Query: Hinduism... I am trying to find out if all religions have something in common. What is the central message of Hinduism? What are the most important ethical rules to live by according to Hinduism?

Kaivalya Jnani:
At the outset I would like to clear that Hinduism is not a religion... it does not have a single preceptor... one single God... the following of which is termed Hinduism. When Siddhartha Gautama came into the scene and ultimately gained enlightenment in his lifetime... his teachings were termed Buddhism!

Every single religion world over is a following of the teachings of an enlightened master! It is a different matter though not all enlightened souls develop a following! Similarly the teachings of Jesus Christ were termed Christianity! Both Buddhism and Christianity derived their name from the name of the preceptor... the enlightened one!

On the contrary Hinduism has a total of 330 million gods in total! An average of about one God for every three persons!

Hinduism is a way of life! Similar as Jainism is a way of life! Hinduism embodies within itself the complete Wisdom of the Cosmos... knowing which one finally gained enlightenment (kaivalya jnana) and salvation (moksha)! Bhagavad Gita, the most sacred Scripture of Hinduism that exists on Mother Earth contains everything knowable.

The knower of Bhagavad Gita finally becomes the knower of all... gains enlightenment and finally salvation in one's lifetime! Bhagavad Gita... the doctrine presented to mankind by Lord Krishna in the battle of Mahabharata is without a parallel. One single document comprising of 700 shlokas (verses) entails everything from beginning of the Cosmos to the end.

How the Cosmos got created... the meaning of big bang... the definition of God Almighty... the relationship amongst human beings, animals and plants... the doctrine of karma... the meaning of Dharma (righteousness)... the meaning of Avatar (God manifest in human form)... how an ordinary mortal reaches the highest portals of manifest life... all is contained in the Sacred Bhagavad Gita!

The foremost of all the messages that Hinduism broadly conveys to mankind is... the life as a human being is but a fleeting moment in the vast expense of cosmic life... the life of a soul atman within! It is Hinduism that clearly attaches importance to the presence of a soul atman within the body.

As per Hinduism it is our soul atman that is on its cosmic journey of 8.4 million manifestations (an earthly abode of 96.4 million years). Amongst 8.4 million manifestations on the whole... the initial 7.3 million manifestations are spent in insect, plant and animal life! In the human form alone we have 1.1 million manifestations before one reaches the stage of enlightenment!

The concept of reincarnation... rebirth that has been interpreted by many Saints and sages is flawed. In the entire life span of 8.4 million manifestations... the soul atman never takes any reincarnation or rebirth. The life span of every soul atman is a single continuous life spanning 8.4 million manifestations (an earthly abode of 96.4 million years).

And why does a soul atman manifest a living form... the human form! To eradicate the impurities within... the dross within every soul atman manifests a series of life forms to work out its karma. The moment a human being reaches the 8.4 millionth manifestation... it announces the end of cosmic life... the end of the journey for soul within!

The soul atman having liberated from the cycle of birth and death forever ultimately reaches the abode of God... the kingdom of God (aka Vaikunth in Hinduism). The kingdom of God is a point of no return. Every single liberated soul atman having reached the kingdom of God stays there until dissolution of the Cosmos occurs.

It is Hinduism that explains how the cosmic system gets generated! Imagine a point of time when the dissolution of the old cosmos is occurring! And what truly happens at this moment of time? The entire Cosmos after the dissolution of the Cosmos reduces to the size of half a thumb... and what is this half a thumb?

Devoid of all impurities dross within... the size of the entire Cosmos regains its original pure pristine form... a cluster of all purified souls atmans in the Cosmos... the size of half a thumb! This has been clearly detailed in the Sacred Bhagavad Gita of Hinduism. This prime pure pristine energy... The size of half a thumb is what we know as God Almighty!

The combined power of all purified souls atmans in the Cosmos at a given point of time is what we define as God Almighty. This cosmic power of indefinable magnitude unable to retain itself for long in its prime pure state... again explodes with a big bang resulting in formation of a new cosmos... a new journey of life!

Does this mean God Almighty explodes self resulting in formation of a new cosmos... yes, the truth is so! The moment big bang occurs... all souls atmans hurtle down their cosmic journey at unimaginable speeds. As the rolling ball gathers moss... the hurtling souls' atmans also gather impurities on their cosmic sojourn!

To remove the impurities within... to regain its prime pure original pristine form... starts the journey of the soul atman... a chain of 8.4 million manifestations on the whole! No sooner life supporting planets like Mother Earth form... impure souls' atmans immediately manifest a body to work out its karma... to eradicate the impurities dross within!

In a long journey of 1.1 million manifestations in the human form... an earthly abode of 12.4 million years... what value of one life of 70 to 80 years! Yet... it is only in the human form our soul atman gains release from the cycle of birth and death forever. It is only in the human form the soul atman gets liberated from its cosmic sojourn!

The human form is the highest manifest stage in the cosmic life cycle. Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed... all gained enlightenment in their lifetime! All these purified souls exist in the kingdom of God! These purified souls... the powers that be can be invoked by one by chanting of requisite mantra!

It is Hinduism that makes one realize... one can never escape ones own karma! Whatever be our destiny of present life... everything results from our karma of the past manifestations and present life. If we have taken birth in the house of a laborer... all owed its existence to the karma performed by us in past lives!

If we desire a bright future ahead... all is dependent upon karma performed by us! The doctrine of karma is governing in the entire Cosmos. As is the balance sheet of an accountant... the balance sheet of life continues in the same fashion. Whatever be the closing balance of our present manifestation at the time of death of the body... the same becomes the opening balance of the next manifestation... the next journey of life!

We simply cannot expect mangoes to grow on a guava tree! As we sow... So shall we reap, says the law of karma! It is only by negating the negative karma... one finally gains enlightenment in life! Enlightenment is not the end of the journey in the life of human beings... enlightenment announces the soul atman having reached the 8.4 millionth manifestation!

As per Hinduism, The doctrine of karma always governing... why indulge in wanton desires, greed for materialistic riches when all shall be left behind after the death of the body! It is only the residual balance of karma that passes to the next manifestation... the next journey of life! Truthfully we are a soul atman on its cosmic journey!

Our manifesting the human body indicates the presence of impurities dross within! The moment we eradicate the impurities dross within us... we reach the level of Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed! Mahavira... the 24th preceptor of Jainism rightly said, no point teaching anything unless one becomes an enlightenment one... a Mahavira!

As per Hinduism one must always indulge in positive karma... Punya karma all the time! It is only a positive balance of karma that results in our manifesting a higher form of life in next manifestation! Why indulge and spoil the future! The journey in human form is the most pleasant experience for the soul atman within!

It is only Hinduism that gives the definition of God Almighty in explicit terms! It is only Hinduism that explains the interlinking relationship between God Almighty... the big bang theory... the dissolution of the Cosmos... individual souls atmans! God Almighty is not the form of human beings... it is pure celestial power much beyond the comprehension of most human beings!

Only when one gains enlightenment does entire picture of Cosmos emerge!

Maintaining highest level of ethical relationship... highest standards of living... a path of absolute truthfulness... burning karma in totality... establishing absolute control over the five senses and the mind... practicing absolute celibacy for a minimum period of 12 years... one finally crosses all barriers of physical manifest life!

In Hinduism obeisance... worshiping... prayers... all are offered to God Almighty termed Brahman, Parmatman, Bhagwan, God, Karta, Purusha... and what not! In Hinduism God Almighty is never equated to a man God like Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed!

As per Advaita Vedanta philosophy of Hinduism, God Almighty is the only truth of life! Apart from God Almighty nothing ever truly exists in the whole of Cosmos. The prime reason why at the time of dissolution of the Cosmos... the size of entire Cosmos reduces to the size of half a thumb... the cluster of all purified souls atmans in the Cosmos!

Does this also mean at the time of dissolution of the Cosmos... every single soul atman in whatever stage of manifestation it be reaches the last leg of cosmic life... the 8.4 millionth manifestation... yes, the truth is so! Jainism does not believe in this concept.... nor did Mahavira! The reason why Mahavira is termed a man God and not an Avatar (God manifest in human form)!

Unless every single soul atman reaches the 8.4 millionth manifestation... a complete collapse of Cosmos... dissolution of entire Cosmos simply cannot occur! Bhagavad Gita is absolutely clear on this point! Bhagavad Gita is one sacred document that can never be understood literally... one needs reading in between the lines to understand the wisdom contained!

Hinduism is not based upon limited or set rules of religion! Hinduism is a very broad based doctrine... that can be followed by followers of any religion, faith or caste! To follow Hinduism one need not convert to Hinduism (the so-called religion)!

When 11 years of age... I started in search of God! Inherently I felt I was something more than a human being! Slowly it dawned upon me that something within my heart was the master and controller of the body! It was my soul atman that required fresh air to breathe! As time passed by... I followed life remaining truthful all the time!

Slowly I realized I need more and more of purity... if I ever wanted to see and meet God in this very life! How I overcame the five senses and the mind is difficult to explain in words yet, I finally made it at 37 years of age! Following the path of Neti (not this, not this)... the Shavasana way of yoga... I finally transcended all barriers of mortal life... I realized God!

Practicing absolute celibacy for a minimum period of 12 years is not only difficult but almost impossible to follow! Still... we all need preserve our quota of energy month by month provided to us by God Almighty! It is only by accumulating the cosmic reserve of energy... one finally scales the Kundalini that results in opening of the Shahastra Pushpa (the thousand petalled Lotus) within our brain.

The moment this happens... one finally reaches the stage of Nirvikalpa Samadhi when one has a dialogue with God Almighty on one-to-one basis and that too permanently! By eliminating the presence of karma... the cause for the soul atman to manifest a body again and again... one finally reaches the stage of enlightenment and salvation forever!

More Hinduism related links...

Creator of God - Names of God

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Essay by: Kaivalya Jnani... One who realized self in his life time!

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