Hinduism may be defined as the religious beliefs and practices common to the majority of the people of India. Yet it offers a wide variety of practices and teachings and thus it is hard to decide on one common definition. Some of the common themes however, include: Pantheism (all is God, God is all), Polytheism (many lesser gods as well), and a reliance on occultic ritual and practices.
Hinduism in America teaches that God is an impersonal devine essence called, Brahman. It teaches Pantheism, that everything is God or is part of God; that there is nothing, which is not God. Furthermore it teaches that nothing can be known about God, eg the Nikhilananda gospel p102 states, “no one has ever been able to say what Brahman is.” and p218, “the nature of Brahman cannot be described. About it one remains silent.”
The Swami Budhananda wrote in his, “Teachings of Swami Vivekananda” 1975, p 91-92, the following description of Brahman:
“… an impersonal, omnipresent being who cannot be called a knowing being… He cannot be called a thinking being, because that is a process of the weak only. He cannot be called a reasoning being, because reasoning is a sign of weakness. He cannot be called a creating being, because none can create except in bondage.”
Hinduism knows all about what God is not, but nothing about what God really is. Isn’t it a bit contradictory to know for certain that God is unknowable and yet to know that He is impersonal, pantheistic, and unknowing.
Hinduism’s God differs from the Biblical God in other important ways as well. Gurus such as Muktananda and Sai Baba teach that the guru himself is God and that you are God, respectively.
Hinduism as a religion is based on mythology. It had no founder nor a fixed canon. Myriads of local cults or traditions of worship can be distinguished. It originated from a body of conflicting and contradictory literature called the Veda (ca 1500- 1200 BC), which Hindus claim was given supernaturally by the Hindu gods. (We would call those gods fallen angels and the communications involved would be common to occult practices found elsewhere as well.) Powerful occultist called rishis or seers received these supernatural revelations and interpreted them as devine communication from the gods. Many gods made for many contradictory revelations. Common themes when isolated, are directed away from any kind of relationship with a personal Creator God. Any alternate to that will fit nicely into this belief system.
The dominant existing form of Hinduism for the past few centuries has defaulted to “Vedanta”(the end of the Vedas), which gave organized and systematic form to the teachings. There are many schools due to the various interpretations just as with Christianity.
The dominant Vedantic school in America (advaita) teaches that there is only one impersonal God, Brahman, who alone is real, and that everything else is illusion or a dream of Brahman. This is akin to what I’ve suggested but don’t let this fool you into thinking that my “Thinking God” is Brahman. Hinduism teaches that Brahman exuded this entire universe as part of itself and covered it with physical illusions (all physical matter). Brahman resides beneath this material creation - this world is an illusion hiding God. This explains why the goal of Hinduism is to go inward to allegedly discover that one’s true nature is part of God. It aims at supposedly revealing one’s inward divine nature by “contacting” Brahman through occult practices.
Since the world is ultimately an illusion, a dream of Brahman, this is basically a negative doctrine – a total rejection of current beliefs in religion or morals. It is a form of skepticism that denies all existence. Its goal of “enlightenment” is a death to the things of this world. Therefore followers are encouraged to not take this life seriously, since it’s only a dream. One look at the despicable conditions on the streets of India will tell you that this philosophy is self-destructive*. Not that our’s is a perfect society in contrast. However, at the individual level self-respect is valued along with morals and hard work, sacrifice for the common good, delayed gratification, etc in most societies. Conversely, these fundamental values are rejected by this cop-out culture. The truly enlightened individual in Hinduism is indifferent to all actions good or bad.
According to Hinduism, Brahman is wholly indifferent to what happens in this universe. Brahman does relate his thoughts. It is impersonal and unconcerned about humans. It has no feelings because it has no values. Therefore, anyone who knows Brahman recognizes that there is no good or evil and this world we live in is merely an illusion signifying nothing. Yet, the Hindu gurus claim to offer people a transcendence and a meaning to life, which Western materialism has denied them. Both Hinduism and materialism lead to emptiness, “Nihilism”. “Upon this absolute Truth of the despair of nihilism, we must build our lives,” according to Guru Da Free John.
Atheist, Bertrand Russell puts it this way in his publication, Why I am not a Christian and other Essays, 1957, p10, “Only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built.”
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* Writing about his trip to India in the National Review, Paul Molnar agreed with Paul Claudel that the oriental religion is the devil’s workshop. The faith of the worshippers is without a doubt sincere, even fervent,… But the objects of worship are brutal, inhuman deities who know how to scare, punish, avenge, mock and cheat, not to elevate and to forgive; and the environment around the worshippers repels. Hippies are drawn to this witches brew because here they find degradation of reason, self-esteem, vital forces, and of faith in God and man. Here everyone does his own thing, but intelligence and purpose dissolve on the trashheap, the body rots until it becomes one with the road, the grass, the dung. The great nothingness envelops all, and ashes go into the Ganges river.
8 March 2002
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