Reincarnation is one of the most basic features and distinguishing characteristics of Hinduism along with Buddhism, Jainism and Taoism. The whole concept of meditation or Yoga is based on rebirth or reincarnation. The aim of Yoga is to know the true nature of one’s Self, which is the Universal Consciousness. This body has forgotten its true nature and has disillusioned itself into thinking that it is in reality the physical frame by which others refer it. It has been born millions of times into many frames, including animals and even plants. This very realization makes one realize that this body is nothing but an illusion.
Hinduism divides the ‘levels of consciousness’, ‘chetana ke star’. According to it Universal Consciousness has a consciousness level of sixteen, the highest degree (In fact, the Indian monetary system of solah aane, is derived from this hundred percent completeness of the figure of sixteen in the Universal Consciousness). The avatars then have different levels. Shri Rama was said to contain twelve degree of consciousness as he was Maryadapurshottam, but Krishna was said to have all sixteen levels. The ordinary king then has the level of eight and the ordinary man has a level of four. The animals then are given the level three, insects two and plants one. A soul is first born into these lower consciousness levels and then progresses to higher ones and finally comes to the human level. But the progression up to here is spontaneous and is not in the control of the creatures itself. But human has the unique capability to manipulate its destiny. He can either continue the ascension towards Self-Realization through meditation or Yoga or he can degrade himself by adharmic deeds and go down in the lower births of animals and insects. This is where the concept of Hell comes. Hell is nothing but the temporary payback of one’s deeds. And Heaven is the place, which comes between the path of a Yogi. Heaven is a place of ‘Bhoga’, or physical pleasure. A man’s good deeds are cashed on there in the forms of physical pleasures. It is in fact a nullification of one’s good deeds. The king of Swarga, ‘Indra’ is not a single permanent deity, but it is a post, in fact. A man who has done severe penances and done many good deeds, but hasn’t chosen the path of Self-Realization but that of heavenly pleasures gets that Swarga. His deeds are then paid back to him there and after the completion of his term he returns back to earthly lives in order to be engaged in the endless cycle of birth and death again. Draupadi, the character of Mahabharata was said to have been the Indrani of five Indras. That’s why she got the fate of being the wife of five Pandavas.
Thus the concept of Heaven and Hell in Hinduism is entirely different and almost opposite than that of Islam and Christianity. Neither of them is permanent as is the feature of Islamic and Christian ones. Hindu Hell is just the temporary place where a person who has done bad deeds, realizes his mistakes and is finally given the chance of recovering. Heaven is also a temporary place where one’s good deeds are cashed on and neutralized. But in a very peculiar way Hindu Hell is better for a person than Heaven. In Hell he can realize his follies and avoid them in future births. But in Heaven he gets his good deeds destroyed and returns to the mortal frames. In fact in Hindu philosophy Hell can be a more beneficial place than Heaven.
Hindu Hell is not Eternal Damnation like the Islamic and Christian Hell, nor Heaven is the place for eternal physical pleasure. Hindu philosophy recognizes that a limited body frame can only have limited pleasures, however much and more in number and intensity they be. It does not portray a Heaven filled with houris serving the faithful eternally. A mortal body cannot have either Eternal pains or Eternal pleasures. Neither it has reserved Eternal fire of Hell for anybody as it recognizes the Oneness of Beings or Being; it recognizes that eventually every single animate or inanimate being or thing is the part of Universal Consciousness, so it cannot be eternally damned. The bad deeds of any person are considered as just temporary illusions of the part of Supreme Consciousness. Thus where in Islam and Christianity all non-believers are damned to the eternal fire of hell, in Hinduism Muslims and Christians are not differentiated from Hindus.
Most importantly Heaven is the ultimate destination for a Muslim or a Christian, but for a Hindu it is just an aberration, a nuisance between the path to Self-realization. This alone demonstrates the difference between the philosophy of Vedanta and that of Monotheism. While in Monotheistic creeds the ultimate achievement is intense and unlimited physical pleasure, in Hinduism ultimate achievement is the freedom from all such pleasures and the very desire of them.
Also Hindu Hell and Heaven are based on the person’s karma, or deeds. They are not decided by their social, political or ideological creed like Islam and Christianity where it is decided by their being Muslims or Christians or not.
But, yes some recent publications and cults in India have propagated a Christianity like Hell in India. But it is just a misunderstanding and corruption of Hindu philosophy. Particularly after the success of Krishna Consciousness (who have adopted Krishna in much a similar way as Christ), this concept of Hell has gained ground. But all the same it is a corruption and it has never been a part of Hinduism.
About Reincarnation, it no longer needs a proof. Even in Western world, it has found many objective scientific researches who have experienced, researched and published the proofs of reincarnation. Most recent and famous of them are Dr. Brian Weiss, who through is seminal study, “Many Lives, Many Masters” has established reincarnation into the minds of 42% Americans. Dr. Ian Stevenson, Dr. K.S Rawat, are many others who are specialists of past-life regression therapy and are publishing their theories widely. I would suggest you to read their works.
Hinduism divides the ‘levels of consciousness’, ‘chetana ke star’. According to it Universal Consciousness has a consciousness level of sixteen, the highest degree (In fact, the Indian monetary system of solah aane, is derived from this hundred percent completeness of the figure of sixteen in the Universal Consciousness). The avatars then have different levels. Shri Rama was said to contain twelve degree of consciousness as he was Maryadapurshottam, but Krishna was said to have all sixteen levels. The ordinary king then has the level of eight and the ordinary man has a level of four. The animals then are given the level three, insects two and plants one. A soul is first born into these lower consciousness levels and then progresses to higher ones and finally comes to the human level. But the progression up to here is spontaneous and is not in the control of the creatures itself. But human has the unique capability to manipulate its destiny. He can either continue the ascension towards Self-Realization through meditation or Yoga or he can degrade himself by adharmic deeds and go down in the lower births of animals and insects. This is where the concept of Hell comes. Hell is nothing but the temporary payback of one’s deeds. And Heaven is the place, which comes between the path of a Yogi. Heaven is a place of ‘Bhoga’, or physical pleasure. A man’s good deeds are cashed on there in the forms of physical pleasures. It is in fact a nullification of one’s good deeds. The king of Swarga, ‘Indra’ is not a single permanent deity, but it is a post, in fact. A man who has done severe penances and done many good deeds, but hasn’t chosen the path of Self-Realization but that of heavenly pleasures gets that Swarga. His deeds are then paid back to him there and after the completion of his term he returns back to earthly lives in order to be engaged in the endless cycle of birth and death again. Draupadi, the character of Mahabharata was said to have been the Indrani of five Indras. That’s why she got the fate of being the wife of five Pandavas.
Thus the concept of Heaven and Hell in Hinduism is entirely different and almost opposite than that of Islam and Christianity. Neither of them is permanent as is the feature of Islamic and Christian ones. Hindu Hell is just the temporary place where a person who has done bad deeds, realizes his mistakes and is finally given the chance of recovering. Heaven is also a temporary place where one’s good deeds are cashed on and neutralized. But in a very peculiar way Hindu Hell is better for a person than Heaven. In Hell he can realize his follies and avoid them in future births. But in Heaven he gets his good deeds destroyed and returns to the mortal frames. In fact in Hindu philosophy Hell can be a more beneficial place than Heaven.
Hindu Hell is not Eternal Damnation like the Islamic and Christian Hell, nor Heaven is the place for eternal physical pleasure. Hindu philosophy recognizes that a limited body frame can only have limited pleasures, however much and more in number and intensity they be. It does not portray a Heaven filled with houris serving the faithful eternally. A mortal body cannot have either Eternal pains or Eternal pleasures. Neither it has reserved Eternal fire of Hell for anybody as it recognizes the Oneness of Beings or Being; it recognizes that eventually every single animate or inanimate being or thing is the part of Universal Consciousness, so it cannot be eternally damned. The bad deeds of any person are considered as just temporary illusions of the part of Supreme Consciousness. Thus where in Islam and Christianity all non-believers are damned to the eternal fire of hell, in Hinduism Muslims and Christians are not differentiated from Hindus.
Most importantly Heaven is the ultimate destination for a Muslim or a Christian, but for a Hindu it is just an aberration, a nuisance between the path to Self-realization. This alone demonstrates the difference between the philosophy of Vedanta and that of Monotheism. While in Monotheistic creeds the ultimate achievement is intense and unlimited physical pleasure, in Hinduism ultimate achievement is the freedom from all such pleasures and the very desire of them.
Also Hindu Hell and Heaven are based on the person’s karma, or deeds. They are not decided by their social, political or ideological creed like Islam and Christianity where it is decided by their being Muslims or Christians or not.
But, yes some recent publications and cults in India have propagated a Christianity like Hell in India. But it is just a misunderstanding and corruption of Hindu philosophy. Particularly after the success of Krishna Consciousness (who have adopted Krishna in much a similar way as Christ), this concept of Hell has gained ground. But all the same it is a corruption and it has never been a part of Hinduism.
About Reincarnation, it no longer needs a proof. Even in Western world, it has found many objective scientific researches who have experienced, researched and published the proofs of reincarnation. Most recent and famous of them are Dr. Brian Weiss, who through is seminal study, “Many Lives, Many Masters” has established reincarnation into the minds of 42% Americans. Dr. Ian Stevenson, Dr. K.S Rawat, are many others who are specialists of past-life regression therapy and are publishing their theories widely. I would suggest you to read their works.
1 comment:
Brilliant... I agree
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