DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0066
CHAPTER III.
Hinduism.
General Observations.
We now pass on to the third and by far the most complex
stage of Hindu religious thought. And at the very outset
we are called upon to take note of a fact illustrated by the
whole history of religious thought from the earliest times,
namely, that a merely spiritual and impersonal religion is
quite incapable of taking hold of the masses of mankind or
satisfying their religious requirements. Something more was
needed for vast populations naturally craving for personal
objects of faith and devotion, than the merely spiritual pan-
theistic creed of Brahmanism.
The chief point, then, which characterizes Hinduism and
distinguishes it from Brahmanism is that it subordinates the
purely spiritual Brahman (nom. Brahma) with its first mani-
festation Brahma, to the personal deities Siva and Vishnu
or to some form of these deities; while it admits of numerous
sects, each sect exalting its own god to the place of the
Supreme. Yet we must guard against the idea that Hinduism
has superseded Brahmanism, or that they are mutually an-
tagonistic. The latter system is pantheistic, whereas Hinduism
is theistic ; but in India forms of pantheism, theism, and
polytheism are ever interwoven with each other.
At any rate it is certain that the worship of personal
gods was a part of pantheistic Brahmanism long before
Siva and Vishnu became the exclusive favourites of par-
ticular sects. This I have already pointed out in explaining
the principal doctrines of orthodox Brahmanism. Perhaps
Hinduism.
General Observations.
We now pass on to the third and by far the most complex
stage of Hindu religious thought. And at the very outset
we are called upon to take note of a fact illustrated by the
whole history of religious thought from the earliest times,
namely, that a merely spiritual and impersonal religion is
quite incapable of taking hold of the masses of mankind or
satisfying their religious requirements. Something more was
needed for vast populations naturally craving for personal
objects of faith and devotion, than the merely spiritual pan-
theistic creed of Brahmanism.
The chief point, then, which characterizes Hinduism and
distinguishes it from Brahmanism is that it subordinates the
purely spiritual Brahman (nom. Brahma) with its first mani-
festation Brahma, to the personal deities Siva and Vishnu
or to some form of these deities; while it admits of numerous
sects, each sect exalting its own god to the place of the
Supreme. Yet we must guard against the idea that Hinduism
has superseded Brahmanism, or that they are mutually an-
tagonistic. The latter system is pantheistic, whereas Hinduism
is theistic ; but in India forms of pantheism, theism, and
polytheism are ever interwoven with each other.
At any rate it is certain that the worship of personal
gods was a part of pantheistic Brahmanism long before
Siva and Vishnu became the exclusive favourites of par-
ticular sects. This I have already pointed out in explaining
the principal doctrines of orthodox Brahmanism. Perhaps