The ancient Vedic faith of Hinduism is perhaps the oldest organized surviving religion today – so old that it predates history. Thought to have originated around 3000 BCE, it cannot be attributed to any single founder, does not worship any single God, and does not follow any single philosophy. The term “Hindu” originated as a secular term; coined perhaps by Persians and Arabs to refer to the people who lived beyond the River Indus, and only acquiring communal overtones after the 17th century. Hinduism therefore refers generally to the (rather disparate) ways of life of those people.
The inherently diverse, complex nature of Hinduism makes it near impossible to state a defining philosophy. There is general agreement on the significance of the immortal soul (as against the triviality of the body, which is nothing more than a vehicle for the soul). The soul must stay on earth (albeit in a succession of different bodies through rebirth) until all its misdeeds have been nullified. The purpose of a Hindu’s life, then, is to attain liberation (Moksha) from this cycle of life and death.
Broadly, there may be said to be three schools of thought regarding the path to attaining Moksha – Advaita, Vishishtadvaita and Dvaita.
- Advaita, defined by the Sanskrit phrase “Tat Tvam Asi” (That Thou Art) argues that all life and the “Brahman” or God, are one and the same, and the pursuit of knowledge is the way to merge with the Brahman.
- Vishishtadvaita states that all life forms are part of, and make up the supreme whole, as drops of water make the ocean. The path to liberation is knowledge and devotion.
- Dvaita is dualistic, and much like Christianity, Judaism and Islam, believe in the superiority of God over his followers, and that the path to Moksha is self-surrender, devotion and worship.
Some believe that these are but references to stages of realization, with the soul progressing from Dvaita, the basic stage, to Advaita through the acquisition of knowledge and the practice of meditation.
