rituals and devotions:

•Household rituals•Shrines in the home

•Pilgrimages to holy places,especially the Ganges

•Cow veneration

The cow represents all of life.

Protection of the cow, and veneration of them, is a way of

caring for all creation.

“The cow to me means the entire sub-human world. Man through the cow is enjoined to realize his identity with all that lives… The cow is a poem of pity. One reads pity in the gentle animal. She is the mother to millions of Indian mankind. Protection of the cow means protection of the whole dumb creation of God.”

- Gandhi

Hinduism in the modern world

India is a secular society, and the intersection of Hinduism and the government of a secular state can at times be challenging.

Mohandas K. Gandhi

Reverently called Mhatman/Mahatma– great souled

Gandhi was the first modern person to articulate

non-violence

as a political strategy and a way of life.

– "When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall — think of it, always.“

• "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?“

• "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.“

• "There are many causes that I am prepared to die for but no causes that I am prepared to kill for.“

Hinduism and IslamIndia is the

fourth largest

Muslim nation.

The two faith traditions are extremely different.

This difference was seen in the dividing of colonial India into the two countries of

India and Pakistan.

Relations between Muslims and Hindus are still tense.

Hinduism outside India

Hinduism has not had the missionary impulse like Christianity or Islam.

*Why do you think this is?

However, Hindu wisdom has spread to the west through:

• Yoga• Transcendental meditation