Hinduism: The Way of Release Beliefs

The Cosmos Hindus believe that the universe undergoes cyclical processes of creation, preservation, and destruction. Hindus call the world around us maya, often translated as “illusion.” See the world as a tri-loka (triple world system) Heavens, subterranean world and the earthly realm A wide assortment of beings occupies these realms. The heavens are he abode of the gods {devas), goddesses (devis), powerful demons, and other semidivine beings, such as apsaras (heavenly damsels). The subterranean realms are the abode of lesser demons, ghosts, and a host of other, often malevolent, beings. These beings are not restricted to these realms, for in myth and folklore, humans in the earthly realm often have encounters with the beings from other realms.

Brahman The underlying supreme spirit of the universe. Emphasis on Oneness in contrast to multiplicity Brahman is,,,the one life of all the gods, the one soul of the universe, the one source of all. Basically, Brahman is what is not distinguishable. When all of the identifiable particulars of the universe are subtracted away, what remains is Brahman, the essential substratum of all existence. This is monism, the belief that all reality is ultimately one.

God Comes Down: Avatars Avatar, a "descent" (Sanskrit, avatara) of God to earth in a physical form with the specific goal of aiding
the world. Vishnu surrounded by his avatars.  They are manifestations of Vishnu, whose primary function is the preservation of order in the world. Vishnu is believed to have ten such forms, of which nine have already appeared. most popular of the avatars are Rama, Vishnu’s seventh form, and Krishna, his eighth. It is said that Vishnu’s final avatar, Kalki, will arrive at the end of the present age to usher in an era of peace.

Karma Means “action” and “consequences” Functions within the law of cause and effect. Good action produce good Karma and bad actions produce…you guessed it! Future life is impacted! Karma results from both physical action and thoughts. What strikes most North Americans as unfair about the caste system is that it seems to penalize people for “accident of birth,” a phrase often heard in contemporary social theory. However, if the doctrine of karma and reincarnation is correct, no birth is accidental. Every birth is the result of previous deeds. Consequently, there is no injustice in being born in a lower caste. One should do one’s duty, act virtuously, and live in the awareness that one is playing a role, performing a function, in a structure and pattern much larger than self and even society at any given historical moment.

Caste System & Dharma At the center of the caste system (called Varna) which is determined by one’s Karma. Connection to Dharma > for the individual is doing one’s proper duty within the social order and thus within the cosmic order. In sum, doing one’s Dharma will result in good Karma! Dharma means “justice,” but it does not mean “equality.” Here, justice means everything in its proper place, but not all places are equal. Caste is determined by karma. The specific caste of an individual is determined by his or her deeds in previous lives. Furthermore, how one acts in this life determines the characteristics of one’s next incarnation. A belief in karma is critical to a belief in the fairness of the caste system, though one may certainly believe in karma and reincarnation with- out being committed to traditional Indian social structure. Dharma For Hinduism, the term dharma can mean law, duty, righteousness, or even “religion,” all of which have to do with living in a way that upholds cosmic and social order.

Samsara and the Human Condition Refers to the endless snare of physical re-incarnation! The Upanishads describe this cycle …not as an opportunity to ‘come back and have another go’ but as a regurgitation into the harsh realities of physical existence. There are impersonal forms one can come back as! ASK First Italic: At this point you may be thinking: 'But I like my life: it's rich, fun, and full of friendship and things to learn.’ The teachers of the Upanishads would regard such thinking as short-sighted and ultimately tragic. Why would a little ‘spark’ want to remain a spark when it could return to the great flame from which it had come? Impersonal Forms You may not actually come back as a person if you’ve done poorly. You may come back as an animal or even a rock? But a rock can’t do it’s proper duty/its dharma! How can you become a rock? The point is that you are doing your time. You’ve been fairly naughty if you end up here.

Atman: The True Self All Hindus believe in an undying soul or self, the atman, whose nature is neither limited by the physical body nor defined by its relationship to the world. It is the atman that moves from body to body through successive incarnations. Summary: You are one self, not you now, but the you who is throughout all your selves. The you now, is just an illusory self.

On the Body? In the western world, we tend to enjoy our bodies. But for Hinduism, this is drastically misguided. The body is seen as a prison, something that needs to be escaped. Monistic Hinduism, true to its basic premise that all reality is ultimately one, teaches that the atman is Brahman.

Moksha Freedom from the bondage of samsara is achieved through moksha, “release” or “liberation.” Having overcome attachments to this world, the atman realizes its true nature. Hindus also have differing opinions on whether moksha can occur for a living person or whether it must await death of the physical body. For monistic Hindus, moksha is the union of the atman with Brahman, such that no sense of individuality any longer exists. For dualistic or devotional Hindus for whom the divine reality is identified with their supreme God (be it Vishnu, Shiva, or another), moksha involves the eternal existence of the atman in the company of God.