HINDU SPIRITUALITY
HINDU
SPIRITUALITY
As stated
earlier, the starting point of ‘Hindu Spirituality’ is the dawn of realization
that the souls are eternal. They suffer samsara
on account of their ignorance. Salvation
or liberation of the soul, therefore, is the supreme task of human life. This process of liberation can be termed
Spirituality.
Before going
further into the discussion of ‘Hindu Spirituality,’ the term ‘Hindu’ needs
clarification. The term ‘Hindu’ is used
here comprehensively to include every thing that pertains to Hindu
Religion. As the focus of this subject
is mainly spirituality, the term Hindu does not warrant any further
discussion. Rather, it is ideal that an
attempt is made to understand the term spirituality and its implications from a
Hindu point of view.
6.1 Etymological Meaning
According to
Margaret Chatterjee “Indian languages have no word either for religion or for
spirituality.”[1] The word spirit and spirituality have the
same root. But ‘this is not the case
with say, ātman and sādhanā.[2] The word closer to spirit in Indian language
is ātman. The Indian word sādhanā
shares a common characteristic with the term ‘spirituality’.[3] In order to understand the word sādhanā,
it is suffice to suggest that “fulfillment lies in creating a balance
between spirituality and worldly life.
Creating harmony between these two aspects of life is called sādhanā,
spiritual practice.”[4] Gordon S. Wakefield’s comment comes handy to
understand the common usage of the word spirituality. For him, “this is a word which has come much
into vogue to describe those attitudes, beliefs, practices which animate
people’s lives and help them to reach out towards super-sensible realities.”[5] It is necessary, once again to quote Margaret
Chatterjee before summarizing the implications of the word. Accordingly, “it is
not surprising that one of the commonest connotations of the term
‘spirituality’ in current usage centers on inner experience and on practices
reckoned to foster it.”[6] The word spirituality implies human beings’
self-awareness that they are divine and their constant effort to maintain and
improve their divinity i.e. relation with God.
This will be clearer when some of the familiar definitions of spirituality
are analyzed.
At the outset,
it has to be indicated that, the etymological meaning of the word
‘Spirituality’ focuses upon individuals and their efforts to improve their
relation with Reality. Spirituality to
be more dynamic and relevant to the present context, should include the activities
of spiritual people in relation to their fellow human beings and
environment.
6.2 Definition of Spirituality
The Oxford English Dictionary, second
edition defines spirituality as “the quality or condition of being spiritual;
attachment to or regard for things of the spirit as opposed to material or
worldly interests.” With similar
implication, but more comprehensively Margaret Chatterjee defines spirituality
as follows:
The relation between the
inferiority of the person and the transcendence of the divine can be enabled in
various ways… in each case a particular style of religious life will ensue, or
rather, be enjoined on man. It is this
style that later generations called spirituality.[7]
A little more
inclusive definition of spirituality is found in the words of non-Hindu
writers. Three such definitions may be
used for further analysis. The first one is, “spirituality is our innate
orientation toward God in so far as it is consciously cultivated and translated
into a way of life.”[8] Secondly spirituality means a ‘life lived
according to the spirit’.[9] Thirdly “Spirituality is a outward journey
into the world transcending the spiritual and material dichotomy.”[10]
The three
definitions mentioned above for analysis confirm in concrete terms that
spirituality is centered on Spirit/God.
But they go further to emphasise that spirituality should become a way
of life- life lived here in the world in harmony with God, humanity and
nature. Hinduism affirms this ideal. This
ideal needs to be stressed today. A spirituality
that tries to ignore the realities of the world cannot be called spirituality.
An example of a
narrow definition of spirituality is that “spirituality may be understood as
man’s existence.”[11]
However, a
viable, meaningful and dynamic definition of spirituality is given by Antony
Edanad:
Spirituality may be described as
the manner in which a person views his relation with God, other persons and the
world in general, and responds to this relation in so far as it enriches,
enables and elevates him fulfilling his desire for inner peace, total
realization and ultimate happiness.[12]
Before
suggesting the basic dimensions of spirituality it is necessary to indicate two
more narrow definitions of Hindu Spirituality.
They are “Spirituality in Hindu thought is ceremonial and external on
the one hand, and mystical and subjective on the other,”[13]
and “in the life of the Hindu, spirituality may take the form of sanctifying or
defying a rock, a tree, a tank, an animal, a man, etc.”[14] A relevant ‘Hindu Spirituality’ should
comprise in it certain important dimensions.
They are, realization that human beings are divine, the constant
nurturing of the relation between God and Humanity, translation of spirituality
into day to day life and finally achieving Salvation.
6.3 Spiritual Life
All ardent
followers of Hinduism have earnestly stated the significance of life in the
world for spiritual development. It is
sad that such vital aspects are not included in the definitions examined
earlier. In spite of this laxity, the
rich experience of the great Hindu writers sheds adequate insight into the
meaning of Hindus Spirituality.
According to them “spiritual experience have to be sought in our
day-to-day life.”[15] Again “an aspirant does not need to disrupt
his worldly life to practice spirituality.”[16]
Further, “the external practice-external worship of the spirit by the spirit –
comes of serving God in man.”[17] More concretely, spiritual life is not
different from secular life.[18]
A more
contemporary contribution to ‘Hindu Spirituality’ has been rendered by Krishna
Sivaraman. For him, spiritual journey is
‘turning around’.[19] It is ‘turning around from facing the world
to face God’.[20] It is a change from worldliness to
‘wordlessness’. Here ‘wordlessness’ is
used to denote a dynamic and challenging life in the world without attachment
to the world and its activities. It is a
kind of selfless service.
A spirituality
which is practiced in day-to-day life, which is concerned with fellow human
beings and nature as a whole is the need of the hour. Any religion that does not promote such
spirituality will become irrelevant.
Another basic
element lacking in the so called definitions of ‘Hindu Spirituality’ is in
terms of its origin, that the realization of man’s ‘inner essence as Divine’.[21] In the words of Subhash Anand “to begin
spiritual life, it is enough if man realizes that the deepest in him is more
akin to God than to the world, and that consequently only in Him can he find
his true fulfillment.”[22] The contemporary world longs for people with
such a deep sense of awareness. Such awareness
can create a harmonious life here on earth and a living harmony between God and
humanity. That is why ‘Hindu
Spirituality’ is said as an inward direction toward life.[23] Religion and Philosophy in India
6.4 Relevant ‘Hindu
Spirituality’
To begin with,
it is fitting to quote Ewert Cousin’s words that “for it may well be that the
meeting of the spiritual paths – the assimilation not only of one’s own
spiritual heritage but that of the human community as a whole – is the
distinctive spiritual journey of our times.”[24] It is very much in line with the basic
attitude of Hinduism. It needs to be
affirmed that there is no single absolute spirituality. The spirituality practiced in a specific
geographical situation is the product of conceptualizing it from that specific
context.
The second basic
insight for a relevant ‘Hindu Spirituality’ is that it should broaden its horizon
to embrace all aspects of life.[25] It is not just for using religious sentiments
for manipulative purposes but to approach all aspects of life from the deep
rooted Divinity of Humanity.
The third
insight for a relevant ‘Hindu Spirituality’ is that it should be both
contextual and action-oriented, though it is guided by a vision rooted in a
particular faith experience and commitment.[26] In order to practice a relevant spirituality
one need not give up the faith to which he/she belonged. A spirituality which is blind to the
contextual realities of life is irrelevant. A relevant spirituality should be
‘life-affirming’ and rejecting ‘anti-life’; it should be a ‘cry for life’.[27] From the Indian point of view the issues, poverty,
unemployment, child-labour, ecological imbalance, etc are not issues pertained
to a few. These issues call for a more
dynamic spirituality.
[1]
Margaret Chatterjee, The Concept of Spirituality (New Delhi: Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1989),
p. 19.
[2] Ibid.,
p. 16.
[3] Ibid.,
p. 16.
[4] Ibid.,
p. 63.
Westminister
Press, 1983), p. 361.
[6]
Margaret Chatterjee, op. cit., pp. 12-13.
[7] Ibid.,
p. 6.
[8]
Aloysus Pieris S. J. Fire & Water: Basic Issues in Asian Buddhism and
Christianity, (New York
ORBIS
Books, 1996), p. 165.
[9]
Mataji Vandana, “In Search of Being One with the One”, Spirituality in
Interfaith Dialogue, ed by
Josh Arai
& Wesley Ariarajah (Geneva :WCC Publications, 1989), p. 23.
[10] Elizabeth
Model of
the Church”, National Council of Churches Review, Vol. CXVIII, No.6
(June-July 1998), p.401.
[11]
Mathew Vekathanam, “Mystery, myth, history: Dimensions of Spirituality in the
context of
Avatara”, Journal
of Dharma, Vol. XIII, No.3 (July-September 1988), p. 204.
[12] Antony
Journal
of Dharma, Vol. XIII, No.3 (July-September 1988), p. 238.
[13]
George A. Mather and Larry A. Nichols, Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions
and the Occult,
1993.
[14]
Troy Wilson Organ, The Hindu Quest for the perfection of man, First
paperbound edition
(OHIO:
Ohio University, Athens, 1980), p. 60.
[15]
Paramahamsa Tewari, Spiritual Foundation (Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1996), p. 74.
Institute
Press, Honesdale, 1988), p. 74.
Ashrama,
1992), p. 68.
[18]
Swami Krishnanda, Essays in Life and Eternity (Himalayas[India
[19]
Krishna Sivaraman, ed. Hindu Spirituality: Vedas through Vedanta, First
Indian Edition (Delhi
Motilal
Banarsidass, 1995), p. XV.
[20] Ibid.,
p. XV.
[21]
David R. Kinsley, Hinduism, a Cultural Perspective (Inc., USA
:Prentice-Hall, 1982), p. 44.
[22]
Subhash Anand, “The Spirituality of the Bhadavata Purana”, Jeevadhara,
Vol. XVI, No.
96(November
1986), p. 458.
[23]
S. S. Raghavachar, “The Spiritual Vision of Ramanuja”, Krishna Sivaraman ed., op.
cit., p.261.
[24]
Ewert Cousins, “Preface to the Series”, Hindu Spirituality, Postclassical
and Modern, ed. by K.
R.
Sundararajan, and Bithika Mukerji (London :SCM Press, 1997), p. XIV.
[25]
X. D. Selvaraj, “Social Conflicts and Spirituality,” Jeevadhara, Vol.
XXIII, No. 133, (January
1993),
p.16.
[26]
M. Amaladoss, “Religious Conflict and Spirituality”, Jeevadhara, Vol.
XXIII, No. 133 (January
1993),
p.28.
[27]
K. C. Abraham, “The Spirituality of the Third World,” Bangalore
Comments
Post a Comment