Różnice między hinduizmem a chrześcijaństwem

Abstract

Communication between countries has intensified the contacts of western people with eastern religions. Often Catholic authors who also consider these religions as a way of salvation, stress the necessity of an intense dialogue with them. In this way some erroneous foreign views have been penetrating the Catholic theology. One of such errors is the identification of Christian meditation with the meditation practised during yoga exercises. It is a great misunderstanding to see similarities between the spiritual perfection achieved by means of the yoga exercises and by means of the Christian prayer during meditation. What is more, some Christians adopt the erroneous belief in reincarnation, which Hindu people consider as the way to salvation. In India the faith in reincarnation is the basis for the caste system which causes deep social segregation and discrimination of the lowest castes. The Indian Constitution bans every social discrimination, but the religious tradition sanctions it, therefore there is a conflict between the state law and the rules regarding social relationships. As far as Hindu morality is concerned it is not a matter of principles only. It is primarily a matter of practical conduct largely determined by the social environment. Hence man’s moral striving, whatever it is considered to be – pure preparation for his true spiritual realization or a real endeavor of religious fidelity, is in all schools related to some basic tenets, among which the most important are the doctrine of dharma, karma and reincarnation. At first sight the Law of Karma appears as a necessity, a kind of impersonal cosmic mechanism from which there is no escape. Although the Law of Karma makes human life a very individual affair, the Dharma Sutras and all the literature deriving from them are connected with the practical code of the, so called, “virtuous” behaviour. Thus understood dharma designates the traditionally settled order, which includes all duties, whether individual, social or religious. Every man, according to his status, has his particular dharma, which is determined by his birth and the place he occupies in the society. The traditional account of the origin of castes goes back to the Vedas. It is the social organisation created by the Arians after they had settled on Indian soil. The first Veda (Rigveda) describes four kinds of men: – the Brahman assigned the following duties: studying, teaching, sacrificing and receiving gifts; – the Ksatriya assigned the following duties: studying, using weapons, protecting human life; – the Vaisya assigned the following duties: cultivating, trading, giving alms; – the Sudra was given the duty of serving the tree other higher classes. In the course of time some social changes have taken place and those four social classes have undergone division and given rise to the creation of the numerous castes. Today people in India justify the differences of duties of particular castes by the Law of Karma. In this way faithful people accept their position and every situation that befalls them. Even people of the lowest castes who experience injustice are not frustrated and they don’t revolt against social discrimination, since they expect to reach a better and higher rebirth after their death. The faith in reincarnation makes them silent and passive. Therefore, the propaganda of the faith in reincarnation is dangerous for the European and Christian culture. If such faith were to become popular in Europe, it would bring the destruction of human rights and would open the way to neo-racism called the “mystical racism”.