Essence of Hinduism - Sanātan Dharma Explained - Summary

THE REAL SELF: The Vedas teach that the unchanging Atma (soul) within the body is the true self. The body is material, while the Atma is spiritual and immortal like God.

SIZE AND LOCATION OF SOUL: Although the soul is situated in the heart region, it spreads its consciousness throughout the body.

DESTINATION OF THE SOUL AFTER DEATH: God, who is all-knowing, resides with the soul, keeps an account of its karma, and gives the results. Upon death, the soul is reborn according to its karma, potentially in any of 8.4 million life forms.

BODILY HAPPINESS CANNOT SATISFY SOUL: The soul is divine and a fragment of God, seeking the ultimate form of happiness only from Him. Understanding this leads us to make God-realisation the goal of our lives, as taught by Vedic scriptures and world religions.

MANY NAMES OF ONE GOD: The world's creator is one, known by many names. All religions worship the same all-powerful God; quarrels arise from misunderstanding.

CAN GOD HAVE A FORM? God is perfect and complete, formless and possessing forms. Similarly, the soul is formless, yet God accords it one of the 8.4 million life forms at any point. If souls can take forms, can the all-powerful God not assume a form if He so wishes?

THE CELESTIAL GODS: People worship celestial gods for material rewards, but these gods cannot grant liberation or God-realization. Any material benefits they bestow come from powers given by God.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING OUR GOAL: Other species have enough knowledge to survive, but humans have the power of knowledge and mind control, allowing them to decide and pursue their life goals.

THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS: Everyone's goal is happiness, and all our activities aim to achieve it.

THE WAY TO ATTAIN PERFECT HAPPINESS: Our soul seeks eternal and unlimited happiness, which is the bliss of God. This desire for bliss is fulfilled only when we attain God.

IMPORTANCE AND HISTORY OF VEDAS: The Vedas are divine knowledge that God reveals to Brahma at creation. This knowledge is passed down orally from Guru to disciple. About 5000 years ago, Sage Ved Vyas, an avatar of God, wrote it down.

OTHER VEDIC SCRIPTURES: These scriptures, especially the Itihas and Puranas, do not deviate from the Vedas but elaborate and explain their meaning.

SMRITI TEXTS: The Puranas and Itihas are parts of the Smriti texts, containing knowledge revealed in the heart of sages by God and who then wrote it down. Since the sages remembered the knowledge upon God’s inspiration, these scriptures are called Smriti.

THE NEED FOR A GURU: The many scriptures contain sublime knowledge that is difficult to comprehend alone. Their complexities can easily baffle unguided readers. Therefore, the Vedic scriptures advise studying them under the guidance of a spiritual master or Guru.

KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO LOVE: Understanding God's greatness, power, and glory leads to natural faith, fostering love.

KNOW GOD THROUGH HIS GRACE: Our material senses, mind, and intellect cannot know God by themselves. When God bestows His grace, He imparts divine power to them, allowing us to see, hear, know, and attain Him.

WE HAVE THE FREE WILL TO ACT: God grants us the energy for actions and the freedom to use it as we wish. This free will allows us to make our own choices.

DESTINY vs SELF-EFFORT: The three types of karma are:
1. Sañchit Karmas: Accumulated from countless lifetimes, forming a stockpile that God tracks.
2. Prārabdh Karmas: A portion of sañchit karmas assigned at birth to be experienced in the current life, fixed and unchangeable.
3. Kriyamāṇ Karmas: Actions performed in the present life based on free will, which can be changed.
The Prārabdh is predetermined, but Kriyamāṇ is not. It is in our hands and can be changed as we wish.

WE MUST BECOME DESERVING OF GOD’s GRACE: God is causelessly merciful and is ready to bestow His grace, but it can only be received when we prepare and cleanse our hearts as a suitable vessel.

GOD IS PERFECTLY FAIR: God is just and unbiased, administering the world based on His laws. If He dispensed grace whimsically, it would undermine faith in Him.

THE CONDITION FOR GOD’S GRACE: God says that his eternal law is simple: Those who surrender to Him will receive His Grace.

THE NATURE OF SURRENDER TO GOD: If we can perfect these 6 points of surrender in ourselves, we will fulfil God’s Condition, and He will bestow his Grace:
1. To desire only in accordance with the desire of God.
2. NOT to desire against the desire of God.
3. To have firm faith that He's protecting us.
4. To keep an attitude of gratitude toward God.
5. To see everything we possess as belonging to Him.
6. To give up the pride of having surrendered.

THE IGNORANCE WITHIN US: Our negative emotions like anger, greed, and envy indicate our ignorance. The Vedic scriptures hold immense divine knowledge but are complex. Therefore, we rely on a Guru to understand their meaning.

THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A GURU: A Guru is someone who excels in both theoretical knowledge and practical realization. Free from personal desires, the Guru aligns his will with God’s, serving as a divine instrument to uplift souls.

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF GURU: A true Guru can cure our ignorance if we follow his instructions. We must learn the secrets of the scriptures from a true Guru and act accordingly to perfect our surrender to God.

CULTIVATE THE GARDEN OF YOUR MIND: The mind, like a garden, can produce inspiring thoughts and noble feelings if carefully tended. By planting positive thoughts and removing negative ones, the mind can develop a heroic character and achieve great things in life.

YOU ARE WHERE YOUR MIND IS: A trained mind can find bliss even in adverse situations, while an uncontrolled mind can create misery even in luxury. Hence, effectively, we are where our mind is.

HOW TO CONTROL THE MIND: The mind, being made of material energy, can only be controlled by overcoming Maya, which is God’s energy. Since this troubling material energy is subservient to God, the way to conquer the mind is by surrendering to God.

DUTIES IN LIFE: Everyone has duties that help regulate the mind and intellect. Hinduism divides these into:
1. Spiritual duties: Duties toward God, known as Bhakti, which purify us.
2. Social duties: Responsibilities toward family, society, and nation, ensuring responsible behaviour.

THE RITUALISTIC CEREMONIES: Karm Kand, or ritualistic ceremonies, are part of social duties that help purify the mind. While few can meditate on God directly, most people need external rituals to engage their minds positively.

KARM YOG: In Karm Yog, we strive to feel God’s presence as our protector and witness, performing all actions for His pleasure.

THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge gives great power, and the person with superior knowledge can accomplish in a few days what would take others years to achieve.

THEORETICAL AND REALIZED KNOWLEDGE: Theoretical knowledge in spirituality involves reading or memorising scriptures without practising. Practical realisation occurs when one surrenders to God and gains personal experience through His grace. This realisation fosters humility by revealing one’s defects and the journey ahead.

JNANA YOG: Jnana Yog is a spiritual path aimed at self-realisation. Although the Jnani ultimately attains God through Bhakti, the journey is challenging because much of it relies on self-effort without God’s grace.

ASHTANG YOG: Ashtang Yog develops the personality on multiple levels but relies on self-effort, which is insufficient to control the mind without God’s grace. Adding Bhakti leads to true union with God.

DEVOTION TO GOD IS THE NATURE OF THE SOUL: The soul, being an essential part of God, is naturally inclined to serve Him. Through this service, the soul attains divine knowledge, love, and bliss, fulfilling its eternal longing.

WHAT IS BHAKTI: Just as love inspires us to make others happy, bhakti is the desire to serve and glorify God. It can be practised anywhere, anytime, through any action, and with any offering.

BHAKTI WAS THE BASIS OF THE INDIAN SOCIETY: Ancient India was a God-centered society where arts and science were a means to glorify God. Rooted in spirituality and God-consciousness, it was considered the pinnacle of human civilisation for many centuries. However, this greatness declined when India came under foreign rule.

BRAHMAN: In this omnipresent aspect, God is everywhere in creation but does not manifest His forms, virtues, or pastimes. He is merely existent, full of eternality, knowledge and bliss. The path of Jnana Yoga leads to the realisation of God as the all-pervading, formless Brahman.

PARAMATMA: Paramatma is the manifestation of God seated in everyone’s hearts, possessing a form and virtues. He observes all thoughts and actions, keeps an account, and provides results at the appropriate time without displaying pastimes. The path of Ashtang Yoga leads to the realisation of Paramatma.

BHAGAVAN: Bhagavan is the personal form of God, manifesting all His names, forms, qualities, abodes, pastimes, and associates. While these aspects exist in Brahman and Paramatma, they remain latent. In the form of Bhagavan, all the powers and aspects of God’s personality that are latent in other forms manifest.

THE BLISS OF THE PERSONAL FORM OF GOD: The highest bliss, called Premanand, is attained from God’s personal forms as Bhagavan. It is far sweeter than the bliss of His formless Brahman aspect. Worshipping the personal form of God is much easier and more blissful due to the variety of His attributes, making devotion simpler and much easier.

THE POWER OF DIVINE LOVE: The highest branch of Yogmaya is the power of divine love, which is God’s most extraordinary power. It is so special that God feels obliged to serve a devotee who possesses divine love.

LEELAS OF VEDIC SCRIPTURES: Many pastimes reveal how God forgets His almightiness before His devotees. He becomes their friend, child and even beloved. These leelas are described in the Vedic scriptures, one of the many features that make Hinduism unique.

THE GREATEST TREASURE WE CAN POSSESS: Divine love is so powerful that God joyfully serves those who possess it. This love surpasses all worldly treasures, which are insignificant in comparison. Unlike material wealth, divine love accompanies us even after death.

OUR ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: God is a selfless friend who, being perfect and complete, needs nothing from us. So, He always acts for our welfare and benefit.

GOD’S GRACE COMES IN MANY WAYS: Hard times prepare us for the future, with obstacles serving as God’s way of helping us grow. Each struggle strengthens us, turning what seems like a bad destiny into opportunities for growth and closeness to God.

COMING CLOSER TO GOD: God is our eternal relative, but we have forgotten him. So, it will require some effort on our part to recollect that relationship. That is what Sadhan-bhakti will help us achieve.

DO NOT ASK GOD FOR WORLDLY THINGS: To purify our mind, we should avoid asking God for worldly things. True devotion, which focuses on spiritual rather than material desires, will cleanse the mind. God provides not what we desire but what we deserve.

SEEK GOD AND ALL ELSE WILL BE ADDED: Selfish love for God leads to fluctuating devotion, while selfless love results in steadily increasing devotion. Focusing on worldly goals prevents us from attaining God, but making God our goal grants us His knowledge, love, and bliss.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUSINESS AND LOVE: Selfless love differs from business because it focuses on giving without expecting anything in return. When love is motivated by a desire to receive, it becomes a transaction rather than true love.

THE NEED FOR REGULAR PRACTICE: Spiritual progress requires daily devotion, not just on special occasions. Regular practice strengthens our attachment to God and builds spiritual strength.

THE PRINCIPLE BEHIND DEITY WORSHIP: Loving an abstract concept like white light is challenging because it doesn’t organically attract the mind. Since God is omnipresent, He is also present in His deity. This presence makes it easier for devotees to think of and love Him as He reciprocates their love.

THE IMPORTANCE OF KIRTAN: Kirtan is a powerful way to bring divine thoughts to mind. It involves chanting God's names and virtues, listening attentively, and deeply reflecting on His presence through the Holy Name.

VARIOUS TECHNIQUES OF MEDITATION: Mechanical meditation techniques, focusing on the breath or specific body parts, don't address mental purification. As long as negative emotions like lust, anger, and greed remain, they disrupt concentration. Additionally, these methods aim to stop thoughts and create a void, which is unnatural and challenging for the mind.

ADVANTAGES OF MEDITATING UPON GOD: Meditating on God is easy and pleasant because the mind naturally seeks attractive forms and sensations. God’s blissful forms provide ideal subjects for meditation. Most importantly, God’s purity helps purify the mind when we focus on Him.

ROOP DHYAN: Roop Dhyan involves meditating on God’s form by visualising it with closed eyes. This attractive form provides the mind with a focal point, helping it stabilise and fill with loving thoughts of God.

INCREASE YOUR LONGING TO MEET SHREE KRISHNA: Meditating on God’s names, forms, virtues, pastimes, abodes, and devotees purifies the mind, increasing our longing for Radha-Krishna. This longing further purifies the mind, creating a cycle that ultimately leads to receiving divine love for God through the grace of God and Guru.