Hinduism/Clacey Farley

Hinduism approaches the issue of the human condition esoterically. It sees people as individuals who need to live this life according to their terms. Instead of committing to one god for everyone, believers, and people in general, follow their own path, and whichever god, be it Hindu or not, fits them best. The human condition is ever-changing as well. Life is seen as taking place in stages; student, household, retirement and sannyasin, and Hindus do their best to respect the order of the stages and strive to fill position of life. To be the best student and learn as much as possible, to Take care of the household, have the babies, provide for them, retire and learn about oneself, then finally teach the new generation of students as much as you have learned through life. Hinduism also stresses the importance of karma in everyday life, doing good and acting well because it is the appropriate way to live, failing to live so would end in one returning in a lesser form. Because of this, I think, Hinduism holds that the human is intrinsically good, while maintaining that people are individuals with the will to act in good or bad ways. But in order to be human one would have to perform well in a previous life, which sets humans up to excel in this life as a human

In this life as a human one sets out to resolve the human condition, to find the solution. This solution is enlightenment and hindus strive for it because it brings on moksha, or liberation. The idea and realization that this little “self” is inconsequential. The big “Self” is the solution to the human condition. To take a problem as it arises, step back from it and ask yourself is this really important to my big “Self,” or am I getting too caught up in the menial issue the little “self” hits as big road blocks. Once a Hindu appreciates that hidden consciousness of a greater side of themselves, it is easy for them to understand their connection to the world, and see that this life does not matter, but it is sure fun to play around in it. I really like the lungs-oxygen-tree lesson, in which one needs oxygen to breath, but seeing humans do not make oxygen we as humans are reliant on the trees to make it, therefore we are as connected to those trees as we are to our lungs.

Moving from the human to enlightened human is accomplished through one of the four yogas, whichever one, or a combination of many, that fits each certain individual. There is Karma yoga, the yoga of doing good acts for all as much as possible for the exaltation of ones god. Bhakti yoga is one of love and devotion to all things for your god. Raja yoga is the path of meditation through which one transcends this mortal body and appreciates life closes to their god, on an ethereal plane. Jnana yoga is the yoga of wisdom, learn as much as you can for the god of your choice.

In my own life, I think the best way to live out the solution to life, attaining liberation, is to take steps back. Ask “is this really important?” “Should I really be mad now?” Or even further “who is mad right now?” allowing ourselves to feel pain, anger, sadness, cold, love, hate, heat, or passion, but also removing ourselves to fully understand the emotion without the bias of of little “self’s” brain.