Creation Hymn of the Rig Veda

Then there was neither being nor non-being:
There was no air, nor firmament beyond it.
Was there a stirring? Where? Beneath what cover?
Was there a great abyss of unplumbed water?

There was no death nor anything immortal;
Nor any sign dividing day from night.
That One Thing, breathing no air, was yet self-breathing;
No second thing existed whatsoever.

Darkness was hidden in a deeper darkness;
This All was as a sea without dimensions;
The Void still held unformed what was potential,
Until the power of Warmth produced the sole One.

Then, in that One, Desire stirred into being,
Desire that was the earliest seed of Spirit.
(The sages probing in their hearts with wisdom
Discovered being’s kinship to non-being.

Stretching their line across the void, they pondered;
Was aught above it, or was aught below it?)
Bestowers of the seed were there; and powers;
Free energy below; above, swift action.

Who truly knows, and who can here declare it?
Whence It was born, and how this world was fashioned?
The gods came later than the earth’s creation;
Who knows then out of what the world has issued?

Whether the world was made or was self-made,
He knows with full assurance, he alone;
Who in the highest heaven guards and watches;
He knows indeed, but then, perhaps, he knows not!

Reference: Hymns of the Rig Veda, translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith, E.J. Lazarus and Company, Benares, 1896.

History of Hinduism

The Rig Veda is the most ancient of the Hindu scriptures, composed between 1500 and 1000 B.C. As you can see from the creation hymn, its verses are obscure enough to be the foundation for commentaries claiming the full spectrum of theologies including :
monism (everything including creation is God)
monotheism (there is one God distinct from creation)
polytheism (there are many gods)
henotheism (adherence to one particular god among the many)
agnosticism (there may be a God, but we have no way to know for sure)
atheism (there is no God)
So actually, there are many, many hinduisms...

How did this incredible diversity come about?
Ancient Hindus believed that the universe was held together and kept in order by the words, sacrifices and rituals of the Brahmin priests. If they said the sacred mantra prayers pronouncing the syllables in just the right way with just the right elements then they were believed to have power to move both humans and gods. Thus, the successful functioning of both one’s individual life as well as the cosmos itself became dependent upon costly priestly rituals which became more and more elaborate. Recognizing this, some philosophers began to question the control of the priesthood and sought to unite with that supreme power beyond through personal, direct experience. They became wandering ascetics, internalizing the sacrifices and rituals that earlier had been restricted to Brahmin priests. They went to live in forests and caves to seek the meaning of life and truth of reality, sacrificing the comforts of home and family. They sought not for the mere disconnected pleasure of learning, but in a desperate search for truth and salvation. During this time, many individuals claimed to find insights into the nature of reality. Those who rejected the Vedas altogether, such as the Buddhists and Jains, were no longer considered to be within the Hindu fold. Others however, no matter how varied their conclusions, remained in the sphere of Hinduism as long as they still accepted the authority of the Vedas.

How did they unify so many various beliefs?
One of the first and most influential philosophers to achieve this was Shankara (788-820 A.D.) His approach was to view two levels of truth, relative and ultimate. The many personal gods of hinduism were seen to be true on the lower level of relative truth, but ultimately God was unknowable and impersonal and undifferentiated Oneness. He taught non-dualism, meaning that there is no difference between humans, God and the universe. This allowed the masses who enjoyed worship of personal deities to continue in their ignorance on that lower level while those who sought to go deeper would seek to experience the ultimate truth of the all-embracing One.

This form of Hinduism is the most influential here in the West, impacting most forms of New Age philosophies. Since all is One, there is no distinction between good and evil. The thread of morality in this system comes from an impersonal law of karma, cause and effect. Good actions produce good results, and bad actions bring bad results. This carries over from lifetime to lifetime, since they believe in reincarnation. Bad karma may send the soul into one of the many hells, where it suffers temporarily until rebirth in the next life. Good karma may lead to reincarnation in one of the heavens where the gods enjoy leisurely pleasures, but this too is only temporary and keeps you within the cycle of ignorance and suffering. As long as you have karma, good or bad, you will be reincarnated accordingly. Salvation is release from this continual cycle of rebirths through realizing that you are not a separate ego (individual identity) but instead merely one with the One.

This belief is fairly common in the Santa Cruz area, to one degree or another. It is seen as a hopeful philosophical and spiritual foundation for unity and world peace. It allows one to agree with people of other faiths by seeing their beliefs as true in the relative sense, though perhaps not in the ultimate sense.
Unfortunately, the presumption of this belief system is subtle and often slips through unnoticed. It has the appearance of humility by accepting all religions into its fold, yet absorption is not the same as tolerance. It does not accept other religions in and of themselves, but forces each particular faith to surrender its claims to truth and bow to theirs. Ultimately, it rules out the possibility of God being personal and knowable. It claims that the majority of India’s worshipers who follow personal gods (as well as Jews, Muslims and Christians) are all ignorant, on a lower level of spiritual insight.

It is interesting to note: Here in the West, we often claim to worship a personal God outside of ourselves but live as if we ourselves were God. In India, they claim that they themselves are God, yet cannot repress their longing to worship personal gods outside of themselves!

Shankara’s belief was that God is so far beyond any human conceptions that it is best to not even allow linguistic descriptions. Later philosophers challenged this, saying that it makes God so far removed and unknowable that he becomes obsolete. They came up with alternate theories claiming God to be personal and knowable, some still holding to the monism of all being God and others taking a more monotheistic approach claiming creation to be distinct from God. This laid a philosophical framework for what has become by far the most popular expression of Hinduism in India: Bhakti Yoga. This path can be described as “salvation through devotion to God.” Though philosophically monistic, most Indians are henotheistic in practice. They choose one of the many gods on which to focus their worship, while knowing that ultimately all gods are part of the same all-encompassing One.

This is also a common practice in the Santa Cruz area. Folks will place their faith in one religion or another, yet all the while believe that it is only one path of many. Their ultimate goal is self-realization. Therefore, they may jump from one religion to another and mix and match various traditions to create a personal path most effective toward this underlying goal.

Why are people drawn to Hinduism?

There are many reasons why elements of Hinduism have become so popular. Its apparent tolerance and inclusivity is attractive, especially considering the plurality of the world in which we live today. It feels better to say “every path is true (in a relative sense)” than to stand on a truth claim that openly discounts the truth claims of others. Many people in the Santa Cruz area especially have had mystical experiences through hallucinogenic drugs that have opened their eyes to the spiritual dimension. Often the state of consciousness they experienced on drugs is similar to the state of consciousness experienced through the more controlled means of yoga and meditation. Many have seen the emptiness of materialism and are searching for peace of mind and meaning in life. They are willing to surrender all their possessions and relationships, even their very personal identity, for this pearl of great price. Unfortunately, many have never had a positive relationship with a follower of Jesus. They have only had negative experiences with Christians and therefore have discounted the reality of Jesus as the answer. Ultimately, the Bible reveals that there is an essential lust within human nature to be like God, as illustrated by the original sin in the Garden of Eden. Monistic Hinduism gives a philosophical framework and total world view based upon this doctrine of divine humanity, making it no wonder why this form of Hinduism is so attractive.

The Bottome Line

How do we respond to the influence of Hinduism in the Santa Cruz area? It can be all the more intimidating when we get to know these folks and see that their faith, devotion, discipline, study and service seems to put us to shame. What is our response? Paul answers this in his letter to the Corinthians:

Where are the wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:20,21

When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

We are not claiming to have discovered our own insight into the nature of reality. We agree with Shankara that all human wisdom and attempts to define God are distorted and completely inadequate. As finite and fallen humans, how can we possibly understand the infinite and perfect God? Only if He reveals Himself to us. Our faith and hope lies not in our own power of insight or strength of devotion, but in His revelation of Himself and offer of restored relationship thru Jesus. According to this revelation, none of us can claim the status of God, receive worship or transcend morality. We are all beggars at the divine door of mercy, humbled before Him. Our “righteousness” is exposed as filthy rags when pierced with His light of truth that exposes the thoughts and motives of the heart. Deep down we all know that we are not God. We all know that we are sinful. The quietness of meditation often reveals this even more so. Many of the teachings of Hinduism expose the persistent selfishness that causes ourselves and those around us to suffer, and the impersonal law of karma only adds to the heavy load. After facing the fact of one’s deep root of selfishness and attempting to purify through self-effort, how much sweeter is the good news that Jesus sees the depth of darkness within our souls yet has lovingly taken upon Himself our sins and offered us complete inner purification as a free gift of grace? In this context, is not the gospel great news? The most powerful testimony you can give is to humbly and thankfully focus simply on Jesus and what He has done.

Immutable Divine Truth: God is Holy

God is holy. This means He is completely without sin. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Moses says of Him, “All his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deut. 32:4). Sometimes these truths can seem unfathomable. In a world full of shadows, deception and darkness, how can we even conceive of a perfectly holy, pure, trustworthy (and all-powerful!) Being? Here is just one aspect of the beauty of Jesus coming to earth, living a holy life in flesh and blood for us to see. Jesus is Holy. Unlike the corruption of earthly priests throughout history, Jesus is our High Priest who was tempted in every way as we are yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He endured full temptation as no other, because He never gave into the temptation but felt the full force of it unto the end. If you are tempted to eat a brownie, and struggle with the temptation for a few minutes before eating it, you have not felt the full weight of it. Only if you endure through the struggle and DO NOT eat the brownie do you experience the FULLNESS of that temptation. Jesus was both fully human and fully God. He obeyed the Father perfectly, yet did not call on his divinity to fulfill his purpose but depended on the Father for every move so that He might be the perfect and holy example for us. Thus he is perfectly trustworthy as well. Unlike Krishna and other hindu gods that are considered “above” the code of morality, Jesus IS the standard for us and He lived it out for us perfectly in flesh and blood. Not only was He the High Priest, but Jesus was also the perfect sacrifice. Unlike most Hinduisms which teach humans are essentially pure, Scripture teaches that humans have all turned away from our Creator and broken relationship with Him. He is Holy and we are not. If the most seemingly righteous human being on earth entered heaven it would be defiled, because in the light of truth all the thoughts and motives of our hearts are exposed and our righteousness is seen to be filthy rags. As both sacrifice and sacrificer, Jesus restores our relationship to Himself based on what He has done and not on our works. This means that He lived that perfect life in our place, not only to show us a perfect life but also to GIVE us the merit of His perfect life as a gift of grace if we place our trust in Him. We have confidence of His love and acceptance based on His faithfulness and love, not our own merit of devotion or service. Out of thankfulness, as His beloved children, we then desire to be like our Daddy, to “be holy as He is holy.” This also gives a solid anchor of hope for the future, when Scripture declares that there will be a time when there will be a final and eternal separation of good and evil. This shadowy mixture of truth and lies is a temporary state. Our eternal home is with Jesus in His perfect and holy sweet presence.

Meditation

Take a small piece of white cloth and put it in a place where you will see it often this week. Meditate on the holiness of God, on the truth that he is and always will be spotlessly pure. Ask him to show you any areas of sin you are struggling with now. Ask Jesus to help you overcome, understanding that he has personally experienced the struggle and has overcome completely. Remember that through Jesus you have been forgiven and washed pure like this cloth. Thank him for his merciful love.

Scriptures to Contemplate:

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. (Isa. 6:3)

All his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Deut. 32:4)

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet he did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)