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s e c t i o n o n e
thomaskelly
Hinduisms special treasures, its four main
denominations, its precepts and practices,scriptures and two paths of dharma
Hinduism is a joyous, reverent, mystical faith, as
evidenced in its fabulous festivals, such as theKumbha Mela, pictured here being celebratedin Haridwar in 1998 on Mahasivaratri, Sivasgreat night, where 25 million devotees gatheredto honor and seek blessing of the Divine.
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mike
brygider
c h a p t e r 1
eligion is mans association with the Divine, and t
objective o religion is realization o Truth. Forms
bolize Truth are only indications; they are not Truth
transcends all conceptualization. The mind in its eorts to
Truth through reasoning must always ail, or Truth transcen
mind which seeks to embrace it. Hinduism is unique among
religions. I boldly proclaim it the g reatest religion in the wor
with, it is mankinds oldest spiritual declaration, the very oun
aith on the planet. Hinduisms venerable age has seasoned it
It is the only religion, to my knowledge, which is not ounde
historic event or prophet, but which itsel precedes recorded
duism has been called the cradle o spirituality and the mo
ligions, partially because it has inuenced virtually every maand partly because it can absorb all other religions, honor an
their scriptures, their saints, their philosophy. This is possible b
duism looks compassionately on all genuine spiritual eort
unmistakably that all souls are evolving toward union with
and all are destined, without exception, to achieve spiritua
ment and liberation in this or a uture lie. O course, any rel
world is a mind stratum within people, isnt it? It is a group o p
think consciously, subconsciously and subsuperconsciously al
are guided by their own superconsciousness and the superco
o their leaders which make up the orce feld which we ca
It does not exist outside the mind. People o a certain religi
been impressed with the same experiences. They have all ac
same or similar belies and attitudes, and their mutual conc
ates the bonds o ellowship and purpose, o doctrine and c
Rites of Communion: (Photo, let) or eleven days in 1997, one-hundredone priests surrounded 11 fre altars in a huge worship hall at the SringerCenter in Pennsylvania or the grandest o all fre ceremonies. The Ati RuMaha Yajna, witnessed by 6,000 devotees and ollowing liturgy set thouo years ago, was perormed or the frst time on American soil, a demono Hinduisms strength and geographical breadth in our modern age.
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t l w hdum md uu. ty udd, kwldg, d lv l f ll l-g, m m w md bg lgul. t hdu uly blv gl el p,bu d blv y lg ly vld l-g ly lg wll ld ul lv. r, el p d ll lg.
t u wy, wll f Gd Gd wk ll gu w d v. i d hdu u
tu . p my. t f tu, f Gd, lld s Dm, el p, bu -r ul lf, wr rlg bg. t , rur su, v x m, d wk w
w f . t m d m . W d mu m fm? i mfrm d f m mlf. tu, hdum vr vbr dlv, f dd gl u f , mul f r w, gvg rgy d vbrcy wbl lly w.
nully, hdu fl f bd, ml d ffv um f ul ufldm, bu lud hdu md ll lg f wld x- f erl p d udrd c rrly ccrdc w dcr d dgm. h kw crblf d ud m duv ul gw , d ll lg , f, m. tydff m wy. Y, wv h-dum f ly . a dvu hdu uv f ll ff ld u d vuu lf d wuld d uk-bl dud dv fm f. t hdu md, d w w , w w d w
w ff .W f d l bk w lg
r wuld cdr umly krm drwmly bcu blvd dffrly. t h r rc f ul mur r m ul lg my b by du ggy. t hdu kw mgdurb drm f dvdul f ull mlgu , d wuld u uvyb. h kw, , cry xly m wy ll Gd by m
A Religion of Experience
sll, hdum l xmly , lg blf. i dcr f krm d rcrf vl d m, y f d x d uvly ld wv. p du f hdm f x f d. i flw, t u f tu, d w tu my b lzd. h v wd m d vd m ffv. nm yur w lf, rv m yurlf. aw . hdum wll v y, Yu mu d r b cdmd. i hdum blvd dmd. t lvg d umgd f lf r r i bldly y g lg wld.
W hdum, w vy lgu ycl m f g ury, kwldgf lf. e hdu jd d uj bly d m. h mu f vu d d f . h mu vlg w mmuy. h uld d d ml d k m dvd, ld ul, f mlf, udk fm fsadha
onight we want to speak on the joys
and happiness ound in Hinduism, our
ancient religion which brings orth
the wonderul eelings o a belie in the cos-
mic processes o reincarnation coupled with
knowledge o the laws o karma and the
wisdom o dharma in which everyone has
his rightul place and purpose in lie. It brings
the broadmindedness o total acceptance oall other religions as expressions o the One
Gods creation, the blessing o a complete
devotional path revolving around powerul
temples, the ulfllment o a proound mysti-
cal teaching ounded on yoga and brought
orth by the seers and saints and gurus, and
so much more. Our religion is so strong, so rich
and varied that very ew can claim to under-
stand it in its completeness. It is immense, an
immense religion, so immense that we have
difculty sometimes explaining it to those who
hold to a simpler doctrine, especially i they
have been subjected to erroneous concepts
about our religion promulgated by invaders
and missionaries o a score o alien religions.
It is time that the world knew o the great-
ness o Hinduism, knew it as it is. O course,we cannot explain it in an evening. My satguru,
the great Siva Yogaswami o Columbuthurai,
would say, The time is short and the subject
is vast. But we can have a look at some o the
aspects o Hinduism that bring such joys and
happiness to over a billion devotees around
the world. Each Hindus belie in reincar-
nation is so strong that it totally eliminates
the ear and dread o death. No true Hindu
really ears death; nor does he look orward
to it. The word death in the vocabulary o the
Hindu holds a dierent meaning. He
does not take death to be the end o
existence; nor does he look upon lie
as a singular opportunity to be ol-
lowed by eternal heavenly existence
or those souls who do well, and by
unending hell or those who do not.
Death or the Hindu is merely tran-
sition, simultaneously an end and a
new beginning. Over two thousand
years ago, Saint Tiruvalluvar wrote,
Death is like alling asleep, and birth
is like awakening rom that sleep
(Tirukural 339). In one o the ancient
languages o our religion, the physi-
cal body had a name which literally
meant that which is always drop-
ping o. The Hindus knowledge o reincar-
nation gives him the hope o attaining a uture
birth and in that birth making urther prog-
ress toward the perection t
knows is his atman, his sou
this lie to gain enough goo
The Joys of Hinduism
thomas
kelly
thomastkelly
Profundity: (Clockwise) Prof. E. Chamuramoki reviews preciousscriptures at the Oriental Research Institute, Tirupati; the PorramFestival in Thrissur, Kerala, led by 15 gold-caparisoned elephants;a woman rings the bell as she enters the Gadhikalika temple insacred Ujjain city, signalling her presence to the angelic hosts
phal
s.girota
6 what is hinduism? chapter 1 : hinduism, the greatest religion in
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dl d m.tug bd d fdm f md -
qur, hdum rrwly rc xc f dvmr wkd ul, gr dmd d rbllcd u m. ad ug r ym f blf r fully cc-bl md uu w uu f g md, wy u f hdum. t xmmu. t m f v. t lvg hdum yu vfmlly d d b d. Wy ? t buhdum wl f lg w lf. t
r rlg wc c d by lvg hdum, ly r f lg w um f m ll, elp, s Dm.
i wuld y , f lkd ll qul f -mddd m d l ju md, hdum wuld b gr rlg b f rfud mycm l. n f b u d d dug m f myr f xc, r v mycl ym. tu f lgu vl hdum b kd.i kw f qul w. i ym f yg, fmd d ml d slf rlz. nw l r uc gful rvl f r bd f m, ubl d k, y w v ym.ir f urccu r xlrd d md fully hdum, fm l w lg g d ud wd wkd r ccu f m. i W mylly wkd ul w dw hdum f udd-g f f u, dvg f d kg hdum w w d x lw d bl f gudg w v-dg md .
Hinduisms Unbounded Tolerance
i , u w uxl w w uld lv, d d r u g v ld u mbl hdum g l f w frgv fr w fl. i lk w lvg lf dg w . iv my, my . Yu d v d b u lg, yu v lv. t hyd ll l , lz dg um bdy d lk w wuly.
t hdu blv . h bl
bdy w lv, bu ul w bdy f d u. h blv b bdy b b, dd gl lf, rc cuu, lm lf my m blf km u m b bwdly wll m ly f bv f d bv dg hdu , wll uff f glf, fuu lv, my by w y f -lld f b, g lf ff b w fld.
t blf km d xluy my l wld dy, w rlgu r , r cmg m ccluld blv bu url wy, frm d mr gl lf brg hdu grh kw muy f ul k mudd f lv. if f g w,kw rgrg, r wll b mf lg d gwg. t lm xy vyg ll g . tf m lm, f mdg d ulm d ud. t uddg
punya, to deserve welcome into a ne religious
amily as a good soul that will not upset the
amily but add to its love and harmony and
productivity. That is one aim ever on the
mind o the devout Hindu, to live well that
he may live even more perectly in a uture
lie on this planet. That is our aim; and our
other belies, our accumulated knowledge
and the many acets o our religion, give
us the strength and the wisdom to believe
in such a ar-reaching way, to look beyond
the immediate day-to-day concerns intoour ultimate objective, which is realiza-
tion and liberation, moksha. Nor is this
belie in the cycles o earthly existence, in
reincarnation, merely a belie. It is a cer-
tain knowledge or those who have had
even a tiny glimpse into their origins to
the point o remembering another lie or
just intuiting that the soul d id not come
into existence just beore ones birth. The
Hindu believes that the soul undertakes many
sojourns on the planet. We see the wisdom in
this cycle o birth, death and rebirth.
Karma Is Always Just: We see reincarna-
tion as an explanation or many o the appar-ent inequalities observed in lie. Thus we
understand the airness even in a bad
birth, say a birth as a cripple or a child
who dies in inancy. To the Hindu this is
not an accident, but is a natural event
brought orth by the soul itsel through
the karma o unseemly acts and desires
in a previous lie. To the Hindu there is
not one orce in the universe at work tomake all things good and an opposing
orce trying to destroy the soul. No. All
is Gods work. All karma is natural and
worthy o the soul to which it comes.
The Hindu knows that it is the young-
er souls who lack understanding, who
cannot live in harmony with others and
who shun the higher orms o culture
and aith. Rather than inheriting eternal su-
ering or their acts, they earn instead another
opportunity or experience, or learning, or
evolving. The ideas o sin and evil
are dierent in Hinduism rom the
concepts held by Abrahamic reli-
gions. I there is such a thing as sin
to the Hindu, it is the breaking o
the natural laws, a lapse in the pat-
terns o karma and dharma, and
that transgression brings its own
punishment in the orm o an addi-tional karma created to then be
worked out. Thus the Hindu does
not live in ear o sin or under the
notion o original sin. We do not
look upon humanity as inherently
sinul, but inherently perect and
striving to unold that perection
rom within. The Hindu knows that
we will have as many opportunities as needed
to rene and evolve our naturea thousand
lives or more i needed. We dont have to think
that we only have a single ch
which everything must be a
all desires must be ullled.
not in a hurry
We exhibit m
circumstance
who believe
we are more
selves when w
it is that Hindu
joy to its ol
ing o earleso death, an
continuation
ater physica
assurance tha
its own karma
ma is just and
seems that so
ortunate tha
thomas
kelly
david
tropf
thomastkeely
Dedication: (Clockwise) Shaven-headed aspirants await the auspi-cious moment of brahmachari initiation and entry into an order ofworld-renouncing sadhus; pilgrims touch the sculpted stone feet ofVishnu in Tirumala Temples Srivari Padalu shrine; a traditionalKathak dancer in outrageous, colorful costume
8 what is hinduism? chapter 1: hinduism, the greatest religion in
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gv hdu mkbl g um d d f ll m ll g f ul dvlm.
hdum bd. W l f d l f . t l f bgg d f w u bgg. t l f llg - d ly f rm fr fl. t buy f hdum d dmd f vry ul rfc lf, crylu f w blv gl lfm dug wum f g mu b vd. Blf - gv hdu f vy lvl f umy.sm ul r mly ldr ul r, bu ll r rly m, ly mml d f u f Dv.
Hindu Views of the Divinei hdum blvd Gd lvg, kg, dy-m bg w lv dff wld, wld mm w wld w x gmcrcm vbl mcrcm. Fr hdu, urrdr Dv Wll d d vd d gud u-v l. t hdu blv bg gud ux e, ully uly gud vluy. tf, w bg g bg mlf, d m ubjv ud wd m,wdrg f ud w grd frc f uvr,f rl wll w w gr bg wuldv m d. t gv b g ulu, g ud, g l d kd . i gv u-mly lf wk fl umly, bu
g d mu f gd bf w d ully bw.
t d b mll f Gd ug ly fw mj D ully wl. t Gd my b wrd Dv FM Kg f kg f blgff l d g , wll c c f Dy wc m d d bl. t b fug hdu. W rlg mm d duld lym, d y f lg
Gd hdum d b , b byd md d vy ub
t dl f hdu k f Gd lwyd b vr ccu f Gd rc. t drcd Gd, ablu Lrd. t fr cmlv dcl. t fr wll-w wd ffully ml, uu d fud satguru.
Fr m hdu, Gd m Gd, f dv d Mdv w vl u lgl g ul w my v v kwbg w vd l, vd fmd Bg, d w gud vlu. su Gffrg rc d drc fllwr hdu ud k f Gd vry mu fGd vrywr. of cur, m f u d k mu dy. t hdu du d l lgu v, vry dy ml r m r. t ur Gd d Gd.
hdum, s Dm, e e lg vy dff fm g, y m v. hduBuddm, f Budd w b d dd ggv b lg f e, tskm d .
ate has unairly given all the advantages to a
ew. All these things are bestowed on Hindus
simply because they understand the doctrine
o reincarnation. Hinduism is a hopeul and
comorting religion. Hope or a uture
lie makes this lie worthwhile, joyous,
contented and happy, because the
Hindu can live and deal with current
problems, knowing that they are tran-
sitory problems, that they will not last
orever; nor will they aect us orever.
They are problems; we cannot deny
that. But they are problems to be
worked out with a positive attitudeand a high energy and a helping hand
rom our Gods.
The World As Our Teacher: The
Hindu also wants to improve condi-
tions in the world, in the physical
world. We do not look upon all that
happens to us as unreal. That is a misconcep-
tion. It is real. Lie is real. It is through lie that
we progress. Lie is the means provided by
the Primordial God or nding Reality. True,
it is maya. But it is maya in the orm o mind,
in the orm o orm. Maya, or orm, or mind,
is created or a purpose, to help man evolve,
not to bind him in illusion. The Hindu under-
stands this. We want to help humanity,
and simultaneously we know that we
may well return in another physical body.
So we are working not only or ourselves,
but or our loved ones, not only now, but
in the uture as well. We are improving
the world or uture generations in which
we will play a part. Through our knowl-
edge o reincarnation, we have a great
love and un derstanding or every human
being, or they have been our mothers,
our athers, our sons and daughters, our
grandparents and companions in many
past lives, or perhaps will be in a uture
incarnation. This expanded knowledge o
the interrelatedness o humanity brings
with it a deepened appreciation, helping us to
understand why it is that some people seem
so close to us though we hardly know them
and others are strangers or even enemies ater
years o close association. To the Hindu,
everyone younger is his brother or sister.Everyone older is his mother or ather, and
he maintains a deep respect or others.
We have this knowledge by having lived
through many hundreds o lives on this
planet and having been associated with
many thousands o people. We know that
in our current pattern in this lie we oten
attract those to us whom we have been
with in past lives. So we have a great joyand happiness in meeting them again and
a deep knowledge o our relationships,
our psychic relationships, with them in
past lives. The Hindu believes in the law
o karma, the ability to earn ones rewards
as well as punishments. All this we can do our-
selves with the help o our Gods and our per-
sonal relationship with our Ishta De vata, the
individual God that we have chosen, or rather
that God who has chosen t
protect us through an incar
ism there is no priest stand
devotee and God. The prie
the God, just as is
tee. Even the satg
teacher, does not st
disciple and God, bu
strengthen the devo
riential relationship
The Hindu thus nd
relationship with Go
is his relationship, an
to perpetuate it. No
work or him or on h
a great happiness t
devotee and the Go
Hindu temple, whic
nication point with
sacred home shrine.
basilsa
ge
Out of the worshiparise cultural arts
and traditions
that embody thephilosophy anduplift the spirit
himalayan
academy
thomaskelly
Intensity: (Clockwise) Devotees in North York, Ontario, pullthe chariot of Goddess Durga around their temple on July 21,2004; a sadhu sits in a circle of embers for three hours, part of
a 12-year, daily penance, using re in summer, standing in coldwater in winter and in the rain during the rainy season; theelegant face of a Deity icon of Lord Siva Nataraja at KauaisHindu Monastery, site of the editorial ofces of Hinduism Today
10 what is hinduism? chapter 1: hinduism, the greatest religion in
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Three Pillars: Temples, Philosophy, Preceptors
t d f hdum: ml, -ly d satguru. i vy fu l w d-d hdu ml v ly umfd wld. t ml eu, n am, su am, au-l, af d ugu su a. t hdu mld mg wrk cl fr Dy, fr Gd,w v v mg d, ubl fm,g l lv ug gg v u wm ug d. pl m d mld g wy, d y lwly gd fm d u. ty v gd bu vy lf f gd, md b gd d m v
udg ubl fm. t ml f hdum mg mmy d bly lz wld, F Wld f yl, u x d sd d td Wld.
hdu ml d ud m,ug my b ly m d w ml wdv uuly d quly ug. t m, md, d gud w f lgm. t ml m f D, d dv g dg w mg d fr w rculr d. sm my g wd k l m f w, wl mululy - wll b j gd fu d g Gdm kgvg. nurlly, crm f m-gvg dmg d f lly d w ml. o ly d hdu ml dug fvl dy u g gy d vly f lg.
i d , ly, hdum ud
d lgu k f ll ulu ug kw gl ly w b lbld h wk f my l, m mg d vldy f , y d grl c f gl, rd md w. i mu b cludd rmu rry f crur, yvl bj d lcl x wc r cr wld.
i ul d f g, ml w i ll w ml, w d u fd w wld mmu,d u m d mg. i dv m m lk f bg lv m
v f Dy, wg dw w ug md r wrg, f y r fful urc Gd, bcm crur d mk u lt l d l vc f rug uv, dud mg l, by yg d dvu k. i bl b glg ly d v gg mgg ml d v g f d
hdum ll w , d , llum, ul . mv f dk. h w kw l wkg f ml, d w m d ml. t guu w lvl. Lk ml d ly, d u f lrg, r frm f lgrm u f kwldg, d mlf lgm
suld ll ml b dyd, y wuld fm d f ly, fm ad f ll u d ll wwuld b w g fm m u. s h
dyd. i v b dyd. i x w bg. i , ml, satguru, dvdully rc, k gr mm vl d bud lg wld.
The Joy of Pilgrimage: In our religious lie,
one o the most ullling aspects is pilgrimage.
We have a joy in looking orward to a spiritual
journey, and we e xperience a contentment
while on our pilgrimage and later
bask in the glowing atermath o
the pujas. It is like going to see a
great riend, a devotees most loved
riendthe Ishta Devata. We trav-
el to the ar-o temple where this
great riend is eminently present. At
that particular temple, this personal
God perorms a certain unction,oers a speciic type o blessing
to pilgrims who make the pilgrim-
age to that home. In this way, di-
erent temples become amous or
answering certain types o prayers,
such as requests or nancial help,
or prayers or the right mate in mar-
riage, prayers to be entrusted with the raising
o high-souled children, or help in matters oyoga, or help in inspiring bhakti and love. The
Hindu does not have the eeling o having to
take a vacation to get away rom it all. We
dont lead a lie o mental conusions, religious
contradictions and the rustrations that result
rom modern hurried living. We lead a mod-
erate lie, a religious lie. In living a
moderate lie, we then look at our
pilgrimage as a special moment, a
cherished time o setting ordinary
concerns aside and giving ull st age
to our religious longings. It is a time
to take problems and prayers to our
personal God. Unlike the proud
ree thinkers who deem themselvesemancipated, above the religious
lie, we Hindus eel that receiving
the darshana rom the Gods and
the help that comes therein invigo-
rates our being and inspires us to be
even more diligent in our spiritual
lie. Unlike the rationalists who eel
condent that within themselves lie all the
resources to meet all needs, and that praying
to Gods or help is a pathetic exercise in util-ity, the Hindu wisely submits to the Divine
and thus avoids the abyss o disbelie. All
in lie that one would want to get away
rom the Hindu takes with him on a pil-
grimage to the temple, to the eet o his
personal God, to the inner-plane being or
Mahadeva, who needs no physical body
with which to communicate with peo-
pleto the God who has a nerve system
so sensitive and well developed that as ithovers over the stone image, which looks
similar to how the Deity would look on
the inner planes, this being o light can
communicate with the pilgrims who
visit the temple. This being o light, this
Mahadeva, can and does absorb all o
the dross the devotees have to oer, and
gives back blessings which bring happiness
and release to them. Thus, the pilgrimage is
not travel in the ordinary sense o travel, but
rather going to see a person
is nearest and dearest, but
physical body. The Hindu
joythe certaint y o
in difcult times, we a
knowledge o our relig
that no soul that ever e
exist in uture ex trapol
space will ever ail to
The Hindu knows that
day merge into God; a
God, who created all so
our maturing into His lback to Himsel, whic
rom ourselves. The Hin
ing and personal devel
on this planet, knows t
God is the nal goal. T
this belie release us ro
any superiority by w
dinodia
thomaskelly
Joyousness:(Clockwise) In Jejuri, as the palanquin carrying the
images of Khandoba and Malshabai circumvent the temple, anexuberant crowd showers turmeric powder, coloring everyonein the yellow kinship of devotion. Modern, well-to-do Hindus onpilgrimage in Tirupati; women at the marketplace in Nepal
thomaskelly
12 what is hinduism? chapter 1 : hinduism, the greatest religion in
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Hinduisms Fathomless Diversity
hdum gd dvy mg my . t d-vy lf g, wg w bd d mghdum . i d k v ll dv blv xlylk. i f, l uy, gl gzd u- w uld v lm f u m. t mm uy, bu l g d wdm fhdum dvry, vry. tr r my c whdum yu culd d lfm udyg m d vrbg m ll. Mr r y gl um bguld ml gl lfm. hdum, f, mgm dw u bk mmy lf f lf. e my b d b full lg w g, w ll
crm f f, w cry r mg. trfr, c wk f dvdul w mlly, d l- ll . i d lly dv lf fm , dyg blf, bu mly xud lmd r f v ly, r frm ll r, b udd by lmd ful f m.
t vu d dv w hdum ll gfm u. M hdu blv dl Gd wll l Ld Gd, d y w bud f f m f -blv, f f g w g d dvlg blf. tbg uqu u lg b f y.t u g hdum, f gl g v blf. D d sadhana dd blu, bu m blu d, d y b ld dvdul d d u. My satguru wuldy dff qud f dff lm.
i hdum ul ubw m d Gd. i f, hdum t ml v f D k f Gd u. h d r f ml, bu d rv bwd Gdwv f my Gd w my b wg. Wu md, fully u dvdul. t h bl f , f ug, f l w Gd. h mu wk u d, wu udu dd u xu, mu l, mu my b w v vuly g ug w w
ug d uzd dgmd bg g lf fm w mlfW ly, l lm
b fud w m f m d dlv w mlf ug kudl mlf wkg f f d lzd h dl wll h f w l x bu uu d bd.
hdum uqu bcu Gd d m, md v md, llcul md d urccu m, dg vlu f dvdul. eg w lf-d km, w fu g f vlu, w dblly v, w ll ll gudd by m d mul, ty v l x f Dy glly fful x. ty fd f m dug uj g w df lv l. h w l x
bu x f lv, f d f u, d by d. e x f Gd lr. tr -bw, rbrr f ml Gd xly
considers himsel or hersel as especially mer-
iting Gods grace while others are lost. For the
Hindu, there is an assurance that all souls will
eventually enjoy liberation, and that includes
ourselves and all o our riends and
amily. We need never ear otherwise.
The Joy of Mystisicm: Then there
is the joy o the mysticism o Hindu-
ism. It is the worlds most magical reli-
gion, oering worlds within worlds o
esoteric discovery and perception. The
inner worlds are what Hindu mystics
tell o in the greatest richness and
reedom o expression that exists on
the planet. Mysticism in Hinduism is
more out-ront than in all the other
religions o the world. As a result, it is
enjoyed by more o the people in our
religion. Mysticism is discussed more
broadly and not limited to a ew great
souls or a handul o pandits. The mysticism
o Hinduism is or all the people; yet, too, in
its esoteric aspect it is protected at its core
and kept sacred by being kept secret. How
grand is the Hindu mystical tradition, with its
sadhanas and yogas, with its wealth o under-
standing o the etheric bodies, o the nadis
and the chakras, o the aura and the pranas,o the various states o consciousness
and levels o existence, and so much
more. No other religion on the Earth
can ever begin to equal Hinduisms
mystical teachings; all that wealth is
the rightul inheritance o each Hin-
du. The Hindu enjoys all the acets
o lie as transmuted into a religious
expression in art. The Hindus art is a
religious artdrawing, painting and
sculpture o the Gods, the devas, and
the saints o our religion. The music
is devotional and depicts the tones o
the higher chakras, echoes the voices
o the Gods; and the dance emulates
the movements o the Gods. We are
never ar away rom sights, sounds and sym-
bols o our religion. A mountaintop represents
Lord Siva; a hill represents Lord Murugan, Kart-
tikeya; and sugar cane elds represent Lord
Ganesha. Every thing that one sees on the
planet represents something religious. Art is
not merely or egotistical and existential sel-
expression, but or spiritual expression, doneconsciously in service to the Divine. That is why
one seldom sees or even knows the name o
the artist o the great Hindu artistic creations.
The artist is not creating in order to be come
amous or rich. He is surrendering his talents,
serving his Gods and his religion through his
art, and his art takes on a certain sacredness.
One great joy that the Hindu has is the appre-
ciation or all other religions. Hinduism is theo-
centric, that means God-centric, whereas most
other religions are prophet-centric, revolving
around the personality o some living person
or some person who once lived in history and
interpreted religion to his culture in his time.
Hinduism has no ounder. It was never ound-
ed. It has neither a beginnin
coexistent with man himse
called the Sanatana Dharma
It is not one mans teachingIt is not limited to a single a
consists o the entire spectrious components as i throu
not say that this religion is w
right. It sees God everywhe
the great religions. The HinBuddha without becoming
understand Jesus without
tian. Thereore, the joys o
the world become the joys o
as Hindus, we must rst thi
happiness within our own
our blessings. Come closer
religion. The many Gods a
world now and have cir
planet with their shakti o
david
tropf
devraj
agarwal
zumapress,charla
jone
s
phals.girota
Devotion: (Clockwise) Devotees observe evening re offerings
to the Ganga River at the Kumbha Mela in Haridwar,1998;the Kandaswamy Temple in Kuala Lumpur; a boy, representingLord Ganesha, is ceremoniously bathed during the Holy
Waters Festival at Torontos Varasiththi Vinaayagar Temple
14 what is hinduism? chapter 1 : hinduism, the greatest religion in
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penetrate with spiritual power, bringing har-
mony and culture, balancing out the dharma
o the planet. Hinduism is such a great reli-
gion. All practicing Hindus are very proud o
their religion. Unortunately, these days
too many born into the religion are not
all that proud to be Hindus, but this is
slowly changing. Hindus are now wel-
coming into their religion others who are,
o their own volition, adopting or con-
verting into the Sanatana Dharma. They
are proud enough o their aith to want
others to share its wisdom, its mysticism,
its scriptures, its broadmindedness, its
magnicent temples and its nal conclu-
sions or all mankind. To all Hindus, who
today are ound in every country on the
Earth, I say: Courage! Courage! Cour-
age! Have the courage to know beyond
a doubt that Hinduism is the greatest
religion in the world. We must be proud o this.
Hinduism Cannot Be Destroyed: It is alse
to think that one has to be born a Hindu in
order to be a Hindu. That is a concept postu-
lated by certain caste-based Hindu lineages
and reinorced by the Christians in their eortto hinder the growth o our religion, to deprive
it o new lie, to hold it down while they in
turn try to convert Hindus en masse
to their religion. Swami Vivekananda
(), a Hindu monk and mission-
ary who wrote extensively on the Hindu
Dharma, when conronted by this sameissue in the West would explain how Hin-
dus who have been converted by orce
should not be denied an opportunity o
returning to their ancestral religion. As
or the case o those not born into Hin-
duism who might be interested to join it,
he simply said, Why, born aliens have
been converted in the past by crowds,
and the process is still going on. Dr. S.
Radhakrishnan (), the distin-guished Hindu philosopher who became
the second president o India, conrms this
view in writing, In a sense, Hinduism may be
regarded as the rst example in the world o a
missionary religion. Only its missionary spirit
is dierent rom that associated with the
proselytizing creeds. It did not regard as
its mission to convert humanity to one
opinion. For what counts is conduct and
not belie. The ancient practice o vra-
tyastoma, described ully in the Tandya
Brahmana,shows that not only individu-
als but whole tribes were absorbed into
Hinduism. During the era o Indias
domination by alien religions, when Hin-
duism was scheduled to be destroyed,
the attack was to be carried out in three
ways. The rst strategy was to convincethe women to abandon their age-old stri
dharmao maintaining the home, its
purity and ways o worshipthus draw-
ing them away rom the household in order
to receive a so-called higher education or to
teach in alien religious schools, thus denyinguture generations the mothers religious coun-
sel and grounding in the dhstrategy was to overtly break
castes o temple priests by accept other, oten higher pa
thus leaving the t
ed. The third st
vince Hindus th
ited a crude and
This last attack w
mainly through
ing every aspec
that could poss
For example, tho
Hinduism claime
ments. Why, Hin
sacraments, mo
ceremonies or i
perhaps any oth
world. These sa
the namakarana
Within Hinduism Is a Place for Everyone
hdum bd umy , dv l d-v. i f d , f my d m-l. i f g d fl. n xludd. i hduml yu d vy vy f umy. t m f u-muld wl r, urg u v grwu ud ml, kg d bud wly df b u gd m my b d f xlf. t u , bggg wll mrrw d Gd wll r m dv gv m c w. s, hdu ml f lf, mdf lf f mmuy. i mkg ff b b lf f vllg, ly v lf d d
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dd by l f cr r f wrld y. t hdu kwldg d gz rlgu ldr gr r, gr ul, gr, f Gd, r gr bg w v r d wd d mlv mlv , m lgu ld d m gv f f lf ll v g b b wy f lf.
t hdu md m , ld Gd- lg. t f hdlu, ml, fml, l Gd w mfu d m f fm vblh d u fm fm myd f Gd
w b ml d bl l, ul ld d ulf umy gGd my fm. W ly d ytml nw Yk db m wdwy, sv . sk f . Gl f . Muug lg f .
t ly bll hdu wld dfu m ul f Ud s l hdu. hdum d . i ly lg u bd d c D d cd ml, f r f ccu, yg d dcli gl m d gu l f lg. i m udgm di blv ju wld w vy ul gud ulm gl f slf rlz, ldg mkb. i kwldg f dvul, g ug lf d ul mrcd. i ffr gudc ll w k rfug lvr m vlvd mr. i cr l
f crur d ly r, d ldw d f d g, f lzd m vld . i um f , d m, wbldly dl hdum g lg
thomaskelly
pradip
gupta/dinodia
lindsayhebbard
hindusismt
oday
People: (Clockwise) Holy men at the Allahabad Kumbha Melain 2001 parade to the bathing ghats, carrying elaborate dandas,symbols of spiritual authority; ower vendors in Kalikut, readyat dawn with garlands of marigolds, prepared as offerings to the
Gods. During Raksha Bhandan a girl ties a bracel et on her broth-ers wrist, betokening her love and prayers for his welfare, andhis commitment to protect her. Pilgrims arrive at Tirupati Templewearing yellow as a sign of austerity and sacrice.
16 what is hinduism? chapter 1 : hinduism, the greatest religion in
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giving sacrament; annaprashana, rst eeding;
karnavedha, ear-piercing; vidyarambha, com-
mencement o learning; vivaha, marriage; and
many others. Though India was politically
dominated or generations by adherents o
alien aiths, and though every attempt
was made to discourage, weaken and
crush the native religion, the careully
calculated, systematic assault ailed to
destroy Hinduism. Hinduism cannot
be destroyed. It is the venerable eter-
nal religion, the Sanatana Dharma. But
it was an eective campaign that has
let in its wake deep samskaricpatterns,
deep subconscious impressions, which
still persist in the minds o the Indian
people. It is going to be diicult tocompletely eradicate these im pressions,
but with the help o all the millions o
Hindus throughout the world, in adher-
ing to and extolling the benets and
joys o Hinduism and the gits which it
holds or mankind, this is possible and easible,
within the range o accomplishment, perhaps
within this very generation.
Bringing in Ardent Seekers: Hindus
should reely welcome sincere devotees into
their religion, not those who already have a
rm religion and are content, but those who
are seeking, who believe, as millions in the
West already believe, in the laws o karma
and reincarnation and the existence o the
ever-present God that permeates thisplanet and the universe. Hindus should
reely embrace those who believe in
the Gods and all we have been speak-
ing about earlier, or whom other reli-
gious avenues have proved empty and
ruitless. There are certain matured
souls or whom the Sanatana Dharma
can be the only true religion, who have
no other religion and who will seek
and seek until they come upon its pro-
ound truths, perhaps in an old scrip-
ture, or in a temple sanctum during puja or in
the eyes o an awakened siddha yogi. These
souls we must help. We must teach them o
our religion and allow them to ully accept or
reject it, to accept it because they know it, or
to reject it because they know it and
are not ready to meet Maha Ganapati
and humbly sit at the eet o this most
proound Lord. There are many lost
souls on the planet today who die inthe physical worldlose their physical
bodywander on the astral plane a
short time and are caught up imme-
diately in another womb. They have
no knowledge o other states o exis-
tence or o the workings o reincarna-
tion. They have no time or the bliss o
these in-between, astral states. They
have no time or assessing their last
lie and preparing or the next, which
they could then enter with new knowl-
edge, no time or inner attunement
with the Gods in the inner worlds between
death and birth. Instead, they are caught in a
constant cycle o esh, making esh and liv-
ing in esh, with the soul being immersed in
ignorance and the darkness o the conscious-
ness o esh. Hinduism erad
oering knowledge o the s
and death and then lie aga
impressions within the min
uals, which then bring the
drome so that they c
years, in act, o edu
edge in the inner pl
ness between births
come back into a
more awakened sou
let their last physica
We must not be
come these sincere
to assist them in n
they seek and do n
It is our dharma to h
ism has always wel
and converts. Bring
the religion. Teach
Counsel them. Prodence. Have courage
Argentina4,000
Jamaica25,000 Trinidad: 320,000
Guyana: 450,000
Netherlands180,000
England: 1,300,000
Germany: 100,000France: 150,000
Belgium: 6,000Austria: 6,100Spain: 12,500
Portugal: 8,000
Nigeria: 30,000
Uganda: 20,000
Zambia: 25,000
Malavi: 3,000
Botswana: 7,000
Zimbabwe: 6,000
Japan: 6,000
Bhutan: 300,000
Bangladesh: 12,100,000
Myanmar: 294,000
Vietnam: 5,500Thailand: 7,000
Philippines:1,100Indonesia: 5,900,000
Fiji: 600,000
New Zealand47,000
India895,000,000
Sri Lanka2,200,000
S.Yemen: 7,000Somalia: 6,000
Kenya: 75,000Tanzania: 70,000
Reunion: 290,000Mauritius: 700,000
:Madagascar 1,100
South Africa: 1,430,000
Malaysia1,290,000
Singapore171,000
Bahrain: 24,000Egypt: 6,000
Ethiopia: 3,000
Afghanistan130,000
Pakistan1,200,000Hawaii: 700
Kauai Aadheenam: 30Gulf States: 310,000
Italy: 25,000
French Guyana: 5,000
Martinique andGuadaloupe
50,000
Nepal: 21,000,000
Norway: 11,000
Switzerland: 60,000
Russia: 15,000
Sweden: 8,000
Denmark: 15,000
Suriname: 200,000
Serbia & Montenegro: 8,000
China: 93,000
Brazil: 25,000
Canada: 470,000
United States:2,000,000
Australia:75,000
sunder
raj
sat
sahitya
prakashan
trust
Youth: (Left) Hindu school girls in Ban-
galore; right, boys attending Ramesh-
bhai Ozas Hindu school at Sandipani
Vidyaniketan near Porbandar, Gujarat
Where Hindus Live alg ..............600Bbd ..........100
Bu ...............500
cm ..........60
c. af r. 20
cz rubl
d slvk .... 150
cd ...................20
cl ..................20c ............. 170
cg ............100
clmb ........60
cub ..............100
eud ........600
Fld ..........100
Gb .............100
G ..............600
Gu ................50
hugy .............50
ild ..................7
ild ................20
il ................200
ivy c ...1,000
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Jd
Lb
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M
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sy
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Ym
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Wl id m 94 f wldly bll hdu, ly 57 ml-l d wdly glb.t m w lg mmu,w mll ld g,d wld ul blw.
World PoPulation 2002
hdu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 bllcl . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .4 b ll Mul m . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .3 bl lnblv . . . . . . . . 900 mllp . . . . . . . . . . 600 mllcfu . . . . . . . . . . 400 mll Budd . . . . . . . . . . 360 mlltbl . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 ml lt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 ml ls . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 mll
Jw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 mllsk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 mll
J . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 mllZ . . . . . . . . . . . 125,000o F . . . . . . . . . 77 mllTotal 6 25 bil lion
18 what is hinduism? chapter 1 : hinduism, the greatest religion in
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