The Source of Teachings : The Vedas, Puranas and Tantras

"The One Truth the sages call by many names." R.V.I.164.  

There are many different forms of spiritual and religious teachings in the world devised to lead us to the truth. The Hindu and Vedic teaching contains all possible varieties of these.  

Each religion has its source teaching. These are usually called scriptures. The Judeo-Christian teaching has the Bible, Islam the Koran, Buddhism has the Buddha's Sutras, Taoism has the Tao Teh Ching, Zoroastrianism the Zend Avesta. The Bible and Koran consist of ancient history, stories and symbolic teachings. The Buddhist Sutras are mainly the lectures and discourses of the Buddha and possess a philosophical nature. They are also  a more diverse body than the scriptures of these other religions. The Tao Teh Ching is the sayings of Lao Tse. The Zend Avesta consists of the prayers of Zarathustra.  

Hinduism does not contain any central source teaching like these. There is no simple bible or Koran all must study or follow every day. The ancient Vedas have a similar position theoretically as scriptures, we might say, but they are seldom read or understood today, and are a far more diverse set of teachings from a number of different sources and teachers.

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