Thoughts on Hindu Dharma

Date: 7/19/2006

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Thoughts on Hindu Dharma//////////// By Professor Bharat J. Gajjar //////////// Who is a Hindu? A Hindu is someone who accepts the divinity of the Vedas and accepts dharma. Vedas are ancient scriptures recorded by sages who received divine wisdom from God while in meditation. Also anyone who declares himself to be a Hindu is a Hindu. A Hindu is in charge of his own destiny and he has complete freedom of thought and belief system. /////////////// Paramatman (God) divided into Purusha (Shiva) and Prakriti (Shakti). Shiva is the divine Spirit and may be viewed as the Divine Father. Shakti is the Divine Mother who represents material energy (material world, astral world, heavenly and hellish planes of existence, and dualities such as light and darkness). Material energy is also known as maya or illusion. The only reality is Paramatman and atman (soul in each living being including animals and plants). In the material world there are three gunas in play: satvik, rajasik, and tamasik. Rajasik is creation and also the mode of passion. Satvik is preservation and also the mode of goodness. Tamasik is destruction and the mode of ignorance. These modes of nature are continuously interacting with each other in the material world. The solution is to do your dharma and be transcendental—beyond the three gunas. Dharma is doing your duty and fulfilling your responsibilities towards your family and society. ///////////// Why are we in maya? A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada said that in ignorance we asked to go into the material world to enjoy the world and to “be God.” However there is no permanent happiness in the material world. There are several major problems in human life: ignorance, ego, pleasure-seeking, and attachment to maya. Once you are in the material world, you are caught in the loop of samsara or birth and death. The question is how to get out of this loop. Hindu saints say: surrender to a sadguru and practice yoga to lead you out of samsara and to moksha (complete liberation and jivatman uniting with Paramatman). /////////// What is Yoga?//////////// To the worker, it is union between men and the whole of humanity; to the mystic, between the lower and Higher Self; to the lover, union between himself and the God of Love; and to the philosopher, it is the union of all existence. This is what is meant by Yoga. –Swami Vivekananda, a great Hindu saint of India//////////////////// There are six types of yoga:  Bhakti Yoga - devotional - love God  Gnyana Yoga - knowledge - seek truth  Raja Yoga - meditation - know thyself  Mantra Yoga - harmony - unite with all (Om)  Karma Yoga - selfless service - do your dharma and help others  Hatha Yoga - health - achieve peace, happiness, & good life //////////// Summary of all is first God-realization, then self-realization and life-realization. In addition, seek Moksha, not heaven. Come out of samsara by doing Sadhana (spiritual practice of yoga). Detach from the material world and attach to God (Radha Krishna or Sita Ram). Hari Om tat sat. /////////// 000000000