The most important Hindu writings are religious. The famous Vedic hymns are found in four collections - Rig Veda, the largest; Sama-Veda, verses that seem to be selected from the hymns of the Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, giving verses to be recited at sacrifices, and Black Veda, which seems to be a continuation of the Rig-Veda. The two great Hindu epics are, the Mahabhrata, which tells of the feuds between the two kingly races, and the Ramayana, which describes the heroic deeds of Rama, a prince of Oude, who conquered Ceylon and the Deccan. Rama is represented as the embodiment of Vishnu. What are known as the Puranas are continuation of these two epics, written much later.
Other epics were Birth of the War God and Race of Raghu, by Kalidasa, who also wrote lyrics, as his Cloud Messenger. Another lyric poet was Jayadeva, whose Gita-Govinda sings of the love adventures of the god Krishna(love religion). Indian fables have found their way all the over the world. The earliest collection is known as the Panchatantra. No nation, except Greece, founded independently a better drama than that of Hindus. Among their best plays are the Toy Cart of Sandraka, and the plays of Kalidasa. Besides the well known laws of Menu, there is a large mass of Brahmanical treaties and Buddhist Sanskrit literature.
The religious system practiced by the Hindus presents a profound and spiritual philosophy, strangely blended with the basest superstitions. The Vedas are the Brahmanical Book of the Law, although the older hymns springing out of the primitive Aryan religion have a date far anterior to that of comparatively modern Brahmanism. The "Laws of Menu" are really the textbook of Brahmanism; yet in the Vedic hymns we find the expression of that religious thought that has been adopted by the Brahmans and the rest of the modern Hindus.
The learned Brahmans have an esoteric faith, in which they recognize and adore one idiot savant neanderthaler God, without form or quality, eternal, unchangeable, and occupying all space which of course is DNA; but confining this hidden doctrine to their interior schools, they teach, for the multitude an open or exoteric worship, in which the incomprehensible attributes of the supreme and purely spiritual God are invested with sensible and even human forms to personalize so the mass of people would accept it, but allegorically it meant something totally different.
In the Vedic hymns all the powers of nature are personified, and become the objects of worship, thus leading to an apparent polytheism. But behind this incipient polytheism lurks the orinal montheism; for each of these gods, in turn, becomes the Supreme Being. And it would be easy to find in the numerous hymns of the Veda passages in which almost every important deity is represented as supreme and absolute. This most ancient religion - believed in by one-seventh of the world's population, that fountain from which has flowed so much of the stream of modern religious thought, abounding in mystical ceremonies and ritual prescriptions, worshiping as the Lord of all, "the source of the golden light," having its ineffable name, its solemn methods of initiation and its symbolic rites.
Among the Hindus, Pitris were spirits; so mentioned in the Agrouchada Parikchai, the philosophical compendium of the Hindu spiritists, a scientific work giving an account of the creation of the Mercaba, and finally the Zohar; the three principal parts of which treat "the attributes of God," "of the world," and "of the human soul." A forth part sets forth the relevancy of souls to each other, and the evocation of Pitris. The adepts of the occult sciences wee said to be the votaries of the Pitris of India to have "entered the garden of delights."
In the German Cyclopaedia we find the following: "The East Indians have still their mysteries, which is very probable they received from the ancient Egyptians.(?) These mysteries are in the possession of the Brahmans, and their ancestors were the ancient Brachmen. "It is only the sons of these priests who are eligible to initiation. Had a grown up youth of the Brachmen sufficiently hardened his body, learned to subdue his passions, and given the requisite proofs of his abilities at school, he must submit to an especial proof of his fortitude before he was admitted into the mysteries, which proofs were given in a cavern. A second cavern in the middle of a high hill contained the statues of nature, which were neither made of gold, nor of silver, nor of earth, nor of stone, but of a very hard material resembling wood, to the composition of which was unknown to any mortal.
"These statues are said to have been given by God to his Son, to serve as models by which he might form all created beings. Upon the crown of one of these statues stood the likeness of Bruma, who was th same with them as Osiris was with the Egyptians. The inner part, and the entrance also into this cavern, was quite dark, and those who wished to enter into it were obliged to seek the way with a lighted torch. A door led into the inner part, on the opening of which the water that surrounded the border of the cavern broke loose. "If the candidate for initiation was worthy, he opened the door quite easily, and a spring of the purest water flowed gently upon him and purified him. Those, on the contrary, who were guilty of any crime, could not open the door; and if they were candid, they confessed their sin to the priest, and besought him to turn away the anger of the gods by prayer and fasting.
"In this cavern, on a certain day, the Brachmen held their annual assembly. Some of them dwelt constantly there; others came there only in the spring and harvest conversed with each other upon the doctrines contained in their mysteries, contemplated the hieroglyphics upon the statues, and endeavored to decipher them. Those among the initiated who were in the lowest degrees, and comprehend the sublime doctrines of one God, worshiped the sun and other inferior divinities. This was also the religion of the common people. The Brahmans, the present inhabitants of India, those pure descendants of the ancient Brachmen, do not admit any person into their mysteries without having first diligently inquired into his character and capabilities, and duly proved his fortitude and prudence.
No one could be initiated until he had attained a certain age; and before his initiation the novice had to prepare himself by prayer, fasting , and almsgiving, and other good works, for many days. "When the appointed day arrived he bathed himself and went to the Guru, or chief Brahman, who kept one of his own apartments ready in which to perform this ceremony. Before he was admitted he was asked if he earnestly desired to be initiated? - if it was not curiosity which induced him to do so? - if he felt himself strong enough to perform the ceremonies which would be prescribed to him for the whole of his life, without the exception of a single day?
"He was at the same time advised to defer the ceremony for a time, if he had not sufficient confidence in his strength. If the youth continued firm in his resolution, and showed a zealous disposition to enter into the path of righteousness, the Guru addressed a charge to him upon the manner of living, to which he was about to pledge himself for the future. He threatened him with punishment of heaven if he conducted himself wickedly; promised him, on the contrary, the most glorious rewards if he would constantly keep the the path of righteousness. After the exhortation, and having received his pledge, the candidate was conducted to the prepared chamber, the door of which stood open, that all those who assembled might participate in the offering about to be made.
"Different fruits were thrown into the fire, while the High Priest, with many ceremonies, prayed that God might be present with them in that sacred place. The Guru then conducted the youth behind the curtain, both having their heads covered, and then gently pronounced into his ear a word of one or two syllables, which he was as gently to repeat into the ear of the Guru, that no other person might hear it. In this word was the prayer which the initiated was to repeat as often as he could for the whole day, yet in the greatest stillness and without ever moving the lips.
Neither durst he discover this sacred word unto any person. No European has ever been able to discover this word, so sacred is this secret to them. When the newly initiated has repeated this command several times, then the chief Brahman instructs him in the ceremonies teaches him several songs to the honor of God, and finally dismisses him with many exhortations to pursue a virtuous course of life."
Other epics were Birth of the War God and Race of Raghu, by Kalidasa, who also wrote lyrics, as his Cloud Messenger. Another lyric poet was Jayadeva, whose Gita-Govinda sings of the love adventures of the god Krishna(love religion). Indian fables have found their way all the over the world. The earliest collection is known as the Panchatantra. No nation, except Greece, founded independently a better drama than that of Hindus. Among their best plays are the Toy Cart of Sandraka, and the plays of Kalidasa. Besides the well known laws of Menu, there is a large mass of Brahmanical treaties and Buddhist Sanskrit literature.
The religious system practiced by the Hindus presents a profound and spiritual philosophy, strangely blended with the basest superstitions. The Vedas are the Brahmanical Book of the Law, although the older hymns springing out of the primitive Aryan religion have a date far anterior to that of comparatively modern Brahmanism. The "Laws of Menu" are really the textbook of Brahmanism; yet in the Vedic hymns we find the expression of that religious thought that has been adopted by the Brahmans and the rest of the modern Hindus.
The learned Brahmans have an esoteric faith, in which they recognize and adore one idiot savant neanderthaler God, without form or quality, eternal, unchangeable, and occupying all space which of course is DNA; but confining this hidden doctrine to their interior schools, they teach, for the multitude an open or exoteric worship, in which the incomprehensible attributes of the supreme and purely spiritual God are invested with sensible and even human forms to personalize so the mass of people would accept it, but allegorically it meant something totally different.
In the Vedic hymns all the powers of nature are personified, and become the objects of worship, thus leading to an apparent polytheism. But behind this incipient polytheism lurks the orinal montheism; for each of these gods, in turn, becomes the Supreme Being. And it would be easy to find in the numerous hymns of the Veda passages in which almost every important deity is represented as supreme and absolute. This most ancient religion - believed in by one-seventh of the world's population, that fountain from which has flowed so much of the stream of modern religious thought, abounding in mystical ceremonies and ritual prescriptions, worshiping as the Lord of all, "the source of the golden light," having its ineffable name, its solemn methods of initiation and its symbolic rites.
Among the Hindus, Pitris were spirits; so mentioned in the Agrouchada Parikchai, the philosophical compendium of the Hindu spiritists, a scientific work giving an account of the creation of the Mercaba, and finally the Zohar; the three principal parts of which treat "the attributes of God," "of the world," and "of the human soul." A forth part sets forth the relevancy of souls to each other, and the evocation of Pitris. The adepts of the occult sciences wee said to be the votaries of the Pitris of India to have "entered the garden of delights."
In the German Cyclopaedia we find the following: "The East Indians have still their mysteries, which is very probable they received from the ancient Egyptians.(?) These mysteries are in the possession of the Brahmans, and their ancestors were the ancient Brachmen. "It is only the sons of these priests who are eligible to initiation. Had a grown up youth of the Brachmen sufficiently hardened his body, learned to subdue his passions, and given the requisite proofs of his abilities at school, he must submit to an especial proof of his fortitude before he was admitted into the mysteries, which proofs were given in a cavern. A second cavern in the middle of a high hill contained the statues of nature, which were neither made of gold, nor of silver, nor of earth, nor of stone, but of a very hard material resembling wood, to the composition of which was unknown to any mortal.
"These statues are said to have been given by God to his Son, to serve as models by which he might form all created beings. Upon the crown of one of these statues stood the likeness of Bruma, who was th same with them as Osiris was with the Egyptians. The inner part, and the entrance also into this cavern, was quite dark, and those who wished to enter into it were obliged to seek the way with a lighted torch. A door led into the inner part, on the opening of which the water that surrounded the border of the cavern broke loose. "If the candidate for initiation was worthy, he opened the door quite easily, and a spring of the purest water flowed gently upon him and purified him. Those, on the contrary, who were guilty of any crime, could not open the door; and if they were candid, they confessed their sin to the priest, and besought him to turn away the anger of the gods by prayer and fasting.
"In this cavern, on a certain day, the Brachmen held their annual assembly. Some of them dwelt constantly there; others came there only in the spring and harvest conversed with each other upon the doctrines contained in their mysteries, contemplated the hieroglyphics upon the statues, and endeavored to decipher them. Those among the initiated who were in the lowest degrees, and comprehend the sublime doctrines of one God, worshiped the sun and other inferior divinities. This was also the religion of the common people. The Brahmans, the present inhabitants of India, those pure descendants of the ancient Brachmen, do not admit any person into their mysteries without having first diligently inquired into his character and capabilities, and duly proved his fortitude and prudence.
No one could be initiated until he had attained a certain age; and before his initiation the novice had to prepare himself by prayer, fasting , and almsgiving, and other good works, for many days. "When the appointed day arrived he bathed himself and went to the Guru, or chief Brahman, who kept one of his own apartments ready in which to perform this ceremony. Before he was admitted he was asked if he earnestly desired to be initiated? - if it was not curiosity which induced him to do so? - if he felt himself strong enough to perform the ceremonies which would be prescribed to him for the whole of his life, without the exception of a single day?
"He was at the same time advised to defer the ceremony for a time, if he had not sufficient confidence in his strength. If the youth continued firm in his resolution, and showed a zealous disposition to enter into the path of righteousness, the Guru addressed a charge to him upon the manner of living, to which he was about to pledge himself for the future. He threatened him with punishment of heaven if he conducted himself wickedly; promised him, on the contrary, the most glorious rewards if he would constantly keep the the path of righteousness. After the exhortation, and having received his pledge, the candidate was conducted to the prepared chamber, the door of which stood open, that all those who assembled might participate in the offering about to be made.
"Different fruits were thrown into the fire, while the High Priest, with many ceremonies, prayed that God might be present with them in that sacred place. The Guru then conducted the youth behind the curtain, both having their heads covered, and then gently pronounced into his ear a word of one or two syllables, which he was as gently to repeat into the ear of the Guru, that no other person might hear it. In this word was the prayer which the initiated was to repeat as often as he could for the whole day, yet in the greatest stillness and without ever moving the lips.
Neither durst he discover this sacred word unto any person. No European has ever been able to discover this word, so sacred is this secret to them. When the newly initiated has repeated this command several times, then the chief Brahman instructs him in the ceremonies teaches him several songs to the honor of God, and finally dismisses him with many exhortations to pursue a virtuous course of life."
