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The Nature of Hinduism
Hinduisms special treasures, its four main
denominations, its precepts and practices,
scriptures and two paths of dharma
Hinduism is a joyous, reverent, mystical faith, as
evidenced in its fabulous festivals, such as the
Kumbha Mela, pictured here being celebrated
in Haridwar in 1998 on Mahasivaratri, Sivas
great night, where 25 million devotees gathered
to honor and seek blessing of the Divine.
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A Satgurus Penetrating Insights on the Earths Oldest Living Faith
Hinduism, the Greatest Religion in the World
c h a p t e r 1
ellglon ls mans assoclatlon wlth the 0lvlne, and the ultlmate
objectlve of rellglon ls reallzatlon of Jruth. lorms whlch sym-
bollze Jruth are only lndlcatlons, they are not Jruth ltself, whlch
transcends all conceptuallzatlon. Jhe mlnd ln lts ehorts to understand
Jruth through reasonlng must always fall, for Jruth transcends the very
mlnd whlch seeks to embrace lt. llndulsm ls unlque among the worlds
rellglons. l boldly proclalm lt the g reatest rellglon ln the world. Jo begln
wlth, lt ls manklnds oldest splrltual declaratlon, the very fountalnhead of
falth on the planet. llndulsms venerable age has seasoned lt to maturlty.
lt ls the only rellglon, to my knowledge, whlch ls not founded ln a slngle
hlstorlc event or prophet, but whlch ltself precedes recorded hlstory. lln-
dulsm has been called the cradle of splrltualltyand the mother of all re-
llglons,partlally because lt has lnuenced vlrtually every major rellglon
and partly because lt can absorb all other rellglons, honor and embrace
thelr scrlptures, thelr salnts, thelr phllosophy. Jhls ls posslble because lln-
dulsm looks compasslonately on all genulne splrltual ehort and knows
unmlstakably that all souls are evolvlng toward unlon wlth the 0lvlne,
and all are destlned, wlthout exceptlon, to achleve splrltual enllghten-
ment and llberatlon ln thls or a future llfe. $0f course, any rellglon ln the
world ls a mlnd stratum wlthln people, lsnt lt! lt ls a group of people who
thlnk consclously, subconsclously and subsuperconsclously allke and who
are gulded by thelr own superconsclousness and the superconsclousness
of thelr leaders whlch make up the force held whlch we call a rellglon.
lt does not exlst outslde the mlnd. People of a certaln rellglon have all
been lmpressed wlth the same experlences. Jhey have all accepted the
same or slmllar bellefs and attltudes, and thelr mutual concurrence cre-
ates the bonds of fellowshlp and purpose, of doctrlne and communlon.
by satguru sivaya subramuniyaswami,
founder of hinduism today
Rites of Communion: (Photo, left) for eleven days in 1997, one-hundred-twenty-
one priests surrounded 11 fre altars in a huge worship hall at the Sringeri Sadhana
Center in Pennsylvania for the grandest of all fre ceremonies. The Ati Rudra
Maha Yajna, witnessed by 6,000 devotees and following liturgy set thousands
of years ago, was performed for the frst time on American soil, a demonstration
of Hinduisms strength and geographical breadth in our modern age.
the people who are hinduism share a mind structure. they can
understand, acknowledge, accept and love the peoples of all reli-
gions, encompass them within their mind as being fne religious
people. the hindu truly believes that there is a single eternal path,
but he does not believe that any one religion is the only valid reli-
gion or the only religion that will lead the soul to salvation. rather,
the eternal path is seen refected in all religions.
to put it another way, the will of God or the Gods is at work in
all genuine worship and service. it is said in hindu scripture that
truth is one. paths are many. the search for truth, for God, is
called the sanatana Dharma, or the eternal path, because it is in-
herent in the soul itself, where religion begins. this path, this return
to the source, is ever existent in man, and is at work whether he is
aware of the processes or not. there is not this mans search and
that mans search. Where does the impetus come from? it comes
from the inside of man himself. thus, hinduism is ever vibrant and
alive, for it depends on this original source of inspiration, this frst
impulse of the spirit within, giving it an energy and a vibrancy that
is renewable eternally in the now.
naturally, the hindu feels that his faith is the broadest, the most
practical and effective instrument of spiritual unfoldment, but he
includes in his hindu mind all the religions of the world as expres-
sions of the one eternal path and understands each proportionately
in accordance with its doctrines and dogma. he knows that certain
beliefs and inner attitudes are more conducive to spiritual growth
than others, and that all religions are, therefore, not the same. they
differ in important ways. Yet, there is no sense whatsoever in hin-
duism of an only path. a devout hindu is supportive of all efforts
that lead to a pure and virtuous life and would consider it unthink-
able to dissuade a sincere devotee from his chosen faith. this is the
hindu mind, and this is what we teach, what we practice and what
we offer aspirants on the path.
We often send people back to their own religion, for hindu doc-
trine would consider it an unseemly karma to draw someone away
simply because he believed differently. to the hindu, conduct and
the inner processes of the souls maturation are more essential than
the particular religion one may be by the accidents of birth, cul-
ture or geography. the hindu knows that he might unknowingly
disturb the dharma of the individual if he pulls him away from his
religious roots, and that would cause an unsavory karma for them
both. he knows, too, that it is not necessary that all people believe
exactly the same way or call God by the same name.
A Religion of Experience
still, hinduism is also extremely sectarian, altogether adamant in
its beliefs. its doctrines of karma and reincarnation, its philosophy
of nonviolence and compassion, its certainty of mystical realities
and experience and its universality are held with unshakable con-
viction. perhaps this is due to the fact that hinduism is a religion
more of experience than of doctrine. it prefers to say to its fol-
lowers, this is the nature of truth, and these are the means by
which that truth may be realized. here are the traditions which
have withstood time and proved most effective. now you may test
them in your own life, prove them to yourself. and we will help as
we can. hinduism will never say, You must do or believe thusly
or be condemned. in hinduism it is believed that none is eternally
condemned. that loving acceptance and unremitting faith in the
goodness of life is another reason i boldly say that hinduism is the
greatest religion in the world.
Within hinduism, as within every religious system, are the prac-
tical means of attaining the purity, the knowledge and the serenity
of life. each hindu is enjoined to attend a puja every day, prefer-
ably at a certain and consistent time. he must observe the laws
of virtue and the codes of ethics. he must serve others, support
religion within his community. he should occasionally pilgrimage
to sacred shrines and temples and partake in the sacraments. if
he is more advanced, an older soul, then he is expected, expects
of himself, to undertake certain forms of sadhana and tapas, of
onlght we want to speak on the joys
and happlness found ln llndulsm, our
anclent rell glon whlch brlngs forth
the wonderful feellngs of a bellef ln the cos-
mlc processes of relncar natlon coupled wlth
knowledge of the laws of karma and the
wlsdom of dharma ln whlch everyone has
hls rlghtful place and purpose ln llfe. lt brlngs
the broadmlndedness of total acceptance of
all other rellglons as expresslons of the 0ne
Cods creatlon, the blesslng of a complete
devotlonal path revolvlng around powerful
temples, the fulhllment of a profound mystl-
cal teachlng founded on yoga and brought
forth by the seers and salnts and gurus, and
so much more. 0ur rellglon ls so strong, so rlch
and varled that very few can clalm to under-
stand lt ln lts completeness. lt ls lmmense, an
lmmense rellglon, so lmmense that we have
dlmculty sometlmes explalnlnglt tothose who
hold to a slmpler doctrlne, especlally lf they
have been subjected to erroneous concepts
about our rellglon promulgated by lnvaders
and mlsslonarles of a score of allen rellglons.
lt ls tlme that the world knew of the great-
ness of llndulsm, knew lt as lt ls. 0f course,
we cannot explaln lt ln an evenlng. Vy satguru,
the great Slva Yogaswaml of Columbuthural,
would say, Jhe tlme ls short and the subject
ls vast. ut we can have a look at some of the
aspects of llndulsmthat brlng such joys and
happlness to over a bllllon devotees around
the world. $lach llndus bellef ln relncar-
natlon ls so strong that lt totally ellmlnates
the fear and dread of death. No true llndu
really fears death, nor does he look forward
to lt. Jhe word death ln the vocabulary of the
llndu holds a dlherent meanlng. le
does not take death to be the end of
exlstence, nor does he look upon llfe
as a slngular opportunlty to be fol-
lowed by eternal heavenly exlstence
for those souls who do well, and by
unendlng hell for those who do not.
0eath for the llndu ls merely tran-
sltlon, slmultaneously an end and a
new beglnnlng. 0ver two thousand
years ago, Salnt Jlruvalluvar wrote,
0eath ls llke falllng asleep, and blrth
ls llke awak enlng from that sleep
(Jlrukural 339). ln one of the anclent
languages of our rellglon, the physl-
cal body had a name whlch llterally
meant that whlch ls always drop-
plng oh. $Jhe llndus knowledge of relncar-
natlon glves hlmthe hope of attalnlng a future
blrth and ln that blrth maklng further prog-
ress toward the perfectlon that he lntultlvely
knows ls hls atman, hls soul. le ls worklng ln
thls llfe to galn enough good merlt, enough
The Joys of Hinduism
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Profundity: (Clockwise) Prof. E. Chamuramoki reviews precious
scriptures at the Oriental Research Institute, Tirupati; the Porram
Festival in Thrissur, Kerala, led by 15 gold-caparisoned elephants;
a woman rings the bell as she enters the Gadhikalika temple in
sacred Ujjain city, signalling her presence to the angelic hosts
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6 what i s hi ndui sm? chapter 1: hi ndui sm, the greatest reli gi on i n the world 7
discipline and asceticism.
though it is broad and open in the freedom of the mind to in-
quire, hinduism is narrowly strict in its expectations of devoteesthe
more awakened the soul, the higher the demands and responsibilities
placed upon him. and though other systems of belief are fully accept-
able mind structures within the structure of the higher mind, there
is no way out of hinduism. there is no excommunication. there is
no means of severance. theres no leaving hinduism once you have
formally accepted and been accepted. Why is that? that is because
hinduism contains the whole of religion within itself. there is no
other religion which one can adopt by leaving hinduism, only other
aspects of the one religion which is the sum of them all, the eternal
path, the sanatana Dharma.
i would say that, if it lacked all the qualities of open-mindedness
and compassion and tolerance just mentioned, hinduism would be
the greatest religion on the basis of its profound mysticism alone. no
other faith boasts such a deep and enduring comprehension of the
mysteries of existence, or possesses so vast a metaphysical system. the
storehouse of religious revelations in hinduism cannot be reckoned.
i know of its equal nowhere. it contains the entire system of yoga, of
meditation and contemplation and self realization. nowhere else is
there such insightful revelation of the inner bodies of man, the subtle
pranas and the chakras, or psychic centers within the nerve system.
inner states of superconsciousness are explored and mapped fully in
hinduism, from the clear white light to the sights and sounds which
food the awakened inner consciousness of man. in the West it is the
mystically awakened soul who is drawn to hinduism for understand-
ing of inner states of consciousness, discovering after ardent seeking
that hinduism possesses answers which do not exist elsewhere and
is capable of guiding awareness into ever-deepening mind strata.
Hinduisms Unbounded Tolerance
in apparent confict, the scriptures written thousands of years ago
explain how we should live, and saints and rishis and seers through-
out the ages have told us that it is impossible to live that way. so,
hinduism has a great tolerance for those who strive and a great
forgiveness for those who fail. it looks in awe at those who succeed
in living a life according to its own strict ethics. in hinduism, we
have many, many saints. You dont have to die to be acknowledged
a saint in our religion, you have to live. the hindus, perhaps be-
yond all other people on the earth, realize the diffculties of liv-
ing in a human body and look in awe at those who achieve true
spirituality.
the hindu believes in reincarnation. he believes that he is not
the body in which he lives, but the soul or awareness which takes
on a body for a defnite purpose. he believes he is going to get a
better body in a better birth, that the process does not begin and
end in a single life, that the process is continuous, reaching beyond
the limits that one life may impose on inner progress. of course,
his belief in karma assures him that a better birth, that progress
inwardly will come only if he behaves in a certain way. he knows
that if he does not behave according to the natural laws, to the
hindu ethics, that he will suffer for his transgressions in a future
life, or future lives, that he may by his own actions earn the neces-
sity of a so-called inferior birth, earn the right to start over where
he left off in the birth in which he failed.
the belief in karma and reincarnation is exclusively hindu, and
yet many people in the world today, whether they call themselves
religious or not, are coming to the same conclusions, not from being
told to believe but in a natural way, from the inside out. this belief
in more than a single life brings to the hindu a great sense of peace.
he knows that the maturity of the soul takes many lives, perhaps
hundreds of lives. if he is not perfect right now, then at least he
knows that he is progressing, that there will be many opportunities
for learning and growing. this eliminates anxiety, gives the serene
perception that everything is all right as it is. there is no sense
of a time limit, of an impending end or an ultimate judgment of
his actions and attitudes. this understanding that the soul evolves
punya, to deserve welcome lnto a hne rellglous
famlly as a good soul that wlll not upset the
famlly but add to lts love and harmony and
productlvlty. Jhat ls one alm ever on the
mlnd of the devout llndu, to llve well that
he may llve even more perfectly ln a future
llfe on thls planet. Jhat ls our alm, and our
other bellefs, our accumulated knowledge
and the many facets of our rellglon, glve
us the strength and the wlsdomto belleve
ln such a far-reachlng way, to look beyond
the lmmedlate day-to-day con cerns lnto
our ultlmate objectlve, whlch ls reallza-
tlon and llberatlon, moksha. $Nor ls thls
bellef ln the cycles of earthly exlstence, ln
relncarnatlon, merely a bellef. lt ls a cer-
taln knowledge for those who have had
even a tlny gllmpse lnto thelr orlglns to
the polnt of rememberlng another llfe or
just lntultlng that the soul dld not come
lnto exlstence just before ones blrth. Jhe
llndu belleves that the soul under takes many
sojourns on the planet. we see the wlsdomln
thls cycle of blrth, death and reblrth.
Karma Is Always Just: we see relncarna-
tlon as an explanatlon for many of the appar-
ent lnequalltles observed ln llfe. Jhus we
understand the falrness even ln a bad
blrth, say a blrth as a crlpple or a chlld
who dles ln lnfancy. Jo the llndu thls ls
not an accldent, but ls a natural event
brought forth by the soul ltself through
the karma of unseemly acts and deslres
ln a prevlous llfe. Jo the llndu there ls
not one force ln the unlverse at work to
make all thlngs good and an opposlng
force trylng to destroy the soul. No. All
ls Cods work. All karma ls natural and
worthy of the soul to whlch lt comes.
$Jhe llndu knows that lt ls the young-
er souls who lack understandlng, who
cannot llve ln harmony wlth others and
who shun the hlgher forms of culture
and falth. Rather than lnherltlng eternal suf-
ferlng for thelr acts, they earn lnstead another
opportunlty for experlence, for learnlng, for
evolvlng. Jhe ldeas of sln and evll
are dlherent ln llndulsm from the
concepts held by Abrahamlc rell-
glons. lf there ls such a thlng as sln
to the llndu, lt ls the breaklng of
the natural laws, a lapse ln the pat-
terns of karma and dhar ma, and
that transgresslon brlngs lts own
punlshment ln the formof an addl-
tlonal karma created to then be
worked out. Jhus the llndu does
not llve ln fear of sln or under the
notlon of orlglnal sln. we do not
look upon humanlty as lnherently
slnful, but ln herently perfect and
strlvlng to unfold that perfectlon
fromwlthln. Jhe llndu knows that
we wlll have as many opportunltles as needed
to rehne and evolve our naturea thousand
llves or more lf needed. we dont have to thlnk
that we only have a slngle chance, a one llfe ln
whlch everythlng must be accompllshed and
all de slres must be fulhlled. Jherefore, we are
not ln a hurry. we are patlent.
we exhlblt more patlence wlth
clrcumstances than do those
who belleve ln a one llfe, and
we are more for glvlng of our-
selves when we fall short. Jhus
lt ls that llndulsmohers a great
joy to lts followersa bless-
lng of fearlessness ln the face
of death, an assurance of the
contlnuatlon of consclousness
after physlcal death, another
assurance that each soul creates
lts own karma and that such kar-
ma ls just and rlght, even when lt
seems that some people are less
fortunate than others and that
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Dedication: (Clockwise) Shaven-headed aspirants await the auspi-
cious moment of brahmachari initiation and entry into an order of
world-renouncing sadhus; pilgrims touch the sculpted stone feet of
Vishnu in Tirumala Temples Srivari Padalu shrine; a traditional
Kathak dancer in outrageous, colorful costume
8 what i s hi ndui sm? chapter 1: hi ndui sm, the greatest reli gi on i n the world 9
gives the hindu remarkable insight into the human condition and
appreciation for all men in all stages of spiritual development.
hinduism is so broad. Within it there is a place for the insane
and a place for the saint. there is a place for the beggar and for
those who support beggars. there is a place for the intelligent per-
son and plenty of room for the fool. the beauty of hinduism is that
it does not demand of every soul perfection in this life, a necessary
conclusion for those who believe in a single lifetime during which
human perfection or grace must be achieved. Belief in reincarna-
tion gives the hindu an acceptance of every level of humanity.
some souls are simply older souls than others, but all are inherently
the same, inherently immortal and of the nature of the Divine.
Hindu Views of the Divine
in hinduism it is believed that the Gods are living, thinking, dy-
namic beings who live in a different world, in an inner world in
the microcosm within this world in which there exists a greater
macrocosm than this visible macrocosm. For the hindu, surrender
to the Divine Will that created and pervades and guides the uni-
verse is essential. the hindu believes that these beings guide our
experiences on earth, actually consciously guide the evolutionary
processes. therefore, he worships these beings as greater beings
than himself, and he maintains a subjective attitude toward them,
wondering if he is attuned with these grand forces of the universe,
if his personal will is in phase with what these great beings would
have him do. this gives birth to a great culture, a great attitude,
a great tolerance and kindness one to another. it gives rise to hu-
mility in the approach to lifenot a weak or false humility, but a
strong and mature sense of the grand presence and purpose of life
before which the head naturally bows.
there are said to be millions of Gods in the hindu pantheon,
though only a few major Deities are actually worshiped in the tem-
ples. that God may be worshiped as the Divine Father or a sainted
Mother or the King of kings is one of the blessings of hinduism. it
offers to each a personal and signifcant contact, and each hindu
will choose that aspect of the Deity which most appeals to his inner
needs and sensibilities. that can be confusing to some, but not to
the hindu. Within his religion is monism and dualism, monotheism
and polytheism, and a rich array of other theological views.
God in hinduism is accepted as both transcendent and imma-
nent, both beyond the mind and the very substratum of the mind.
the ideal of the hindu is to think of God always, every moment,
and to be ever conscious of Gods presence. this does not mean the
transcendent God, the absolute Lord. that is for the yogi to ponder
in his contemplative discipline. that is for the well-perfected hindu
who has worshiped faithfully in the temples, studied deeply the
scriptures and found his satguru.
For most hindus, God means the Gods, one of the many personal
devas and Mahadevas which prevail in our religion. this means a
personal great soul which may never have known physical birth, a
being which pervades the planet, pervades form with his mind
and Being, and which guides evolution. such a God is capable of
offering protection and direction to the followers of hinduism. the
hindu is supposed to think of God every minute of every day, to see
God everywhere. of course, most of us dont think of God even one
minute a day. thats the reason that each hindu is obliged to con-
duct or attend at least one religious service, one puja or ceremony,
every day in his temple or home shrine. this turns his mind inward
to God and the Gods.
hinduism, sanatana Dharma, is an eastern religion, and the
eastern religions are very different from those of the West. For
one thing, they are more introspective. hinduism gave birth to
Buddhism, for Buddha was born and died a good hindu. and it
gave birth to other religions of the east, to taoism, to Jainism, to
sikhism and others.
fate has unfalrly glven all the advantages to a
few. All these thlngs are bestowed on llndus
slmply because they understand the doctrlne
of reln car natlon. $llndulsm ls a hopeful and
comfortlng rellglon. lope for a future
llfe makes thls llfe worthwhlle, joyous,
contented and happy, because the
lln du can llve and deal wlth current
problems, knowlng that they are tran-
sltory problems, that they wlll not last
forever, nor wlll they ahect us forever.
Jhey are problems, we cannot deny
that. ut they are problems to be
worked out wlth a posltlve attltude
and a hlgh energy and a helplng hand
fromour Cods.
The World As Our Teacher: Jhe
llndu also wants to lmprove condl-
tlons ln the world, ln the physlcal
world. we do not look upon all that
happens to us as unreal. Jhat ls a mlsconcep-
tlon. lt ls real. llfe ls real. lt ls through llfe that
we progress. llfe ls the means provlded by
the Prlmordlal Cod for hndlng Reallty. Jrue,
lt ls maya. ut lt ls maya ln the form of mlnd,
ln the form of form. Vaya, or form, or mlnd,
ls created for a purpose, to help man evolve,
not to blnd hlm ln llluslon. Jhe llndu under-
stands thls. we want to help humanlty,
and slmultaneously we know that we
may well return ln another physlcal body.
So we are worklng not only for ourselves,
but for our loved ones, not only now, but
ln the future as well. we are lmprovlng
the world for future generatlons ln whlch
we wlll play a part. $Jhrough our knowl-
edge of relncarnatlon, we have a great
love and un derstandlng for every human
belng, for they have been our mothers,
our fathers, our sons and daughters, our
grandparents and companlons ln many
past llves, or perhaps wlll be ln a future
lncarnatlon. Jhls ex panded knowledge of
the lnterrelatedness of humanlty brlngs
wlth lt a deepened appre clatlon, helplng us to
understand why lt ls that some people seem
so close to us though we hardly know them
and others are strangers or even enemles after
years of close assoclatlon. Jo the llndu,
everyone younger ls hls brother or slster.
lveryone older ls hls mother or father, and
he malntalns a deep respect for others.
we have thls knowledge by havlng llved
through many hundreds of llves on thls
planet and havlng been assoclated wlth
many thousands of people. we knowthat
ln our current pattern ln thls llfe we often
attract those to us whom we have been
wlth ln past llves. So we have a great joy
and happlness ln meetlng themagaln and
a deep knowledge of our relatlonshlps,
our psychlc relatlonshlps, wlth them ln
past llves. $Jhe llndu belleves ln the law
of karma, the ablllty to earn ones rewards
as well as punlshments. All thls we can do our-
selves wlth the help of our Cods and our per-
sonal relatlonshlp wlth our lshta 0e v a ta, the
lndlvldual Cod that we have chosen, or rather
that Cod who has chosen to love, gulde and
protect us through an lncarnatlon. $ln llndu-
lsm there ls no prlest standlng between the
devotee and Cod. Jhe prlest ls a servant of
the Cod, just as ls every other devo-
tee. lven the satguru, the splrltual
teacher, does not stand between the
dlsclple and Cod, but seeks lnstead to
strengthen the devotees dlrect expe-
rlentlal relatlonshlp wlth the 0lvlne.
Jhe llndu thus hnds a great joy ln hls
relatlonshlp wlth Cod and the Cods. lt
ls hls relatlonshlp, and he alone ls able
to perpetuate lt. No one can do thls
work for hlmor on hls behalf. Jhere ls
a great happlness there between the
devotee and the Cod resl dent ln the
llndu temple, whlch ls the commu-
nlcatlon polnt wlth the Cod, as ls the
sacred home shrlne.
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Out of the worship
arise cultural arts
and traditions
that embody the
philosophy and
uplift the spirit
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Intensity: (Clockwise) Devotees in North York, Ontario, pull
the chariot of Goddess Durga around their temple on July 21,
2004; a sadhu sits in a circle of embers for three hours, part of
a 12-year, daily penance, using fre in summer, standing in cold
water in winter and in the rain during the rainy season; the
elegant face of a Deity icon of Lord Siva Nataraja at Kauais
Hindu Monastery, site of the editorial offces of Hinduism Today
10 what i s hi ndui sm? chapter 1: hi ndui sm, the greatest reli gi on i n the world 11
Three Pillars: Temples, Philosophy, Preceptors
there are three distinct aspects of hinduism: the temples, the phi-
losophy and the satguru. it is very fortunate that in the last two de-
cades hindu temples have nearly circumferenced the world. there
are temples in europe, in north america, in south america, aus-
tralia, in africa and throughout southeast asia. the hindu temple
and stone images in it work as a channel for the Deity, for the Gods,
who hover over the stone image and, in their subtle etheric forms,
change peoples lives through changing the nerve currents within
them through their darshana. people come to a sanctifed temple
and go away, and in that process they are slowly changed from the
inside out. they have changed because their very life force has
changed, their mind has been changed and their emotions have
undergone a subtle transformation. the temples of hinduism are
magnifcent in their immensity and in their ability to canalize the
three worlds, the First World of physical, outer existence and the
inner second and third Worlds.
hindu temples are not centered around a priest or minister,
though there may be a holy man associated with a temple whose
advice is cautiously and quietly sought. there is no sermon, no
mediator, no director to guide the worship of pilgrims. the temple
is the home of the Deities, and each devotee goes according to his
own timing and for his own particular needs. some may go to weep
and seek consolation in times of sorrow, while simultaneously oth-
ers will be there to rejoice in their good fortune and to sing Gods
name in thanksgiving. naturally, the sacraments of name-giving and
marriage and so forth are closely associated with the temple. one
has only to attend a hindu temple during festival days to capture
the great energy and vitality of this ancient religion.
in its second section, philosophy, hinduism has infuenced the
deep religious thinkers of all cultures through known history. there
is not a single philosophy which can be labeled hinduism. rather,
it is a network of many philosophies, some seeming to impertinently
contradict the validity of others, yet on deeper refection are seen as
integral aspects of a single, radiant mind fow. in the area of philosophy
must be included the enormous array of scripture, hymns, mantras, de-
votional bhajana and philosophical texts which are certainly unequaled
in the world.
in the natural order of things, temple worship precedes philosophy.
it all starts with the temple, with this sacred house of the Deities, this
sanctifed site where the three worlds communicate, where the inner
and outer mesh and merge. it is there that devotees change. they be-
come more like the perfect beings that live in the temple, become the
voice of the Deity, writing down what is taught them from the inside,
and their writings, if they are faithful to the superconscious message of
the God, become scripture and make up the philosophies of hinduism.
the philosophies then stand alone as the voice of the religion. they are
taught in the universities, discussed among scholars, meditated upon
by yogis and devout seekers. it is possible to be a good hindu by only
learning the philosophy and never going to the temple, or by simply
going to the temple and never hearing of the deeper philosophies.
hinduism has still another section within it, and that is the guru
the teacher, the illuminator, the spiritual preceptor. the guru is the
remover of darkness. he is one who knows the philosophy, who knows
the inner workings of the temple, and who in himself is the philoso-
pher and the temple. the guru is he who can enliven the spirit within
people. Like the temple and the philosophy, he stands alone, apart from
the institutions of learning, apart from sites of pilgrimage. he is himself
the source of knowledge, and he is himself the pilgrims destination.
should all the temples be destroyed, they would spring up again
from the seeds of philosophy, or from the presence of a realized man.
and if all the scriptures and philosophical treatises were burned, they
would be written again from the same source. so hinduism cannot be
destroyed. it can never be destroyed. it exists as the spirit of religion
within each being. its three aspects, the temple, the philosophy and
the satguru, individually profcient, taken together make hinduism the
most vital and abundant religion in the world.
The Joy of Pilgrimage: ln our rellglous llfe,
one of the most fulhlllng aspects ls pllgrlmage.
we have a joy ln looklng forward to a splrltual
journey, and we experlence a contentment
whlle on our pllgrlmage and later
bask ln the glowlng aftermath of
the pujas. lt ls llke golng to see a
great frlend, a devotees most loved
frlendthe lshta 0evata. we trav-
el to the far-oh temple where thls
great frlend ls emlnently present. At
that partlcular temple, thls personal
Cod performs a certaln functlon,
offers a speclflc type of blesslng
to pllgrlms who make the pllgrlm-
age to that home. ln thls way, dlf-
ferent temples become famous for
answerlng certaln types of prayers,
such as requests for hnanclal help,
or prayers for the rlght mate ln mar-
rlage, prayers to be entrusted wlth the ralslng
of hlgh-souled chlldren, or help ln matters of
yoga, or help ln lnsplrlng bhaktl and love. $Jhe
llndu does not have the feellng of havlng to
take a vacatlon to get away from lt all. we
dont lead a llfe of mental confuslons, rellglous
contradlctlons and the frustratlons that result
from modern hurrled llvlng. we lead a mod-
erate llfe, a rellglous llfe. ln llvlng a
moderate llfe, we then look at our
pllgrlmage as a speclal moment, a
cherlshed tlme of settlng ordlnary
concerns aslde and glvlng full stage
to our rellglous longlngs. lt ls a tlme
to take problems and prayers to our
personal Cod. $unllke the proud
free thlnkers who deemthemselves
emanclpated, above the re llglous
llfe, we llndus feel that recelvlng
the darshana from the Cods and
the help that comes thereln lnvlgo-
rates our belng and lnsplres us to be
even more dlllgent ln our splrltual
llfe. unllke the ratlonallsts who feel
conhdent that wlthln themselves lle all the
resources to meet all needs, and that praylng
to Cods for help ls a pathetlc exerclse ln futll-
lty, the llndu wlsely submlts to the 0lvlne
and thus avolds the abyss of dlsbellef. $All
ln llfe that one would want to get away
from the llndu takes wlth hlm on a pll-
grlmage to the temple, to the feet of hls
personal Cod, to the lnner-plane belng or
Vahadeva, who needs no physlcal body
wlth whlch to commu nlcate wlth peo-
pleto the Cod who has a nerve system
so sensltlve and well developed that as lt
hovers over the stone lmage, whlch looks
slmllar to how the 0elty would look on
the lnner planes, thls belng of llght can
communlcate wlth the pllgrlms who
vlslt the temple. Jhls belng of llght, thls
Vahadeva, can and does absorb all of
the dross the devotees have to oher, and
glves back blesslngs whlch brlng happlness
and release to them. Jhus, the pllgrlmage ls
not travel ln the ordlnary sense of travel, but
rather golng to see a personal frlend, one who
ls nearest and dearest, but does not llve ln a
physlcal body. $Jhe llndu has another great
joythe certalnty of llberatlon. lven
ln dlmcult tlmes, we are solaced ln the
knowledge of our rellglon whlch tells us
that no soul that ever exlsted or ever wlll
exlst ln future extrapolatlons of tlme and
space wlll ever fall to attaln llberatlon.
Jhe llndu knows that all souls wlll one
day merge lnto Cod, and he knows that
Cod, who created all souls, slowly guldes
our maturlng lnto lls llkeness, brlngs us
back to llmself, whlch ls not separate
fromourselves. Jhe llndu, through strlv-
lng and personal development ln thls llfe
on thls planet, knows that llberatlon lnto
Cod ls the hnal goal. Jhls knowlng and
thls bellef release us from any ego, from
any super lorlty by whlch one person
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Joyousness: (Clockwise) In Jejuri, as the palanquin carrying the
images of Khandoba and Malshabai circumvent the temple, an
exuberant crowd showers turmeric powder, coloring everyone
in the yellow kinship of devotion. Modern, well-to-do Hindus on
pilgrimage in Tirupati; women at the marketplace in Nepal
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12 what i s hi ndui sm? chapter 1: hi ndui sm, the greatest reli gi on i n the world 13
Hinduisms Fathomless Diversity
hinduism has a grand diversity among its many sects. that di-
versity is itself a strength, showing how broad and encompassing
hinduism is. it does not seek to have all devotees believe exactly
alike. in fact, it has no central authority, no single organized institu-
tion which could ever proclaim or enforce such sameness. there
is an immense inner unity, but the real strength and wisdom of
hinduism is its diversity, its variety. there are so many sects within
hinduism that you could spend a lifetime studying them and never
begin to assess them all. More is there than any single human being
could assimilate in a single lifetime. hinduism, therefore, has the
magnetism to draw us back into its immensity life after life. each
sect may be said to be a full religion in its own right, with all the
increments of faith, with no necessary part missing. therefore, each
sect works for the individuals within it completely, and each toler-
ates all the other sects. it does not totally divorce itself from the
other sects, denying their beliefs, but simply separates to stress or
expound a limited area of the vast philosophy, apart from all others,
to be understood by the limited faculties of man.
these various sects and divisions within hinduism all spring
from a one source. Most hindus believe in the transcendental God
as well as the personal Lord or God, and yet there is within the
boundaries of the faith room for the non-believer, for the atheist or
for the agnostic who is assessing and developing his beliefs. this
brings another unique asset to our religionthe absence of heresy.
there is no such thing as a heretic in hinduism, for there is no
single right perspective or belief. Doctrine and sadhana are not
considered absolutes, but the means to an absolute end, and they
can be tailored to individual needs and natures. My satguru would
say that different prescriptions are required for different ailments.
in hinduism there is no person or spiritual authority who stands
between man and God. in fact, hinduism teaches just the opposite.
the priests in the temples are the servants of the Deity, the helper,
the keeper of the Gods house. he prepares and purifes the atmo-
sphere of the temple, but he does not intervene between the devotee
and his Godwhichever of the many Gods within our religion that
he may be worshiping. Without a mediator, responsibility is placed
fully upon the individual. there is no one to intercede on his behalf.
he is responsible for his actions, for his thoughts, for his emotions,
for his relationship with his God. he must work out his beliefs from
the inside, without undue dependence upon external infuences. of
course, there is much help, as much as may be needed, from those
who have previously gone through what he is now going through. it
is not enough that he adopts an authorized dogma. he must study
and bring the teachings to life from within himself.
Within the philosophy, each philosopher proclaims that God can
be found within man if man practices the proper precepts of yoga
and delves within himself through his kundalini force. the guru
himself teaches the awakening of that force and how God can be
realized in his transcendental as well as his personal aspect within
the sphere of ones own personal experience in this very lifetime if
he but pursues the path and is obedient.
hinduism is unique because God and man, mind and God, instinc-
tive mind, intellectual mind and superconscious mind, can merge as
one, according to the evolution of the individual. each one, accord-
ing to his own self-created karma, has his own fulfllment. those
in the frst stages of evolution, whose interests and experiences are
basically instinctive, who possess little intellect or mental prowess,
are guided by their emotions and impulses, are generally fearful.
they have a personal experience of the Deity in the temple, but it
is generally a fearful experience. they are afraid of God. alongside
of them during a puja is a great rishi who has had many hundreds
of lives on this planet. he has his own personal experience of God,
but it is an experience of love, of oneness and of union. there they
are, side by side. each experience of God is as real to one as to the
other. there is no one in-between, no arbitrator of the experience to
compel the one to see God exactly as the other one does.
conslders hlmself or herself as especlally mer-
ltlng Cods grace whlle others are lost. lor the
llndu, there ls an assurance that all souls wlll
eventually enjoy llberatlon, and that lncludes
ourselves and all of our frlends and
famlly. we need never fear otherwlse.
The Joy of Mystisicm: Jhen there
ls the joy of the mystlclsm of llndu-
lsm. lt ls the worlds most maglcal rell-
glon, oherlng worlds wlthln worlds of
esoterlc dlscovery and perceptlon. Jhe
lnner worlds are what llndu mystlcs
tell of ln the greatest rlchness and
freedom of expresslon that exlsts on
the planet. Vystlclsm ln llndulsm ls
more out-front than ln all the other
rellglons of the world. As a result, lt ls
enjoyed by more of the people ln our
rellglon. Vystlclsm ls dlscussed more
broadly and not llmlted to a few great
souls or a handful of pandlts. Jhe mystlclsm
of llndulsm ls for all the people, yet, too, ln
lts esoterlc aspect lt ls protected at lts core
and kept sacred by belng kept secret. low
grand ls the llndu mystlcal tradltlon, wlth lts
sadhanas and yogas, wlth lts wealth of under-
standlng of the etherlc bodles, of the nadls
and the chakras, of the aura and the pranas,
of the varlous states of consclousness
and levels of exlstence, and so much
more. No other rellglon on the larth
can ever begln to equal llndulsms
mystlcal teachlngs, all that wealth ls
the rlghtful lnherltance of each lln-
du. $Jhe llndu enjoys all the facets
of llfe as transmuted lnto a rellglous
expresslon ln art. Jhe llndus art ls a
rellglous artdrawlng, palntlng and
sculpture of the Cods, the devas, and
the salnts of our rellglon. Jhe muslc
ls devotlonal and deplcts the tones of
the hlgher chakras, echoes the volces
of the Cods, and the dance emulates
the movements of the Cods. we are
never far away from slghts, sounds and sym-
bols of our rellglon. A mountalntop represents
lord Slva, a hlll represents lord Vur ugan, Kart-
tlkeya, and sugar cane helds represent lord
Canesha. lv ery thlng that one sees on the
planet represents somethlng rellglous. Art ls
not merely for egotlstlcal and exlstentlal self-
expresslon, but for splrltual expresslon, done
consclously ln servlce to the 0lvlne. Jhat ls why
one seldom sees or even knows the name of
the artlst of the great llndu artlstlc creatlons.
Jhe artlst ls not creatlng ln order to be come
famous or rlch. le ls surrenderlng hls talents,
servlng hls Cods and hls rellglon through hls
art, and hls art takes on a certaln sacredness.
$0ne great joy that the llndu has ls the appre-
clatlon for all other rellglons. llndulsmls theo-
centrlc, that means Cod-centrlc, whereas most
other rellglons are prophet-centrlc, revolvlng
around the personallty of some llvlng person
or some person who once llved ln hlstory and
lnterpreted rellglon to hls culture ln hls tlme.
llndulsm has no founder. lt was never found-
ed. lt has nelther a beglnnlng nor an end. lt ls
coexlstent wlth man hlmself. Jhat ls why lt ls
called the Sanatana 0harma, the lternal Path.
lt ls not one mans teachlng or lnterpretatlon.
lt ls not llmlted to a slngle facet of rellglon, but
conslsts of the entlre spectrum, seen ln lts var-
lous components as lf through a prlsm. lt does
not say that thls rellglon ls wrong and thls one
rlght. lt sees Cod everywhere, manlfestlng all
the great rellglons. Jhe llndu can appreclate
uddha wlthout becomlng a uddhlst. le can
understand Jesus wlthout becomlng a Chrls-
tlan. Jherefore, the joys of all the rellglons of
the world become the joys of the llndu. $ut
as llndus, we must hrst thlnk of the joys and
happlness wlthln our own rellglon. Conslder
our blesslngs. Come closer to the Cods of our
rellglon. Jhe many Cods are ln the western
world now and have clrcumferenced the
planet wlth thelr shaktl of radlant rays that
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Devotion: (Clockwise) Devotees observe evening fre offerings
to the Ganga River at the Kumbha Mela in Haridwar, 1998;
the Kandaswamy Temple in Kuala Lumpur; a boy, representing
Lord Ganesha, is ceremoniously bathed during the Holy
Waters Festival at Torontos Varasiththi Vinaayagar Temple
14 what i s hi ndui sm? chapter 1: hi ndui sm, the greatest reli gi on i n the world 15
penetrate wlth splrltual power, brlnglng har-
mony and culture, balanclng out the dharma
of the planet. $llndulsm ls such a great rell-
glon. All practlclng llndus are very proud of
thelr rellglon. unfortunately, these days
too many born lnto the rellglon are not
all that proud to be llndus, but thls ls
slowly changlng. llndus are now wel-
comlng lnto thelr rellglon others who are,
of thelr own vo lltlon, adoptlng or con-
vertlng lnto the Sanatana 0harma. Jhey
are proud enough of thelr falth to want
others to share lts wlsdom, lts mystlclsm,
lts scrlptures, lts broadmlndedness, lts
magnlhcent temples and lts hnal conclu-
slons for all manklnd. Jo all llndus, who
today are found ln every country on the
larth, l say: Couragel Couragel Cour-
agel lave the courage to know beyond
a doubt that llndulsm ls the greatest
rellglon ln the world. we must be proud of thls.
HinduismCannot Be Destroyed: lt ls false
to thlnk that one has to be born a llndu ln
order to be a llndu. Jhat ls a concept postu-
lated by certaln caste-based llndu llneages
and relnforced by the Chrlstlans ln thelr ehort
to hlnder the growth of our rellglon, to deprlve
lt of new llfe, to hold lt down whlle they ln
turn try to convert llndus en masse
to thelr rellglon. Swaml vlvekananda
(8,,oz), a llndu monk and mlsslon-
ary who wrote extenslvely on the llndu
0harma, when confronted by thls same
lssue ln the west would explaln howlln-
dus who have been converted by force
should not be denled an opportunlty of
returnlng to thelr ancestral rellglon. As
for the case of those not born lnto lln-
dulsmwho mlght be lnterested to joln lt,
he slmply sald, why, born allens have
been converted ln the past by crowds,
and the process ls stlll golng on. 0r. S.
Radha krlshnan (888,),), the dlstln-
gulshed llndu phllosopher who became
the second presldent of lndla, conhrms thls
vlew ln wrltlng, ln a sense, llndulsmmay be
regarded as the hrst example ln the world of a
mlsslonary rellglon. 0nly lts mlsslonary splrlt
ls dlherent fromthat assoclated wlth the
proselytlzlng creeds. lt dld not regard as
lts mlsslon to convert humanlty to one
oplnlon. lor what counts ls conduct and
not bellef. Jhe anclent practlce of vra-
tyastoma, descrlbed fully ln the Tandya
Brahmana, shows that not only lndlvldu-
als but whole trlbes were absorbed lnto
llndulsm. $0urlng the era of lndlas
domlnatlon by allen rellglons, when lln-
dulsm was scheduled to be destroyed,
the attack was to be carrled out ln three
ways. Jhe hrst strategy was to convlnce
the women to abandon thelr age-old stri
dhar maof malntalnlng the home, lts
purlty and ways of worshlpthus draw-
lng them away from the household ln order
to recelve a so-called hlgher educatlon or to
teach ln allen rellglous schools, thus denylng
future generatlons the mothers rellglous coun-
sel and groundlng ln the dharma. Jhe second
strategy was to overtly break down the varlous
castes of temple prlests by entlclng them to
accept other, often hlgher paylng, occupatlons,
thus leavlng the temples unattend-
ed. $Jhe thlrd strategy was to con-
vlnce llndus that they had lnher-
lted a crude and outdated rellglon.
Jhls last attack was accompllshed
malnly through rldlcule, by rldlcul-
lng every aspect of the rellglon
that could posslbly be rldlculed.
lor example, those who slandered
llndulsm clalmed lt has no sacra-
ments. why, llndulsm has more
sacraments, more sacred rltes and
ceremonles for lts members, than
perhaps any other rellglon ln the
world. Jhese sacraments lnclude
the namakarana samskara, name-
Within Hinduism Is a Place for Everyone
hinduism is as broad as humanity is, as diverse as people are di-
verse. it is for the rich and the poor, for the mystic and the mate-
rialist. it is for the sage and the fool. none is excluded. in a hindu
temple you can fnd every variety of humanity. the man of accu-
mulated wealth is there, supporting the institutions that have grown
up around the temple, seeking to spend his abundance wisely and
for its best purpose so that good merit may be earned for his next
life. the pauper is there, begging in hopes that perhaps he will eat
tomorrow and the God will inspire some devotee to give him a coin
or two. so, a hindu temple is a refection of life, set in the midst
of the life of the community. it is not making an effort to be better
than the life of the village, only to serve that life and direct it to its
next stage of evolution. the same hindu mind which can consume
within it all the religions of the world can and does consume within
it all of the peoples of the world who are drawn to the temple by
the shakti, the power, of the temple. such is the great, embracing
compassion of our religion.
the greatness of hinduism cannot be compared with other reli-
gions. there is no basis for comparison. hinduism, the eternal Way
or sanatana Dharma, has no beginning, therefore will certainly
have no end. it was never created, and therefore it cannot be de-
stroyed. it is a God-centric religion. the center of it is God. all of
the other religions are prophet-centric. the center of those religions
is a great saint or sage, a prophet, a messenger or messiah, some
God-realized person who has lived on earth and died. perhaps
he was born to create that particular sect, that particular religion,
needed by the people of a certain part of the world at a certain time in
history. the hindus acknowledge this and recognize all of the worlds
religious leaders as great prophets, as great souls, as great incarnations,
perhaps, of the Gods, or as great beings who have through their realiza-
tion and inward practices incarnated themselves into, or transformed
themselves into, eminent religious leaders and attracted devotees to
them to give forth the precepts of life all over again and thus guide a
tribe or a nation or a race into a better way of life.
the hindu mind can encompass this, appreciate it, for it is frmly
settled in a God-centric religion. the center of hinduism is the abso-
lute, the timeless, formless, spaceless God who manifests as pure con-
sciousness and as the most perfect form conceivable, the primal soul.
he radiates out from that form as a myriad of Gods and Goddesses
who inhabit the temples and bless the people, inspire the scriptures,
inspire the spiritual leaders and uplift humanity in general. it is a one
God in many forms. We recently heard a sannyasini at the Ganesha
temple in new York describe this in a most wonderful and profound
way, siva is the fre. shakti is the heat of that fre. Ganesha is the red
color of that fre. Murugan is the light of that fre.
there are nearly a billion hindus in the world today. thats roughly
four times the population of the entire United states. every sixth per-
son on the planet is a hindu. hinduism attends to the needs of each
one. it is the only religion that has such breadth and depth. hinduism
contains the Deities and the sanctifed temples, the esoteric knowledge
of inner states of consciousness, yoga and the disciplines of meditation.
it possesses a gentle compassion and a genuine tolerance and appre-
ciation for other religions. it remains undogmatic and open to inquiry.
it believes in a just world in which every soul is guided by karma to
the ultimate goal of self realization, leading to moksha, freedom from
rebirth. it rests content in the knowledge of the divine origin of the
soul, its passage through one life and another until maturity has been
reached. it offers guidance to all who take refuge in it, from the nonbe-
liever to the most evolved maharishi. it cherishes the largest storehouse
of scripture and philosophy on the earth, and the oldest. it is endowed
with a tradition of saints and sages, of realized men and women, unri-
valed on the earth. it is the sum of these, and more, which makes me
boldly declare that hinduism is the greatest religion in the world.
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People: (Clockwise) Holy men at the Allahabad Kumbha Mela
in 2001 parade to the bathing ghats, carrying elaborate dandas,
symbols of spiritual authority; fower vendors in Kalikut, ready
at dawn with garlands of marigolds, prepared as offerings to the
Gods. During Raksha Bhandan a girl ties a bracelet on her broth-
ers wrist, betokening her love and prayers for his welfare, and
his commitment to protect her. Pilgrims arrive at Tirupati Temple
wearing yellow as a sign of austerity and sacrifce.
16 what i s hi ndui sm? chapter 1: hi ndui sm, the greatest reli gi on i n the world 17
glvlng sacrament, annaprashana, hrst feedlng,
karna vedha, ear-plerclng, vidyarambha, com-
mencement of learnlng, vivaha, marrlage, and
many others. $Jhough lndla was polltlcally
domlnated for generatlons by adherents of
allen falths, and though every attempt
was made to dlscourage, weaken and
crush the natlve rellglon, the carefully
calculated, systematlc assault falled to
destroy llndulsm. llndulsm cannot
be destroyed. lt ls the venerable eter-
nal rellglon, the Sanatana 0harma. ut
lt was an ehectlve campalgn that has
left ln lts wake deep samskaric patterns,
deep subconsclous lmpresslons, whlch
stlll perslst ln the mlnds of the lndlan
people. lt ls golng to be dlfflcult to
completely eradlcate these lmpresslons,
but wlth the help of all the mllllons of
llndus throughout the world, ln adher-
lng to and extolllng the benehts and
joys of llndulsmand the glfts whlch lt
holds for manklnd, thls ls posslble and feaslble,
wlthln the range of accompllshment, perhaps
wlthln thls very generatlon.
Bringing in Ardent Seekers: llndus
should freely welcome slncere dev otees lnto
thelr rellglon, not those who already have a
hrm rellglon and are content, but those who
are seeklng, who be lleve, as mllllons ln the
west already belleve, ln the laws of karma
and relncarnatlon and the exlstence of the
ever-present Cod that permeates thls
planet and the unlverse. llndus should
freely embrace those who belleve ln
the Cods and all we have been speak-
lng about earller, for whom other rell-
glous avenues have proved empty and
frultless. Jhere are certaln matured
souls for whom the Sanatana 0harma
can be the only true rellglon, who have
no other rellglon and who wlll seek
and seek untll they come upon lts pro-
found truths, perhaps ln an old scrlp-
ture, or ln a temple sanctumdurlng puja or ln
the eyes of an awakened slddha yogl. Jhese
souls we must help. we must teach them of
our rellglon and allow them to fully accept or
reject lt, to accept lt because they know lt, or
to reject lt because they know lt and
are not ready to meet Vaha Cana patl
and humbly slt at the feet of thls most
profound lord. $Jhere are many lost
souls on the planet today who dle ln
the physlcal worldlose thelr physlcal
bodywander on the astral plane a
short tlme and are caught up lmme-
dlately ln another womb. Jhey have
no knowledge of other states of exls-
tence or of the worklngs of relncarna-
tlon. Jhey have no tlme for the bllss of
these ln-between, astral states. Jhey
have no tlme for assesslng thelr last
llfe and preparlng for the next, whlch
they could then enter wlth newknowl-
edge, no tlme for lnner attunement
wlth the Cods ln the lnner worlds between
death and blrth. lnstead, they are caught ln a
constant cycle of esh, maklng esh and llv-
lng ln esh, wlth the soul belng lmmersed ln
lgnorance and the darkness of the consclous-
ness of esh. llndulsmeradlcates thls cycle by
oherlng knowledge of the states between llfe
and death and then llfe agaln. lt creates deep
lmpresslons wlthln the mlnd of these lndlvld-
uals, whlch then brlng them out of thls syn-
drome so that they can enjoy months,
years, ln fact, of educatlon and knowl-
edge ln the lnner planes of consclous-
ness between blrths, so that they can
come back lnto a physlcal body a
more awakened soul than when they
left thelr last physlcal sheath at death.
$we must not be reluctant to wel-
come these slncere llndu souls and
to asslst them ln hndlng the answers
they seek and do not hnd elsewhere.
lt ls our dharma to help them. llndu-
lsm has always welcomed adoptlves
and converts. rlng ln new people to
the rellglon. Jeach them. lelp them.
Counsel them. Proceed wlth confl-
dence. lave cour age, courage, courage.
Argentina
4,000
Jamaica
25,000 Trinidad: 320,000
Guyana: 450,000
Netherlands
180,000
England: 1,300,000
Germany: 100,000
France: 150,000
Belgium: 6,000
Austria: 6,100
Spain: 12,500
Portugal: 8,000
Nigeria: 30,000
Uganda: 20,000
Zambia: 25,000
Malavi: 3,000
Botswana: 7,000
Zimbabwe: 6,000
Japan: 6,000
Bhutan: 300,000
Bangladesh: 12,100,000
Myanmar: 294,000
Vietnam: 5,500
Thailand: 7,000
Philippines:1,100
Indonesia: 5,900,000
Fiji: 600,000
New Zealand
47,000
India
895,000,000
Sri Lanka
2,200,000
S. Yemen: 7,000
Somalia: 6,000
Kenya: 75,000
Tanzania: 70,000
Reunion: 290,000
Mauritius: 700,000
: Madagascar 1,100
South Africa: 1, 430,000
Malaysia
1,290,000
Singapore
171,000
Bahrain: 24,000
Egypt: 6,000
Ethiopia: 3,000
Afghanistan
130,000
Pakistan
1,200,000 Hawaii: 700
Kauai Aadheenam: 30
Gulf States: 310,000
Italy: 25,000
French Guyana: 5,000
Martinique and
Guadaloupe
50,000
Nepal: 21,000,000
Norway: 11,000
Switzerland: 60,000
Russia: 15,000
Sweden: 8,000
Denmark: 15,000
Suriname: 200,000
Serbia & Montenegro: 8,000
China: 93,000
Brazil: 25,000
Canada: 470,000
United States:
2,000,000
Australia:
75,000
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Youth: (Left) Hindu school girls in Ban-
galore; right, boys attending Ramesh-
bhai Ozas Hindu school at Sandipani
Vidyaniketan near Porbandar, Gujarat
Where Hindus Live algeria ..............600
Barbados .......... 100
Brunei ...............500
cameroon .......... 60
c. african rep. 20
czech republic
and slovakia .... 150
chad ...................20
chile ..................20
china ............. 170
congo ............ 100
colombia ........ 60
cuba .............. 100
ecuador ........600
Finland .......... 100
Gabon ............. 100
Ghana ..............600
Guinea ................ 50
hungary ............. 50
iceland .................. 7
ireland ................20
israel ................ 200
ivory coast ...1,000
Zambia .............600
Jordan ............1,000
Lebanon .......... 100
Liberia ..............500
Laos ...................600
Libya .................500
Mexico ................ 50
Morocco ............. 60
Mozambique ..600
panama .............600
poland ............... 100
Qatar .................500
senegal ............. 100
seychelles .......600
sierra Leone ..500
south Korea ....... 60
sudan ................500
syria .................. 100
tunisia .............. 100
turkey .............. 100
Upper Volta ..... 100
Yemen, north .. 100
Zaire (congo) .500
While india is home to 94 percent of the worlds
nearly one billion hindus, nearly 57 mil-
lion are scattered widely across the globe.
this map shows larger communities,
with smaller ones listed to the right,
and world populations below.
World PoPulation 2002
hindus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 billion
catholics . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 billion
Muslims . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 billion
nonbelievers . . . . . . . . 900 million
protestants . . . . . . . . . . 600 million
confucian . . . . . . . . . . 400 million
Buddhists . . . . . . . . . . 360 million
tribals . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 million
taoists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 million
shintoists . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 million
Jews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 million
sikhs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 million
Jains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 million
Zoroastrians . . . . . . . . . . . 125,000
other Faiths . . . . . . . . . 77 million
Total 625 billion
18 what i s hi ndui sm? chapter 1: hi ndui sm, the greatest reli gi on i n the world 19