Loving Ganesha: Chapter 21 (section 2) - 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 second section of chapter 21, from

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

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

font-family:Arial">Neil

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font-weight:bold">A Religion of Experience

Still,

Hinduism is also extremely sectarian, altogether adamant in its beliefs. Its

doctrines of karma and reincarnation, its philosophy of nonviolence

and compassion, its certainty of mystical realities and experience and its

universality are held with unshakable conviction. Perhaps this is due to the

fact that Hinduism is a religion more of experience than of doctrine. It

prefers to say to its followers, "This is the nature of Truth, and these

are the means by which that Truth may be realized. Here are the traditions

which have withstood time and proved most effective. Now you may test them in

your own life, prove them to yourself. And we will help as we can."

Hinduism will never say, "You must do or believe thusly or be

condemned." In Hinduism it is believed that none is eternally condemned.

That loving acceptance and unremitting faith in the goodness of life is another

reason I boldly say that Hinduism is the greatest religion in the world.

Within

Hinduism, as within every religious system, are the practical means of

attaining the purity, the knowledge and the serenity of life. Each Hindu is

enjoined to attend a puja every day, preferably at a certain and consistent

time. He must observe the laws of virtue and the codes of ethics. He must serve

others, support religion within his community. He should occasionally

pilgrimage to sacred shrines and temples and partake in the sacraments. If he

is more advanced, an older soul, then he is expected, expects of himself, to

undertake certain forms of sadhana

and tapas, of discipline and asceticism.

Though it

is broad and open in the freedom of the mind to inquire, Hinduism is narrowly

strict in its expectations of devotees -- the more awakened the soul, the

higher the demands and responsibilities placed upon him. And though other

systems of belief are fully acceptable mind structures within the structure of

the higher mind, there is no way out of Hinduism. There is no excommunication.

There is no means of severance. There's no leaving Hinduism once you have

formally accepted and been accepted. Why is that? That is because Hinduism

contains the whole of religion within itself. There is no "other

religion" which one can adopt by leaving Hinduism, only other aspects of

the one religion which is the sum of them all, the Eternal Path, the Sanatana Dharma.

I would

say that, if it lacked all the qualities of open-mindedness and compassion and

tolerance just mentioned, Hinduism would be the greatest religion on the basis

of its profound mysticism alone. No other faith boasts such a deep and enduring

comprehension of the mysteries of existence, or possesses so vast a

metaphysical system. The storehouse of religious revelations in Hinduism cannot

be reckoned. I know of its equal nowhere. It contains the entire system of

yoga, of meditation and contemplation and Self Realization. Nowhere else is

there such insightful revelation of the inner bodies of man, the subtle pranas and

the chakras, or psychic centers

within the nerve system. Inner states of superconsciousness

are explored and mapped fully in Hinduism, from the clear white light to the

sights and sounds which flood the awakened inner consciousness of man. In the

West it is the mystically awakened soul who is drawn to Hinduism for

understanding of inner states of consciousness, discovering after ardent seeking

that Hinduism possesses answers which do not exist elsewhere and is capable of

guiding awareness into ever-deepening mind strata.

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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

Arial">107 Kaholalele Road

Kapaa, HI 96746-9304

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