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Home > Kerala Temples > Introduction to Kerala Temples > Religious Background Religious BackgroundThere is no authentic evidence as to how religion originated. It might have probably developed from man’s conviction on the existence of some forces which were more powerful than himself. The belief in supernatural cause and effect might have been the result of experiences coinciding with the vicissitudes of nature. The Hindu theory states that at each cycle of creation there are two types of people viz. highly evolved souls and primitive people, and it is believed that the former are responsible for the establishment of religion. Religion, as defined in Vedaantha, is a super sensual knowledge but not a supernatural revelation. To quote the words of Swami Vivekananda. “Religion deals with truths of the metaphysical world just as chemistry and the other natural sciences deal with truths of the physical world. The book one must read to learn chemistry is the book of nature. The book from which to learn religion is your own mind and heart. The sage is often ignorant of physical science, because he reads the wrong book – the book within; and the scientist is too often ignorant of the religion, because he too reads the wrong book the book without………. The greatest of all training is to worship God alone. If each man chose his own ideal and stuckto it, all religious controversy would vanish…” Swamiji continued “There mountains stand as typical of progress – the Himalayas of Indo-Aryan, Sinai of Hebrew, and Olympus of Greek civilization. When the Aryans reached India, they found the climate so hot that they would not work incessantly, so they began to think; thus they became introspective and developed religion. They discovered that there was no limit to the power of mind; they therefore sought to master that; and through it they learnt that there was something infinite coiled up in the frame we call man, which was seeking to become kinetic. To evolve this became their chief aim. Another branch of Aryans went in to the smaller and more picturesque country of Greece, where the climate and natural conditions were more favourable; so their activity turned outwards, and they developed the external arts and outward liberty. The Greek sought political liberty. The Hindu has always sought spiritual liberty. Both are one sided. The Indian cares not enough for national protection or patriotism, he will defend only his religion; while with the Greek and in Europe (where the Greek civilization finds its continuation) the country comes first. To care only for spiritual liberty and not for social liberty is defect, but the opposite is a still greater defect. Liberty of both soul and body is to be striven for.” There is yet another view held by some historians that even prior to Aryan immigration India had a rich spiritual heritage. Whatever be the mode of this evolution the country still continues to be the land of spirituality. Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion. It predates the recorded history and has no human founder. Being a vast and profound religion it dictates to worship one supreme reality and believes that all souls ultimately realize truth. It follows many spiritual paths from pure monism (i.e., God alone exists) to theistic dualism (i.e., when shall I know his grace). The cardinal Hindu beliefs are summarized below: 1. There is only one, all pervasive supreme being, who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest reality. 2. The universe undergoes endless cycles of creation (Srishti), preservation (sthhithi) and dissolution (Samhaara) i.e there used to be no beginning to creation and no end, it is infinite and eternal. 3. The law of cause and effect known as karma is important by which every person creates his own destiny by his thought, words and deeds. Till all karmas have been resolved and the ultimate truth (moksha) is attained every soul has to reincarnate through birth. There is no exception to this. 4. Personal discipline, good conduct, purification, self inquiry and meditation are essential pre-requisites to know the Transcendent Absolute. To achieve this ‘absolute’ a spiritually awakened master (Sath Guru) is required besides following at the initial stages rituals, sacraments, personal devotions, temple worship etc. However, every soul is free to find his own way either by austerity, meditation or selfless service. 5. All religious paths are facets of God’s pure love and light and deserving tolerance and understanding. In a nutshell, Hinduism is a mystical religion leading every devotee to personally experience the ultimate truth within and to reach the pinnacle of conscientiousness where man and God are one.
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