Hindusim is dead on RF

[TheWhiteWizard]

What are your specfic beleifs about Hinduism, what school of thought do you beleive in?

 

[Valjean]

I was not born a Hindu,I have only just began beleving in Hinduism relatively recently. I have always been drawn to the Dharmic religions, but have never settled down into a set religion per se. I was born as a Greek Orthodox and when I was younger the whole Chrisitian dogma was not working out for me, so I was not Greek Orthodox anymore. Then I went through I long period of time with being a theist, and nothing more. I searched for my true calling and have found it, I hope. Oh I really hope so! I beleive the most in Advaita Vedanta school of thought. I also hold many truths of Buddhism close in my practices. So i guess you could say I am mainly a Hindu, with a sprinkling of Buddhism in me.

Welcome, Wizard. Good to have another Advaita Vedanti here. I understand your interest in Buddhism. Advaita and Buddhist metaphysics are comparable, and both schools have a reputation for austerity.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Aksar,
to state Hinduism is dead needs firstly to understand *Hindusim* itself.
The word Hinduism is not correct by itself as it was coined by the Greeks when Alexander invaded India. There was never a religion nor is in reality. The Greeks coined the word as they could not pronounce SINDH which was a river they crossed to reach India and so they mentioned the people living the other side of SINDH as HINDUS instead of SINDHUS.
Here people followed various PATHS/ WAYS to achive norvana and all those people of various PATHS wrote down their experiences and all of them had there followers and all were accepted equally. So in reality Hindusim is not A religion it is 8A WAY OF LIFE8. The concept is so broad that all humans whatever may be the PATH/ WAYS/ RELIGIOn they follow are all HINDUS including you, me.
SO Hindusim can never be dead on RF or any place till life remains.
Regards some individual claiming them to be upholders of hinduism is concerend that becomes immateial as what WAS/IS/WILL remain without anyone in between.
Love & rgds

 

[michaelm]

Another Advaitist! Wow.

I love the teachings of Adishankara and the Yoga Vashista.

I also feel a strong affinity with Buddhism. I know there are differences between Advaita and Buddhism (there are differences within Buddhism as well, of course) but the core concepts seem the same.

Are there any teachers you have come across in particular?

I come from an atheist/agnostic/humanist Western background.

welcome.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Michelm,
The problem with the mind is that it categories everything.
Its all about being a human being.
No gods, no heaven or hell.
Living life at the moment.
existence is the only teacher as all knwledge any human got was and is from existence be it those who live in India or anywhere.
All eastern religions have stretched on meditation which connects one to existence directly.
The journey if at all is, is within and by allowing the mind to settle.
Love & rgds

 

[K.Venugopal]

By talking to myself I learn very little...

Talking to oneself... All of us do that, just as all of us breathe. But then there is breathing and there is pranayama. Imagine the person who first discovered pranayama tell another, "Do you know, I've discovered a beneficial way of breathing." What reply would he have got but an incredulous, "Don't tell me you are going to tell me how to breathe!" So I say, we all talk to ourselves. But there is a technique where you seek to talk to your self without break. This is not easy. But yet you can keep on at it, telling yourself that there is nothing a person can do that is simpler than talking to himself. So you keep at it and seek to talk to yourself without a break. Quietly, within yourself of course. You will soon realize some things:

1. In talking to yourself you are using language.
2. Language is that magic thing you did not invent but inherited even as a child.
3. Language used properly - grammar correct, syntax correct, pronunciation correct and all that - would actually give you a new eye. How?
4. Because language has within it logic.
5. Logic is seeing and when you use language to its optimum, your mind will be able to see.

There are other aspects. Join me in a discussion if what I said seems sane to you.

 

[K.Venugopal]

The curious thing is that people have this idea that there are a billion separate gods in Hinduism, where in fact there is only One with a myriad of aspects.

Probably the greatest thought that has arisen in Hinduism is Advaita. It means non-dualism. Everything can be reduced to its dual aspects - hot/cold, big/small, light/dark, everything/nothing etc. Then there is the aspect where this duality does not exist. What that aspect is is best described negatively - a-dvaita = no duality. This has its application in that sublime dichotomy of Creator and created. The teachings of advaita say that we are the object of our worship and our pilgrimage to our core ends all searching, praying, communication. We enter into the impregnated dimension of silence, stillness, nothingness and thereby totality. When we awaken to this truth, we celebrate ourselves and express ourselves in myriad ways. This explains the billion gods of Hinduism.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Venu,
Agree with you about Advaita.
However the concept has gone through Budhhism, Taoism which both merged to form ZEN.
Any way any human tries to reach nirvana is a Hindu - a way of life [not a religion]
Love & rgds

 

[K.Venugopal]

Well, there arent many memberrs, active members.

Whoever seeks the truth is a Hindu (and upon realizing the truth he is beyond all identities). Everyone in RF is seeking the truth or expressing the truth he believes in and so are Hindus. Hinduism is for individual self-discovery and universal harmony. The pioneers of Hinduism, the Rishis, accounted for everything and structured mankind to live inter-connected. Therefore an individual has two roles - his role as a member of humankind (here the principle is Dharma or harmony) and his role as an individual seeking himself (and here the principle is Yoga). The link in carrying out these two roles is Karma. Hence, the three key words of Hinduism are Dharma, Yoga and Karma.

 

[Don Penguinoini]

Im not with this dvatia...advati, dvaitdvait. I think i fall into the category which says (we are not god).

 

[mahesh]

One God with form, he lives in his abode. We are his bhakts.

 

[Don Penguinoini]

God has no form. God is a formless entity. You are contradicting the vedas, which says you are not a hindu. Also by saying that the other religion will not lead to god is plainly and simply rejecting hinduism. Krishna bhagwan says that by worshipping any god you are worshipping me.

 

[K.Venugopal]

God has no form. God is a formless entity.

Formless God manifests forms and all creation are His forms. But forms are transcient. The formless is.

 

[satsand deshi]

The question is how do you practice ahimsa give examples??????????/

 

[satsand deshi]

include your daily lives etc.

 

[satsand deshi]

Ya and dont forget that these small clicks dont work out all the hindus need to jump topics as well and also go to other forumns.

 

[K.Venugopal]

The question is how do you practice ahimsa give examples??????????/

All violence, conscious as well as unconscious, intentional or accidental, is born of a mind that is restless. The whole purpose of spirituality is to make the mind restful. No violence would enmate from a person who is of restful mind.

 

[Don Penguinoini]

Ahimsa is practised by showing lvoe to all. Im not that a big lover of ahimsa. I believe India is far too soft on Bangladesh, China and Pakistan...

 

[mahesh]

Ahimsa is highest Dharma of all Dharmas.

 

[Don Penguinoini]

But it is costly.