Loving Ganesha: Chapter 21 (section 1) - Hinduism: The Greatest Religion in the World--Hindudharmah Mahattamo Visvadharmah

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font-family:Arial">Namaste all,

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font-family:Arial">The start of a new chapter, available in full at

http://www.himalayanacademy.com/books/lg/lg_ch-21.html

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12.0pt;font-family:Arial">Om Shanti

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color:#810D18;font-weight:bold">Hindudharmah

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Visvadharmah

font-weight:bold">Hinduism:

font-weight:bold">The Greatest Religion in

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NDOUBTEDLY, RELIGION IS MAN'S ASSOCIATION with the Divine, and

the ultimate objective of religion is realization of Truth. Forms which

symbolize Truth are only indications; they are not Truth itself, which

transcends all conceptualization. The mind in its efforts to understand Truth

through reasoning must always fail, for Truth transcends the very mind which

seeks to embrace it.

Hinduism

is unique among the world's religions. I boldly proclaim it the greatest

religion in the world. To begin with, it is mankind's oldest spiritual

declaration, the very fountainhead of faith on the planet. Hinduism's

venerable age has seasoned it to maturity. It is the only religion, to my

knowledge, which is not founded in a single historic event or prophet, but

which itself precedes recorded history. Hinduism has

been called the "cradle of spirituality," and the "mother of

all religions," partially because it has influenced virtually every

major religion and partly because it can absorb all other religions, honor and embrace their

scriptures, their saints, their philosophy. This is possible because Hinduism

looks compassionately on all genuine spiritual effort and knows unmistakably

that all souls are evolving toward union with the Divine, and all are

destined, without exception, to achieve spiritual enlightenment and

liberation in this or a future life.

Of

course, any religion in the world is a mind stratum within people, isn't it?

It is a group of people who think consciously, subconsciously and

subsuperconsciously alike and who are guided by their own

superconsciousness and the superconsciousness

of their leaders which make up the force field which we call a religion. It

does not exist outside the mind. People of a certain religion have all been

impressed with the same experiences. They have all accepted the same or

similar beliefs and attitudes, and their mutual concurrence creates the bonds

of fellowship and purpose, of doctrine and communion.

The

people who are Hinduism share a

mind structure. They can understand, acknowledge, accept and love the peoples

of all religions, encompass them within their mind as being fine religious

people. The Hindu truly believes that there is a single Eternal Path, but he

does not believe that any one religion is the only valid religion or the only

religion that will lead the soul to salvation. Rather, the Eternal Path is

seen reflected in all religions.

To put

it another way, the will of God or the Gods is at work in all genuine worship

and service. It is said in Hindu scripture that "Truth is one. Paths are

many." The search for Truth, for God, is called the Sanatana

Dharma, or the Eternal Path, because it is inherent in the soul itself, where

religion begins. This path, this return to the Source, is ever existent in

man, and is at work whether he is aware of the processes or not. There is not

this man's search and that man's search. Where does the impetus come from? It

comes from the inside of man himself. Thus, Hinduism is ever vibrant and

alive, for it depends on this original source of inspiration, this first

impulse of the spirit within, giving it an energy

and a vibrancy that is renewable eternally in the now.

Naturally,

the Hindu feels that his faith is the broadest, the most practical and

effective instrument of spiritual unfoldment, but

he includes in his Hindu mind all the religions of the world as expressions

of the one Eternal Path and understands each proportionately in accordance

with its doctrines and dogma. He knows that certain beliefs and inner

attitudes are more conducive to spiritual growth than others, and that all

religions are, therefore, not the same. They differ in important ways. Yet,

there is no sense whatsoever in Hinduism of an "only path." A

devout Hindu is supportive of all efforts that lead to a pure and virtuous

life and would consider it unthinkable to dissuade a sincere devotee from his

chosen faith. This is the Hindu mind, and this is what we teach, what we

practice and what we offer aspirants on the path.

We

often send people back to their own religion, for Hindu doctrine would

consider it an unseemly karma to draw someone away simply because he believed

differently. To the Hindu, conduct and the inner processes of the soul's

maturation are more essential than the particular religion one may be by the

accidents of birth, culture or geography. The Hindu knows that he might

unknowingly disturb thedharma of the individual if

he pulls him away from his religious roots, and that would cause an unsavory

karma for them both. He knows, too, that it is

not necessary that all people believe exactly the same way or call God by the

same name.

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font-family:Arial">Loving Ganesha by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami

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font-family:Arial">Web sites: http://www.hindu.org/

& http://www.himalayanacademy.com/

email: contact (AT) hindu (DOT) org

Himalayan Academy

Kauai's Hindu Monastery

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Kapaa, HI 96746-9304

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