Question about Hindus and the future

[stvdv]

And yes Hindus will offer to the Gods during prayer. Fully vegetarian and usually consists of sweets, fruits and other foods

Sai Baba gives an interesting view on how God looks at these offerings:

You offer the "good stuff" to God, and keep the "bad stuff" for yourself to eat. That's not what you should do. Better to eat good healthy food yourself, and offer the bad stuff (fried fatty foods etc) to God, including the six vices like drsire, anger, hate, jealousy etc

And another important even one

You offer fruits to me, don't you realize it was God who gave it to you in the first place. How would you feel if you give a present to someone, and next year he gives the same present to you as a birthday gift?

 

[stvdv]

ok, so from what I have read so far, there is no supreme God that communicates with those who wrote down what he, it, or she said, is that right? Maybe I missed something.

You probably missed this 1

Hinduism has different 'classes' of Spirituality. There is also a 'class' that teaches that there is only 1 God, and that God is Omnipresent, hence "ONLY GOD EXISTS", the rest is illusion, as in 'ever changing', so not true, as truth never changes

This is said to be the ultimate teaching about truth (well, I worded it myself, so I might have not phrased it perfectly)

 

[YoursTrue]

You probably missed this 1

Hinduism has different 'classes' of Spirituality. There is also a 'class' that teaches that there is only 1 God, and that God is Omnipresent, hence "ONLY GOD EXISTS", the rest is illusion, as in 'ever changing', so not true, as truth never changes

This is said to be the ultimate teaching about truth (well, I worded it myself, so I might have not phrased it perfectly)

OK, thank you for your answer. So I conclude from your answer that not all do evidently agree about how or what is 'god.'
What then does Hinduism say about the future?

 

[Valjean]

Nice description

The "supreme God" would be Ishwara, a personification of Brahman, a Brahman-with-attributes.
Plain Brahman is more spirit, essence or conceptual construct.

 

[stvdv]

OK, thank you for your answer. So I conclude from your answer that not all do evidently agree about how or what is 'god.'

It's not so much as that they don't agree

I view it similar as worldly professions and educations. A toddler won't get Einstein formulas to learn, right? Same with some 'concepts' about God, not all can understand Advaita. For those there is dualism. Not all are good at devotional practices, for those they have the path of seva or jnana

Not about "right" and the other is "wrong", nor about agree, disagree. Not all humans are Presidents either

 

[SomeRandom]

Sai Baba gives an interesting view on how God looks at these offerings:

You offer the "good stuff" to God, and keep the "bad stuff" for yourself to eat. That's not what you should do. Better to eat good healthy food yourself, and offer the bad stuff (fried fatty foods etc) to God, including the six vices like drsire, anger, hate, jealousy etc

And another important even one

You offer fruits to me, don't you realize it was God who gave it to you in the first place. How would you feel if you give a present to someone, and next year he gives the same present to you as a birthday gift?

I mean I just go with family traditions in all honesty.
And the offerings seem based on much of the folklore. Like Laddos seem to be offered more to Krishna and Ganesh due to their connection both have in folktales.

But I agree

 

[Valjean]

(hmm.) Time is another subject. Most of us are greatly aware of the passage of time, as if we need to know what time it is. In fact, even scientists project when something happened.

True, at a practical level, but not at the level of theoretical physics and the technology derived therefrom.
The steady, irreversible passage of time we're 'greatly aware of', "time's arrow," is an illusion. That's not how time actually works.

 

[SomeRandom]

ok, so from what I have read so far, there is no supreme God that communicates with those who wrote down what he, it, or she said, is that right? Maybe I missed something.

Not sure what you mean?

There is a supreme Deity in Hinduism and it’s various sects.
I think His decrees, if you like, is probably found in the Vedas. Like there are rules and the like. But Hinduism isn’t really centred around holy books like the Abrahamics.
I mean there are Holy Books and they are important, sure. But worship and rituals and morals/ethics come more from I guess cultural understanding that is largely inherited in one’s family, if that makes sense?
It’s not like Hindus will really study the scriptures unless they really want to, in all honesty

 

[Valjean]

ok, so from what I have read so far, there is no supreme God that communicates with those who wrote down what he, it, or she said, is that right? Maybe I missed something.

There are the Vedas, but these aren't used as a handbook for day-to-day living. There's the Bhagavad Gita, which is very popular, but not 'official', (Sruti).

Hinduism isn't a single, unified or organized religion. It has no orthodox doctrine, credo, or official belief system. It's a catch-all designation the British used to describe the patchwork of beliefs of the various tribes found East of the (H)indus river.

That's not to say there aren't any common concepts, like Brahman or dharma, but ask a random dozen Hindus a theological question, and you're likely to get twenty different answers.

 

[stvdv]

Meantime I wonder if a viewpoint about the future is written down in religious writings of Hindus

Well, the vedas do declare that there are Yugas, and that everything gets created and decreated. They do give quite precise timelines for this (talking about future written down)

But no worries for the earth itself in a long, long time. The earth won't get destroyed any time soon

Also, maybe that is what you wanted to know, there have been made predictions by Saints and written down about certain Avatars (divine incarnated to uplift humanity) coming down to earth

Sai Baba has mentioned some of these. But usually you never come across those yourself, unless you accidentally stumble upon a Scripture mentioning these

You know, there are so many Scriptures. Impossible to read them all, and even more unlikely to remember them all in 1 lifetime of 100 years in Kali Yuga

And it's not required to learn, know all the Scriptures

Sai Baba says "Hurt Never Help Ever" and practice this 24/7 is all you need to know to reach God. Pretty easy, right?

 

[Valjean]

OK, thank you for your answer. So I conclude from your answer that not all do evidently agree about how or what is 'god.'
What then does Hinduism say about the future?

There is also the concept of levels of reality in Hinduism.
There are different subjective realities corresponding to different levels of consciousness, like dream-state or waking-state, to name those we regularly experience. What's real or true in one is not necessarily real or true in another. A god might exist in one but not in another.

At the "highest" level you've transcended any God. You've expanded beyond all time, space, matter, energy, change --or gods.

And future -- at what level? Ultimately there is no future, there is no time. There is simultaneity.

 

[YoursTrue]

Yes we make offerings. Fruit, flowers, our love, work, etc.

So if I understand, you do believe in gods. But do all Hindus believe in the existence of gods? I mean I see some here who call themselves Christian but don't believe Jesus or Moses even existed...and of course, there are a vast number of Hindus, just like there are many who call themselves Christian with the various sects.

 

[YoursTrue]

Thanks for all your answers.

 

[stvdv]

The "supreme God" would be Ishwara, a personification of Brahman, a Brahman-with-attributes.

Thanks for the addition.
I like Ishwara Shiva with His attributes

Plain Brahman is more spirit, essence or conceptual construct.

Brahman concept makes most sense to me, as to understand Creation

Brahman-with-attributes I like to experience the magic of Creation

 

[YoursTrue]

There is also the concept of levels of reality in Hinduism.
There are different subjective realities corresponding to different levels of consciousness, like dream-state or waking-state, to name those we regularly experience. What's real or true in one is not necessarily real or true in another. A god might exist in one but not in another.

At the "highest" level you've transcended any God. You've expanded beyond all time, space, matter, energy, change --or gods.

And future -- at what level? Ultimately there is no future, there is no time. There is simultaneity.

Our beliefs are obviously different, and I will just tell you that the various sects, or entities of those calling themselves Christian do vary as well about how to interpret the various prophecies, but -- the counting of time is outlined for humans. Later for that, i'll have to do some research about that to be clearer. Then maybe study more about Einstein. (not really -- he died kind of young in a way, I used to think 70 or so people were goners but now that I'm older I have a different viewpoint about 'old age'-- Einstein had no substantial hope about the future but who knows? Maybe God will be kind to him by allowing him to see life again. I know God will not be cruel.)

 

[Vinayaka]

So if I understand, you do believe in gods. But do all Hindus believe in the existence of gods? I mean I see some here who call themselves Christian but don't believe Jesus or Moses even existed...and of course, there are a vast number of Hindus, just like there are many who call themselves Christian with the various sects.

It's complicated. Atheism with regard to Hinduism is debated. Cultural Hindus can be atheist for sure. But some folks would say atheism is outside of Hinduism. Certainly there are atheistic schools within Indian thought. That's not debatable. No matter which side you are on in any such debate, 99% of Hindus are tolerant of other views. There is an over-riding tolerance to us.

As to God, there may be strict monotheists, but there are also henotheists (One Supreme God, AND other Gods) and polytheists. With regard to variety, we're diverse to an almost unimaginable extent. Here on this forum, no two Hindus are a lot alike.

 

[YoursTrue]

There is also the concept of levels of reality in Hinduism.
There are different subjective realities corresponding to different levels of consciousness, like dream-state or waking-state, to name those we regularly experience. What's real or true in one is not necessarily real or true in another. A god might exist in one but not in another.

At the "highest" level you've transcended any God. You've expanded beyond all time, space, matter, energy, change --or gods.

And future -- at what level? Ultimately there is no future, there is no time. There is simultaneity.

ok, got it. thanks. I heard about the no future, no time thing (complete dissolution or something like that) but honestly it doesn't entice me. I prefer living but in a different environment. Oh yes, it's called Nirvana, right?

 

[YoursTrue]

It's complicated. Atheism with regard to Hinduism is debated. Cultural Hindus can be atheist for sure. But some folks would say atheism is outside of Hinduism. Certainly there are atheistic schools within Indian thought. That's not debatable. No matter which side you are on in any such debate, 99% of Hindus are tolerant of other views. There is an over-riding tolerance to us.

As to God, there may be strict monotheists, but there are also henotheists (One Supreme God, AND other Gods) and polytheists. With regard to variety, we're diverse to an almost unimaginable extent. Here on this forum, no two Hindus are a lot alike.

thanks again, very intereting.

 

[YoursTrue]

Thanks again to all. you've answered a lot of questions for me. So thanks.

 

[stvdv]

I mean I just go with family traditions in all honesty.
And the offerings seem based on much of the folklore. Like Laddos seem to be offered more to Krishna and Ganesh due to their connection both have in folktales.

But I agree

I never forget about laddus in India

Once I ate 6 laddus

Later that day I went to Sai Baba's Darshan, who gave a discourse that same day. Sai Baba came to the laddus, and said something like "Laddus are offered to Lord Ganesha, it's okay to eat 1 laddu yourself also, BUT there are some crazy people who eat 6 laddus, that's too much".

I really "knew well" how to get personal proof of Sai Baba's Omniscience with my bad food habits those days