And when you do get your Self-realization there is no religion to follow!

[Guest guest]

, " jagbir singh "

<adishakti_org wrote:

>

> So Haridev S V, you have to know the heart and soul of other

> religions, and your own too, to destroy all that is false. The

> reason i am saying your own is because most Hindus too are ignorant

> of the heart and soul of Hinduism, albeit to a far lesser extend.

>

> Only when you realize the collective eschatological truth of all the

> religions, which Shri Mataji calls the Blossom Time, will you be rid

> of all the pain and anguish. When all religions, prophets and holy

> scriptures are accepted, how will you feel hatred for anyone? On the

> contrary, you will know how falsehood and blind faith keeps

> religious followers blissfully ignorant. You will never want to

> follow any religion again, no matter how righteously loud they

> declare their faith to be.

>

> And where Islam is concerned you do have valid points to criticize

> and question why it makes some of their followers so violent and

> murderous in comparison to other faiths. But on the other hand, why

> follow any religion in the first place as their preachers will make

> you ignore, dispise or condemn the rest? Why do you think Shri

> Mataji keeps insisting that until and unless your get your Self-

> realization it is no use following any religion?

>

> And when you do get your Self-realization there is no religion to

> follow! Hard to believe but true.

>

 

HINDUISM OM GANESAYA NAMH

 

Hinduism is the mother of all religions and it is individual's

(jeevatma) association with the Supreme (Paramatma), 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. (Tatwamasi)

 

It is unique among the world's religions. We may boldly proclaim it

the greatest and oldest 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.

 

Any religion in the world is considered as a mind stratum within

people 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 in Hinduism through a shared mind structure can

understand, acknowledge, accept and love all the peoples of the

world, 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.

 

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 his 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. And

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.

 

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.

 

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 the dharma 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.

 

Hinduism is also extremely sectarian, altogether dogmatic 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. " It will

never say, " You must do or believe thusly or be condemned. " In

Hinduism it is believed that none are eternally condemned. That

loving acceptance and unremitting faith in the goodness of life are

another reason I boldly say that Hinduism is the greatest religion

even though not the largest 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.

 

It can be said that, if it lacked all the qualities of open-

mindedness and compassion and tolerance just mentioned, that 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 revelation 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.

 

The various scriptures written thousands of years ago explain how we

should live, and saints and rishis and seers throughout the ages have

told us that it is impossible to live that way. So, Hinduism has a

great tolerance for those who strive and a great forgiveness for

those who fail. It looks in awe at those who succeed in living a life

according to its own strict ethics. In Hinduism we have many, many

saints. You don't have to die to be acknowledged a saint in our

religion, you have to live. The Hindus, perhaps beyond all other

people on the earth, realize the difficulties of living in a human

body and look in awe at those who achieve true spirituality.

 

Hindus believes in reincarnation. He believes that he is not the body

in which he lives, but the soul or awareness which takes on a body

for a definite purpose. He believes he is going to get a better body

in a better birth, that the process does not begin and end in a

single life, that the process is continuous, reaching beyond the

limits that one life may impose on inner progress. Of course, his

belief in karma assures him that a better birth, that progress

inwardly, will come only if he behaves in a certain way. He knows

that if he does not behave according to the natural laws, to the

Hindu ethics, that he will suffer for his transgressions in a future

life, or future lives, that he may by his own actions earn the

necessity of a so-called inferior birth, earn the right to start over

where he left off in the birth in which he failed.

 

This belief in more than a single life brings to the Hindu a great

sense of peace. He knows that the maturity of the soul takes many

lives, perhaps hundreds of lives. If he is not perfect right now,

then at least he knows that he is progressing, that there will be

many opportunities for learning and growing. This eliminates anxiety,

gives the serene perception that everything is all right as it is.

There is no sense of a time limit, of an impending end or an ultimate

judgement of his actions and attitudes. This understanding that the

soul evolves gives the Hindu remarkable insight into the human

condition and appreciation for all men in all stages of spiritual

development.

 

Within it there is a place for the insane and a place for the saint.

There is a place for the beggar and for those who support beggars.

There is a place for the intelligent person and plenty of room for

the fool. The beauty of Hinduism is that it does not demand of every

soul perfection in this life, a necessary conclusion for those who

believe in a single lifetime during which human perfection or grace

must be achieved. Belief in reincarnation gives the Hindu an

acceptance of every level of humanity. Some souls are simply older

souls than others, but all are inherently the same, inherently

immortal and of the nature of the Divine.

 

In Hinduism it is believed that the Gods are living, thinking,

dynamic beings who live in a different world, in an inner world in

the microcosm within this world in which there exists a greater

macrocosm than this visible macrocosm. For the Hindu, surrender to

the Divine Will, that created and pervades and guides the universe,

is essential. The Hindu believes that these beings guide our

experiences on earth, actually consciously guide the evolutionary

processes. Therefore, he worships these beings as greater beings than

himself, and he maintains a subjective attitude toward them,

wondering if he is attuned with these grand forces of the universe,

if his personal will is in phase with what these great beings would

have him do. This gives birth to a great culture, a great attitude, a

great tolerance and kindness one to another. It gives rise to

humility in the approach to life. Not a weak or false humility, but a

strong and mature sense of the grand presence and purpose of life

before which the head naturally bows.

 

There are said to be millions of Gods in the Hindu pantheon, though

only a few major Deities are actually worshipped in the temples. That

God may be worshipped as the Divine Father, or a Sainted Mother or

the King of Kings is one of the blessings of Hinduism. It offers to

each a personal and significant contact, and each Hindu will choose

that aspect of the Deity which most appeals to his inner needs and

sensibilities. That can be confusing to some, but not to the Hindu.

Within his religion is monism and dualism, monotheism and polytheism,

and a rich array of other theological views.

 

God and Goddess in Hinduism is accepted as both transcendent and

immanent, both beyond the mind and the very substratum of the mind.

The ideal of the Hindu is to think of God always, every moment, and

to be ever conscious of God's presence. This does not mean the

transcendent God, the Absolute Lord. That is for the yogi to ponder

in his contemplative discipline. That is for the well-perfected Hindu

who has worshipped faithfully in the temples, studied deeply the

scriptures and found his guru. For most Hindus, God means the Gods,

one of the many personal devas and Mahadevas which prevail in our

religion. This means a personal great soul which may never have known

physical birth, a being which pervades the planet, pervades form with

His mind and Being, and which guides evolution. Such a God is capable

of offering protection and direction to the followers of Hinduism.

The Hindu is supposed to think of God every minute of every day, to

see God everywhere. Of course, most of us don't think of God even one

minute a day. That's the reason that each Hindu is obliged to conduct

or attend at least one religious service, one puja or ceremony, every

day in his temple or home shrine. This turns his mind inward to God

and the Gods.

 

Hinduism is an Eastern religion, and the Eastern religions are very

different from those of the West. For one thing, they are more

introspective. Hinduism gave birth to Buddhism, for Buddha was born

and died as a good Hindu. And it gave birth to other religions of

the East, to Taoism, to Jainism, to Sikhism and others.

 

There are three distinct aspects of Hinduism: the temples, the

philosophy and the guru. It is very fortunate that in the last decade

Hindu temples have nearly circumferenced the world. There are temples

in Europe, in the United States, in South America, in Africa and

throughout Southeast Asia. The Hindu temple and stone images in it

work as a channel for the Deity, for the Gods, who hover over the

stone image and in their subtle etheric forms change people's lives

through changing the nerve currents within them through their

darshan. People come to a sanctified temple and go away, and in that

process they are slowly changed from the inside out. They have

changed because their very life force has changed, their mind has

been changed and their emotions have undergone a subtle

transformation. The temples of Hinduism are magnificent in their

immensity and in their ability to canalize the three worlds, the

First World of physical, outer existence and the inner Second and

Third Worlds. Hindu temples are not centered around a priest or

minister, though there may be a holy man associated with a temple

whose advice is cautiously and quietly sought. There is no sermon, no

mediator, no director to guide the worship of pilgrims. The temple is

the home of the Deities, and each devotee goes according to his own

timing and for his own particular needs. Some may go to weep and seek

consolation in times of sorrow, while simultaneously others will be

there to rejoice in their good fortune and to sing God's name in

thanksgiving. Naturally, the sacraments of name-giving and marriage

and so forth are closely associated with the temple. One has only to

attend a Hindu temple during festival days to capture the great

energy and vitality of this ancient religion.

 

In its second section, of philosophy, Hinduism has influenced the

deep religious thinkers of all cultures through known history. It is

not a single philosophy which can be labeled " Hinduism. " Rather, it

is a network of many philosophies, some seeming to impertinently

contradict the validity of others, yet on deeper reflection seen as

integral aspects of a single radiant mind flow. In the area of

philosophy must be included the enormous array of scripture, hymns,

mantrams, devotional bhajan and philosophical texts which are

certainly unequaled in the world. In the natural order of things

temple worship precedes philosophy. It all starts with the temple,

with this sacred house of the Deities, this sanctified site where the

three worlds communicate, where the inner and outer mesh and merge.

It is there that devotees change. They become more like the perfect

being that lives in the temple, become the voice of the Deity,

writing down what is taught them from the inside, and their writings,

if they are faithful to the superconscious message of the God, become

scripture and make up the philosophies of Hinduism. The philosophies

then stand alone as the voice of the religion. They are taught in the

universities, discussed among scholars, meditated upon by yogis and

devout seekers. It is possible to be a good Hindu by only learning

the philosophy and never going to the temple, or by simply going to

the temple and never hearing of the deeper philosophies.

 

Hinduism has still another section within it, and that is the guru--

the teacher, the illuminator, the spiritual preceptor. The guru is

the remover of darkness. He is one who knows the philosophy, who

knows the inner workings of the temple, and who in himself is the

philosopher and the temple. The guru is he who can enliven the spirit

within people. Like the temple and the philosophy, he stands alone,

apart from the institutions of learning, apart from sites of

pilgrimage. He is himself the source of knowledge, and he is himself

the pilgrim's destination. Should all the temples be destroyed, they

would spring up again from the seeds of philosophy, or from the

presence of a realized man. And if all the scriptures and

philosophical treatises were burned, they would be written again from

the same source. So Hinduism cannot be destroyed. It can never be

destroyed. It exists as the spirit of religion within each being. Its

three aspects, the temple, the philosophy and the guru, individually

proficient, taken together make Hinduism the most vital and abundant

religion in the world.

 

Hinduism has a grand diversity among its many sects. That diversity

is itself strength, showing how broad and encompassing Hinduism is.

It does not seek to have all devotees believe exactly alike. In fact,

it has no central authority, no single organized institution which

could ever proclaim or enforce such sameness. There is an immense

inner unity, but the real strength and wisdom of Hinduism is its

diversity, its variety. There are so many sects within Hinduism that

you could spend a lifetime studying them and never begin to assess

them all. More is there than any single human being could assimilate

in a single lifetime. Hinduism, therefore, has the magnetism to draw

us back into its immensity life after life. Each sect may be said to

be a full religion in its own right, with all the increments of

faith, with no necessary part missing. Therefore, each sect works for

the individuals within it completely, and each tolerates all the

other sects. It does not totally divorce itself from the other sects,

denying their beliefs, but simply separates to stress or expound a

limited area of the vast philosophy, apart from all others, to be

understood by the limited faculties of man.

 

These various sects and divisions within Hinduism all spring from a

one source. Most Hindus believe in the transcendental God as well as

the personal Lord or God, and yet there is within the boundaries of

the faith room for the nonbeliever, for the atheist or for the

agnostic who is assessing and developing his beliefs. This brings

another unique asset to our religion--the absence of heresy. There is

no such thing as a heretic in Hinduism, for there is no single right

perspective or belief. Doctrine and sadhana are not considered

absolutes, but the means to an absolute end, and they can be tailored

to individual needs and natures. My Guru would say that different

prescriptions are required for different ailments.

 

In Hinduism there is no person or spiritual authority who stands

between man and God. In fact, Hinduism teaches just the opposite. The

priests in the temples are the servants of the Deity, the helper, the

keeper of the Gods' house. He prepares and purifies the atmosphere of

the temple, but he does not intervene between the devotee and his God-

-whichever of the many Gods within our religion that he may be

worshiping. Without a mediator, responsibility is placed fully upon

the individual.

 

There is on one to intercede on his behalf. He is responsible for his

actions, for his thoughts, for his emotions, for his relationship

with his God. He must work out his beliefs from the inside without

undue dependence upon external influences. Of course, there is much

help, as much as may be needed, from those who have previously gone

through what he is now going through. It is not enough that he adopts

an authorized dogma. He must study and bring the teachings to life

from within himself.

 

Within the philosophy each philosopher proclaims that God can be

found within man if man practices the proper precepts of yoga and

delves within himself through his kundalini force. The guru himself

teaches the awakening of that force and how God can be realized in

His transcendental as well as His personal aspect within the sphere

of one's own personal experience in this very lifetime if he but

pursues the path and is obedient.

 

Hinduism is unique because God and man, mind and God, instinctive

mind, intellectual mind and superconscious mind, can merge as one,

according to the evolution of the individual. Each one, according to

his own self-created karma, has his own fulfillment. Those in the

first stages of evolution, whose interests and experiences are

basically instinctive, who possess little intellect or mental prowess

are guided by their emotions and impulses are generally fearful. They

have a personal experience of the Deity in the temple, but it is

generally a fearful experience. They are afraid of God. Alongside of

them during a puja is a great rishi who has had many hundreds of

lives on this planet. He has his own personal experience of God, but

it is an experience of love, of oneness and of union. There they are,

side by side. Each experience of God is as real to one as to the

other. There is no one in-between, no arbitrator of the experience to

compel the one to see God exactly as the other one does.

 

Hinduism is as broad as humanity is, as diverse as people are

diverse. It is for the rich and the poor, for the mystic and for the

materialist. It is for the sage and the fool. None is excluded. In a

Hindu temple one can find every variety of humanity. The man of

accumulated wealth is there, supporting the institutions that have

grown up around the temple, seeking to spend his abundance wisely and

for its best purpose so that good merit may be earned for his next

life. The pauper is there, begging in hopes that perhaps he will eat

tomorrow and the God will inspire some devotee to give Him a coin or

two. So a Hindu temple is a reflection of life, set in the midst of

the life of the community. It is not making an effort to be better

than the life of the village, only to serve that life and direct it

to its next stage of evolution. The same Hindu mind which can consume

within it all the religions of the world can and does consume within

it all of the peoples of the world who are drawn to the temple by the

shakti, the power, of the temple. Such is the great embracing

compassion of our religion.

 

The greatness of Hinduism cannot be compared with other religions.

There is no basis for comparison. Hinduism has no beginning,

therefore will certainly have no end. It was never created, and

therefore it cannot be destroyed. It is a God-centric religion. The

center of it is God. All of the other religions are prophet-centric.

The center of those religions is a great saint or sage, a prophet, a

messenger or messiah, some God-Realized person who has lived on earth

and died. Perhaps he was born to create that particular sect, that

particular religion, needed by the people of a certain part of the

world at a certain time in history. The Hindus acknowledge this and

recognize all of the world's religious leaders as great prophets, as

great souls, as great incarnations, perhaps, of the Gods, or as great

realized beings who have through their realization and inward

practices incarnated themselves into, or transformed themselves into,

eminent religious leaders and attracted devotees to them to give

forth the precepts of life all over again and thus guide a tribe, or

a nation or a race, into a better way of life.

 

The Hindu mind can encompass this, appreciate it, for it is firmly

settled in a God-centric religion. The center of Hinduism is the

Absolute, the timeless, formless, spaceless God who manifests as Pure

Consciousness and as the most perfect form conceivable, the Primal

Soul. He radiates out from that form as a myriad of Gods and

Goddesses who inhabit the temples and bless the people, inspire the

scriptures, inspire the spiritual leaders and uplift humanity in

general. It is a one God in many forms.

 

There are nearly sixtyfive crores Hindus in the world today. Hinduism

attends to the needs of each one. It is the only religion in the

world today that has such breadth and depth. Hinduism contains the

Deities and the sanctified temples, the esoteric knowledge of inner

states of consciousness, yoga and the disciplines of meditation. It

possesses a gentle compassion and a genuine tolerance and

appreciation for other religions. It remains undogmatic and open to

inquiry. It believes in a just world in which every soul is guided by

karma to the ultimate goal of Self Realization, or moksha. It rests

content in the knowledge of the divine origin of the soul, its

passage through one life and another until maturity has been reached.

It offers guidance to all who take refuge in it, from the nonbeliever

to the most evolved rishi. It cherishes the largest storehouse of

scripture and philosophy on the earth, and the oldest. It is endowed

with a tradition of saints and sages, of realized men and women,

unrivaled on the earth. It is the sum of these, and more, which makes

us boldly declare that Hinduism is the greatest, even though not the

largest, religion in the entire world.

 

People in other religions may question the sanctity of idol worship

and we can say it is only due to ignorance. God is all-pervading

formless Being.

 

The divinity of the all-pervading God is vibrant in every atom of

creation. There is not a speck of space where He is not. Why do you

then say that He is not the idols?

 

The idol is a support for the neophyte. It is a prop of his spiritual

childhood. A form or image is necessary for worship in the beginning.

It is not possible for all to fix the mind on the Absolute or the

Infinite. A concrete form is necessary for the vast majority for

practicing concentration.

 

Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors, but shining channels

through which the heart of the devotee flows towards God. Though the

image is worshipped, the devotee feels the presence of the Lord in it

and pours out his devotion unto it. The idol remains an idol, but the

worship goes to the Lord.

 

To a devotee, the image is a mass of Chaitanya or consciousness. He

draws inspiration from the image. The image guides him. It talks to

him. It assumes human form to help him in a variety of ways. Idol

worship is not peculiar to Hinduism. The Christians worship the

Cross. They have the image of the Cross in their mind. The

Mohammedans keep the image of the Kaaba stone when they kneel and do

prayers. The mental image also is a form of idol. The difference is

not one in kind, but only one of degree.

 

All worshippers, however intellectual they may be, generate a form in

the mind and make the mind dwell on that image. Everyone is an idol

worshipper. Pictures and drawings are only a form of idol. A gross

mind needs a concrete symbol as a prop or Alambana; a subtle mind

requires an abstract symbol. Even a Vedantin has the symbol OM for

fixing the wandering mind. It is not only pictures or images in stone

and wood that are idols. Dialectics and leaders also become idols.

 

In conclusion what we can say is that we should be proud to be a

Hindu.

 

OM TATSAT

 

M.P.BHATTATHIRY ( RETD. CHIEF TECHNICAL EXAMINER TO THE GOVT.

OF KERALA, INDIA