Hinduism
‘Churning of the Ocean Milk’ depicts the Devas (Gods) fighting for the elixir of immortality against the Asuras (Demons). A seminar part of Hindu cosmology, it is the story of the origin of creation and marks a deviation from Vedic and Buddhist philosophies.
Scene from ‘Lagaan’ (2001) in which worshippers plea to God for strength and guidance, my childhood was marked by Bollywood films.
Fantastic video from ‘Let’s Talk Religion’ further exploring the unison of Islam and Hinduism in the Indian subcontinent.
Dr. Long speaks on his spiritual journey, away from dogmatic faith, towards Vedanta through Gandhi & George Harrison.
It is difficult to write so decisively on such a dynamic, vibrant and multi-faceted belief system such as Hinduism. It feels so close, yet so distant… like a long-lost relative. Being Pakistani, our culture and worldview is inextricably tied to the Indian subcontinent and there is no clear delineation as to how a arbitrary border separates abstract notions of God and Oneness. As Dara Shikoh, a Muslim Mughal emperor stated on the similarities of Islam and Hinduism:
“The soul is of two kinds: ruh (individual soul) and abul-arwah (Soul of souls), which are called atma and parmatma in the phraseology of the Indian divines.”
This comes from his seminal work Majma-ul-Bahrain or the “Meeting of the Two Oceans” (symbolizing the two great bodies of wisdom Islam & Hinduism).
Personally, I have always had a level of familiarity with Hinduism through conversations with my Nani and Nana who had grown up in India, Bollywood films and growing up with Hindu friends in Jackson Heights, NYC. It’s like I knew what it was without ever really knowing what it was.
I took ‘Philosophy of Religion’ in the Fall of 2012 and the deep mythology of Hinduism fascinated me; it was something I had never grasped being raised in a monotheistic household. It was this initial introduction which led me to further explore psychological interpretations of theism and how certain Gods or Avatars can be archetypal manifestations of ritualization patterns, totemic emblems and collective ideals which symbolize the values most precious to humanity (and most destructive).
I visited the Vedanta Society of Houston in the Fall of 2019 (click here to learn more) and befriended Swami Atmarupanada who enlightened me on the core foundations of Vedanta (based on the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of India):
• This universe is a manifestation of an infinite spiritual Reality (God, in theistic systems).
• The true nature of every being is divine.
• The purpose of human life is to realize this spiritual Reality within and without.
• All major religions of the world are valid paths leading to this ultimate Reality.