Learning about people’s faith & what they believe in, how they think about it & try to practice it

[Niatero]

I have no idea if you hold any misconceptions about Hinduism, as you haven't said much about it. The part about Krishna being called a manifestation of God was one of the things I was referring to, though, as an idea that needed to be corrected. It's a belief for Baha'i, but they were also insinuating it was a belief for Hindus too.

The main general misconception I object to is looking at Hinduism through an outsider's lens. That's where things go wrong, as it's an experiential religion, so without experiences in it, what can you say. Book 'knowledge'? Other peoples' words.

I'm happy to hear you've changed your opinions on some things from your dialogues.

I'm curious now, I know you're tired of it now, but I'm curious,can you think of any other specific examples of misconceptions that you've seen?

 

[ChristineM]

but if anyone would like to volunteer for it, I’m interested.

Well, i am atheist and have no faith in religion at all but if there is anything you want to ask me then feel free. I don't bite (often ;-)

 

[Niatero]

I have no idea if you hold any misconceptions about Hinduism, as you haven't said much about it.

I haven't read much, and I haven't had any deep conversations with any Hindus. I read some or all of the Bhagavad Gita, and it says some things about duty that mean a lot to me, but I haven't had any discussions about it with any Hindus to know if I'm understanding it the way any of them do. I've seen Baha'is arguing with Hindus about Krishna (and with Buddhists about the Buddha), and I have an opinion about it, but I'm aware that Hindus don't think about Krishna in any way at all the way Baha'is think of Manifestations of God. I've been wanting to read the Vedas and other scriptures but ... look at my signature.

...

I bow to you.

 

[Niatero]

Well, i am atheist and have no faith in religion at all but if there is anything you want to ask me then feel free. I don't bite (often ;-)

Like I said, it can be anything that you believe in, or ways of thinking about how you want to live your life. Do you have anything like that?
I'm happy to see you posting here!

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm curious now, I know you're tired of it now, but I'm curious,can you think of any other specific examples of misconceptions that you've seen?

-That Hinduism is just another religion, like the Abrahamic ones.
- that caste is fundamental to Hinduism
- that we're actually monotheistic, but don't know it
- that our temples operate like Christian churches
- that Brahman is the equivalent to the Abrahamic God
- that we worship idols
- that all Hindus think the same
- that Hindi is the language of Hinduism
- that anything goes in Hinduism
- that we're archaic, behind the times, too old, need to get modernized
- that we need saving
- that there is no conversion to Hinduism
- that we're patriarchal
- that arranged marriages are bad
- that all gurus are fake
- that we have no scriptures
- that the Bhagavad Gita is THE scripture of Hinduism

 

[Niatero]

-That Hinduism is just another religion, like the Abrahamic ones.
- that caste is fundamental to Hinduism
- that we're actually monotheistic, but don't know it
- that our temples operate like Christian churches
- that Brahman is the equivalent to the Abrahamic God
- that we worship idols
- that all Hindus think the same
- that Hindi is the language of Hinduism
- that anything goes in Hinduism
- that we're archaic, behind the times, too old, need to get modernized
- that we need saving
- that there is no conversion to Hinduism
- that we're patriarchal
- that arranged marriages are bad
- that all gurus are fake
- that we have no scriptures
- that the Bhagavad Gita is THE scripture of Hinduism

Most of those had me laughing. Although ... I guess it isn't really funny. Thanks.

 

[Vinayaka]

Most of those had me laughing. Although ... I guess it isn't really funny. Thanks.

You spoke of reading the Bhagavad Gita. I've never read it. I often find that one funny as well. (that people tell me they've read the Gita, to demonstrate that they know about Hinduism) One of the challenges is that the early swamis who came to America were mostly Vedantic universalists, and many westerners incorrectly assumed that that was Hinduism. Immigration has changed that yet many westerners fear going to a Hindu temple because of their own subconscious racism. (Too many Indians there.)

I once had a lengthy discussion (argument?) with a person about the symbol in my avatar. She could not believe it was what I said it was, as she was only familiar with Sanskrit one. So it's not just Hinduism, but also many misconceptions about India. In the end, both Hinduism, and India are vast topics and attempts to simplify vast topics often fail miserably, just because of that.

 

[Vinayaka]

Service or meeting the needs of others or the community is part of every sphere of life though I tend to be somewhat of a workaholic these days. Faith helps move from being self-centred to less self-centered.

Saying 'work is worship' feels somewhat like a slogan, but seeing work or service to the community for the right reasons is part of what being a Baha'i means to me.

My province is losing doctors left and right due to government policy of undervaluing them. What's it like there? Do you feel valued?

 

[JustGeorge]

@Psalm23 @Spice @Aupmanyav @mangalavara @JustGeorge @Vinayaka @idea @shunyadragon @Tomef @Kathryn @osgart @Nakosis

How has your faith evolved over the years? For example, your ways of thinking about it and practicing it. Did it have a beginning? If so, how did that happen?.

Also, what does your faith say to you about how to live your life, if I didn't ask you already.

I'm not practicing anymore, I'm living it.

By that, I don't mean I've given up religion. I've become more organic with it. It can't be something to do at a certain time and certain place. I have no right to my time, or where I am to be. It can't be a set of actions I try to uphold. Life will thwart me every time.

I can thank the dandelions for bringing me joy. I can sing to Surya, my friend. I can tell stories of how Ganesh fell off of his mouse under a full moon. I can honor my food, and those who brought it to me. I can dress with the colors of spring and feel in place when I walk through the woods. I can mourn the empty lakes. I can remember this, too, is a cycle.

 

[JustGeorge]

You spoke of reading the Bhagavad Gita. I've never read it. I often find that one funny as well. (that people tell me they've read the Gita, to demonstrate that they know about Hinduism)

I wonder why the Gita. There are other good conversations in the Mahabharata. I like the conversation between Draupadi and Satyabhama and the conversation between Yudhishtira and the Yaksha as well.

I find most that have read the Gita don't understand its a small part of a giant scripture. While I have read and enjoyed the Gita, there are other bits in the Mahabharata I've found more meaningful.

One of the challenges is that the early swamis who came to America were mostly Vedantic universalists, and many westerners incorrectly assumed that that was Hinduism.

I had that problem coming in. I enjoy reading Vedantic material, but I've realized Vedanta isn't my path. It took me awhile to find sources that resonated 100% for me.

Immigration has changed that yet many westerners fear going to a Hindu temple because of their own subconscious racism. (Too many Indians there.)

I meet some who want to go, but are scared because they don't know what to do.

I once had a lengthy discussion (argument?) with a person about the symbol in my avatar. She could not believe it was what I said it was, as she was only familiar with Sanskrit one. So it's not just Hinduism, but also many misconceptions about India. In the end, both Hinduism, and India are vast topics and attempts to simplify vast topics often fail miserably, just because of that.

I find people have trouble wrapping their heads round the idea that Hinduism isn't a religion so much as an umbrella term referring to many religions.

 

[Vinayaka]

I wonder why the Gita. There are other good conversations in the Mahabharata. I like the conversation between Draupadi and Satyabhama and the conversation between Yudhishtira and the Yaksha as well.

I find most that have read the Gita don't understand its a small part of a giant scripture. While I have read and enjoyed the Gita, there are other bits in the Mahabharata I've found more meaningful.

I had that problem coming in. I enjoy reading Vedantic material, but I've realized Vedanta isn't my path. It took me awhile to find sources that resonated 100% for me.

I meet some who want to go, but are scared because they don't know what to do.

I find people have trouble wrapping their heads round the idea that Hinduism isn't a religion so much as an umbrella term referring to many religions.

I read the one condensed version of the Mahabharata many many years ago. The Ramayana as well. I got the gist of it them, I think, but no longer remember much. As you know, I'm very much into practice over philosophy, or reading.

 

[VoidCat]

Im open to questions

 

[mangalavara]

How has your faith evolved over the years? For example, your ways of thinking about it and practicing it. Did it have a beginning? If so, how did that happen?

My Hinduism has always been deity-centered, devotional, and simple. It had a beginning as in there was a time when I adopted it as my way of life and became serious about it.

 

[Dawnofhope]

My province is losing doctors left and right due to government policy of undervaluing them. What's it like there? Do you feel valued?

We had a change of government six months ago. They were elected on a platform of promised tax cuts largely funded by cuts to public spending including health, education and social welfare. There is a tendency for doctors and nurses to travel overseas to Australia where pay and working conditions are much better.

Junior doctors are about to go on strike. General Practitioners are unable to strike and the best we can hope for is to form a lobby group like alcohol and tobacco companies do, with the vague hope we'll be listened to. General practice is widely acknowledged to be essential yet chronicly underfunded and under resourced. No one denies this but nothing is happening to improve funding.

Relocating isn't an option for us as we have close family to support.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Thank you. Another question that I've been asking is, how has your faith evolved over the years, how you think about it and how you practice it? Was there a beginning to your faith? If so, how did that happen?

I became a member of the Baha'i Faith over 30 years ago after a few years of searching for the truth and the best spiritual path for me. The Baha'i Faith made sense back then as it does now. I feel as if I've learnt a lot about different religions over the years. I tend to be more agnostic and less certain as I get older. The basic practice of the religion remains similar.

 

[Vinayaka]

We had a change of government six months ago. They were elected on a platform of promised tax cuts largely funded by cuts to public spending including health, education and social welfare. There is a tendency for doctors and nurses to travel overseas to Australia where pay and working conditions are much better.

Junior doctors are about to go on strike. General Practitioners are unable to strike and the best we can hope for is to form a lobby group like alcohol and tobacco companies do, with the vague hope we'll be listened to. General practice is widely acknowledged to be essential yet chronicly underfunded and under resourced. No one denies this but nothing is happening to improve funding.

Relocating isn't an option for us as we have close family to support.

Thanks. That sounds very much like here. Lots of folks can't find family doctors. My family doctor's last month is this May. Fortunately for us, he gave us lots of notice, and we were able to find a new one, got interviewed, and he took us on. In my city of 1.3 million at that time, there were only 3 doctors accepting new patients. We took the first one to accept us, and I just hope he doesn't move or retire.

Hang in there. Yours is one of the most valuable jobs on this planet.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Thanks. That sounds very much like here. Lots of folks can't find family doctors. My family doctor's last month is this May. Fortunately for us, he gave us lots of notice, and we were able to find a new one, got interviewed, and he took us on. In my city of 1.3 million at that time, there were only 3 doctors accepting new patients. We took the first one to accept us, and I just hope he doesn't move or retire.

Hang in there. Yours is one of the most valuable jobs on this planet.

Thanks. I see it as a privilege to be able to serve the community in this capacity and I'm sure most of my medical colleagues see it the same way. It takes a lot of training and experience to be an effective family doctor. Naturally, many medical graduates are attracted to the higher paid specialist roles so we have a work force crisis in regards GPs. Your experience is the same for many in New Zealand too. In our city of 130 thousand we are fortunate to have a reasonably good ratio of GPs per population but in a neighbouring city the situation is dire. We have a new doctor who has recently joined our practice so its an opportunity to be a little more innovative in regards helping those who struggle to afford medical costs.

 

[Vinayaka]

Thanks. I see it as a privilege to be able to serve the community in this capacity and I'm sure most of my medical colleagues see it the same way. It takes a lot of training and experience to be an effective family doctor. Naturally, many medical graduates are attracted to the higher paid specialist roles so we have a work force crisis in regards GPs. Your experience is the same for many in New Zealand too. In our city of 130 thousand we are fortunate to have a reasonably good ratio of GPs per population but in a neighbouring city the situation is dire. We have a new doctor who has recently joined our practice so its an opportunity to be a little more innovative in regards helping those who struggle to afford medical costs.

How quickly can immigrant doctors get the right qualifications to practice in NZ? Here we have qualified doctors driving taxis.

 

[Dawnofhope]

How quickly can immigrant doctors get the right qualifications to practice in NZ? Here we have qualified doctors driving taxis.

Its a good question. Like Canada we rely heavily on overseas doctors with over 40% of our medical workforce having trained overseas. If doctors are from countries such as Canada, Australia and the UK, there are few barriers. If they have trained in a country like India then there they have to pass exams to demonstrate their medical and communication skills are on par with their New Zealand trained medical professions. I use India as an example as we are currently assisting a medical graduate from India obtain her medical registration in New Zealand. I'm confident she will be successful.

One of our GPs is a surgeon from another Asian country but the pathway to becoming a surgeon in New Zealand was too much so he successfully tried out general practice instead. I know of medical graduates from Africa who work as taxi driver's. It is a shame as their skills would be a great asset if they were to work in the country they graduated. Unfortunately there are significant language and cultural barriers to practicing medicine in New Zealand, especially if English is not their native language.

 

[Vinayaka]

Its a good question. Like Canada we rely heavily on overseas doctors with over 40% of our medical workforce having trained overseas. If doctors are from countries such as Canada, Australia and the UK, there are few barriers. If they have trained in a country like India then there they have to pass exams to demonstrate their medical and communication skills are on par with their New Zealand trained medical professions. I use India as an example as we are currently assisting a medical graduate from India obtain her medical registration in New Zealand. I'm confident she will be successful.

One of our GPs is a surgeon from another Asian country but the pathway to becoming a surgeon in New Zealand was too much so he successfully tried out general practice instead. I know of medical graduates from Africa who work as taxi driver's. It is a shame as their skills would be a great asset if they were to work in the country they graduated. Unfortunately there are significant language and cultural barriers to practicing medicine in New Zealand, especially if English is not their native language.

We have a lot of foreign trained doctors as well, and the brain drain in some places is concerning. We also have many second generation doctors, as many immigrants bring work ethic with them. My new doctor is Fijian Indian, but his family is here, and he was born here.