Some 60 years ago, K.M Sen- Amartya Sen's grandfather- published a book on Hinduism which begins thus.
UNLIKE other world religions such as Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism, Hinduism did not have any one founder.
It is like Judaism which is the original source of Christianity and Islam. Within Hinduism, there are particular leaders of particular sects and, in some cases, it is convenient to speak of them as separate religions. Sects have a founder- though that founder may be mythological in the sense that little can be said about his or her historicity. I suppose a Hindu might say Zorastrianism split off from a common Indo-Iranian religion but a Parsi might with equal justice reply that Hinduism split off at the time of Manu. Zoroaster merely restored the pure religion.
This is also the case with Abraham or Moses not to mention Christ or Mohammad. They are considered not to be inventers or innovators but Divinely Guided personalities restoring the pure doctrine at the preordained time. Alternatively, they can be thought of as prophets or incarnations who reveal that God wants a new moral code or a new method of worship to be adopted. But this is by way of restoring purity or putting Man back on the path his Creator intended for him.
In India, educated Hindu generally have a knowledge of the founder of their sect (matam) and may also know the name of the paternal ancestor who contributed particular hymns to the Holy Vedas. It is perfectly proper, when writing a book about Hinduism, to mention these facts.
Consider the Brahmo Religion of Sen's employer Rabindranath Tagore. We may say its founders were his grandfather and Raja Ram Mohan Roy. But their own feeling was that they were restoring a pure form of worship- eschewing idolatry and superstition- which had been practiced by their ancient ancestors.
It grew gradually over a period of five thousand years absorbing and assimilating all the religious and cultural movements of India.
We don't know this. It appears that some such movements simply went extinct or became confined to geographical areas which are no longer part of India. It is a different matter that some Hindu sects have a predilection for syncretism. But this is not true of all Hindu sects. Who is to say which best deserves the appellation of the purest tributary of a common river?
Consequently, it does not have a Bible or a Koran or a Dhammapadam to which controversies can be referred for resolution.
Brahmins have the Vedas. So do Kayasthas, Khattris & Baidyas. If you yourself are a Baidya, why pretend otherwise? What is indisputable is that every sect has something similar to a 'Dhammapadam'. Sometimes a sect may go to law to be recognized as distinct from Hinduism so as to get the benefits of 'minority' status. But that is a separate matter.
The Vedas, the Upanishads, the Gita, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the books on the so-called ‘Six Systems of Philosophy’, the songs of the Bhaktt movements and of the mystics are all authoritative, but none is exclusively so.
Every sect (matam) has some authoritative text which may itself be a commentary on Vedic or Agamic texts which are considered uncreated- just as Christians consider the Bible uncreated and Muslims hold the same view of the Holy Quran.
The different schools of thought have differed on a number of important questions,
just as Jewish and Christian and Islamic and Buddhist and Confucian schools of thought have differed.
and even today their differences are by no means insignificant. This makes the task of writing a popular book on Hinduism very difficult, for it is not easy to decide what relative importance to attach to the different schools of thought.
It is unnecessary. To write about a Christianity, you don't have to decide if Roman Catholicism is more important than Greek Orthodoxy or Anglican Protestantism.
I do not know whether the knowledgeable reader will find my interpretation of relative values acceptable.
Such a reader would know that only a bigot or an ignorant fool would give an 'interpretation of relative values'.
I have tried to be as impersonal as possible, but this is a field where personal bias is difficult to avoid.
Bias is one thing. Stupidity is another.
For some time past my criticism of many books on Hindu philosophy has been that they attach too little importance to the religious movements of the lower strata of society by concentrating on the documents of the more educated section of the people.
Sen thinks the 'lower strata' of Society is interested in 'philosophy'. Sadly, it is not true in India. In England, on the other hand, the char woman would often pause while mopping the floor to utter a critique of Whitehead's process philosophy. No doubt, the young Amartya observed this habit amongst the 'bedders' at his College.
What K.M Sen wants to say is 'my research has been on Dadupanthis, Kabirpanthis, etc.. They tend to be poorer people, or people with less access to formal higher education, and little scholarship has been produced on them.' The trouble here is that Kabir or Dadu has an esoteric psychology and soteriology which is complex and draws upon the same source as rather difficult scholarly texts- some of very ancient provenance.
To be fair, Sen explains that he seeks to reach ordinary people who know nothing of Hinduism. This is
the scheme of the book. In Part I, the nature and the ideas of the Hindu schools of thought are discussed.
Did Sen understand those ideas? Sadly, no. Still, understanding is not required for Faith.
In Part II, the evolution of Hindu thought and practices is studied historically.
Sen wasn't a historian. He can merely make a precis from some obsolete text book.
And in Part III, I have presented a collection of extracts from various Hindu documents.
These are texts Sen found important to satisfy his own spiritual needs. He hopes the reader may do the same. Nothing wrong with that at all.
SOME four hundred years ago, there lived in India a poet-saint called Rajjab.
A disciple of Saint Dadu Dayal. After his Guru died, he closed his eyes never to open them again. He transmitted the 'Dadu Anubhav Vani' (Testament of Dadu's Experiences) of his master. This is an authoritative text for the Dadupanthi sect.
When it was known that Rajjab had received his ‘illumination’,
It was known that he had been devoted to his Guru. After his death he closed his eyes, never to open them again. Tears flowed from them as did the divine verses of the Dadu Anubhav Vani from his lips.
men from far and near came to him and asked: ‘What is it that you see? What is it that you hear?' He answered: 'I see the eternal play of life. I hear heavenly voices singing, ‘‘Give form to the yet unformed, speak out and express.’”’
In other words, the saintly disciple, by reason of his total devotion, was able to transmit the divine revelation given to his Guru.
Life seeks for expression,
No. Plants are alive. They don't speak.
it must speak out, as Rajjab put it.
No. Dadu Dayal was sent by God to spread true religion through Dadu Anubhav Vani. Through pure devotion to the Guru, the disciple Rajjab was able to faultlessly transmit his 'voice'. God's Revelation wishes to make itself known for the benefit of His Creation. It wasn't the case that Rajjab wanted recognition as a poet or wished to express himself in a particular way.
Man has to work and toil to satisfy his physical needs.
Some do. Some don't.
But this is not enough for him;
Nobody wants toil. What Sen means is 'bread is not enough'.
he wants something more,
Heaven or Union with the Godhead
something which more than three thousand years ago the Atharvaveda praised in its hymn to Superfluity (Ucchishta Sükta).
Utter nonsense! Ucchishta means left over food polluted by saliva which must be thrown away. Nobody wants polluted left-overs nor does anybody write a hymn to such nauseating things. In Catholicism, it is important to properly dispose of crumbs of the Eucharist. This Sukta, titled for those crumbs or remnants of the sacrifice, equates all that is in the world of name and form with them. In one sense 'ucchishta' is the devotee's polluting 'remnants' like ego, pride, attachment etc. which must be purged so as to permit absorption in the Godhead. In another sense, there is an esoteric theory and practice relating to an inner alchemy or phoenix like rebirth from the ashes of ego.
In ritualistic religion, for those who lack resources or who are pressed for time, there are easier paths which confer the same benefit for those of pious intent. The tenor of the Hymn is easily understood by most Hindus-
Ucchishte namarupam cha ucchiste loka ahitahucchishte indrascha agnischaa vishwamantah samahitam
Thus, it could be said, that mundane reality is like the crumbs left over from a repast. The devotee can transcend this state so that all psycho-mental 'residues' are recycled so a transformative consciousness is born or manifested (sambhuta). This Sukta is associated with worship of Ucchishta Ganapati.
I want to stress that no great scholarship, or even effort, was required to understand the Ucchishta Shaka. In 1895, Ralph Griffiths had published a widely available translation of the entire Atharva Veda.
In any case, Hindus from a young age are familiar with the idea that the Creator performed a primordial Sacrifice and all things that exist are the remnants of that Sacrifice. Properly disposing remnants- which are like food contaminated by saliva- removes impurity and sets the stage for the Sacrifice's repetition. But this is the same thing as clearing and cleaning the table after a meal, so that another meal can be served at a later time! The thing is not rocket science. It has nothing to do with 'superfluity' or 'awe' or 'wonder' or 'Life's need to express itself'.
From the spiritual point of view, removing or recycling 'remnants' means overcoming the delusion caused by egotism and greed. This restores or recreates the original topos of the Godhead.
This is Griffith's translation-A glorification of the Uchchhishta or Residue of Sacrifice
1The Residue of Sacrifice containeth name, and from, and world:
Indra and Agni and the whole universe are comprised therein.
2The Residue of Sacrifice holdeth Earth, Heaven, and all that is:
The Residue of Sacrifice holdeth sea, waters, Moon, and Wind.
3Real, non-real, both are there, Prajāpati, and Death, and
strength:
Thereon depend the worldly ones: in me are glory Dra and Vra.
4The firm, the fast, the strong, the hard, Brahma, the All-creating
Ten.
Gods, as a wheel about the nave, are fixed all round the
Residue.
5Verse, Song, and Sacrificial Text, chanting, the prelude, and the
laud,
The hum is in the Residue, the tone, the murmur of the psalm.
6Within the Residue, like babes unborn, the parts of sacrifice,
Aindrāgne Pāvamāna lie. Mahānāmnī, Mahavrata.
7The Vājapeya, Royal Rite, the Agnishoma and its forms,
Hymns, joyfullest with living grass the Asvamedha, are therein,
8Dikshā and Agnyādheya rite that sates the wish, with magic-
hymn,
Suspended rites, long sessions, are contained within the Residue.
9Faith fire-oblation, fervent zeal, service, and sacrificial cry,
Guerdon, good works and their reward, are stored within the
Residue.
10Sacrifice of one night, or two, Sadya1 kri, Ukthya, and Prakri,
Call, deep-toned summons are therein, fine parts, through lore,
of sacrifice,
11Sacrifice of four nights, of five, of six nights, day and night
conjoined,
Shodai, seven-night sacrifice, all these sprang from the Residue,
these which the Immortal One contains. p. 62
12Pratihāra and Nidhanam, the Visvajit, the Abhijit,
The two Sāhnātirātrās and Twelve-day rite are stored therein.
13Pleasantness, reverence, peace, and power, strength, vigour,
immortality
All forward wishes are with love satisfied in the Residue.
14Nine several oceans, earths, and skies are set within, the Residue,
Bright shines the Sun therein, in me, the Residue, are Day and
Night.
15The Residue the Father's sire, who bears this universe, supports
Vishūvān, Upahavya, and all worship offered secretly.
16The Father's sire, the Residue, grandson of Spirit, primal Sire,
Lord of the universe, the Bull, dwells on the earth victorious.
17Right, truth, dominion, fervent zeal, toil, duty, action, future,
past,
Valour; prosperity, and strength dwell in the Residue in
strength.
18Welfare, resolve and energy, the six expanses, kingship, sway,
Prayer, and direction, and the year, oblation, planets, are there-
in;
19And the four Hotars, Apri hymns, the Nivids, and Four-
monthly rites,
Oblations, sacrifices, and animal offerings, and their forms.
20Months, half-months, sections of the year, seasons are in the
Residue,
The waters resonant afar, the thunder, and the mighty noise.
21Pebbles, sand, stones, and herbs, and plants, and grass are in
the Residue,
Closely embraced and laid therein are lightnings and the clouds
and rain.
22Gain, acquisition, and success, fulness, complete prosperity.
Great gain and wealth, are laid, concealed and treasured, in the
Residue.
23All things that breathe the breath of life, all creatures that have
eyes to see,
All the celestial Gods whose home is heaven sprang from the
Residue.
24Verses, and Songs, and magic hymns, Purāna, sacrificial text.
All the celestial Gods whose home is heaven sprang from the
Residue. p. 63
25Inbreath and outbreath, eye and ear, decay and freedom from
decay,
All the celestial Gods whose home is heaven sprang from the
Residue.
26All pleasures and enjoyments, all delights and rapturous ecsta-
sies,
All the celestial Gods whose home is heaven sprang from the
Residue.
27The Deities, the Fathers, men, Gandharvas, and Apsarases.
6 All the celestial Gods whose home is heaven sprang from the
Residue.
Scholarly people could usefully explicate how and why such continuity over the millennia was maintained between such ancient, Tantric, practices and the popular Saints who gave lyrical expression to the underlying esoteric philosophy so as to create an easier or more immediate soteriological path for the people as well as the practitioners. The fact is, the ancient form of a religious teaching becomes inaccessible to ordinary people because language changes and periods of economic deprivation or military conflict interrupt its proper transmission. Great Saints are able to gather together the 'remnants' of the pure religion and revive their essence in a simple and accessible form.
Sen takes a different view. The Vedas were composed by child-like seers who could not get over the amazing fact that the Sun-rise was awesome and Rivers were amazing and, dude, look at that mountain over there! Wow!
First there is the feeling of wonder and awe at the mysteries of existence.
That is some stupid shit cooked up by stupid Germans who may have believed that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny or some such shit. Vedic religion wasn't about child-like creatures 'grokking' stuff and going 'dude! that blows my mind!'. The Dadhupanthis are removing or transubstantiating psycho-mental residues including those inherited from previous lives so that liberation can be attained more easily by ordinary people. This was also being done thousands of years ago. The language may have changed. The meaning is the same.
In Hinduism, we find this in the Vedic Samhitas, composed mainly in the second millennium B.C. In the words of Rabindranath Tagore these were ‘a poetic testament of a people’s collective reaction to the wonder and awe of existence.
Nope. They were texts used in the performance of particular rituals. Poetry and Song of a secular type have always existed. It is obvious that some secular types of poetry- e.g. Khamriyat in Sufi Islam- have been taken over and repurposed for a religious purpose.
Some say that the metaphysical or soteriological aspects of Vedic rituals- as opposed to their social function- gained salience over time but that isn't really the case. The fact is, we use pieces of scripture when celebrating a joyous occasion or praying for particular outcomes for particular people. But the essentially soteriological and transcendental nature of that Scripture remains pure and untouched. It is not a scandal that even our most joyous ceremonies or 'rites of passage' feature sacred scripture. There is nothing wrong in invoking God when receiving the good things God has ordained for us. We can't be experiencing wonder or keep wishing to gain liberation all the time. Most of us have jobs to do. Yet, Religion enriches our day to day life.
A people of vigorous and unsophisticated imagination
just like ours.
awakened at the very dawn of civilization to a sense of the inexhaustible mystery that is implicit in life.’
there was no 'dawn of civilization'. Sadly, there is also no tea-time of civilization or bed-time or bathroom break for it.
This leads to speculation, which in turn leads to theories of existence and life such as we find in the Upanishads (c. 800 B.c.) and in later Hindu philosophy.
No. We aren't talking about fucking Neanderthals. Our species hasn't changed greatly in the last ten thousand years.
This is one aspect of the Hindu religion. Another is its moral code of behaviour.
It has many. So does Christianity. Nuns have one code. Housewives have another.
Every religion tends to find a conflict between what men do and what, according to its values, men ought to do.
But this is also true of every branch of commerce, industry, education, research etc. Even in having sex with a view to making babies, this 'conflict' obtains. There is a right place to put your dick and a wrong place.
This conflict is closely linked with man’s concept of the nature of the universe.
No. It is closely linked to our finding it pleasanter to do the wrong thing.
Once men are recognized to be the creation of the Supreme and all men are recognized to be brothers, the ideals of selfless service and sacrifice become obvious.
But, in Hinduism, no such recognition is required. It is enough to be told that there is karmic merit in selfless service, sacrifice and not shitting on everything.
Almost every writer on Hinduism is forced to point out that dharma and religion are not the same thing;
They may be in some situations. One may say, 'though by birth a Catholic, when it comes to liquor, I follow the precept of the Prophet Muhammad' to indicate you don't drink.
a mandira is not a Hindu church;
It may be. Sometimes it is better described as a shrine and sometimes it is a place for congregational worship.
jàt has been translated as caste,
sub-caste
but it is an unhappy rendering.
It is good enough. A jaath is a particular bunch of clans of equal ritual status who practice endogamy or female hypergamy.
A word so important to Hindu philosophy as sadhaná has no equivalent in English.
Nonsense. 'Devotion' does the trick.
This is comparable with the difficulty in finding exact synonyms for such words and ideas as ‘cross’ and 'charity' in non-Christian cultures and languages.
All cultures and languages were non-Christian at one time. The cross and charity were known before the birth of Christ.
Amartya Sen helped his grandfather publish this book. Either the old man was stupid and ignorant- he didn't know Sanskrit though he had an M.A from Benares- or else, after his death, his grandson completely mucked up the manuscript and sent ignorant garbage to the press. Looking at Amartya's own publications, I incline to the latter view.
I suppose, back in 1960, Leftists thought it a noble thing to sabotage the publication of any work which might show religious piety in a positive light.
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