The values and insights of the tradition have contributed to the enrichment of human culture and civilization in general. Peoples following the great religions call God by different names. Names are symbols; they are more durable than “graven images”. To understand their significance, we should get to their meaning, namely the truth indicated by the names. To choose a different name for praise and adoration is not to deny God. Truth by any other name is still truth. God is one and can be worshipped with many names and in many forms. One may regard his own religion as very precious; but then it must be recognized that others too have the same regard for their respective religious traditions.
The Joy of Knowledge
Hinduism is essentially personal and experimental. Each human being has the responsibility to pursue truth actively. This implies personal involvement with one’s faith and the transformation of one’s life. Accordingly, it encourages exploration into the nature of the ultimate Truth; it seeks the underlying oneness of outer truth and inner truth. It looks upon the unity of truth as of utmost significance. It seeks Truth not only through reason, but through all other human faculties, including intuitive experience. Although science is also based on the urge to unify knowledge, it is restricted to empirical knowledge, information that comes from the five sense organs. To know and to realize truth is joy for a being whose basic nature is to know. Knowledge of the supreme Reality or infinite Being is indeed supreme or infinite joy. The joy is so overwhelming as to induce total dedication. Thus salvation consists of the experiential knowledge of God, love of God, and the final offering of oneself to the eternal service of God. The infinite truth is also infinite love. Union with God in this fullness of experience is the highest goal of human, life.
The Hindu tradition lays emphasis on practice. It is not enough to know a theory or believe in certain precepts. It encourages the adoption of the experimental procedure in the exploration of the truth of life. Knowledge has to be put into action; one has to walk the path and practice the precepts. Only then does life become disciplined, resulting in the transformation of one’s personality. Yoga (mental and physical disciplines) and Jnana (meditative knowledge) are through and through experimental in character. They do not ask us to believe in this or that statement; nor do they prevent us from raising questions. In fact, they encourage the questioning attitude. But when the experiments begin to yield results, conviction spontaneously follows. It is this experimental dimension that brings authenticity to the affirmations in the tradition.