THE CHAOS OF THE CULTS

Reading: John 1:1-14

8. HINDUISM

In its most simple definition Hinduism may be defined as the religious beliefs and practices common to
India. Approximately 700 million Hindus live in India that means 82% of the nations population and it
also means that 13% of the world’s population is Hindu. Though Hinduism may seem far removed
from our everyday experience, it’s becoming increasingly important that we as Christians understand
this mysterious religion from the east. Have you ever heard of Hare Krishna, Transcendental
Meditation, and Yoga ? With all of these things flow out of Hinduism. About 70 years ago in India a
guru told a middle aged factory manager to go and spread the message of the Hindu god Krishna in the
U.S.A. but it was not until 1965 that A. C. Prabhupade obeyed his guru’s command. Hare Krishna’s
believe that the best way to burn off karma, ( that is the results of our actions ) and dispel ignorance and
achieve bliss is

“ to express loving devotion through dancing and chanting to Krishna.”

( Yamamoto, Hinduism TM & Hare Krishna, 18 ) Have you not seen them with their bright saffron
robes and shaved heads and two marks on their foreheads signifying slavery to Krishna, chanting and
pounding their drums ? Then there is Transcendental Meditation. This was introduced by another
Indian guru. ( Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ) During the 1960’s this guru’s association with the Beatles, the
Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and Mia Farrow gave T.M. tremendous popularity and as a result it
received a worldwide press. In fact one writer says that,

Transcendental Meditation did for Eastern Mysticism what McDonald’s did for the hamburger.

( Cited in Enroth The Lure of the Cults, p 42 )

Salvation is achieved by practicing T.M. which leads people to realise their union with the Creative
Intelligence. Then there is Yoga. To most of us in the West Yoga is associated with a set of physical
exercises enabling people to relax and maintain peak physical fitness, but for millions in the East it’s a
complete way of life undergirded by religious ideas expressed mainly through Buddhism and
Hinduism. Now the appeal of Hinduism to Western culture is not difficult to understand.

Away back in the year 1893 in the city of Chicago, in the USA there was a World Parliament of
Religions. One of the people who attended that Parliament was a man by the name of “ Vive-kan-
anda.” He so impressed the gathering of people there with his own spirituality and view of Hinduism,
as a great universal faith, that afterwards many were questioning the wisdom of sending missionaries to
India.

From that day to now the influence of Hinduism in the West has grown. Os Guinness has said,

The East is still the East, but the West is no longer the West. Western answers no longer seem to fit the
questions. With Christian culture disintegrating and humanism failing to provide an alternative, many
are searching the Ancient East. ( Os Guinness, The Dust of Death, p, 195 )
So there is openness to Eastern ideas, and this is largely a reaction against traditional Western values.
These values include high technology, reason and rationalism, and materialism. Of course, The New
Age Movement has presented Eastern beliefs for the purpose of promoting them to us here in the West.
So the attraction of Hinduism to the Western culture is not difficult to comprehend. You see, Hinduism
is comfortable with evolutionary thinking. As modern science emphasizes our physical evolution, so
Hinduism emphasizes our spiritual evolution. As much of modern psychology stresses the basic
goodness and unlimited potential of human nature, so Hinduism stresses man’s essential divinity. As
modern philosophy emphasizes that all truth is relative, so Hinduism tolerates many seemingly
contradictory religious beliefs. Now Hinduism is one of the most difficult of all religions to understand.
I want us to look at this Eastern religion, by observing,

(1) THE ROOTS OF HINDUISM

Hinduism has no specific founder, and no specific date can be cite for its founding. Scholar Bruce
Nicholls observes that,

Of all the world’s religions, Hinduism is the most difficult to define. It did not have any one founder
…. It has many Scriptures which are authoritative but none that is exclusively so. Hinduism is more
like a tree that has grown gradually than like a building that has been erected by some great architect at
some definite point in time.

When we think of,

(a) ORIGINS:

We think of two basic religious systems. That of ancient civilization residing in the Indus River valley,
and the religious beliefs brought to India by the Aryan people, possibly from the Baltic region who
began infiltrating the Indus Valley. The religion of the Aryans is described in the writings of “ holy
men,” contained in the Vedas.

Vedas simply means “ wisdom,” or “ knowledge,” The Hindu Vedas are the earliest Hindu Scriptures,
which form the basis for Hindu beliefs, and which reveal a gradual development of religious ideas. In
ancient Hindu religion there was a belief in many gods. Over the years this ancient would evolve
through Indian history to become today’s Hinduism, the dominant religion of the continent. The name “
Hinduism,” was given to this religion as a result of invading Muslim Persians of the 13th century who
wanted to distinguish between their religion and the religion of the people of the Indus Valley. When
we think of,

(b) WRITINGS:

We have to realise that there is no equivalent to the Bible among Hindu writings but there are “ The
Vedas.” Hindus claim this body of literature was supernaturally given by the Hindu gods, thus these
basis religious texts “ make a special claim to be divine in their origin.” ( The Spiritual Heritage of
India New York: Doubleday & Company, 1964, p, 3 ) Now “ The Vedas,” are four collections of
writings, which are considered inspired. Later Hindu writings, including the Bhagavad Gita are of
lesser authority, but widely popular. Now what do “ The Vedas,” contain ? Well, they are mostly a
collection of ritualistic hymns to various Hindu gods. The later section of the Vedas called the
Upanishads reflect a significant development in the Hindu’s concept of God. You see, many of the
Upanishads instead of speaking of a multitude of gods, refer to an ultimate reality behind our
understanding called Brahman. So in Hinduism tonight, there is a multiplicity of gods, indeed it is often
stated that Hinduism claims 330 million gods and goddesses, but they are all simply different ways of
conceiving the one reality behind all things …. Brahman.

Now by 1000 B.C. a class of priests known as Brahmins emerged who were devoted to the ultimate
reality, Brahman. During this time Indian society began to be segregated into,

(c) CLASSES:

According to Hindu teaching there are four basic castes or social classes. Each has its own rules and
obligations relating nearly too every facet of life. There were the Brahmans who were at the top, they
were priests or scholars. Second in rank are the Kshatriyas or warriors and rulers. Third are the Vaisyas
or merchants and farmers. Below these are the Shudras or labouring class.

Salvation is only possible for the top three castes, who are called the “ twice born.” Outside the caste
system are the untouchables and outcastes. These people were not considered to be human. They were
viewed as the dregs of society, only fit to live among the rubbish and the excrement of society. Females
do not figure in the caste system at all. This is the reason why many baby girls were killed by their
parents at birth. Now this caste system is based on Hinduism’s belief in reincarnation. You see, your
caste is determined at birth by your own personal karma. Karma is the idea that every action yields a
consequence. According to this law, you will be born in a higher status in the next life if you build up
good karma in the present life. But you will be born in a lower status in the next life, if you build up
bad karma in this present life.

Is it any wonder that the chief aim of the Hindu is to experience release or liberation from the cycle of
life, death, and rebirth ? This is what salvation is for the Hindu, to break away from this wheel of life.
To get out of the reincarnation cycle, to realise that one’s individual soul is identical with the Universal
Soul

( Brahman ) What a contrast all of this is with the gospel. Do you recall Paul’s words ? “ For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to
the Jew first and also to the Greek.” ( Rom 1:16 ) Paul was “ not ashamed of the gospel.”

1. Paul believed in Its Supremacy:

Paul was no fool. He had received a good education, had great intellectual power, was a man of the
world yet recognized that in the gospel there was something superior to any religion or philosophy on
earth. He had absolutely no doubts. Can we say the same ?

2. Paul believed in Its Sufficiency:

For he recognized that “ it is the power of God unto salvation.” The world of today does not need
Eastern mysticism its needs the gospel, for only the gospel grips the mind, stabs the conscience, warms
the heart, saves the soul and sanctifies the life. Do we believe in that way ?

3. Paul believed in Its Simplicity:

For its “ to every one that believeth.” Though outlawed in India in the late 1940’s many in the
countryside are still considered outcastes. But the gospel places us all on the same platform, gives us all
the same opportunity, calls on us all to trust in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus as our personal Saviour from
sin. My …. the world today may be more sophisticated and technological than Paul’s world but the
spiritual need of humanity has not changed. We have the same gospel. We have the same Saviour to
proclaim. Are we doing it ? (1)

(2) THE RELIGION OF HINDUISM

Hinduism has been described as being more a way of life than a theological idea. David Legge in his
book Strongholds Shaken quotes a former Indian President Radha-krish-nan who said,

Hinduism is more a culture than a creed

Though there are some core beliefs common to virtually all Hindus, there really is no “ Hindu
orthodoxy,” no hard and fast dogma that all Hindus must believe. Rick Rood says,

It’s actually a family of gradually developing beliefs and practices.

This is why Hinduism can embrace a wide variety of other religious beliefs. It can bring in other faiths
and other religions to fit into its own system and worldview. This is important as the impact of
Hinduism on the West should not be underestimated. An understanding of the Hindu beliefs about God
is important if we don’t know any Hindus or people from India because we are all in contact with the
New Age Movement and it draws its ideas about God from Hinduism. What then do Hindus believe
about God ? Well, think of,

(a) ITS DEITIES:

Walter Martin in his book “ The Kingdom of the Cults,” says this

There is no single Hindu idea of God.

Hindu concepts of deity can include any of the following.

Monism: all existence is one substance. This means that God is in everyone and everything.

Pantheism: all existence is divine. God is in all of nature. This explains the worship of nature and
animal life seen in this religion.

Polytheism: that is there are many gods.

Monotheism: there is only one God.

Chief among the gods are Brahma ( the creator ) Vishnu

( the preserver ) and Shiva ( the destroyer ) In India there are many temples devoted to Shiva or ( to one
of his wives such as Kali ) also to Vishnu ( or to one of his ten incarnations known as avatars, ) one of
whom is Krishna.

Krishna known as Hare Krishna is one of the manifestations of this god Vishnu. Now these Hindu
deities, both good and evil are alleged to be highly advanced entities who will either bless or curse
one’s life based on the quality of one’s relationship to them. My …. do we not detect in all of this the
power of Satan ? Forcing people to worship idols of stone and brass and nearly every creature
imaginable, including cows, monkeys, snakes and rats. ( The Facts on Hinduism in America )

Did you know that are 159 millions cows in India, which is 20% of the world’s total population of
cows. The cow is believed to be the Mother Goddess of life, so much so that some Indians will drink
the urine of the cow to purify the soul. Now what do these Hindu deities teach ?

1. Indra, god of war

The man who knows me as I am loses nothing whatever he does. Even if he kills his mother or his
father, even if he steals or procures an abortion, for whatever evil he does, he does not blanch if he
knows me as I am.

( The Kaushitaki Upanishad 3:1-2 )

2. Krishna. Incarnation of Vishnu

Even if a devotee commits the most abominable actions he is to be considered saintly because he is
properly situated ( spiritually ) ( A. C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada,

Bhaghavad-Gita as It is New York Collier books 1973 chapter 9, verse 30, p, 483 )

3. Kali, goddess of Nature and Death

Kali’s description perhaps says it all …. She is a repugnant creature with a skeletal body, spread with
snakes and skulls. Blood drenched, she is girded with severed hands, her earrings are corpses. A
severed head is found in one hand, a sword in the other. A consummate blood drinker she wears a
garland of skulls. But still her worshippers are legion, for she is also the Divine Mother.

My …. do we not need to hear again the words of Scripture ? “ Thou shalt not make unto thee any
graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or
that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, not serve them, for I the
Lord thy God am a jealous God.” ( Ex 20:4-5 ) What about the Hindu guru’s ? Many years ago in the
West, one might have thought a “ guru,” was an exotic animal, but today because of Eastern influence,
it is practically a household word. A “ guru,” is an “ enlightened master,” or “ spiritual teacher,” even a
godman. ( Mangalwadi, The World of Gur, 9 )Now what do these “ guru’s” teach ? Will let me give you
some of their statements.

My ashram ( spiritual community ) makes no difference between the Devil and the Divine ( A
Photobiography of Bhagan Sri Rajneesh and His Work, 1974-1978, Poona, India, Poona Rajneesh
Foundation, 1980, p, 382 )

I don’t in morality …. and I am bent on destroying it.

( Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh I am the Messiah here and now Sannyas September-October 1978, p, 34 )

Even if you kill someone consciously …. It is meditative. This is what Krishna ( in the Bhagavad Gita )
was saying …. Kill, murder, fully conscious, knowing that no-one is destroyed and no-one is killed ….
You are only destroying the forms. So destroy the forms.

( Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh The Book of the Secrets, vol 1 San Francisco CA Harper-Colophon Books
1974, p, 399 )

The murderer too is God

( Vivekananda and Nikhilananda, Vivekananda, p, 530 )

Marriage is one of the ugliest institutions man has invented.

(Rajneesh, Rajneesh Bible vol 1, p. 416 )

How is it that we in the West often describe such teachings as “ wisdom from the East ?” Do you recall
that comment that James mentions in his letter ? He says,

“ This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” ( 3:15 ) What about
Hinduism and,

(b) ITS DOCTRINES:

Now there are two core beliefs of Hindus that we need to highlight.

1. The Doctrine of Karma:

The word “ karma,” means action. But the religious concept has more to do with the results or
consequences of actions. The doctrine of “ karma,” states that every thought and action results in
certain consequences born by the actor or thinker. In other words, if a person lies or steals he will be
wronged in some way in the future. Hindus believe that all suffering is due to one’s past actions, in this
or a previous life. And most believe that though our present is determined by the past, nonetheless we
can influence our future by conducting ourselves in a proper manner in the present. Some have equated
the doctrine of “ karma,” with the Paul’s statement in

( Gal 6:7 ) where he says, “ be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall
he also reap.” Now it’s certainly a Biblical teaching that our actions have consequences for good or ill.
But this is not the same as believing that every experience in life is a consequence of one’s own past
actions. This is certainly not a Biblical idea. Then there is,

(b) The Doctrine of Reincarnation:

Scholar Lewis M Hopfe tells us that

Indian religions believe that the life force of an individual does not die with the death of the body.
Instead it

“ wanders across.” The life forces moves on to another time and body where it continues to life.
(Hopfe, Religions of the World, p, 100 )
This transmigration of souls is called “ samsara.” The nature of one’s rebirth is determined by the “
karma,” resulting from past actions. Closely related to this doctrine of reincarnation is that of “
ahimsa,” or non-injury to living things. This is the core value of Hinduism, the protection of all life
which is ultimately divine, and this is the main reason why some Hindus are vegetarian. Now we said
earlier that chief aim in Hinduism is to get release from the cycle of reincarnation caused by “ karma,”
the consequences of past actions, in this or in previous lives. According to Hinduism salvation comes
when one realizes that one’s individual soul is identical with the Universal Soul ( Brahman ) But how
does,

(c) ITS DEVOTEES:

Attain this. Hindus recognize three possible paths to salvation ( moksha ) Rick Rood lists them for us.

1. The Way of Works: ( Karma Yoga )

This is a very popular way of salvation and lays stress on the idea that liberation may be obtained by
fulfilling one’s familial and social duties, thus overcoming the weight of bad “ karma,” one has
accrued. The second way of salvation is,

(b) The Way of Knowledge: Jnana Yoga:

This tells us that the cause of our bondage to the cycle of rebirths in this world is ignorance ( avidya )
The big problem for human beings according to Hinduism, is that they are ignorant of their divine
nature. And it is this ignorance that gives rise to our bad actions which results in bad “ karma.” So
salvation is achieved through attaining a state of consciousness in which we realise our identity with
Brahman. This comes about through deep meditation, often as part of the discipline of yoga.

(c) The Way of Devotion: Bhakti Yoga:

And this is the most popular way among the common people of India. It satisfies the longing for a more
emotional and personal approach to religion. It is self surrender to one of the many personal gods and
goddess of Hinduism. Such devotion is expressed through acts of worship, ( puja ) at the temple, in the
home, through participation in the many festivals in honour of such gods.

Through pilgrimages to one of the holy sites in India, for example the river Ganges. The focus here is
obtaining the mercy and help of a god in finding release from the cycle of reincarnation. Some Hindus
conceive of ultimate salvation as absorption into the one divine reality, with loss of individual
existence. Others see it as heavenly existence in adoration of the personal God. Now what is to be our
response on this religion of the East that is making such an impact on the West ? Well,

(3) THE RESPONSE TO HINDUISM

Is clear and certain. We agree with Hindu’s in their recognition that all is not right with the world and
that the ultimate remedy to the human dilemma is spiritual in nature. Beyond that, there is no common
ground between Christianity and Hinduism. You see,

(a) OUR FOUNDATION IS SURE:

In contrast to the Hindu emphasis on relative truth, the Christian faith rests on a foundation of absolute
truth. For Hindus all truth is relative, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of absolute truths. John
says, “ For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. ( Jn 1:17 ) The Lord
Jesus Christ is God’s absolute truth. He is the Word of God revealed and the only manifestation of
God’s truth. ( Jn 14:6 ) Paul says, “ For other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid which is Jesus
Christ.” ( 1 Cor 3:11 ) Our foundation is sure because our foundation is Christ, the Son of the Living
God.

(b) OUR BIBLE IS CLEAR:

1. Man is a Sinner:

Vive-kan-anda at the Parliament of Religions in 1893 stated,

It is a sin to call a person a sinner

But this is not what God call us ? The Lord Jesus said,

“ I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance,” ( Mk 2:17 ) Paul states “ But God
commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” ( Rom 5:8 ) He
says, “ For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners.”

( Rom 5:19 ) Hinduism tells us that we are ignorant of our divine nature, God tells us that we are born
with a sinful nature. According to Hindu teaching man is divine at the core of his being, according to
God man is depraved at the core of his being. Have you come to recognize your sinful state before a
Holy God ? 1.

2. Man is a Sinner who will but Die Once:

Each of us lives once as a mortal on earth, dies once, and then faces judgment. “ And it is appointed
unto men once to die, and after that the judgment.” ( Heb 9:27 ) You will not have a second chance by
going into another body. At death believers in the Lord Jesus go to heaven

( 2 Cor 5:8 ) while unbelievers go to hell. ( Lk 16:19 ) Is this not why Paul said, “ behold now is the
accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation.” ( 2 Cor 6:2 ) My …. do you see the urgency of this
matter ? (a) (b)

(c) OUR SAVIOUR IS PERFECT:

Hindus often assert that Jesus Christ was not humanity’s only Saviour, nor was He uniquely the Son of
God. Rather He was a great master in a league with other great masters. ( Dictionary of Cults, Sects,
Religions and the Occult Zondervan, 1993, 119. ) They believe that there were holy men greater than
Jesus Christ, one being Prabhupada, who founded the Hare Krishna movement. Hindus tell us that
Jesus Christ was not perfect. They said He showed anger in driving the money changers out of the
Temple ( Mk 11:15 ) and in causing the fig tree to wither.

( Matt 21:19 ) But contrary to the Hindu claim, the Scriptures indicate that our Saviour was sinlessly
perfect and perfectly sinless. He knew no sin ( 2 Cor 5:21 ) He did no sin ( 1 Pet 2:22 ) “ In Him is no
sin.” ( 1 Jn 3:5 ) One cannot get more perfect than that.
(d) OUR METHOD IS GRACE:

Or should I say, God’s method is grace. Today, Hindus all over the world are trying to earn their
salvation by their own efforts, whether through good works, meditation, or devotion to a deity. Why do
New Agers practice yoga ? Why are they so devoted to meditation ? Because of their quest for
salvation. In contrast, the gospel of the grace of God is this. The Son of God became a man, died a
sacrificial death on the cross, making real forgiveness of real sins against the real God possible to those
who place complete trust in Christ. Have you done that ? If so, then you have real assurance that Christ
“ is the answer to your every need,” and you can say with the poet,

Lifted up was He to die:

It is finished was His cry:

Now in heaven exalted high:

Hallelujah what a Saviour