India is a country of diversity
Diversity of all kinds: religion, language, color and appearance of people, food, climate of different regions, art and culture and every aspect of life.
Spirituality is the Ethos of India
From Kashmir in north to Kanyakumari at the southern tip of India and from Bhuj in the west to Shillong in the east every aspect of the country and life of the people is different. With all these differences the people of the subcontinent has for centuries lived as Indians. Differences in religion and language have from time to time caused discord and strife in different regions. But the people in general are proud to call themselves as Indians.
The diversity of India would seem to be its strength and cohesive factor. A Malayali of Kerala in the south is so much different from his counterpart in Punjab or Kashmir in the north. They have their individual Ethos but the Indian Ethos envelopes people of all regions and sections and prevail over the differences.
The majority population is of the Hindu faith. The Hindu faith is one, which has evolved over a span of several centuries. Hinduism is in fact a way of living as practiced by the people who lived in the Indus valley in ancient times. The Hindu scriptures known as Vedas and Upanishads originated several centuries before Christ.
Though Hindus are believed to be idol worshippers, in actual fact the idols represent only symbols which are necessary for the ordinary people to relate to a higher being, an almighty God. The great philosopher, thinker and poet Shankaracharya of Kaladi of 8th century BC, has propounded the theory of "Adwaita", which means non-dualistic. In simple terms God and soul (or Self) are one and the same. There is no separate existence of soul. Everything in this Universe, which are known, or unknown to us are all God manifestations.
God is omnipotent and resides everywhere and in everything. God is immortal and changeless. God is incomprehensible. You can neither feel nor see Him. But his presence is everywhere. God is present in the spark of life, in the heat and light of Fire. One can only realize him through introspection and meditation.
The purpose of taking birth in this world is to realize God. This life is precious because only the human intellect can realize God and one's true state. The Hindu belief is that death is not the end of life and that there is life after death. Until one reaches true realization of the self, cycle of birth and death continues.
When one realizes self, one attains release from the cycle of birth and death and becomes one with God.
The cycle of birth and death repeats because of the actions or "Karma" of the individual. Soul, or the Self, God, is inert, does not have qualities discernable to us. God is formless and infinite. It is like space. Like space or air it is inside and outside a vessel or a container. Soul is the spark of life and when it leaves the body the man is dead.
All living beings are born with certain inherent qualities, depending on ones actions or "Karma" in the previous life. These qualities more or less direct one's destiny. But once born, the humans unlike the beasts can use their intellect and modify their destiny through Karma. The quality of the Karma in the present life will mould the qualities for the next birth. This somewhat explains why the rewards of action are different for different persons.
Body, mind and intellect are the three main aspects of human beings. Ones desires arise from tendencies termed as "Vasnas" in Sanskrit, accumulated from previous lives. These desires are in one's mind and one's actions are dictated by the Vasnas and controlled by the intellect. If actions are performed without any control by the intellect, the intensity of the Vasnas increase and he will want to go on indulging in the same actions until his body can no more do these. If actions are undertaken with understanding and moderation it will help exhaust the Vasnas and the person will become more spiritual. Actions, if performed with a sense of duty and devotion will help reduce desires. The ultimate state of spirituality is not to have any desires at all. For the spiritual person there is no sorrow or happiness. His actions are dispassionate and he is not worried about the rewards for his actions.
When a person conducts his life without passionate desires he becomes relieved of the worries of success or failure. He becomes a spiritual person. A spiritual person is one who has no selfish interest in his actions or rewards. His work will be for the good of society at large and his outlook will gradually become universal.
A spiritual person is not worried about his welfare, his actions are as dictated by his "Dharma" and duty. He is not bound by anxiety for reward for himself. As a person becomes more and more spiritual he cares less and less for material comforts in life. He is a rich person whose needs are not many! Even while doing things his mind will be fixed on God, which is within him.
A person who realizes God, that is the one who gets a glimpse of his own soul (the Self) becomes the knower of every thing. He will want to know nothing more as his knowledge is complete. He becomes ecstatic and forgets the world around him and even himself and his body. A fully realized person is God himself.
Our spiritual state depends on our previous life too. If one is born with Satwic Vasnas he will tend to be more spiritual and he may reach Godhead more easily. The accumulated Vasnas of the previous lives is the logical explanation for pronounced inherent characteristics that are sometimes seen in small children. Valmiki who wrote the Hindu epic Ramayana was a hunter. Gautam Buddha, a prince, who grew up in the lap of luxury became an ascetic at an early age.
One of the more popular scripture of the Hindus is the Bhagavat Gita, which is a comprehensive text of the Hindu philosophy. It says that your religious Dharma, even though it may not be perfect is best for you. Fulfillment of Dharma, which is not yours, is always fraught with danger.
Bhagavat Gita also advises that it's teachings or secrets are not to be told to every one. Only those with a mature mind and faith in Him can understand or appreciate the text or realize the truth. Such people are rare. It is clear then that Religious Conversion is not a Hindu creed.
