The thought of writing this blog post occurred to me recently when I started rediscovering my roots as a Hindu Brahman. I was already doing so much work around FOSS so I thought to myself “Why not merge these two together?”
What is Hinduism? And a little Backstory
Before we get started we must first define the term’Hinduism’ and what exactly it means. Is it a religion? Is it a way of life?
Hinduism - an often misunderstood word. Hinduism is a way of life as expressed by its diverse literature (Vedas, Upanishads, Granths) further, it is the philosophical understanding of one’s self and everything around him. Hinduism is Bharat’s God Project and its results have been astounding! Its body of knowledge are scientific, faith-based and experience-based. The term ‘Religion’ as we understand it today is a notion from ‘Judeo-Abrahmic’ traditions and is very very different from our understanding of the term ‘Dharm’ in Bharat. This was a derivation from a statement given by the Supreme Court of India Itself! However when the Supreme Court says this, it does not take away the status of Hinduism as a faith to guarantee the provisions of Article 26.
Dharm - Performing your duties righteously without expecting any favours in return. This is as Open-Source as it gets!
Perhaps nowhere else in the World has the quest for meaning taken so many different hues than Bharat. The term ‘Bharat’ itself is a word that means The land of those who seek knowledge.
The Linkages with FOSS Philosophy
What stirred? Where? In whose protection? Was there water, bottomlessly deep? Who really knows? Who will here proclaim it? Whence was it produced? Whence is this creation? The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe. Who then knows whence it has arisen?
Rig Veda, Mandala 10, hymn CXXIX. Creation. Nasadiya Sukta (“Not the non-existent”)
Within the Rig Veda, the most ancient of Hindu scriptures and conceivably one of the earliest spiritual texts worldwide, Bhagwan Prajapati is depicted as posing unanswerable questions, constructing enigmatic paradoxes. In contrast to the God of the Old Testament, who was issuing commandments, Prajapati was inquiring, “Who am I?”
Since opening the Floodgates on the divine and most fundamental questions, the Bharatiya thought has followed a remarkable journey of introspection and self-questioning, continually seeking to understand the depths of existence and the profound mysteries of the universe both Philosophically and Scientifically.
Open Source software is an approach to design and re-design, develop and re-develop, distribute and re-distribute offering practical accessibility to Software’s source code.
If we consider God, the concept of him, the Seva and Bhakti( practices that lead one to God), Ideas, Philosophies and the nature of the Human Mind as the Source code, then Bharat has always been the place where the doors have been flung open and its coders have been given free reign to craft, invent and reinvent, refine, imagine and re-imagine to the point where every Spiritual and Cognitive process has been explored, documented and celebrated!
Atheists, heretics, ash covered Hermits, dualists and non-dualists, poets and singers, students and saints, children and outcasts each and every one of them have contributed lines of code to the Hindu Repository.
Hinduism has always been an open-ended process that is constantly evolving even today with the latest developments. Just as Open Source Software can be modified and changed on an ongoing basis, Hindu ideology also evolves and changes itself to suit the complex social and ecological problems the world is now facing.
Inclusive approaches were articulated from the beginning. The RigVed has stated “The truth is one, the sages call it by different names”. If all religions lead to one truth, the one Conciousness, then there is little scope for religious conflict.
The thing that really sets Hinduism apart from all other Faiths is that there is no one single book, No single prophet, no single messiah nor a single belief that is forced upon everyone and holds everything together. Can’t go to the Temple everyday? That’s okay! You can just remember God and that shall suffice Don’t have an Idol? God resides in everyone and everything around us Don’t know the specific mantras? Just feeling God’s presence and meditating in his name works aswell Furthermore, it even advocates for atheism (Nirīśvaravāda - Charvakas and Lingayats) and acknowledges the existence of transgender groups and same-sex relationships from ancient times. No other Faith has so much in-depth thought, acceptance and diversification in itself.
This flexibility assured by Hinduism is what sets it apart. It is not only the Polytheistic nature of it but also the accommodating and diverse nature which makes it such a strong and gravitating school of thought.
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
“The whole world is my family” When related to open source, it can convey the idea that the open-source community, like a family, transcends boundaries and welcomes contributors and users from all around the world. Open source software, in this sense, is a collaborative effort that unites individuals from diverse backgrounds in a global “family” working together for the common good.
Ayyavazi, Buddhism, and Jainism are often considered to have evolved as distinct paths or belief systems that share some historical and philosophical roots with Hinduism, making them, in a sense, akin to “forks” in the broader religious and philosophical landscape.
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Ayyavazi (Ayyavazhi): Ayyavazi is a belief system that originated in South India and is often regarded as an offshoot of Hinduism. It follows the teachings of Ayya Vaikundar, who is considered an avatar of Lord Vishnu. While Ayyavazi shares some Hindu elements, it also introduces unique concepts and practices, making it a distinct tradition within the larger umbrella of Indian spirituality.
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Buddhism: Siddhartha Gautama, who later became known as the Buddha, was born into a Hindu family. Buddhism emerged as a result of his spiritual journey and quest for enlightenment. While Buddhism incorporates some concepts and terminology from Hinduism, it fundamentally diverges from it in key ways. For example, Buddhism rejects the caste system and the concept of an eternal soul (atman), which are central to Hinduism.
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Jainism: Jainism, like Buddhism, has its roots in ancient India and arose as a response to the religious and philosophical milieu of the time, which included Hinduism. Jainism was founded by Mahavira, who was a contemporary of the Buddha. Jainism shares certain ethical and metaphysical concepts with Hinduism, such as karma and reincarnation, but it places a strong emphasis on non-violence (ahimsa) and asceticism.
The concept of Margas
The open-ended nature of Hinduism is further underscored by its system of “margas” - distinct pathways to attain spiritual liberation. Hinduism acknowledges that individuals possess diverse ideologies and psychological compositions.
For some, the journey of spiritual exploration leads to “Jnana,” where liberation is discovered through profound insights and an intuitive comprehension of the nature of reality.
Then there’s “Bhakti,” where fulfillment is achieved through intense devotion to a personal deity. The overflowing love and devotion for the deity extends to encompass other human beings.
And finally, there’s “Karma,” the path of action, exemplified by figures like Lal Bahadur Shastriji, where seekers find the divine through service to their fellow beings. These multiple pathways reflect the inclusivity and adaptability of Hinduism in accommodating diverse spiritual aspirations.
Conclusion
The non-religious aspects of open-source Hinduism have served as a source of inspiration for some of the most prominent secular-spiritual figures in the nation, such as Dr. Abdul Kalam. Many other individuals, like him, embody the spirit of hope, enthusiasm, diversity, and celebration within this “timeless yet ever-evolving” civilization.
In the realm of Indic philosophy, there are no hidden secrets. Yoga’s core principle is that the pathway to the divine resides within oneself. This profound idea demonstrates the forward-looking mindset of our ancestors.
The process of uncovering and reimagining the divine is entirely within your control.