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From: ganesh@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Ganesh Subbarayan)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: Article What is the goal of Hinduism?
Message-ID: <14569@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Date: 15 Mar 90 18:32:05 GMT
References: <14528@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Sender: mukund@phoenix.Princeton.EDU
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In article <14528@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> epperly@osnome.che.wisc.edu (Tom Epperly) writes:
>Can someone explain the goal of Hinduism?  What is nirvana and why is
>it desirable?
>			Tom Epperly
>			epperly@osnome.che.wisc.edu

The following is my interpretation derived mostly by reading the
works of the monks of Rmakrishna Mission:

'Hinduism' can denote both a collection of philosophies and a practical
religion which guides the individual to lead a life in which the truth
mentioned in the philosophies can be realized. The philosophies (as I
understand them) descirbe the nature and cause of the universe, the
nature of god and the individual and their relationship etc. The epics
and manusmruti etc. belong to the latter  category of practical
religion. There are six orthodox schools of philosophy in hinduism
which accept the validity of the vedas. The heterodox schools of
philosophy (Buddhism and Jainism) do not accept the validity of vedas.
What is common   to all the philosophies (from: Swami Prabhavananda's
spiritual heritage of India) is the following:
 
1. 'God' is
2. 'God' can be realized
3. To realize 'God' is the goal of life
4. All paths which lead to the goal have equal validity

Here what one understands by 'God' would depend on which school of
philosophy one subscribes to. For a dualist, 'God' would denote a
personal aspect and for a non-dualist it would denote a causeless,
qualityless, shapeless absolute reality namely brahman.

I am not able to come up with a satisfactory answer as to why nirvana
is desirable. It is usually taken as an axiom (I would be curious to
know what other netters think of this).

Ganesh.