You Are Ultimate Reality: Introducing Hinduism

It’s arguable that Hinduism isn’t really a religion at all. But then, for our purposes, I’m going to make the assumption that it is – not least because that’s the way most of us Westerners tend to think of it.

Hinduism is as much the religion of India as it is the religion of the estimated 900 million adherents worldwide. The nature of Hinduism, however, is as much to be discovered through the art, music and literature of India as it is from any of the collection of writings usually associated with this “religion”. Essentially Hinduism is as much a cultural identification as it is a spiritual one.

Confused? Well… you wouldn’t be the first.

Read on…

The Core Ideas

There are a few core concepts which lie at the heart of Hinduism. Although far from comprehensive, this is a point of beginning from which we can delve deeper in future articles.

Atman can be loosely translated as meaning “eternal self”. It refers to the real self which lies beyond the ego or “false self”. Sometimes atman is referred to as “soul” or “spirit”, being our true essence and that which underlies all of our existence. One important consideration is that atman is presented as that which is spiritual and separate from the material; one might almost say that, rather than a human being having a spiritual experience, the Hindu view might be that a spiritual being, the atman, is having an experience of being human.

Brahman refers to the transcendent power beyond the universe that can be perceived in everything. Some Hindus identify atman and brahman (giving rise to the post title), while others would view them as distinct. Some folk translate brahman as “God” but this would not be accurate. Hindus do not worship brahman, despite some regarding their deities as being manifestations of it. That being said, most Hindus believe in God… but the meaning of this varies across many traditions. The majority (perhaps) believe in a Supreme God who is represented through a multitude of deities, each of whom expresses different forms and qualities of that Supreme God (and deserves a whole article on its own).

Dharma means “duty”, “virtue”, “morality”… even, perhaps, “religion”. It is the power which upholds the universe and society. Dharma is usually believed to have been revealed through the Vedas. This is that which makes the sun blaze in light, plants grow, and gives humans the ability to act with virtue. Correct action is taken in accordance with dharma and involves service to God and to humanity.

In Hinduism people have a responsibility to live according to varna (social class) and ashrama (stage of life). The class system is rooted in the Rig Veda, the oldest Hindu text, and presents a ideal order for society:

• Brahmans are the highest caste, being intellectuals and priests;
• Kshatriya are the warrior nobles, who held power;
• Vaishyas are the common merchants who produced, traded, or farmed for a living;
• Last are the Shudras who served all of the other classes.

For those in the top three classes, those referred to as having been “twice born” of the womb and of ritual initiation, ashrama refers to the four stages of life: Brahmacarya (“celebate student”), Grihastha (“householder”), Vanaprastha (“hermit”), Samnyasa (“renunciation”).

Karma means “action”. It refers to the principle that every action has an equal reaction, either immediately or in the future. Positive actions, those in line with dharma, create a positive reaction; actions against dharma will create a negative reaction. Karma reaches not only into the life in the here and now, in this lifetime, but can carry through after this present life into a new one. Samsara is the idea that the soul is reborn over and over again, in a continuous cycle, in response to the law of action and reaction. Hindus believe atman can be reborn in a non-human body, such as an animal or divine being. Moksha is the goal of breaking this cycle of rebirth and represents liberation.

This mention of goals brings us to the idea of the purusharthas, or “human goals”. Moksha was added to three more basic goals much later in Hindu thought. The original three purusharthas are virtuous living (in line with dharma), worldly success, and pleasure (yes, sexual pleasure as well as the aesthetic). Which of these is the most important is a hotly debated question.

Finally, we must mention the Guru. This is the master of the Hindu tradition who teaches others, mostly through example. A disciple of a guru might one day become a guru themselves and, in this way, the tradition is passed from generation to generation. Gurus are generally revered figures.

The Origins of Hinduism

The sources of Hindu traditions can be traced back many thousands of years. The early history of Hinduism, however, is a matter of significant debate.

Hinduism, as we know it today, is arguably a modern development of some very ancient ideas and streams of thought. Some might argue that Hindu ideas are eternal and timeless… but, from an historical standpoint, they are traceable to the Indus Valley civilisation as it emerged and developed through into what historians refer to as the Vedic Period, circa 1500-500 BCE. It was from this period that the Vedas are said to have been composed.

The classical writings of Hinduism, such as the Mahabharata (from which comes the Bhagavad Gita), date from the period from circa 500 BCE until 500 CE. It is during this period that the classic Hindu images of deities entered the temples of India, as well as many other familiar elements of Hindu worship.

From 500 CE onwards we can trace the growth of worship in the many deities of Hinduism, the building of grand temples, and the rise of key thinkers, such as Shankara. The teachers of this period helped to fend off challenges from Buddhism and Jainism, both of which had become established systems of belief in India.

From 1500 CE, Islam entered India as a major challenge of faith. Despite periodic persecution of Hindu worship, this period saw key developments in devotional practice. This continued until the arrival of the British Empire in India, from 1757 CE.

The British did not initially interfere with Hindu practice but, due to political and some Christian missionary pressure, there did eventually develop a desire to westernise the Indian population. Hinduism was at first characterised as a polytheistic and primitive religion by British and other Western European investigators. Many of the erroneous ideas that were propagated during the Colonial age persist today. It was not until the 19th Century that Hinduism began to be represented as a rational and ethical religion by reformers such as Ram Mohan Roy.

Many of the ideas of this later period were further developed by Gandhi, the holy man and politician perhaps best known for his role in ending British colonial rule and winning India’s independence in 1948.

Religious Relationships

Hinduism has a close relationship with the other Indian religions – Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

Going Deeper…

This article has been quite long but I have not yet touched upon the Hindu writings or practices. We will aim to do so through future articles.

For good further reading, and a challenge to your Western mind, I would recommend Kim Knott’s “Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction“.

I very much hope that, over time, we will be to explore this complex and exciting religion in much greater depth.