Hinduism is about exploring the very depths of your own soul yourself.

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>

> " Inner Religion

>

> One of the great ironies of religious history is that, although the

> religions that came out of the Near East--Judaism, Islam,

> Christianity--adamantly reject most of Hinduism's fundamental

> teachings, their mystical traditions--the Kaballah, Sufism, and

> Christian Gnosticism--reflect Hindu insights in almost every detail.

> Numerous students of comparative religion, from Muslim scholar Al

> Buruni in 1000 C.E. to the world famous writer Aldous Huxley nearer

> our own time, have expressed their amazement at the parallels

> between the major mystical traditions of the world and Hinduism...

>

> Hinduism is by far the most complex religion in the world, shading

> under its enormous umbrella an incredibly diverse array of

> contrasting beliefs, practices, and denominations. Hinduism is by

> far the oldest major religion. It has had more than enough time to

> develop a diversity of opinions and approaches to spirituality

> unmatched in any other tradition. "

>

> Linda Johnsen, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism, pages 76-77

> Paperback: 432 pages

> Publisher: Alpha; 1st edition (October 11, 2001)

> Language: English

> ISBN-10: 0028642279

> ISBN-13: 978-0028642277

>

 

Turning On Your Light

 

If karma and reincarnation form the spinning wheel of the cosmic

process, the Inner Self is the unmoving axle around which the wheel

turns.

 

" Know Thyself " was the advice chiselled over the portico at the

Oracle of Delphi in ancient Greece. No religion has ever taken the

quest for self-knowledge as seriously as Hinduism. At its core,

Hinduism is not about believing what somebody else tells you about

the nature of your soul, or accepting what others claim about God.

Hinduism is about exploring the very depths of your own soul

yourself. And about getting to know God personally…

 

Secrets Of The Subtle Bodies

 

Inner realities are legitimate realities to Hindus. They're not

cavalierly dismissed as outdated superstitions like they are in the

West. We Westerners for the most part only hear about miracles that

happened in the Palestine 2,000 years ago. In India, however, every

generation of Hindu has been exposed to living saints and yogis who

demonstrate what seems like superhuman abilities to the uninitiated.

 

In India, science and religion have always worked hand in hand. There

has been no burning at the stake of scientists in India! There the

exploration of inner realities is considered just as valid as

research into the outer world of nature. While Hinduism produced some

of the greatest natural scientists in history, it also excelled in

the science of spirit, pioneered by the inner researchers called

yogis…

 

The Inner Self

 

Scientists in the West consider consciousness a by-product of the

nervous system that ends in death. The sages of India don't buy this.

During out-of-body travel they experience their consciousness moving

independently of their body. The great masters have also reported

remaining conscious and alert after their previous bodies died, and

journeying through other inner worlds. To them the physical body is

the by-product of consciousness, not the other way around!

 

The Inner Self is called Atman in Sanskrit. The Atman is who you

really are—not your physical and subtle bodies, all of which are

perishable. The Atman exists beyond space and time. It is the undying

reality, your fundamental inner being and truth…

 

The Inner Sun

 

The Tripura Rahasya compares the Inner Self to a splendid gem locked

in a chest that's fallen in the sea and become covered with mud. You

have to find the chest, clean off the mud, and break open the lock.

Then you'll see for yourself the shining gem of incalculable value.

All Hindu spiritual practices are designed with the ultimate goal of

helping us find the " pearl of great price " that lies buried in our

minds and encrusted with the mud of our generally petty, run-of-the-

mill thoughts. That gem is the pure, undying awareness that

illuminates our lives.

 

Linda Johnsen, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Hinduism, pages 101-9

Paperback: 432 pages

Publisher: Alpha; 1st edition (October 11, 2001)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0028642279

ISBN-13: 978-0028642277