Krishna and the Baha'i faith

[PoetPhilosopher]

There's nothing stopping someone who identifies as the opposite sex from which they were born attending devotional gatherings as a Baha'i. There's no stipulation to be on hormones or to have had surgery. It only becomes an issue from an administration perspective if one chooses to marry. For example a Baha'i who is born a male couldn't marry a male unless he was legally recognized as a woman. That's how I understand it.

Really?

This Wikipedia article spells it out too, under the category "Abrahamic":

Transgender people and religion - Wikipedia

Though I need to carefully reread what the Wikipedia article says as since I'm on my phone, I can't click two pages at once.

It's interesting what you said, though. I hope it's true, rather than incorrect, as it paints the Baha'i faith in a softer light, which isn't a bad thing.

 

[Dawnofhope]

Really?

This Wikipedia article spells it out too, under the category "Abrahamic":

Transgender people and religion - Wikipedia

Though I need to carefully reread what the Wikipedia article says as since I'm on my phone, I can't click two pages at once.

It's interesting what you said, though. I hope it's true, rather than incorrect, as it paints the Baha'i faith in a softer light, which isn't a bad thing.

Most Baha'i activities are open to all, so if a gay couple joins us no one will complain. The only exception is the nineteen day feast.

Having been on a Baha'i Assembly for many years we completely avoid prying into people's personal lives. The exception is when someone is flagrantly breaking Baha'i law.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Most Baha'i activities are open to all, so if a gay couple joins us no one will complain. The only exception is the nineteen day feast.

Having been on a Baha'i Assembly for many years we completely avoid prying into people's personal lives. The exception is when someone is flagrantly breaking Baha'i law.

What's the 19th day feast? (Edjucate the savage)?

 

[Jainarayan]

For Hindus very often the Vedas are the basis of their faith.

Yeah, uh no. Most Hindus’ knowledge of the Vedas is limited to some mantras and hymns priests chant in temple, or the more famous ones... Gayatri Mantra, Pushpam Mantra and a few others. Hinduism today is largely Puranic and Agamic, not Vedic. Most Hindus have never seen a copy of the Vedas.

 

[Dawnofhope]

What's the 19th day feast? (Edjucate the savage)?

One of the important gatherings for Baha'is is the nineteen day feast, held every nineteen days, usually on the first day of the Baha'i month. There are three main parts, devotional, administrative and social.

Nineteen Day Feast - Wikipedia

 

[Jainarayan]

Krishna is only one of 330 million or more Hindu gods.

That’s a broad statement that isn’t entirely accurate. For Vaishnavas, my sect, Krishna is God, not a god. In the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam, the de facto Vaishnava scriptures, Krishna is Brahman itself.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

That’s a broad statement that isn’t entirely accurate. For Vaishnavas, my sect, Krishna is God, not a god. In the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam, the de facto Vaishnava scriptures, Krishna is Brahman itself.

I tried to explain some of that stuff later in this thread. Maybe not very well, though. My whole "330 million" statement wasn't very good - the OP was a late night post and I failed to describe how I see 330 million as a metaphor, or really anything about it.

My point was that the Baha'i faith recognized Krishna as a manifestation, but doesn't seem to recognize anything else about the Hindu faith.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

One of the important gatherings for Baha'is is the nineteen day feast, held every nineteen days, usually on the first day of the Baha'i month. There are three main parts, devotional, administrative and social.

Nineteen Day Feast - Wikipedia

I'd have to read this later when I have time. Is it for couples or something geared towards couples? Was curious how gay couples are excluded.

 

[Jainarayan]

The other day I was trying to find a good Krishna mantra to meditate on and am still trying to find the one I want. My favourite was the one the Hare Krishnas chant but I haven’t found it yet.

There are several, at least.

The Mahāmantra... the “Hare Krishna Hare Rāma” mantra.
oṁ namo nārāyanāya, I bow to/obeisance/reverence to Nārāyana.
oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, I bow to/obeisance/reverence to the Lord within all.
oṁ srī kṛṣṇāya namaḥ, I bow to/obeisance/reverence to Lord Krishna.
oṁ srī viṣṇave namaḥ, I bow to/obeisance/reverence to Lord Vishnu.

 

[Jainarayan]

My point was that the Baha'i faith recognized Krishna as a manifestation, but doesn't seem to recognize anything else about the Hindu faith.

I agree with that. It seems to me He’s another knick-knack to add to the collection on the shelf. The way I collect brass items.

 

[loverofhumanity]

It is literally all over the internet. Do you have the internet?

I found a few it’s just a matter of choosing the one I like best. Thanks

 

[Vinayaka]

I found a few it’s just a matter of choosing the one I like best. Thanks

They all sing it the same way. (The mahamantra)

 

[George-ananda]

Really? I believe that in some ways the Baha'i advances Buddhism and Hinduism. Let me revise about Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism other than Krishna undoubtedly has some truth, but it is the truths of Krishna that Baha'i advances and agrees with, as far as what we can discern of what Krishna said. The Bhagavid Gita looks inspired to me, but it appears to be set in a mythological story that doesn't have a factual reality to me, which puzzles me. As far as Buddhism goes, there so many Buddhist texts, it's hard to tell what He actually said. Your view of this may differ.

Well, I do see some basic differences between Abrahamic religions and Hinduism/Buddhism. Abrahamic religions are dualistic (God and creation are two) while Hinduism/Buddhism are more pantheistic non-dual (God and creation are not-two). In non-dual Hindu thought one believes they are imbued with a spark of God consciousness and through progressive experiences on the lower planes (reincarnation) one attains full realization of their Godhood. That is the essence of the Bhagavad Gita non-dual philosophy.

Baha'i is clearly of the dualist Abrahamic religious school of thought. So to claim all religions present the same thing in a line of progressive revelation is a nice oversimplification.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I tried to explain some of that stuff later in this thread. Maybe not very well, though. My whole "330 million" statement wasn't very good - the OP was a late night post and I failed to describe how I see 330 million as a metaphor, or really anything about it.

My point was that the Baha'i faith recognized Krishna as a manifestation, but doesn't seem to recognize anything else about the Hindu faith.

The Bhagavad-Gita is read in all services in Houses of Worship all across the world weekly at least. We can pray to Krishna also.

 

[Truthseeker]

If transgender people are to participate in Gatherings etc as a Baha'i, they're actually expected to have the surgery done to change their private parts, and not just be on hormones without the surgery, or transition without hormones or surgery.

Here's all of the references to transgender or transsexuality and nothing like that is in there:

Extracts from Letters Written on Behalf of the Universal House of Justice on Transsexuality

Transsexuality

Transsexuality and Sex-Change Operations

Krishna is just a character in our religion. He may be a real god. And to some, a mega powerful one, that might span everything to some extent. To others, just a god. And still to other Hindus, just a character. But until you stop thinking that Krishna does everything that happens in Hindu theology, well, it's difficult to move onto more detailed subjects.

I don't believe that Krishna is the whole of Hinduism. He's just the figure that we see as authoritative from a Baha'i viewpoint in Hinduism. What Hindus believe about Krishna is something separate fro what Baha'is believe. There are undoubtedly truths in other Hindu texts besides the Bhagavad Gita, but I love the Bhagavad Gita, though I don't believe that every word was said by Krishna. I don't believe, for instance that Krishna is an avatar of a specific god, Vishnu, and that there are other gods besides Vishnu. You could perhaps see all of these different gods as aspects of one God, as some Hindus do.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I don't believe that Krishna is the whole of Hinduism. He's just the figure that we see as authoritative from a Baha'i viewpoint in Hinduism. What Hindus believe about Krishna is something separate fro what Baha'is believe. There are undoubtedly truths in other Hindu texts besides the Bhagavad Gita, but I love the Bhagavad Gita, though I don't believe that every word was said by Krishna. I don't believe, for instance that Krishna is an avatar of a specific god, Vishnu, and that there are other gods besides Vishnu. You could perhaps see all of these different gods as aspects of one God, as some Hindus do.

I appreciate your openness and honesty. Thank you for that. I do have my concerns that Baha'is and Hindus worship a different Krishna than each other. However, as powerful as Krishna is, perhaps both our prayers still get redirected to him.

 

[Truthseeker]

In non-dual Hindu thought one believes they are imbued with a spark of God consciousness and through progressive experiences on the lower planes (reincarnation) one attains full realization of their Godhood. That is the essence of the Bhagavad Gita non-dual philosophy.

Baha'i is clearly of the dualist Abrahamic religious school of thought. So to claim all religions present the same thing in a line of progressive revelation is a nice oversimplification.

Is that belief justified by authoritative texts by Krishna is something Baha'is would ask. Your interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita may be different from mine. Is what is recorded in the Bhagavad Gita in all cases what Krishna said?

 

[Vinayaka]

The Bhagavad-Gita is read in all services in Houses of Worship all across the world weekly at least. We can pray to Krishna also.

There are at least 50 translations of the Bhagavad Gita in English. Sanskrit to English isn't an easy thing to do because many Sanskrit concepts don't have accurate English words. Hence we have great variety in the word for word translations, as well as even greater variety in any commentaries that have been added to the verses. Which translation is 'the best' is a common debate in Hindu circles. So I'm wondering ... which translation do the Baha'i use? Since it's used so commonly, I figure this should be answered easily.

 

[Truthseeker]

I appreciate your openness and honesty. Thank you for that. I do have my concerns that Baha'is and Hindus worship a different Krishna than each other. However, as powerful as Krishna is, perhaps both our prayers still get redirected to him.

We have a different view of Krishna, nothing wrong with that. I have a disposition that inclines me to be honest from the beginning of my life, that I understand is an aspect of autism or Asperger's, and I am on that spectrum.

 

[loverofhumanity]

There are at least 50 translations of the Bhagavad Gita in English. Sanskrit to English isn't an easy thing to do because many Sanskrit concepts don't have accurate English words. Hence we have great variety in the word for word translations, as well as even greater variety in any commentaries that have been added to the verses. Which translation is 'the best' is a common debate in Hindu circles. So I'm wondering ... which translation do the Baha'i use? Since it's used so commonly, I figure this should be answered easily.

Myself I have many different translations from the Bhagavad Gita As It Is to the one by Gandhi. I think that Baha’is in different countries may use differing ones but commentary is not read, only the scripture itself.