Huston Smith's Analysis

Huston Smith begins his chapter on Hinduism by focusing on its practical implication in terms of its practice. If one was to take Hinduism and merge it into a single statement, it would say: “You can have what you want”( Smith 13). This assertion brings up “The Path of Desire”, an approach one initially takes to help live a righteous life. According to Hindu soteriology, followers go through various steps in the development of one’s understanding of the universe. Smith argues that “The Path of Desire” embodies the notion that we start by craving its first stage, pleasure, and then transition to the second stage of worldly success with the three components of fame, wealth, and power before moving on to “The Path of Renunciation” with its acts
Since the pursuit of desire has proved to be humanly unfulfilling, Hindus will reach out to seek something greater. Through these changes the Path of Desire becomes the Path of Renunciation. Smith discloses that renunciation represents duty, which we continue our search for meaning and understanding. In our lives, we discover that pleasure for outselves is not enough. We have a duty to fufill in communities, and to help others. As Smith states, we “transformed the will-to-get into the will-to-gibe, the will-to-win into the will-to-serve”(Smith 19). We receive longer lasting pleasure from sharing out happiness with others, and extending our pleasure to a larger audience, which brings respect and gratitude from our
Pleasure is viewed as a favorable want, but it cannot fully fill one’s inner being. Like pleasure, world success is also viewed as a positive desire, however, it is ephemeral and self-centered at the costof others, and hence does not satisfy what one wants. While duty and service allow for respect and gratitude towards society, it is also limited because the community will never be flawless nor can duty ever be fully attained. Liberation is thus the pinnacle of all human desires in gaining absolute being, knowledge, and joy while achieving release “from the finitude that restricts us from the limitless being, consciousness, and bliss our hearts desire”(Smith