Isn't it odd that we unquestioningly believe what often isn't true so easily? Take Hinduism for example. We all know what Hinduism is, don't we? At least we think we do. Here is the reality as told Jaggi Vasudev (Sadhgurru).
"Hindu can be described as a geographical based identity. It is also an identity of culture to some level. However, Hindu is not an identity of religion, and it has never been Hinduism.
Hindus tried grouping themselves like a religion when competitive and aggressive religions were established widely. However, Hindus are not yet successful as a religion. They can never be since there isn’t a single belief system.
Actually, there exists no belief at all, since you can believe that God is human and thus live as a righteous Hindu.
You may also see God as a woman but still live as a righteous Hindu. You may simply believe God exists as a cow and remain a righteous Hindu, or acknowledge God is just a monkey and still be a righteous Hindu.
Similarly, you can choose to worship a tree or a snake but still live as a good Hindu. In short, you may worship anything or nothing at all but remain a good Hindu. This is based on the fact that Hindu is a cultural and geographical identity, and it has no basis on any specific belief system whatsoever.
The Hindu culture blossomed mainly in India during a period in which they focused on the ultimate prosperity of mankind. The immediate prosperity was not too significant to Hindus. Ultimate prosperity became most significant to them.
Hindu means that there is just one goal in one’s life, which is Mukti, meaning liberation. Thus, the only aim that any Hindu has is ultimate liberation. For a Hindu, his career, business, family, and friends are all like secondary things.
They are just but stepping stones to ultimate liberation. Hence, everything else is secondary, and relationships are not significant. For a Hindu, the one and only thing about life is liberation.
For him, even God can be used as another stepping stone for attaining ultimate liberation. However, no one else sees it in this angle.
God, in almost all religions, is the eventual goal. However, Hinduism is like a culture that does not view God as an ultimate goal. Hindus understand that they created him and can create whichever number they desire.
Any kind they want. Hindus have learnt the science and art of creation such that they can transform a rock to be divine. Assuming you ate chicken in the evening. In one evening, it is becoming human, isn’t it?
Darwin’s evolution theory doesn’t state how many million years it would take for chicken to evolve into a human being. But in one evening, you transform a chicken from its existence into a human being. This is known as digestion, whereby one being is transformed into another.
If you go backward and take some manure, put it on a plant’s root, maybe after some weeks it becomes a sweet fruit. It is just something hanging there no matter how wonderful and sweet.
It is just the one thing, and is called agriculture where you convert one thing to another. You can also transform a stone into divine in the same way, and this process is known as consecration.
This science and art was explored largely, and humans learnt the art of making different types of energy, and this is now beyond the where man is as of now. Currently, has science has proven that everything is just the same?
What’s the difference between yourself and a rock? Isn’t it different levels or stages of function, vibrations, and intensity? Hence, this is the same energy, and different religions have always said God is omnipresent.
Hence, if God is omnipresent, then this is God and still that right there is also God. However, is it just the same or one thing? In one’s life experience and function, it might not be the same or one thing.
Then what exists in its ultimate possibility and function that you call it God? Yet similar energy is in its bottom most function, and you will call maybe a rock. Hence, transforming “this one” into “an ultimate possibility” can be called a science of consecration.
Upon exploration of this science, man manifested the gods in multiple ways, whichever he wanted. It’s really incredible in the ways it has been done.
Indians have not really explored these things, and it has been lost of late. However, if you explore that culture in depth, things that have been done for the inner prosperity of a human being, there is nowhere man ever used so much energy and time to look at the core prosperity of a human being.
It is surely incredible if you explored Indian mysticism. You will be surprised that it has never occurred in this universe since it has no roots from any belief system whatsoever. It occurs in science. Hence, you cannot say Hindu is a religion no matter what. It is purely a lifestyle.
It is more of a cultural and a geographical based identity that attempts to organize itself like other religions due to the aggressive competition in finding a religious identity. However, it will be impossible since there’s no single belief system for organizing Indians around it.
Similarly, Hindu lets everyone have their personal religion such that even a family can have its own religion. Anyone can choose to worship anything, even a snake, a cow, a monkey, or even a tree. Hindus can worship whatever they can relate to or whatever they like.
If a Hindu doesn’t see any sense in worshipping, or doesn’t need to worship, he will still be a righteous Hindu. This is more of the sense and freedom needed in today’s world.
Most of the conflict being witnessed in the universe is said to be as a result of good versus evil. But this is false. This conflict is all about one person’s belief over the belief of another person.
For instance, why believe in something? We simply lack the sincerity to accept what we don’t know as something we don’t really know. You have to believe everything you don’t know. If you said you don’t really know, then you wouldn’t fight anyone.
When you believe this is it, then you will always fight with others. Belief gives you a sort of stability and confidence. However, it’s a dangerous and deadly confidence since it lacks clarity. What you actually need in life is not confidence but clarity. "
