Awaken the dormant, eternal and limitless powers of the Shakti within to realize

[Guest guest]

shriadishakti , " jagbir singh "

<adishakti_org> wrote:

>

> SYs have just begun to scratch the surface and i doubt they truly

> understand what Shri Mataji is really talking about. All i can say

> is " Tat Twam Asi " . How long will it take to awaken the dormant,

> eternal and limitless powers of the Shakti within to realize this

> Highest Truth?

>

 

 

Hinduism An Old, Accepting Religion

by Ashok Kumar Malhotra

 

Hinduism is the oldest and most misunderstood religion. It is older

than the Western religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and the

Eastern religions of Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, which are its

offspring. Hinduism originated in India and has slightly more than

850 million adherents throughout the world.

 

Hinduism is unique, because unlike the other major religions, it has

no single founder, no single scripture, no single deity, no single

prophet, no strict priesthood and no single way to reach salvation.

Because Hinduism has numerous sages as spokespeople, scores of

religious books for open discussion and various paths available for

enlightenment, it is liberal, tolerant of differences, accepting of

other faiths, inclusive and secular in orientation.

 

What gives unity to Hinduism is the belief that it is based upon

eternal principles, which are explicitly stated in the Hindu sacred

texts of the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita and the Yoga

Sutra. The quintessence of Hinduism is affirmed in the ancient text

of the Rig Veda as follows: " There is one reality, the wise call it

by many names; there is one truth, reached by many paths. " This

statement becomes the starting point of Hinduism and the Hindu way of

life.

 

The Hindu mind-set views the sacred books of all religions, including

its own, as nothing more than limited human perspectives on the

unlimited reality. Though each perspective captures an aspect of this

truth, no single perspective is capable of conveying it totally. The

ancient Indian story of seven blind men and their limited

perspectives on the elephant epitomizes this attitude. This is a

clear example of Hinduism's tolerance of differences and acceptance

of other faiths.

 

Hinduism uses the term " Brahman " for this single reality. Since

Brahman is the source of everything, the plurality and divisions are

only on the surface. Brahman permeates every aspect of existence

ranging from inorganic objects to organic things, from plants to

insects and from animals to humans. As our unique bodily cells, while

contributing to the development and sustenance of the various parts,

are organically connected to the entire body, so are the different

aspects of existence as cells connected to the body of Brahman.

Though no single description of Brahman is capable of capturing its

nature totally, Hinduism gives a partial account by identifying it

with infinite blissful consciousness.

 

In Hinduism, the notion of a personal god is subservient to the

notion of Brahman. A personal god is nothing more than the human

attempt at conceptualizing what cannot be captured through the

limited categories of the limited minds. Since no single concept of

god can confine the infinite spiritual depth of Brahman, which is the

boundless ocean of cosmic consciousness, Hinduism has no problem

accepting many gods and goddesses (polytheism), a single almighty god

(monotheism) and a single non-personal spiritual principle (monism).

These deities are nothing more than limited attempts of the human

mind at revealing the innumerable qualities of the one all-

encompassing cosmic consciousness. Moreover, these deities are mere

personal pathways through which one comes in contact with one of the

manifestations of Brahman.

 

Brahman is unlike the creator in the Western religions. It is not an

artist or a sculptor that creates a painting or sculpts a statue and

remains separate from its creation. Rather, Brahman is a cosmic

dancer where the dance and the dancer are indissolubly connected. The

creator and its creation are nonseparable from each other because

there is no creator without the creation and no creation without the

creator.

 

Brahman has been continuously and joyfully creating the varied forms

of the entire universe. Brahman as cosmic consciousness is like an

infinite circle whereas each object, animal and human being is a

concrete center of it. Each human being is a miniature fountain of

creativity, just like the blissful creative consciousness of Brahman.

Hinduism asserts unambiguously that all life is a gift of the divine

consciousness. The birth of a human being is an opportunity to get in

touch with this joyful-creative force that resides within.

 

Hinduism believes that this joyful-creative force is the divine spark

in each human being. It resides in each of us as our conscience,

which can act as our spiritual mentor. This divine conscience is our

inner sacred spiritual space. Through the regular practice of

meditation, one can gain access to one's conscience and can live a

divine life on earth.

 

Moreover, this cosmic consciousness is available to anyone who

approaches it with openness and without malice. Through meditation,

this joyful creative force can be made to descend into oneself to

nurture and revive the conscience within and could be used for cosmic

transformation of oneself and others. Mahatma Gandhi, the Buddha and

Mother Theresa were transformed by it and they expressed it through

serving everybody, feeding everyone, and educating every individual.

 

Hinduism An Old, Accepting Religion

by Ashok Kumar Malhotra

 

http://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/columns/2004/03/20/relcol.html

 

Ashok Kumar Malhotra is a distinguished teaching professor in the

philosophy department at the State University College at Oneonta. He

has been given the spiritual status of Swami Rishikesh Ananda by

Swami Rama of the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, Pa., and

Rishikesh, India.