In our last blog, we talked about Hinduism, thought by many to be the oldest religion, with its collection of “sacred” texts, known as the Vedas. But how can we judge them as a possible source of ultimate truth?
What are our standards?
I went to one website which talks about epistemology and talks about different kinds of knowledge. They talk there about something called propositional knowledge.
Propositional knowledge (or declarative knowledge) = "knowledge that some proposition is either true or false." (Bing)
So how can we know if the propositions contained in a religious text are true or false?
This, I think, is where it becomes valuable to think of epistemology, ontology, and cosmology in relationship with one another.
The Vedas, obviously, are written from the perspective that they are true. Assuming that they are, we therefore would have to accept their view of reality (that the physical world is only an illusion, as in Dr. Strange or The Matrix). We might also take another look at their understanding of God. One site says that “Brahman created Gods and humans in such a way that they had to be dependent on each other. Gods had power but could not make food for themselves and humans did not have power but they could make their own food.” This almost makes me think of the Valar in J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Silmarillion. Do they sound like gods to you?
god = "(in Christianity and other monotheistic religions) the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being." (Bing) god = "(in certain other religions) a superhuman being or spirit worshiped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity" (Bing)
We are told that “Indra is the most popular and praised god in the Vedas. In the Rig Veda, more than half the hymns invoke 3 gods, with Indra being the one who has the maximum number of hymns ( 250 hymns). He is the lord of the heavens. He is the god of thunder and rain and a great warrior.”
Doesn’t that sound an awful lot like Thor from Norse mythology, as seen perhaps in Marvel Studio’s Avengers?
So, isn’t it safe to say that Hinduism’s Vedas are starting to look a lot like the Norse, Greek, and Roman systems that we–all our lives–have been told were only mythology?
mythology = "a collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition," or mythology = "a set of stories or beliefs about a particular person, institution, or situation, especially when exaggerated or fictitious." (Bing)
Let’s go on to Hindu cosmology. One site says: “…Before the creation of the universe Lord Vishnu is sleeping in the ocean… His bed is a giant serpent with thousands of cobra like hoods. While Vishnu is asleep, a lotus sprouts of his navel (note that navel is symbolized as the root of creation). Inside this lotus, Brahma resides. Brahma represents the universe which we all live in, and it is this Brahma who creates life forms.“
As we have already noted in our earlier blog, the Vedas say that God (Brahman) and the universe (and, thus, Nature) are one.
“Brahman is present in every particle, every molecule, every object, life, element and breath.”
Ackland Art Museum (on Hinduism)
This belief is usually referred to as pantheism.
pantheism = "a doctrine which identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God." (Bing)
Is that what you believe?
Doesn’t pantheism suggest to you that cutting down a tree for fuel, or for materials for home-building, or killing a steer or a chicken for food, is a form of sacrilege (Brahman = God = the Universe = Nature)?
Paul Harrison, known as the president of the World Pantheist Movement, says, “We should relate to the universe in the same way as believers in God relate to God. That is, with humility, awe, reverence, celebration and the search for deeper understanding.”
Let’s unpack that together.
Pantheists seem to be suggesting that we should inter-relate with our environment as one would inter-relate with an all-knowing, all-powerful God. But does that seem reasonable? Is that a proposition that you can accept as true?
All in all, doesn’t Hinduism–though perhaps an attractive alternative to western Judaeo-Christian traditions because of its mystical (inscrutable) other-worldliness)–seem a bit difficult for you to reconcile with your intellect? In spite of Sherlock Holmes’ advice, we may have to leave Dr. Strange to the world of Marvel comic books heroes, and continue our search for ultimate truth elsewhere.
