Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule

Ingxenye 7—c. 1500 B.C.E. kuqhubeke—UbuHindu—Buwuvuma Zonke

“Wonke umuntu kumelwe alandele inkolo yakhe siqu.”—URamakrishna, umshisekeli wenguquko ongumHindu wekhulu le-19 leminyaka

UKUBA uvuma zonke ngokuvamile kubhekwa njengokulunga. Nokho, kuyichaza kahle inkolo yezwe enkulu kakhulu eyaziwa ngokuthi ubuHindu. Ngo-1985 kwabikwa amaphesenti ayi-13,5 ezakhamuzi zomhlaba, abantu abacishe babe yizi-650 000 000, athi angamaHindu.

UbuHindu buye babizwa ngokuthi “inkolo yesizwe eyinkimbinkimbi, yemicu eminingi ehlukene” nangokuthi kalula nje “igama elihlanganisayo lazo zonke izinkolo zaseNdiya.” IThe New Encyclopædia Britannica iyicacisa kancane lendaba lapho ivuma ukuthi “yonke imizamo yencazelo eqondile yobuHindu iye yazibonakalisa ingenelisi ngandlelathile, ikakhulukazi ngoba izazi zobuHindu ezikhaliphile ezingamaNdiya, kuhlanganise namaHindu ngokwawo, ziye zagcizelela izici ezihlukile zayo yonke lenkolo.”

Nokho, ubuHindu buyinkolo endala. Baqala esigodini soMfula iIndus, manje esiyingxenye yePakistan. Abantu abathile abangamaIndoEuropean abaziwa ngokuthi ama-Aryan bathuthela kulendawo cishe ngo-1500 B.C.E. Njengoba babebheka imisebenzi ethile njengolwazi olungcwele (veda), inkolo yabo yaba eyaziwa ngokuthi ubuVeda. Yayiqukethe izici ezithile ezithathwe enkolweni yokhokho yabaseIran banamuhla. Ngisho nokuba nokwenzeka kwethonya labaseBabiloni kukhona, njengoba Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics ichaza, ikhuluma “ngokufana okuningana phakathi kwamasiko aseBabiloni nawamaHindu okuqala.” Inkolo yezakhamuzi zakuqala yakhela phezu kwalezinkolelo zabanye, inezela noma iyeka izinkolelo nemikhuba iminyaka eminingi njengoba yayithonywa ezinye izinkolo. Ngakho-ke, ubuHindu buwumphumela wokuhlangana okuqhubekayo kwezinkolelo eziningi ezithathwe emithonjeni eminingi.

Izimfundiso Nemikhuba

Ama-Aryan asiza ekubekeni isisekelo sesimiso sokuhlukaniswa ngezigaba kwamaHindu. Izigaba ezine zokuqala zanda ukuze kamuva zihlanganise amaqembu ayinkulungwane ahlukahlukene. Lezigaba ezine kucatshangelwa ukuthi zavela emalungwini ahlukene omzimba wepuruṣa, igama lesiSanskrit elisho “umuntu” ekubhekiseleni kubaba wokuqala wesintu.

AmaBrahma, okucatshangelwa ukuthi avela emlonyeni wakhe, ayengabaholi benkolo; amaKshatriya, avela ezingalweni zakhe, abaholi bezempi nabezombangazwe; amaVaisya, avela emathangeni akhe, abalimi, izingcweti nabahwebi; namaSudra, avela ezinyaweni zakhe, izigqila. “Abangathintwa” kwakungabantu besigaba esiphansi abamisebenzi yabo noma indlela yokuphila kwakuhilela imisebenzi engcolile ngokwenkolo. Nakuba elaseNdiya nePakistan lanqabela izinhlobo ezimbi kakhulu zesimiso sokuhlukaniswa ngezigaba kwamaHindu cishe iminyaka engama-40 edlule, izinkolelo zazo zisekhona.

Isikhathi eside, imihlatshelo yezilwane yayiyingxenye ebalulekile yokukhulekela, eyayifuna ubupristi ukuze kwenziwe imikhosi edingekile. AmaBrahma aba namandla kakhulu kangangokuba ingxenye yalenkolo yaziwa ngokuthi ubuBrahma. “Abapristi babesatshwa futhi behlonishwa ukwedlula onkulunkulu,” kusho uT. W. Organ, “ngoba abapristi babengabhubhisa izitha ngokumane nje baguqule umkhuba wesiko.” Njengoba amasiko emihlatshelo ayeba inkimbinkimbi ngokwengeziwe, kwaqala ukuthambekela okwakugcizelela ubungcwele, noma ukucindezela izinkanuko zenyama.

Umjikelezo oqhubekayo wokuzalwa, usizi nokufa (samsara), kwakuyinkolelo eyisisekelo. Kwavezwa, ekugcineni, kuyiUpanishads, iqoqo lombhalo wamaHindu aluqala cishe kusukela engxenyeni yokuqala yenkulungwane yokuqala yeminyaka B.C.E. Afundisa ukuthi ngemva kokufa nokuhlala phakathi nendawo ezulwini noma esihogweni, ngokomthetho weKarma abantu ngabanye bazalwa kabusha njengabantu noma njengezilwane ezingeni elingaphezulu noma elingaphansi kwelajatshulelwa esikhathini esidlule. Umgomo wokuphila uwukufinyelela emoksha, ukukhululeka emjikelezweni ophikelelayo wokuzalwa nokuzalwa kabusha, ukuzithola emthonjeni wokugcina wokuhleleka okuthiwa iBrahma.

UbuVeda babukholelwa konkulunkulu abaningi. Kodwa ngokwencwadi iConcepts of Indian Philosophy, abalandeli babo bakuthola lokhu kungenelisi, ngakho “kancane kancane baphendukela ngasembonweni kankulunkulu oyedwa woziquzintathu. . . . Enye inqubo yayiwukuhlanganisela ndawonye bonke onkulunkulu besikhathi esidlule . . . [ukuze] kuvezwe unkulunkulu ocatshangelwayo.” Ngakho uBrahma waba unkulunkulu oyinto engenazimfanelo kodwa omelelwa njengomuntu konkulunkulu abahlukahlukene.

Isifiso sokufinyelela emoksha sisekelwe kulokho isazimlando uWill Durant akubiza ngokuthi “ukumelana nokuphila . . . , okungathandeki kuwo wonke umqondo wamaHindu.” Lesisimo sengqondo esifiphele nesingenathemba sifanekiswe kahle kuyiMaitri Upanishad, ebuzayo: “Buyini ubuhle bokujabulela izifiso kulomzimba ohlushwa isifiso, ulaka, ubugovu, ukukhohlisa, ukwesaba, ukulahlekelwa yithemba, umona, ukwehlukana nokufiselekayo, ukuhlangana nokungafiseleki, indlala, ukoma, ukuwohloka, ukufa, izifo, ukudabuka nokunye okufanayo?”

Indlela yokugwema lesisimo esingajabulisi yanikezwa kuyiPuranas, uchungechunge lwezingcaphuno zemibhalo cishe ezahlanganiswa phakathi namakhulu okuqala eminyaka eSikhathi Esivamile. Zinencazelo ethi “izindaba zasendulo,” lezi zazitholakala kabanzi futhi zaziwa ngokuthi imibhalo yomuntu ovamile. IGaruda Purana ithi: “Injabulo yeqiniso itholakala ngokuqedwa kwayo yonke imizwelo. . . . Lapho kunothando khona kukhona usizi. . . . Dela uthando futhi uzojabula.” Ngeshwa, lelikhambi libonakala cishe lidumaza njengesimo sokungajabuli eliklanyelwe ukusinciphisa.

Ngaphambi kwalokhu, iBhagavad Gita, okusho “iHubo LeNkosi” futhi ngezinye izikhathi okuthiwa “incwadi ebaluleke kunazo zonke ezake zabhalwa eNdiya,” yasikisela izindlela ezintathu zokuzuza inkululeko. “Indlela yemisebenzi eyisibopho” yagcizelela ukukhululwa ezibophweni ezingokwesiko nezingokwenhlalo, “indlela yolwazi” yahlanganisa ukwenza ukuzindla neYoga, futhi “indlela yokuzinikela” yahilela ukuzinikela kunkulunkulu oqondile. IBhagavad Gita ifaniswe ‘neTestamente Elisha’ leLobukholwa. AmaNdiya amaningi azi amanye amavesi ayo ngekhanda, futhi amaningi awo ahlabelela izingxenye azazi ngekhanda nsuku zonke.

Eqinisweni iBhagavad Gita iyisiqephu esincane nje senkondlo ende yamaHindu okuthiwa iMahabharata, equkethe izinkulungwane eziyikhulu zamavesi, eyenza nje ibe inkondlo ende kunazo zonke emhlabeni. Ngokufakwa kweBhagavad Gita kuyiMahabharata (cishe ekhulwini lesithathu leminyaka B.C.E.), ekugcineni ubuHindu babube inkolo ehlukile engafani nobuVeda nobuBrahma.

Inguquko Eqhubekayo

Kusukela ekuqaleni kwabo, ubuHindu bebuphawulwa ngenguquko eqhubekayo. Abokuqala phakathi kwabashisekeli benguquko bekhulu lesithupha leminyaka B.C.E. kwakungoSiddhārtha Gautama noVardhamāna Mahāvīra, abasunguli bobuBuddha nobuJaina ngokulandelana.

Mahāvīra wazibheka njengowama-24 ohlwini lwamaJina (abanqobi) labo ubuJaina obusekelwe ekuphileni kwabo. Lenkolo yehlukile kubuHindu ngokuthi iphika ukuba khona komdali, ifundisa ukuthi umhlaba ubulokhu ukhona ngaso sonke isikhathi. Igcizelela kakhulu imfundiso yokugwema ukubulala noma yini ephilayo (ahimsa). Inkambo engenabudlova eyalandelwa umholi wamaNdiya wekhulu leminyaka lama-20 uMohandas Gandhi phakathi nomzamo wakhe wokuba amaNdiya azimele eqinisweni yayiwukusetshenziswa kwalemfundiso engokwenkolo ngendlela engokombangazwe.

NgokobuJaina, inkolelo efanele, ulwazi olufanele, nokuziphatha okufanele, kuhlanganiswe nokwenza iYoga, kuholela enkululekweni. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, igomela ngokuthi yonke into ngokuyinhloko iyindaba yombono, ngakho ikhipha izindinganiso zangempela zokulungile nokungalungile. Lokhu kuveza isimo sokuba uvuma zonke kobuHindu, okwavela kubo ubuJaina.

Eminyakeni eyizi-2 000 kamuva, ekhulwini leminyaka le-15, kwavela omunye umshisekeli wenguquko. Ebizwa ngokuthi uNānak, wazama ukuhlela inkolo eyamukelekayo kokubili kumaHindu namaSulumane. Umphumela kwaba ubuSikh, elithi “Sikh” lisuselwa egameni lesiSanskrit elisho “umfundi.” uNānak wayengowokuqala kubefundisi bamaHindu abayishumi, ngo-1699 owayengoweshumi kubo wasungula iqembu labantu okuthiwa iKhalsa (abamsulwa). Ukuze asuse ukwehlukaniswa kwezigaba futhi agcizelele ukuba kwabo ngamasosha okholo lwabo, amalungu anikezwa isibongo esivamile esithi Singh (ibhubesi). Kwakulindeleke ukuba bagcine oK abahlanu: ukushiya izinwele nentshebe (kesh) yabo kungagundiwe; ukubopha izinwele zabo ezigqokiswe ngomshuqulu oyisigqoko ngekamu (kangha); ukugqoka izikhindi (kachs), mhlawumbe ngaphansi kwamabhulukwe amade; ukuphatha inkemba (kirpan); nokugqoka isigqizo sensimbi (kara). Uhlu lwabefundisi bamaHindu lwalugcina eshumini. Incwadi engcwele yobuSikh, iGuru Granth Sahib, yavela. Ihlanganiswe ngo-1604, yabukezwa ekhulwini leminyaka kamuva.a

Engxenyeni yokugcina yekhulu le-19 leminyaka, umpristi ongumCalcutta uRamakrishna wazama ukuxubanisa ubuHindu nalokho ayekucabangela njengomqondo ongcono kakhulu ongokwenkolo waseNtshonalanga. Waphikisa ngokuthi ngisho nanjengoba amanzi enamagama ahlukene ezilimini ezihlukene, ngakho “iSatchitananda, injabulo yokuqonda yaphakade, ibizwa abanye ngokuthi uNkulunkulu, abanye ngokuthi uAllah, abanye ngokuthi uJehova, abanye ngokuthi uHari, futhi abanye ngokuthi uBrahman.” Ngisho “nanjengoba umuntu engakhwela phezu kwendlu ngesikhwelo noma ngoqalo noma ngesitebhisi noma ngentambo, zihlukahlukene kanjalo izindlela zokusondela kuNkulunkulu. . . . Izindlela zokukholwa ezihlukene ziyizindlela ezihlukene zokufinyelela kuMninimandla Onke.”

Isimo esinjalo sokuba uvuma zonke siwukuyekelela okukhulu ekukhulekeleni kwamaHindu. Sivumela amahlelo athile ukuba aqondise ukukhulekela kwawo ngokuyinhloko kuBrahma (ubuBrahma), amanye kuVishnu (ubuVaishnava) futhi namanye kuSiva (ubuSiva). Sivumela ubuHindu, ubuShakti, nobuTantri babantu ukuba bufundise ubuHindu lelo nalelohlelo ngendlela yalo. Ngokwesibonelo, ubuTantri buhlanganisa imikhuba yesizwe neyabantu futhi bugcizelela ukukhulekelwa kukankulunkulukazi, okwavela ekuqaleni emlandweni wobuHindu. AmaNdiya akhuluma ngezwe lawo “njengeNdiya enguMama,” futhi imelelwa unkulunkulukazi okuthiwa uBhārat Mā.

Ukuba Uvuma Zonke—Kuhle Noma Kubi?

“UbuHindu buye bazibonakalisa bukwazi ukwamukela izimfundiso ezintsha ngokuqhubekayo,” kubhala uGeoffrey Parrinder, isazi senkolo saseBrithani nomfundisi enkolweni yokuqhathanisa. Uyenezela: “Mhlawumbe lokhu kuhlanganiswa noma ukuxutshaniswa kwezinkolo kuyindlela evame kakhulu emfundisweni yobuHindu namuhla.” Ngokusobala abantu abaningi bayavumelana nalefilosofi yamaHindu yokuvuma zonke, njengokungathi bathi, ‘Khonza uNkulunkulu ngendlela ekulungele.’

Kodwa uParrinder uveza ukuthi “ngokulinganisa zonke izinkolelo,” kukhona “ingozi yokwehluleka ukwehlukanisa phakathi kokuhle nokubi.” Futhi ingabe akuyikuba sobala ngokwengeziwe ukuthi inkolo ingaba yimbi noma ibenhle? Ingabe kukhona yini ukulunga ekungeniseni izinkolelo zenkolo embi enkolweni yomuntu?

Namuhla, abantu abaningi badumazekile ngenkolo yabo. Kwaba njalo ngomHindu wesigaba esibusayo saseKshatriya owayephila eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezimbili nengxenye edlule. UbuHindu behluleka ukuphendula imibuzo yakhe. Wayefuna ukukhanyiselwa. Isihloko sethu esilandelayo esithi, “Ukukhanyiselwa Okwathembisa Inkululeko,” siyositshela okwengeziwe.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 28]

Kungenzeka Uye Wazibuza

AmaHindu ayichaza kanjani isamsara? IBhagavad Gita ithi: “Njengoba umuntu, ekhumula izimpahla ezigugile, agqoke ezintsha, kanjalo ohlala emzimbeni, ekhumula imizimba egugile, ungena kweminye emisha.” IGaruda Purana ichaza ukuthi “yimisebenzi yalomuntu ekuphileni kwangaphambili enquma uhlobo lwesidalwa azoba yilo kokulandelayo . . . Umuntu uthola lokho anqunyelwe ukukuthola ekuphileni, futhi ngisho nonkulunkulu akanakukwenza ngokunye.” Inikeza isibonelo, iThe Markandeya Purana icaphuna umuntu othi: “Ngazalwa njengoBrahmana, njengeKshatriya, njengeVaisya nanjengeSudra, futhi nanjengesilo, njengempethu, njengenyamazane nanjengenyoni.”

Ingabe amaHindu abheka izinkomazi njengezingcwele? Kokubili iRigVeda neAvesta ibhekisela ezinkomazini “njengezidalwa okungamelwe zibulawe.” Kodwa lokhu kubonakala kusekelwe esimisweni seahimsa kunasenkolelweni yokuphindukuzalwa. Nokho, iThe Markandeya Purana iveza ukungathi sína kokwehluleka ukugcina lomthetho, ithi “umuntu obulala inkomazi uya esihogweni izikhathi ezintathu zokuzalwa kwakhe.”

AmaHindu awubheka kanjani umfula iGanges? “Osanta, abahlanzwa ngokugeza emanzini alomfula, nabazingqondo zabo zinikezelwe kuKesava [Vishnu], bathola inkululeko yokugcina. Umfula ongcwele, lapho kuzwiwa ngawo, ufiselwa, ubonwa, uthintwa, kugezwa kuwo, noma kuhutshwa ngawo, usuku nosuku uhlanza zonke izidalwa. Futhi labo abaphila ngisho nasebangeni eliyi-100 yoyanas [amakhilomitha ayi-1 400] abathi ‘Ganga noGanga’ bayakhululwa ezonweni ezenziwa phakathi nezikhathi zokuphila ezintathu ezidlule.”—The Vishnu Purana.

Obani amaHare Krishna? Amalungu Enhlangano Yezizwe Zonke yokuzazi ukuthi ungumKrishna, uhlobo lobuthunywa bevangeli lobuHindu bokuzinikela. Umqambi wayo, uA. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ongasekho, waletha isigijimi sakhe eUnited States ngo-1965. Sinezici ezithile zokucindezela izinkanuko zenyama kwamaHindu, sigxile ekukhulekelweni kukankuiunkulu uKrishna, futhi sigcizelela ukuhlatshelelwa kwemantra iHare Krishna. UBhaktivedanta wayebheka ukuhlabelela igama likaNkulunkulu ngekhanda njengokwanele ukuthi kungasindisa.