Hinduism is like Prana existing in a living form, the sap in a tree. From Hinduism evolved all other religions of world. How and why?
Hinduism scriptures like Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads always say every single human being on mother earth had a spark of divinity within to become a Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed. Adi Shankaracharya followed this analogy and so did Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharshi Ramana to gain enlightenment in their lifetime.
Comparatively after coming of Mahavira none in Jainism became an enlightened one. The same was the case with Buddhism. After advent of Gautama Buddha none in Buddhism even tried gaining enlightenment. In Christianity, in Islamic Dharma also none ever tried reaching state of enlightenment. But in Hinduism people would continue doing so.
The last most evolved person on mother earth after Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Maharshi Ramana was Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda did not gain enlightenment in his lifetime. He gave more precedence to community service than gaining enlightenment for self. Had he desired he could have easily reached state of enlightenment in his lifetime under able preceptorship of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, his revered spiritual master!
Swami Vivekananda left his mortal frame in 1902. His soul atman must have definitely manifested a new form unknown to mankind. In our lifetime we shall witness the earlier Swami Vivekananda reaching state of enlightenment. The first person on mother earth in present times who would achieve enlightenment would be Swami Vivekananda of earlier times.
Hinduism is one religion in the entire history of which hundreds of seekers successfully reached state of enlightenment.
What use following Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity or principles of Islamic Dharma if our goal of life was never becoming one like Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed. Just praying and worshipping man gods like Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed does not mean anything. On path of pure spirituality indulging in Bhagavad Gita we have to ourselves reach state of enlightenment.
Initially came Lord Krishna an avatar of his era… saviour, messiah of his times. Then came Mahavira and Jainism was recognized world over. Until earlier 23 Tirthankaras of Jainism, the jnana wisdom remained confined to their individual self. With advent of Mahavira, the philosophy of Jainism percolated to the masses. In present times Jainism is primarily recognized by teachings of Mahavira.
Gautama Buddha followed Mahavira by 77 years. The teachings of Buddha were called Buddhism. About 423 years later came Jesus Christ and his teachings were termed Christianity. Both in Buddhism and Christianity none desires becoming like Gautama Buddha or Jesus Christ. Such teachings do not seem to exist in their religion. Both Gautama Buddha and Jesus Christ never said that their followers could never become one like them.
It is erroneous teachings of religious preachers of present times that human beings remain limited to religious practices (rituals) to no end. When the so-called religious preachers knew nothing about spirituality, how could they indulge in preaching to mankind values of path of spirituality!
And at this juncture the teachings of Hinduism come to rescue of seekers, travelers of spiritual path. The best part of Hinduism is one need not convert to Hinduism to learn essence of jnana wisdom contained in Hinduism scriptures. Remaining wherever we were, even while following our religion faith of belief one could ceremoniously indulge in spirituality as detailed in Bhagavad Gita to reach cosmic end of life, God in our lifetime.
Indulgence in yogic exercises (asanas) was only the physical part of yoga. But people in West were mesmerized by what Hinduism has in store for them. They are truly elated by practice of so-called yoga, yogic exercises asanas.
Hinduism has so much to give but how many people in this world were prepared to take what Hinduism has to offer? The original gist of Bhagavad Gita containing 700 shlokas verses in Sanskrit along with English transliteration is available for mere $1 from Gita press, Gorakhpur, India but there were practically no takers world over including India.
The most probable reason for this is, none world over seems interested in indulging in contemplation (chintan) to reach the hidden underlying abstract values of life contained in Bhagavad Gita and Upanishads (independent spiritual treatises). Unless we mastered the delicate art of contemplation (chintan) we could never gain anything from Bhagavad Gita or Upanishads.
If any seeker world over seriously desires becoming one like Mahavira, Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammed, Adi Shankaracharya, Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa all Maharshi Ramana one can easily do so by indulging in wisdom contained in Bhagavad Gita alone. No second scripture was necessitated. The 700 shlokas verses contained in Bhagavad Gita were so potent that even a layman can become a Mahavira or Gautama Buddha in one’s lifetime.
Furthermore with passage of time nothing in Bhagavad Gita dilutes.
Hinduism is, was and would always be the oldest, the best and the only religion that takes mankind from zero to 100, from a commoner to an enlightened one. Hinduism is truly unlike other religions and so was directly ordained by god.