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Hinduism not only offered the number zero to the world, but also its inversely proportional infinite richness in the nothingness that most people immersed in this materialistic world know nothing about. This article focuses on the significance of the unique beauty that one can experience from within because of the absolutely nothing going on in mind which is not possible when it is constantly into something, trying to make something out of nothing! This is one important aspect of Hinduism (not to be confused with the experience of chemically induced ‘high’ feeling of nothingness!) with respect to the natural bliss that is the focus of this article.

The word Hinduism is an oxymoron, because Hindus in general never followed any ‘ism’ (as in orthodox cults) i.e. Hindu = -ism

Hinduism = Hindu + ism = Hindu + (-Hindu) = 0

Hindu

The ‘Hindu’ is a recently coined tag for people by the Persians as a gifted identity based on geographical location between the Himalayas and the Sindhu river.

So Hindus never had their identity of their own, nor did they follow any religion or any particular God – as observed by invaders – the Islamists and later the Britishers (Christians). Nothing!

ism

Along with the English people came English word ‘ism’ that they love to attach to any tradition or group of people that they invade. Hence came the word ‘Hinduism’. “It’s a religion”, they said, though they couldn’t understand or make anything out of various Dharmic scriptures they could lay hands to. They appointed one Max Mueller to learn Sanskrit and do rigorous study of Vedas/Upanishads/Bhagawad Gita (written in ancient language Sanskrit) so that could be translation to suit the taste of the Brits. Their narrow vision with the lens of abrahmic faiths (they are used to) failed to grasp the concept of Dharma; and having failed in that they still tagged the unordered, undefined, non-existing stuff as religion – which actually has no properties of a religion they follow. Their only aim was to denigrate and destroy the civilization of Bharat so as to rule, colonize it, and eventually spread the love of Jesus.

Now that the ‘ism’ is attached to Hindus and Hinduism is widely used word, let us accept the term and move on to show the world how it really means nothing!

Nothing is Omnipresent

If there exists anything that you call God, then it has to be present everywhere, even beyond existence, beyond the universe. Whatever creation we observe occupy less than 1% of universe; and the same would apply for the entire cosmos if an infinitely larger manifestation of this is applied.

That eternal vastness of emptiness or nothingness is the source of creation of everything physical in nature and any physical entity or creation, eventually merges into nothing.

In other words, everything comes out of nothing and finally ends up into nothing.

Then What is Dharma?

Before knowing Dharma, please fill in the blank in the below statement.

Nothing is more valuable than _______. (fill in the blank)

No matter what you fill up in the blank, nothing still wins!

Q: So if nothing is the MOST valuable thing, then why go for something?
A: Because you are something, and to achieve nothing you have to do something that nullifies the something of you.

Dharma prescribes tools & technologies for mankind to achieve the ability to merge with the ultimate nothingness of the source of creation – God.

Dharma

Coming to Dharma, conscious among them are the ones who always prefer to ‘know’ than ‘believe’ . Ignorants tend to believe instead of knowing. Dharma prescribes one to be always conscious of life & lives around, the sensitivities attached to life that would culminate into gratitude towards nature, being aware of the thoughts & deeds for the betterment of mankind in general. This continuous awareness of upholding humanity and respecting balance of nature via self realization is the crux of Dharma that every individual is bound to hold on to. Thus every human being who is part of the existence as something is bound to perform these duties to negate the past tremendous negatives accumulated (as karma) to bring it down to nothing.

State of Nothingness = Bliss

There are numerous Dharmic scriptures in the form of recorded history (epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata), Vedas (comprising of Upanishads) that contains the teachings of identifying Dharma vs Adharma (anti-Dharma) situations so as to take the right stand for upholding Dharma. Shri Krishna’s conversation (good translation here) with Arjuna (in the form of The Gita) just before the Kurukshetra war to clear the confusion the latter had with regards to one’s individual Dharma as a contribution towards making it eternal (Sanatana) is what is relevant today and will always be.

Nothing Is Bliss!

Yog means union. Union with what? Nothing! Yoga means various tools and methodologies to achieve this Yog, that eventually permanently liberates one from the sufferings experienced due to continuous ignorance of the inner blissful nature of life, i.e nothingness of life, i.e. the ultimate, i.e Dharma. This process is called Sadhana.

There are four types of Yogic Paths or Yogs: Bhakti Yoga, Sankhya Yoga, Kriya Yoga and Karma Yoga.

Bhakti (devotion) Yoga is the path that is tightly coupled with Sankhya (knowledge via exploration & experience) Yoga. Kriya Yoga comprises of physical & mental practices that makes one efficient utilizer of the senses in executing the responsibilities towards the society as Karma Yoga. It is indeed essential to dissolve the karma accumulated during life by doing appropriate sadhana to achieve nothingness.

Shiva literally means That Which Is Not (created)

Nothing is God

Then comes the question, there are so many Gods, demi-Gods, appeasing them to gain powers, life securities, material gains, isn’t it? True – all sounds like abrahamic methodologies to guarantee great life, life securities here; if not here, hereafter (in ‘heaven’) for sure!

Firstly, though one may get anything from any deity (imaginary or real) asked with utmost integrity, a conscious Yogi (seeking union with the ultimate)  would never seek something (anything materialistic), but only enlightenment – no bodily pleasures, no mental pleasures, no pleasures as the real source of joy is within, comes from deep sense of nothingness that a genuine seeker of truth always goes for.

Secondly, in this ancient civilization of Bharat, the act of worship has always been expressions of gratitude towards nature that can be regarded as life nourishing by carving a deity out of it, e.g. Surya Narayana from Sun, Vayu/Prana Dev (air), Varun Dev (water), Bhudevi (Mother Earth) etc and also to the great human beings – right from avatars of Vishnu like Rama, Krishna etc to enlightened beings like Adi Shankaracharya, Gautam Buddha, Guru Nanak Dev and so on – who directed & showed highest levels of wisdom by upholding humanity, justice in various challenging situations for us to follow by being in total control of mind & body and not to fall prey to the cravings of lust, desires initiated by them

So that brings to us the conclusion that the entire cosmos came out of nothing and eventually will merge into nothing. It is this nothingness that is the source of all creation, that truly enlightened beings become part of.

God is Nothing (not a thing), and Hinduism (=0 or shoonya as proved above) helps one to transform and merge into the One that is infinitely & eternally as vast as Nothing.

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