Philosophy of Hinduism
Essay title: Philosophy of Hinduism
PHILOSOPHY of HINDUISM
In Hinduism (visishtadvaita and advaita philosophy, the concepts of soul and God not being entirely separate entities), God is like yarn, which, when woven into cloth, creates the Maya that is the universe. It is analogous to the idea that Energy (God) becomes the fabric of Matter. The energy does not disappear, nor does it really change form, but it is there the whole time.
There are two characteristics of God: 1) Purusha, which is man and the drama of the world, or the cloth. It consists of the soul (Jiva) plus inert matter (Jada). It is what is SEEN, the Maya, the female aspect called Shakti. 2) Prakriti, the invisible, or the yarn. It is the unmanifest nature of God. It is the SEER, the male aspect called Siva.
Union of these two characteristics, the union of the male and female aspects, SivaSakthi, union of Prakrithi and Purusha creates the movable and immovable world. It is also called the Jiva-Brahma union, mukthi, or moksha.
Hindu literature expounds the philosophy that all is really One (Adhvaitha) through its symbolic mythological epics, the Mahabharatha (the great battle epic, which includes the Bhagavad Gita), the Ramayana (story of Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu), and the Bhagavatham (story of Krishna, a later incarnation of Vishnu).
In the Mahabharata, the thousand Kauravas are the evil qualities (which exist in great numbers), the Pandavas are the five good qualities of Sathya (truth), Dharma (duty), Santhi (peace), Prema (love), and Ahimsa (detachment). The dispute is for kingship of the heart. Dritarashtra is Ajnani, the unwise personality, while Pandu is Sujnani, the wise. The millions of soldiers and charioteers represent the countless feelings, thoughts and impressions of the mind and body. The regiments are the 10 Indriyas, the chariots, the five senses. Lord Krishna is the witness, the Atma, Sarathi (Charioteer) of the Chariot of the Jiva (Soul). The capital city Hastinapura is Asthinapura, or City of Bones, which is the Body itself, with its nine gates. Both the Kauravas and Pandavas grew up and played together in the capital, watched and opposed each other, resulting in war. They warred until Krishna, as the Atma (all pervasive Soul) reveals how to overcome so that only good remains, teaching us that one must look into ones own soul to reach good.
In the Ramayana, Rama is the Atma, incarnated as Jivi, wearing the dress of the body. Rama (Jivi) was born from Dasaratha, Dasendriyas (the 10 senses – 5 of action called karmendriyas and 5 of knowledge called jnanendriyas).