Dear ones, my eldest granddaughter is writing a story about a boy living in a Hindu family. She is half German and she has been coming to Yoga Vidya since she was two. Her two younger brothers have also been coming. Well, she rang me up and asked me what being a Hindu meant. She associated it with being religious.

I realized that many of us did not understand what it meant to be a Hindu. It was not related to rites and rituals. I decided to wander down memory lane. I remember my mother teaching us to tell the truth. Not to hurt animals and to be kind. She would tell us stories from the Puranas which would illustrate the power of good over evil. And all faiths were equal.

Life according to Hindu belief

My take away is that one learns to see the Divine present in all existence. Brahman is understood as the cause of creation, as well as its preservation, and dissolution. One can chose one’s own deity as the divine has a transcendental form. One can worship the deity in the female or male form. One can worship a statue as it is imbued with the power of its creator.

Lastly one has four goals in life according to Hindu belief. Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. Dharma is following a spiritual life, Artha is following the pursuit of material advancement, Kama is enjoying the good life, and Moksha is liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth.

True understanding of Hinduism comes from, pursuit of truth, work and being compassionate.

I explained to my granddaughter that one must develop awareness and she asked what that was. I said it meant being conscious of what one was doing. It is not easy to understand this but the best way to practice awareness is through the practice of Yoga. Take Surya Namaskara, practice it with breathing and watch yourself. Yoga is a part of Hinduism and it enables one to become a better Hindu.

Aim Hrim Klim

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash