SANATANA DHARMA AND THE MODERN WORLD

What Do All Hindus Believe?

Hinduism as a universal tradition does not emphasize a particular code of beliefs that divides humanity into believers and non-believers. It does not begin with the assertion "I believe in God" but with the recognition "God or Truth and myself are one." It does not state that only those of our faith can find God but that God or Truth is the nature of all beings. It does not have articles of faith, like the belief in various miracles or special revelations, but directs us to discover the nature of Truth, which we can experience in our own consciousness as clearly as we can see the sun rise in the morning.

Hinduism is not centered in a particular name or form but on Truth which lies behind all names and forms. It is an open tradition that encourages a diversity of approaches, not a monolithic religion consisting of a standard creed. Its emphasis is Dharma or Universal Truth that one can perceive, not belief, which appears contrary to the nature of things. Hinduism recognizes not only the unity of the Divine but the infinity of Truth.

The principles which all Hindus accept are not articles of faith but dharmas or natural laws. Such are the law of karma, rebirth, the existence of a cosmic Lord (Ishvara) and universal intelligence, the beneficence of the world of Nature, and Self-realization as the ultimate goal of life. Hindus similarly share common practices like ritual, prayer, pilgrimage, charity, Yoga and meditation but there is no prescribed system of activities that all Hindus must follow. There are common Hindu values and attitudes like non-violence, truthfulness, self-discipline and control of sexual energy, which are even more important than these practices.

These approaches are employed as ways of finding Truth, not as dogmas that tell us what that truth is supposed to be. Sanatana Dharma tells us that it is more important to give people the means to find Truth, than it is to tell people what Truth is supposed to be, which becomes a dogma. As Truth is our own nature, we need only let it come forth by no longer trying to impose any external influences upon it. We see therefore that many people, who may not formally regard themselves as Hindus, may have a Hindu view of reality. This is because the Hindu view is not a sectarian view but the view of the whole, which is that One Self is All.

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