According to Hindu philosophy and teaching our manifold problems in life are the result of mistaken priorities in life. Hindus believe that God Realization is the prime purpose for our existence. Through our intimate inner contact with that spiritual essence within we learn not only HOW to exist correctly but eventually - the WHY of existence.
In God-Consciousness we learn the real values in life which promote greater wisdom, love, harmony, peace and joy. The yogi learns to rise above the delusion of materialism and realize his Oneness with the source of All things.
To Enrich ones life
Whatever Hindu denomination, school or tradition one is a member - its surely an enriching experience - full of vibrant colour, gentle counsel, star-beams of wisdom, experiences chiselled by the ages, friendships in many guises, and the joy of inner discipline!
For the Hindu, lifes great challenge is to find that which is most enriching to the body, mind and soul.
Promoting harmony and love
The beauty of Hinduism or Sanatana Dharma is the depth of devotion and love applied to a spiritual cause. This spiritual cause is - God-realization.
The devotee learns through yoga and meditation not only to become at peace with himself but also at peace with his Creator. Intoxicated with the divine presence a true Hindu's only wish is to know God more deeply and to share this infinte love, joy, and wisdom with others. Even those Hindus who havent yet been blessed with experiences of supernal realms in meditation can bless others by working towards this goal in selfless service to others and by promoting greater harmony and love between other races, religions, traditions and beliefs. A Hindu sees all true religions as pathways towards the same goal.
These are a few basic teachings that come to mind and by no means exhausted - hopefully other people might add to the list and help establish a scope of simple workable teachings that others might use as a guide to Sanata Dharma.
The basic teaching of Hinduism is to fulfill 'Dharma' (one's duties and act righteously). One should not ignore family (marriage, children, parents), society, country, and humanity in general. A sage when asked what the eighteen voluminous Puranas written by Sage Vedavyasa teach, replied in this way:
'Ashtadasha puraneshu Vyasasya vachanam dwaya;Paropkaram punyaya, Papaya parapeedanam.'(In the eighteen puranas of Vedavyasa, two sentences are important;To help others is merit, sin is to trouble others.)
Hinduism does not dictate what a person should think about God, that is considered a personal view, 'Mata' (opinion) or 'Pantha' (road). That is why hindus may be polytheists, monotheists, monists, or even atheists. Even in one family, persons may hold different views. In my family, I am an atheist, but all others are polytheists.
(Note: I follow a variation of 'Advaita' (non-duality) which rejects the existence of God)
Advaita " (Non duality )"
Mean all the Universe is mere projection of GOD the Supreme Being, all the differences we see are because of our limited knowledge - Maya/Illusion.
Due to Maya we experience joy or sorrow as we tend to see external difference instead our universal oneness.
Once this illusion OR Maya is removed, we will experience the true bliss and see GOD and his existence in all the creation.
So Hindus are taught to respect all living creatures, human beings and not to harm any of them. There are different Electrical Appliance in existence, but in all of them the same electric current is flowing making them work, so too in all the creatures is mere GOD and HIS projection is working .
The ultimate goal of all living creatures according to Hinduism is this realization.
Each creature is free to choose his own path. All creatures take several births, depending on his effort, until they understand GOD and them merge with HIM .
Hinduism asks each person to make an effort to understand his real nature which is full of GOD's Love and Bliss and ultimately merge with HIM.
What do Hindus believe and practice?
The fundamental teaching of Hinduism, or Vedanta, is that a human being's basic nature is not confined to the body or the mind. Beyond both of these is the spirit or the spark of God within the soul. This spirit is within us and also within everything we see. All beings and all things are really, in their deepest essence, this pure or divine spirit, full of peace, full of joy and wisdom, ever united with God. This is not just theory, but it can actually be experienced. Anyone who takes the trouble to undergo the necessary training to purify and refine the mind and senses can begin to feel the truth of this. This training can take various forms and is known as yoga ("union"- union of the individual self with this inner spirit). There are four main types of yoga, meant for the four main types of human temperaments:
•Karma Yoga or the discipline of right actions is for those of active temperament, striving to eliminate selfishness, and to cultivate universal sympathy by seeing the divine reality in all.
•Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion to God whose presence can be felt in all things. God can be worshipped as present in an image in a Temple. God can be worshipped also as present in suffering humanity by service.
•Jnana Yoga, preferred by those of analytical bent of mind, is the discipline of trying to see the divine reality within all things directly, by mentally brushing aside all the obstructing physical and mental coverings that hide it.
•Raja Yoga is the process of mental control, purity, and meditation to make the mind very calm and quiet. In that profound quiet, the inner divine light reveals itself.
What are the manifestation(s) God in Hinduism?
What are the different sects of Hinduism?
The general name for God in Hinduism is Brahman. The name of the divine essence within us is Atman. They are one and the same, infinite and eternal. However, God is also present in all creation. God's manifestation in creation goes by many names. It is the one infinite, eternal, Divine Being that is manifesting in countless ways. It is like a person at the same time being called "father" by his son, "friend" by his friend, "son" by his own father, "husband" by his wife, etc. A special relationship goes with each name. So the same Divine Lord has been addressed as Shiva, Vishnu, etc and as Divine Mother, Kali, Durga, etc. God can also manifest as an extraordinary being in human form, who is then known as an incarnation of God, such as Krishna, Rama, etc. Since it is the one infinite God alone that is being looked at in different ways, all these manifestations can be prayed to for help and protection. This is the underlying principle behind all the different sects of Hinduism. Those who prefer a particular manifestation of the divinity will form a sect devoted to the contemplation and worship of that manifestation. All the sects, however, will accept the ancient teachings of the Vedas and the Vedanta as the foundation of their practice
What is reincarnation?
In this world every cause must have its effect. We are responsible for the results of our actions. Long ages ago, human beings first asked themselves, why are some people born in happy circumstances, whereas others are born to suffer all their lives? The events of this present life are not enough to account for such suffering. To reasonably explain an excess of suffering or of enjoyment in this life, it was assumed that we all have had previous existences, and that we are now reaping the results of those previous actions. It must also be true then that we can take charge of our destiny right now. We can create a better tomorrow by resolving do better actions today. However, as long as desires remain in the mind, the tendency toward rebirth will exist.
What is Maya?
In this life we do not see things very clearly. We are constantly faced with contradictions. Though we know what is right, we have trouble doing it. Our thoughts soar high, but our actions cannot rise to the level of our thoughts. The world is full of misery and injustice; as quickly as we remove some, more seems to rush in to take its place. We are told by the saints, and we also feel, that a loving God is at work in this creation, but we cannot reconcile this with what we see around us. This complex situation in which we find ourselves is called maya.
The way out of this, according to Hinduism or Vedanta, is that we are not really seeing the world properly. If we saw it properly, we would see that it is God alone before us. Instead, we superimpose all this complex world on that divine reality. The illustration given is that of a rope, mistaken in semi-darkness for a snake. The snake of this world frightens us. What is the solution? Bring a light and you will see its real nature. It is only a rope. Likewise, the real nature or essence of this world is divinity alone. Bring the light of spiritual wisdom through yoga, and you will see God alone everywhere. This is what constitutes spiritual freedom or liberation, Moksha. When this knowledge dawns, there is complete satisfaction; no desire remains in the mind, and no further impulse for rebirth remains.
What code of behavior do Hindus follow?
The code of behavior is one's dharma. This is determined by the place in society and the duties associated with it. There are four main social positions or varna; Brahmins (priests and teachers) Kshatriyas (rulers and soldiers), Vaishyas (merchants) and Shudras (workers).
There are four ideal stages of life described in Hindu scriptures: the student, the family man, the recluse, and the wandering holy man. For most Hindu people these represent a metaphorical path, not an actual path.
What are the Hindu sacred texts?
Hindu ancient, sacred texts were written in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India.
•The Vedas are the oldest - about 3000 years old. They are a collection of hymns, prayers, and magic spells.
•The Upanishads are stories and parables told by gurus (teachers) to their students
•The Mahabharata is a story of a war between two royal families. The Bhagavad Gita is a very popular part of this text.
•The Ramayana is a story of the god Rama and the rescue of his wife Sita from Ravana, the evil demon king.
