Time for a Hindu Primer

December 15, 2003

Considering some of the talk about "Am I a Hindu", "Am

I a Christian", I thought I'd send the Nine Beliefs of

Hinduism so elegantly laid out by Satguru Sivaya

Subramuniyaswami, the founder of Hinduism Today

magazine:

~~~

The following nine beliefs, though not exhaustive,

offer a simple summary of Hindu spirituality.

1) I believe in the divinity of the Vedas, the world’s

most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as

equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God’s

word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal

religion which has neither beginning nor end.

2) I believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who

is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and

Unmanifest Reality.

3) I believe that the universe undergoes endless

cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.

4) I believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by

which each individual creates his own destiny by his

thoughts, words and deeds.

5) I believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving

through many births until all karmas have been

resolved, and moksha, spiritual knowledge and

liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not

a single soul will be eternally deprived of this

destiny.

6) I believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds

and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments as well

as personal devotionals create a communion with these

devas and Gods.

7) I believe that a spiritually awakened master, or

satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent

Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct,

purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry and meditation.

8) I believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and

revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, “noninjury.”

9) I believe that no particular religion teaches the

only way to salvation above all others, but that all

genuine religious paths are facets of God’s Pure Love

and Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

Hinduism has four main denominations—Saivism,

Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism. The above nine

beliefs form a common ground for all Hindu sects.

~~~

Namah Shivaya,

Gabriela

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December 16, 2003

Namah Shivaya

My 2C :

I think that in Sanatana Dharma, there are many schools of thought- there is

actually a 'graded' vision of reality - for example, while at the beginning the

teaching may say ( like # 6 below) that there are 'many worlds and gods and

deities' etc, at a higher level the same sanatana dharma says that everything is

an illusion including even 'our' world and that the Absolute Alone exists.

Similarly there are schools of thought were God is a personal Being different

from the creation 'below'.. and there are schools of thought that say God is

immanent and transcendental, and finally 'everything is THAT'- Sarvam Khaluidam

Brahma'.

There is even a 'secular' school of thought ( the pure Mimamsa I think) that

believes only in karma and that by pure rituals and action alone, the goal of

life is reached . There is the diametrically opposite Tantra that teaches that

all action is a function of the Supreme Shakti and surrender to Her alone helps.

Basically Sanatana Dharma is like a fond mother that feeds Her different

children according to their needs- since Truth is infinite and multifaceted, all

points of view are accommodated in a grand synthesis ..

But at lower levels, it takes many lifetimes for even one viewpoint to be

worked out fully- for example it takes a soul as many lifetimes to attain

perfection through Bhakti as it takes another soul to attain the Same Goal

through Jnana - since the paths are so difficult, it is difficult to find any

One Soul who has walked two or more paths in the same Birth-

this is why Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was such a great Rare Avatar- He

practised, by turns, EVERY path prescribed and attained the same goal in every

path in just a few years - He practiced tantra and bhakti and also non

dualistic contemplation- and in all the Paths He found at the end the same Sweet

Mother sometimes with Form showering Motherly Love, and sometimes as the vast

non dual infinite.

Which is why He was able to proclaim to all that every path prescribed in

Sanatan Dharma is valid- because he walked every path, one after another with a

Divine Passion and incredible fervour and found the Same Lord waiting at the

end .

However for our convenience the sages have prescribed the three main pillars of

Sanatana Dharma as ( the 'prasthana Traya):

1) The Upanishads

2) The Brahma Sutras

3) The Bhagavad Gita.

Everything else rests on the various philosophies expounded in these. Amma

said something similar to us two weeks ago- She said that the main essence is in

the upanishads.

It is in the Gita you find explicitly the QUALITIES NEEDED TO WALK ANY PATH:

The qualities of a perfect Jnani , the qualities of Perfect Bhakta and that of

a Yogi are all the same:

"He who hates no creature, and is friendly and compassionate to All,

without feelings of 'my' and 'me', even minded in pleasure and pain,

ever content, ever striving for Union with Me, self controlled, of firm

resolve, surrendering mind and intellect to Me, such a devotee is dear to Me'...

however , the Gita and Sri Ramakrishna and Amma all say that the path of

nonduality is difficult for most people and that bhakti is perhaps more suited-

and all the three talk of Surrender to God/Guru.

Whether you walk the path of non duality or Bhakti , you need a SatGuru . It

is the rare avatar that attains the goal without a Guru- like Sri Ramana

Maharishi or our own Amma... but for the rest of us , we all need a good dose of

humility and self surrender.

Even the Gita says " Approach the realized Master through prostration, humble

enquiry and service,- They will Impart the Truth to you'.

As Amma says , first we should say 'dasoham'( i am Thy servant)-

then only we will be fit for saying 'Shivoham' ( I am You) .

bala

Miranda Soliz <msoliz2000 wrote: