Hindu Worldview Questions

[josegre]

Hello,

I am a graduate student at an international university and am taking a cultures and worldviews class where we are required to conduct numerous interviews with adherents to the culture or worldview we are learning about. I am hoping to meet some of those interview requirements on this site. The group that I am in is doing a research ethnography on Hindu Indians, and we are doing a slight focus on a certain Hindu sect called Swaminarayan Hinduism which is a large movement in Gujarat.
Here are some general questions:

1. What is our ultimate destiny? Is everyone’s the same?
2. How do you define right and wrong? Good and evil?
3. What are your most important values?
4. By what criteria do you decide what is true about reality? What or who is the ultimate authority?
5. Can anything be known as false if it contradicts this authority?
6. What is the most important thing in life to you?

I realize these are pretty deep questions! Don't feel obligated to answer all of them. Any help with these inquiries into the Hindu worldview would be so greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for your time.

 

[Sumit]

What is our ultimate destiny? Is everyone’s the same?

Mokesh is our destiny, every soul strives for it.

How do you define right and wrong? Good and evil?

We all should follow our Dharma, acts which are against dharma are evil.

What are your most important values?

Can you explain what you want to say?

By what criteria do you decide what is true about reality?

well there are 3 criteria
1)Self experience .
2)If facts prove it.
3) By the experience of others.

What or who is the ultimate authority?

Brahman (god) is ultimate authority.

Can anything be known as false if it contradicts this authority?

May be we should try to understand it, earlier I rejected many things just because they contradicts but when I searched in depth I felt that they were in complete harmony.

What is the most important thing in life to you?

I have many questions and I only want their answers.

Thank you so much for your time.

Welcome

 

[Vinayaka]

I am not sure who you are asking these questions of: the Swaminarayan sect, or Hindus in general. BAPS (the official acronym for the Swaminarayan sect) is just one sect of Hinduism. I don't think there are any Swaminarayan devotees on these forums. So the answers you will get won't be what you're looking for, if indeed that's what you're looking for. BAPS has several temples throughout America. If you can get to one, that would be a great place to start.

But if you clarify who you're asking, and indeed want varying views from a wide assortment of Hindus, then sure I'll answer. Until then, I'd see it as a waste of my time and yours.

 

[Vinayaka]

Here's a list for you. Global Network of BAPS, USA & Canada I also realised that your questions are for Indian Hindus only. On this site, the convert to born ratio is about 4 to 1, but if you're patient, some of our Indian born Hindus may come along and answer.

 

[Satyamavejayanti]

Will try to help.

1. What is our ultimate destiny? Is everyone’s the same?

I think our destiny is to realize the "TAT" That, which just is, known by many names and attributes.

2. How do you define right and wrong? Good and evil?

Me personally, Truth is right, False is wrong, Good is that what is right, Bad is that which is wrong.

3. What are your most important values?

Family

4. By what criteria do you decide what is true about reality? What or who is the ultimate authority?

I don't have a criteria that i can think of, to me what i have experienced is reality, whatever i find to be true is right and real. To me the Ultimate Authority is my "Self".

5. Can anything be known as false if it contradicts this authority?

Not possible to contradict the "self".

6. What is the most important thing in life to you?

Family

I realize these are pretty deep questions! Don't feel obligated to answer all of them. Any help with these inquiries into the Hindu worldview would be so greatly appreciated.

This is my world view.

OHM TATH SATH

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

1. What is our ultimate destiny? Is everyone’s the same?

To realize that all is One.

2. How do you define right and wrong? Good and evil?

Good and Evil are Abrahamic terms. That which is right creates harmony in our lives, community, country and planet. That which is "wrong" creates disharmony. Harmonious behavior allows us to realize out true nature. Behaviors that create disharmony make it harder to understand our true nature. This nature we call God.

3. What are your most important values?

To give more then I take. Treat others with love and respect. Support those who need help.

4. By what criteria do you decide what is true about reality? What or who is the ultimate authority?

Direct perception of true nature of reality is both my goal and the ultimate authority. The scriptures are just a map to this understanding.

5. Can anything be known as false if it contradicts this authority?

Question 5 makes no senses because of the way I defined my ultimate authority.

6. What is the most important thing in life to you?

To live in a way that is consistent with my values. So I can have an open heart to feel the presents of God.

 

[ratikala]

namaste josegre ,

The group that I am in is doing a research ethnography on Hindu Indians, and we are doing a slight focus on a certain Hindu sect called Swaminarayan Hinduism which is a large movement in Gujarat.
Here are some general questions:

firstly I had better say that I am not of indian decent nor am I from the swaminarayan liniage but I am vaisnava which means that like swaminarayan devotees we see the supreme lord as visnu and that many of the gods worshiped in hinduism are infact a incarnations of narayana (visnu) , swami narayan was very broad minded when it came to worship and accepted all people regardless of cast and creed , you will find many divine forms of the lord in swaminarayan temples although forms of narayana , rama and krsna are prominant .

1. What is our ultimate destiny? Is everyone’s the same?

our ultimate destiny is to realise god (to atain moksha) , everyone is the same in that we are all born with the same potential to realise god .

2. How do you define right and wrong? Good and evil?

to live in accordance with dharma (the divine law which dictates our personal duty) is the correct way , those that live by dharma are thought to be in the mode of goodness , those that are ignorant of gods law are said to be in the mode of darkness (ignorance)

3. What are your most important values?

ahimsa (non violence), that we should live according to gods law , that we should be responcible and supportive of our own families and that we should extend kindness to all others equaly and that we do this and all other things in the service of god .


4. By what criteria do you decide what is true about reality? What or who is the ultimate authority?

the ultimate authority is 'narayana' (mahavisnu) , although all hindu see this supreme god in slightly different forms and know that form by different names , all hindu recognise the existance one eternal supreme being . realisation of the supreme being is the ultimate reality , meaning that understanding the nature of the supreme we then understand our relationship with god and our place within the great scheme of things .
the ultimate truth is that all creation stems from the lord , and that all created things return into the lord , that our world and our universe is finite but that the lord is truely eternal and continues his process of creation and anilhation throughout eternity .
this truth has been revealed and writen in many vedic texts not only should these texts be studied but they should also be meditated upon that way we may become certain of their validity .

5. Can anything be known as false if it contradicts this authority?

when we are in ignorance of the true nature of the lord and when we do not understand our personal relarionship to the lord , we tend towards thinking that we are independant beings , this veiw is concidered false .

6. What is the most important thing in life to you?

ultimately the atainment of god realisation .
but whilst we are here it is important to live according to dharma (divine law).

 

[chinu]

1. What is our ultimate destiny? Is everyone’s the same?

Yes, we all are same and our ultimate destiny is to get one with from where we all started this journey of life in the beganing.

2.How do you define right and wrong? Good and evil?

- Right is, do with others as what do you expect for yourself, and wrong is the opposite of this.
- Good is, what brings us close to our ultimate destiny, and evil is the opposite of this.

3.What are your most important values?

Ultimate destiny

4.By what criteria do you decide what is true about reality? What or who is the ultimate authority?

If there's thirst, there's water.
If there's hunger, there's food.
If there's ME, than surely there's ultimate destiny, or ultimate authority

To me, ultimate destiny and ultimate authority are one with each other, and this ultimate is mostly known by the name of "God" in this world.

5.Can anything be known as false if it contradicts this authority?

In true words it can be known as EVIL rather than FALSE, but it can be known as FALSE happiness.

6.What is the most important thing in life to you?

My important values, or ultimate destiny as said above.

​

 

[bp789]

I am not sure who you are asking these questions of: the Swaminarayan sect, or Hindus in general. BAPS (the official acronym for the Swaminarayan sect) is just one sect of Hinduism. I don't think there are any Swaminarayan devotees on these forums. So the answers you will get won't be what you're looking for, if indeed that's what you're looking for. BAPS has several temples throughout America. If you can get to one, that would be a great place to start.

But if you clarify who you're asking, and indeed want varying views from a wide assortment of Hindus, then sure I'll answer. Until then, I'd see it as a waste of my time and yours.

Just to clarify, BAPS isn't necessarily the official acronym of the Swaminarayan sect. The Swaminarayan sect itself has multiple other subsects. The main two subsects that are known are the Original Swaminarayan Sampradaya (which doesn't get that much media attention) and the BAPS (which split from the Original and is the more well-known). Although there are a few other subsects, they are smaller compared to these two.

My family is part of the Original Swaminarayan Sampradaya, but I can't really answer any of your questions because I myself am still learning. Here's two parts of a documentary though about the sect, although I'm not sure how much help it would be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs3nHaoDjqM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXFDLQ6M_Dg

 

[Vinayaka]

bp, thanks for that. I think I had read something about that before ... BAPS is certainly the most well known.. wish the OP would return though.