Friday, January 30, 2009
GROUP DISCUSSION ON COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HINDUISM
We are over whelmed with the response we received from the first group discussion on Hinduism topics and are strongly considering the request from all the devotees to have this event as frequently as possible. As we have a important general body meeting this week, we are hosting this group discussion event next Sunday, the Feb 1st 2009 at 11.30 AM.
We at Sanatan Dharma Temple & Cultural Center are starting these discussion topics to all those who are intrested in learning more about our culture and its real value. As this would not be a discourse kind of a program, but it's more like learning from one another through discussions, research and knowledge sharing. The format we are using here is, we'll decide on the questions we'll be discussing for this month and encourage people to voice in their thoughts and knowledge. Language is no barrier for these discussions groups, everyone will be given a chance to speak or ask.
The topics we'll be discussing for this month on Sunday, Feb 1st @ 11.30 AM are
1) Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?
2) Do hindus believe in Re-incarnation?
3) What is Karma?
4) Why do hindus worship the cow?
5) Are hindus idol worshippers?
6) Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?
7) Do hindus have a bible?
8) Why do hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead?
9) Are the gods of hinduism really married?
10)What about caste and untouchability?>
Please pass this to all the people who will be interested to participate and know more about these topics or would like to share their esteemed knowledge with the rest of the group. Please encourage your teenagers to participate in these discussions as we feel that they would be extremely benefited from these discussions.
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Welcome to our blog spot. We are dedicating this blog spot to all the devotees who requested to create one to quench their thirst for real knowledge of our Sanatana Dharma. This way we can still be connected and learn more about our way of living. Please feel free to post questions/responses continuing from our discussion group session and more.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Hinduism have so many Gods?
ReplyDeleteIn addition to what we've discussed, here's what hinduism magazine has to say about this ever so frequently asked question.
Hindus all believe in one Supreme God who created the universe. He is all-pervasive. He created many Gods, highly advanced spiritual beings, to be His helpers.
Contrary to prevailing misconceptions, Hindus all worship a one Supreme Being, though by different names. This is because the peoples of India with different languages and cultures have understood the one God in their own distinct way. Through history there arose four principal Hindu denominations--Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism. For Saivites, God is Siva. For Shaktas, Goddess Shakti is supreme. For Vaishnavites, Lord Vishnu is God. For Smartas--who see all Deities as reflections of the One God--the choice of Deity is left to the devotee. This liberal Smarta perspective is well known, but it is not the prevailing Hindu view. Due to this diversity, Hindus are profoundly tolerant of other religions, respecting the fact that each has its own pathway to the one God.
One of the unique understandings in Hinduism is that God is not far away, living in a remote heaven, but is inside each and every soul, in the heart and consciousness, waiting to be discovered. This knowing that God is always with us gives us hope and courage. Knowing the One Great God in this intimate and experiential way is the goal of Hindu spirituality.
Elaboration: Hinduism is both monotheistic and henotheistic. Hindus were never polytheistic, in the sense that there are many equal Gods. Henotheism (literally "one God ") better defines the Hindu view. It means the worship of one God without denying the existence of other Gods. We Hindus believe in the one all-pervasive God who energizes the entire universe. We can see Him in the life shining out of the eyes of humans and all creatures. This view of God as existing in and giving life to all things is called panentheism. It is different from pantheism, which is the belief that God is the natural universe and nothing more. It is also different from strict theism which says God is only above the world, apart and transcendent. Panentheism is an all-encompassing concept. It says that God is both in the world and beyond it, both immanent and transcendent. That is the highest Hindu view.
Hindus also believe in many Gods who perform various functions, like executives in a large corporation. These should not be confused with the Supreme God. These Divinities are highly advanced beings who have specific duties and powers --not unlike the heavenly spirits, overlords or archangels revered in other faiths. Each denomination worships the Supreme God and its own pantheon of divine beings.
What is sometimes confusing to non-Hindus is that Hindus of various sects may call the one God by many different names, according to their denomination or regional tradition. Truth for the Hindu has many names, but that does not make for many truths. Hinduism gives us the freedom to approach God in our own way, encouraging a multiplicity of paths, not asking for conformity to just one.
There is much confusion about this subject, even among Hindus. Learn the right terms and the subtle differences in them, and you can explain the profound ways Hindus look at Divinity. Others will be delighted with the richness of the Indian concepts of God. You may wish to mention that some Hindus believe only in the formless Absolute Reality as God; others believe in God as personal Lord and Creator. This freedom makes the understanding of God in Hinduism, the oldest living religion, the richest in all of Earth's existing faiths.
स्वर्ग, नर्क, देवता, राक्षस पर विचार और परिभाषा
Deletehttp://awara32.blogspot.com/2013/08/blog-post.html
जिस तरह से असुर-राज पताल मैं हैं उसी तरह से देवता तताकथित स्वर्ग मैं रहते हैं जो पृथ्वी लोक से बाहर है| यह विज्ञान की दृष्टि से भी आवश्यक जानकारी है, कि पृथ्वी मैं जो भी जीवन, या श्रृष्टि है, उसके लिए पृथ्वी का सौय्रमंडल और ब्रह्माण्ड से सामंजस्य मुख्य कारण है, चुकी पृथ्वी अपने आप मैं असमर्थ है; असुरो का निवास है|
Do hindus believe in Re-incarnation?
ReplyDeleteThis is questions which we've discussed partially on the second day of our group discussion day. Here's something more to add.
Yes, we believe the soul is immortal and takes birth time and time again. Through this process, we have experiences, learn lessons and evolve spiritually. Finally we graduate from physical birth.
Carnate means "of flesh, " and reincarnate means to "reenter the flesh." Yes, Hindus believe in reincarnation. To us, it explains the natural way the soul evolves from immaturity to spiritual illumination. Life and death are realities for all of us. Hinduism believes that the soul is immortal, that it never dies, but inhabits one body after another on the Earth during its evolutionary journey. Like the caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly, physical death is a most natural transition for the soul, which survives and, guided by karma, continues its long pilgrimage until it is one with God.
I myself have had many lives before this one and expect to have more. Finally, when I have it all worked out and all the lessons have been learned, I will attain enlightenment and moksha, liberation. This means I will still exist, but will no longer be pulled back to be born in a physical body.
Even modern science is discovering reincarnation. There have been many cases of individuals' remembering their past lives. These have been researched by scientists, psychiatrists and parapsychologists during the past decades and documented in good books and videos. Young children speak of vivid past-life memories, which fade as they grow older, as the veils of individuality shroud the soul's intuitive understanding. Great mystics speak of their past lives as well. So do our ancient scriptures, the Vedas, reveal the reality of reincarnation.
Reincarnation is believed in by the Jains and the Sikhs, by the Indians of the Americas, and by the Buddhists, certain Jewish sects, the Pagans and the many indigenous faiths. Even Christianity originally taught reincarnation, but formally renounced it in the twelfth century. It is, in fact, one of the widest held articles of faith on planet Earth.
Elaboration: At death the soul leaves the physical body. But the soul does not die. It lives on in a subtle body called the astral body. The astral body exists in the nonphysical dimension called the astral plane, which is also the world we are in during our dreams at night when we sleep. Here we continue to have experiences until we are reborn again in another physical body as a baby. Each reincarnating soul chooses a home and a family which can best fulfill its next step of learning and maturation.
After many lifetimes of following dharma, the soul is fully matured in love, wisdom and knowledge of God. There is no longer a need for physical birth, for all lessons have been learned, all karmas fulfilled. That soul is then liberated, freed from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Evolution then continues in the more refined spiritual worlds. Similarly, after we graduate from elementary school we never have to go back to the fifth grade. We have gone beyond that level in understanding. Thus, life's ultimate goal is not money, not clothes, not sex, not power, not food or any other of the instinctive needs. These are natural pursuits, but our real purpose on this Earth is to know, to love and to serve God and the Gods. That leads to the rare and priceless objects of life: enlightenment and liberation. This Hindu view of the soul's evolution answers many otherwise bewildering questions, removing the fear of death while giving assurance that each soul is evolving toward the same spiritual destiny, for the Hindu believes that karma and reincarnation are leading every single soul to God Realization.
As this is a very versatile and indepth question, we'll be discussing more about this question in the next GD day.
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ReplyDeleteBhaja Govindham Yajna
ReplyDeleteAlso, as we were discussing about having our Bhaja Govindham Yajna, we are looking for volunteers (about 12-15) to take part in our yajna, so please send your name, email address to sdtccinfo@gmail.com and with the blessing of Adi Guru Sri Shankaracharya we'll coordinate to make this a maha Yajna. This event can act as a ice breaker for your kids to speak on a stage and also learn more about this Moha Mudra. Please encourage your teenagers & yourselfs to join in this Yajna.
Date & Timings will be confirmed once we have enough volunteers.
CREATION VS. EVOLUTION AND HINDUS
ReplyDeleteURL: http://awara32.blogspot.com/2010/04/creation-vs-evolution-and-hindus.html
Hindus are the only society in the world, who have no conflict of interest with the theory of Creation and as well as that of Evolution. This is one issue which has been addressed in detail in religious text of Hindus. We are the only ones who believe that the CREATOR or GOD, after having created this universe and set out broad and flexible goals for creation, let the EVOLUTION take care of the rest. As such there is no conflict between science and religion.
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