Given some of the misconceptions about our religion these days, (not just ours) this article is timely.
9 myths about Hinduism, debunked - CNN.com
9 myths about Hinduism, debunked - CNN.com
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CNN article on myths about Hinduism
- Thread starter Vinayaka
- Start date
Good article... concise.
Is the summary of the first misconception accurate? I've been under the impression that the issue is considerably more complicated than the article surmises, in no small part because of strong bias against polytheism found in Western culture. Any more thorough/diverse reviews of that first issue to recommend for some light reading?
A lot of it has to do with a mistranslation and misinterpretation of verses from the Rig Veda,The word koti, which can mean 'type' was mistranslated to crore, which means 'ten million'. So instead of 33 koti (33 types of gods), we get 33 crore, or 330 million. Booyah!
Radha and Sita are expansions of Lakshmi, Vishnu's consort. She incarnated along with Vishnu. Adi Shesha, the snake Vishnu and Lakshmi rest on, also incarnated as Lakshmana, Rama's brother, and as Balarama, Krishna's brother. So, for at least two avatara, Vishnu, Lakshmi and Adi Shesha all incarnated together. Sri Ramakrishna, the saint was indeed a devotee of Ma Kali.
Here's the recent survey links. As I said elsewhere, the 71% stat is a bit misleading as it includes all Indians, and the survey didn't allow for those people who eat slight amounts.
Vegetarian India A Myth? Survey Shows Over 70% Indians Eat Non-Veg, Telangana Tops List
I think you're probably right. Since it would take a book to clear up most misconceptions, given the massive diversity within Hinduism, I'm guessing editors pared things down substantially just to make an article readable length wise.
For me, the biggest 'myth' in practical terms is the non-recognition of how very different the two more popular paradigms (Dharmic and Abrahamic) are. Despite overwhelming information to the contrary, I still encounter people looking at me, or talking to me on forums, as if I'm 'just another Christian'. That's also why it's important, I think, just to gt out there,
I keep seeing some guy trying to sell us pews because poor us, we have nothing to sit on. Islam excepted of course.
I keep seeing some guy trying to sell us pews because poor us, we have nothing to sit on. Islam excepted of course.
Pews? In a Hindu temple? I can only imagine the pandemonium that would ensue.
You could chop them up, and use the wood in the homa pit. Oak probably burns almost as good as mango.
But that's the paradigm. I bet you 50% of Americans don't know Hindus (or Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists) sit on the floor. When I taught, if I was just chatting with the kids in a casual teaching way, like discussing a story, I often sat on my desk or on the counter in half lotus. Kids were fine with it, but if another teacher came to the door, it was 'Whoa!' Maybe we should make a list of most striking paradigm differences.
I remember at my friend's parents funeral (in traditional Saiva Sri Lankan funerals, serving food is an absolute no-no), the western friends were looking for the lunch.
Or the lack of someone lecturing you (at least at our South Indian style ones)
I'm not sure I understand the funeral luncheons, though Gods know I've been to enough being part of a large Italian-American family.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Nice article on a difficult subject. So, naturally all points can be contested in many ways.
33 Gods are Aryan (Search Google). 12 Adityas or Solar gods including Indra, Surya, Mitra and Varun; 11 Rudras, the Manifestations of Lord Shiva (only at a later date); 8 Vasus or Elemental gods such as Vayu, Agni, Antariksh and Dyaus, the Sky God and 2 Ashwini kumars. Of indigenous Hindu deities, there is no count.So instead of 33 koti (33 types of gods), we get 33 crore, or 330 million. Booyah!
It can be one Brahman. It can be two, Purusha and Prakriti (Nature). It can be one of the three - Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti or all three (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) with many others as supporting cast. Or it can be many. Individual choice. Perhaps this will help (I have not read it carefully but generally respect Wikipedia information): Hinduism - Wikipedia
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Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
In our community, some thing very simple to eat after return from the funeral is a must. It is prepared or brought in by the in-laws (sambandhis, samadhis) of the bereaved person - to say that sorrow has it place and life has its place - none can be disregarded.
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It is a nice article but it is also as much myth as the other way around. Many of the items in the list "myths about" are as much feeding western aspirations about what some would hope westerners would see Hinduism as by some in HAF (of which I am a member) who happen to be Indians "trying to fit in" with, oh, let us say Californian lifestyle.
I am both a member of HAF, as well as a Californian. And of course, a Hindu - viz a Western Hindu who is a "Village Hindu". To say it is a myth that Hindus believe in 330 million Gods, rather they believe is One God as (fill in the blanks) is absurd. Some, for example SOME Hare Krishnas effectively believe in One God - but not in terms stated here, Krishna is the Supreme PERSONALITY of Godhead and others are "Demigods", some Hindus absolutely believe in 330 million Gods, in fact that is my path but the Gods are not the "end game" rather Experience is, some believe in the Void or are atheists, I can go on and on.
Take caste. I have been at HAF gaherings, met with Tulsi Gabbard, mixed with the agendas, et all, one of the main agendas of the HAF is to fight castism, JATI, and that is one of my passions in life since I am strongly anti-caste (jati, viz your "profession" is determined by your birth i.e. if your parents were rag pickers then you can only be a rag picker and not a doctor, etc.), having been deep in such give and take, also a victim of caste extremists, I take this as a serious matter and have engaged in very ardent debates with caste extremists on other Hindu specific forums - and for any fool to say castism within Hinduism is a myth (or not advocated as "truth" by some Hinduism) is beyond absurd. Hinduism is a mix of all sorts of dogmas and ideations and beliefs, diverse both good and bad and percisely because it is our oldest it is of all humans and is foundational to aspects of civilization as it went from wanderers to those who grew grains and setup the first city states, walls, Kings, soldiers, farmers, laborers, and so on, no civilization is not perfect, caste was part - no, centric - to sects of Hinduism so yes it was ALSO Hinduism just as total denial of caste or jati is ALSO Hinduism. So reform was needed, for example Buddha was a Hindu and a Hindu reformer of his time even though there was no term "Hinduism" then, rather we are Dharmis, of Dharma.
One of the frustrations I have run into is some Western Hindus who over play the themes as found in this nice - but naive - article, who do NOT join with me to fight caste (this is just one example) but say they are "anti-caste" yet they are too afraid to say so in the face of extremists then they say "caste is not part of Hinduism" to other westedners to try and make them more sympathetic to Hinduism - but in fact caste IS part of Hinduism among SOME Hindus, and the efforts by some western Hindus to say it is not makes the efforts of reform actually MORE difficult. And even worse, when other Hindus including "Western" Hindus such as myself want to EXPOSE the evils of caste then I am called a "racist" for saying "lies about Indians-Hindus". But I am not telling lies nor am I racist, I am telling the truth about caste extremists within Hinduism, I am not ashamed of Hinduism - most today are like me and do not support caste, but there still are millions who do and millions is not small in number even though caste discrminination is illegal under the law in India.
As far as me "stereotyping" Indians, I notice this often comes from the same naive westerners who are Hindus but have NO INDIAN relatives or wives or anything of people from India. I have a huge Indian side of my family who are Indian, while I am a Westerner I have been to India more than a dozen times and often for extended periods into months, my wife is from India, and in one way I am almost Indian you can say, certainly India is one of my homes and India is my family and as with every Family there are ALL KINDS including those who eat meat or vegan, who have One God and another 330 million or no God at all, good people, bad people, drunks and teetotallers, druggies and murderers and pure health freaks and Hatha Yoga athletes, and ....
... and some are Trumpsters, some Communists, and ...
... and I give this article a C+
I am both a member of HAF, as well as a Californian. And of course, a Hindu - viz a Western Hindu who is a "Village Hindu". To say it is a myth that Hindus believe in 330 million Gods, rather they believe is One God as (fill in the blanks) is absurd. Some, for example SOME Hare Krishnas effectively believe in One God - but not in terms stated here, Krishna is the Supreme PERSONALITY of Godhead and others are "Demigods", some Hindus absolutely believe in 330 million Gods, in fact that is my path but the Gods are not the "end game" rather Experience is, some believe in the Void or are atheists, I can go on and on.
Take caste. I have been at HAF gaherings, met with Tulsi Gabbard, mixed with the agendas, et all, one of the main agendas of the HAF is to fight castism, JATI, and that is one of my passions in life since I am strongly anti-caste (jati, viz your "profession" is determined by your birth i.e. if your parents were rag pickers then you can only be a rag picker and not a doctor, etc.), having been deep in such give and take, also a victim of caste extremists, I take this as a serious matter and have engaged in very ardent debates with caste extremists on other Hindu specific forums - and for any fool to say castism within Hinduism is a myth (or not advocated as "truth" by some Hinduism) is beyond absurd. Hinduism is a mix of all sorts of dogmas and ideations and beliefs, diverse both good and bad and percisely because it is our oldest it is of all humans and is foundational to aspects of civilization as it went from wanderers to those who grew grains and setup the first city states, walls, Kings, soldiers, farmers, laborers, and so on, no civilization is not perfect, caste was part - no, centric - to sects of Hinduism so yes it was ALSO Hinduism just as total denial of caste or jati is ALSO Hinduism. So reform was needed, for example Buddha was a Hindu and a Hindu reformer of his time even though there was no term "Hinduism" then, rather we are Dharmis, of Dharma.
One of the frustrations I have run into is some Western Hindus who over play the themes as found in this nice - but naive - article, who do NOT join with me to fight caste (this is just one example) but say they are "anti-caste" yet they are too afraid to say so in the face of extremists then they say "caste is not part of Hinduism" to other westedners to try and make them more sympathetic to Hinduism - but in fact caste IS part of Hinduism among SOME Hindus, and the efforts by some western Hindus to say it is not makes the efforts of reform actually MORE difficult. And even worse, when other Hindus including "Western" Hindus such as myself want to EXPOSE the evils of caste then I am called a "racist" for saying "lies about Indians-Hindus". But I am not telling lies nor am I racist, I am telling the truth about caste extremists within Hinduism, I am not ashamed of Hinduism - most today are like me and do not support caste, but there still are millions who do and millions is not small in number even though caste discrminination is illegal under the law in India.
As far as me "stereotyping" Indians, I notice this often comes from the same naive westerners who are Hindus but have NO INDIAN relatives or wives or anything of people from India. I have a huge Indian side of my family who are Indian, while I am a Westerner I have been to India more than a dozen times and often for extended periods into months, my wife is from India, and in one way I am almost Indian you can say, certainly India is one of my homes and India is my family and as with every Family there are ALL KINDS including those who eat meat or vegan, who have One God and another 330 million or no God at all, good people, bad people, drunks and teetotallers, druggies and murderers and pure health freaks and Hatha Yoga athletes, and ....
... and some are Trumpsters, some Communists, and ...
... and I give this article a C+
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