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==94:2. BRAHMANISM==

==94:2. BRAHMANISM==

94:2.1 As the Salem missionaries penetrated southward into the Dravidian Deccan, they encountered an increasing caste system, the scheme of the Aryans to prevent loss of racial identity in the face of a rising tide of the secondary Sangik peoples. Since the Brahman priest caste was the very essence of this system, this social order greatly retarded the progress of the Salem teachers. This caste system failed to save the Aryan race, but it did succeed in perpetuating the Brahmans, who, in turn, have maintained their religious hegemony in India to the present time.

94:2.1 As the [[Salem]] missionaries penetrated southward into the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dravidian_people Dravidian Deccan], they encountered an increasing [[caste]] system, the [[scheme]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan Aryans] to prevent loss of racial [[identity]] in the face of a rising tide of the secondary [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_64#64:6._THE_SIX_SANGIK_RACES_OF_URANTIA Sangik peoples]. Since the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin Brahman priest] caste was the very [[essence]] of this [[system]], this social order greatly [[retarded]] the [[progress]] of the [[Salem]] [[teachers]]. This [[caste]] system failed to save the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_race Aryan race], but it did succeed in perpetuating the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin Brahmans], who, in turn, have [[maintained]] their religious [[hegemony]] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India India] to the present time.

94:2.2 And now, with the weakening of Vedism through the rejection of higher truth, the cult of the Aryans became subject to increasing inroads from the Deccan. In a desperate effort to stem the tide of racial extinction and religious obliteration, the Brahman caste sought to exalt themselves above all else. They taught that the sacrifice to deity in itself was all-efficacious, that it was all-compelling in its potency. They proclaimed that, of the two essential divine principles of the universe, one was Brahman the deity, and the other was the Brahman priesthood. Among no other Urantia peoples did the priests presume to exalt themselves above even their gods, to relegate to themselves the honors due their gods. But they went so absurdly far with these presumptuous claims that the whole precarious system collapsed before the debasing cults which poured in from the surrounding and less advanced civilizations. The vast Vedic priesthood itself floundered and sank beneath the black flood of inertia and pessimism which their own selfish and unwise presumption had brought upon all India.

94:2.2 And now, with the weakening of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedism Vedism] through the rejection of higher [[truth]], the [[cult]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_race Aryans] became subject to increasing inroads from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan Deccan]. In a desperate effort to stem the tide of racial [[extinction]] and religious [[obliteration]], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin Brahman] [[caste]] sought to exalt themselves above all else. They taught that the [[sacrifice]] to [[deity]] in itself was all-efficacious, that it was all-compelling in its [[potency]]. They [[proclaimed]] that, of the two [[essential]] divine principles of the [[universe]], one was [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahman Brahman] the deity, and the other was the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin Brahman priesthood]. Among no other [[Urantia]] peoples did the [[priests]] presume to exalt themselves above even their [[gods]], to relegate to themselves the [[honors]] due their gods. But they went so absurdly far with these presumptuous claims that the whole precarious [[system]] collapsed before the debasing [[cults]] which poured in from the [[surrounding]] and less advanced [[civilizations]]. The vast [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedism Vedic priesthood] itself floundered and sank beneath the black flood of [[inertia]] and pessimism which their own selfish and unwise presumption had brought upon all [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India India].

94:2.3 The undue concentration on self led certainly to a fear of the nonevolutionary perpetuation of self in an endless round of successive incarnations as man, beast, or weeds. And of all the contaminating beliefs which could have become fastened upon what may have been an emerging monotheism, none was so stultifying as this belief in transmigration—the doctrine of the reincarnation of souls—which came from the Dravidian Deccan. This belief in the weary and monotonous round of repeated transmigrations robbed struggling mortals of their long-cherished hope of finding that deliverance and spiritual advancement in death which had been a part of the earlier Vedic faith.

94:2.3 The undue [[concentration]] on [[self]] led certainly to a [[fear]] of the nonevolutionary perpetuation of [[self]] in an endless round of [[successive]] [[incarnations]] as man, beast, or weeds. And of all the contaminating [[beliefs]] which could have become fastened upon what may have been an emerging [[monotheism]], none was so stultifying as this [[belief]] in [[transmigration]]—the [[doctrine]] of the [[reincarnation]] of [[souls]]—which came from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dravidian Dravidian Deccan]. This [[belief]] in the weary and monotonous round of repeated [[transmigrations]] robbed struggling [[mortals]] of their long-cherished [[hope]] of finding that [[deliverance]] and spiritual advancement in [[death]] which had been a part of the earlier [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedism Vedic faith].

94:2.4 This philosophically debilitating teaching was soon followed by the invention of the doctrine of the eternal escape from self by submergence in the universal rest and peace of absolute union with Brahman, the oversoul of all creation. Mortal desire and human ambition were effectually ravished and virtually destroyed. For more than two thousand years the better minds of India have sought to escape from all desire, and thus was opened wide the door for the entrance of those later cults and teachings which have virtually shackled the souls of many Hindu peoples in the chains of spiritual hopelessness. Of all civilizations, the Vedic-Aryan paid the most terrible price for its rejection of the Salem gospel.

94:2.4 This philosophically debilitating teaching was soon followed by the [[invention]] of the [[doctrine]] of the [[eternal]] [[escape]] from [[self]] by submergence in the [[universal]] rest and [[peace]] of absolute [[union]] with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahman Brahman], the oversoul of all [[creation]]. [[Mortal]] [[desire]] and [[human]] [[ambition]] were effectually ravished and virtually destroyed. For more than two thousand years the better [[minds]] of India have sought to [[escape]] from all [[desire]], and thus was opened wide the door for the entrance of those later [[cults]] and teachings which have [[virtually]] shackled the [[souls]] of many [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindus Hindu] peoples in the chains of [[spiritual]] hopelessness. Of all [[civilizations]], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedism Vedic-Aryan] paid the most terrible price for its rejection of the [[Salem]] [[gospel]].

94:2.5 Caste alone could not perpetuate the Aryan religio-cultural system, and as the inferior religions of the Deccan permeated the north, there developed an age of despair and hopelessness. It was during these dark days that the cult of taking no life arose, and it has ever since persisted. Many of the new cults were frankly atheistic, claiming that such salvation as was attainable could come only by man's own unaided efforts. But throughout a great deal of all this unfortunate philosophy, distorted remnants of the Melchizedek and even the Adamic teachings can be traced.

94:2.5 [[Caste]] alone could not perpetuate the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan Aryan religio-cultural system], and as the inferior religions of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan Deccan] permeated the north, there developed an age of [[despair]] and hopelessness. It was during these [[dark]] days that the [[cult]] of taking no life arose, and it has ever since persisted. Many of the new cults were frankly [[atheistic]], claiming that such [[salvation]] as was [[attainable]] could come only by man's own unaided [[efforts]]. But throughout a great deal of all this unfortunate [[philosophy]], distorted remnants of the [[Melchizedek]] and even the [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_74 Adamic teachings] can be traced.

94:2.6 These were the times of the compilation of the later scriptures of the Hindu faith, the Brahmanas and the Upanishads. Having rejected the teachings of personal religion through the personal faith experience with the one God, and having become contaminated with the flood of debasing and debilitating cults and creeds from the Deccan, with their anthropomorphisms and reincarnations, the Brahmanic priesthood experienced a violent reaction against these vitiating beliefs; there was a definite effort to seek and to find true reality. The Brahmans set out to deanthropomorphize the Indian concept of deity, but in so doing they stumbled into the grievous error of depersonalizing the concept of God, and they emerged, not with a lofty and spiritual ideal of the Paradise Father, but with a distant and metaphysical idea of an all-encompassing Absolute.

94:2.6 These were the times of the compilation of the later [[scriptures]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism Hindu] faith, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahamanas Brahmanas] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upanishads Upanishads]. Having rejected the teachings of [[personal]] [[religion]] through the personal [[faith]] [[experience]] with the one God, and having become contaminated with the flood of debasing and debilitating [[cults]] and creeds from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deccan Deccan], with their [[anthropomorphisms]] and [[reincarnations]], the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin Brahmanic priesthood] experienced a [[violent]] [[reaction]] against these vitiating beliefs; there was a definite [[effort]] to seek and to find true [[reality]]. The Brahmans set out to deanthropomorphize the Indian concept of [[deity]], but in so doing they stumbled into the grievous [[error]] of depersonalizing the [[concept]] of [[God]], and they emerged, not with a lofty and [[spiritual]] [[ideal]] of the [[Paradise Father]], but with a distant and [[metaphysical]] idea of an all-[[encompassing]] [[Absolute]].

94:2.7 In their efforts at self-preservation the Brahmans had rejected the one God of Melchizedek, and now they found themselves with the hypothesis of Brahman, that indefinite and illusive philosophic self, that impersonal and impotent it which has left the spiritual life of India helpless and prostrate from that unfortunate day to the twentieth century.

94:2.7 In their [[efforts]] at self-preservation the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahmin Brahmans] had rejected the one [[God]] of [[Melchizedek]], and now they found themselves with the [[hypothesis]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahman Brahman], that indefinite and illusive [[philosophic]] [[self]], that [[impersonal]] and impotent it which has left the [[spiritual]] life of India helpless and [[prostrate]] from that unfortunate day to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century twentieth century].

94:2.8 It was during the times of the writing of the Upanishads that Buddhism arose in India. But despite its successes of a thousand years, it could not compete with later Hinduism; despite a higher morality, its early portrayal of God was even less well-defined than was that of Hinduism, which provided for lesser and personal deities. Buddhism finally gave way in northern India before the onslaught of a militant Islam with its clear-cut concept of Allah as the supreme God of the universe.

94:2.8 It was during the times of the [[writing]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upanishads Upanishads] that [[Buddhism]] arose in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India India]. But despite its successes of a thousand years, it could not [[compete]] with later [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism Hinduism]; despite a higher [[morality]], its early portrayal of God was even less well-defined than was that of Hinduism, which provided for lesser and [[personal]] [[deities]]. Buddhism finally gave way in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_India northern India] before the onslaught of a militant [[Islam]] with its clear-cut [[concept]] of [[Allah]] as the supreme [[God]] of the [[universe]].

==94:3. BRAHMANIC PHILOSOPHY==

==94:3. BRAHMANIC PHILOSOPHY==