Introduction To Hindu / Sanatan Dharma

Introduction to Hindu / Sanatan Dharma The searc h for Trut h is cal led t he Sanat ana Dharma , or t he Et ernal Pat h. Prac ticed by people on the othersi de of Si nd hu riv er, so Hi ndu D harm a.

 Hin du ism has be en en ric hed by the con tri bu tions by many sages .  Hin du ism is as old as the wor ld it sel f. Veda s for m the ba si s.  A Wa y of lif e th at TRA NS CE ND S Rel igi on  Be lie ve s in ‘ Tru th is on e. Path s are many ’.  World’ s 3 rd large st with 1 bil li on+ fol lowers .  Let Nobl e Though ts Come From AL L Dir ect ion s  Focu ses on per son all y expe ri en cin g th e Tru th wit hin . Dharm a: Dharma is the natural and rightful order and foundation of everyone and everything. It is both why things are as they are and the path to the realization of why things are as they are. It is a way-of-life.

Rel igion: is a way to understand or practice on how to realize God. Religion is concerned with all of the relations existing between God and human beings, and between humans themselves because of the central significance of God. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Con te nts of th e p res entatio n

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What are the Hindu scriptures? What is the concept of God? Hindu concept of Individual and Universe What are the basic principles of Hindu Dharma? Three Debts of Human Life Four Stages of Hindu Religious Life Four Ends of Human Life Who is a Hindu?. Code of Conduct Additional Topics References and links

The Rig Ve da has declared the Ultimate Reality (God) as: “Ekam sat, vi pra ha b ahu dha vad anti .” (Rig Veda 1.164.46) "Tru th (God) is on e, th e wis e ca ll i t b y vari ous names " http://www.dlshq.org/download/hinduismbk.pdf for more info.

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Hindu Scriptures Sruti (Revealed)

Smriti (Remembered)

Ved as are the et erna l trut hs revea led by God to the grea t ancient Rish is. These eterna l tru ths never cha ng e.

♦ Vedas (Four) − Rig (21 shakas) − Sama (109 shakas) − Yajur (1000 shakas) − Atharva (50 shakas) ♦ Hymns, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads Pr ajna na m Bra hma :—‘Consciousness is Brahman’ Ah am Bra hma Asm i:—‘I Am Brahman’ Tat Tra m Asi: —‘That Thou Art’ Ay am At ma Bra hma :—‘This Self is Brahman’

Scrip tures tha t cha nge with time and sp ace and sum mery of Sm ri ti in unders tanda ble fo rm at for co mm on mind

♦ Dharma Shastras (Law Codes) Ex: Manu Smriti ♦ Epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata) ♦ Puranas (Mythology) – There are many; each tradition has its own. Ex: Shiva Purana and Bhagavat Purana ♦ Agamas and Tantras: (sectarian scriptures) ♦ Darshanas (Manuals of Philosophy) – Each school has its own literature. Ex: Yoga Sutras of Sage Patanjali. http://www.dlshq.org/download/vedbegin.pdf for more info.

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Concept of God (Bra hman )

In Hi nd u sc ri ptures, the Cosmi c A bs olut e/Ab sol ut e Real ity is d efi ned as Transc end ent (impersonal) and Imm anent (personal). In the transcendent aspect, the Supreme Reality is called Nir guna Brahma n, that is Brahma n, wi thout att ribut es. " Brahman is He whom speech cannot express, and from whom the mind is unable to reach Him, comes away baffled" states the Taittiriya Upanishad. Ni rg una Bra hman is not an ob ject of p ra yer, bu t of med itat io n and knowl ed ge. It cannot be described, and It is absolute existence, absolute knowledge, and absolute bliss (sat -ch it -anand a ). It is unb orn , sel f- exi st ent , al lperv ad ing , and the essence of all things and beings in the universe. It is imme asurab le, unap proachab le, beyond conception, beyond birth, beyond reasoning, and beyond thought". God cannot be defined in terms of any specific manifestation, nor indeed in terms of their sum total. He is beyond all possibility of definition. The Bhagavad Gita, the best-known scripture of India, states this point clearly:

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Concept of God, cont’d Brahman , the Cosmic Absolute (beyond description)

Immanent

Transcendent

(personal aspect, can be prayed, and worshipped, but not realized)

(impersonal aspect, can be realized, but not worshipped

We wil l focu s on Imma nent aspect of Bra hm an fo r no w

Male Aspect

Ishvara or God (note capital G) worshipped by many names and forms known as deities or gods (note small g)

Female Aspect

Divine Mother, worshipped by many names and forms known as deities or goddesses (note small g) Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Concept of God (Bramhan) In i ts I mmane nt (p er so nal) as pe ct, the Supr eme Re ali ty , is call ed Saguna Br am han . He is the per so nal Go d, the cre ato r, the p re se rver, and the con trolle r of the univers e. In Hind uis m, the imm anent (p ers ona l) a sp ect o f Bramhan i s wo rs hip ped i n both male and femal e fo rms. I n the male form, He is w orshi pped as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Brahm a i s the cre ativ e as pect, Vi shnu i s th e pro tecting , sustai ning asp ect; and Siva is the trans forming , diss olving a sp ect. I n th e female f orm, as Sara sw ath i, Lakshmi and P ar vathi .

BRAHMA -CREATOR

ALL POWERFUL MOTHER GAYATRI

VISHNU - PROTECTOR

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SHIVA - DISSOLVER

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Concept of God (Bramhan) Ho wever , o n the p er so nal l ev el, its up to i ndiv iduals to cre ate a f orm/vie w o f the same Sup re me Bharman to pray . Hind u a cce pts o nly o ne Go d, th e Sup reme. Be cause of th is flexi bil ity in giving a sh ap e or f orm, it a pp ears as if ther e are many Hind u Go ds/G oddess es to a no n-Hind u. Hind us s ee divinity i n al l l iving creatur es . Ani mal d eitie s ther efor e, o ccup y an i mpor tant p la ce i n Hind u d harma. Ani mal s, fo r e xa mple, a re very co mm on as fo rm of tran sp ort fo r vari ous G ods and G oddess es . This is d ues to the conce pt of Atman a nd Brahman be ing th e s am e. We wi ll d is cuss that i n late r sli des… ..

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Hindu Concept of the Individual

Just as a man living in a house is called a householder, Atman (meaning “God within”) living in a human body is called an individual. When this “human house” becomes old and irreparable, Atman leaves the house and we say that the individual has died. But Atman is immortal and is part of Brahman, Supreme God. Atman is divine so all the beings are Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh 8 divine.

Hindu Concept of the Individual, cont’d.  Atman is uncreated, immortal and divine.  Although Atman is generally translated as soul or spirit, Atman and soul do not mean the same.  Atman and Brahman is same. So individual can reach the state of divinity. “Aham Brahmasmi” – I am God.  In the human body, Atman is deluded by cosmic ignorance, called Maya in Sanskrit.  In Hindu view, WE ARE CHILDREN OF IMMORTALITY and may commit sin under the influence of Maya. Thus, the purpose of Hindu religious life is to transcend Maya.

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Hindu Concept of the Individual, cont’d Why are individuals different form each other?

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Atman

Physical Human Body

Personality Individuality Spirituality Divinity

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just as Electricity

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Type of Appliance

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Type of Application

Electricity

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Refrigerator

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Cold

Electricity

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Oven

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Heat

Electricity

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Television

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Audio & Video

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Opposing Functions

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Hindu Concept of the Universe Brahman (Infinite, Undivided and Changeless)

Cosmic Ignorance (Maya)

Time Space Duality

Cosmic Consciousness (Heavenly Father)

Sattva

Cosmic Energy Divine Mother (Shakti)

Rajas

Tamas

Appearance of Brahman as things and beings of the world The Infinite, Undivided and Changeless appears as finite, divided, and changing Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Hindu Concept of the Universe Hindus believe that the universe is without a beginning (anadi= beginning-less) or an end (ananta = end-less). Rather the universe is projected in cycles. Each cycle is divided into four yugas (ages of the world). Sat ya yug a (g old en ag e) Tret a yug a (si lver a ge) Dvap ara yug a (c op per ag e) Kal i yug a ( iro n ag e) Pr alaya ( cosmi c d elug e ) New Creat ion Durat ion of One Cyc le

4,0 00,0 00 years 3,6 00,0 00 years 2,4 00,0 00 years 1,2 00,0 00 years 400 0,0 00 years 400 ,00 0 years 12, 000 ,0 00 years

Total d urat io n of t he four yug as i s call ed a kal pa. At the end of kal yug a the uni verse is dissol ved by p ral aya (c osm ic del ug e ) and anot her cy cl e beg ins. Ea ch cycl e of creat ion last s one kalp a, that is 1 2,0 00,00 0 huma n years ( or 12,0 00 Br ahma y ears). Hind us b elie ve that ther e is almo st a uni ver se hid den i n ea ch Atm an and that can

be e xp lored lo oking i nwar d wi th the help of Yoga and Med itation. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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10 AVATARS (INCARNATIONS) Lord Vishnu's preserving, protecting powers have been manifested to the world in a variety of forms, called Avatars, in which one or more of his divine attributes were embodied in the shape of a human being or an animal or a human-animal combined form, possessing great and sometimes supernatural powers.that are innumerable.

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Basic principles of Hindu Dharma        

Divinity of the Atman Unity of Existence Ahimsa Harmony of Religions Law of Karma Doctrine of Incarnation Freedom of Thought Law of Dharma

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Divinity of the Atman 

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Each human being, regardless of religion, geographic region, gender, color or creed is in reality Atman clothed in a physical body. Since Atman is inherently pure and divine, every human being is potentially divine. In Hindu view, a man is not born a sinner, but becomes a victim of ignorance under the influence of cosmic ignorance, called Maya. Just as darkness quickly disappears upon the appearance of light, an individual’s delusion vanishes when he gains self-knowledge. Practical Significance: Eliminates fear of God, encourages freedom of thought, and removes psychological barrier to human growth. No fear of eternal hell. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh 15

Unity of Existence 

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Science has revealed that what we call matter is essentially energy. Hindu sages tell us that the cosmic energy is manifestation of the Universal Spirit (Brahman). Brahman has become all things and beings in the world. Thus, we are all interconnected in subtle ways. “All is One and One is in all,” declare the sages. Practical Significance: Encourages universal brotherhood, reverence for all forms of life, and respect for our environment. Hindu scriptures address earth as Mother Earth. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Ahimsa 

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Ahimsa means non-violence, non-injury, or nonkilling. Hinduism teaches that al forms of life are manifestations of Brahman. We must, therefore, not be indifferent to the sufferings of others. Practical Significance: Creates mutual love between humans and other forms of life, and protects our environment. Ahimsa provides basis for Hindu notion of morality. “That mode of living which is based upon a total harmlessness towards all creatures or (in the case of necessity) upon minimum of such harm, is the highest morality.” (Mahabharata Shantiparva 262.5-6). Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Harmony of Religions 

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Hinduism believes that there is no one religion that teaches an exclusive way to salvation. All genuine spiritual paths are valid and all great religions are equally true. “In whatever way humans love Me (God), in the same way they find My love. Various are the ways for humans, but in the end they all come to Me.” (Bhagavad Gita 4.11) Practical Significance: This doctrine lays foundation for universal harmony. The attitude of religious tolerance is one of Hinduism’s greatest gifts to mankind.

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The Law of Karma 

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Hindus believe that God, who is all-loving and merciful, does not punish or reward anyone. He molds our destinies based upon our own thoughts and deeds. Every action of a person, in though, word, or deed, brings results, either good or bad, depending upon the moral quality of the action, in accordance with the adage, “As you sow, so shall you reap.” Moral consequences of all actions are conserved by the Nature. Practical Significance: Eliminates fear of God and hell; enhances self-confidence and strengthens the concepts of righteousness and fairness. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Doctrine of Incarnation 

Hindus believe that God incarnates Himself on earth to uphold righteousness, whenever there is a decline in virtue. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, “Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and predominance of unrighteousness, I (God) embody Myself. For the protection of the good and for the destruction of the evildoers and for the reestablishment of righteousness, I am born form age to age.” (BG 4.6-4.7) Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Freedom of Thought 

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Hindus believe that wisdom is not an exclusive possession of any particular race or religion. Hinduism, therefore, provides everyone with absolute freedom of thought in religious matters. One is free to approach God in his or her own way, without conforming to any dogma or blind faith. An open mind is all that is needed to study Hinduism. Hindus place the greatest value on experiencing truth personally. Practical Significance: Eliminates blind faith and dogma. Encourages reason and logic for mutual understanding. Hinduism is a God-loving religion and not God-fearing one. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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The Law of Dharma 

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The thought of dharma generates deep confidence in the Hindu mind in cosmic justice. This is reflected in the often-quoted maxims: “The righteous side will have the victory.” “Truth only prevails, not falsehood.” “Dharma kills if it is killed; dharma protects if it is protected.” “The entire world rests on dharma.” Dharma is the law that maintains the cosmic order as well as the individual and social order. Dharma sustains human life in harmony with nature. When we follow dharma, we are in conformity with the law that sustains the universe. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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The Law of Dharma “Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to you.” Morality Ethics Individual Resp.

Dharma

Social Resp. Laws of the Land Profession Ahimsa (non-violence) Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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3 Debts, 4 Stages, and 4 Ends of Human 

Three Debts: – – –

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Debt to God Debt to Sages and Saints Debt to one’s parents and ancestors

Four Stages: – – – –

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Life

Brahmacharya (Studentship) Grhastha (Householder) Vanaprastha (Retirement) Sannyasa (Renunciation)

Four Ends: – Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Progress of Human thought Towards Dharma

Humanity Universe Nation Dependent

(Independent) Individual

Truth Community Family Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Who Is Hindu? – 9 Point Test Hin du s be li ev e many di ve rs e thin gs, bu t there are a few bedr ock con cep ts on wh ich mos t Hin du s concu r. The followin g nine be lie fs, th ough not ex haustiv e, of fer a simp le summa ry of Hin du spi rit ualit y. 1) I bel ie ve in the div in it y of the Veda s, the worl d’ s most anci en t scr ipt ure, and ve ner ate the Ag amas as equ all y rev ea led . Thes e pr im ordia l hym ns are God’ s word and th e be drock of Sanata na Dharm a, the ete rn al rel igi on wh ic h has neit her be gin nin g nor en d. 2) I bel ie ve in a on e, all- per va siv e Supr em e Be in g wh o is bot h im manen t and tra nsce nde nt, both Cre ator and Un ma nif es t Re ali ty . 3) I bel ie ve th at the univ er se under goes endl es s cy cl es of cr ea tion , pres erv ation and dis solu tion . 4) I bel ie ve in karma, th e la w of ca use and effec t by wh ich ea ch in div id ual cr ea tes his own de sti ny by his thou gh ts, word s and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh 26 de eds .

Who Is Hindu? – 9 Point Test 5) I bel ie ve th at the sou l rei ncarn ates , ev olv in g th rou gh many bir ths unti l all karma s have bee n res olv ed, and moks ha, spir it ual knowled ge and libe ra tion from th e cyc le of rebi rt h, is att ained . Not a singl e sou l will be ete rn all y depr iv ed of this des tin y. 6) I bel ie ve th at div in e be in gs exi st in unsee n worl ds and th at tem ple wor ship, rit uals , sa cr amen ts as well as pe rs on al de vot ion als cr ea te a com munion wit h these de va s and Gods . 7) I bel ie ve th at a spi rit uall y awake ned maste r, or satgu ru , is es sentia l to know th e Tra nsce nde nt Abs ol ute, as are pe rs on al dis cip lin e, goo d con duct , pu rif ica tion , pi lgr im age, se lf -inqu iry and medi ta ti on . 8) I bel ie ve th at all li fe is sacr ed, to be lov ed and rev ere d, and ther ef or e pr act ic e ahim sa, “non inju ry .” 9) I bel ie ve th at no pa rti cu la r re ligi on tea ch es th e on ly wa y to salva ti on above all others , bu t that all ge nuin e re ligi ou s pa th s are face ts of God’ s Pure Love and Ligh t, des er vi ng toler ance and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh 27 under sta ndi ng.

Code of Conduct – DO NOT’s

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Code of Conduct – DO NOT’s

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Code of Conduct – DO NOT’s

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Code of Conduct – DO’s

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Code of Conduct – DO’s

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Code of Conduct – DO’s

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Hindu Temple

Sikh Gurudwara

Jain Temple

Buddhist Pagoda

Four major religions of the world have originated from India: Hinduism,Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Some Facts Proba bly th e firs t writ ten la ngu age wit h com ple te gra mm er is Sanskr it . 5000 yea rs +. Olde st ci vili zation to exi st on th e ea rt h toda y. The scie nce of Yoga and Med it ation wa s dev el oped in the Hi ma la ya s Bir th pla ce of 4 major re li gion s Hi ndu ism, Bu ddh ism , Sikh is m and Ja inis m Worl d’ s firs t Un ive rs ity in Takshil a in 700 BC Veda s are th e olde st tex ts ava il abl e to humans

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       

No Human Fo und er . No know n be ginni ng No O ne Sc rip tur e o f autho ri ty One Sup reme God / Ulti mate R eal ity Empha sis o n p ers onal ex perie nce All Pa ths d ese rve eq ual re sp ect Whol e wo rl d is o ne famil y Le t ever y one b e hap py, hea lthy a nd p eace ful

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Sanskrit: Source of numerous languages

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Sacred Cow – Why? Every thi ng is s ac red for H ind us. C ows, Li ke in al l soc iet ies of all t imes, have b een consi dered to b e “weal th”. Cows p rov ide milk whi ch he lps sust ain l if e, life of ad ul ts and chi ldren al ike. T he bypro duct s of t he milk, yo ghurt , but termil k, but ter e tc were an in tegral pa rt of thei r dai ly d iet . T heir dung was a useful , yea r around fuel sup ply. By pul ling cart s and ploug hs, they were p art ner s i n tec hno log y that hel ped devel op new fr ont iers in t he Ind ian sub -c ont inent . Thei r u sefulness m eant they were valued a s hi ghl y a s any g ol d, gem or some time s e ven kin . By giving i t a very sp eci al place in our soc iet y, that of a pseud o m ot her, we m ad e sure it wa s resp ect ed at a ll ti mes . By giving it the sam e divine st at us as parent s, the anc ient s m ad e sure the hum ble cow ha d the sam e leg al and s oci al pro tect ion as huma ns ! A ll thi s to prot ect our wea lth !!

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Caste System Vedas speak of nobility of entire humanity (krinvanto vishvam aryam), and do not sanction any caste system or birth-based caste system. Mantra, numbered 10-131 in Rig Veda, addresses the entire humanity as divine children (shrunvantu vishve amrutsya putraha). Innumerable mantras in Vedas emphasise oneness, universal brotherhood, harmony, happiness, affection, unity and commonality of entire humanity. Veda Mantra numbered 5-60-5 in Rig Veda declares, “All men are brothers; no one is big, no one is small. All are equal.” Mantra numbered 16.15 in Yajur Veda reiterates that all men are brothers; no one is superior or inferior. Hindu scriptures speak only about ‘varna’ which means to ‘select’ (one’s profession, etc.) and which is not caste or birth-based. As per shloka numbered IV (13) of the Bhagavad Gita, depending upon a person’s guna (aptitude) and karma (actions), there are four varnas. As per this shloka, a person’s varna is determined by his guna and karma, and not by his birth. Chapter XIV of the Bhagavad Gita specifies three gunas viz. satva (purity), rajas (passion and attachment) and tamas (ignorance). These three gunas are present in every human in different proportions, and determine the varna of every person. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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Additional Resources Id io ts Guid e To Hin dui sm By Lin da Joh nse n On The Internet: http://www.himalayanacademy.com/basics http://www.atributetohinduism.com/ http://www.dlshq.org/download/vedbegin.pdf http://www.dlshq.org/download/download.htm http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/ans_00.html http://www.hindubooks.org/bansi_pandit/hindu_dharma/ This is a presentation by Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh(HSS). For more information, email at [email protected] Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

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