Hinduism unlike other
religions was not founded by any one single prophet in any particular point of
time but its origin dates back to antiquity. It has evolved over the ages
through the different stages of progress of civilization imbibing and
assimilating in it different views, ideas, thoughts, culture. Its scriptures
are not confined in one single holy book but can be found spread over a number
of books containing in them every conceivable thoughts of human mind.
Hinduism has no defined set
of practices nor has it any specific commandments. A Hindu does not necessarily
believe in one God or Goddess. Hinduism has many Gods and Goddesses to be
worshiped but at the same time though it may sound paradoxical to followers of
other religions, it believes also in non-dualism (Adaitabad) according to which
there is not only one God but there is nothing else except God in the whole universe. The monists among the Hindus believe that the
whole universe is manifestation of God and all objects are only His reflections.
God is both the creator and the creation like the spider and its cobweb.
Hinduism however does not enforce its followers to accept the theory of
non-dualism but allows them to worship God in their own preferred ways. As Sri
Ramakrishna Paramhansa had once said that as a mother prepared different types
of dishes for her children to suit their different tastes, so also God could be
worshiped by different people as per their own preferences.
Hinduism does not believe in
superiority or inferiority of any religion but accepts all religions as true.
It does not believe in enforcing conversion from other religions but keeps its
door open to all. Swami Vivekananda had proclaimed in his address to the
Parliament of Religions at Chicago
Hinduism allows the devotees to develop bond with God and form beautiful personal relationship with Him like son, daughter, father, mother, friend and lover. Goddess Durga who
is considered as the source of all cosmic energy is perceived by us as our own
daughter; the daughter of earth married to Lord Shiva who comes to her parental home on our earth for four days in a year to bring joy and happiness to us.
Lord Krishna is perceived by His devotees as teacher, friend or beloved. It is
because of these personal relationships that we develop with God, we do not
fear God but love Him immensely and more intensely than we love any other person. A true Hindu is therefore a God loving person. He believes that God is the nearest and
dearest to him and resides not far up in the sky watching over us always monitoring our good and bad actions but lives in the heart of our
hearts as our protector. But at the same time a Hindu admits he always does not understand how God functions at times, how can there be hunger, pains, misery, sorrow, sufferings in the kingdom of all merciful and all mighty God. As Swami Vivekananda had written in his paper on Hinduism, a Hindu is brave enough to admit that he does not know the answer to this question.
As different streams having different sources mingle their water in the sea, so different ideas, tendencies, practices, hopes, beliefs, fears, joys, aspirations of different people in different places through the ages find their places in the ocean of Hinduism.
