Hindu Spiritualism: A Study of Upanishads and Yoga Sutras

Generally, Hinduism has two aspects within its paradigm, Ritualistic Hinduism and Spiritualistic Hinduism. First one is an institutionalized and organized religion with its holy books, rituals, priesthood, dogmas etc. The second one is a mystical outlook towards existence, a kind of spiritual humanism or freelance mysticism. This aspect of Hinduism is a continuation of the ancient wisdom traditions like Gnosticism and Neo-Platonism. The ritualistic aspect has its traditions in the form of Vedas, Shastras, and Puranas. Spiritualistic Hinduism can take many things from these traditions, but it’s not strictly bound to their rules and regulations. The example of mystical Hinduism can be derived from the Upanishads, which are an amalgamation of philosophy and mysticism, and Yoga Sutras which are the general ethical and spiritual methods to reach to a state of equanimity and bliss. We can see Aurobindo Ghosh attesting Semitic prophets and including them in the broader spectrum of spirituality. We can observe Ramakrishna Paramhamsa worshipping in mosques and churches. We can know the essence of Bhakti movement with its inclusive and syncretistic philosophy and love. The ritualistic side is exclusivist and casteist and sometimes manifests itself in the form of dogmatism and exploitation. The common masses who follow the ritualistic side literally believe in thousands of gods and goddesses with their myriad stories and myths. But the Hindu philosophers like Professor Radhakrishnan know that all these mythological stories are just various metaphors for the One Absolute Reality known as Brahman in the Upanishads or Vedanta. I intend to highlight the spiritual, mystical and philosophical aspects of Hinduism or Vedanta.