Page 13 - Hinduism

Hinduism is not a personal religion as it insists on the unity of life as a whole and the duties of each person to the other members of the society. But it does not accept the western view that God needs man's co-operation in the furtherance of His purpose. Man does his work as worship of God in the spirit of kaiṅkarya in utter humility. Every act of social service is really the adoration of God as the inner self in all beings. There is no spiritual barrier between one Jīva and another.
Hinduism is thus coherent, synthetic and universal. It is coherent because it satisfies every Pramāna and sees no dividing line between reason and revelation. It is synthetic because it gives a place to every system of thought and every school of Vedānta. It is also tolerant because it recognises sects though it rejects sectarianism. It is universal because it affirms the truth that every man is a son of God and he can intuit Him directly. But it is not a mere hotch-potch or eclectic faith. It provides for different types of people but at the same time emphatically declares that the goal or aim is the same. Every one is ātman or spiritual, and there is one ātman in and beyond all; and every one can realise Him. The terms applied to Hinduism like Sanātana Dharma, Vedānta or Darśana and Brahma-vidyā are all synonymous. They all affirm the same truths in spirituality and service.
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