Early (Vedic) Hinduism

1. Early (Vedic) Hinduism • Not an “ism” (Hinduisms) • An umbrella concept • Materialism to idealism • A “jungle” of spirituality • Must be seen from many angles • Religious diversity of India • “Hinduism” is an “outsider’s” term • “Religion” is a Western term • Yoga, Dharma, Way, Tao, Principle • Most Hindus do not approach their life path in primarily textual terms: the focus is on experience (psychological, existential) • Not like a Christian with the Bible • Images of Hinduism (sketches) • Other realities are more important than this physical world • This physical world is fleeting, changing, temporary, transcient

2. Early Hinduism began with the Vedic period • Indus Valley civilization (2500 – 1500 BC) • Harrapa and Mohenjodaro (excavated 1924) • Aryan invasion about 1,500 BC (foundation for “ Vedic Hinduism”) • No “historical founder” • The contemplation and wisdom of ancient “seers” • “Seers” : those who “heard” the universe • Veda = “sacred knowledge” (shruti: “that which was heard”) • Very different from Christianity • Individual salvation (monkey: jiriki; cat: tariki) • Clear affinities with Unificationism • About the time of the Exodus from Egypt • The national level foundation for the Messiah chart • Central and peripheral providences • World religions (peripheral) “follow” the central providence (J-Chr)

3. Early Hinduism (Vedic Hinduism) • Evolutionary development from a “fire sacrifice” to “mystical union” • Chart • Vedic period (Rig Veda most authoritative) • Polytheistic worldview • Elemental powers of nature and life (storms, war, love, fire, etc.) • Hymns to the gods (Agni, Varuna, Rita, Mitra, Indra, etc.) • Vedas are shruti (“that which was “heard”) by ancient seers (authoritative) • Other literature (even the Bhagavad Gita) is smurti (“that which was remembered”) (less authoritative) • The Vedas, composed by poets; over time, were expanded into the Brahmanas, by liturgical priests; which were in turn expanded into the Aranyakas (forest books), by ascetics; and finally expanded into the Upanishads, by “philosophers,” culminating in the Vedanta (Vedanta: end of the Vedas) • “(Jesus) Christ Taught Vedanta” (book)

4. Evolutionary passage from RITUAL SACRIFICE ------------------- MYSTICAL UNION Fire sacrifice/ritualism ---- Details of the sacrifice ---- Asceticism ------ Mystical union 0 0l (flame) lllllllllllllllllllll lll lll lll lll Priest Vedas -------------- Brahmanas -------------- Aranyakas ------- Upanishads (poets) ------------- Priests ---------------- Ascetics --------- “philosophers” (Vedanta) Rig Veda Brahman priest Ascetic life “philosophical” became specialized itself became discussions the sacrifice

5. The fire sacrifice • An invitation to the gods; entertain them; then send them off • It parallels the original sacrifice of the cosmic Purusha • The constituents of the sacrifice correlated with the cosmos itself • In time, the fire sacrifice came to represent the cosmos (diagram) • The cosmic offering of a cosmic person (Purusha) • Sourcebook 19 • In view of its great importance, the offering had to be done exactly & correctly • The offering was a magical performance of cosmic proportions • It came to possess creative power in its own right • It “literally” renewed the cosmos (the cosmos depended upon it) • The Rig Veda was concerned with Rita (cosmic law: “order of the world”) • Compare “Logos” (reason/law) from Unification Thought

6. The liturgical priests (Brahmans) became experts in the details of ritual • Fire, altar, actions, words (all had to be precise) • If any mistake was made, it could spell disaster for the cosmos • Bhahmanas, composed by these Brahmans or liturgical priests, were liturgical manuals of specialized and esoteric knowledge concerning the minute details of the ritual fire offering • The Brahman priest became increasingly important and specialized • Ritual actions were important and sacred • Ritual sounds (Sanskrit) were important and sacred • Sanskrit was the “sound form” of an object (like the SS to a HS) • The power of the sound, the sacrifice, & the cosmos, became identical • This was known as “Brahman power” • Increasingly, you come to find the expression of a deep spiritual aspiration; the sense of a principle of unity pervading the cosmos • There comes to be a search (an inner search) for “that One” which is called by many names: Sourcebook 21

7. In time, the external fire became transformed into an inner fire (meditation) • Some began to seek solitude to ponder the meaning of “everything” • Some retreated into the forest to contemplate and meditate • Some found that they could make effective, symbolic use of the priestly hymns & still achieve the same result • This led increasingly to the practice of asceticism • The “heat” of the ascetic was seen as identical to the “heat” of the cosmos • An ascetic life itself became the sacrifice • Upanishads (culminating in the Vedanta: end of the Vedas) were composed by “philosophers” searching for the ultimate meaning of things • Seeking “the One” • Upanishadic “philosophy” not the same as Western “philosophy” • Upanishadic philosophy and practice seeks inner realization • Not a Ph.D. (intellectual), but self-realization • What is it that we must come to realize? • Philosophical discussions concerning the rationale of all thought and action • Purpose of all thought and action is release/liberation/salvation

8. “Proper” knowledge is not just in knowing (intellectually) that ignorance causes attachment, but proper knowledge leads to an actual elimination of ignorance • “Proper” knowledge is not just in knowing (intellectually) that desire must be eliminated, but proper knowledge leads to an actual elimination of desire • “Saving knowledge” is thus knowledge that is lived (embodied) • Similar to the difference between “believing” and “knowing” • So, what is the genuine essence of all “knowledge”?...

9. The True Essence of Knowledge • Brahman is Atman (That Thou Art) (Tat Tvam Asi) (Self is self) • World Scripture 381 • We must experience the reality that Brahman is Atman (God is in me) • Self realization (helps us to cut off from attachments to this world) • Saving knowledge is knowledge that is “lived” • Mystical union comes from seeking the One which exists within us. • Brahman (Universal Soul) is Atman (individual soul) • The ultimate purpose of “philosophy” is to help us achieve release/liberation/salvation from this world • Not just knowing intellectually that ignorance causes attachment, but actually eliminating ignorance from our life; cutting all attachments, and achieving release/liberation/salvation from this fleeting, unreal world

10. Some major themes in the Upanishads • Brahman – the only genuine Reality (ultimate reality) • Neti, neti (p 59 world scripture; Sourcebook p 88) • Sat (being), cit (consciousness), ananda (bliss, joy): satcitananda • Maya (when one takes ((mistakes)) the real for the unreal or the unreal for the real) • When one “sees” a “snake” in the dark corner (just a coil of rope) • Atman (our most real self) is covered over by layers of illusion • Upanishads p 60 – chariot and Lord (body and self) • Shankara’s (The “Aquinas” of India) Crest Jewel of Discrimination • Crest Jewel (the highest and best jewel=Atman) • Discrimination (between good and evil, wisdom and illusion) • Pages 65 and 70

11. Tat tvam asi • World Scripture p 146a; Sourcebook, p 69 • Upanishads, p 117f • Knowledge • 2 levels of knowledge (Upanishads p 75) • Freedom (moksha) Upanishads p 79; World Scripture p 377 • Karma and rebirth (reincarnation, transmigration) • Law of Moral Retribution • Every cause has an effect • He who puts the cause in action suffers the effect • Upanishads 103; Sourcebook, 66 • Life becomes what it does (Humphreys 37) • “As a person thinks, so they become” (Humphreys 31) • The law of equilibrium • Nature is always working to restore equilibrium whenever, through man’s acts, it is disturbed • Because this ceaseless effort to adjust a troubled harmony takes time, the doctrine of rebirth is a necessary corollary of karma • The higher the plane from which the harmony of nature is disturbed, the more powerful the reaction to the act (fall of man!)

12. “Man is altogether formed of desire; according as his desire, so is his will; according as his will is, so are his deeds; according as are his deeds, so does it befall him. (Brihad Upanishad) • Compare with the DP teaching: • Spirit self and physical self • Thinking and action are connected • Every action gives vitality to the spirit (either good or bad) • We create our own spirit and determine our own destiny (Heaven or Hell) • Human beings have SS desires (value) and HS desires (food, etc.) • According to our desire (good or evil), we act with a good or evil will • Our will guides our actions • As we act our physical actions give vitality elements to our spirit • We create a own spirit and determine our own destiny (heaven or hell)

13. Worldview of the Upanishads • Ultimate Reality: Brahman-atman is the only Reality (this physical world is maya or illusion, conditioned by time and space; the goal of religion is to release us from the cycle of rebirth) • Cosmos: Brahman is the only Reality (the cosmos “exists” for a “short time” • Deity: The many “gods” of the Rig Veda are identified (eventually) as “aspects” of Brahman (although Brahman is quality-less) • Human being: The individual’s core is the Atman, reborn in a body as a result of past karma. We usually only know the empirical self. We must “realize” the Atman • Human problem (plight): Repeated rebirth, until realizing (existentially) the truth of Atman/Brahman. This is possible only for the “elite” • Salvation/Liberation: Two levels: lower, for most people (rebirth into a higher level of existence); higher, for the elite (total release from samsara (round of birth-rebirth), achieved through moksha (freedom) • Conduct: Follow the dharma (way) of your caste (your individual station in life), and seek to know Brahman/Atman • Destiny: achieve Nirvana=moksha=release=liberation • Later Hindu sects take off from this foundational worldview