A Religion of Experience

Still, Hinduism is also extremely sectarian, altogether adamant in its beliefs. Its doctrines of karma and reincarnation, its philosophy of nonviolence and compassion, its certainty of mystical realities and experience and its universality are held with unshakable conviction. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Hinduism is a religion more of experience that of doctrine. IT prefers to say to its followers, "This is the nature of Trught, and these are the means by which that Trught may be realized. Here are the traditions which have withstood time and proved most effective. Now you may test them in your own life and proved most effective. Now you may test them in you own life, prove them to yourself. And we will help as we can. Hinduism will never say, "You must do or believe or be condemned." That loving accceptance adn unremitting faith in the goodness of life is another reason I boldly say that Hinduism is the greatest religion in the world.

Within Hinduism, as within every religious system, are the practical means of attaining the purity, the knowledge and the serenity of life. Each Hindu enjoyed to attend a puja every day, preferably at a certain and consistent time. He must observe the laws of virtue and the codes of ethics. He must serve others, support religion within his community. He should occasionally pilgrimage to sacred shrines and temples and partake in the sacraments. If he is more advanced, an older soul, then he is expected, expects of himself, to undertake certain forms of sadhana and tapas, of discipline and asceticism.

Though it is broad and open in the freedom of the mind to inquire, Hinduism is narrowly strict in its expectations of devotees- the more awakened the soul, the higher the demands and responsibilities placed upon him. And though other systems of belief are fully acceptable mind structures of the higher mind, there is no way out of Hinduism. There is no excommunication. There is no means of severance. There's no leaving Hinduism once you have formally accepted and been accepted. Why is that? That is because Hinduism contains the whole of religions within itself. There is no other religion which can adopt by leaving Hinduism, only other aspects of the one religions which is the sum of them all, the eternal path, the Sanatana Dharma.

I would say that, if it lacked all the qualities of open-mindedness and compassion and tolerance just mentioned, Hinduism would be the greatest religion on the basis of its profound mysticism alone. No other faith boasts such a deep and enduring comprehension of the mysteries of existence, or possesses so vast a metaphysical system. The storehouse of religious revelations in Hinduism cannot be reckoned. I know of its equal nowhere. It contains the entire system of yoga, of meditation and contemplation and self realization. Nowhere else is there such insightful revelation of the inner bodies of man, the subtle pranas and the chakras, or psychic centers within the nerve system. Inner states of super-consciousness are explored and mapped fully in Hinduism, from the clear white light of the sights and sounds which flood the awakened inner consciousness of man. In he West it is the mystically awakened should who is drawn to Hinduism for understanding of inner stated of consciousness, discovering after ardent seeking that Hinduism possesses answers which do not exists elsewhere and is capable of guiding awareness into ever-deepening mind strata.