Tolerance in Hinduism

Posted on August 4, 2014 by gokulmuthu

Hinduism is considered as the most tolerant of all the popular religions of the world. Hinduism’s tolerance or rather acceptance of people who do not believe in religion and people of other religions – Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Muslims – is there in the history and geography books for everyone to see. Even within Hinduism there are innumerable sects and sub-sects, which peacefully coexist. Even major religions like Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism are really sects within Hinduism.

What is not usually covered in history and geography books is how Hinduism is tolerant at its very core philosophy. This would be the answer to “Why is Hinduism tolerant?” Often a detailed explanation to this is demanded by the people of other religions and sometimes by Hindus themselves.

Before we get to explore what is this “tolerance” that we are talking about, we need to understand Hinduism better.

Hinduism is perhaps the least propagated among its own followers. When there is a fairly common opinion among Hindus about who their saints and leaders are, and which their scriptures are, there is very less understanding of the formal definitions and concepts that they teach. Almost every Hindu would agree on many of the names of their saints and leaders – Rama, Krishna, Vyasa, Suka, Sankara, Alwars, Nayanmars, Ramanuja, Madhva, Caitanya, Vallabha, Nimbarka, Maratha and Kannada saints like Jnaneswar, Tukaram, Purandaradasa, North Indian saints like Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas, Meerabai, modern saints and leaders like Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Ramana, Gandhi, Tilak, Tagore, Aurobindo, Bharati, etc. But, if we ask the person, “What was the leader’s understanding of Hinduism?”, “What did the leader teach about Hinduism?”, he will not know. The kind of answers we might get are like “Hinduism cannot be defined.”, “Hinduism is merely a way of life.”, “There is no common concept of Hinduism.”, etc. Much of these statements are unfounded. We can easily find that more than 99% of the Hindu saints and leaders in the past thousand and more years share a set of basic principles (called Vedanta) that are common. Almost every Hindu knows that the Vedas, Gita, Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, various stotras and scriptures are the ones that define the concepts of Hinduism. But if you ask him what they say about Hinduism, he will not be able to list even a few concepts. Even though the common Hindu might not know or might not have thought about a structured presentation of concepts, there exists a structure. If the salient points of the structure are listed and told to the common Hindu, he will be surely able to relate his beliefs, practices and “way of life” to be in consonance with the list of concepts.

Here are listed some of the high level common salient concepts. References to the relevant verses in the Bhagavad Gita are given in brackets.

  1. The individual, called jiva is the possessor of freewill. As freewill is “free” from matter, memories and emotions, the jiva is not a part or product or property of the body or mind. The jiva is an independent entity, who expresses and experiences through the body and mind. (15.7, 15.8, 15.9, 15.16, 2.12, 2.13, 2.22)
  2. The jiva is wholly responsible for all the situations faced in life. (6.5) The present situation faced by the jiva is the result of the past actions (physical, verbal and mental) of the jiva. The future situations that will be presented to the jiva will be the result of the past and present actions of the jiva. The jiva cannot escape the good and bad consequences of its actions, even by death. (6.41, 6.42, 16.18, 16.19, 16.20, 9.3, 13.22) This is called the Law of Karma.
  3. Isvara is the sum total of all that exists. (7.4, 7.5, 11.7, 11.13, 11.38) Isvara is that Supreme Being, to whom, the entire material Universe is the body, the sum total of the minds of all jivas is the mind and identifies with the whole of existence. So, Isvara is everywhere as everything. (11.5, 9.4, 13.14, 13.15, 13.16, 13.17)
  4. Isvara has created, or rather has become or appears as, the jagat (Universe) for the benefit of the jivas to express and experience, by which they will mature in wisdom, which is the purpose of the existence of the Universe. For this, Isvara creates, sustains and recycles the Universe. (9.17, 10.20, 13.17) The jivas continue to exist with all their past effects and impressions intact even on recycling of the Universe. (8.19)
  5. Isvara knows the innermost thoughts and intentions of every jiva. (10.20, 18.63) Isvara oversees the reward of every physical, verbal and mental action of every jiva in a fair and appropriate manner. (9.19, 7.21) This does not make Isvara judgmental because, Isvara is not different from the whole of existence. It is Isvara, as it were, that enjoys or suffers as the jiva itself. (13.15, 13.23, 9.24) Isvara is compassionate to every jiva because the jiva is not apart from Isvara. (7.7) It is just the Law of Nature that results in the reward. Isvara wants every jiva to learn from the good and bad experiences in life and grow in wisdom. (4.33)
  6. Isvara’s teachings are available in the form of the Vedas, which was revealed to rishis in the distant past. (4.1) Isvara teaches the jivas through various saints in all places in all ages. (4.3, 4.34) Isvara is accessible to any sincere jiva in any place in any age. (7.21, 4.10) Occasionally, Isvara comes in the midst of the jivas in the garb of another jiva (incarnation) to help and teach the jivas. Isvara has come innumerable times in the past and will come innumerable times in the future. (4.6, 4.7, 4.8) Any teaching of anyone in any age is acceptable as authentic if it does not contradict the Vedas. (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 13.25, 13.26, 16.23, 16.24)
  7. By having a relationship with Isvara, which is based on faith, gratitude and love, the jivas can face the ups and downs of life with poise. The relationship will help them to be honest, compassionate, disciplined, unselfish, peaceful and happy even under extreme situations in life. With this equanimity and poise, the jivas will be able to learn from the various experiences, grow in wisdom and understand that they are not apart from Isvara. (12.13-12.20, 9.34, 12.6, 12.7) This relationship is called Bhakti.
  8. To develop the relationship with Isvara, worship is a very effective exercise. Isvara can be worshiped as without form or through any form. It depends on the temperament of the worshiper. (12.2, 12.3, 12.4) The worship can be physical, verbal or mental. As Isvara is everywhere, knows the innermost thoughts and is compassionate, all that is needed is love and sincerity. (9.26) Isvara will know even if the jiva calls by any name. Isvara can be worshiped as male or female or neither or beyond. Isvara can be worshiped as any aspect of Nature or any form. (11.5) Different forms of mental worship is called meditation. Hinduism has developed a detailed system of preparations and procedures of meditation that is suitable to people of different temperaments. (6.10-6.28) Usage of images and other representations of Isvara helps to concentrate the mind and form a personal emotional relationship with Isvara. Stories of incarnations, saints and devotees, stories of divine personalities which incorporate various aspects of Isvara, allegories that help meditation on various qualities of Isvara and various legends help forming a personal relationship with Isvara. Any form of worship invoking an all-pervading, all-knowing and all-powerful entity is accepted as worship of Isvara. (7.21, 7.22)
  9. As Isvara is the whole of existence, anything that the jiva does is an offering to Isvara and any situation that the jiva faces in life is from Isvara only. Thus, every moment of life is an interaction with Isvara only. So, doing full justice to the current situation in which the jiva is placed by doing its duty as an offering to Isvara, is itself a form of worship of Isvara. (18.46, 9.27, 11.55) This is called Karma Yoga.
  10. When the jiva understands fully and deeply that it is not apart from Isvara, the goal is reached. Freed from the cycle of desire, action and result, the jiva merges with Isvara and attains real peace. This goal is called moksha – freedom. (13.31, 13.32, 6.29, 6.30, 6.31, 2.71, 2.72)

With these as the common salient points, the details and practices vary from sect to sect, school to school and even person to person. Hinduism gives that freedom to the individual. Hinduism welcomes the forming, merging and dissolution of any number of sects to cater to the different needs of people of various temperaments, provided the basic principles of honesty, love, discipline and unselfishness are upheld. Hinduism also encompasses various non-Vedanta viewpoints, which differ from the above listed points to various degrees. However, as mentioned earlier, almost all of the today’s practicing Hindus would agree with the above mentioned points.

Now, let us understand what is this “tolerance” that Hinduism presents.

  1. Hinduism gives infinite chance for a person to reach the goal. Every good and bad action is appropriately rewarded. However, that is not the end. Even the most cantankerous person is given as many number of chances that takes for him to see the light of wisdom.
  2. Action is appropriately rewarded. Every action is finite and so every reward is also finite. A finite action is not rewarded with infinite and eternal reward (or punishment). That would be both illogical and unfair.
  3. One need not accept Isvara as even a person. As long as a person accepts the basic moral principles of honesty, compassion, discipline and unselfishness, he is appropriately rewarded by the basic law of Nature itself. Moksha is the understanding that the individual is never separate from the whole. Acceptance of Isvara is only a psychological convenience.
  4. There is no restriction that a person should worship Isvara as only without form or a particular form. The all-knowing, compassionate Isvara will surely know however and through whichever form that the person worships. Putting restriction on the way of worship would be to deny Isvara the basic qualities of all-knowing and compassion.
  5. Every person is free to worship in his own way. In the same family different people can worship in different ways. Some people may not worship at all. The same person may go through different phases when different ways of worship would appeal to him the most.
  6. There is no restriction of race or gender or place or period when or where or to whom Isvara is directly accessible. Any sincere seeker can directly interact with Isvara. As long as the interaction informs and inspires the person to be honest, compassionate, disciplined, unselfish, peaceful and happy, it is acceptable as with Isvara.
  7. There is no restriction on the number of sects that can come and serve people. Every age demands different groups of people, often led by one or more teachers with their own set of teachings, who will approach Isvara in their own peculiar way. This is needed to cater to the different temperaments and demands of people. The sects will exist as long as they are relevant and in due course of time disappear, transform or merge into other sects. This is accepted as natural. Hinduism accepts all the sects of the past and is open to innumerable sects of the future, as long as the basic universal values of honesty, compassion, discipline and unselfishness are valued by the sect.

Thus, Hinduism gives a rational framework for the basic human principles of good and peaceful living. It is based on principles and not on personalities. It gives full freedom to people in terms of faith and practice.

All this makes Hinduism the most tolerant of all popular religions.

Hindus consider a person belonging to another religion as people who worship the same Isvara in a different way. It is the people of the other religion that protest this and claim that they worship a “different” “God”. To a Hindu, there is only one Isvara, who can be worshiped in different ways. It is the followers of the so-called “monotheistic” religions that say “our God is different from your God”. A typical Hindu, who equates “Isvara” to “God”, finds it very difficult to understand how there can be several “Gods” who are completely different from each other, and can never accept this concept. This makes the Hindu tolerant and in fact “accepting” and “respecting” of people, beliefs and practices of all religions. Problems arise only when the acceptance and respect is not fully reciprocated.

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Essentials of Spiritual Life

Posted on May 12, 2014 by gokulmuthu

Here is a list of essentials of spiritual life for people who are really serious about it.

Spiritual life is the sustainable and practical way to be happy, joyous, peaceful and resilient to the ups and downs of life.

  1. Stop blaming others. Take the responsibility of everything that happens in your life on your shoulders. Do not look at the fault of others. Look at your own faults and try to improve.
  2. Do not get dejected at your own faults. It is natural to have defects. To err is human. The mind is a tool. It is the nature of the mind to be imperfect. Your task is to make it as perfect as possible, and to get as perfect job as possible done with your mind.
  3. The quality of your life directly depends on the quality of your mind. Mind is your most important instrument. Develop a contented, peaceful, cheerful and disciplined mind.
  4. Do something constructive and contribute to the world and the people around you. Give more than you take from the world. Do not live as a burden to the earth. Consume minimum and contribute maximum. Always look for ways to contribute. Stop looking for “what is in it for me”. Start looking at “how can I add value to it”.
  5. Be honest and truthful. There should be perfect alignment between your intentions, words and action.
  6. Wish good to everyone. Be friendly with everyone. Do not intend harm to anyone. Try not to hurt anyone. Help everyone as much as possible.
  7. Lead a disciplined life. Eat moderately. Sleep moderately. Indulge in entertainment moderately. Work moderately.
  8. As long as you live, learn. Learn from people. Learn from things around you. Pick up some good skills that will help you and others. In success and failure, look for the lessons that you can learn.
  9. Being humble is important to learn and improve. Be modest, humble and respect everyone and every situation. Never be arrogant or over-confident.
  10. God knows the innermost thoughts of everyone, especially you. God is the bestower of the results of your actions. God is impartial and just. Do everything that you do as a gift to God. Accept everything in life as a gift from God.

Understanding and following these is the first step to spiritual life. Without this understanding, no amount of japa, puja, prayer, meditation, social service, singing, chanting, pilgrimage, etc. will be of much use.

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Bhakti according to the Bhagavad Gita

Posted on April 26, 2014 by gokulmuthu

(This article is based on a talk that I gave at Ashirvad Inter-Religious Harmony Movement, Bangalore on 27-Apr-2014.)

(An edited version of this article was published in December 2015 issue of Vedanta Kesari, a monthly magazine of Sri Ramakrishna Math, published from Chennai.)

The message of the Bhagavad Gita is the message of the Vedas, which is the message of Hinduism. Thus, though Bhagavad Gita is taken here as the primary source, all Hindu scriptures convey the same idea and message.

The Goal

All creatures, including men, seek happiness. If asked when we want to be happy – morning, evening, Sunday, Monday, etc. – we would say “always”. If asked where we want to be happy – office, home, road, etc. – we would say “everywhere”. If asked under what conditions we want to be happy – success, failure, favourable, unfavourable, etc. – we would say “unconditional”. Thus, everyone wants to be unconditionally happy everywhere always.

Now, the question is, “Is such happiness possible?” The Hindu scriptures say, “Yes.” We can also observe in our life that there is no circumstance, however bad, where we cannot put up a brave smile and say “OK, what next?” We will have to face problems in life. No one can be free from problems. We have to try to solve the problems. But, there is no problem that can overwhelm us completely. We always have the freedom to say, “OK, what next?” and face the problem. Happiness and sorrow are in our hands. We are really free to be happy or sad. We just need the strength to face life as it comes.

The full realization and manifestation of this complete freedom from sorrow is called moksha. The Gita teaching starts with the verse 2.11, which says “na anu socanti panditaah” – “wise men do not have sorrow”. The entire description of “sthitaprajna lakshana” – “marks of a wise man” in the verses 2.55, 2.56. 2.57, 2.58, 2.61, 2.64, 2.65, 2.70 and 2.71 is a detailed description of the everyday life – thoughts, actions, attitudes and feelings – of the person who has attained this freedom. This is the goal to which Hinduism wants to lead us to. This is beautifully summarized in verse 2.71:

vihaaya kaamaanyah sarvaanpumaanshcharati nihsprhah |
nirmamo nirahankaarah sa shaantimadhigachchhati || (2.71)

Free from all desires, the wise man moves freely among people, objects and situations in life without getting affected by them. He is free from the sense of “mine” and “I” regarding everything in this world, including his own body and mind. He attains to real peace.

We are already free. But we are under a delusion that we are dependent on people, objects and situations for our happiness. This is the cause of our sorrow.

If we analyze where does sorrow come from, we can find that sorrow always come from an unfulfilled desire. Desire is another name for sorrow and sorrow is another name for desire. Desire arises out of a sense of incompleteness. We feel that we need some people, objects or situations, without which we are not fulfilled. This sense of incompleteness comes from our identity as a limited individual, identified with this body and mind. As we are in reality free from sorrow, we are in reality not this limited body and mind. And, only freedom from this false notion can free us completely from all sorrow. Thus, moksha is possible only by dropping the identity with this particular body and mind. In fact, dropping this false identity is called moksha.

The identification with the limited individuality, represented as the body and mind, is very very strong. The entire spiritual life is a struggle to gradually weaken and finally drop this false identity. Bhagavad Gita gives a beautiful graded approach towards this by making small corrections at each step in the perspective of ourselves and the world around us. Bhakti – love towards ishvara takes us through this process in a smooth manner.

Bhakti Stage 1 – Sakaama Bhakti

We all have the idea that we are individuals. We experience the world using our sense organs and mind. We express ourselves in the world, using our decision-making capability, as words and action. Thus, bhoktaa (experiencer) and kartaa (doer) are the two roles of our identity.

Bhagavad Gita first introduces “ishvara” as the Supreme Being, who

(1)  knows the inner-most intentions and thoughts of all of us

(2) is the principle that awards experiences in our life as the result of the decisions that we make, in an absolutely fair and impartial manner

(3) is the creator, sustainer and recycler of this material universe to aid the individuals to “do” and “experience”

(4) is the “whole” as compared to individuals who are “parts”. Every cell in our bodies is a living entity. But we identify ourselves as individuals, who express and experience through the body and mind. Similarly, ishvara is that “person”, to whom the whole physical universe is the body and all the minds of all the beings put together is the mind.

Thus, there are three entities – jiva (individual), jagat (material universe) and ishvara. Jivas do action in the jagat and experience the results of their actions in the jagat, as ordained by ishvara.

To experience favourable situations in life in the long term, jivas should do good actions, called dharma. Dharma is

(1)  yagna – paying back the five debts (panca runa) that we owe – to nature, other animals, other human beings, our ancestors and our teachers

(2) daana – giving donation as a duty with respect and humility to needy people at the right time and place, without expecting anything in return (verse 17.20)

(3) tapas – living a disciplined life of values like respect to elders, worship, cleanliness, truth, purity, non-violence, cheerfulness, serenity, compassion, study, etc. (verses 17.14, 17.15, 17.16)

As ishvara is fair and impartial, a person following dharma will feel secure because of ishvara. An honest citizen will feel secure in the presence of a policeman, whereas a thief will feel afraid. So, adherence to dharma is important to be able to love ishvara. Knowing that ishvara is the ordainer of the results, the person will be grateful to ishvara. This will develop into love for ishvara.

In reality, we merely want to be happy. We love only people and objects, which (we think) give us happiness. Thus, for someone or something to be lovable, it should give us happiness (like a sweet) or should be a means for our happiness (like money, which can buy a sweet). The former is called “saadhyam” and the latter is called “saadhanam“. However, essentially, all love is self-centered. Even a mother shows that special love towards her “own” child only. A person’s unconditional absolute love is only towards himself. This self is called “siddham“.

Love for ishvara also starts first as a means (saadhanam) to favourable situations in the world. World is the end (saadhyam) and ishvara is the means (saadhanam). We do work in the world aiming for some results. When we get a favourable result, we thank ishvara. As a token of our gratitude, we offer a part of the result to ishvara with love.

This is not wrong to start with. Ishvara welcomes this. In the verses 7.16 and 7.18, Gita appreciates the people who worship Ishvara to remove problems and to get desired situations in life. This is the way the person can start interacting with ishvara. In verse 7.21, Gita says that ishvara answers the prayers of the person to strengthen his faith.

Gita says that such an offering can be made with simple things. Ishvara does not look at the grandeur of the offering. He looks only at the loving gratitude. Verse 9.26 presents this beautifully as

patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyaa prayachchhati |
tadaham bhaktyupahrutamashnaami prayataatmanah || (9.26)

I accept the devoted offering of a leaf, flower, fruit or water offered by a righteous (honest, disciplined, compassionate, etc.) person.

To deepen the love towards ishvara, various forms and methods of worship are presented. Human beings need forms and rituals as psychological tools. To show our respect and to deepen our positive emotions to the country, we need to use a flag and salute it. The flag is a symbol of the country and the act of saluting is a ritual. When we meet people, we shake hands, which is a ritual. Saying “hello”, “good bye”, “thank you”, “you are welcome”, “sorry”, “it is OK”, etc. are all rituals. Even when we really mean them, they are needed to express our feelings. To show our love towards another person, we give a flower. That is a ritual. Rituals are needed to express our emotions and to deepen them.

Ishvara can be worshiped through any of the various forms. The person can choose the form to his liking. As ishvara knows the innermost thoughts, what we need is sincerity. The external form does not matter. Ishvara can be worshiped as Vishnu, Shiva, Rama, Krishna, Hanuman, Ganesha, Parvati, etc. Any form like Linga, Salagrama, Rudraksha, flower, fire, etc. can be used.

Also, depending on the context, ishvara can be worshiped in a relevant form. For example, while starting a financial endeavour, ishvara is worshiped as Laxmi. While starting a work, ishvara is worshiped as Ganesha. Before taking bath in Ganga, ishvara is worshiped as Ganga Mata. When considering ourselves as citizens of India, ishvara is worshiped as Bharat Mata. When considering ourselves as Earthlings, ishvara is worshiped as Bhumi Mata. When showing gratitude for the light and energy given by the Sun, ishvara is worshiped as Surya Devata.

Gita says in verse 7.21:

yo yo yaam yaam tanum bhaktah shraddhayaarchitum ichchhati |
tasya tasyaachalaam shraddhaam taameva vidadhaamyaham || (7.21)

Whoever in whichever form or method wishes to worship Me with devotion, I accept the worship through those forms and methods, and strengthen the faith of the worshiper.

The various methods of worship like rituals, pilgrimage, singing, dancing, chanting, meditation, japa, etc. help to develop a personal relationship with ishvara and deepens the emotions of the person. In chapter 6 verses 6.5 to 6.36, Gita gives detailed instructions on meditation, including leading a meditation-conducive lifestyle, the way to make the seat, way to sit, bring back the wandering mind, etc. In verses 17.4, 17.5, 17.6, 17.11, 17.12 and 17.13 Gita advices to avoid worshiping negative forces with ill-will towards others and worship positive forces without any specific selfish material agenda.

Bhakti Stage 2 – Ananya Bhakti or Nishkaama Bhakti

Love exists in our lives in various forms. Love of money is called lobha – greed. Love of sense pleasure is called kaama – lust. Love towards a friend is called sakhya. Love of a mother towards her child is called vaatsalya. Love of ishvara is called bhakti.

Bhakti is different from other forms of love because of various factors like the following:

(1)  ishvara is a conscious being, unlike money or pleasures

(2) ishvara knows our innermost thoughts, unlike other humans

(3) ishvara is not dependent on us, unlike other humans

(4) ishvara is infallible, unlike other humans

(5)  ishvara is infinite and can accommodate everyone, unlike humans or objects, which are limited

Because of these, bhakti makes a person honest, selfless, humble, forbearing, loving and dispassionate. These characters are the means and the result of bhakti. Also, because ishvara is impartial and infinite, He is always available. The love of the person gets truly and fully reciprocated. It is like the light of the Sun always being available to everyone. Whoever uses it gets benefited. The amount of benefit derived depends only on the user. Thus, to develop bhakti, Gita proposes an interesting method. It advises the person to follow a lifestyle such that he will become dear to ishvara. This is presented in verses 12.13 and 12.14, and the few verses following them.

adveshtaa sarvabhootaanaam maitrah karuna eva ca |
nirmamo nirahankaarah samadukhasukhah kshamii || (12.13)
santushtah satatam yogii yataatmaa drudhanishchayah |
mayyarpitamanobuddhir yo madbhaktah sa me priyah || (12.14)

That person, who is without hatred towards any living being, being friendly and compassionate, free from greed, free from self-centeredness, having equanimity towards favourable and unfavourable situations, forbearing, being always contented, being self-controlled, having firm faith, and having offered his mind and intellect to Me, is dear to Me.

When a person follows this form of bhakti, slowly instead of doing actions for himself and offering the results to ishvara, he will start doing actions for the pleasure of ishvara. To reinforce this attitude, Gita says “aham hi sarvayagnaanaam bhoktaa ca prabhureva ca” (9.24) – “I am the recipient of all actions and offerings.” and “bhoktaaram yagnatapasaam” (5.29) – “I am the recipient of all actions and austerities.“ The person develops the attitude, “Whatever I do, I do it for You.” Verse 9.27 captures this beautifully.

yatkaroshi yadashnaasi yajjuhoshi dadaasi yat |
yattapasyasi kaunteya tatkurushva madarpanam || (9.27)

Whatever you contribute, whatever you consume, whatever action you do, whatever donation or alms you give, whatever austerities and disciplines you follow, do them as an offering to Me.

When this attitude sets in, ishvara is no longer the means (saadhanam) for happiness. Ishvara becomes the primarily loved entity (saadhyam). Everything in the world become only means to please ishvara.

Thus, out of the two roles – bhoktaa (experiencer) and kartaa (doer) – the former is given up. The person no longer considers himself as the bhoktaa. His desires for worldly objects and pleasures fade away naturally. His identity as bhoktaa becomes very weak.

As such a person does not care much about his worldly needs, ishvara Himself ensures that his needs are met. Verse 9.22 gives this assurance.

ananyaashchintayanto maam ye janaah paryupaasate |
teshaam nityaabhiyuktaanaam yogakshemam vahaamyaham || (9.22)

To the people, who worship Me without caring about the world, I carry whatever is needed by them to live in the world and take care of their well being.

Even if the person who reaches this stage had done several bad deeds in his life, he can be considered as a saint.

api chetsuduraachaaro bhajate maamananyabhaak |
saadhureva sa mantavyah samyagvyavasito hi sah || (9.30)
kshipram bhavati dharmaatmaa shashvachchhaantim nigachchhati |
kaunteya pratijaaniihi na me bhaktah pranashyati || (9.31)

If an unrighteous person worships Me without caring for worldly things, he should be considered as a saint because he has taken the right resolution. Soon he will become righteous and attain peace. Arjuna, I promise, My devotee will not be destroyed.

Bhakti Stage 3 – Vishvarupa Ishvara Bhakti

At this stage, Gita presents two aspects of ishvara.

Ishvara is the material cause of the world. Everything in the world is nothing but manifestations of ishvara only. The material universe is not different from ishvara. Though the world does not limit ishvara, the world is not outside ishvara. Ishvara is the essence of everything in the world. He is the life of the living beings, the strength of the strong, courage of the brave, austerity of the ascetics, smell of the earth, sapidity of water, light of fire, etc. Ishvara is also the law that governs the world – the physical laws and moral laws – called ritam or dharma. These are presented in verses 7.4, 7.8, 7.9, 7.10 and 7.11, and almost the whole of 10th and 11th chapters.

Also, ishvara is the single Consciousness principle that drives the entire world. Ishvara is the principle that powers our existence, intellect, mind and senses. This is presented in verse 7.5.

apareyamitastvanyaam prakruitim viddhi me paraam |
jiivabhootaam mahaabaaho yayedam dhaaryate jagat || (7.5)

Know that apart from My material nature is My higher nature. It is this higher nature in the form of the Consciousness principle that sustains the world.

Just like electricity powers various appliances connected to the circuit, ishvara powers all of jagat (material world) and the jivas (living beings). Just as various appliances behave differently based on their nature to give light, wind, heat, cold, etc., various aspects of the world and the living beings exhibit various characteristics based on their nature. Verse 7.7 gives a beautiful illustration:

mattah parataram naanyatkinchidasti dhananjaya |
mayi sarvamidam protam sootre maniganaa iva || (7.7)

There is nothing outside or beyond Me. Everything in the world is strung on to Me like beads on a string.

These two aspects of ishvara are called aparaa prakruti (ingredient of matter and mind) and paraa prakruti (Consciousness). These two together constitute the entire existence. The individual person exists as a superimposition on ishvara.

When this is understood, there exist only two entities – the person and ishvara. Every moment of life is a play between the person and ishvara. There is no third entity. Everything other than the person is merged into a single entity, which is ishvara. This attitude is called visvarupa ishvara darshana.

Bhakti Stage 4 – Advaita Bhakti or Jnanam

At this stage, Gita presents the real identity of the person as pure Consciousness. With this, the individual identity of the person is given up in the ishvara. The person surrenders himself completely to ishvara. From the standpoint of Consciousness, there is no difference between ishvara and the person, because both identify themselves as the same Consciousness.

As one’s unconditional love is only towards oneself, this identity results in the true love for ishvara. Ishvara is elevated from the earlier statuses of saadhanam and saadhyam to siddham.

Thus, the role of the person as kartaa (doer) is also given up. With the limited identity been thus erased, there is no locus for the effects of karma. There is only peace and bliss. There is absolutely no sorrow at all. This is highlighted in the famous verse 18.66.

sarvadharmaanparityajya maamekam sharanam vraja |
aham tva sarvapaapebhyo mokshayishyaami maa shuchah || (18.66)

Giving up all concepts of doership, surrender your limited individual identity into Me as the one single existing entity. By this, I will free you from the favourable and unfavourable effects of all actions. Do not grieve.

Conclusion

It will take several lifetimes to gradually develop step by step to reach this stage. Verse 7.19 says:

bahoonaam janmanaamante jnanavaan maam prapadyate |
vaasudevah sarvamiti sa mahaatmaa sudurlabhah || (7.19)

At the end of several lives, the wise man knows Me as the material cause and the Conscious principle in everything. Such a person is a great one and is very rare.

This development continues across lifetimes, picking up from where it was left. This assurance is given in the Gita in verses 6.40 to 6.44. Thus, even death cannot deprive even the smallest progress made in this path.

Thus, Gita leads us step by step from wherever we are to moksha through the path of bhakti.

When the person has dropped the bhoktaa (experiencership) and kartaa (doership), then the limited individuality of identification with the body and mind drops. The person leads a life of righteousness, purity, compassion and dispassion, full of peace and joy for the rest of his life. He is called a jivanmukta – one who is free even when living. This is the goal of Gita, Veda and Hinduism. Bhakti is a smooth path towards the goal.

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Comparing Hindu and Christian After-life Concepts

Posted on March 22, 2014 by gokulmuthu

Every religion has the concept of after-life existence, which depends on the way the person has led life. Here I give a comparison of Hindu and Christian concepts.
I am presenting here the analysis that I have done based on my understanding of both religions. I have had the good fortune of studying Hinduism under great teachers. So, I expect that understanding to be reliable. I have not studied Christianity formally. That is based on what I have been able to understand by reading books and talking to some Christian friends.
For this comparison, I would like to classify life on both secular and faith-based features. First, let me present the definitions that I have taken.

  • Virtuous – Following human moral and ethical norms of being honest and kind, to the best of his ability. Repenting for slippages and wanting to become better and better.
  • Vicious – Willfully violating human moral and ethical norms of being honest and kind.
  • Hindu Believer – Belief in God in a personal aspect like Vishnu, Shiva, etc. and in law of Karma, innate divinity of soul, charity, yoga, meditation, etc.
  • Christian Believer – Belief in Christ as (only?) savior from original sin.
  • Spiritual Non-religious Hindu – No belief/interest in personal aspect of God, but belief in law of Karma, innate divinity of soul, charity, yoga, meditation, etc.
  • Hindu Non-believer – No belief in personal aspect of God nor in law of Karma, etc.
  • Christian Non-believer – No belief in original sin, Christ as savior, etc.
  • Confused – A person who is confused about why to be virtuous, and in reality a mixture of virtue and vice.

Note that a person cannot be a true believer of any religion and also be a vicious person. All religions teach honesty and kindness to all creatures. Any other interpretation on this has to be taken as an obsolete or wrong interpretation, which has to be corrected by the teachers and practitioners of that religion.
Note that a person cannot be simultaneously be a Hindu and Christian “believer”, because there is no concept of original sin and Christ as savior in Hinduism, which are core to Christian belief. Typically a Hindu accepts Christ as a saint and not as a savior. The Christian “good news” is “Christ is savior”. The Hindu “good news” is “You are divine and do not need to be saved”.

Person According to Hinduism According to Christianity
Virtuous Hindu Believer or Spiritual Non-religious Hindu or Hindu Non-believer, and in all cases, Christian Non-believer Case 1: If the person has totally realized his unlimited true nature, free from all limitations of individuality, he is already free while living in the world (jivanmukti). When the body drops, he will immediately merge with the whole of existence (videhamukti).
Case 2: If the person does not have any worldly or other-worldly desires, he will go to a divine abode (brahmaloka) immediately after death and never come back to the world. In that divine realm, he will realize his freedom. If the person is a devotee of a particular aspect of God like Vishnu, Shiva, etc. the realm will be correspondingly Vaikuntha, Kailasha, etc, which are particular aspects of brahmaloka.
Case 3: If the person has other-worldly desires, he will spend some time in swarga till the merits earned for that is exhausted. After that he will come back to the world. If the person has only this-worldly desires, he will not spend much time in other worlds. In either case, he will come back in a cultured and devoted family, and continue his spiritual development from where he left.		 According to some Christians, he will have to wait till Judgement day, when he will be condemned to eternal hell. According to some other Christians, he will have to wait till Judgement day, when he will be sent to a divine realm for eternal life.
Virtuous Christian Believer and Hindu Non-believer Same as the case of Virtuous Hindu Believer. Hinduism does not depend on belief. His after-life direction will be immediately decided based on the cases mentioned above. He will have to wait till Judgement day, when he will be sent to a divine realm for eternal life. Any minor imperfections will be corrected in the Purgatory on the way to the divine realm.
Vicious He will be immediately sent to naraka, where he will have to suffer for some time for his evil deeds. Then he will come back to the world for another chance to lead a virtuous life and develop spiritually. He will have to wait till Judgement day, when he will be condemned to eternal hell.
Confused and mixed behavior He will be immediately sent to swarga and then to naraka (or the other way round), where he will have to enjoy and suffer for some time for his good and evil deeds, respectively. Then he will come back to the world for another chance to lead a more virtuous life, develop spiritually and to develop detachment from all worldly and other-worldly desires. He will have to wait till Judgement day, when he will be judged based on his belief and deeds, and given eternal life or condemned to eternal hell. If he is allotted eternal life, any imperfections will be corrected in the Purgatory on the way.

I am not going to pass a judgement of which is better than the other, which is more rational than the other, etc. That is left to the reader. Some people may feel this way and some may feel the other way.

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What is the Goal of Life?

Posted on February 26, 2014 by gokulmuthu

People of other religions, and often Hindus themselves, are confused about what is the Ultimate Goal of Life according to Hinduism. This confusion arises because Hinduism caters to people of various levels of spiritual development. Though Hinduism puts forth a single ultimate goal, it allows people to have a goal depending on their level of spiritual development. Thus, irrespective of the goal, the purpose of life is spiritual development.

(Some people who read this asked for references to the ideas. All these ideas are from the Vedas, Gita and the popular texts of Vedanta. As a sample, some references to the chapter and verse number in the Gita are given.)

This brings us to the question, “what is spiritual development?” Being spiritual is “identifying oneself as the spirit”. Now, what is “spirit”? Spirit is as opposed to “matter”. There are various levels, one more subtle than the other. The grossest identification is with the physical body. Subtler than that is the mind with its memory, the faculty of the senses and the sense of likes and dislikes. Still subtler identification is with the jiva, with its freewill and the sense of right and wrong. Subtlest of all is the caitanya, the pure Subject, which can never be an object of perception or conception. As a person develops spiritually, his identity shifts from the grosser to the subtler. (18.20-22) As the identity shifts to a more subtler level, automatically the person climbs up to higher and subtler levels of morality, charity, forbearance, self-control, compassion and peace. (6.28-32)

Based on the dominant identity of a person, his inclinations would be different, and Hinduism proposes to the person a goal higher than his natural inclinations at every level. Thus, by gradually shifting the goal, Hinduism leads the person to the highest. (4.11-12, 4.25-33, 12.8-11)

A person, who identifies himself with his physical body and is driven by the sense of likes and dislikes, would just want to “eat, sleep and enjoy”. Pleasures, got out of feeding the sense organs of taste, touch, sight, sound and smell, would be his natural inclination. (18.38-39) To such a person, Hinduism proposes a “swarga” as a goal. It says that by doing good deeds and leading a life of self-control, a person can avail great pleasures in swarga. By doing bad deeds and leading a licentious life, a person would suffer great pain and torture in a “naraka”. (2.32-33, 16.7-20) This is what the person would be able to understand and appreciate. However, swarga and naraka are not permanent places. When the effect of his virtuous or vicious life has been spent off, he would come back to this world for another chance. (9.20-21) The goal of swarga can also be replaced by a better environment in a future life.

For a person who does virtuous deeds, with the pleasures of swarga as the goal, Hinduism shifts the goal. It points out the fact that swarga is not a permanent place, and having enjoyed the pleasure of swarga, coming back to this world when the merits are exhausted would be very painful. (2.42-45) Ishwara is the personification of the whole of existence.  (7.4-5) Hinduism proposes the presence in the vicinity of Ishwara and to be of His service as a much more permanent and worthy goal. If he seeks pleasures in this world or in swarga, Ishwara will give him according to his merits. But if he seeks Ishwara Himself, then he would get much more than what he can even think of. (9.19-22) Thus, Hinduism puts life in the realm of Ishwara (or in other words, Ishwara Himself) as the goal. (11.54, 9.34) Depending on the personal form that the person worships Ishwara as, the realm is called Vaikuntha, Kailasha, Goloka, etc. The generic name of the realm of Ishwara is Brahmaloka.

For a person who has service or vicinity to Ishwara as the goal, Hinduism goes one more step and points out that, as long as he has individuality, he is different from Ishwara, and also different from other devotees of Ishwara. Wherever there is difference, there will also be gradation of quality, and so it will be a cause of dissatisfaction. Hinduism points out the fact that the real nature of each one of us is the pure Conscious Subject, which can never be the object, and from that point of view, we are Infinite. (13.22) We are not in this world, swarga or Brahmaloka, but all these worlds are in our Consciousness only. Our order of reality is higher than any of the realms – earthly or heavenly or divine – that we can think of. (13.15-17)

This realization of one’s identity as the pure infinite Consciousness is called moksha. Only this realization can free us from further seeking. It is only this realization that can free us from all sense of incompleteness, dissatisfaction, desire and sorrow. (13.22-23)

Thus, Hinduism presents goals like swarga and Brahmaloka, based on the spiritual development of the person. The ultimate goal, however, is complete freedom from all limitations of individuality.

It is not bad at all to have life in the vicinity of Ishwara in Brahmaloka as the goal. When the person does not have any desire for pleasures in this world or in swarga, there is no return back. In Brahmaloka, he will be taught the truth about his own infinitude and thus will realize his eternal freedom from all limitation.
Hinduism does not condemn a person for having a lower spiritual development or for not being able to understand or appreciate a higher spiritual concept. It accepts people as they are, allows them to accept what they are able to understand and lets them choose an appropriate goal. Even to a person who has lead an immoral and cruel life till the death of the body, Hinduism only says “Better luck next time (life)”. It does not condemn them to any eternal damnation. And anytime in life, a person regrets his past mistakes and resolves to lead a good life from then on, Hinduism considers him as a saint immediately. (9.30-31)
To gradually shift the identity, various spiritual practices like asana, pranayama, meditation, japa, bhajan, puja, prayer, pilgrimage, social service, self-control, study, etc. are prescribed. As the person is not limited to the current body, after death of the body, the person will continue the spiritual development from where he left, in another gross or subtle body in this world or in Brahmaloka. As long as the individuality is there, more development is needed. However, nothing is lost in the spiritual life. (6.40-44)

This way, Hinduism presents a framework where individual aspirations of all people all over the world, irrespective of culture, religion, place or time can be catered to largely within their own religion and culture. In this framework, every one can find a place, provided he does not claim that his religion or goal is the only valid one. Keeping the principle the same, the actual practices, rituals, books, saints, stories, etc. can change from culture to culture, from religion to religion.

By this framework, Hinduism has existed for several millennia as the most peaceful and accommodative of all religions and cultures.

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