The Hindu Quest For The Perfection Of Man

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The study of Hinduism developed out of a dissatisfaction with the usual approaches to the vast collection of ideas and practices known as "Hinduism". There is an understandable tendency of both Western and Indian scholars to force Hinduism into Western molds. Although Indian intellectuals correctly point to the inappropriateness of Western academic and rational categories, a heavier use of untranslated Sanskrit does not constitute a solution. Author concludes that the difficulty lies in the analysis of Hinduism either as a religion or as a philosophy. Those who take the religious approach regard Hinduism as pantheism, or henotheism, or theism; those who take the philosophical approach discover monism or dualism, rationalism or intuitionism, naturalism or idealism. But either analysis still seems to miss the heart of Hinduism. Hinduism is sadhana, a discipline for the actualizing of human potentialities. The existential flavor of Hindu sadhana so pervades the entire corpus of its writings and practices that existentialism has never arisen as a protest movement against essentialism. This is suggested in the ambiguous manner of describing Hinduism as a philosophical religion or a religious philosophy. The more exact method is to affirm that Hinduism is a sadhana which seeks to guide man to integration, to spiritualization, and to liberation. The goal of this sadhana is Atmansiddhi; that perfection is not a static fulfillment, for man is essentially active. Man's nature is becoming, not a being. Hence the human ideal is perfecting, not perfection. The concept of reincarnation is the Hindu way of asserting there are no temporal nor developmental limits to the perfecting. The secret of secrets at last disclosed in the Mahabharata is that there is no status superior to man.