What does it mean to be a Hindu? \u00a0What are the different aspects of Hinduism? \u00a0How is it different from other religions? These are the questions that are answered in this book. It is the reason the book is subtitled: \u201cThe Hinduism Primer.\u201d One of the author\u2019s major points is that Hinduism is the pursuit of truth above all else. It is a quest to live the truth, to realize the truth and to leave illusion behind.
\nThe Scope of Hinduism<\/b>
\nThis book is for those readers who have very little or no background in Hinduism. \u00a0The author declares that Hinduism \u201cis not a religion, but a way of life\u2026\u2026Hinduism is more a culture than a religion.\u201d
\nViswanathan gives a comprehensive chronicle of this faith. He explains how it ranges from the celebration of Kumbha Mela and other religious festivals to the practice of pranayama, kriya, yoga and transcendental meditation. He writes about how it is an all-embracing religion allowing for the worship of many gods and goddesses yet there is still the underlying belief in the one God. \u00a0Hinduism even tolerates and envelopes the concept of atheism as another point of view. It encompasses the concept of Maya (the world is an illusion) and at the same time includes an instruction on how to live a dharmic life.
\nThis is a book that clearly details the unique qualities of Hinduism while enabling the reader to appreciate its nuances and values. \u00a0The author goes on to say that it is a way of life not based on the principle of telling the person what not to do, but rather its focus is on an explanation of all aspects of the Cosmos – from understanding what worship is, to understanding the facets, and scientific underpinnings of architecture, temple construction, music, mathematics, astrology, astronomy, engineering and more. This information, Viswanathan says, is contained in the ancient scriptures called the Vedas (Vedas itself means knowledge).
\nThe Treasures of Hinduism<\/b>
\nThe author explains that Hinduism is the research output of many learned men known as rishis. The rishis heard eternal truths during meditation and transmitted those truths telepathically to their disciples. These truths eventually were written down and became the Vedas.<\/p>\nAs the rishis worked on different riddles of the universe, they presented varied perspectives on how to envision and comprehend the infinite. Hinduism includes the supposition that every being is a center and focal point of creation. \u00a0In addition, the human being is the microcosm of the universe as macrocosm. \u00a0They both reflect each other. \u00a0The God-realized being, sees the \u2018I\u2019 as the universe and the universe as \u201cI\u201d. Ramana Maharshi reflected this message because he expressed that the search for the real \u2018I\u201d was and is the greatest goal in life for each person on this earth.<\/h4>\n
Scriptures Mentioned<\/b>
\nThe Rig Veda<\/i>
\nOne of the many revelations of Hinduism comes from the Rig Veda, the first sacred text that was downloaded by the rishis. \u00a0It was wise of the author to pick this particular section in the Creation Hymn because it reminds the reader of the preciousness of existence and its underlying mystery.
\nCreation Hymn: Rig Veda X,129,6-7
\nAfter all, who knows and who can say
\nFrom whence it all came, and how creation takes place?
\nThe Gods (powers of nature) themselves came after the creation
\nSo who knows truly when it happened?
\nThe Upanishads:The Brihad-Aranyaka<\/i><\/p>\nThe Brihad-Aranyaka is one of the Upanishads. \u00a0The Upanishad were teachings that were given by the Guru. \u00a0The disciple sat very close so that not only was it very intimate, but nobody else could overhear.<\/h6>\n
Viswanathan is, also very astute in quoting the great sage Yagnavalkya in the Brihad-Aranyaka. \u00a0Because in this quote, lies the quandary that makes for the seeker in us; it is that which spurs many of us on the path: What does it mean to be a Hindu? \u00a0What are the different aspects of Hinduism? \u00a0How is it different from other religions? These are the questions that are answered in this book. It is the reason the book is subtitled: \u201cThe Hinduism Primer.\u201d One of the author\u2019s major points is that Hinduism is the pursuit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[1979],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35736"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35736\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalpress-new.hinduismnow.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u201cYou cannot see the seer of all things: you cannot hear the hearer of all things: you cannot think the thinker of all things: you cannot understand the knower of all things. \u00a0That which is beyond all comprehension is the self within you.\u201d
\nThe Bhagavad Gita<\/i>
\nAccording to the author, the Bhagavad Gita is equivalent to the Bible in importance to the Hindu worshipper. It is also the summation of the Upanishads (Sacred Hindu treatises). \u00a0It deals with all the Yogas or ways of God-realization. \u00a0The Gita addresses many of the problems that a person may face in life. \u00a0It never tells a person what to do. \u00a0It gives the advantages and disadvantages of every conflict, but the decision of how to deal with the conflict is ultimately left to each individual.
\nOther Concepts Alluded To<\/b>
\nReincarnation<\/i>
\nIf there is one major tenet of Hinduism that all Hindus share, it is the belief in life after death. The body dies, but the soul goes on life after life. \u00a0The past actions of the soul are carried into the next life. This determines the path that will be taken by the incarnated soul.
\nMaya<\/i>
\nAnother main tenet of Hinduism is that the world is Maya. \u00a0This world is illusion because it is in constant flux: what is seen in the moment, is never seen again, \u00a0because within every second existence becomes something else. \u00a0We are actually caught in the paradigm of time. The truth is that reality is beyond \u00a0time. \u00a0We live in illusion because we are limited in how we perceive by our five senses. \u00a0As we are bound by our senses we can never get a glimpse of what \u00a0reality really is.
\nConclusion<\/b>
\nViswanathan brings the reader an introduction to another way of life that most westerners do not often get exposure to. \u00a0\u00a0The information shared in this review is an indication of the broad spectrum that he covers. \u00a0His book is a taste, a dip into a religion that is awe inspiring in its complexity and humbling in its expression of elemental truths.
\nFootnotes<\/p>\n\n