It's not.
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Can you mingle Hinduism with Christianity?
- Thread starter Sirona
- Start date
It's not.
Poeticus
| abhyAvartin |
... Personally, I'd state that various Vaishnava sects will have it easier in syncretizing the two, whereas various Shakta-s, Shaiva-s, Shrautin-s, and the like, will find it almost impossible to syncretize. Vedantin-s, especially Advaitin-s, most likely will have no difficultly in syncretizing (though most Advaitin-s I have come across online despise the notion). As a Mimamsaka (Shrautin), I'd say it's impossible as per the Purva Mimamsa Sutra-s of Rishi Jaimini.
But why just Hinduism ? Why not Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism ? What about going a little beyond and involving the Lokayata/Charvaka philosophies ? Then, mix it up with a little bit of African Tribal beliefs, put some Shinto in there, some Chinese Folk Traditions, a little bit of Sami beliefs, some Native American beliefs here and there, a touch of Mayan also, and you'll have a very complete mingling ...
Yes, Poeticus, that works for some people too. The proof is in the fact that some people do it. 
Then there would be even more decisions ... burial, cremation, sky burial, tree burial, off to the vultures, of burial at sea...
Then again maybe you could cut the corpse into 5 or 6 pieces... bury one, cremate one, throw one to the birds, latch one on a tree, drop one at sea. I guess that might cover all the bases.
Then there would be even more decisions ... burial, cremation, sky burial, tree burial, off to the vultures, of burial at sea... Then again maybe you could cut the corpse into 5 or 6 pieces... bury one, cremate one, throw one to the birds, latch one on a tree, drop one at sea. I guess that might cover all the bases.
Not surprising from a Catholic organization. All the more reason it's slanted. Paul never met Jesus, nor can Paul's 'vision' be authenticated. Actually, not even Jesus can be authenticated. What's written in his name could have been a compilation of several teachers. Homer's and Laozi's existence as individuals has been questioned for years.
Any differences they may have does not render them completely incompatible. For example, the Buddha never denied the existence of God, he just never encouraged it; Jesus and Krishna put God at the forefront. There is still a lot of overlap as I see it.
Is it, are you sure? Think about how radical a departure from day-to-day Judaism Jesus taught, and at its foundation how much more eastern it is... oneness with God and one's neighbor; God within; impermanence.
Oh, whereas you're so unbiased? First you attack Paul and then you attack Jesus' existence. Okay...
It's only compatible if you strip Jesus of everything that Christianity believes about Him and make Him into "just another nice guy who went around teaching nice stuff and things like that".
We don't understand those things in the same way that Eastern religions do. We don't believe we're going to merge with God, that we're all parts of God (i.e. of the same substance as Hindus believe with Brahma) or that our Self/souls are impermanent.
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There are Christians and Jews who syncretize with Buddhism. There are Buddhists who syncretize with Christianity; Thich Nhat Hanh comes to mind.
I can't speak on Lokayata, Charvaka, Sami or African religions, but I can tell you that Native American religions of the US and Canada stress the unity of all existence and a return to that unity after this life. Traditional Chinese religion (the preferred appellation) and Shinto are largely animistic, but incorporate Taoism and Buddhism heavily. Mayan and Aztec religions have very different goals and cosmologies, so I wouldn't even consider them in the running for any kind of syncretization.
Poeticus
| abhyAvartin |
Yes, Poeticus, that works for some people too. The proof is in the fact that some people do it.
Then again maybe you could cut the corpse into 5 or 6 pieces... bury one, cremate one, throw one to the birds, latch one on a tree, drop one at sea. I guess that might cover all the bases.
As a Mimamsaka who sees myself as being of the Aitareya lineage/shakha, syncretization would be unthinkable. The Purva Mimamsa Sutra-s of Rishi Jaimini outright decries it. Furthermore, as a born-Hindu, samskara-s are vehemently important. Many of these samskara-s cannot even be harmonized w/ non-Vedic paradigms, regardless if they are still Dharmic in orientation (i.e., Buddhist, Jain, or Sikhi), let alone non-Dharmic ones in general. I would have to be properly cremated after death ...
Andal
resident hypnotist
This is exactly why a Christian will find it very difficult to mingle beliefs with Hinduism. Our views of Jesus are fundamentally different.
Not all Hindus believe they will merge with God either. We also do not believe the soul is impermanent (although Buddhists do)
At the end of the day if someone wants to create their own religion that mixes stuff together and it works for them, great! However on a large scale both belief systems are better off as their own traditions imho.
Aum Hari Aum!
I actually want to be cremated and have my ashes spread. But that's mostly because I find the idea of rotting in the ground to be disgusting.
Yes, exactly.
Yeah, I do realize that there is a variety of views in Hinduism and I forgot to clarify that it's Buddhists who believe that the soul is in impermanent.
True that.
Some people get the bodies encased in concrete. It would take a while for the worms to get in there.
Some people get the bodies encased in concrete. It would take a while for the worms to get in there.
Eh, I'll stick to having my ashes spread in the Pacific and in a Northern California forest.
Eh, I'll stick to having my ashes spread in the Pacific and in a Northern California forest.
These are going is river headed west too. Maybe our ashes can meet up.
Poeticus
| abhyAvartin |
Eh, I'll stick to having my ashes spread in the Pacific and in a Northern California forest.
These are going is river headed west too. Maybe our ashes can meet up.
... After which, both of ya'll should follow a current that can lead you to the Western coast of India. Then, we can go to the Andamans and chill near a reef or something.
Please do not strawman.
I can't attack Paul because I didn't know him personally. I can only say that his teachings were not in line with what Jesus said. I do not say Jesus didn't exist, I say a case can't be made for his existence one way or another, nor does it matter. If anyone is unbiased it is me. Remember, I am the one who tries to clarify Jesus's teachings and who defends him. What Christianity The Organization teaches about Jesus. When did Jesus teach about confession? When did he teach that to miss Mass on a Holy Day of Obligation is a mortal sin? That's Christianity that Jesus did not teach. That's man-made Christianity.
Hinduism does not believe the soul is impermanent. The self is impermanent, but the Self is permanent. In fact, that the soul is the only thing that's permanent is one of the foundations of Hinduism. Dvaitins don't believe there will be a merger with God, nor do some Vaishnavas. In reality, Buddhism doesn't teach 'merger' when one attains nirvana; nor does Taoism. Those are as eastern as you can get.
You're going in Mahi, not Ganga?
Poeticus
| abhyAvartin |
Actually that's not true. Buddhism believes in a mind-stream. Something that has to survive physical death to be re-born, and then to attain nirvana. Buddhism does not deny the existence of such an entity. Anatta is grossly misunderstood, even by some Buddhists. It means there is no independent permanent existence, but there is existence.
News to me.