|
|
|
An ancient and complex religion with no single founding Hindu prophet or religious leader, there were numerous Hindu sects but Hinduism had no clearly delineated religious organization. Hinduism was a family of myriad faiths that range from an absolute monistic triad, Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver) and Shiva (the Destroyer), to a pluralistic Hindu theism where the Supreme Being manifested as many semi-divine gods and goddesses. The scriptures and Vedic hymns of the Hindus espoused many different viewpoints on Ultimate Reality but there were still many beliefs shared by all Hindus. One of them was their reverence for their Animal Totem, the Holy Cow which was depicted in temple statues. One of the common practices adhered to by most Hindus was the practice of ahisma (non-violence) towards all beings including animals. The concept of ahisma appeared in the epic Mahabharata and in the Upanishads. For adherents to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, ahisma was the first of five vows of self-restraint. Hinduism revered the divinity within all beings so many Hindus followed the vegetarianism promulgated by the Yajur Veda. Even when a Hindu strayed from the satvic (pure) path of being a lacto-vegetarian in Indian, they did not eat beef. In fact the slaughter of cows for consumption in India was against the law in nearly all of the states.
In the Hindu Vedas of India, the killing of the cow/bull was prohibited. The cow/bull was recognized as a Sacred Animal Totem of the Hindus. To the Hindus the cow symbolized, abundance, caretaking, earthly fulfillment, selfless giving, strength and wealth. A gentle loving animal, the maternal cow has unselfishly provided humanity with sustenance in the form of milk and milk products like cheese for millenium. On the third day of Pongal Harvest Festival in India, offerings were made to the cattle who assisted farmers in so many diverse ways. Cattle were festooned with bells and flowers. They were also given sugar cane and sweet rice to eat; as well as, permitted to roam around freely. The majority of the people on this planet including the Hindus have the Cow/Bull as an Animal Totem. To harm one's Animal Totem by slaughtering it for food or any other reason whatsoever brings on great misfortune, according to the karmic cycles of cause and affect. Many of the benefactor mentor Hindu deities were depicted as cows. For instance, Vac was a Hindu sacred cow progenitor goddess and guardian of the Vedic spoken word. She was mentioned as the original creator of the four Vedas. Revered from around 1500 BCE until the present day, she was depicted in reliefs and sculptures either as a graceful woman attired in gold garments or as a cow.
Vac Aditi was portrayed as Vac in
ancient hymns as being the epitome of the quintessential soma sustenance of all
truths and visions. Hindus believed that this immortal substance sparked Brahman
Consciousness into full lotus blossom manifestation.
Next
Back
|
|
|
Read