Vedic Culture / Hinduism

Basics of Vedic culture / Hinduism and its philosophy.

1. The Vedic Tradition of Hinduism is more than a religion, but a way of life, a complete philosophy.

2. It is based on Universal Spiritual Truths that can be applied to anyone at any time.

3. It is called Sanatana-Dharma, the eternal nature of the soul.

4. It recognizes that there is one Supreme Being with no beginning or end, the all in all, the unlimited Absolute Truth, which can expand into many forms.

5. That Supreme Being is found in the spiritual realm but also lives in the heart of all living beings.

6. The Vedic tradition recognizes that the individual soul is eternal, beyond the limitations of the body, and that one soul is no different than another.

7. The soul undergoes its own karma, the law of cause and effect, by which each person creates his own destiny based on his thought, words, and deeds. The soul undergoes this karma in the rounds of reincarnation.

8. The soul incarnates through different forms (called samsara or reincarnation) until it reaches liberation (moksha) from the repetition of birth and death, and attains its natural position in the spiritual domain.

9. The Vedic path is based on regaining our natural spiritual identity.

10. It has a complete library of ancient texts, known as the Vedic literature, that explain these truths and the reasons for the tradition.

11. This Vedic literature is considered to be non-ordinary books that are the basis of the Vedic system. Some of these have been given or spoken by God, and others were composed by sages in their deepest superconscious state in which they were able to give revelations of Universal Truths while in meditation on the Supreme.

12. The Vedic path offers personal freedom for one to make his own choice of how he or she wants to pursue their spiritual approach, and what level of the Absolute Truth he or she wishes to understand. This is spiritual democracy and freedom from tyranny.

13. The Vedic path consists of ten general rules of moral conduct. There are five for inner purity, called the Yamas–truthfulness, ahimsa or non-injury to others, and treating all beings with respect, no cheating or stealing, celibacy, and no selfish accumulation of resources for one’s own purpose. The five rules of conduct for external purification are the niyamas–cleanliness, austerity, perseverance, the study of the Vedas, and acceptance of the Supreme Being.

14. There are also ten qualities that are the basis of dharmic (righteous) life. These are dhriti (firmness or fortitude), kshama (forgiveness), dama (self-control), asteya (refraining from stealing or dishonesty), shauch (purity), indriya nigraha (control over the senses), dhih (intellect), vidya (knowledge), satyam (truth) and akrodhah (absence of anger).