Hinduism: Ask your Questions

[Don Penguinoini]

You're right. People are not interested. People are often too focused on their material goods nowadays. Religion is frowned upon where I live, especially.

Thats a shame. The good part of religion is never focused on. Negatives tend to get focused on too much.

 

[Breathe]

Thats a shame. The good part of religion is never focused on. Negatives tend to get focused on too much.

Yeah. People forget about religious organizations started up to help people... Red Cross, Connexions, etc. Where I am, if you're:

Sikh, you're a Muslim, Hindu, you're a Muslim, Muslim you're fanatical, outdated, blind and ignorant, Jain you're Buddhist, Buddhist you're depressing "but cool", Christian, you're outdated, blind and ignorant.

The religion of people here is to go to the pub, to become so drunk one becomes sick and cannot remember anything, to buy lots of electronic gear, and spend your life surrounded by shinies or booze. :-/

"We also have 'all wars' (yes, ALL wars ) are because of religion!". I think that, eventually, or at least hope, people will come to their senses and add some kind of spiritual depth to their life.

 

[Don Penguinoini]

Yeah. People forget about religious organizations started up to help people... Red Cross, Connexions, etc. Where I am, if you're:

Sikh, you're a Muslim, Hindu, you're a Muslim, Muslim you're fanatical, outdated, blind and ignorant, Jain you're Buddhist, Buddhist you're depressing "but cool", Christian, you're outdated, blind and ignorant.

The religion of people here is to go to the pub, to become so drunk one becomes sick and cannot remember anything, to buy lots of electronic gear, and spend your life surrounded by shinies or booze. :-/

"We also have 'all wars' (yes, ALL wars ) are because of religion!". I think that, eventually, or at least hope, people will come to their senses and add some kind of spiritual depth to their life.

London in a nutshell.

 

[Surya Deva]

Oringally posted by [/b]challupa[/b]: I was impressed with Hinduism because it seems to be more a way of life than a religion; in fact I have read that Hinduism allows people to have another main religion. Is that true?

This is a good question. I am posting your question here so that you can get the views of other Hindus too, and not just mine. I have a very particular opinion on religion, which is not shared by all Hindus. Some Hindus are against conversion and would say to somebody of another religion, "To just be good" It is not uncommon for a Hindu guru to tell somebody of another religion, say Christian, when they ask about how to convert Hinduism, "To just be a good Christian" Basically Hinduism believes in pluralism, all paths lead to god in the end and all religions when followed sincerely will take one to god.

I like this tolerance, but also think it is misguided. Perhaps it is just me, but I kind of see it more of like, "all creatures will lead to human in the end" but there is definitely a difference between a single celled amobea and a human for example. That is to say that not all religions are equal in development. A religion for example which practices tribal worship and animal sacrifice is not very developed, and I would not encourage someone to be good at that religion.

The problems with underdeveloped religions are the flaws in them. If you use a flawed product, it is going to give a flawed performance, and its benefit will also be flawed. So naturally one would desire the best product, to give the best performance and the best benefits. If you consider me to be an honest salesman, I would recommend to you only the best products. In that capacity I would point you to mysticism: Christian Mysticism, Sufism etc. These are products with good specs. But if you want the best of the best, I will point you to Hinduism.

Why? Not because it is my religion, because it is the best product on the market. It has everything: Deep and intellectual philosophy which appeals to the highest of scientists and philosophers; very colourful art and rituals which is full symbolism, does not even shy away from eroticism; unending literature to read which tackles every subject imaginable; practical tools and techniques to cultivate ones physical, emotional, mental and spiritual being, not ignoring a single aspect; beautiful and wise guidelines on living a good life, for every kind personality and disposition; rational answers to every question you can ask, even on cutting edge science and every challenge you face in life; living sages that you can consult. This really is the mother of all religions. But like with any top-end product, it requires much greater investment of your energy and commitment and sacrifice. It is a religion for those who are serious about seeking. It will challenge everything you believe and require of you to change many aspects of your life. In fact immersing oneself into Hinduism is like entering a parallel universe. It is just so different to anything else.

Now why I am using a debasing term like product for my religion? Well that is what Hinduism calls itself. It is the only religion that actually calls its scriptures, even the Vedas, dispensable! As soon as you have reached enlightenment, the words are useless. If you just read them it says they are worthless. The key is to live their meaning; to translate book knowledge into wisdom. The books, the meditation techniques, even your choice of deity are all products, everything you will let go in the end. Hinduism is brutally honest, "What do you want" it knows nobody comes to spirituality for selfless reasons, to help others etc, it knows its about what the ego wants for itself, so it says directly to the ego, "You want money, then do this", "You want fame, then do this", "You want victory over your enemies, then do this" many Hindus, believe it or not are not interested in spirituality at all, they want fame, fortune, good grades, good spouse. Hinduism has no problem with any of that, it encourages one to be honest with they want. Its offers a practical solution for all. But the highest purpose of Hinduism is spirituality - self-realization. Even here is pluralism. Now Hinduism says, "There is an ultimate goal, how do you want to see it; with form or without form? Do you want to see it as anthromorphic god, you have a million to choose from Do you want to see is an abstract, such as truth, knowledge? Do you want to see it as a principle? Then it says, "How would you like to worship; prayer? hymns? meditation? philosophy? work? music? art? combinations? Hinduism recognises the diversity in people, embraces it and assimilates and adapts it according to its way.

So you could actually be a part of another religion and still be Hindu, you just have to adapt that religion to Hinduism.

 

[Surya Deva]

I just recalled there is a very famous Swami, Swami Yogananda Paramhansa( of Autobiography of a Yogi fame) who adapted Christianity very well into Hinduism. Many of his followers are Christians Hindus. They have equal amount of love and respect for Krishna as they do Jesus. I really enjoy watching the discourses of the current Guru of the organization, Swami Kriyananda, who is non-Indian. You can see the discourses of many cutting edge Hindu experts on the Hindu faith channel Aastha. Most discourses are in English.

 

[nawab]

Suraj you still didint answer my questions

 

[challupa]

Thank you Saraj for answering my question about whether you could be of another religion and still be a Hindu. The religion is open to the practical parts of physical life and that is what makes it one of the largest and oldest religions in the world. Very Interesting!

 

[Don Penguinoini]

Suraj you still didint answer my questions

If you don't mind, I will answer them if you can show me the post.

 

[anders]

There are three major way to salvation, called Yoga(literally, union with god) in Hinduism, as told in the Gita:

BHAKTI: The path of devotion to god. Always chanting his name, always remember him, thinking about him, seeing him everywhere. Almost being compleltely intoxicated by god. Notable Bhakti Yogis include Guru Nanak, Kabir, St Francis of Assisi, Mirabhai

JNANA: The path of knowledge. To be always be seeking god through knowledge. To meditate, analyse reality and to find him through pure logic(considered the most difficult path) Notable Jnana Yogis include Ramana Maharishi, Swami Vivekananda, Adi Sankaracharya, Swami Krishnananda, Buddha.

Strange examples. You begin with 'in Hinduism', and then mention Guru Nanak Ji, who founded Sikhism as a reaction against Hinduism and Islam. I agree that from a typological point of view, it could be argued that the piety of the Guru and St Franciscus have traits in common with the Bhakti movement, but they are worlds away from Hinduism, for example in their strict monotheism.

The Buddha Shakyamuni had his roots in a Hindu society, but I'm not convinced that knowledge and logic are facets that unite your Hindu examples and the Buddha. The religion started by the Buddha is another reaction against Hinduism, not a part of it.

 

[Surya Deva]

Anders,

I would like to answer your question in two parts. The first part deals with the methods of Yoga and how they relate to the examples I gave. The second part deals with Hinduism in general and how this relates to the examples I gave.

Yoga and methods

The methodology of Yoga can be seen separate from the religion itself. There are many who practice Yoga today all over the world that do not necessarily consider themselves as Hindu. The philosophy of Yoga and its practices have been incorporated into modern philosophy, science and medicine divorced from its religious context e.g., progressive relaxation is an ancient method used in Yoga called
Yoga Nidra; positive thinking is also based on an ancient method called vivek and varigya(positive discrimination). Quantum Dynamics is partly based on Yoga-Samkhya philosophy. Modern Psychology in general has very strong Hindu influences(Schropenhauer, Jung to name a few) The modern exercise system known as Pilates is partly based on Yoga. Many new scientific fields of mental science rely very strongly on Yoga(e.g., biofeedback) and particularly became popular during the new-age movement. Many of the breathing techniques used in Psychiatry and Sports are derived from Yoga's Pranayama.

So basically you can do Yoga without being an adherent of Hinduism. Indian Philosophy, of which Yoga is one school, is largely secular, based on rational and scientific methods and requires no supernatural beliefs to approach. Thus you could easily be part of another religion and still practice Yoga. The examples I gave were of people who practiced Yogic practices, which they may not necessarily have known to be Yogic practices.

Bhakti Yoga requires complete surrender and devotion to god as supreme love. Not just sometimes, but all the time. It requires one to always chant his name(naam japa), always remember him, to see him everywhere and in everything. It's kind of like living your life in divine ecstacy. The best examples of people I know who did this were Guru Nanak Dev ji, St Franciscus, Kabir, Mirabhai. In fact many Sufi saints qualify as Bhakti Yogis.

Jnana Yoga requires one to believe nothing, to approach the world from a rational point of view and to purely understand it intellectually. It uses as its main tool vivek and vairgya, discriminating between the real and unreal(in Yoga and Buddhism known as right thinking/knowledge) Again the best examples I can think of Jnana Yogis are Buddha, Adi Sankarcharya, Ramana Maharishi etc. They all reach a unique, but similar understanding of the goal of Jnana Yoga

Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Buddha and Hinduism

Your objection is that these are counter-movements to Hinduism. This is a common and highly romanticised misconception. It is like suggesting that Protestantism is a counter-movement to Christianity. In truth, Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, not against Christianity. Likewise, Sikhism and Buddhism are movements within Hinduism, not against Hinduism. In India, Sikhs and Buddhists get on quite well with Hindus on the whole, and many visit each others temples, even accept each others beliefs. In fact even in early history of both religions there was no antagonism between these religions. At the famous Buddhist university of Nalanda, Hindu students were enrolled and Hindu subjects were taught. Thus it is say to say this so called rivalry between them is a modern melodrama, which is usually romanticised by Western Buddhists. In the case of Sikhs, again it seems to be a modern melodrama again more prevalent with Western Sikhs insisting on a unique identity. Not all Hindus and Sikhs embrace this separatism.

So why did the movement take place? Hinduism allows for pluralism, so it has never had a problem with sects and cults or new religions forming within it. Sects and cults formed for various socio-political reasons. Although Buddha never repudiated the Atman doctrine of Hinduism(in some Buddhist texts he endorsed it) his followers did repudiate it and the doctrine of anatman emerged. The other reason that Buddhists wanted reform of Hinduism from the corruption that had creeped into the Brahmanical order(although the extent of this maybe exaggerated) leading to caste oppression. They created a sect centered more on Jnana and Raja Yoga than Karma and Bhakti, but as soon as they rejected the Vedas, they separated themselves as another religion, but which co-existed with Hinduism. Although it is undeniable that Hinduism and Buddhism have very strong similarities.

As for Sikhism. Sikhism arose during a period where India was ravaged by invasions and partly due to these invasions many evils had creeped into Hinduism like dalit castes, sati(wife burning) child marriage and idol worship(literally worshipping the idol, rather than considering it symbolic of god) and extreme polytheism. Hindus had become really superstitious and out of touch with the true meaning of Hinduism which was monotheistic/monistic and humanitarian. The meaning was still alive among the Bhakti and Jnana tradition, but it had become esoteric. Guru Nanak was part of that Bhakti tradition, but unlike the other Bhakti saints, he also became a huge reformer. He took Bhakti out of the esotric and tried to make it exoteric. He challenged all the evil customs of his day and was succesfully in finding a new sect within Hinduism called Sikhi. It was consolidated as a religion with Guru Gobind Singh who gave its ritual systems(5 K's, baptism etc) and declared the Guru Granth Sahib as the supreme scripture of Sikhs. However, it did not reject the Vedas like the Buddhists did, in fact the main Sikh scripture has thousands of verses glorifying Hinduism. It also did not modify any of the Hindu beliefs. Thus it could be strongly argued that Sikhism is not really a separate religion but a denomination of Hindism. This is controversial because Sikhs today, the majority, cling to the Sikh identity. Although as a Sikh myself, I'll say the Sikhs are no longer living according to the tenents of the Gurus.

 

[Don Penguinoini]

Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Buddha and Hinduism

Your objection is that these are counter-movements to Hinduism. This is a common and highly romanticised misconception. It is like suggesting that Protestantism is a counter-movement to Christianity. In truth, Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, not against Christianity. Likewise, Sikhism and Buddhism are movements within Hinduism, not against Hinduism. In India, Sikhs and Buddhists get on quite well with Hindus on the whole, and many visit each others temples, even accept each others beliefs. In fact even in early history of both religions there was no antagonism between these religions. At the famous Buddhist university of Nalanda, Hindu students were enrolled and Hindu subjects were taught. Thus it is say to say this so called rivalry between them is a modern melodrama, which is usually romanticised by Western Buddhists. In the case of Sikhs, again it seems to be a modern melodrama again more prevalent with Western Sikhs insisting on a unique identity. Not all Hindus and Sikhs embrace this separatism.

.

I completely agree with this, especially. Hindu's and Sikh's have never been against each other, and banded together in the times of hardship, especially against the Mughal reign.

I don't see them living as complete seperates in the future either.

 

[Gharib]

dear hindu friends

is the hindu religion the one which consideres the cow to be holy or something or is it a different religion.
and is this the religion that has a holy book but the people aren't allowed to open and read it or is that a different religion too

 

[nawab]

well Hindus do say that the Cow is thier Mother or probably metaphornically thier mother, and sikhs do say that as well. Sikhs also do worship the Guru Grant Sahaib.

obviusly they would be together during the Mughal reign because at that time neither Sikhs nor hindus had power over the continent. if Hindus and Sikhs can get along why do Sikhs want indepandence why are they fighting for a Khalsa State, why did the indian government did the operation blue star against sikhs,

 

[Gharib]

ok so why would they consider a cow as a mother (whatever that means) aren't we smarter than a cow to know what is what and which is which. i mean we are smarter beings than cows right.

and can the cow stuff be explained with a little more detail about how it is a mother, or why it is considered as a mother ( i do not mother as in mother, a woman, not that way)

 

[Surya Deva]

dear hindu friends

is the hindu religion the one which consideres the cow to be holy or something or is it a different religion.
and is this the religion that has a holy book but the people aren't allowed to open and read it or is that a different religion too

The cow is not worshipped, but respected. The cow is respected largely for its position in Hindu culture since Vedic times. In the Vedic times, the Brahmanas would subsist for their diet on dairy products, especially milk, yoghurt and ghee, so they held the cow to be not only very useful to them, but acknowledged how great the cow was for giving so much, and yet taking for itself only a humble amount of grass. In Hindu culture if one takes something, they have to acknowledge their debt to it, even if that is taking from nature. Even today if a building is erected on a site, Hindu will to pray to mother nature and inaugurate it with a religious ceremony. In the Gita it says that they who takes from nature without giving back is a thief. Therefore many Hindus even before they take food, will pray, but some will even leave a portion of food for god, which they will pray over and sanctify, and then either consume later or feed it to the birds. Another ritual Hindus do is called a Yagna - a fire sacrifice - in which they litrally give back a humble portion in the form of food stuff back to nature by offering as a sacrifice in a fire. We are giving back what we take. Now if you understand this principle, you can surely see why the cow is so respected and reveered in the Vedas and why the killing of a cow is considered a great sin, as bad as killing somebodies mother.

The other question: I think you are thinking of another religion there.

 

[nawab]

Then how about Goat, Sheep, yaks, Bisons, camels are these considered the same because they can provide the same products, they might be more expensive but deffinatly they can provide Milk, Ghee, Butter, Paneer and many others

P.S. this is not a challenging question but just to increase our kowledge because i know if you kill a cow in india it is considered worse than killing a man but would the same law be applied to other dairy animals

 

[nawab]

Then how about Goat, Sheep, yaks, Bisons, camels are these considered the same because they can provide the same products, they might be more expensive but deffinatly they can provide Milk, Ghee, Butter, Paneer and many others

P.S. this is not a challenging question but just to increase our kowledge because i know if you kill a cow in india it is considered worse than killing a man but would the same law be applied to other dairy animals

 

[Surya Deva]

Goat, Sheep, yaks, Bisons, camels

None of these animals are popular in India, they are more popular in the Middle East. Hindus have traditionally subsisted for their dairy on cows, there a very few Hindus I know that drink goats, sheeps or camels milk. The cow has a special place in hindu culture because it considered sattvic(pure); a humble, noble and beautiful animal. Hindus probably would not consider the camel a beautiful animal because of it looks, the fact it eats thorned shrubs which bleed its mouth, and sheeps are generally associated with ignorance and stupidity and goats with arrogance. Other animals that are quite respected in the Vedas, but not as much as the cow, is the horse. The horse is considered a swift, valiant animal. The elephant and peacock also enjoy a lot of respect.

In general Hinduism is against the killing of any animal. It would nor endorse killing any of the animals you mentioned. This is a religion that was the first to create hospitals for animals. There is a lot of love for animals in Hinduism.

 

[Don Penguinoini]

ok so why would they consider a cow as a mother (whatever that means) aren't we smarter than a cow to know what is what and which is which. i mean we are smarter beings than cows right.

and can the cow stuff be explained with a little more detail about how it is a mother, or why it is considered as a mother ( i do not mother as in mother, a woman, not that way)

When you are young, your mother (real mother) gives you milk. It is your source of life, without the milk, in very early stages of after being born, a baby need nutrition, and that milk provides perfect nutrients to make sure the baby lives. Soon, we start drinking the cow's milk, which we do not need to live, but proved essential nutrients. Just as our mother did, it provides us with milk.

 

[want to be hindu]

i know if you kill a cow in india it is considered worse than killing a man but would the same law be applied to other dairy animals

I to have read about this in the media however i have never known a Hindu who has had this attitude.