As a Hindu I can share more than one definition of Hinduism. In them lie many philosophies and schools of thought, many forms to express those thoughts, and a rich tapestry of human values. The more Hindus you will meet the more you will realize that there is not one, but numerous paths, practices, and piety. There is no one perfect way. In fact, we embrace the imperfect because it lends us an opportunity to question and understand the world around us.
Let’s approach the above narrative from the other end. There are people in this world who are comfortable with the “imperfections” in this world. Either through their own natural constitution or through their observation of the richness of creation around us, they have come to respect the different avenues people take to comprehend and interpret the world around them. They trace this openness and acceptance of thoughts to over many millennia, through many texts, art forms, lore, and practices. These open-minded folks are the Hindus. And, that is pluralism – a belief at the core of Hinduism. All beings, from the smallest organism to man, are considered manifestations of the Divine or reflections of the Divine’s qualities. Because of this shared divinity, Hinduism views the universe as a family – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – in Sanskrit,.
The Hindu world has been able to embrace the reality of diversity and relish in religious freedom through its philosophy of pluralism. Every being, with their varying likes and dislikes, their unique personalities, and their different cultures, not only connects with one another in their own unique ways, but connect with the Divine in their own individual ways. This embrace of pluralism has contributed to the incredible spiritual and religious freedom one witnesses within Hinduism — in its many deity traditions, paths or yogas, schools of thoughts, saint traditions, ways of worship, etc.
The worldview of pluralism is not just applicable to Hindus, but to all members of this universal family. Accordingly, Hinduism acknowledges not just the possibility, but also the existence of more than one path (religion) or way of relating to the Truth (God). This true, unadulterated pluralism is captured in the ancient Sanskrit hymn:
Ekam sat vipraha bahudha vadanti
(Truth is one, the wise call it by many names.)
It doesn’t matter which directional narrative of Hinduism picks your interest. What you are likely to discover is that none of the diversity and richness in the Hindu tradition would have been possible without this inherent respect – not mere tolerance, but respect for all. And then you will discover the substrate underneath this all; compassion that Hindus have not only for us, but also for every life form around us.
In fact, compassion is ingrained in the ultimate goal for every Hindu – moksha, or freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth. Moksha is characterized by the overcoming of spiritual ignorance; the complete elimination of material desires and attachments; the perfected ability to live in the present moment and experience absolute peace; and most importantly, the awakening of pure compassion towards all. So, you see, compassion, directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly, is life’s ultimate goal for a Hindu.
It is this seed of compassion that blossomed into some of the biggest movements like Gandhi’s non-violent civil disobedience, and influenced non-violent Civil Rights Movement led by Dr. King and Caesar Chavez, among others. Ahimsa or non-violence is one of the most important pillars of Hindu philosophy. The concept of ahimsa is deeply embedded in the Vedas, the ancient Hindu scriptures, which propound that all beings, from the smallest organism to man, are considered manifestations of God and members of a universal family. With this worldview, violence in thought, word or deed against a living being is contrary to the natural balance of the universe.
Compassion is an inherent and carefully nurtured psychological construct that doesn’t let hate situate in a Hindu.
धार्मिक छवियाँ 