C3/CCC Sermon Transcript for January 27, 2008 In Jerusalem, a journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Wailing Wall to pray, twice a day, everyday, for many years. Religious Difference in a Cosmic Perspective There must be many Hindus who feel the same way. Hinduism is one of the most peaceful and tolerant of religions. However, after several invasions rocked the Indian subcontinent—from Alexander the Great to the Islamic conquests and most recently British colonial rule—you could forgive Hindus for feeling that their message of peace is like speaking to a brick wall. Religious division does so much harm in the world, and is so unnecessary. The world is racked by suffering and tragedy, and religion could offer so much meaning and purpose in the midst of the sadness. In the grand scheme of life and its trials, religious division accounts for nothing. May the world come together and stop fighting over religious doctrine and dogma. If calling yourself a Christian makes you a better person and improves the planet, then call yourself a Christian. But if calling yourself a Christian makes you feel that you are better than the vast proportion of the planet, then stop it. It’s not doing you any good, and it is not doing the planet any good. If calling yourself a Hindu makes you a better person, and makes the planet a more just place, then call yourself a Hindu. But if it makes you think that you are better than the vast majority of the planet, then stop it. It’s not doing you any good, and it’s not doing the planet any good. Hinduism In a Changing World I’m fascinated by Hinduism, its synergy with Christianity, and its universal challenge to end hatred and foster religious unity. Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. It’s also the third largest behind Christianity and Islam. There are about 1 billion Hindus around the world, and around 2 million in the United States. Hindu Americans make up one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. But this doesn’t even include the estimated 32 million Americans who find some inspiration from Hindu spirituality through yoga and meditation practices. Now, I’m not suggesting that 32 million Americans understand the essence of Hindu teaching, I certainly don’t. It is an ancient and profound philosophy that I’ve only scratched the surface of. But in my practice of yoga and meditation, I get some small insight into the richness and depth of this tradition. There are about 2 billion Christians in the world, 1 ½ billion Muslims, and 1 billion Hindus. Somewhere between the Hindus and Muslims lies another group of people, and they are usually called secular or agnostic or non-religious. It is actually the third largest group of people in the world. The church alumni, those who find no relevance in the church but retain a sense of Christian tradition, form part of this group. The shrine alumni, those who don’t practice formal Hindusim but retain a sense of Hindu tradition, form part of this group. Many of the 32 million Americans who practice some form of Hindu philosophy would put themselves in that category. This is very exciting because it means that a large proportion of the planet share a common interest in universal spirituality, with or without a particular religious tradition. I learn from Hinduism that there are as many names for God as there are tongues to speak them. There are as many paths to God as there are feet to walk them. Might that diversity include the path of rational inquiry and science, yoga and non religious specific meditation? These are exciting times. It’s important to note that Hindu Indian immigrants are among the most affluent and educated community in America. 65% have college degrees compared to a national average of 25%. Amongst Hindu Americans, the average annual family income is 70k, compared to the national average of 50k. Hindus are bringing to America significant contributions in technology, medicine, engineering, fashion and maybe most importantly a reminder of the essence of all religions; inner peace manifesting as outer and global peace. Understanding the religion as well as the social impact of Hindu Americans is very important. Trade between India and the United States has been growing exponentially for years. Along with China, India and America will form the three largest world economies within a decade. American outsourcing of employment and research to India is a burgeoning industry. All in all, this is a significant, new and emerging relationship. New partnerships are forming continually, including progressive religious partnerships across the world religions; not to mention the partnership with the shrine alumni, those who find inspiration in Hindu philosophies even without practicing Hindu rituals, and those who practice yoga and meditation. Hinduism and Christianity- Branches on the Vine The synergy between Christianity and Hinduism might best be captured in the parable of the Vine and the Branches, a form of which appears both in the Bhagavad Gita and also in John’s gospel, incidentally both in chapter 15. Both versions of the parable speak of interrelatedness with its weaving and twisting branches. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15; 5) Consider these 4 symbolic connections: One – It’s all about “da vine!” On a full and healthy vine, you can only see the branches, but the branches are manifesting da vineness of the vine, or divinity. This is a deeply mystical idea that I will return to. Hinduism and Christianity are concerned more with internal motivation than with external authority. Like a vine, growth comes from within, even if growth also depends on external interactions. It’s all about da vine! Two – It’s all about branching out! As religions travel and change, new relationships change the nature of the religion. Three - Pruning the Dead Wood! A key feature of growth on a vine is the pruning of dead branches. Hinduism and Progressive Christianity have both pruned certain dogmatic and superstitious beliefs and practices over the centuries Four - Uva uvam vivendo varia fit. A Latin saying that means “Grape, grape, living, changing, becoming” or more neatly, “Grapes grow in the presence of other grapes” or maybe “grapes in relationship become wine, become da vine.” It’s an essential teaching of all religions- you come to know yourself in relationship to others. Religions come to realize their true nature in relationship with other religions. As a Christian leader, my intention is to branch out and get to know ‘da vine’ as it manifests in Hinduism. Hinduism and Scriptures
The key element of the Hindu approach to scriptures is that it’s more concerned with realization than revelation. The aim is personal experience of truth, whether that truth comes through a living teacher or the words passed down through generations. This is in contrast to traditions that believe the words have been inspired directly by God as authoritative for all time. Imagine Christianity without such a deep attachment to the Bible as God’s immutable and literal revelation. The Bible is wonderful, full of great wisdom, insight, and depth, but imagine Christianity without such strong attachment to the Bible. Imagine the dialogue that would be opened up. Imagine the peace that would blossom around the world if just that one change took place, if Christians just loosened their grip, lessened the attachment on the Bible as divine revelation from outside of nature into human life. The problem with external divine revelation is this- how do you dialogue with it? How do you dialogue with someone who says “God told me?” Imagine if Christianity could prune the dead wood that is attachment to revelation, and learn to trust experience or realization. The irony is that once you loosen the attachment to bible as divine revelation, then you can begin to play with sacred text, learn from it, interact with it, read it symbolically, have a relationship with it. It comes alive in new ways. How many religious wars are predicated on competing scriptural revelation? A frightening number! Once you realize the universal truth of texts such as the Bible and the Hindu scriptures, peace is the only authentic expression. Hinduism and Equality How does the Hindu religion integrate its deep belief that the sacred is manifest in all things, alongside the reality of systemic inequality? How does the Hindu religion integrate a belief in karma and self-responsibility? The answer might best be captured in the Hindu story of the sage and the scorpion. A sage found a scorpion struggling for life in a puddle of water on the road. He stopped to pick it and was promptly stung on the hand. He again tried to pick it and was stung right away. He tried many times to save it but was stung every time he picked it up. A passer by who was watching what was happening asked the sage “ Why do you try to help the scorpion when it is stinging you every time?” The sage replied, “It is the nature of the scorpion to sting and it is my nature to try and liberate it”. The oppressive caste system seems to be an example of Hinduism pruning dead wood off the branches of the vine. Gandhi and many other Hindu leaders have fought against the inequality of the system. Fighting inequality has been their attempt to express their nature and liberate the oppressed, even if the system continues to bit them. Whether it’s the Hindu belief in Karma, or the Christian belief in God’s predetermined plan, there is great truth in the realization that the human task is to live your greatest humanity and allow your actions to become part of the karmic reality of what goes around, and comes around. Hinduism and Spiritual Types Hinduism is not only pluralistic in its affirmation of all religious paths, its also pluralistic in its understanding of human nature. Hinduism says that people are different and so are their personalities. It says there are three broad types of people: thinkers, doers and lovers. Correspondingly, there are three main paths to liberation, jnana yoga (the path of rational inquiry), karma yoga (the path of action), and bhakti yoga (the path of devotion). Raja yoga is also in the realm of devotion, but focuses on meditation and contemplation. Another feature of both Hinduism and Christianity is skilful means; that is, there is more than one way to practice your spirituality. Know yourself and your style. Know what is your most effective means of developing your spirituality. Discover your own balance of practice as thinkers, doers and lovers. Hinduism and Enlightenment Hinduism offers the tongue twister ‘that are thou!” or “thou art that” as the ultimate goal of spirituality, however you practice and realize this enlightenment. It might be best explained with a story that I gleaned from Karen Armstrong’s book “The Great Transformation.” Indra was seeking enlightenment and spent 30 years with Prajapati, the Supreme Deity. After 30 years, Prjapati told him to dress in his finest clothes and look at his reflection in a pan of water. He did so, and as he stood looking at his reflection he realized that he was Brahman, without fear or imperfection. He was thrilled with this enlightenment. The body is God. There is no need for sacrifice or meditation; simply seek the heart’s desire and personal gain, and enlightenment will follow. So he went back and this time was told by Prajapati that it was in a deep, dreamless sleep that enlightenment would be found. Indra tried this, but it too was unsatisfactory as he felt he might as well have been dead as rest in this state. So one last time he returned to Prajapati for some years. Finally Prajapati taught him that enlightenment lies beyond body and mind, in the deep awareness of one who has a body but is not that body, the one who dreams but is not those dreams and the one who merges with the deep, dreamless sleep. The one who is aware is Brahman, God. Even the mighty Indra took 100 years of study to realize that it was the very process of self-discovery that was enlightenment. Spirituality is a process of self-awareness. It doesn’t end. Hinduism has taught for many centuries that all religions come from the same place, and all religions are heading to the same truths. They just have different ways of getting there, different stories and different imagery. If religions could get over needing to have the biggest branches, they might realize that it is all one vine, and all the branches are intermingled, mixed, and related to each other. All is God/ Brahman This is a profound truth, shared by Hinduism and Christianity. The spiritual journey is not one that you can grasp. You cannot map it out. It does not have some definite ending place. It’s only one that you can experience in your own way. Like salt in the water, you know it’s there. Even though you can’t separate the salt from the water, you taste its saltiness. The Bible speaks of the mustard seed, the tiniest of seeds, even a seed you cannot see, as a symbol for the spiritual life. “Jesus said, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? 19It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” Luke 13; 18-19 Even when you can’t see the sacred connections, they are there. Even when you can’t see the sacred connection, the branches mix and mingle with other branches that form the excitement that is the interfaith journey. This is the most exciting time in history. Spiritual paths can come together without fear or competition. We can learn from each other. We can take from those spiritual paths that resonate with our experience. Hinduism as Progressive Inspiration In some ways, Hinduism has less dead wood to prune than Christianity and Islam. It has acceptance and inclusion written into its DNA. It has warned against dogmatism and exclusive religious claims for centuries. It is open to science, enjoying the realization that science arrives at many of the same truths that Hinduism has understood symbolically for centuries. Things like the cyclical nature of life, impermanence, interchangeability of matter to energy and many others, are examples of Vedantic truths passed down through centuries. Life is too short for religious bigotry. May Christianity catch some of the acceptance of Hinduism. May you catch the inspiration of Hindusm! May you realize the truth taught in all religions that spirit is like a vine on a branch; thriving on relationship. I end where I began, with the deep suffering of the world. You know what it is to endure suffering, sadness, and loss. You know how fragile life is. You know that it is not worth sweating the small stuff of religious difference in this great cosmic dance of which we are all a part. Life is too short to be divided because of doctrine or dogma. It is time to stop religious division and come together to celebrate the essence of spiritual paths, and the essence of religious traditions that are centuries old. That essence is the beauty of all things manifesting “da vine”!
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