Sanatana Dharma - The Path Of Liberation

 What is Sanatana Dharma ?

Sanatana Dharma has a wide spectrum of culture, beliefs and traditions. Sanatana is not merely a word, it's a way of life which was designed to best ensure the continuity of humanity on this earth and provide the entire population with spiritual sustenance. Sanatana Dharma is a way of truth that places individual spiritual practices through ritual, Yoga, mantra and meditation over any particular belief, faith or institution. Sanatana Dharma believes that truth is even more important than God, whose best definition is the eternal truth. Sanatana Dharma is beyond all views of monotheism or polytheism, and it teaches us to see the Divine in everything as the power of universal consciousness. The two words, "Sanatana Dharma", come from the ancient Sanskrit language. "Sanatana" is a Sanskrit word that denotes that which is Anadi (beginningless), Anantha (endless) and does not cease to be, that which is eternal and everlasting.

The History of Sanatana Dharma can be traced back to the ancient Harappan civilization. Based on the evidence available at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro archeological sites, and the earlier descriptions in Vedic literature, the ancient Indian civilization is generally believed to predate the early Harappan period of the Indus Valley Civilization. Many threads of evidence suggest that Sanatana Dharma is the oldest continuous religious and spiritual tradition in the world, going back over five thousand years, with no specific point of origin historically.

   

The Nature of Sanatana Dharma

Sanatana Dharma is all-pervading and believes in the omnipresence of God. It is connected more with cosmic time cycles and eternal truth than it is with any historical person, revelation or community. It is not a local formation or limited to one community of believers or practitioners. It calls itself Sanatana Dharma which means the eternal and universal truth that is relevant to all beings and arises from the cosmic mind itself. It does not aim at outer conversion but at inner spiritual practices, and the belief of one Universal Truth which is capable of innumerable manifestations relative to different times, places and persons. Sanatana Dharma has the most detailed philosophy and psychology of any spiritual tradition in the world, with numerous systems of Yoga, Vedanta and Tantra, covering every angle of the spiritual life and quest for higher consciousness. Sanatana Dharma has the largest philosophical literature of any religion or country, comprising every shade of dualism and non-dualism, theism and non-theism, worship of the Divine as One or Many. Sanatana Dharma is a value system that has spiritual freedom as its core. Any pathway or spiritual vision that accepts the spiritual freedom of others may be considered part of Sanatana Dharma.

   

The Basic Principles of Sanatana Dharma

The Sanatana philosophy examines the whole of life and the nature of knowledge on all levels, inner and outer. It includes many schools of Vedanta, Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, Purana and Tantra, including modern teachers and their new insights. Hinduism does not promote any single religious belief but rather encourages us to pursue the exploration of consciousness as our real spiritual quest. It places individual spiritual practices over any other belief. Sanatana Dharma recognizes that each individual soul can realize Divinity as one’s true Self and inmost consciousness, and does not regard any teacher, messenger, prophet or savior as final. It teaches that your true Self and the universe are one. Sanatana sect is that path of liberation that leads to salvation and freedom of thought. Its greatness lies in the fact that it is a perennial source of light which illuminates the life of its followers.