Vedic and Abrahamic Thoughts
There are two world traditions which have formed the cultural and ethical basis of the world as we know it. Both have an unbroken history going back thousands of years. Judaism with a 5000 year old tradition is the mother of the western civilization through its offshoot Christianity. Hinduism is the older of the two with a literature going back to the beginning of recorded history.
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| Vedic and Abrahamic Faiths |
Hindu civilization originated in the Gangetic and Indus valleys and from there spread out over the entire region of southeast Asia. Its offshoot — Buddhism, shaped and molded the civilizations of Japan, China, Tibet and the rest of Asia. The Ancient pre-biblical kingdom of the Mittani in Asia minor was ruled by Hindu Kings with Sanskrit names! The Sumerians and the Hittites were both Indo-European people said to have originating in the Gangetic Basin. Hindu philosophy / theology influenced the ancient Greeks since the time Alexander the Great conquered parts of north India. A remarkable similarity has also been demonstrated between the religion and mythology of the ancient Scandinavian people and that of the people of India. The ancient civilizations such as the Roman, the Greek, the Egyptian, the Sumerian, and the Babylonian have all passed away. Even the Jewish culture has undergone many radical changes since its inception 5000 years ago — yet the Hindu civilization continues as a vibrant and living vector, and has remained virtually unchanged for over 6000 years. Today, Hindu communities are to be found in almost every country on earth.
These two streams of tradition have shaped two different thought systems that can be broadly classified as Vedic (or also known as Indic) and Abrahamic (or also known as Semitic). Believe it or not, any one person, consciously or unconsciously, must either belong or been influenced by one of the two thought systems. Vedic is a stream of thought belongs to the Hindu or Indian schools of thought. Whereas, Abrahamic thought was grown from the Middle East and later widely practiced in the West. Therefore, the main differences between Vedic and Abrahamic are typical of the differences between Eastern and Western religions in general in contemporary terms.
Overview
The Vedic tradition or also termed Dharmic tradition are a family of religions that have originated from the Indian subcontinent. They encompass Hinduism and three other religions that have spawned from it—namely Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The category of Abrahamic religions or the Judeo-Christian religions consists of the three major religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism, which claim Abraham (Hebrew Avraham; Arabic Ibrahim) as a part of their sacred history. These two streams represent two very different world views (spiritual, religious or philosophical). Their respective thought systems are fundamentally different at almost every point.
In general, the concepts espoused by a religion cannot be judged by merely observing the practice of its followers as it is quite common for the followers of many religions to be ignorant of the concepts of the philosophy or teachings in their scriptures. At the same time the behavior and practices of a person could also been shaped by the very concept and doctrine of the respective faith.
Vedic and Abrahamic Views
We can see immediately that there is a vast difference between Vedic and Abrahamic religions, with the Vedic goals being unitive and introspective and the Abrahamic goals being dualistic and extroverted. The Vedic mind tends to see God everywhere, in all things, and to see everything as sacred. The Abrahamic mind considers it heresy to believe that God pervades all things, and makes a strong difference between what is sacred and what is profane. In general we notice the Vedic holding to karma, samsara (reincarnation), atman (the Self) and moksha (liberation), the Abrahamic postulating a single life for the soul, followed by reward or punishment.
Keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive comparison, as it does not take into account the East Asia religions — Taoism, Confucianism and Shinto. Naturally there are important exceptions to the views expressed (for example, Buddhism does not believe in a Personal God). Nevertheless these broad generalities are useful, as they give a scholarly window into the East and the West.
Discover Your Own Thought Patterns
Most sources of confusion and complexities arise due to the failure to comprehend these two main streams of thought that had shaped ones world view. Even in instances where people who proclaim to be a free thinkers, open minded, secular or an atheist, may find it hard to accept that, their thoughts and observations are indeed not independent or free as they are in one or more ways shaped by these two streams of thoughts. For example, an atheist in the West may claim to be a non-believer in Christianity, yet their world view or thought patterns are most likely been shaped by the Abrahamic or Judeo-Christian thoughts. All roots of expressions, views, analysis, and perspectives are derived within the framework of Abrahamic concepts, categories and terms. Difficulty also arises if one tends to mix or try to interpret a perspective from the viewpoint of another.
The reason why this is so important is because it influences the way in which a person views the world and lives his life. For example, if we get the wrong impression about a person when we first meet him or her, it will affect the way we relate to him later on. Similarly, if we get the wrong view about the world from the outset, we can hardly get anything else right in life. This is why there is so much confusion in the world today, in particular when it comes to religious and secular matters.
Origin
The Abrahamic Religions are called this because they share a common ancestor. The Biblical patriarch Abraham is said to have produced three of the worlds major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Born in the Middle East, these three religions share several things besides the great patriarch.
| Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people which is one of the oldest religious traditions still practiced today. The values and history of the Jewish people are a major part of the foundation of other Abrahamic religions such as Christianity and Islam. All the Abrahamic religions are related to (or even derived from) Judaism as practiced in ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah prior to the Babylonian Exile, at the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. |
| Religion is is based on cosmic and eternal principle transcending human history, which is cyclical. Stress is placed on revelation of God's presence in the here and now. |
| Religion is historical, beginning with a prophet or event. Stress is placed on the past and on the rewards or punishments of the future. History is linear, never to be repeated. |
| Religions are human roads up the divine mountain to enlightenment. Religion is relative to human need; there is no 'one way' or single objective truth. |
| There is a dharma (law of life) for all times, sanatana dharma, because it lies there always in the atman (Inner True Self). |
| Built round historical personalities. If there was no Jesus or no Mohammed, there would have been no Christianity and no Islam. |
Value System
| Themes common to the value system are the concept of dharma (individual ethics, duties and obligations), Samsara (rebirth), karma (right action), and moksha (liberation) for all atman (Inner True Self). Adherence to the accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different persons in different times. |
| Believe in one God, prophet, revealed book, life after death, resurrection, the day of judgment, heaven and hell. |
| Doctrines tend to be subtle, complex and even paradoxical. Freedom to worship and to believe in a variety of ways is predominant. Other paths are accepted as God's divine will at work. Universal and tolerant. |
| Doctrines tend to be simple, clear and rational. Worship and belief are formalized, exacting and required. Other paths are endured, but not honored. Exclusivist and dogmatic. |
The World (Universe) and Creation / Manifestation
| The universe has always existed as the material manifestation of the creative Brahman (Absolute God-Force) and that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution. |
| The world and universe was created ex nihilo (out of nothing) by G-d/God/Allah. It is distinct from Himself. |
| The world is an illusory manifestation of the one reality, which goes through endless cycles of creation and destruction, but has no real beginning or end. |
| The world is part of a material universe which was created by God as a separate, but dependent reality. As such, the world has both a beginning and an end. |
| The universe was manifested billions of years ago and that the earth is just one world in a series of thousands of worlds. |
| The world was created a few thousand years ago and that earth is the center of the universe. |
| The World was made out of the Creator Himself. The World therefore consists of the same substance as the Creator (that is, Intelligence or Consciousness). |
| First, God created Earth along with plants and animals, after which He created the first man and woman. The human race descended from that original couple. |
Notes
Hindus considers that the world is a manifestation of Brahman. There is no concept of Creation and a Creator. The world came from Brahman, exists in Brahman and will return back to Brahman, just like waves arise from the ocean, exist in the ocean and subside back into the ocean. And this happens in cycles, again and again. As there is no concept of creation in the literal sense, there can be no concept of destruction also. There is a concept of unmanifestation. Brahman withdraws Himself and creation vanishes. Manifestation is instantaneous, if the word can be used, because even time is a part of manifestation only. Similarly unmanifestation is also instantaneous.
Ultimate Reality and God
| Believe in a one, all-pervasive Brahman (Supreme Being — a formless, abstract, eternal being without personal attributes) who is both immanent and transcendent, both Manifest and Unmanifest Reality. Brahman by nature is impersonal, but can take many personal forms and perceived in may ways. |
| Belief in the existence of a single personal G-d/God/Allah who created and sustains the universe. G-d/God/Allah is the one eternal, self-existent reality. G-d/God/Allah is spirit, personal, loving, and morally perfect. |
| There are multiple Gods, manifested in several levels of deity. The Truth (Brahman) is one, scholars call it by various names. |
| Belief that there is only one G-d/God/Allah. The multiple gods of the world's religions are products of human imagination, projected from human experience. |
| Brahman, the One Mind or Life, is the one reality. It expresses Itself through the world and all that is, like a flame taking many shapes. Everything we experience is the one reality and is ultimately indistinguishable from It. |
| G-d/God/Allah is separated from the natural order and from other beings, all of whom derive their existence from him. Believe in God the Father, Creator of the universe, reigning forever distinct over man, his beloved creation. |
| Theistic, atheistic and agnostic philosophy. |
| The Brahman (Supreme Self) is beyond name and form, Beyond the senses, inexhaustible, without beginning, without end, beyond time and space, and casualty, eternal, immutable. |
| G-d/God/Allah is one eternal being who exists as three distinct, eternal, and indivisible persons: the Father, the Son (or Jesus, or the Logos), and the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost). |
Notes
If you read the Bible, you can see expressions like "God of the Egyptians", "God of Israelites", etc. Hinduism does not believe in many Gods like this. Hinduism believes in one God, whom everyone of every religion call by various names and worship in their own way. It is said in the Vedas that "God is one. The wise men call Him by various names." You should note here that the people who call God by various names are called "wise men". In the Bhagavat Gita, it is said that in whatever way a man worships God, God being Omniscient, knows that He is being worshipped and responds to the sincerity of the worshipper.
Nature of Man, Self or Soul
| The atman (our True Self) is eternal, uncreated, unborn and timeless. One is incarnated in a body which is temporal. Humanity is extended from Brahman. |
| Each of us is created by God. Humanity is separated from the being of God. |
| Man is divine at the core of his being. The problem is that man is ignorant of this fact. He is deceived by his focus on this temporal and material world, and this ignorance gives rise to acts that result in bad karma and traps us in the cycle of reincarnation. |
| Man is bounded by sinful rebellion against God and His purpose for men's lives. This is the source of man's alienation from God. |
| Non-Dualistic ("That art Thou") |
Revelation and Knowledge
| Come from private mystical experiences. |
| Come from public revelations recorded in a book and summarized in a creed. |
| It speaks of truths which are revealed wherever there is seeking, purity of aspirations and motives, necessary preparation. |
| God who reveals himself only to a chosen individual, letting others receive their truths from this exclusive channel. |
| Human experience validates the Scriptures. |
| Scripture judges experience. |
| Knowledge are esoteric, understandable only from within by the few who share the experience. |
| Knowledge are exoteric, public, democratic, open to all. |
| Gurus (personal spiritual guides, bring people to truth) |
| Prophets (messengers of God, bring God to people) |
| Gods revealed in nature; abstract truths revealed to the mind through wisdom & philosophical ideas. Knowledge does not mean "much learning" but the comprehension of the cosmic truth. It is the sole vehicle of discovering the Reality |
| God revealed in the world through miraculous historical & relational Events (supernatural). God approaches man to reveal Himself. |
Belief, Faith and Reason
| Religions of Prajna, wisdom. Religions of 'understanding', giving due place to reason though it will have to be purified and separated from the dross of desire before It becomes an instrument of a higher life. |
| Aim at awakening the mind. |
| Religions of piety with a strong tendency to deny reason. Deal with Intensification of feelings. |
| Does not encourage people just to believe in scriptures, it teaches people to rationally analyze the knowledge they are provided instead of believing in it just because they are part of the religion. One is allowed to decipher the truth by themselves, with the help of Yoga and Meditation and rational arguments. There is no place for dogma and no human being has the authority/right to give a decree. |
| God has given his truths finally and once for all through his favorite, intermediary and these are now deposited in a book. The other revelations and books are either denied or they are considered as merely preparatory: They exist merely to confirm the truths of the new revelation. Subsequent revelations become false or redundant. |
| Faith is rendered by the word shradha, that which lies hidden in the recession of the heart; so, faith means faith in the hidden truths of the soul, faith in the unrealized possibilities of the mind. |
| Faith means belief in the established dogmas of the Church, or belief in the external authority of a particular book, or a prophet. |
Purpose of Life
| The goal of life is stated variously as the realization of one's union with God, attainment of the vision of God, attainment of perfect love of God, realization of the unity of all existence, perfect unselfishness, liberation from ignorance, attainment of perfect mental peace, or detachment from worldly desires. The goal is to have the direct experience of divinity, regardless of precisely how one may choose to define it. |
| The spiritual need is for deliverance from God's judgment on our sin and for restoration to a life under His direction and care. |
| Believe that all souls are evolving toward God-Realization and will ultimately find Moksha, spiritual knowledge and liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Not a single soul will be eternally deprived of this destiny. |
| The Christian views man’s fallen condition as a form of bondage to the destructive consequence of sin – such as anxiety, guilt, pride, self-centeredness. |
| The aim of most Eastern religious discipline is not simply to comprehend the plight of man’s bondage to illusion, but also to overcome that enslavement by the nullification of the factors which cause the bondage example, Desire, pleasure, pain, birth and death. |
| Abrahamic religion such as Islam declares that the ultimate goal of man is to enter paradise to enjoy physical delights such as beautiful surroundings, delicious food, wine and women. Similarly, Judaism and Christianity have their ideas of salvation; they treat man as God's creature, dependent on His grace forever |
Way of Liberation / Salvation
| Virtuous conduct and right belief are the foundation stones of religious life, the first step toward higher mystical communion. Liberation requires knowledge and personal attainment, not mere belief. |
| If one obeys God's commands for a moral and ethical life and believes in Him and in His Prophet — for example, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed or Zoroaster — salvation is assured. |
| Liberation means elimination of avidya (ignorance), through self-effort karma and attainment of moksha (oneness with Brahman). |
| Salvation means avoid, eliminate, or overcome sin through God’s grace by eternal fellowship with God. |
| Liberation from the samsara (cycle of reincarnation) is achieved by our own efforts. |
| The soul is embodied for a single lifetime, but is immortal and accountable to God for all thoughts and actions through forgiveness of sins. |
| This salvation can be provided only by God's gracious and undeserved action in our behalf. |
| One does not necessarily have to wait until death to attain salvation; it is possible to achieve it in this very life. One who attains salvation while living is called a jivan-mukta. |
| Man is born a sinner, and that he may know salvation only through the Savior, Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son. |
| The goals of enlightenment and liberation are to be found in this life, within the context of time, within man himself. Doctrines may be dual or nondual, dvaitic or advaitic. |
| Salvation comes at the end of the world, the end of time, and has nothing to do with enlightenment. Strictly dualistic. |
Notes
“Salvation” is an ambiguous word that can refer to a lot of phenomena. When trying to understand the concept of salvation in any religion, we need to be very clear on what the context is. It is not just a question of how one might get saved, but also what one is saved from and to. In Hinduism, "salvation" is most frequently referred to as moksha, which means most literally “release.” One is saved, not from sin, as a Christian might say, but from one's own existence. The fundamental problem for all human beings is that we live in a world of suffering and illusion, and that, left to ourselves, we will continue to do so for all time. As long as we exist in the phenomenal world (maya), we will suffer, and since we are doomed to move from life to life to life in the cycle of reincarnation (samsara), the suffering will theoretically never end. What drives this seemingly unbreakable chain of existences is the law of karma; it determines as what kind of a being (plant, animal, or human) and in what circumstances we will reappear in our next life, depending on what we do in this life. So, the point of moksha is to be released from the cycle of reincarnation and to attain a state of bliss in union with God.
Birth and Afterlife
| Embodied (many lives - Reincarnation) |
| Disembodied (one life then Judgment, heaven or hell) |
| Atman (the Self) reincarnates — continual rebirths in human bodies — explains that the soul reincarnates until all karmas are resolved and Moksha (God-Realization) is attained. |
| Each human being lives once as a mortal on earth, dies once, and then faces judgment. People decide their eternal destiny in a single lifetime. |
Notes
It is customary among the adherents of Abrahamic religions to declare that a deceased person "has gone to heaven" or "is in heaven". This is evidently an emotional, instinctive statement. The problem with this is not so much that it is just a guess - as the speaker has no means of knowing - but that it actually contradicts official Church teachings.
The official position of Abrahamic Religions is that when a person dies, he remains in his grave, in a state of sleep-like existence, till the End of the World. That Day is also known as Last Day or Day of Judgement. On that Last Day, God will physically resurrect, that is, bring back to life all the people who have died from the beginning of Creation, along with their original physical bodies.
Says the Bible:
"When man's breath departs, he returns to Earth" (Psalms 146:4).
And the Quran:
"On that Day, when men will hear the fateful cry, they will rise up from their graves" (50:41).
They will then be judged by God and sent either to Heaven or to Hell where they will stay for ever. Some Christian denominations believe that certain Souls will go through a temporary state of suffering (Purgatory) in order to become fit for admission to Heaven. In general, however, the official Abrahamic view is that a large portion of Mankind will go straight to Hell with no hope of reprieve.
Says the Quran:
"They shall sigh with remorse, but shall never emerge from the Fire" (2:167).
Actions, Sin and Judgment
| Since evil and sin are illusory and no personal Judge exists, we will be purified through an endless series of reincarnations, attaining ever higher levels of consciousness. |
| All human beings are afflicted with original Sin incurred by Adam and Eve, and now they stand in need of Salvation. |
| Does not believe in Judgment Day. Man is a victim of his own karma and the laws of dharma judge him continuously. |
| Believe in resurrection, the day of judgment and in heaven and hell. |
| Judgment is based on the laws of karma - refers to the "debt" a soul accumulates because of good or bad actions committed during one's life (or past lives). |
| Believes in a final judgment day. Tells that "man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. |
| Depending on a person's karma, the atman (soul) of the dead person is born in a new body. This process continues till the person attains mukti or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. |
| On the day of judgment all dead persons will come alive with their bodies and taken in front of God, who will send them to heaven or hell, depending on deeds performed by them. |
| The cases of the dead persons are disposed of then and there on an individual basis, without waiting for the day of judgment. |
| On the day of judgment those who have faith will go to heaven while the non-believers will burn eternally in hell-fire. |
Action and Free Will
| Says that the present situation of a person like unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, suffering are thus seen as natural consequences for one's previous acts, both in this life, in previous lives. |
| Belives in the Original Sin that proclaims that to some extent, man lost some free will when Adam and Eve choose to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Thus, all men are tainted with this Original Sin, but through God's Grace, some are able to overcome Original Sin. Logically the blame has to go to God, if it is nobody's fault. Christians believe in sin and redemption through refuge in Christ. |
| Better performance in this life, will lead to better life, after this. |
| Believers will be rewarded in heaven according to their faithfulness, and nonbelievers will be punished in hell according to the degree of their rebellion against the Creator. |
| We should perform good actions, not because they lead us to salvation, but because they ought to be performed as an offering to God. |
| We should perform good actions to go to Heaven. |
Scriptures (inspirations) and Study
| The atmosphere of the scriptures is Unhurried, relaxed and expositional. Lead you step by step. |
| The scriptures of Abrahamic inspiration are hortative, admonitory; they urge, they re. prove, they enjoin, they warn, they even enforce. |
| Aims at opening up your understanding and aim at awakening the mind and the self. |
| Plays on your hopes and fears. deal with Intensification of feelings. |
| Learn by experience - leads you experience the Truth within. |
| Learn by faith and revelation. |
| No hard and fast dogma that all must follow or believe. |
| Must abide by the holy book and the scriptures. |
Notes
Since the Vedic quest for reality is initiated by man of his own free will, it gives him the status of a lover and bestows on God the honor of being the beloved, seeking union with Him. On the contrary, the approach of the Abrahamic religions, is entirely the opposite: it is God who threatens man with hell or coaxes him with the offer of paradise to seek Him and thus loses the status of a beloved.
This is the reason that the Biblical and Koranic messages commence with a command such as "say..," that is, God orders a man called "prophet," in a vision or through an angel to say this or that to the people as the Will of God. Thus, their approach is revelatory because God comes to man so that he should love and obey Him; it disqualifies Him as the beloved, the object of search.
The religious experiment in India differs from that in the Abrahamic world. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism adopt a rationalist attitude in matters of religion. They search for the truth of things, of the true nature of man and the world. The Vedas say that " the wise call the One by many names", and exhort us to …
"let good thoughts come to us from everywhere";
Worship
| Various paths and forms of worship suited to individual levels. |
| Uniform system of worship. |
Tolerance, Unity, and Recognition of others Faiths
| Believes that all nations share Brahman's (God-head) grace. Respects differences and seeks Brahman's working in different races and accepts all dharmic paths (genuine religions). |
| Believe that there are pagans and infidels or kafir waiting to be converted to their respective system of beliefs and ideas or a race of the damned waiting to be saved. |
| Believe that no particular religion teaches the only way to God-Realization (liberation) above all others, but that all genuine religious paths are facets of Brahman's Pure Love and Light, deserving tolerance and understanding. |
| Has an unswerving belief that it is the only true religion, the only path to salvation. |
| Very tolerant. Nothing is false and everything is true in a way. Tolerates many seemingly contradictory religious beliefs. |
| No tolerance for religious pluralism. |
| See all dharmic paths (genuine religions) as various ways to reach the same goal of manifesting the intrinsic divinity in man. |
| Believe that not only are they different, but they are also superior. Believed that the God they worshiped was superior to the Gods of their neighbors and their religion was invested with truth while others wallowed in falsities. |
Notes
Hindu thought is universal in its outlook in which there are no infidels, kafir or heretics. This is no division of humanity into believers and non-believers. It does not look with contempt even upon an atheist. It doesn't approve of proselytism as means of increasing the number of its adherents. It does not promote the dogma of sin, superstition, fear, false hope and damnation like Abrahamic religions. It believes that all life is sacred and to be loved and revered, and in the practice of ahimsa or non-violence.
The Jews first created the myth that only one religion is true. This exclusive spirit of prophetic religion was inherited by Christianity and Islam. Consequently, because their revelations differed, Abrahamic traditions were often marred by intolerance and conflict.
In Vedic perspective, differences were a matter for discussion and debate — the only safe path for democracy in religion. Hinduism has a deserved reputation of being highly tolerant of other religions. Hindus have a saying: "Ekam Sataha Vipraha Bahudha Vadanti," which may be translated: "The truth is one, but different sages call it by different names".
Time, Space and Matter
| Look at time as circular and repeating, and any end as a new beginning. The beginning leads back around to the end, and the cycle starts all over again. |
| Hold a linear and singular view of time and history. View time as linear and irreversible — the "end" occurs once and for all, followed by an eternal sacred world. |
| Body, matter, history and time itself are not independently real. Mystical experience lifts the spirit out of time and the world. The Vedas being eternal are free from any historical references. |
| Essentially news, events in time: creation, providence, prophets, Messiah, incarnation, death and, resurrection, ascension, second coming. |
Higher Worlds, Heaven and Hell
| Believes in the existence outer and inner worlds at different levels. The universe consisting of innumerable worlds, heavens and lower worlds, created by one Supreme God and left to the care and control of several gods and goddesses. |
| Christianity believes in one heaven ruled by God and one hell ruled by a devil. Believe in a concept of eternal hell, or damnation Indicates that at death the believers immediately goes into the presence of the Lord, and unbelievers at death go to a place of suffering. There is no justification for eternal torture in hell. |
| Believe in the repetitious Transmigration of the Soul, cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth through their many lifetimes called samsara. |
| Awaiting the Last Judgment when the dead shall rise again, the redeemed to enjoy life everlasting and the unsaved to suffer eternally. |
| Karma determines how you will live your next life. Through pure acts, thoughts and devotion, one can be reborn at a higher level. Eventually, one can escape samsara and achieve enlightenment. |
| Believers will be rewarded in heaven according to their faithfulness, and nonbelievers will be punished in hell according to the degree of their rebellion against the Creator. |
Problem of Evil
| There is no intrinsic evil. All is good. All is God. No force in the world or in man opposes God, though the veiling instinctive-intellectual mind keeps us from knowledge of Him. The existence of injustice in the world is only apparent, for one merely reaps the results of one's moral actions sown in a past life. |
| There is indeed genuine evil in the world, a living force which opposes the will of God. This evil is embodied in Satan and his demons, and partially in man as one of his tendencies. |
| Identifies avidya (ignorance) as the cause of evil. |
| Humanity chooses to follow evil impulses, or to act against God’s will. In this way is sin brought into the world. |
Nature of Reality
| Reality is cyclical, relative, and illusionary. Reality possesses a dualistic nature. The world is material and spiritual. Life is eternal. The goal of living is to overcome the endless cycle of rebirth. Ignorance exists as the largest impediment to enlightenment. Enlightenment comes when one can see reality for what it is. Human faults, resistance to truth (struggling against the natural order, failure to meet responsibilities, failure to achieve dharma, failure to release oneself from desire and attachments) results in disharmony and unenlightenment. |
| Reality is comprehensible and knowable by finite humanity, as the intricate design of nature demonstrates God’s existence, but humanity cannot understand reality completely or fully understand the true nature of God. |
References
Bibliography
1.
Religious Comparisons, Dancing with Siva — Resource 5: Religious Comparisons; Eastern and Western Views; Himalayan Academy.
2.
Hinduism for Beginners, An concise introduction to the Eternal Path to Liberation; By Pandit Ram Sivan (Srirama Ramanuja Achari), Simha Publications.
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