Click here to read Part I of this series of posts.
The first person we escort to the edge of the pit represents one of the oldest religions on the planet... Hinduism.
Hinduism began as early as 1,500 BC. The goal of Hinduism is to seek something called "moksha." Moksha is understood as a kind of release or freedom from being wrong about life. Ultimately it's freedom from illusion.
In Hinduism, whether you're from the highest caste for from the lowest caste, everyone is seeking moksha - freedom from foolish illusion.
Hinduism teaches that everything that the cobra in our pit represents (see the previous post) is simply an illusion. Pain, injustice, suffering, war, disease, evil, wrong-doing -- it's all just an illusion. What's real is Brahman. And we must learn to distinguish what is real from what is illusion.
So... we bring the representative from Hinduism up to the pit. And he/she says this: "My friend in the pit! Here is what you must do: You must so study Vishnu, and you must so meditate, and you must also undergo reincarnations until you reach moksha! You must tell yourself, 'There is no pit! There is no snake! They are only illusion. Only Brahman is real.' And then, my friend, you will find peace."
And, listen, there are Hindus who take this kind of meditation so seriously that they are able to do things like push nails into their skin without wincing. It's pretty impressive. On one level.
But, this is their solution to the one in the pit. Pain and injustice and suffering and crime and evil... it's all just illusion.
... to be continued ...