Religions in India & Nepal

 

Hinduism
Hinduism is the major religion in India. About eighty percent of the population is Hindu (over 700 million people). Hinduism is the most popular religion in Asia. Large numbers of people also practice it in Nepal, Fiji, and the island of Bali in Indonesia.

Hinduism is also called sanatana-dharma. The English word “religion” does not quite encompass the meaning of sanatana-dharma. “Religion” conveys the idea of a particular faith, but faith may change. One may have faith in a particular process or path, and he may then change and adopt another. Sanatana-dharma refers to that activity which cannot be changed. Sanatana-dharma is therefore not something sectarian. Rather, it refers to the duty all living entities in this world possess—to understand our spiritual essence and to understand our relationship with God.

Sanatana-dharma is also different from what many people in the West have come to understand as dharma. Dharma is commonly understood as performing the duty of serving family and country. Sanatana, however, means “eternal, that which has neither beginning nor end.” Sanatana-dharma is the eternal occupation of the living entity. That eternal dharma is to serve God.

There are basically three schools of thought in Hinduism, the Vaishnavas, the Shaivites (followers of Siva and Shakti), and the impersonalists. According to Vaishnavas, there is only one God, but he may be known by different names. In the Christian religion he is known as Jehovah, the Muslims call him Allah, and the Vaishnavas call him Krishna or Vishnu. Shaivites believe that Siva is supreme; Impersonalists believe that everything is one, and that when they attain self-realization they will become one with God and become formless.

God can expand himself into unlimited forms. Avataras, or incarnations, are God directly. There are also servants of God called demigods—living beings who have been given the power to administer the universe. These demigods are sometimes worshiped as supreme, although they are actually only powerful living beings and not the Supreme Divinity in themselves. According to the Hindu pantheon, there are 33 million demigods, all of whom worship the Supreme Lord. Hindus worship demigods to obtain material benefits because the demigods administer various material facilities. After long worship, the worshipers usually receive their benediction, but the benediction is generally temporary.

Many people say that the gods of Hinduism were developed over a long period of time and were changed by people who migrated to India. Other people say that these gods are eternal and have been mentioned in the Vedas from time eternal. According to the Vedic scriptures the second conclusion is correct.

The Word Hindu
The word “Hindu” was first used by the Persians to refer to the people who lived on the southern side of the Sindus River (now known as the Indus River). The Sindus River divides what was at one time the Middle East (Persia and Afghanistan) and India (then known as Bharata). Because of problems in pronouncing the initial “s”, the river was called “Hindu,” so the people who lived on the other side of the Sindus River in India, were called Hindus. The name “Hindu” came to refer to both the people and their religion.

Nowadays, the word “Hindu” is used to describe worshipers of the Hindu gods—those who worship Vishnu, Krishna, Siva, Durga, and others. Their scriptures (sastra) are the Vedas.

The words “Hindu” and “Hinduism” are not mentioned in the Vedas and are not Sanskrit words. These words have never been used in any scripture or by any acharya or spiritual teacher. To indicate Vedic society, the scriptures use the word “aryan” or “sanatana-dharma.”

AUM/ OM
OM, or pranava, is the seed of transcendental realization, and it is composed of the three transcendental letters a-u-m. By chanting OM in conjunction with the breathing process—a transcendental but mechanical way of entering trance—as devised by experienced mystics, one is able to bring the mind, which is usually materially absorbed, under control.

OM is the seed of all transcendental sound, and only transcendental sound can bring about the desired change of the mind and the senses. OM is the direct, literal representation of the Supreme Absolute Truth. By chanting OM and controlling the breathing system, one is able to reach the ultimate state of the pranayama system of yoga and be fixed in samadhi (trance).

The sound of OM is eternal and goes beyond the conceptions of time. It is pronounced with a nasalized ending, a sound between an N and an M. OM is used to begin sacrifices, mediation, prayers, and before the performance of yoga.
To obtain the true benefit of this powerful mantra, one must chant it with full concentration. OM is the symbolic sound representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and OM.

These three symbolic representations are used by Brahmins while chanting Vedic hymns and during sacrifices performed for the satisfaction of the Supreme. In the Vedic hymns, the word OM is always present.

Hindu Trinity
There are three main Hindu gods: Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the maintainer, and Siva, the destroyer. There are also three modes of nature: passion, goodness, and ignorance. Passion is for creation, goodness for maintenance, and ignorance for destruction. Brahma is in charge of the mode of passion, Vishnu the mode of goodness, and Siva the mode of ignorance.

Worship
Most Hindus perform daily worship in their homes on a small altar. Often they set aside an entire room as a shrine and worship only in that room. They will place pictures of their family gods on the altar and offer their worship to the pictures. Often there are many pictures which may include Vishnu, Krishna, Siva, Ganesh, Lakshmi, Durga, Rama, and Hanuman. They may also have a deity form of one of the gods or a Siva-linga on the altar.

Worship is usually performed early in the morning and again in the evening. Most Hindus rise from bed before dawn to begin their worship.
A person engaged in home worship will perform arotik, which usually consists of offering incense, a lamp, and flowers. Other items may also be offered. Food is also offered to the different gods.

It is considered important for all Hindus to make regular visits to temples. A person may visit a temple every day or even several times a day. They may also visit several different temples in a day. Other people, especially those who live a good distance from a temple, may visit the temple only on festival days. Important festivals must be observed.

Mantra meditation or chanting the holy names of God is also considered worship. Devotees sing songs (bhajans) to glorify God.

The Vedas
The Vedas are written in Sanskrit, which is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) language in the world. Veda means “knowledge.”

According to the Bhavisya Purana, the Vedas includes the original four Vedas—Rig, Atharva, Yajur, and Sama—the Upanisads, the Mahabharata (which includes the Bhagavad-gita), the Pancaratna, the Ramayana, and the Puranas. Many scholars say that only the original four Vedas (Rig, Atharva, Yajur, and Sama) can be considered real Vedic literature. This is neither accepted by the Vedas themselves nor by the important Vedic teachers such as Sankara, Ramanuja, or Madhvacarya. The Chandogya Upanisad states that the Puranas and Itihasas (histories) are the fifth Veda.

The main criterion for a literature to be accepted as Vedic is that it must have the same purport and conclusion as the original Vedic scriptures. Any work that expands on the Vedic conclusion without changing its meaning can be accepted as Vedic.

The Vedic scriptures are vast. The Mahabharata has 110,000 couplets, the Rig Veda 1,017 hymns, and the eighteen main Puranas hundreds of thousands of verses. There are more than 108 Upanishads. The Upanisads are mainly dialogues between sages or between gods and sages to establish philosophical conclusions. They often contain stories.

Vedic literature provides knowledge of self-realization and liberation (moksha) from material bondage and suffering. It teaches that the material body is temporary and that one should not resign himself to this temporary and miserable world but try to find permanent happiness. This is done by serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is known in the Vedas as Krishna or Vishnu.

The Vedas are considered eternal. They do not come from any materially conditioned person but from the Supreme. They cannot be understood by logic or experimentation, as they are inconceivable. They must be understood by hearing from an authoritative source. The knowledge of the Vedas is considered complete and infallible.

Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad-gita presents the discussion between Krishna and Arjuna just prior to the famous Battle of Kurukshetra. Bhagavad-gita means “Song of God.” Early in the work, Arjuna accepts Krishna as his spiritual master after seeing his friends and relatives on the opposing side and losing his desire to fight. Sri Krishna begins his instructions to Arjuna, which present the conclusions of Vedic knowledge.

The Bhagavad-gita is considered the most important chapter of the Mahabharata, and it is the essence of its instructions. It consists of eighteen chapters and seven hundred verses. The battle of Kurukshetra, which lasted for eighteen days, was fought between the Pandavas and the Kauravas and their respective armies totally approximately five million men. Many scholars accept this battle as allegorical, but followers of Vedic culture believe the battle actually took place about five thousand years ago.

The Gita is like the “Bible” of India. It is the most popular book read by Hindus, and is studied by scholars around the world. Its first instruction is that we are not the body but eternal spirit soul temporarily encaged within the body. It concludes that the perfection of life is to totally surrender to God and to act according to His desire. Krishna says, “Always think of me, become my devotee, worship me and offer your homage unto me. Thus you will come to me without fail. I promise you this because you are my very dear friend.”

Bhagavad-gita is highly recommended reading for one who wants to understand the essence of the Vedic teachings.

Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is the most famous story in India. It was composed in Sanskrit by Veda Vyasadeva, and has 110,000 verses. Bharata is the old name for India. Maha-bharata therefore means the history of “Greater India.”

The Mahabharata is about the five sons of Maharaja Pandu—Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, and the events leading up to and following the Battle of Kurukshetra.
Two brothers, Pandu and Dhritarastra, were heirs to the throne of India. Dhritarastra, the older brother, was blind and thus disqualified. Pandu became king. When Pandu died, however, Dhritarastra’s eldest son, Duryodhana, claimed the throne over Pandu’s eldest son, Yudhisthira. Duryodhana was, after all, only disqualified due to his father’s blindness.

The five Pandavas, or sons of Pandu, were eventually forced into exile by Duryodhana’s intrigues. During this time, the five brothers married Draupadi, and had many adventures together, which led to their names becoming attached to many temples and places around India.

After a period of time, the Pandavas returned to the court and requested that their kingdom be returned. When Duryodhana refused, the Pandavas proposed that the kingdom be divided equally between the cousins. The court ministers convinced Duryodhana to agreed. The Kauravas (sons of Dhritarastra) got Hastinapur for their capital and the Pandavas got Indraprastha (now greater Delhi).

Eventually, Duryodhana devised a dice game in which the Pandavas were cheated of their entire kingdom, including their wife Draupadi. The Kauravas attempted to strip Draupadi in public, but Krishna protected her. The Pandavas then had to go into exile for twelve years in the forest and then live for one year incognito. During the thirteenth year, the Pandavas lived in the service of the King of Virata.

When their exile was over, the Pandavas returned and demanded that their kingdom be restored. Again Duryodhana refused. The Pandavas, hoping to avoid war, requested five villages to rule. Again Duryodhana refused. Ultimately, his refusal led to the battle at Kurukshetra (north of Delhi). It was just prior to this battle that the Bhagavad-gita was spoken.

While preparing for war, Arjuna and Duryodhana were given the choice of having either Krishna or Krishna’s army on their side. The only stipulation was that Krishna himself would not fight. Duryodhana chose Krishna’s army, and Arjuna happily chose Krishna. Krishna thus became Arjuna’s charioteer. On the morning of the first day of battle, Krishna recited to Arjuna the Bhagavad-gita.

The Kauravas side was at first commanded by Grandfather Bhisma, but he was eventually wounded during the battle. The battle lasted for eighteen days, and millions of soldiers were killed. Most of the Kauravas were killed in this battle. On the last day of battle, Bhima and Duryodhana fought a duel with clubs. After a vicious fight in which Bhima smashed Duryodhana thighs and won, the Pandavas won back their kingdom.

Yudhisthira was then crowned Emperor. Not long after the battle of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas renounced the kingdom and installed their grandson Pariksit on the throne. They then headed to the Himalayas to start their journey toward Heaven. Eventually, Yudhisthira was the only one to reach his goal, but upon reaching the heavenly kingdom, Yudhisthira insisted that his four brothers and Draupadi be admitted along with him.

Ramayana
This is the story of Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. There was once a king named Dasaratha who had three wives, Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi. Regrettably, he had no sons from any of his wives. Thus he performed a sacrifice by which to obtain a son, and from the sacrifice came a nectar for his wives to drink. Kausalya, the senior wife, was given half the nectar, and the other two were given the other half to share. Sumitra divided her share into two portions. After they drank the nectar, Kausalya gave birth to a son named Rama, Sumitra had the twins Laksman and Shatrughna, and Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata.

Rama later married Sita, the daughter of King Janaka. King Janaka organized a svayamvara, a competition to see who was qualified to marry his daughter. The winner had to string Lord Siva’s bow and hit a target. Only Rama was able to string the bow, what to speak of hit the target. As Rama was Lord Vishnu and Sita was Lakshmi, this marriage was predestined.

King Dasaratha decided to retire as King of Ayodhya and to crown Rama, his eldest son, king. On the eve of the coronation, Kaikeyi, Dasarath’s youngest wife, was convinced by her maid Mandara that Dasarath was trying to cheat Bharata out of the kingdom. Accordingly, she asked her husband to crown Bharata and exile to Rama to the forest for fourteen years. Dasaratha was unwillingly obliged to comply, as he had previously promised Kaikeyi that he would fulfill any desire as a gift for her having saved his life in the past.

In this way, Rama, along with his devoted wife, Sita, and his brother Laksman, went to the forest. Not long after Dasarath expired. When Bharata, who was away at the time, returned to Ayodhya, he did not wish to rule due to his affection for Rama. He followed Rama to the forest and begged him to return. Rama refused, however, in order to maintain his father’s promise. Bharata agreed to rule on Rama’s behalf, set Rama’s sandals on the throne, and lived a life of asceticism outside the city gates until Rama’s return.

While in the forest, Ravana, king of Lanka, kidnapped Sita and brought her to his kingdom. Rama and Laksman then went out to search for Sita. During this time they met Sugriva, the monkey king, and Hanuman, his minister. The devoted Hanuman eventually found Sita in Lanka. Rama and Laksman, along with the monkey army, attacked Lanka. After much fighting, the ten-headed Ravana was killed and Sita was recovered. Rama then returned to Ayodhya and assumed the throne.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 
The Srimad-Bhagavatam is also known as the xe "Bhagavata Purana" Bhagavat Purana. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and describes the history of various incarnations of Lord Vishnu and his devotees. It is made up of twelve books, 332 chapters, and 18,000 verses. According to Vaishnavas, the Srimad-Bhagavatam is the most important Purana because it directly discusses the glories of Lord Krishna. It was written by Veda Vyasadeva on the instruction of his guru, Narada Muni. It is a discourse in which Maharaja Pariksit, the last member of the Pandava dynasty, questions Sukadeva Goswami (the son of Veda Vyasadeva) about the purpose of life.

The Srimad-Bhagavatam describes stories about the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The tenth book deals in detail with the pastimes of Lord Krishna himself. The last book discusses Kali-yuga, the present age of quarrel, and the future.

Guru Parampara
Literally, guru means “heavy,” and the guru should be heavy with knowledge. The guru is the spiritual guide of his students. He initiates his students when he knows they are sincere, and gives them a mantra to chant. To achieve a mantra’s full effect, it should be received from a spiritual teacher. The true guru is considered the representative of God. He is always a pure servant of God; being a human being he can never become God.

The guru must come in a bona fide disciplic succession and have complete knowledge of the Absolute Truth. The faithful disciple becomes the next guru. His or her relationship, therefore, is not only with the guru but with the guru’s spiritual succession or unbroken chain of masters. This chain of disciplic succession is called sampradaya or parampara.

A true guru teaches by example. He must have renounced the four sinful activities: intoxication, gambling, illicit sex (sex outside of marriage), and meat-eating. He has to have control of his senses and of his speech.

Disciples must become humble servants of the guru. They must make following the guru’s instructions their life’xe "diksa-guru" s mission. The most important attributes of a disciple are faith, service, and submissive inquiry. The disciple should not serve a spiritual master blindly, but must also inquire from him about the ultimate solution to life’s problems and about the Absolute Truth. The disciple should also be careful to ensure that the guru practices what he preaches.

The secrets to the goal of life given by the bona fide guru are open to everyone regardless of caste, creed, or nationality, but they remain secrets unless the disciples has the sincerity and the honest desire to know the goal of life. To understand the goal of life, a disciple must follow regulations of purification assigned by the guru.

Four Main Schools of Thought and Markings of Different Sects
1. Vaishnavas, who worship Lord Vishnu and Krishna.
2. Shaivites, who worship Lord Siva.
3. Shaktas, who worship the goddess Durga or Kali.
4. Smartas, who worship five major deities: Vishnu, Siva, Shakti, Ganesh, and Surya, the sun-god.

Worshipers of Siva may also worship Ganesh and Karttikeya (Skanda), Siva’s sons. Shaktas may worship the many forms of Durga, such as Parvati or Kali. Durga is the most commonly worshiped form and has many temples of her own throughout India.

The different sects wear different markings on their foreheads, chests, and arms to identify to which sect they belong (the markings are applied also to sanctify the body). You can tell the difference between the sects by the forehead marks. Vertical marks mean devotees of Vishnu; horizontal marks indicate devotees of Siva. Siva’s devotees usually wear rudraksha beads around their necks, while devotees of Vishnu or Krishna wear tulasi beads.

Worshipers of Siva have two or more horizontal lines, with or without a dot above or below them. Also a crescent moon or a trident, Siva’s own markings, indicate a Shaivite. There may also be an oval or half-oval, said to symbolize Siva’s third eye.

Vaishnavas are divided into worshipers of Lord Krishna and his consort Radha, worshipers of Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi, and worshipers of Lord Rama and his consort Sita. Lord Krishna is often worshiped by himself or with Rukmini, his chief wife. Often Krishna and Vishnu are worshiped in temples alone, without their consorts. Often each type of worshiper has their own sectarian markings.

Deities of Ganesh or Karttikeya wear the marks of Siva on them. Krishna, Rama, Hanuman, and Indra have the marks of Vishnu on them. Brahma has the markings of both Vishnu and Siva on him.
These markings are made of tilaka (sacred clay), ashes from a sacred fire, cow dung, sandalwood, turmeric, or lime. They may be yellow, red, black, or ashen white.

Vaishnava Philosophy
Vaishnava philosophy accepts that there is only one God. He takes many names and forms in different religions. Christians call him Jehovah, Muslims, Allah, and Hindus, Vishnu or Krishna. According to Vaishnavas, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and all other gods and living entities are his servants. This is the essential difference between material life and spiritual life. Spiritual life means that God is the object of our service, and material life means our service is devoid of relationship with God.

A common misconception is that Krishna is an incarnation of Vishnu. Actually, Krishna is supreme. Even though Vishnu and Krishna are nondifferent, still, one expanded from the other. According to scripture, Vishnu is an expansion of Krishna. The analogy is that when one candle lights another, they both have the same potency, but one is always the original flame. Vishnu is the administrative form of Lord Krishna, who is always engaged in enjoying with his devotees.

Another common misconception is that God is ultimately formless. If one accepts that God is all-powerful, then why is he not powerful enough to be a person? Rather, it is seen that behind all energy a person is working. A common idea is that Lord Siva is supreme, but according to Vaishnava philosophy even Lord Siva, who is very powerful, is Vishnu’s servant. Also there is the misconception that there are many gods in Hinduism, but according to Vaishnava philosophy there is only one God, which is commonly accepted by most religions.

Karma
Karma refers to the scientific law of cause and effect. Whatever we do will come back to us at a later date, if not in this lifetime, in a future birth. From time immemorial, the individual soul has been acting in the material world and enjoying or suffering the reactions. His actions bring about his transmigration from one material body to another. Both pious and impious actions bind a person to this wheel of transmigration, because both piety and impiety create a reaction. Everyone creates their own karma out of their particular desires to enjoy this world in different ways. Neither God nor anyone else can be held responsible for our karma; we create our own destiny.

In one sense, all karma is bondage. Even pious activities bind a person to the material world. The goal of life is to be free from karma, and to therefore become free from the wheel of repeated birth and death. A person cannot become free from karma simply by renouncing activity. He or she must engage in transcendental activities—that is, by serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who will then intervene and free us from previous karmic reactions.

Reincarnation
Reincarnation refers to the science of repeated birth and death. The logic is that the soul is eternal and the body is temporary. When a person dies, only the body dies. The soul receives another body according to his or her karma. As a result of karma, a person may take birth in a wealthy family or in a family of insects. The Padma Purana states that there are 8,400,000 species of life. The Vedic conclusion does not agree with Darwin’s theory of evolution. According to the Vedas, all species were created simultaneously and did not evolve over a period of time. Rather, the soul evolves through each of them until it reaches the human form of life, when there is a chance to cultivate self-realization and become liberated.

Bhakti
Bhakti refers to the expression of love, service, and devotion to a personal God. The Bhagavad-gita presents bhakti-yoga as the highest process, and Arjuna is asked to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, without a motive other than love and without material consideration. Bhakti-yoga is opposed to the concept of becoming one with the Supreme. It is believed that service to God is eternal and that the individual soul is never equal to or becomes God. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Ramanujacharya, and Madhvacarya all taught the bhakti path as the most efficient means to reach God realization.

Mantra
A mantra is a Vedic hymn that causes the mind to meditate on a particular deity. A mantra is meant to be received by a bone fide guru if it is to have complete effect. The mantra can consist of only one word, such as OM (aum), or it can consist of multiple syllables or words. A mantra is usually repeated many times. Often one keeps track of the repetitions on beads. This practice is called japa. Japa is performed when a person constantly repeats a mantra so that only he or she can hear it. Sadhus may chant over a 100,000 names of God in a day. Great care much be taken to chant the mantra correctly and with attention if the practitioner wishes to receive the ultimate benefit the mantra offers.

Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider that by chanting the Lord’s holy names, specifically the mantra, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, one will attain transcendental devotion to God. It is considered that Krishna and his name are nondifferent.

Shaivites chant the mantra Om Namah Shivaya. Another famous mantra is Sree Ram Jaya Ram, Jaya Jaya Ram/ Sree Ram Jaya Ram, Jaya Jaya Ram.

The most famous mantras are the gayatri-mantra and OM (aum). There are many other mantras in Hinduism.

Shalagram-shilas
Shalagram-shilas are self-manifested Deities of Lord Vishnu or Krishna appearing as small stones. These stones are sold on the streets in Kathmandu and look like fossils. Shalagram-shilas are usually collected from the Gandhaki River in Nepal, near Muktinatha. They are often black or a dark color, and are round or oval. Brahmins usually worship Shalagram-shilas in their homes.

Siva Lingas
Siva is worshiped as a Siva-linga in temples. A Siva-linga is usually made of stone and has three parts. The base is square with an oval or octagonal platform, topped by a cylindrical, round stone. It is common to have a temple of Siva without a form of Siva, but to simply worship a linga.

The linga may either be carved or natural. The natural lingas are usually collected from a riverbed, often the Krishna River in South India. A Siva-linga is bathed, offered flower garlands, covered with milk, and offered food as part of the worship. A Siva-linga may be chala (movable) or achala (immovable). A chala linga may be in a house, carried, or sometimes worn around the neck. The achala lingas are installed in temples.

Lord Siva is worshiped as five element lingas at five different major temples in South India:

1. Sky or space (ether), Akash-linga, in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu.
2. Water, Appu-linga, at the Jambu-keswaram temple near Tiruchirappalli (Trichy), Tamil Nadu.
3. Fire, Agni-linga, at the Arunachaleswar Temple, in Tiruvan­namalai, Tamil Nadu.
4. Earth, Prithvi-linga, in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, or some say Gokarna, Karnataka.
5.  Air, Vayu-linga, in Sri Kalahasti, Andhra Pradesh.

Siva Jyotirlingas
There are also twelve Siva Jyotirlingas, which are symbols of creation and power. They are said to be self-manifested. Temples where they are installed are considered important.

1. Sri Somnath in Somnath, Gujarat
2. Sri Mallikarjuna in Srisailam Hill, Andhra Pradesh
3. Sri Mahakaleswara in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
4. Sri Omkareswar, bank of the Narmada River, Madhya Pradesh
5. Sri Vaidyanatha in Chitabhumi (Deoghar), near Patna, Bihar
6. Sri Nageswara near Dwarka, Gujarat
7. Sri Viswanatha in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
8. Sri Bhima Sankara in Mahabaleswara, Maharashtra
9. Sri Rameswara in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
10. Sri Trimbakeswara near Nasik, Maharashtra
11. Sri Kedarnath in the Himalayas, Uttar Pradesh
12. Sri Ghrisneswara in Sivalaya near the Ellora Caves, Maharashtra

Holy Places
There are thousands of holy places throughout India. Some have more spiritual significance than others, and the benefits and spiritual advancement a person can receive when making a pilgrimage is relative to the place. Faithful Hindus visit holy places to perfect their spiritual realization.

There are four xe "dhamas, four main"dhamas or kingdoms of God: Badrinath, Rameswaram, Puri, and Dwarka. Each represents a planet in the spiritual sky. The spiritual sky consists of the brahmajyoti (the efflugence around God’s body, the light into which yogis seeking liberation desire to merge) and the Vaikunthas (spiritual planets).
There are seven sacred cities known as the Saptapuris (Mokshapuris): Ayodhya, Mathura, Mayapuri (Haridwar), Kashi (Varanasi), Kanchi (Kanchipuram), Avantipuri (Ujjain), and Dwarka. The seven most sacred rivers are the Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, and Kaveri. There are four Kumbha-melas, located at Allahabad, Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nasik.

There are eight self-manifested holy places (Svayam Vyakta Ksetras) out of a list of 108 major Vishnu temples (108 Vaishnava Divya Desams): Sri Rangam, Tirumala, Sri Mushnam, and Thotadri in South India; Shalagram, Pushkar, Naimisaranya, and Badrinath in North India.
The most important holy places for Gaudiya Vaishnavas are Vrindavan, Mathura, Puri, and Mayapur. Other important holy places are Dwarka, Ayodhya, Kurukshetra, Naimisaranya, Nasik, Ujjain, Rameswaram, Gaya, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Varanasi, and Prayag. Vrindavan and Mathura are important because Lord Krishna appeared and performed his childhood pastimes there. Dwarka is important because Lord Krishna lived there later and performed many pastimes there.

The Himalayas are considered a holy mountain range. The Himalaya Range is about 2,500 km long and 350 km wide, and there are hundreds of peaks over 6000m (20,000 ft) high.

On Chanting Hare Krishna
Chanting the transcendental vibration Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the sublime method for reviving our transcendental consciousness, or Krishna consciousness. As living spiritual souls, we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere, called maya, or illusion. And what is this illusion? The illusion is that we are all trying to be lords of material nature, while actually we are under the grip of her stringent laws. When a servant artificially tries to imitate the all-powerful master, he is said to be in illusion. We are trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more dependent on her. This illusory struggle against material nature can be stopped at once by revival of our eternal Krishna consciousness.

Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear and chant the transcendental vibration Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, this consciousness is revived. This simplest method of meditation is recommended by learned authorities for this age. By practical experience also, one can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chant for Deliverance, one at once feels transcendental ecstasy coming through from the spiritual stratum.

In the material concept of life we are busy in the matter of sense gratification, as if we were in the lower, animal stage. A little elevated from this status of sense gratification, one engages in mental speculation for the purpose of getting out of the material clutches. A little elevated from this speculative status, when one is intelligent enough, one tries to find out the supreme cause of all causes, within and without. And when one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind, and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane. The chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra is directly enacted from this spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness—namely sensual, mental, and intellectual.

There is no need, therefore, to understand the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of any mental speculation or intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and thus anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification and dance in ecstasy. We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting and dancing. Of course, for one who is too much entangled in material life, it takes a little more time to come to the standard point, but even such a materially engrossed person is very quickly raised to the spiritual platform. When the mantra is chanted by a pure devotee of the Lord, it has the greatest effect on hearers, and therefore this chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of nondevotees should be avoided, just as one would avoid milk touched by the lips of a serpent because it has poisonous effects.

The Hara is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krishna and Rama (when mean “the highest pleasure eternal”) are forms of addressing the Lord Himself. Hara is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, and when addressed as Hare in the vocative, She helps us to reach the Supreme Lord.

The material energy, called maya, is also one of the multienergies of the Lord, and we, the living entitles, are the marginal energy of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to the material energy. When this superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises, but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the spiritual energy, Hara, the living entity is established in his happy, normal condition.

These three words, namely Hare, Krishna, and Rama, are the transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra. The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy Hara to protect the conditional soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the grace of the Supreme Father, Hari or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely.

Therefore no other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy as the chanting of the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare.

Bhagavad Gita Verses
2-12 Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all the kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.
2-13 As the embodies soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.
2-14 The nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
2-15 The person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both in certainly eligible for liberation.
2-17 That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul.
2-20 For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.
2-21 As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.
2-58 One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.
2-62 While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.
2-63 From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool.
3-9 Work done as a sacrifice for Vishnu has to be performed; otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. There, O son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage.
3-37 It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of the world.
4-5 Sri Krishna said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot.
4-6 Although I am unborn and My transcendental body never deteriorates, and although I am the Lord of all living entities, I still appear in every millennium in My original transcendental form.
4-7 Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descent myself.
4-8 To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I Myself appear, millennium after millennium.
5-10 One who performs his duty without attachment, surrendering the results unto the Supreme Lord, is unaffected by sinful action, as the lotus leaf is untouched by water.
5-18 The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brahman, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater (outcaste). 
5-28 A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.
6-47 And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me—he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.
7-3 Out of many thousands of men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.
7-8 I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable OM in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.
7-19 After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is.
8-7 Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you will attain Me without doubt.
8-16 From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.
9-26 If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.
9-27 Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform—do that as an offering to Me.
9-29 I envy no one, nor am a I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.
10-8 I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hears.
12-5 For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.
15-7 The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.
15-15  I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.
15-19 Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is the knower of everything.
18-51-53 Being purified by his intelligence and controlling the mind with determination, giving up the objects of sense gratification, being freed from attachment and hatred, one who lives in a secluded place, who eats little, who controls his body, mind and power of speech, who is always in trance and who detached, free from false ego, false strengths, false pride, lust, anger, and acceptance of material things, free from false proprietorship, and peaceful—such a person is certainly elevated to the position of self-realization.
18-55 One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.
18-65 Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me, and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.
18-66 Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me, I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.

Christianity
There are about twenty-four million Christians in India, most of whom live in the south. About half the Christians in India belong to the Roman Catholic Church, and the balance are Protestant members of the Churches of South and North India. One-third of the population of Goa and one-fourth of Kerala are Christian. Christianity is a majority in the small states of Nagaland and Mizoram, in northeast India.

St Thomas the Apostle is believed to have come to India in 54 AD, about twenty years after Christ was crucified. He also went to China on missionary work. It is believed that he was killed in 72 AD in Mylapore, in south Chennai, and that he is buried there.

Syrian Christians are believed to have come to India in the 6th century. They live mainly in Kerala. The Portuguese made an attempt to convert all the residents of Goa to Catholicism. St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit, came to Goa in 1542.

Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism was founded in Persia by the prophet Zarathustra around the 17th or 16th century BC (some say much later). He was from Mazar-i-Sharif, which is now in Afghanistan. At one time, Zoroastrianism was a major religion in the Middle East. Now followers of Zoroastrianism are found only in Mumbai in India, Karachi in Pakistan, and Shiraz in Iran. Its followers are known as Parsis.

There are about 100,000 Parsis in India; most live in Mumbai. The first Parsis arrived in India in 936 AD in Gujarat. They have a lot of influence in India because some of them are wealthy. Their numbers are continually decreasing in India because they do not believe in marriage outside their religion. When a mixed marriage does occur, the children are not considered Parsis.
They believe that there is an invisible and omnipotent God called Ahura Mazda. Their Scripture is the Zend-Avesta, which describes the struggle between good and evil. Good defeats evil by following the principles of humata (good thoughts), hukta (good words), and huvarshta (good activities).

Parsis wear a sacred thread (kasti) and a sacred shirt (sadra). They worship fire as God’s representative in their temples. There are eight main fire temples in India—four in Mumbai and one each in Udwada and Navsari, and two in Surat. Only Parsis can enter their temples. They do not bury or cremate their dead because this pollutes the elements consisting of fire, air, water, or earth. They leave the bodies of their dead on the “Tower of Silence,” where they are eaten by vultures.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides