# Hinduism and the Baha'i Faith

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Moojan Momen, Hinduism and the Baha'i Faith, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Hinduism and the Bahá'í Faith
> 
> Moojan Momen
> 
> Oxford: George Ronald, 1990
> 
> single page
> 
> chapter 1
> 
> Contents
> 
> Introduction
> 
> Darshana - a comparison between
> the theological and metaphysical teachings of Hinduism and the Bahá'í Faith
> 
> Dharma - a comparison between
> the ethical and spiritual pathways taught in Hinduism and the Bahá'í Faith
> 
> Moksha - the pathway to liberation
> and salvation in Hinduism and the Bahá'í Faith
> 
> Hindu Prophecies - prophecies in Hindu
> scriptures which Bahá'ís believe have been fulfilled
> 
> The Social Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh
> - a brief survey of the social teaching of the Bahá'í Faith - the main area where there are differences between Hinduism and the Bahá'í Faith
> 
> The Bahá'í Community - the structure
> and organisation of the Bahá'í community
> 
> Laws, Rituals and Festivals - in the
> Bahá'í Faith
> 
> Bahá'í History - with some comparisons
> to episode in the Hindu epics
> 
> Bibliography
> 
> Acknowledgements & Publication Information
> 
> Introduction
> 
> Hinduism
> Hinduism is not merely a religion; it is a collection of religious traditions.
> These various strands of Hinduism are linked together as far as their concepts
> and history are concerned. But they have evolved in such a manner that
> they now present a wide variety of views about most matters. The ideas
> of some groups even contradict those held by other groups. It is hard to
> find any concepts or doctrines about which all the strands of Hinduism
> are agreed. There are, however, a number of important concepts about which
> most of the different strands in Hinduism have something to say - even
> if they do not agree about them. Among these are the following:
> 
> Brahman
> It is agreed among almost all Hindus that Brahman (Brahma) is the Absolute
> Reality or the supreme deity in the cosmos. Those that follow the Vedanta
> prefer to think of Brahman in an impersonal way as Absolute Reality. And
> so each soul (atman, atma) is part of Absolute Reality, if only
> human beings could see things as they really are. On the other hand, those
> Hindus that follow the theistic traditions prefer to think of Brahman as
> a personal God. Among these Hindus, Brahman becomes Bhagwan or Ishvara,
> the Lord. In each strand of the theistic tradition, this is developed in
> a different way. In Vaishnavism, it is the god Vishnu who manifests Brahman;
> while in Shaivism, the god Shiva manifests Brahman.
> 
> Dharma
> It is not possible to translate the word Dharma into English
> in such a way as to represent all of its meanings. These include: the universal
> law, the right way of living, the moral order. At the cosmic level there
> is the Sanatana Dharma. This is the eternal, unchanging, universal
> law which governs the universe and to which all things conform. At the
> level of man, there is firstly the Sadharama Dharma. This is the
> general code of ethics. It includes the requirement to perform good deeds
> (such as going on pilgrimages and giving to charity) and also prohibits
> evil deeds (such as causing injury and lying). Secondly, there is the Varnashrama
> Dharma. This is the customs and duties relative to each person's caste,
> as well as the social duties relative to the stages in each person's life
> as set out in Hindu Scripture (study of the scripture, raising of a family,
> retiring from family life, and the wandering mendicant). There is also
> a personal meaning to Dharma. Everyone has his own personal Dharma,
> the right way for him to live.
> 
> Samsara and Reincarnation
> The world is the source of all suffering and grief (dukkha).
> Many Hindus consider that human beings are locked into a cycle of repeated
> rebirths (samsara) into this world, and so there is continual exposure
> to
> dukkha. However, reincarnation is not a unanimous belief among
> Hindus. Many of the greatest movements in modern Hinduism, including the
> Brahmo Samaj and the Prarthana Samaj, reject it.
> 
> Moksha (liberation)
> The way out of the cycle of rebirths is moksha (liberation).
> How to achieve this has been of central concern to Hinduism for thousands
> of years. Needless to say, there is no way of achieving it that is agreed
> upon by all. But the ways that have been suggested can be divided into
> three main groups:
> a. Karma (the way of works) This refers to a constant control
> over all of one's actions so that one is always acting in accord with Dharma.
> This involves not only the duties of one's caste but also the wider moral
> obligations to be found in the Sadharama Dharma.
> b. J?ana (enlightenment) It is avidya (ignorance) or maya
> (illusion) that prevents man from knowing what is real and what is unreal
> - especially with regard to that part of himself that is immortal. Through
> a number of means, such as yoga, man is able to distinguish between what
> is real and what is not. This enables him to realize his own immortal self
> and so achieve moksha. This way is followed in particular by the
> Advaita Vedanta and other schools of speculative philosophy.
> c. Bhakti (loving devotion) This is the path of total surrender
> to the Lord. Its ideal is the state of constantly remembering the Lord
> through devotions, prayer and meditations. But those that follow this path
> do not look solely to themselves for salvation. They believe God to be
> kind and full of grace. And so they look to God to lift the burden of their
> sins, for God's grace is able to override the laws of karma.
> 
> The Bahá'í Faith
> Bahá'ís believe that the Bahá'í Faith does not come not to supplant
> Hinduism. Rather its aims are:
> - to take Hinduism on to a further stage of its evolution;
> - to resolve some of the differences that we have noted above;
> - and above all to unite Hinduism.
> In the next few chapters we will examine the philosophy and the ethical
> Dharma
> in both Hindu and Bahá'í belief. This will enable us to see that there
> is no conflict between the two. Indeed we will see that the Bahá'í position
> resolves some of the disagreements in philosophy that exist between the
> various schools within Hinduism.
> In the later chapters, we will describe the social teachings of the
> Bahá'í Dharma. We will examine the Bahá'í claim that this will take
> Hinduism on to a further stage of its evolution. Bahá'ís believe that they
> will bring this about by reforming those elements that are no longer suited
> to the social conditions of today and by renewing the spiritual force that
> is inherent in all mankind.
> 
> single page
> 
> chapter 1
> 
> METADATA
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> Views161133 views since posted 2003-03-06; last edit 2025-03-07 13:27 UTC;
> 
> previous at archive.org.../momen_hinduism_bahai;
> URLs changed in 2010, see archive.org.../bahai-library.org
> ISBN
> 0-85398-299-6
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> English
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> Formatted 2010-07-06 by Jonah Winters.
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> — *Hinduism and the Baha'i Faith (Used by permission of the curator)*