4.
Experiences of the Founders/Messengers
of the Major Religious Traditions
Religions are not neat compartments with clear demarcations; they are
living, changing, adapting and often splintering movements of groups of
people, linked by their perception of a vision which they share to a greater
or lesser extent. This must be borne in mind when reading the accounts
below. Labels have been used for convenience and to enable the possibil-
ity of forming a coherent, if somewhat generalized overview.
Let us look at the insights or revelations of some of the messengers or
founders of the major religious traditions in so far as they are known.
It is not easy to distinguish fact from fiction, particularly looking further
back in time, where one has to contend with lengthy periods of oral
tradition. Subsequent embellishment leads to history, myth and legend
becoming inextricably interwoven. It is a matter of interpretation as to
how far these biographies can be taken as factual accounts and how far
they should be read as spiritual patterns. However, towards modern times
more accurate reports of the lives of the founders become available,
although again, leaders of spiritual movements are particularly suscepti-
ble to hagiography or vilification. The following accounts give the main
spiritual experiences in the lives of these key figures as accurately as
possible. What is important is that these people seem to have transcended
everyday reality and seen the world from a new perspective which not
only changed their own lives but also resonated with their contempo-
raries. It is an account of the origins of religious traditions from a
personal, experiential standpoint. Much can be learned about spirituality
by considering the experiences, lives and even the myths surrounding
these unusual people.
Hinduism
The word ‘Hindu’ was originally used to refer to the people who
lived beyond the Indus River, and later used by the British to designate
Religious and Spiritual Experience
28
Hindustanis, who lived in North West India. Later still it was a term used
by Indians in opposition to colonial rule and nowadays it is still a term of
political identification. However, in religious terms, the Hindu tradition
refers to a group of religious people with a vast array of beliefs and prac-
tices, many of whom would not see Hinduism as a religion at all, but a
spiritual way of life, entailing an acceptance of many different religious
paths. Many prefer the term
sanatana dharma
, meaning the eternal truth.
In this tradition, there was no revelation to any particular individual.
It was the rishis (seers) who composed the revelatory texts, known as the
four
Vedas
(the word means knowledge) in Sanskrit between 1500 and
500 BCE. The oldest of these was the
Rig Veda
and the others the
Sama,
Yajur
and
Atharva.
These were revealed directly (
shruti
) to the rishis, and
the very words of these texts were revered as holy and often recited as
mantras. The
Vedas
comprise hymns, ritual, esoteric, mystical and philo-
sophical texts, which originally accompanied the fire sacrifices, performed
by the Brahmins, the priestly caste. The
Brahmanas
,
Aranyakas
and
Upanishads
(hidden teachings) were interpretations of these texts.
Later texts were distinguished from these original Vedas, by being des-
ignated as
smriti
, meaning ‘memory’. The principal teachings were that
this eternally changing world is not reality itself, which is unchanging and
eternal. The ground of all being, Brahman, is
sat
,
cit
,
ananda –
being, con-
sciousness and bliss – and is identical with the individual soul,
atman
.
This whole world is the perishable and the imperishable, the manifest
and the unmanifest joined together – and the Lord bears it, while the
self (
atman
), who is not the Lord, remains bound because he is the
enjoyer. When he comes to know God he is freed from all fetters. . . .
The one God rules over both the perishable and the self (
atman
). By
meditating on him, by striving towards him, and, further, in the end by
becoming the same reality as him, all illusion disappears.
23
Brahman is worshipped as Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma and as the
Goddess in the forms of Kali, Durga, Parvati or Lakshmi. Theistic move-
ments such as Vaishnavism developed for the worship of Vishnu, who
protects the universe and is often depicted with four arms or being
transported on a bird, his garuda. Shaivism is the adoration of Shiva.
Often shown as a dancing figure, Shiva does not generally have avatars
or
incarnations, although he can manifest himself at will. He is seen as the
destroyer of the world but is also worshipped as an erect phallus and the
consort of Parvati.
If there is one personality who is representative of Hinduism, it is
Krishna. He is regarded as an avatar of Vishnu, traditionally thought to
Major Religious Traditions
29
be the eighth. Although his actual existence is still disputed, it is said that
he was born in the third century BCE in Mathura, between Delhi
and Agra. Legend has it that he was born a Prince, but to avoid envy at
court, was brought up by the daughter of a cowherd. There are tales of
his mischievous youth and later dallying with milkmaids as well as of his
skilful flute playing and miracles. His love of the maids or
gopis
is inter-
preted as the love of God toward souls.
In the
Bhagavadgita
(
The Gita
) section of the
Mahabharata
epic,
Krishna joins Arjuna on the eve of battle between two related dynasties,
the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Arjuna sees his own relatives on both
opposing sides and is full of anxiety. Disguised as his charioteer, Krishna
explains how one should follow one’s calling in life and for Arjuna this is
as a warrior. Humans experience repeated lives and deaths and Krishna
expounds upon the transmigration of souls. He also reassures Arjuna that
the divine love ensures that God will manifest in any epoch when humans
are in need of illumination.
Arjuna asks Krishna to show himself in his divine manifestation.
Krishna explains that Arjuna needs ‘mystic eyes’, in other words spiritual
vision for this, and then reveals himself as the Lord of the universe, which
is described by Arjuna in the text,
Your form is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence, spreading
on all sides, like blazing fire or the immeasurable radiance of the sun.
Yet I see this glowing form everywhere, adorned with various crowns,
clubs and discs.
You are the supreme primal objective. You are the ultimate resting
place of all this universe. You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest.
You are the maintainer of the eternal religion, the Personality of God-
head. This is my opinion.
24
Krishna shows himself in other manifestations and explains different
spiritual paths such as action in Karma Yoga, and the meditation of
Dhyana Yoga but the practice of devotion or bhakti is considered the
highest.
He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his
mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the
path, he, O Partha, is sure to reach me.
25
Such devotion to Krishna continues, particularly in the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness (the Hare Krishnas).
Religious and Spiritual Experience
30
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |