India

So, I have an obsession with this country: India.

Ever since I began to learn about Indian mythology, Hinduism, in my Mythology class last semester, I have been hooked. Now, this semester I took yoga, and geography and have been learning even more about the country. So, let's take a look at some of the belief systems of India, beginning with Hinduism.

The belief of samasara is one that I find most interesting. The word is translated as "continuous flow" and refers to birth, life, and death. Hinduism does not see life as the beginning and death as the ending, because of the idea of samasara. Listen to this idea: In Hinduism, it is ignorance of one's true self that leads to ego-consciousness of the body and phenomenal world. This grounds one in desire and the perpetual chain of karma and reincarnation. Through egoism and desire one creates the causes for future becomings. The state of illusion that gives rise to this is known as Maya.

Sounds a bit like the matrix, huh? But this idea really stands out to me.

First off ... we know through sociology, and psychology how strongly our behaviors are shaped by those around us. We learn an incredible amount of knowledge from each other's behaviors and reactions to certain situations ... These ideas are similar in that not knowing the true self leaves a person open to this influence, and subject to karma and reincarnation, consequently. It is only when we can let this all go that we can truly see the world for what it is.

Let me give another example ... money. Money only has value because we agree that it does. Money, or anything "worth" a measurable sum, is really nothing in itself. It's a somewhat "rare," in some cases, shiny metal that came from the earth. Anything we agree has value is something that came from the earth itself. But, because we do not fully realize this concept, we are trapped in an economy with currency that we agree has a value.

I mean, I'm no philosophy teacher, but that's what I'm getting from this concept. Not to mention ... Hinduism is considered the oldest religion in the world, which is not really saying much if you think about it, but the fact that so many religions have been based upon this one, is intriguing.

In Mythology, the one thing I learned above anything else is that all religions seem to follow the same basic pattern, and that the stories all seem to be connected, in most cases, by their detail and structure regardless of whether the two groups had contact with each other, or not. Now, I don't know enough about all the religions just yet to say this with confidence, but if Hinduism is correct in it's belief of one life force then all the religions that human in this cycle could come up with, would be similar.

One of my main goals in life is to travel to India and learn more about this religion before I settle down into any careers. Money, as always, is the biggest deterrent but this trip will be worth it regardless.