HINDUISM Preface to the first edition In Mundaka Upanishad there is a question by a student to a teacher �What is that (truth), O Blessed One! By knowing which one can know everything in this manifested world?� The teacher replies �Two kinds of science or knowledge are to be inquired into by man, so say the sages who know the truth of ultimate Reality of Brahman; one is called apara vidya , ordinary knowledge; and the other is called para vidya, higher knowledge.� To gain proficiency in spiritual matters, one may look to Vedas, Bible, Quran etc. but all these sacred books can help only up to a point. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa has said that by squeezing the pages of an almanac showing the dates of rain not one drop of water can be produced. Realization of the Supreme can only be by individual effort and has to be a personal experience. Before commencing a journey, including the spiritual journey, one has to be aware of the destination and the path to be followed. An attempt has been made in the following pages to touch upon a few topics relating to these. It is realized that this write up is amateurish and incomplete but waiting for perfection may be futile. The first chapter is titled �Hinduism for dot com generation� and serves as an introduction. This was written a couple of years back and has been retained in toto to preserve the flow and the rhythm aimed at that time. The chapters now added are- �Brahman� �Meditation� �Idols� �Namasmaranam� �Samskaras/Rituals� �Samskrit�, �Different faiths� Brahman willing, further chapters may get added and some of the current chapters expanded, in due course. P.T.Thiruvengadam, November, 2001. (Email address � [email protected]) Preface to the second edition The website has been expanded with the touching up of all the earlier chapters and with the introduction of the following new topics. "Upanishads�. "Brahmasutras�. "Visishtadvaita�. As the web site expands, there is greater realisation that what one may know is not even a speck compared to the infinite firmament that is knowledge. Edison cried in despair, �we don�t know one millionth of one percent about anything.� There is a telling story about Vedas. �No one can know all Vedas. Rishi Bharadwaj started learning Vedas early. At 96, he had not completed. He prayed to Indra and obtained a boon to live another 100 years to continue to learn Vedas. He found again that he needed yet another life and again got Indra�s boon. Still the learning was not complete and when he prayed to Indra for the third time, Indra showed him three mountains created by the three Vyahriti mantras �Bhur, Bhuva, Swaha�. He pointed to the mountains and told Rishi Bharadwaj that they were the Vedas. The Rishi expectantly asked Indra whether they represented his learning. Indra took a handful from each and said what the Rishi had learnt was only a handful. The Rishi trembled.� Apart from the extensive literature in Samskrit on Hinduism, vast treasures are available in other Indian languages. In Tamil alone, the outpourings of Alwars and Nayanmars run into volumes, emphasising the anubhava (experience) culture. Upanishadic truths, Brahmasutra mysteries and Gita philosophy are all beautifully enshrined in these devotional hymns. While knowledge is power, grace of the Lord is far more important. Nani Palkhiwala has said, �one mystical experience can teach you more than a life time of research in a laboratory or of reading in a library.� P.T.Thiruvengadam, September, 2,003. (Email address � [email protected]) Preface to the third edition The website has been further expanded with considerable addition to the earlier chapters and with the introduction of the following chapters. "Advaita". "Karma". "Vedas". "Unique Features of Hinduism". The chapter on "Karma" brings out that each birth contains in itself the seed for many janmas in future, with the cycle of life and death developing endlessly. To escape this cycle, the individual Self has to reach Brahman. Standard paths prescribed go by the name of "Yoga" (meaning "to join"). The well known yogas are - Karma Yoga (the path of action, after surrendering all the fruits of action to the Lord - briefly touched upon in the Chapter on 'Karma') for energetic persons (body-prominent), Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion - briefly touched upon in the chapter on 'Namasmaranam') for the emotional ones (mind-prominent), Raja yoga (the path of meditation - briefly touched upon in the Chapter on 'Meditation') for the disciplined (self-control-prominent) and Gnana Yoga (the path of Knowledge and enquiry -briefly touched uon in the chapter on 'Brahman') for the intellectuals (intellect prominent). Since human beings have a mix of these personalities, a balanced approach of all these should be aimed at. To quote Swami Yatishwarananda on �The synthesis of the yogas�, �Work sometimes becomes aimless and leads to mere restlessness. Devotion often deteriorates into meaningless sentimentalities. Yoga or the path of concentration at times degenerates into physical mortification and pursuit of psychic powers. And knowledge may lapse into dry intellectualism and morbid inactivity. Let work be combined with meditation, and knowledge tempered with devotion. An all-sided personality should be aimed at. Philosophy, mysticism, emotion and work should be equally present in full.� Lest one gets totally unnerved by the inexorable play of karma and the extreme rarity of evolved persons like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa or Ramana Maharishi, some authorities like Her Holiness Sri Sadguru Gnanananda have explained the concept of Videhamukta (one who gets liberated on giving up this body). By following the path of detachment, believing, loving and abiding in a Supreme Force, controlling the lower nature, maintaining purity in thought and deed, dedicating every action to the Lord and surrendering oneself totally to Him, one can have his sanchita (accumulated over janmas) and other karmas waived by the Lord and thus escape the endless chain of birth and death. Thus, there is hope for everyone. This philosophy of total surrender to the Lord, so eloquently propounded by Ramanuja gives hopes to the suffering millions. P.T.Thiruvengadam, November, 2,005. (Email address � [email protected]) CONTENTS. (NOTE. When any of the following 15 websites is opened, you will find double horizontal arrows >> on the left side of 'YAHOO! GEOCITIES', found at the top right corner. By clicking these arrows, the 'YAHOO! GEOCITIES' portion gets closed and the full window opens for reading the website material.) CHAPTER 1 : HINDUISM FOR DOT COM GENERATION CHAPTER 2 : BRAHMAN CHAPTER 3 : MEDITATION CHAPTER 4 : IDOLS CHAPTER 5 : NAMASMARANAM CHAPTER 6 : SAMSKARAS/RITUALS CHAPTER 7 : KARMA CHAPTER 8 : SAMSKRIT CHAPTER 9 : VEDAS CHAPTER 10 : UPANISHADS CHAPTER 11 : BRAHMASUTRAS CHAPTER 12 : ADVAITA CHAPTER 13 : VISISHTADVAITA CHAPTER 14:DIFFERENT FAITHS CHAPTER 15 : UNIQUE FEATURES OF HINDUISM ( NOTE. All the 15 chapters, as above, can be read continuously in the single web site - HINDUISM ) [email protected]	Start building your site now! Yahoo! PageWizards Easy step-by-step page making. Yahoo! PageBuilder Try our powerful drag & drop editor. File Manager Create subdirectories, upload and edit.

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