Hinduism is actually a blanket term for multiple spiritual paths. A common disposition among those who pursue most of the schools is that they don’t have a salvationist view. Most of them are more concerned with understanding as individuals than as a “faith”. Many don’t even see themselves as a faith as it’s defined in western religion. It has links to the original paganism of course, and the role of the gods is either still seen as literally or is taken as a spiritual metaphor. But though many define it as pantheistic, it’s not so easily defined. It doesn’t really fit that category.
If anything it has more in common with Greek Gnosticism. It is about the personal path, but like all paths there are some who see the supreme principle in a personified form. All schools of Hinduism believe in an immortality of the soul. They also believe in spiritual cause and effect. The basic principles of Hinduism are much like Judaism in many ways. Their teachers debate the principles of the Vedas which are seen as spiritual law, not as in authoritarian law but more like intuitively perceived scientific law. So they debate it.
Scientific law in this context is science as defined originally as a body of knowledge. This is why the gnani temperament is acknowledged as spiritually valid in the yoga school of Hinduism. The “scholar” temperament. In fact, Hinduism could be called science without empirical method.
The Vedas and the Tantras both fall under the heading of Hinduism. They are seen as observations of spiritual law, but not as “holy” writ. Even in the case of the deistic schools, the idea of the gods ordaining a cannon is not seen as necessary. Even in the caste system the ruling caste was not so by any divine right, but more by karmic principle. Some think that samsara is the principle that dictates spiritual refinement, but in fact this is not the case. Karma affects samsara (rebirth), but karma has very direct impact as well. Sort of like the concept of mana in Kahuna culture. It is the power of effectiveness seen in a holistic sense. If someone perceives me as powerful, even if not temporally so, that is a manifestation of karma. It is sort of a metaphysical inertia principle.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~