Spirituality and Religion Past, Present and Future
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Dr. Priya Ranjan Trivedi Dr. Markandey Rai fo'o fgUnw fo|kihB Vishwa Hindu Vidyapeeth New Delhi 1 Published by Vishwa Hindu Vidyapeeth Priyaranjan Dham, Indraprasthapeeth A 14-15-16, Paryavaran Complex New Delhi - 110030 JULY 2018 Printed in India Data has been collected for the Book “Spirituality and Religion Interface” from different sources. The Publishers are thankful to all those who have supported this cause. The publishers also show gratitude to them. Printed at Green Graphics, New Delhi - 110030, India 2 CONTENTS Page No. Preface 5 Chapter 1 Spirituality 6 Chapter 2 Religion 19 Chapter 3 Scope of Spirituality 42 Chapter 4 Scope of Religion 51 Chapter 5 Neo-Vedanta 58 Chapter 6 Esotericism 69 Chapter 7 Spiritual But Not Religious 73 Chapter 8 Catholic Spirituality 75 Chapter 9 Christian Mysticism 81 Chapter 10 Five Pillars of Islam 101 Chapter 11 Sufism 106 Chapter 12 Jihad 142 Chapter 13 Buddhism 155 Chapter 14 Hinduism 200 Chapter 15 Hindustan 227 Chapter 16 Orientalism 229 Chapter 17 Sanātanī 242 Chapter 18 Hindu Reforms Movements 244 Chapter 19 Hindu Denominations 246 Chapter 20 Purusārtha 255 Chapter 21 Diksha 260 Chapter 22 Dharma 262 Chapter 23 Artha 274 Chapter 24 Kama 278 Chapter 25 Moksha 283 Chapter 26 Ishvara 295 Chapter 27 God in Hinduism 302 Chapter 28 Ahimsa 307 Chapter 29 Vegetarianism and Religion 317 Chapter 30 Cattle in Religion 329 Chapter 31 Sattvic Diet 338 Chapter 32 Mitahara 341 Chapter 33 Śruti 344 3 Chapter 34 Smriti 348 Chapter 35 Hindu Scriptures 352 Chapter 36 Timeline of Hindu Texts 356 Chapter 37 Yajna 357 Chapter 38 Hindu Wedding 363 Chapter 39 Puja in Hinduism 375 Chapter 40 Japa 381 Chapter 41 Mantra 383 Chapter 42 Bhajan 398 Chapter 43 Hindu Festivals 403 Chapter 44 Hindu Pilgrimage Sites in India 422 Chapter 45 Yatra 427 Chapter 46 Tirtha and Kshetra 430 Chapter 47 Varna in Hinduism 432 Chapter 48 Yoga 437 Chapter 49 Hindu Temple 461 Chapter 50 Murti 489 Chapter 51 Hindu Iconography 489 Chapter 52 Ashrama 497 Chapter 53 Sannyasa 500 Chapter 54 History of Hinduism 510 Chapter 55 Vedic Period 531 Chapter 56 Indo-Aryan Peoples 540 Chapter 57 Indo-Aryan Migration Theory 546 Chapter 58 Historical Vedic Religion 575 Chapter 59 Śramana 582 Chapter 60 Islam in India 591 Chapter 61 Bhakti Movement 622 Chapter 62 Hinduism by Country 631 Chapter 63 Sikhism 637 Chapter 64 Traditional African Religion 657 Chapter 65 Religious Experience 662 Chapter 66 Spiritual Practice 673 Chapter 67 Holism 676 Chapter 68 Sādhanā 682 Chapter 69 Vedic Chant 684 4 PREFACE We have great pleasure in presenting this important publication titled “Spirituality and Religion Interface”. There has been an urgent need for bringing out such a publication as the world citizenry wants to know everything about spirituality as well as religion. Spirituality is a process of re-formation that aims to recover the original shape of man, the image of God. To accomplish this, the re-formation is oriented at a mold, which represents the original shape: in Judaism the Torah, in Christianity Christ, in Buddhism Buddha, in the Islam Muhammad. In modern times the emphasis is on subjective experience. It may denote almost any kind of blissful experience. It still denotes a process of transformation, but in a context separate from organized religious institutions, termed "spiritual but not religious". Religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that aim to explain the meaning of life, the origin of life, or the Universe. From their beliefs about the cosmos and human nature, people may derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle. Many religions may have organized behaviours, clergy, a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, holy places, and scriptures. The practice of a religion may include rituals, sermons, commemoration or veneration (of a deity, gods, or goddesses), sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trances, initiations, funerary services, matrimonial services, meditation, prayer, music, art, dance, public service, or other aspects of human culture. Religions may also contain mythology. The Vishwa Hindu Vidyapeeth headquarterd at New Delhi has strong feeling that Hinduism should be promoted all over the world. We may call this movement as Hindu modernism, neo-Hinduism, Global Hinduism and Hindu Universalism, the terms to characterize interpretations of Hinduism that developed in the 19 th century. These modern interpretations emphasize ideas, such as Advaita Vedanta, that are asserted as central or fundamental to Hindu culture. The development took place partly in response to western colonialism and orientalism, contributing to the Indian freedom struggle and the modern national and religious identity of Hindus in the Republic of India. This societal aspect is covered under the term of Hindu reforms movements. Among the main proponents of such modern interpretations of Hinduism were Swami Vivekananda, Shri Aurobindo and Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, who to some extent also contributed to the emergence of Neo-Hindu movements in the West. The Vishwa Hindu Vidyapeeth and the World Institute of Spirituality have jointly resolved to advise the United Nations for creating at the UN level, an Inter-religious Spiritual Forum for World Peace with a view to bringing all the religious as well as spiritual leaders under one single platform of the United Nations for suggesting ways and means to combat terrorism and reduce the disastrous effects of peacelessness, poverty, unemployment, pollution, faulty educational system and population explosion. We have decided to expand the topics explained in this Book by bringing out the multi- volume World Encyclopaedia of Spirituality and Religion. We are sure that these publications will merit the consideration of the readers, researchers and others. World Environment Day Dr. Priya Ranjan Trivedi 5th June 2018 Dr. Markandey Rai 5 Chapter 1 SPIRITUALITY Spirituality may refer to almost any kind of meaningful activity, personal growth, or blissful experience. It is often separated from organized religious institutions, as in the phrase "spiritual but not religious". Traditionally, spirituality refers to a process of re- formation of the personality to live a life according to divine will, but there is no single, agreed-upon definition of spirituality. Definition There is no single, widely-agreed definition of spirituality. Surveys of the definition of the term, as used in scholarly research, show a broad range of definitions, with very limited similitude. According to Waaijman, the traditional meaning of spirituality is a process of re- formation which "aims to recover the original shape of man, the image of God. To accomplish this, the re-formation is oriented at a mold, which represents the original shape: in Judaism the Torah, in Christianity Christ, in Buddhism Buddha, in the Islam Muhammad." In modern times the emphasis is on subjective experience. It may denote almost any kind of meaningful activity or blissful experience. It still denotes a process of transformation, but in a context separate from organized religious institutions, termed "spiritual but not religious". Houtman and Aupers suggest that modern spirituality is a blend of humanistic psychology, mystical and esoteric traditions and eastern religions. Waaijman points out that "spirituality" is only one term of a range of words which denote the praxis of spirituality. Some other terms are "Hasidism, contemplation, kabbala, asceticism, mysticism, perfection, devotion and piety". Etymology The term spirit means "animating or vital principle in man and animals". It is derived from the Old French espirit which comes from the Latin word spiritus (soul, courage, vigor, breath) and is related to spirare (to breathe). In the Vulgate the Latin word spiritus is used to translate the Greek pneuma and Hebrew ruah . The term "spiritual", matters "concerning the spirit", is derived from Old French spirituel (12c.), which is derived from Latin spiritualis , which comes from spiritus or "spirit". The term "spirituality" is derived from Middle French spiritualité , from Late Latin "spiritualitatem" (nominative spiritualitas), which is also derived from Latin spiritualis . 6 Development of the meaning of spirituality Classical, medieval and early modern periods Words translatable as 'spirituality' first began to arise in the 5th century and only entered common use toward the end of the Middle Ages. In a Biblical context the term means being animated by God, to be driven by the Holy Spirit, as opposed to a life which rejects this influence. In the 11th century this meaning changed. Spirituality began to denote the mental aspect of life, as opposed to the material and sensual aspects of life, "the ecclesiastical sphere of light against the dark world of matter". In the 13th century "spirituality" acquired a social and psychological meaning. Socially it denoted the territory of the clergy: "The ecclesiastical against the temporary possessions, the ecclesiastical against the secular authority, the clerical class against the secular class" Psychologically, it denoted the realm of the inner life: "The purity of motives, affections, intentions, inner dispositions, the psychology of the spiritual life, the analysis of the feelings". In the 17th and 18th century a distinction was made between higher and lower forms of spirituality: "A spiritual man