The simple questions: Part 1

I have often found that when it comes to matters of faith, seemingly simple questions are the hardest to respond to. It seems the need of the hour is to be crisp, clear and direct. There will be time for deeper analysis, spirited debate, and experiential learning, but that time is not now.

I have attempted to present this as a simple dialog. Well, the good news is that Hinduism does not dictate answers, each of us are free to find our own. Let’s just say that these are some answers I have found for myself, and I just wanted to share.

Gargi, my good friend and philosopher

It’s not often that I run into Gargi, but today was such a day. We chatted, and predictably, the topic turned to Hinduism. Gargi is clearly passionate about matters of faith, and she launched right into it. “Hinduism, it is simplicity itself,” she said. “There are only a few basic tenets one needs to know and appreciate, the rest is all experiential. Our rishis, or sages, have always emphasized knowledge over beliefs, enquiry over dogma, dialog over lectures, and critique over adulation.”

“Do you mean beliefs do not matter?” I asked. It was a bit hard to fully understand what she was trying to say.

“Do you believe in the Pythagoras theorem?” Gargi countered, with her eyes twinkling.

“I know the theorem, I am not sure what you mean by belief in it.” I knew this was a trap.

“Exactly. Where there is knowledge, belief loses relevance. Becomes a moot point. Let me ask you this now. Do you believe Pythagoras discovered this theorem named after him?” she pressed on.

“I honestly do not know,” I admitted. I was suddenly not so sure of my Pythagorean knowledge.

“Sufficient evidence has been uncovered to show the ancient Indian mathematician Baudhayana has mentioned this theorem much before Pythagoras’ time. I can bet you were not told of this in your school. But, we digress. Let us get back on topic,” continued Gargi.

“We have drifted far away from knowledge of our history and scriptures, and we only have some beliefs left to hold on to. No wonder the younger generation considers many of our beliefs as superstitions, why blame them when we do not know how to explain the basis of our beliefs.”

I have to admit I was intrigued. Having grown up in the middle of unquestioned beliefs, it seemed liberating to think of a dialog on these topics. I decided to give it a shot. “What are the basic tenets of Hinduism, then?” I asked her.

“There is no single fixed set of tenets which defines Hinduism, but there is broad agreement on some central concepts. Perhaps the first of such tenets is Dharma,” Gargi paused.

“Dharma is religion, correct?” seemed obvious to me.

“That is the most popular misconception. Dharma is a universal concept, and cannot be ring fenced into a religion. The word Dharma is derived from the Sanskrit root dhR (pronounced dh-ru), and is based on the principle dharayati iti dharmaha (Sanskrit). Translates to — dharma is that which upholds, sustains, and uplifts.

Simply put, dharma offers a foundation of principles on which the entire civilization functions. At an individual level, dharma consists of our duties to the society, a guidebook for living a morally upright life. What is known as Hinduism today is actually Sanatana Dharma, the eternal way of life. Sanatana Dharma helps us go beyond the essential rigidities of a formal religion, and encourages debate and enquiry. In fact, Sanatana Dharma does not mandate any specific beliefs, and embraces everyone in its fold,” Gargi concluded.

“I love the universality of the concept of Dharma,” I reflected. “I now understand why Hinduism has a special place for nature, and people include her in their worship.”

“Yes, absolutely. We have always considered elements of nature and their balance as central to our way of life, and have respected them by way of worship. Rivers, mountains, trees and animals alike — our scriptures say that everything and everyone should be included,” continued Gargi. “Dharma is also the guiding light for us, which outlines the right things to do in all circumstances. Interestingly enough, there is a self sustaining mechanism built into Dharma. Dharma protects those who protect it — quid pro quo.”

Dharma seems like a new word to me, although always-do-the-right-thing is timeless advice. I can’t wait to ask Gargi about Karma, which is seems more action packed. “Karma is just tit for tat, a form of revenge of the gods? Like, you reap what you sow?” I asked Gargi.

“Karma is a word used universally nowadays, across languages and cultures. Karma as a concept has its origins in Hindu culture and its scriptures. It is a Sanskrit word, and is widely referenced and analyzed in Vedic literature. Karma, in casual usage, is a simplistic reference to destiny or fate, a direct linkage between cause and effect. Per our Vedic literature, like many Sanskrit words, Karma has a multi-layered meaning. As you get past the upper layers that refer to destiny, fate, and cause-and-effect, you will start seeing more nuances. For instance, Madhwacharya was perhaps the first of the gurus to clearly articulate that Karma’s deeper meaning is one’s duty to the society. Some form of a tax or duty that one owes to the universe at large. I wonder if the English word duty is a closer parallel to the Sanskrit word Karma than destiny or fate,” Gargi was thinking aloud.

I have a better sense of Dharma and Karma now, and I wonder if I should bring up idol worship next. “Why should I worship pieces of stone and metal?” I took a chance and blurted it out.

“Do you worship the .jpeg, or other photo format files?” Gargi shot back. I stared right back, very unsurely.

“When you swipe through the dozens of photos you take daily on your phone, you are not looking at the .jpeg files, but at the people and other things that you love, captured in them. Similarly, we don’t worship idols as objects, but we love and worship what they represent. Idols of our Gods and Goddesses are beautiful and lasting reminders of the qualities that matter most to us, be it the triumph of good over evil represented by Goddess Durga’s many forms or the idea of a Utopian nation-state, or Rama Rajya, represented by Lord Rama,” Gargi explained patiently. “The forms are endless and are only limited by one’s imagination, just like you never get tired of taking more photos of the same set of people you know.”

“Idols are mere physical objects that are helpful in focusing our mind on the qualities we love in our deities. They also tell us stories from scriptures and from our past, and are beacons that shine light on the path to true bhakti, or devotion.”

There were many more questions on my mind, and I was happy to note Gargi showed no signs of getting tired of them. I decided that to make the fullest use of her time.

..To be continued