Hinduism 03

Transcript (Not Corrected)

Opening Prayer

ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय

तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय

मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

हरिः ॐ

Asato mā sadgamaya,

Tamaso mā jyotirgamaya,

Mṛtyormā amṛtaṃ gamaya

Hari ḥ Om

Lord, lead us from the unreal to the real.

Lead us from ignorance to illumination.

Lead us from death to immortality.

Om, peace, peace, peace be unto all.

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Introduction: The Origins of Religion

So we have been discussing about Hinduism. In our last two classes, we discussed the origins of religion. In that context, we discussed also that the origins have started in two ways: one, worship of the ancestors; another is deification of nature. The purpose of both these is only one, which is to go beyond the limitations of the senses. In other words, man is in search of perfection, immortality. This has been beautifully expressed in one of the peace chants:

PŪRṆAMADAḤ PŪRṆAMIDAM

PŪRṆĀT PŪRṆAMUDACYATE

PŪRṆASYA PŪRṆAMĀDĀYA

PŪRṆAMEVĀVAŚIṢYATE

The Discovery of Perfection

What the ancient sages discovered was that the cause and the effect are one and the same. Our ancient people wanted to know: is it possible to attain to immortality? Is it possible to attain to that state of perfection, infinity? And they discovered, yes, it is possible.

How is it possible? Because this world, what we call our life, is really perfect. We are all really imperfect. Why? Because if this world, this life is an effect, it must have come from a cause. And if the cause is perfect, then the effect cannot be imperfect. So they discovered it. Having discovered it, they spoke about it. This is their direct experience.

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The Importance of Scriptures

And what they had spoken has been passed through from mouth to mouth through oral tradition. That is why these are called books or scriptures—the recorded experiences of sages who discovered what really is the truth. That is called scriptures.

Every religion is based upon these scriptures. Religions can even exclude God, but they cannot exclude books. Take away a book from a religion, that religion does not exist.

As an example, Buddhism does not speak about God. But Buddhism is based all upon the sayings, the teachings of Lord Buddha. Take away his teachings, nothing remains there. In fact, we become brutes if we do not have these books.

Take, for example, all the chemistry textbooks, physics textbooks, engineering textbooks, IT textbooks. Take away all these things. Who will be there to teach and who will be there to learn?

You know what happens in colleges? If you go to a college, you are called an educated person. If you don't go to a college, you are called an enlightened person. Why? Because education is that mysterious process by which information is passed on from the notebooks of the professors on to the notebooks of the students without passing the brains of either!

Śāstras: More Than Mere Books

So books are very important. These are not merely books. They are called Śāstras or scriptures. And every religion, whether they speak of God or not, even when they speak of what is called materialism—these people who say there is no God, there is no afterlife, etc., they are called Cārvākas, materialists—even they have their own books, because you have to ask: what is your authority?

Now you have to understand what is the meaning of book. Here is a piece of paper and something is written on it, black on a white background, something black—it could be colour also. That is not meant by book. Book means knowledge. The knowledge of people who knew with authority because they have directly experienced the truths therein. These are meant only as instruments. Whether you read a book or someone tells you about it, what they are doing, what is happening is that some kind of knowledge is coming which you did not have before.

According to Vedānta, some obstacle is being removed whereby the knowledge which is already within you is being revealed. This is the Vedāntic view.

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Who is a Hindu?

So in my last class, I promised you that since we are talking about Hinduism, how do I know whether I am a Hindu? Now there is one problem here. The problem is that there is no centralized authority in Hinduism to tell any one of us whether we are genuinely Hindus or not. Usually by birth, we declare ourselves as Hindus even though we do not know much about Vedas.

The Story of Vedas

One of our Swamis was giving a talk and he talked about Vedas, and then afterwards the audience went out and one of the audience was very much impressed. So he went and asked another person, "Are you a Hindu?" "Yes." "Now, do you know anything about Vedas?" He said, "I heard about cows, elephants, horses. Never heard about this animal called Vedas!" You know, people don't have any idea.

But yet they have the essence. Even though they don't know precisely what Vedas are, they know precisely what Vedas are teaching through oral tradition, through Purāṇas, through the teachings of great souls. We all know. So we are not devoid of knowledge. We are devoid of technical knowledge. But the real essence, we do know.

The Essence of All Religions

Ask any Christian: have you read the Bible from page to page, from the first page to the last page? Very few people reply yes. And yet they know the essence of Christianity: there is a God, I have to lead a good life, and if I please Him, He will come and save me. What else do we want to know? That is the essence of all religions.

Defining Hinduism

So we want to know whether we are Hindus. Until Swamiji came, as I mentioned, very few of us knew about Hinduism at all. And until 1995, nobody knew exactly how to define who is a Hindu. There was a very feeble attempt in 1995 when a case came up in the Supreme Court in Delhi to find out who is exactly a Hindu.

So in that context, there was a Chief Justice P. B. Gajendra Gadkar who was quoted in an Indian Supreme Court ruling. Very interesting. What did he say? A Hindu is one, or Hinduism is to:

1. Follow any of the Hindu schools of philosophy such as Advaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita (qualified non-dualism), Dvaita (dualism).
2. Follow a tradition centered on any particular form of the Divine such as Śaivism, Vaiṣṇavism, Śāktism.
3. Practice any one of the various forms of Yoga systems, means the four Yogas: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, Rāja Yoga.

But that was very, very brief and doesn't cover many other points.

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Ten Characteristics of a Hindu

So here is a list to check whether you are a Hindu or not:

1. Acceptance of the Vedas

First, acceptance of the Vedas with reverence and that Vedas are divinely revealed, not human constructions—divinely revealed.

So here is it. Some people have fooled me actually when I quoted this last class. "But we never saw Vedas. We don't know anything about Vedas except hearing the name, and we don't know whether we have faith in Vedas or not."

The answer to that is there are two ways of looking at it. You don't really need to have faith in the Vedas to study the Vedas, because in every tradition, and Hindu tradition too, what is the essence of the Vedas? Upaniṣads. What is the essence of the Upaniṣads? Bhagavad Gītā. What is the essence of the Bhagavad Gītā? Say, Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa.

This is one example. It could be the teachings of Swami Ramdas or Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave, because they never deviated from the traditional teachings though they put it in their own language. So, most of us have heard or you read Mahābhārata. What is Mahābhārata? It is a commentary on Bhagavad Gītā. And if you have seen Mahābhārata story, you know what is Bhagavad Gītā. So you know what is Upaniṣads. You know what is Vedas.

So, have reverence. Our basic scriptures are called Vedas. When I have complete faith in the teachings of the Vedas and I believe that Vedas are not human constructs but they are divine revelations—this is the first. This is what other religious followers also do. Who is a Christian? One who believes in the teachings of Bible or Koran or Tripiṭaka. Simple as that. This is the first.

Why this is the first? Because the fundamental basis of our Hindu religion is Vedas. Everything else has come from there. So, here are two points: that I accept Vedas as our fundamental scriptures, Hindu fundamental scriptures. Second, they are not human constructions. They are divine revelations. I will come to the explanation a little later on—what do you mean by divine revelation? What is the meaning of human constructions? But this is the first.

2. Multiple Paths to Salvation

Second, recognition of the fact that the means or ways to salvation are diverse—that one can reach the goal of God realization through various means. You can follow Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, Rāja Yoga, or you can be Hindu, you can be Christian, you can be Muslim, you can be Buddhist, or you can have no label at all. But follow the teachings without a label. It doesn't matter. Follow the path. You will reach the same goal. That is the second.

3. Freedom in Worship

Third, one can worship God in any form, in any name, with any quality. So, Hindus have three concepts of God:

• First: God without name, without form, without quality—highest.
• Middling: God without form but with qualities.
• Third: God with names, with forms, and with qualities.

Mind you, this you won't get in any other religion. This is the speciality of Hinduism. They say other religions insist that you have to follow our religion only, worship our God only. Otherwise, do you know where you will go? To the other place. That is the third.

4. Respect for All Religions

Fourth, respect to all religions, founders, prophets, and scriptures. If you don't show respect to other scriptures, other religions, other prophets, other forms of worship, then you are not a Hindu.

5. Belief in Fundamental Principles

Fifth, belief in the law of karma. Belief in rebirth. Belief in afterlife. Belief in other worlds. Four things:

Belief in law of karma: So, why are you attending this class today? It's your karma and also my karma.

Rebirth: Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, these all believe in rebirth.

Afterlife: There is a life after—Parajīvan. It is not the end of life. Before that also we have life. Rebirth means what? We had life before. And afterwards also, we have life.

Other worlds: There are other worlds. Our scriptures describe various worlds, various colonies, you know, divine colonies. If you go to any city, there is a Harrow Street. And there are also, east side of London, dockyards and all those things. So, in Svargaloka also, there are different colonies are there, where prestigious people live in one place: Indraloka, Candraloka, Varuṇaloka, Nāgaloka—so many Lokas are there. Belief that there are other worlds.

Don't take it easily because the scriptures tell us we have to have faith. Otherwise, the law of karma becomes null and void. This is the fifth.

6. Divine Incarnations

Sixth, belief that God incarnates any number of times whenever it is necessary. If you ask a Christian, "How many times will God come?" "He has come only once and he will come for the second time." "What about the third time?" "Third time, we have no problem, Swamiji. Why? Because after second time, there will be no world."

So, God will come second time and he has two hands, you know, and he divided existence into two parts. So, left side and right side. Those upon whom he is pleased, his right side, enter into the right side gate. And with whom he is displeased, enter into the left side. End of the world. No more coming back.

Hindus believe God comes any number of times.

7. Divinity of Human Nature

Belief that our nature is divine. Hinduism's main teaching is each soul is potentially divine. We are all divine. That means what? There is no hell. Nobody will go to hell. And even if somebody goes to heaven, it is only a temporary place. Heaven and hell are real. But it is a temporary place. Just you go there, gather some experience, learn your lessons, and proceed on to your destination which is to reach, to realize your own divine nature.

Belief that our nature is divine. If you believe, "I am a sinner"—are you a Hindu? No. Yes, I may be doing sinful actions, but I am not a sinner. Mind the language. I may be doing sinful actions. I may be putting a black dress, mourning dress, dirty dress, but I am not dirty. I can change my dress. If I am dirty, I can't change myself. But if my dress is dirty, I can always change. That is what an incarnation is—the biggest laundry house!

8. Goal of Life

Belief that realization of God or our own divine nature is the only true goal of life. Belief that the goal of life is not to be in this world, not to go to heaven, but to realize God or our true nature and become liberated.

9. Four Supreme Values

Every Hindu accepts supreme values of life which are four according to Hinduism. And you know what are they? Dharma, Artha, Kāma, and Mokṣa.

• Dharma means righteous living.
• Artha means procure the means of experiencing this world in a righteous way.
• Kāma means experience the pleasures of this world in a righteous way.
• And the last is liberation from this net of ignorance or transitory world—get out of this transitory world, Māyā.

These are the supreme values according to Hinduism.

10. Universal Liberation

And lastly, belief that all creation is from God or Brahman, that all creation is sacred, and all will attain Mokṣa or liberation. Every Hindu must believe it is not only a Hindu, Hindu, non-Hindu, animal, plants—all creatures will ultimately attain liberation. It is a matter of time.

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Being a Hindu: Practice Over Labels

Those who believe in these things, they are called Hindus. Why is it necessary for me to describe these things? Because as I said, there is no centralized authority where you can go and be tested by them and then say you are certified. There is no certificate given anywhere in Hinduism. And unfortunately Hinduism also doesn't encourage conversion. It is what is known as ethnic. You are born there.

But supposing somebody who is born outside Hindu family and likes what Hinduism teaches, wants to become a Hindu, what should he do? My answer to that is there is no need for you to wear a label. You just believe in these principles, practice them in your life, and that is enough. You prove to God and to yourself that you are a sincere believer of these principles. You don't need a certificate from me.

The only time when you need a certificate from me is when your child wants to enter into a Christian school and some of the Christian schools are run by priests and they want a certificate from your religious leader. That is the only time most often I see both the parents and the children. And I give the certificate as: "He is a genuine Hindu follower of me, for which reason he is not coming to see me very often!"

So this is one way. The other way, of course, we know many of us are born to Hindu parents, or many of our teachers, gurus are also Hindus and they teach the teachings. So naturally that is natural way of describing ourselves as Hindus.

Now an interesting point that comes is: supposing you have to fill up a form where you say that "I am a practicing Christian" or "I am a Christian." Is there anybody to come, any police come to you whether you are a Christian or you are a Hindu? It is only your declaration. Of course for Christians there are, you know, they can get certificates, born, baptized, but usually in India if you are a Christian nobody will come and then even ask for a certificate. It doesn't matter, it is a secular country.

The True Meaning of Being Religious

Anyway, so these are the ten points: Am I a Hindu? If you believe in all these things. But even going a little bit deeper, declaration that "I believe in all those things" do not make you either a Hindu or a non-Hindu. To be a religious person means to believe in certain principles, in certain values of life, and to lead those life according to those values and transform our lives according to those values.

So if you are not practicing, if you simply say "I believe," because most of the Hindus will say "We are Hindus," most of the Christians they say "We are Christians." But what have you gained by declaring yourself as a Christian? Have you attained more joy in life? Have you become a little less worried? As I say, you know, has your blood pressure come down a little bit? If it has not, then very little good your religion has done to you.

Or to put it even more concrete terms: has your cooking skill improved a little bit more? It is fair, because if you are a religious follower your concentration should increase and you should become a better person in many ways. This is what I am not saying. This is what Swami Vivekananda is saying: at Vedānta, if anybody practices Vedānta, a student will be a better student, a doctor will be a better doctor, and a cook will be a better cook. Did he not say that? Right, anyway.

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The Origin of the Word "Hindu"

Now we come to the fundamental things of Hinduism. So first of all, Hinduism is a misnomer. Why is it a misnomer? Somehow it is not right. If you ask a Christian, "Why are you called a Christian?" What is the answer? "You follow Christ." If you are a Buddhist, "Why are you called a Buddhist?" If you are a Buddhist, you follow Lord Buddha. Mohammed—those who follow Mohammed, they are called Mohammedans and nowadays Muslims they are called.

Hindus—whom are they following? Was there any person called, God called Hindu? How did this name come?

The Sindhu River

Many, many centuries back, thousands of millenniums back, there was a wonderful civilization grown in the valleys of Indus river. It's called Indus Valley Civilization. The river's name was not Indus. It was really called Sindhu. Sindhu is a very beautiful, meaningful word.

Actually, you know, if you ask what are the rivers, most important rivers in India, you say Gaṅgā. Gaṅgā is the name of a river. Similarly Yamunā is another name of a river. So Sindhu is the name of a river. How did it come? Because the word Sindhu means a vast expanse of water. Actually Sindhu means an ocean—sea, Sindhu. But this Indus river water was so vast, so powerful that it looked almost like an ocean. That is why they called it Sindhu.

The Persian Influence

And there were Persians, Iranians who were living on the other side of this river, and for them this "Sa," "Si" they could not pronounce it. They started pronouncing it "Hindu." "Brother, what do you call this river?" "Sindhu." "Oh, Hindu." "No, no, not Hindu. Sindhu." "Oh, Hindu."

That is how Hindu became, afterwards that "H" also has become a little bit in the brackets: Hindus. That is how India they call, you know, India. But actually it is Sindhu has become Hindu. The Persians used to call the people who lived on other side, means our side of India, they used to call them Hindus by the name of that river.

Logically speaking, we should have been called Sindhus. Hindus they are called. And who are those people who are living? Everyone who was living on this other side of river Sindhu are not really Hindus. So especially nowadays there are Christians, there are Muslims, there are Buddhists, there are many other Bahā'īs, there are many other followers of religion. But predominantly it was Hindus who used to be there. That is how the name stuck and Hindus themselves have accepted—or the people who lived on the other side, they accepted that name.

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The Aryans

And who are those people? Those people were called Āryans. There is a big controversy: who are the Āryans? Are they the original inhabitants of what we so call India? Mind you, the present India is not the only geographical area. This is called Pakistan, Afghanistan—all those areas were covered in those days. It was a vast continent. Later on it became piecemeal because of various political reasons.

The Meaning of Ārya

So who are those called Āryans? The beautiful meaning of the word Ārya, you know, Ārya means a civilized person, a cultured person. That is why they are called Ārya. Hitler took that name, you know. "We want to establish the supremacy of the Aryans. All the non-Aryans should be slaughtered out, weeded out." Āryans—and that is what is called the present Punjabi area, northern part of the Punjabi area—those who lived there, they were called Āryans.

And those who lived in those areas, that area came to know Āryāvarta, that is a place dominated by Āryans. And the religion, the way of religion practiced by them came to know as Āryadharma, civilized dharma. These words are very beautiful, etymological meanings. Ārya means civilized person.

Saṃskṛta Language

And they used to use Sanskrit language. Sanskrit is an English degeneration of the word Saṃskṛta. Saṃskṛta means refined. Language is refined language. Saṃskṛta is not a name. Saṃskṛta is, for the English translation of a refined language is called Saṃskṛta—Saṃskṛta.

The Origins of the Aryans

So the question: where from they came? Some people say they came from Lithuania, some people came from Persia, some people came from Middle East, Europe, etc., etc. And many people hold the view that they came from outside and gradually settled in the north-western parts of so-called India. Swami Vivekananda was of the view all the Āryans, they did not come from anywhere excepting they were original inhabitants of the India only.

Anyway, the controversy still rages. We do not know. It doesn't really matter. What matters is that they had tremendous influence. These Āryans, they dominated from practically 11,000 years back. Sarasvatī—there was another river called Sarasvatī which seems to have gone underground, and the recent archaeological discovery, satellite pictures show a huge tract of a river, thousands of miles winding its way and ending in the western sea. That was shown.

11,000 years back, there was a flourishing civilization on the banks of the Sarasvatī and that is where they say these Vedas and other things are composed. Okay.

The Character of Civilization

So, these Āryans, in course of time, they were civilized and mind you, civilized, we use the word civilized in two meanings. Like, "This person is a very academic person, educated person." In that sense, was Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa an educated person? No, here he is a civilized person. We say it's about some tribes, African tribes for example—they are tribal people, savage people, red Indians. They are uncivilized, uncultured persons.

In that sense, not in that sense only—they were highly educated, highly cultured, highly civilized, but their real meaning is their conduct, their character is highly refined. An Āryan is only one whose conduct is pure, who is noble, principled person, high principled person. That is the real meaning of Āryan. In that sense, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa is the greatest of the Āryans, civilized persons, though he didn't have academic education.

That's what Sister Nivedita points out about Holy Mother, you know. Even though she was illiterate in this sense, she could hardly read, but her fine understanding—as soon as I uttered the marriage vows, western ways of marriage vows, immediately she caught hold of the meaning and said, "Dharmikathā, righteous words, righteous words."

You know what I am referring to? Once Sister Nivedita was with Holy Mother. Holy Mother asked her, "My dear, I want to know what type of vows bride and bridegroom take when you get married in your countries." And she said, you know, "Mother, the priest utters, you know, until death separates, we will remain faithful to each other." Holy Mother heard it, immediately grasped the meaning and said, "Dharmikathā, righteous words, righteous words."

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The Quest for the Divine

So these Āryans, they were highly civilized. So, they had these revelations. Many of them started searching because there is also a theory that religion or the quest to go beyond the five sense organs or the quest for perfection, infinity, immortality is facilitated by marvelous scenes of nature: vast mountains, huge deserts, vast oceans, extraordinarily, breathtakingly beautiful sceneries. When a person encounters them, they cannot but wonder: is there something beyond what I can see?

The great Himalayas, the huge rivers, you know, the Sindhu river, the vast Gaṅgā—and even India is blessed with deserts, with oceans, with mountains on all sides, in fact. And the climate was extraordinarily good. They were not to struggle for life tremendously.

The Conditions for Spiritual Development

One point, even though it is not relevant for our topic, is that where there is a tremendous struggle for sustenance of life, their higher culture cannot originate. The people remain barbaric because all their energies are spent only in surviving. Only when there is peace, there is assurance of food, clothing, safety, then only human mind is released from its incessant struggle and then it starts to think: what is next? That is how civilization improves. That is how culture also begins. That is how the quest for religion or spirituality also really originates, starts.

We were blessed to have these vast Himalayas, very fertile lands, everything. And the quest started: where from have we come? What is human life? Where do we go?

The Inward Search

In my last class, I referred Swami Vivekananda and said that two things have happened. One was the search turned from outside to inside. And the second that we also referred about Swami Vivekananda's theory of dreams. Human mind dreams. We all dream. But the dreams are not important. What is important is the mind's capability to transcend the limitations of the senses in dreams.

As I gave you an example, you can fly. A failed student can pass in first class in dreams at least. A poor fellow can be embracing the most beautiful princess and lying. That is what they do after seeing Bollywood cinemas!

So mind has that extraordinary capacity. So the search started—inward and the capacity of the mind. Then Swamiji says that now people understood dreams are fantasies. It is useless thoughts, imaginations. But the mind has certain power. So some people tried to control this mind and said: what happens when I concentrate, when I focus on a particular idea? Then they started having certain experiences which were called ecstasies, divine inspirations, etc. And then they found out that the mind has the capacity to go to the highest level.

Divine Revelations

And those experiences which these people had in their wonderful quest for something higher than the five sense organs, these are called revelations. And what we call Vedas are the recorded experiences of these experiences—recorded experiences of these great sages.

So you find, I will very shortly come to that, that in our scriptures right from very beginner's quest of prayers—"O Lord, save me from illness, from wild animals, from poverty, from robbers, from neighbours, etc."—to the highest revelations that "I am that all-pervading infinity." So all these revelations you will find from the crudest to the most sacrosanct revelations.

So in course of time, a large number of people devoted their life, their times, their energies. They completely withdrew themselves from every so-called occupations of life and devoted themselves to find out what is the truth.

The Ultimate Quest: Sat-Cit-Ānanda

Now, all this quest can be summarized in one way. What is that? Can I become immortal? Sat, Cit, Ānanda. Can I escape death? Can I escape ignorance? Can I escape suffering and be happy? Sat, Cit, Ānanda.

And they discovered, yes, they can do that. In simplest terms, this is what is called self-realization or God realization. So these recorded experiences have been called the scriptures.

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The Foundation of Religion: Scriptures

So as I mentioned earlier, basis of every religion, foundation of every religion is scriptures. Person may not be there, but the scripture, the books must be there. That is most important. So the books that guided Hindus' life since 11,000 years back and are still guiding even till today, they are called scriptures or Śāstras. I will discuss briefly what these things are.

Sanātana Dharma

But before I go there, one point I have to clear. I said, we are all called Hindus. So what is the religion we are following? The name for religion in Sanskrit is called dharma. If we are Hindus, what dharma we are following? Hindu dharma. Hinduism is a bad translation. Hindu dharma.

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, for some reason, never liked this word. He used to say that Sanātana Dharma. Sanātana means eternal religion. Why is it called eternal religion? Does it mean to say that Hinduism is the only eternal religion?

One Religion, Many Sects

Swami Vivekananda has clarified. I don't want to go into details. But he said there is only one religion. All the so-called other religions which go by the name of Hinduism, Christianity are called sects in one religion. Why? Religion means the attempt to go beyond the five sense organs. Wherever, whenever any person residing anywhere is attempting to go beyond the five senses, he is a religious person. Whether he accepts God or not, it doesn't matter. But the attempt to go beyond the limitations of the five senses.

Then what is Hinduism or what is Christianity? In the attempt to go beyond the five senses, a person follows particular practices. He dresses in a particular way, goes into a building constructed in a particular way, recites some scripture published in some particular language, moves his body in some particular ways, offers some things, particular things. These are all minor details. That's why he called them: these are sects within—only there is only one religion and everything else is a sect.

The Eternal Principles

The Sanātana Dharma, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa meant by Sanātana Dharma, those eternal principles based upon the realization of the sages—and these sages have got a particular name. They are called Ṛṣis. All Sanskrit words have definite unambiguous etymological meanings. The word Ṛṣi comes from the root "Ṛṣ." Ṛṣ means to know. A Ṛṣi means one who knows—not through the intellect again.

As Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa says, some people heard about milk, some people have seen milk, some people have drunk milk. Only the people who drunk the milk, according to Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa, only they know. Ṛṣis are those who have directly experience of the reality or highest reality called God or Brahman. These are called Ṛṣis.

Ṛṣis Beyond Borders

So where are these Ṛṣis? Only in India? Anyone who realized—Christ was a Ṛṣi. In fact, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa used to call him Īśā Ṛṣi. And Buddha was a Ṛṣi. Muhammad was a Ṛṣi. So all great saints, sages, who realized, they are all called Ṛṣis. That is the primary meaning of the Ṛṣis.

So these Ṛṣis they have discovered so many wonderful truths. And if we go further, that Ṛṣi doesn't mean only those who have realized the highest spiritual truths—truths which are beyond the reach of the five sense organs. No.

The Sacredness of All Knowledge

For according to Vedānta or Hinduism, any knowledge, every knowledge is sacred. What you call world in all science, the science of atomic bomb, how to make an atomic bomb—that is also very sacred. Mind you, not the science of where to put it and then kill people. That is not—a person who discovered is not a Ṛṣi. But the knowledge how to make a bomb and use it—that knowledge is sacred. In this context, religious Ṛṣis means, spiritual Ṛṣis means, we are only talking about those truths which are not available for the five sense organs. That knowledge which is beyond the five sense organs, that alone is worthy to be called as scripture or Śāstras.

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Introduction to Hindu Scriptures

Now I will give you a brief introduction about the scriptures. The precise Sanskrit word for scriptures in Sanskrit language is Śāstra. The word Śāstra, etymological meaning of the word Śāstra—Śāstri, Śāstra. So it has two meanings. One meaning is to command. Śāstri means to command, to rule. No choice. The secondary meaning or even more important meaning is that which it teaches us.

The Two Stages of Learning

So always learning is followed by these two processes. When a person is a child—doesn't matter about age, there are people whom Swami used to call "moustached babies." There are also babies without moustaches. Don't have any mistake about it!

So first we don't have reason. We do not have that reasoning capacity to know what is right, what is not right, what is good, what is bad. At that time the only thing that we can be taught to be safe is: do this, don't do this. That is why it is called Sanskrit Vidhi and Niṣedha. Vidhi means you do this. Niṣedha means do not do this. That's it. Whether you like it or not, follow it.

The Importance of Obedience: Stories from Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa

I will give an example how important this is. Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa came to revive these things, not to destroy. One incident: Swami Yogananda was there—later on Yogananda, Yogi—and at that time Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa's room, and there were some cockroaches. What did Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa say? "Take them out and kill them." And Swami Yogananda took them out, left them, and he said, "Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa will not know whether I killed them or not."

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa was not like an ordinary person. He doesn't trust anybody. So when Yogananda came back, Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa asked, "Did you kill them?" Because he knew he took them out. He didn't ask "Did you take them out?" He knew. "Did you kill them?" "No, he left out."

Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa became very grave and said, "If you disobey me in these matters, you will disobey me later on in more serious matters." Because it is the same reasoning, you know. It is the same rationality which tells: "Oh, this is a small matter. I can safely disobey. I can do whatever I like." But the point is not small matters—it doesn't cause much harm—but later on when important matters come, the same habit will come over and he will not obey also. That is why a disciple must be one who obeys the teacher with blind faith as it were.

Swami Niścayānanda's Example

There was a Maharashtrian young man who came to Swami Vivekananda for initiation for Saṃnyāsa. His name was Swami Niścayānanda. So Swami, he asked Swami Vivekananda, "Sir, you please accept me as your disciple and give me Saṃnyāsa."

"Suppose I tell you, you climb the tallest tree here in Belur Math and fall down, and when you fall down you should not even put up your hands to save yourself. Can you do that?"

The man said, "Yes."

And then Swamiji was pleased and he granted him monastic vows. There is a further story which I will not go into, but the point is the scriptures—don't do this and do not do this. Don't ask for any rationality whether they appear to be reasonable, unreasonable, right, wrong. You do not ask. Just you obey them.

Why Blind Obedience?

You may ask: we are all educated people, civilized people, rational people, and why should we obey these things without knowing? Yes, when you have obeyed these things, then you earn a right. When do you earn a right? When your rationality has developed, when your inner guru, your intuitive power develops, then you know instinctively, unerringly—you will never make a mistake because you are so pure. Then you don't need to do—whatever your heart says you can do. Until that time you cannot disobey.

And then who was telling this? Śāstras? Who was telling this? Again Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa. And what did Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa do? His guru Bhairavī Brāhmaṇī said, "Don't follow Totāpuri." He followed his guru. Totāpuri told him, "Don't clap your hands and then take God's name." What did he do? "You rascal! I am taking God's name. Who are you to tell me not to do it?"

Why was he doing? Because he knew intuitively that what he was doing is just the right thing. But until we attain to that state of purity from where God becomes our inner guide, we have to follow the scriptures.

The Bhagavad Gītā on Scriptures

This is why in the Bhagavad Gītā in the seventeenth chapter—that is the title of the chapter—Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells to Arjuna categorically. Arjuna asks, "What happens to a person who follows spiritual path without knowing the content of the scriptures?" And he says, "Those who follow scriptures unerringly, they will reach the goal. But those who neglect the scriptural instructions, sooner or later they will fall into an error, and that is very bad. That is ruinous for that person."

So in the beginning, a scripture tells, doesn't give us any choice: either do this or don't do this. In the second meaning of it is: when we have grown up, we know what is reasonable, what is unreasonable—we are not rationalizing, we know what is exactly right—then what the scripture does is it guides us. It doesn't command us anymore. It guides and tells you, because we are in a position to understand. The scripture is telling me for my good.

What happens at that time? Though he is not bound by the teachings of the scriptures, in essence he will never deviate from the teachings of the scriptures. But until that time comes, he has to follow Śāstra. Śāstra means first to command, second to teach.

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Classification of Hindu Scriptures

So Hinduism also has got scriptures. These scriptures are two types: one is called Apauruṣeya and another is called Pauruṣeya. But before that I will tell you there are six broadly classified types of scriptures:

1. Vedas
2. Sūtras
3. Smṛtis
4. Purāṇas
5. Itihāsas
6. Tantras

As I mentioned that this would be a little bit monotonous type of information for you, but you better know. I won't go into too deep a detail, but I will tell you briefly what it is.

1. Vedas: Divine Revelations

Six types of scriptures. The first: Vedas. Vedas are called Apauruṣeya. Puruṣa means human being. Apauruṣa means non-human, means divine revelations. Ṛṣis or seers who meditated, made their minds very pure—knowledge dawned upon them intuitively. As some amount of knowledge, particular type of knowledge, because nobody can get complete knowledge—so a part, a portion, a small bit of the knowledge dawned upon them in their intuitive hearts. These are called divine revelations. And the collected records of these experiences is called Veda.

Veda is only one—huge bundle of knowledge. And in course of thousands of years, this amount of knowledge has become so big. A great person came along—his name was Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana. His name was Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana. He was called Kṛṣṇa because he was black. He was called Dvaipāyana because he was born on a Dvīpa—island.

Vyāsa's Organization

He came, he understood the whole lot, and he said, "Very few people are capable of mastering this whole literature." So what did he do? He collected all the available knowledge, then arranged them, classified like librarian classifying, then divided them into four parts. Why four parts? Because he had four disciples, and to each one of his disciples he had given one part. So that is why since that time we call them Vedas—four. Actually Veda is only one, but since it is divided into four parts, we call them four Vedas—Caturveda.

And those who know all the four Vedas, the title given to them is Caturvedī—one who knows all the four Vedas. Those who know three Vedas, they are called Trivedī. Those who know two Vedas, they are called Dvivedī.

Structure of the Vedas

This Veda is divided into these four parts. Now each Veda is again subdivided into four parts. These are called:

1. Saṃhitā
2. Brāhmaṇa
3. Āraṇyaka
4. Upaniṣad

Saṃhitā, Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka, and Upaniṣad. This is one type of division.

Three-fold Division of the Vedas

The other type of division is: all the Vedas are subdivided from three other points of view—is:

1. Karma Kāṇḍa
2. Upāsanā Kāṇḍa
3. Jñāna Kāṇḍa

I am only giving you the Sanskrit names, but I will explain in my next class what they are.

So what is Karma Kāṇḍa? That is work-related portion of the Vedas. Upāsanā Kāṇḍa: meditation-related portion of the Vedas. Jñāna Kāṇḍa: knowledge-related portion of the Vedas.

Why This Division?

Why is it divided? It is very interesting. It is divided according to the stage of the human life. When we are young, we are uncultured, we don't know what is good—do work, do rituals. When we have progressed a little bit, mind has developed the capacity to understand—then you worship God, you meditate God, and do such things, a bit mental work, intellectual work. When you have further become fit through this, then all that you need to do is just think about the essence of these Vedas—knowledge portion.

So Karma Kāṇḍa: work-related. Then meditation-related. Ultimately knowledge-related.

The Four Āśramas

Though I will deal with this subject in a more detail later on, one thing I wanted to point out: Hinduism divided life into four stages. What are those four stages?

1. The student's life: Brahmacaryāśrama
2. The householder's life, the married life part
3. Semi-retired: Vānaprasthāśrama
4. Complete renunciation life called the monastic life

This Karma Kāṇḍa comes—the knowledge of karmas—and is related to the student's life. The practice of the Karma Kāṇḍa is related to the householder's life. The practice of the meditation is related to the semi-retired type of life. And the knowledge part of the Vedas is related to the monastic life or Saṃnyāsāśrama.

This is the broad—this thing. These are the called Vedas, are our basic scriptures. They are divine revelations. And these Vedas are divided into four parts according to the development of our stage of life.

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Human-Constructed Scriptures

And all the other scriptures that follow are based upon this. They are not direct revelations. They are more practical explanations and practices according to the time, age, necessity, etc. These fall into the second category called human constructions. Human being sat down: "This is the teaching of the Veda, so this should be put into practice this particular way."

To give you just an example: the Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa or Bhagavad Gītā is considered Smṛti—secondary scripture or human construct. "This is your goal. This is your path. This is the practice you do it." These explanations come.

See, Gospel of Śrī Rāmakṛṣṇa: "This is the goal. This is the practice you have to do for this age." That is why it is also called Smṛti in a particular way.

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Conclusion

So further understanding of how many scriptures—such a beautiful subject—I will deal in my next class.

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः

Om Śānti, Śānti, Śānti.

Om, peace, peace, peace be unto all.