My friend was asking me what fascinated me about Hindu philosophy.
This is the reply. I thought it worthy of becoming a blog post.
I may appear as a religious fanatic after u read this :-)
First of all, my intro to Hinduism started with yoga and not rituals or idol worship. That is very important.
1) Hinduism has so many ways to realize the true self...you will not believe that given that we are all people of different kinds, the way you associate with god and I associate may be miles apart. Bhakti - is an easy choice for women, while someone more rational can try jnana yoga. The fact that yoga is addressed in Hindu religion as a path to realize god, is a big thing for me. I did not know that.
I thought that yoga was an alternative to gymming. But slowly I realized what it is intended for and when you know it (maybe u already know), you will fall in love with Patanjali and Shiva :-) It's an amazing science and technology for inner engineering. I am not doing my yoga but I can certainly believe what it aims to achieve.
So, unlike christianity or Islam, we can follow different ways and become tolerant as well.
2) The philosophy part - the vedas and the vedantas. I just started reading the vedantas and I am like "God.. how can a billion people, have missed this?". I don't know abt the bible/ Koran but I am fascinated by whatever little vedanta philosophy that I read... Again, the fact that the vedanta is part of Hindu religion is itself an honorable thing for me. The book (pdf) that I sent you is far better than "vedanta treatise" in terms of educating the concepts.
3) The way people created temples or gods - if you have the necessary technology, you can make the simple space around you into a Divine exuberance; you can just take a piece of rock and make it into a God or a Goddess;
This fact shook me.. the fact that man created gods :-) The fact that they state "I am god" (Aham brahmasmi).
4) The fact that this culture - rather than calling it a religion, has invested so much in understanding man and gods...right from sounds (mantras) to the science of temples to the lunar calendar, feminine traits- is astounding.
So far, I thought Hinduism was abt rituals, mantras and worshipping so many gods - most of whom I cannot even remember.
I do not go to temples. I am pretty much an outcast.. but when I chose to believe ( I cannot say that I know these by experience)...all that I read, I am fascinated.
http://blog.ishafoundation.
http://blog.ishafoundation.
http://www.ishafoundation.org/
http://blog.ishafoundation.
http://blog.ishafoundation.
==============================
The four main spiritual paths for God-realisation are Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is suitable for a man of active temperament, Bhakti Yoga for a man of devotional temperament, Raja Yoga for a man of mystic temperament, and Jnana Yoga for a man of rational and philosophical temperament, or a man of enquiry.
Hinduism provides spiritual food and Yoga Sadhana for all sorts of people to suit their temperaments, capacities, tastes, stages of spiritual development and conditions of life. It prescribes Yoga Sadhana even for a scavenger or a cobbler to attain God-realisation, while doing his ordinary avocation in the world. Hindu Yoga and Vedanta teachers lay great stress on self-restraint, Tapas, renunciation and practical Sadhana which is best calculated to control the mind and the senses and unfold the divinity or attain Self-realisation. Hinduism is not a religion of mere theories. It is eminently practical. In no religion you will find such a variety of practical Yoga practised and such sublime unique philosophy expounded. That is the reason why India is the only glorious land of sages, Rishis, Yogins and saints.
Religion is practical aspect of philosophy. Philosophy is rational aspect of religion. The philosophy of Hinduism is not arm-chair philosophy. It is not meant for intellectual curiosity and vain discussion. Hindu philosophy is a way of life. The philosopher of Hinduism seriously reflects after hearing the Srutis, does Atma-Vichara, constantly meditates, and then attains Self-realisation or Atma-Sakshatkara. Moksha is his goal. He attempts to attain Jivanmukti now and here.
This is the reply. I thought it worthy of becoming a blog post.
I may appear as a religious fanatic after u read this :-)
First of all, my intro to Hinduism started with yoga and not rituals or idol worship. That is very important.
1) Hinduism has so many ways to realize the true self...you will not believe that given that we are all people of different kinds, the way you associate with god and I associate may be miles apart. Bhakti - is an easy choice for women, while someone more rational can try jnana yoga. The fact that yoga is addressed in Hindu religion as a path to realize god, is a big thing for me. I did not know that.
I thought that yoga was an alternative to gymming. But slowly I realized what it is intended for and when you know it (maybe u already know), you will fall in love with Patanjali and Shiva :-) It's an amazing science and technology for inner engineering. I am not doing my yoga but I can certainly believe what it aims to achieve.
So, unlike christianity or Islam, we can follow different ways and become tolerant as well.
2) The philosophy part - the vedas and the vedantas. I just started reading the vedantas and I am like "God.. how can a billion people, have missed this?". I don't know abt the bible/ Koran but I am fascinated by whatever little vedanta philosophy that I read... Again, the fact that the vedanta is part of Hindu religion is itself an honorable thing for me. The book (pdf) that I sent you is far better than "vedanta treatise" in terms of educating the concepts.
3) The way people created temples or gods - if you have the necessary technology, you can make the simple space around you into a Divine exuberance; you can just take a piece of rock and make it into a God or a Goddess;
This fact shook me.. the fact that man created gods :-) The fact that they state "I am god" (Aham brahmasmi).
4) The fact that this culture - rather than calling it a religion, has invested so much in understanding man and gods...right from sounds (mantras) to the science of temples to the lunar calendar, feminine traits- is astounding.
So far, I thought Hinduism was abt rituals, mantras and worshipping so many gods - most of whom I cannot even remember.
I do not go to temples. I am pretty much an outcast.. but when I chose to believe ( I cannot say that I know these by experience)...all that I read, I am fascinated.
http://blog.ishafoundation.
http://blog.ishafoundation.
http://www.ishafoundation.org/
http://blog.ishafoundation.
http://blog.ishafoundation.
==============================
The four main spiritual paths for God-realisation are Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Karma Yoga is suitable for a man of active temperament, Bhakti Yoga for a man of devotional temperament, Raja Yoga for a man of mystic temperament, and Jnana Yoga for a man of rational and philosophical temperament, or a man of enquiry.
Hinduism provides spiritual food and Yoga Sadhana for all sorts of people to suit their temperaments, capacities, tastes, stages of spiritual development and conditions of life. It prescribes Yoga Sadhana even for a scavenger or a cobbler to attain God-realisation, while doing his ordinary avocation in the world. Hindu Yoga and Vedanta teachers lay great stress on self-restraint, Tapas, renunciation and practical Sadhana which is best calculated to control the mind and the senses and unfold the divinity or attain Self-realisation. Hinduism is not a religion of mere theories. It is eminently practical. In no religion you will find such a variety of practical Yoga practised and such sublime unique philosophy expounded. That is the reason why India is the only glorious land of sages, Rishis, Yogins and saints.
Religion is practical aspect of philosophy. Philosophy is rational aspect of religion. The philosophy of Hinduism is not arm-chair philosophy. It is not meant for intellectual curiosity and vain discussion. Hindu philosophy is a way of life. The philosopher of Hinduism seriously reflects after hearing the Srutis, does Atma-Vichara, constantly meditates, and then attains Self-realisation or Atma-Sakshatkara. Moksha is his goal. He attempts to attain Jivanmukti now and here.
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