Hinduism travels from Truth to Truth

Hinduism travels from Truth to Truth

Hinduism recognizes that Religions originated at different times and places in answer to the circumstances and needs of the people. The Mahabharata says: “As the waters of various streams, having their sources at different places, all finally reach the ocean, so does all worship lead finally to that One Supreme Being.”The Veda says:‘God is One and only One; the wise call Him variously.” 

Hinduism is very elastic; it has ample scope to accommodate and incorporate into its fold any idea or thought that works for the Ultimate Good of humanity. One of our prayers says: “O Lord! Let noble thoughts come to us from every direction.” (Rig Veda).

Hinduism is the search for Truth. That is why people within the Hindu fold are seekers, and not followers. The man who bows before a stone or a river or the sun is in adoration of the glory and power of God. He does not know God, but he sees His power and glory before him and bows to it. Who are we to condemn him? Though his worship may not be considered as of the highest level, he is to be encouraged and not condemned; he is also searching for Truth.

In our search for the Truth, to have the experience of the eternal Bliss, we must go within. The Scripture says: God is within you.  (Rg. Veda. 10. 82.7)I am the universal Soul seated in the heart of all beings.  (Gita 10.20) When we realize His presence within us, something beautiful happens. Our vision is transformed. We now begin to realize that the God we have been worshipping is not only within us, but exists everywhere – in the entire Cosmos, of which our Earth is just a tiny speck.

The Hindus discovered ages ago that the Sun, and not the earth is at the centre of this vast universe. Remember, it was the Hindus who discovered God and gave Him to the world. God is not of heaven and earth only, but of the entire universe. We have to expand our narrow vision to see the larger picture.  There is a very meaningful verse of the Bhagavad Gita, contemplating on which you will understand the omnipresence of God. It says:“There is nothing else besides Me. Everything is strung on Me, like beads on a string.” (7:7)

Lord Shree Krishna now speaks of His paramount position over everything and His dominion over all. The analogy used is of beads strung on a thread. The existence of the world is held together by Him like the beads which are held together by the string. Everything that you see is like a knot on the thread, and that thread represents God. God is the Common Denominator of every being. He is the Inner Motivator; He holds us all together.  As the one thread holds all the beads together, that One God inter-penetrates each one of us, holding all of us together. He is the projector, Sustainer and Annihilator of the universe. He is also the Substratum on which everything exists. The Swetashvatara Upanishad 6.8 states:‘There is nothing equal to God, nor is there anything superior to Him.’

Thus, according to the Gita verse, all mankind are all part of the same Thread of Life. He says:

Just a fraction of Myself supports all that you behold.  (Rg. Veda. 10. 90:3) I stand supporting this entire universe by a fraction of My Power.  (Gita 10:42)‘God is the form and substance of existence.’  This is a very profound statement. It means that all mankind are related. We are all part of that one thread. Sometimes we consider blood relations as family, but we are all spiritually related. We are all members of the one family of God. The Energy that is within me is the same energy that is within you. It runs through all of us; it is the inter-connecting Thread of Life. We are all connected by that same Energy. Only Hinduism is qualified to speak of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.

God in Hinduism is Truth, Life and Bliss – Sat-Chid-Ananda. It is present in the spiritual heart of man as the Atman, the Soul. In the outer world, It is called God. Lord Shree Krishna says:“Whatever you see as being glorious, beautiful and powerful, know that to be a manifestation of a part of My splendor.” (10:41).While all things are supported by God, things of beauty, splendor and power reveal Him more than others.

Electricity flowing through a speaker creates a sound, but one who does not know the principle how it works may think that the sound comes from the speaker itself. Similarly, whenever and wherever we observe extraordinary splendor, magnificent appearances of grandeur anywhere – that which catches our imagination, draws our attention, sends us into raptures and infuses bliss into us – we should know it to be but a spark of the glory of God. He is the infinite reserviour of beauty, glory, power, knowledge, and opulence. He is the Powerhouse from where all beings and things get their splendor. It is in the form of Energy in the sun, the Beauty of Nature, the bravery of the hero, the Intelligence of the cosmos, the Righteousness of the priest, the Genius in man, the sacrifice of the leader, the Wisdom of the saint. The Vedas has something to say on this.

‘Thou by Eternal Law (Dharma) hast spread about flowering and seed-bearing plants, and streams of water; Thou hast generated the matchless lightnings in the sky, – Thou, vast, encompassing vast realms, art a fit subject for our worship. (Rg. Veda II. 13:7)

Dharma is Eternal Law. It is an attribute of God that He maintains Eternal Law. The Eternal Law (Dharma) manifests itself in nature, making for beauty and glory. In its application to life, Dharma or Eternal Law makes for virtuous conduct – goodness. Hence, the beautiful and the good are but two aspects of Dharma – cosmic and moral. Cosmic lawlessness is chaos, and moral lawlessness is evil.

In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Speech Prize, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan showed great insight and understanding when he said: “The conviction that one people alone are the sole proprietor of truth; the belief that goodness, compassion and righteousness are mutually exclusive endowments have done untold harm to the human family.”

(Pandit Ramdial Balbadar is a prominent Aachaarya (Teacher) of Hinduism in Guyana. He is the compiler and author of many titles and has over 30 years experience in Pandits’ Training across Guyana. He is currently the President of the Sanatan Vaidic Dharma Pandits’ Sabha, Region 3).