HINDUISM - Part 1

Hari Om .
  

HINDUISM

In the contemporary world , there are many religions of recent origin . Likewise , many ancient religions that existed earlier are now extinct . Neo-religions are “founded” in the sense that they were started by individuals at specific points in time . When we trace the history of these religions , we find that they have emerged at the cost of disturbing pre-existing religions , and destroying indigenous cultural traditions in different parts of the world . In Europe , a new organisation known as “The World Congress of Ethnic Religions” has been formed by some individuals who are interested in preserving indigenous religious traditions in Europe . Although the membership base of this organisation is negligible , we must give them credit for having survived the onslaught if new religions and having come together to form an organisation . The secretary of this organisation recently appealed to Hindus on the Internet , requesting the Hindus , as the representatives of the largest ethnic tradition , to come forward and lead the movement to preserve indigenous religions in the contemporary world .

Hinduism is “Sanatana Dharma”

The Hindu religion is the indigenous religion of India , and is different from the neo-religions in the fact that it was not founded by any particular person . Krishna did not found Hindu religion . Rama was born within the religion , which is testified by the fact that he was the product of a particular Vedic ritual called putrakameshti . When he was born , he was given the name “Rama” , and a ritual known as jateshti was performed . Even though Rama and Krishna are worshipped as incarnations of the Lord within the Hindu tradition , they were not responsible for the Hindu religion . In fact , they were born within the Hindu tradition , and their own lives exemplified the values unfolded by the Vedas . Just as we cannot trace the origin of physics to a specific person or a given intellect , the Hindu religion cannot be traced to a specific individual . The Hindu religion is simply a view and way of life . The Hindu Dharma offers a very clear view of life and a view of reality , which can be accomplished by a self-conscious human being . The Hindu Dharma is therefore called sanatana-dharma . This compound can be broken in two ways : sanatanasya dharmaḥ , sanatana-dharma or sanatanascha asou dharmascha , sanatana-dharma . The first meaning of sanatana-dharma is Isvarasya , sanatasya , dharmaḥ . It is a dharma of the Lord , and therefore has no worldly beginnings or endings . The second meaning of this compound can be understood in the sense of pravaha-nityatvam . The dharma flows perennially , and keeps re-emerging with each cycle of creation .

Just as the science of physics has no particular author , the Hindu dharma also cannot be attributed to any specific personality . Similarly , everybody has some knowledge of physics , including the monkeys . A monkey could not jump from one branch to another without some knowledge of gravity . Even a newborn monkey knows that if it lets go of its mother , it will fall down , which could have hazardous results for its health , and for the propagation of the species . The only difference between the body of knowledge known as physics and the body of knowledge that is known as sanatana-dharma is that the first deals with a variable reality , and the second with the invariable . Even within sanatana-dharma , certain day to day aspects of the tradition might undergo a few changes ; but the truth of this religion will always remain the same . In Sanskrit , truth is defined as abhaditam . Satyam or truth . is that which is not subject to negation or improvement . Anything that is subject to modification , or is dependent upon something else for its existence cannot be satyam . Expounding the nature of truth is the greatest asset of sanatana-dharma .

~ Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Hinduism and Spirituality

The Hindu Dharma is simply a view and way of life which can be accomplished by a self-conscious human being . Hindus do not subscribe to a set of beliefs because beliefs may be a view but they are not pragmatic enough to manifest into a way of life . You can go to the most remote village in India and ask them , “Where is God ?” and they will answer “ He is everywhere” . This is Hindu Dharma . It is a pragmatic view that beautifully unfolds into a way of life .

The Hindu tradition is rich with various religious practices and rituals that are meant to introduce spirituality in a Hindu’s life . There may be a scientific reason behind these practices and rituals or there may not be anything scientific about it . But , there is definitely the component of spirituality that is the underlying basis of these practices and rituals .

In the contemporary world , many neo-religions have come into existence . These religions are founded by particular persons and they subscribe to a set of beliefs . All the followers of neo-religions are religious people . There is no doubt about it . They lead a prayerful and religious life to prepare them for the hereafter . But , there is no such thing as spirituality in these neo-religions .

Spirituality is unique to our Hindu Dharma . Spirituality does not mean indulging yourself into mystics and mysteries . It is simply a search , an inquiry about yourself . When the word “you” is mentioned , it refers to “I” which also includes the Lord and the creation also because there is no second person other than “I” . I always look upon myself as separate from everything else that I see . But from the standpoint of totality , the observer (myself) is also included in all that I observe . If not , how can I deem it to be total when I am excluded from it ? Therefore , since I am not separate from the total , the inquiry about myself naturally also involves an inquiry about the Lord and the creation .

In short , the view and way of life that expounds the reality of oneself , the Lord and the creation is Hindu Dharma . Seeking the true nature of oneself alone is spirituality and without spirituality , nothing exists in Hindu Dharma .

Acceptance

When I accept something , what do I do ? Is it just a sentence , “I accept” ? A mere sentence does not imply acceptance . Sometimes I accept something without saying so .

Acceptance implies a certain attitude on my part . When I accept something , I give it the freedom to be what it  is . I do not want the thing to be different from what it is . 

Acceptance implies granting freedom to the object of acceptance to be what it is . In giving the freedom , I do not demand that the object of acceptance to be what it is . The mere word , acceptance , without understanding its implications does not help . I accept a child as the child is . I accept a tree . I accept the sun , the moon . I accept a bird , its colours , its behavior . I accept a chemical as it is . I accept sugar as it is . I accept poison as it is . Acceptance does not imply that I have to use it . In acceptance , there is objectivity . I let things be as they are . 

With reference to my past , however , I do not let it be as it is . I do not accept it because the past has caused me pain . Due to my helplessness I subjected myself to pain , to hurt . Therefore , the painful past is not acceptable to me . Can I bring myself to accept the past ? When I bring myself to bear upon the past , can I be the same person that I am when I accept the sky ?

How do I accept the sky ? What frame of mind do I have when I accept the sky ? That same frame of mind I bring to bear upon my mother and father –whether they are alive or not . In the same way , I accept my friends , my relatives , employees , my grandparents , my children , my partner in life . Individually , I accept every one of them because I give them the freedom to be what they are . I do not blame the sky because it is or is not blue .

I bring this same person to bear upon those with whom my life has been cast . They are all different characters in the drama of my life . I free myself from blaming any one of them . I blame no one , nor do I blame myself .

“ O Lord , please give me the serenity , the clarity , to accept gracefully what I cannot change and change what I can . I cannot change the past for it has already happened . But I can change my attitude , my understanding . I can bring about a change in my attitude towards myself , towards the world , by widening my understanding  . Let me change what I can , and grant me the wisdom to know the difference between what I can and cannot change . " 

~  Written by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati ( Arsha Vidya Gurukulam )

Who Is Bhagavan ?

Bhagavān is the one who has bhaga (the six-fold virtues) in absolute measure . These are : all knowledge (jñāna) , total dispassion (vairāgya) , the capacity to create , sustain and resolve (vīrya) , absolute fame (yaśas) , all wealth (srī) and overlordship (aiśvarya) .

To have all knowledge (jñāna) means to be free from all ignorance . Thus , the one who has jñāna does not require a mind , perception or a means of knowledge with which to know . If we require a mind to know , there is always ignorance . Thus , whoever is endowed with a mind in order to know cannot be Bhagavān – as an individual , that is . We will see how it is possible to be one with Bhagavān later . Bhaga , then , is jñāna , all knowledge .

The one who has total , absolute dispassion (vairāgya) has no longing  , no insecurity . He or she is full . Vīrya is absolute power or śakti , meaning the capacity to create , to sustain , and to resolve . The one who has this absolute power is called the Almighty .

Absolute fame (yaśas) means all fame , including your own or anyone else’s . One who is endowed with the ability to sing , for example , may gain some fame , a ray of glory , but that fame belongs to the Lord , the one who has all fame . The Lord also has all wealth , all resources (srī) . Any wealth you may have really belongs to Bhagavān , the Lord , and you are only a trustee of whatever resources you happen to have .

Finally , the one who is not caused , who is not ruled by anyone , who does not subject himself or herself to the laws of someone else , has what is called aiśvarya . We , as individuals , have to go by the laws ; we cannot go against them . Even an engineer who is responsible for planning , commissioning , and running a thermal plant cannot touch a live wire without consequence . In other words , the engineer cannot behave as he or she likes merely because he or she is the author of the electricity . It was because of the laws alone that the engineer was able to generate electricity in the first place .

The one who does not subject Himself to another’s law or laws is the Lord . If the Lord is ruled by someone else , then that someone else becomes the Lord – and it is this Lord that we are talking about . These six absolute virtues , then , constitute bhaga and the one who has bhaga is Bhagavān .

Source : Bhagavad Gita Home Study Book by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati

The Meaning of Omkara

Om is the name for Brahman , the cause and the basis of creation . Om , as a sound symbol , also indicates auspiciousness (mangalam) and is chanted at the beginning of prayers and religious studies . Om is derived from the Sanskrit verbal "av" , meaning "to protect" . It refers to the Lord who protects and sustains everything . When one chants Om with the understanding that it is a name for the Lord , it becomes a prayer for one's protection .

Om etymologically is composed of three sounds , "a" , "u" and "m" . The first syllable , "a" , stands for the waking world , the waker and the waking experience ( the physical body and the physical world) . The second syllable "u" , stands for the dream world , the dreamer and the dream experience ( the thought world - dreams / imaginations / thinking ) . The third syllable "m" , stands for the sleep world , the sleeper , and the sleep experience (the unmanifest condition) . As one chants Om repeatedly , the silence between the chants (called amātrā) stands for the awareness , the consciousness which is the basis of the three worlds , the three experiences , and the three states of experience .

Om thus represents all that exists and the basis or substratum of all that exists . Om is complete . This Om is a comprehensive name for the Lord and Om is the Lord .

Sixteen-Step Puja

         A simple puja is a pancopacara puja which consists of five steps . A more elaborate puja is a shodasopacara puja which consists of sixteen steps . The most elaborate puja is catushshashti-upacara-puja . Here we are going to focus on the sixteen-step puja only .

Items Needed to Perform the sixteen-step puja :

1) An altar with a vigraha , idol , of the deity to be worshipped . If an idol is not available , a picture of the deity may be used .

2) An oil lamp , oil and a wick . One lights the lamp at the beginning of the puja and makes sure that it remains lit until the puja is completed .

3) Akshatas , unbroken rice grains to which turmeric powder is added .

4) Pancapatra , a vessel with water and spoon for offering water . The water may be poured into another cup during offering .

5) Candana , sandalpaste and kunkuma , vermilion .

6) Dhupa , incense sticks .

7) Vastra , cloth

8) Dipa , a small oil lamp

9) Naivedya , food offering

10) Pushpa , flowers kept on a plate

11) Ghanta , bell

12) Karpura , camphor with a holdero for burning it .

- The altar should be clean and can be decorated as one wishes . Metal vessels and utensils are  preferable . If these are not available , paper plates and cups may be used .The utensils for the puja should be kept apart and not used for other purposes .

[ If some of the offerings listed above such as vastra , pushpa and so on , are not , available , one may use akshatas instead .]

Brief Explanation On the Steps

After lighting a lamp , one performs the sankalpa . The sankalpa identifies the person doing the puja(yajamana) and the purpose for which the puja is done . A common purpose in all pujas is ‘durita-kshaya’ – the removal of duritas , impurities of the mind . One may pray for other reasons, but an important element in all prayers is to seek a mind free from confusion and wrong thinking .

The initial step is invoking the presence of the Lord in the given symbol . Once invoked , the symbol becomes the Lord and is looked upon as such until the puja is completed . The Lord is received with an attitude of devotion and is  then offered acamana ,  vastra (cloth)and the other items described .

While offering flowers , one addresses the Lord by the various names that reveal the Lord’s nature or describe his glories . One may chant sixteen , one hundred and eight , or one thousand and eight names of the Lord .

Naivedya is then offered at the altar . For naivedya , one may offer fruits (fresh or dried) , nuts or    cooked foods . It is customary that we do not offer the Lord pre-made , store-bought or leftover foods .

Arati is performed by dimming or switching off the electric lights in the room and offering lightes camphor .

When visiting a temple , one may go around the deity clockwise three times in an act of salutation . Since the Lord also abides within , one may turn around oneself three times , in a clockwise direction while remaining in the same spot. Both these acts are known as pradaksina .

In performing the puja , there may have been errors of omission or commission  . One asks for forgiveness of the Lord for these .

After the puja , the Lord is requested with a prayer to return to his original abode . The prasada is then taken from the altar and distributed to all .

What Is A Puja ?

     Puja is one of the most beautiful ways to bring out the devotee within oneself and establish a relationship with Isvara  , the Lord . Puja is called kayikam karma , an action involving one’s limbs . It also includes speech and mental actions in the form of chanting and thinking of the Lord .

           In a physical form of worship , such as a puja , there is a greater field of expression of one’s devotion than is possible in purely oral or mental forms of worship . The body , mind and speech are all involved in a puja.The  forms , colours , fragrances and sounds of the various items of worship arrest one’s mind and aid in evoking devotion in oneself ,

            A puja is performed to express one’s gratitude to Isvara for all one has been given in one’s life . The very creation in which one is born is considered to be a gift of the Lord . The body-mind-sense complex is made up of five basic elements : space , air , fire , water and earth which also constitute the creation . Through the sense perceptions backed by the mind one perceives the Lord’s vast creation and appreciates his gloried .

            Traditionally , a form of worship known as pancopacara-puja , worship with fivefold offering is performed . This worship acknowledges the presence of the Lord and makes a simple offering of the five elements through a symbolic offering of puspa , flowers , dhupa , incense , dipa , light ,  naivedya , food and gandha , sandalwood paste . These objects represents the elements space , air , fire , water and earth , respectively .