Hinduism: Ask your Questions

[kaisersose]

A yogi at the acme of any yoga - raja yoga, karma yoga, jnana yoga or bhakti yoga - would have reached the acme of all yogas. One's temperament at the beginning chooses for one the path one takes - if one is sentimental, one takes to bhakti yoga, if one is an activist, it is karma yoga, if one is rather studious, it is jnana yoga and if one is of the experimenting type one takes to the occultist raja yoga path.

After duly studying all these paths, I became a materialist! I guess I am not sentimental, an activist, studious or the expermimenting type. Perhaps, Idiot would be apt ?

What is fulfilling to be a HIndu? The first thing that comes to mind is all the great prasadam (without being condescending or mocking). Depending on your circumstances, you may have access to some wonderful delicacies. Prasadam is food offered to God. Since God does not actually eat any of it it, we end up eating it all!

Besides that, the other cool thing about Hindus (with exceptions), is a relatively more accomodating nature for other beliefs as compared to Semitic religions. There is not much of religious persecution to be found in India as compared to other parts of the world.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

What is fulfilling to be a HIndu? The first thing that comes to mind is all the great prasadam (without being condescending or mocking). Depending on your circumstances, you may have access to some wonderful delicacies. Prasadam is food offered to God. Since God does not actually eat any of it it, we end up eating it all!

I like this part also.

 

[K.Venugopal]

After duly studying all these paths, I became a materialist! I guess I am not sentimental, an activist, studious or the expermimenting type.

All paths are supposed to lead to a becoming. But somewhere along the paths, the more perspicacious discover that the seeking to become is an illusion – we already are what we are seeking!

What is fulfilling to be a HIndu? The first thing that comes to mind is all the great prasadam (without being condescending or mocking). Depending on your circumstances, you may have access to some wonderful delicacies. Prasadam is food offered to God. Since God does not actually eat any of it it, we end up eating it all!

About prasadam, the poojari (priest) who offers the prasadam takes a bit from his tray of prasadam and hands out and it inevitably happens that he would have taken a larger or lesser measure each time he takes from his tray. But whatever the measure, we are as happy because the getting is not in the quantity but in the blessings behind it. They say that in life too we must have “prasada-buddhi” or the accepting of the ups and downs that life brings us. There indeed seems to be lessons for us in everything if we contemplate a bit.

Besides that, the other cool thing about Hindus (with exceptions), is a relatively more accomodating nature for other beliefs as compared to Semitic religions. There is not much of religious persecution to be found in India as compared to other parts of the world.

Hindu culture is not merely one of tolerance of other faiths and approaches, but of acceptance that there are many ways to the truth.

 

[EternalFlourish]

Proto-Indo-European religion is the oldest religion but it is no longer practiced.

 

[Surya Deva]

Namaste,

I was previously Suraj who started this thread. I am resurrecting this thread to resume the question and answer dialogue. If you have any questions on Hindism, please feel free to ask and I will and other Hindus on RF will try their best to answer.

 

[Pegg]

Namaste,

I was previously Suraj who started this thread. I am resurrecting this thread to resume the question and answer dialogue. If you have any questions on Hindism, please feel free to ask and I will and other Hindus on RF will try their best to answer.

Hi,

i have a question about reincarnation. I've heard it said that reincarnation is ones soul being reborn into a new lifeform and the lifeform is chosen by a sort of 'karma'.... so if you've been good you get reborn into a better lifeform and if you've been bad you are born into lower lifeforms.

is that how it goes? Or am i way off base?

 

[Surya Deva]

Namaste Pegg,

Your understanding is not wrong, but it could do with refinement in accuracy. The terms being good and being bad are highly subjective and hence ambigious. In Hinduism we use the words paap and punya, which is similar, but more precise. Paap are actions that lead one further into bondage and punya are actions which lead one out from bondage. The highest bondage is to become completely like matter(inert, mechnical, robotic) This is when your spiritual development has reached such a low that you no longer manifest the qualities of consciousness, but the qualities of matter. It is understood in Hinduism that lower animals are just like matter, with only a slight spark of life in them, but not enough to endow them with the qualities of self-awareness, metacognition etc(higher animals have these qualities to a small extent)

Alternatively, when one is completely liberated from bondage they become pure consciousness and manifest its qualities in its purest form(knowledge, awareness and bliss) This is like attaining likeness with god(There are various interpretations of what happens at this stage; one merges with god; one becomes god; one enters the abode of god) The human is the intermeditate stage between animal and god. The human has both an animal aspect and a divine aspect and it is the humans free will to choose which direction they want to take their evolution, owing to their capacity for rationality.

In most cases a human soul will take on a human body in their next incarnation, even if they have commited majority paap actions, because although they are entering deeper into bondage, they still have human qualities. However, in special cases where the paap actions reaches such a low that they cease being human(inhumane actions) that human soul will regress back into the animal stage in order for it to express its lower desires through the right vehicle: an animal body.

I hope this has helped answer your question and helped you achieive a better understanding of reincarnation in Hinduism.

 

[Pegg]

Namaste Pegg,

Your understanding is not wrong, but it could do with refinement in accuracy. The terms being good and being bad are highly subjective and hence ambigious. In Hinduism we use the words paap and punya, which is similar, but more precise. Paap are actions that lead one further into bondage and punya are actions which lead one out from bondage. The highest bondage is to become completely like matter(inert, mechnical, robotic) This is when your spiritual development has reached such a low that you no longer manifest the qualities of consciousness, but the qualities of matter. It is understood in Hinduism that lower animals are just like matter, with only a slight spark of life in them, but not enough to endow them with the qualities of self-awareness, metacognition etc(higher animals have these qualities to a small extent)

Alternatively, when one is completely liberated from bondage they become pure consciousness and manifest its qualities in its purest form(knowledge, awareness and bliss) This is like attaining likeness with god(There are various interpretations of what happens at this stage; one merges with god; one becomes god; one enters the abode of god) The human is the intermeditate stage between animal and god. The human has both an animal aspect and a divine aspect and it is the humans free will to choose which direction they want to take their evolution, owing to their capacity for rationality.

In most cases a human soul will take on a human body in their next incarnation, even if they have commited majority paap actions, because although they are entering deeper into bondage, they still have human qualities. However, in special cases where the paap actions reaches such a low that they cease being human(inhumane actions) that human soul will regress back into the animal stage in order for it to express its lower desires through the right vehicle: an animal body.

I hope this has helped answer your question and helped you achieive a better understanding of reincarnation in Hinduism.

yes, that was a very clear explanation, thankyou.

but it leads me to another question... can a human soul which has regressed into an animal stage, get back to a human soul? Or once it regresses, does it remain a regressed soul forever?

 

[Surya Deva]

Yes, it can return back to a human soul, but it has to go through the process of evolution again.
The human soul does not have to do any spiritual practice at all, it will naturally evolve over time, but natural evolution takes a long time. The human has the capacity to catalyse their evolution through spiritual practice(in Hinduism all spiritual practice to achieive this goal is known as Yoga, meaning union or reconnecting) The highest of these practices is regular, intense and sustained meditation. This effort from the human leads to a catalysing of the evolutionary process within the human being. The end goal being attaining likeness with god.

 

[Pegg]

Yes, it can return back to a human soul, but it has to go through the process of evolution again.
The human soul does not have to do any spiritual practice at all, it will naturally evolve over time, but natural evolution takes a long time. The human has the capacity to catalyse their evolution through spiritual practice(in Hinduism all spiritual practice to achieive this goal is known as Yoga, meaning union or reconnecting) The highest of these practices is regular, intense and sustained meditation. This effort from the human leads to a catalysing of the evolutionary process within the human being. The end goal being attaining likeness with god.

ah ok. So if i understand this correctly, you are saying that the lower souls have to evolve to get to the point of being a human before they can even begin to become like God?

they simply move up the ladder through natural evolution without consciously doing so?

But humans have to work at getting higher up the ladder to become like God? But if they fail in some respect, they go back down the ladder??

 

[Surya Deva]

The game, Snakes and Ladders was invented in India, originally as both a game and a philosophical metaphor for spiritual evolution. The original game had philosophical statements on each square. It is possible to find a ladder(a great spiritual technique) and go up very quickly, but it is equally possible to fall back down. In Hinduism the human is considered the most precious life form to be, because it is only as a human do you have the ability to consciously put in effort towards catalysing your spiritual growth, otherwise in an animal body you are at the mercy of nature. Hence we are told to cherish our human bodies and not take it for granted.

The dharma(nature, duty, distinguishing characteristics) of a human being is divine. The nature of the human is actually really divine, but the human being has to deal with the material conditioning they acquired both in their animal past and the social conditioning they acquire from human society. This conditioning leads the human being to doing paapa actions. However, when the human being practices the divine science of discernment between matter and consciousness(Samkhya) the human comes to learn of its divine nature and starts to do punya actions. As a result it begins to break out of its bondage and approach liberation.

 

[Pegg]

The game, Snakes and Ladders was invented in India, originally as both a game and a philosophical metaphor for spiritual evolution. The original game had philosophical statements on each square. It is possible to find a ladder(a great spiritual technique) and go up very quickly, but it is equally possible to fall back down. In Hinduism the human is considered the most precious life form to be, because it is only as a human do you have the ability to consciously put in effort towards catalysing your spiritual growth, otherwise in an animal body you are at the mercy of nature. Hence we are told to cherish our human bodies and not take it for granted.

The dharma(nature, duty, distinguishing characteristics) of a human being is divine. The nature of the human is actually really divine, but the human being has to deal with the material conditioning they acquired both in their animal past and the social conditioning they acquire from human society. This conditioning leads the human being to doing paapa actions. However, when the human being practices the divine science of discernment between matter and consciousness(Samkhya) the human comes to learn of its divine nature and starts to do punya actions. As a result it begins to break out of its bondage and approach liberation.

wow, thats really interesting. I never knew that about the snakes and ladders game. So i guess that leads me to the question of what happens to a human when they reach the top? our lives are very short lived...how long might it take for one to reach the top and what happens when (and if) one does?

 

[Surya Deva]

The length of time it takes depends on the path you have taken. Some paths are faster than others(bigger ladder) but the falls from greater heights are always more worse. In the Yogasutras it says that your progress on the path is proportional to the intensity of your practice. The goal is not far for one who practices intensely with pure devotion. In divides practice into low intensity, medium intensity and high intensity. If your intensity is low, you will get there, but it will take a longer time. If your intensity is high it is possible to achieive libration in this lifetime alone.

What will happen as you go higher? You will acquire greater and greater control over matter and naturally you will develop various powers, known as siddhis. These are also divided into higher and lower siddhis. These powers are the biggest ego trip you can ever have, and Hindu lore is full of stories of men who attained these powers and became corrupt and evil. The lower siddhis are basic siddhis like being able to control your own biological processes, such as regulating your body temperature, hunger and thirst. The higher siddhis are siddhis like invisibility, teleporting, healing, levitating, walking on water, controlling the elements, increasing and reducing ones size etc. At the highest level you attain the ultimate siddhis of godly like dimensions such as omniscience and omnipotence. However, these siddhis are considered less important than the pure qualities you develop such as pure wisdom, pure love and pure life. This is why it said to be like attaining likeliness with god.

 

[shankara_kalady]

Hi,

The word "Hindu" isn't even from Sanskrit. So would it be right to say that word was created during the colonial period to just gave a name to a community of people, since at the time the two prominent religions, Islam and Christianity, were organized religions?

The story goes that the word was of Persian origin, used to refer to the people of the Indian subcontinent. So in the beginning the word didn't even have a religious connotation. It was just another way of saying South Asian.

 

[Madhuri]

Hi,

The word "Hindu" isn't even from Sanskrit. So would it be right to say that word was created during the colonial period to just gave a name to a community of people, since at the time the two prominent religions, Islam and Christianity, were organized religions?

The story goes that the word was of Persian origin, used to refer to the people of the Indian subcontinent. So in the beginning the word didn't even have a religious connotation. It was just another way of saying South Asian.

Exactly right. That is why a number of 'Hindus' use the title Sanatan Dharma, which is the actual title. But we call ourselves Hindu, because that is what the religion has become known as all over the world. Nobody would know what our religion is if we called it by its actual name.

If you think that this is ridiculous, what you will find is that Hinduism is a religion that is overlooked and misunderstood almost as much as the entirety of Indian culture and history.

 

[shankara_kalady]

Exactly right. That is why a number of 'Hindus' use the title Sanatan Dharma, which is the actual title. But we call ourselves Hindu, because that is what the religion has become known as all over the world. Nobody would know what our religion is if we called it by its actual name.

If you think that this is ridiculous, what you will find is that Hinduism is a religion that is overlooked and misunderstood almost as much as the entirety of Indian culture and history.

Yes, I have to agree with you on that part.

 

[EddyM]

I am surprised at the enormous amount of disinterest in this religion with the non-Indian members(Even in the Hinduism forum the majority of posters are of Indian origin) and yet it's the third largest religion in the world and one of the oldest, if not the oldest religion in the world.

I am sure there must be some questions about Hinduism that people may want to ask. I invite people of all religions, especially Christians and Muslims to ask me questions on Hinduism.

These are the two religions whose members have been a major source of nuisance for people of the Dharmic traditions. I think you can find several decent Christians who are willing to learn about Hinduism apart from the gross misrepresentation portrayed by Hollywood and religious propagandists who can respect Hinduism and be friendly towards Hindus.

But I don't think any good is going to come out of extending a hand of friendship towards Muslims on the basis of religion except for perhaps some orders of the Sufis. Muslims consider Jews and Christians to be heretics based on their denial of resurrection and judgment by Allah when he apparates on Al-Qiyamah. People who they call as "people of the book" and whom they claim to share the same God as originally(atleast). You think they will be of any good to Hindus? When they see you as ignorant and inferior infidels?

You allowing knowledge of Hinduism accessible to Muslims is only a recipe for disaster. You sincerely think that people who consider their religion to be the "one true flawless" religion to prevail over every other, to sympathize with your religion? Especially when it contains idolatry - the very antithetical thing to Islam and the worst sin their deity never pardons.

Anything you want to know.

Come on man that's a bold statement. Hinduism is far too diverse and extensive for any single person to say that.

It benefits us both. You get to learn about Hinduism and I get to sharpen my answering skills

So you think that preaching about Hinduism is not for the sake of spreading the truth and wisdom that Hinduism offers but is to be done out of the motivation of your own selfishness?

 

[EddyM]

The word "Hindu" isn't even from Sanskrit.

Says who? Your fellow Muslims?

Check this out Madhuri, this Genius says "Hindu" isnt Sanskrit and from outsiders. Yet his username says "shankara_kalady".

 

[EddyM]

Exactly right.

No its not.:no:

 

[Madhuri]

Says who? Your fellow Muslims?

Check this out Madhuri, this Genius says "Hindu" isnt Sanskrit and from outsiders. Yet his username says "shankara_kalady".

I'm not sure that I follow...
It is generally considered that the term 'Hindu' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Sindu' and refers to a geographical population. It is also generally considered that the term was coined by foreigners, not the Indian population itself. Do you disagree? What info do you have?