Human development (Hinduism)

Rather than a separate religion, Hinduism is more an evolving tradition of such diversity that some major movements within it could be considered separate religions in their own right. No religion, within or outside Hinduism, is held to be exclusive; all religions and philosophies whose intentions are authentic may lead to the one God, all being, like the separate facets of one diamond, different facets of God's love and as such worthy of respect.

The Vedic texts, dating back at least orally for several thousand years, are believed by many to contain all the teaching necessary. They include details of rituals both for priests and for the householder. Rituals of the former include heightened spiritual awareness through drinks containing the sacred plant [soma]

. Different stages are marked by use of rituals to placate the gods or as a means in their own right of ensuring the welfare of man and the universe. This is the [Vedic]

tradition, culminating in the internal sacrifice of asceticism and meditation and the mystical experience of the one self, the identity of the individual Atman with Brahman. Such realization brings release from [samsara]

, the endless cycle of birth and death, in which the conditions of each life are dependent on the acts (karma) of previous lives. This latter condition is inherently one of suffering and spiritual activity is directed at release from it. Sannyasa, or renunciation, is one means of release. The practitioner abandons all aspects of the world and performs the austerities and spiritual practices of some form of yoga; he seeks to become liberated while still alive - [jivanmukta]

. For the [grihastha]

, or householder, life is lived in the world; but liberation is achieved by a final sannyasa stage in life after family responsibilities have been fulfilled.

In contrast, classical Hinduism places more emphasis on life in this world. Society is divided into 4 castes, each with specific duties, rights and responsibilities; these are the priests and teachers (brahmins), the kings and warriors (kshatriyas), merchants and farmers (vaishyas), and menial workers (shudras). The dharma, or moral code, details behaviour for each caste. The first three castes, the [twice born]

, have full religious rights. The shudras are more in relation to the other castes as dependents or children and have lesser rights. It should be noted that these four castes or varnas are not the same as the caste system of [jati]

currently in operation in India, although the one may have derived from the other. Nevertheless, varnashrama dharma is taken to be obedience to the laws of one's jati. The regulations involve rituals for pollution and purification, particularly in relation to birth and death. They also cover whom the individual may marry, the vocation he may follow in life, what he may eat and who may prepare it, and so on. The way in which an individual complies with dharma affects his store of merit for this life and thus the life to which he will be born next time.

The four great aims of life are dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), kama (culture and art) and moksha (spiritual freedom - this fourth aim was not always included). When these are in harmony there is no discord between the natural and spiritual life. Three ways to salvation are defined in the [Bhagavad Gita]

: jnana marga, the way of knowledge or enlightenment; bhakti marga, the way of devotion to the Lord; karma marga, the way of action and religious rites. Although bhakti marga is the most emphasized overall, the influential [advaita vedanta]

advocates the way of knowledge. This holds that nothing except Brahman, even the gods or devas, is real; all else is an illusion - [maya]

. On realization of this, enlightenment arises and the human spirit merges with Brahman. A development towards a more theistic approach where where the soul, although of the essence of God, still maintains an eternal relationship with God, is the [Vishishtadvaita]

or differentiated non-duality; this system was the basis of a number of schools, all emphasizing bhakti or devotion which has gradually come to imply not so much a way of salvation but salvation itself.

The Hindu religion accepts the existence of avatars, divinity incarnated as man, who mediate between God and men. These avatars may be worshipped, as may gods who embody specific attributes of the one God. Ultimate reality is thought of as both immanent and transcendent. Whether impersonal - [nirguna brahma]

(beyond the gunas), or personal - [saguna brahma]

, mystic experience of transcendent reality is sought in samadhi through devotion to the gods in worship, through ascetic practice and yoga, through any of the ways indicated above, or through communal festivals, pilgrimages, ritual image worship, reading or singing of holy scripture and songs, or pilgrimage to a sacred city. The soul is as much in need of nourishment as the body, and this nourishment must be wholesome and balanced, with effectiveness proved over time rather than ephemeral, and with emphasis as much on duties and responsibilities to family and society as on individual rights and development. The many myths and artistic traditions of Hinduism as well as the [dharma]

help to provide this balanced diet.