| Essence Of Hinduism |
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HINDU THEISM |
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| There is an
oft-quoted verse in the Upanisads, which says: - "Not by study, not by intelligence and not by much learning is this Atman to be obtained. Only he whom it chooses can obtain it. To such a one the Atman reveals its true nature." This does not mean that the grace of God is capricious. It only means that God is a searcher of hearts. We can deceive the world, we can deceive ourselves, but we cannot deceive Him. He sees through all our pious prayers and our studied poses. He sees what sincerity there is in our hearts and sees His grace accordingly. There is a difference of opinion among Hindu theistic teachers with regard to the co-operation of man's bhakti with God's prasada or grace. Some hold that man's bhakti has to co-operate actively with God's grace for salvation. And they use a characteristically Indian figure to illustrate their doctrine. According to them, all bhaktas are like the young of a monkey who have to make an effort and hold on to their mother's bosom as she carries them over the branches of trees. But others hold that the grace of God is all sufficient and operates even without man's endeavour. They employ an equally vivid figure to illustrate their doctrine. They say that the grace of God carries His bhaktas through, as a cat carries her young from house to house without any effort on their part. |
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| About Hindu Theism |
