WHAT DOES HINDUISM STAND FOR Aryanism Vedic culture or modern Hinduism is a way of life.
1. WHAT DOES HINDUISM STAND FOR?
Hinduism is, basically, the modern name for the Vedic way of
life, especially the spiritual path usually associated with India. Previously,
those who followed the Vedic system were also called Aryans. It is often
considered that the Vedic Aryans were a race of people. However, Aryan actually
means a standard of living, an ideal. It was the Sanskrit speaking people of
thousands of years ago that gave the word arya to signify a gentleman, an ideal
person, someone on the path of purity. It was a term meant for those who were
on the cutting edge of social evolution. Another way of interpreting the word
aryan is that ar also means white or clear. Ya refers to God. Ya also refers to
Yadu, or Krishna. Thus, aryan means those who have, or are developing, a clear
path or a clear consciousness toward God.
In this way, we can understand that Aryanism, Vedic culture,
or modern Hinduism, is a way of life. It is not a race of people or merely a
sectarian creed or religion. It belongs to no particular country or race. It is
a path that upholds a code of conduct which values peace and happiness and
justice for all. Thus, it is a path open for all who want to be trained to be
happy with simple living and high thinking, while engaged in proper conduct, a
moral life, and selfless service to humanity and God. Therefore, anyone who
wants to live in such a manner may be called an Aryan, a member or follower of
the Vedic culture, no matter from which race or country a person may come.
So what does it mean to follow this Vedic Aryan path? It
generally means to learn the ways of a spiritually progressed person. This
includes understanding one's spiritual identity, knowing that he or she is not
the temporary body but is spirit soul, that there is karma or reactions for
one's activities, and rebirth in another life after death in which one reaps
the reward or punishment for his or her own good or evil thoughts, words, and
deeds. By having a solid understanding of such spiritual knowledge, there is
automatically a respect for all others regardless of race, sex, position, or
species. This brings a moral and peaceful social behavior in everybody toward
everyone. By having respect for everyone's spiritual identity, this also brings
an innate happiness in us all. We can understand that we are only visiting this
planet for a short time, and that we are all in this together. In other words,
my contribution to your well-being, especially spiritual well-being, will be an
automatic contribution to my own existence. In this way, society at large is in
a state of constant improvement. Thus, together we all work toward attaining a
clean mind and a pure heart. That is the goal of the Vedic Aryan way of life,
and all those who seriously follow it.
Not everyone, however, wants to reach this stage of life or
follow this path. That is why the Vedic system installs rules for moral
behavior and regulatory sacraments and practices beginning from the prenatal
stage all the way through death. Of course, many of these moralistic rules are
also quite common in other forms of religion and behavior. However, anybody who
is unwilling to follow such rules for a balanced moral standard is dubbed a
non-Aryan, which simply indicates one who is not so civilized. Such a person is
not on the spiritual path of life, regardless of what other standards or
principles of etiquette he may follow. So a person who lacks spiritual
tendencies and acts on the bodily platform of existence, willing to do whatever
he likes, or who thinks he is a white body, or a black body, or from this country
or that, and who holds loyalty only to that conception and shows it by
criticizing everyone who is not like him, is a non-Aryan. He is one who works
against the standards of Hinduism, even he if calls himself a Hindu, or
anything else for that matter. In this way, we can see the need to return to
the Vedic standards of life through authentic spiritual education.
Therefore, the Sanskrit word Aryan means a way of life that
aims at the elevation of everyone in society to a higher level of
consciousness, as we find in the broadest foundation within Hinduism. It means
to assist ourselves through a disciplined and godly life to understand the
purpose of our existence as well as to become a spiritually realized person. It
means to recognize the divinity in each of us. It means to perceive the divine
energy that permeates the creation, knowing that we and all others are but
manifestations of the Divine, the same Supreme Creator, Father of all. It also
means that we help every other individual soul understand this, because by
helping others we help ourselves. That itself is a natural state of being when
we can perceive God as the Supersoul, Paramatma, within everyone. All of this
is encouraged by, and increases, a natural faith in an all-pervading Supreme
Being. Such faith and focus on the Supreme can elevate us to return to our real
spiritual home after death, that one infinite and eternal existence, which is
one of the most important goals of the Vedic lifestyle. Once we are relieved of
the body, or the bodily concept of life, then there is no longer any question
as to what and who we really are. Offering this opportunity to society for
reaching that level of understanding is one of the most important purposes of
the Vedic path. This is the essence of what Hinduism stands for. Now let's consider the following points as to
the advantages of the Vedic path.
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