Misconceptions about Hinduism

[Kalidas]

So I noticed the "Misconceptions about Mormonism" thread and thought it would be a great public service to do the same. We always talk about misconceptions people have about Hinduism but rarely do we put them in the main stage and deal with them. So I wil begin

I hear this one a LOT, frankly I'm tired of correcting it lol.
"So you worship cows?" "Cows are your God" "So if Cows are God..." First I won't speak for all Hindus but I for one do not worship cows. Are cows God? No more than you anf I are which is a technical "yes" but not in a way that I worship them any more than I would worship you or a tree. They are SACRED but to me ALL life is sacred, cows are more like the symbol of life and the sacredness of all life.

Next...

 

[Vinayaka]

We honor cows. That's different than worshiping them.

Myth 2) The caste system is the overwhelming social outcome of Hinduism's rigid and inhumane practices. It is dehumanizing and anti-democratic. Every single Hindu is overcome by this archaic system of stratifying humanity.

Truth) Caste based discrimination is illegal in India. It isn't part of the Hindu religion, and but it's counterpart is varna, originally designed like trades or guilds. Yes, it exists in some parts of India, but nowhere near to the extent that it is portrayed. It is very possible to move up or down in social order, no matter what it's called.

A link... http://veda.wikidot.com/common-misconceptions-about-hinduism

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Like Caste, Misogyny and sexism are strongly associated with Hinduism in some people's minds. Especially due to the terrible rape stories in the news over the last few years, people make this connection:

Most of India is Hindu ergo, Hinduism promotes the degrading treatment of women.

Nevermind that the mistreatment of women has always been a social problem all over the world, not a religious problem in one part of it.

:camp:

 

[Maya3]

Myth 3,

Hindus worship millions of Gods.
No, not technically. Most Hindus believe in ONE all pervading formless God.
Some believe that he/she/it manifests into different forms, or that God manifests a certain aspect of him/her/itself in a form.
Others think that this is symbolic. Some see God as ONE energy and the different forms are everything we see, us, trees, grass, cows, fish, mountains, the sea. It is really just ONE, we think it's separate but there is no separation.

Maya

 

[NobodyYouKnow]

Myth 4 - Why do your Gods have so many arms/heads?

It is to represent the many aspects of the Divine in a single form. It is to show how multi-faceted God is and how He is the master of 'multi-tasking'.

Yeah, He zipps around so fast, it takes a while for His limbs and head to catch up, so all we can see is a 'blur'. lol

But no, God doesn't really have all those extra appendages....unless you want Him to, of course...but then again, God is God, so He can look like/do anything - so why He have to look like us?

4.5 How can anything survive with the head of an elephant?

My daughter gets me with this one all the time (even though I don't worship Lord Ganesha).

Like stated above, God is God and can do anything. If He wants to bend the physical laws of the Universe, He can. Of course he's going to need Shakti's help for that, but just watch Him do it.

Lord Ganesha reminds us that Siva is capable of anything...thus, so is Lord Ganesha (only Lord Ganesha is more 'approachable').

Some Hindus worship Mother Cow....some...I seen it...

Om Namah Shivay

 

[Vinayaka]

Myth 5) Hinduism is a single entity. Hindus mostly all think the same.

Truth) Hinduism is vast in philosophy, in culture, in ways of expressing relationship with God. Most likely it's variance is wider then the 3 Abrahamic religions combined.

 

[punkdbass]

Myth 3,

Hindus worship millions of Gods.
No, not technically. Most Hindus believe in ONE all pervading formless God.
Some believe that he/she/it manifests into different forms, or that God manifests a certain aspect of him/her/itself in a form.
Others think that this is symbolic. Some see God as ONE energy and the different forms are everything we see, us, trees, grass, cows, fish, mountains, the sea. It is really just ONE, we think it's separate but there is no separation.

Maya

I'd say this, as well as the one Vinayaka pointed out are probably the most common misconceptions where I live.

 

[NobodyYouKnow]

Myth 6: So if you don't worship cows, you all worship idols then?

Puh-lease! lol

Personally, as per the Agama School I try not to (we find them distracting), but those who 'worship idols' are not bowing down to a piece of natural earth mineral in the shape of a graven image or 'devil'.

Devotees only use these items as 'props' during meditation on their Ishwara, to focus their awareness, concentration and love on something that exists way beyond the mere image in marble, metal or clay.

Over time, we infuse our own psychic energies into the Murthi, making our link with the Divine stronger....think of idols as a 'cosmic telephone'...we do not worship them...we worship through them.

Om Namah Shivay

 

[Kalidas]

Myth 6: So if you don't worship cows, you all worship idols then?

Puh-lease! lol

Personally, as per the Agama School I try not to (we find them distracting), but those who 'worship idols' are not bowing down to a piece of natural earth mineral in the shape of a graven image or 'devil'.

Devotees only use these items as 'props' during meditation on their Ishwara, to focus their awareness, concentration and love on something that exists way beyond the mere image in marble, metal or clay.

Over time, we infuse our own psychic energies into the Murthi, making our link with the Divine stronger....think of idols as a 'cosmic telephone'...we do not worship them...we worship through them.

Om Namah Shivay

Worship through them... I like that. I am going to use that.

 

[Kalidas]

Positive and negative karma.

Karma is not some form of currency exchange where you "collect" debt or wealth in karma. Karma is a science, just as there is no goof gravity or bad gravity there is no good or bad karma.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Positive and negative karma.

Karma is not some form of currency exchange where you "collect" debt or wealth in karma. Karma is a science, just as there is no goof gravity or bad gravity there is no good or bad karma.

I like this. If your parachute doesn't open and you die upon impact, nobody blames gravity. Gravity just does what it does. Same with Karma. Gravity also keeps us from flying into space, so we can be greatful for that, but this doesn't make gravity "good" either.

:camp:

 

[NobodyYouKnow]

People often equate Karma with; 's*** happens, only the depth varies'. It's a very common misconception.

Yeah, so I'm like...YOLO; just over and over again....like Groundhog Day.

Even Brahma couldn't understand the monster He created when Karma was invented...it kinda took on a life of its own after that.

...but yeah, people don't understand the concept of Karma and even I couldn't even try because I am still finding it difficult to believe in it myself due to the 'supposed' separation of collective Jivatman from universal Paratman that, you know, shouldn't really be 'separate' in the first place...

...but I'll just blame my Karma for running over my Dogma...

Om Namah Shivaya

 

[Satyamavejayanti]

AyurVeda, i think many people view AyurVeda as a outdated system, and that is mostly to do with the misconception that nothing modern we can learn from it, or it has been labeled as herbal remedies only.

One example which comes to mind, which puts AuyrVeda as more then just herbal remedies.

aveda - official site - shop online or find a salon

Aveda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and these Ideas.

Ayurvedic medicine : Cancer Research UK : CancerHelp UK

And this

http://cogprints.org/7033/1/Chapter_in_sowarigpa_and_ayurveda.pdf

 

[Aupmanyav]

Like Caste, Misogyny and sexism are strongly associated with Hinduism in some people's minds. Especially due to the terrible rape stories in the news over the last few years, people make this connection:

Most of India is Hindu ergo, Hinduism promotes the degrading treatment of women.

Nevermind that the mistreatment of women has always been a social problem all over the world, not a religious problem in one part of it.

:camp:

Today's Hindu society is corrupted. Otherwise these problems would not have been there. Hindus have always respected women highly. I long for the days when a young girl was called as ma in Bengal and amma in Tamilnadu (mother). And what is the problem about sex among hindus? People may find it stange that we do not like skimpy clothes, or that our women would not like to dance with people other than their husbands or close relatives. Did we ever consider sex as anything other than a 'purushartha', a delight and a duty. Or that we divided the work between the two partners in marriage, man taking care of things outside the house and women taking care of the house. And the conflicts in caste have come after reservations for 'scheduled castes' and 'other backward classes' because of the hunger for political positions and politicians creating conflicts for their own benefits. In olden days, castes existed without any friction.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Some Hindus worship Mother Cow....some...I seen it...

Om Namah Shivay

Of course, we do. It is our most important animal, providing a variety of milk products which we use all through our lives, and then producing bulls to work on the fields and haul carts. Then of course, cowdung and the skin after it is dead, so useful in adobe housing, and for shoes. Just like people thank Gods, we thank cows too.

I'd say this, as well as the one Vinayaka pointed out are probably the most common misconceptions where I live.

One God, many Gods and Goddesses, and even no Gods, that has never been a problem in Hinduism.

Karma is a science, just as there is no goof gravity or bad gravity there is no good or bad karma.

Social constructs, one helps family and society, the other does not.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

In olden days, castes existed without any friction.

Perhaps. But do we know if that was because of contentment or fear? (Fear of retribution for, "stepping outside the lines"?)

I thought your comments about young girls being called "Amma" or "ma" interesting because of an experience I had a few months ago.

A family friend of mine's nani-ji knows very little English (she must be in her late 80s or early 90s) And I know very little Hindi. But when I gave her a gift of a bracelet she tried to give it back. Her daughter translated for me what she said which was something that surprised me. She said that girls (I'm 28 btw) are goddesses and don't give gifts but receive them.

I tried to tell nani that she was a goddess too, but alas, not enough Hindi

:camp:

 

[Aupmanyav]

Normally no gift is taken from a daughter and one is always supposed to give gifts to them. That remains true even when she is married. If she gives a gift then in return a more costly gift is given. Then a daughter is never asked to massage feet. She is considered a form of Goddess and a guest till she goes to her husband's place (Amanat - something which is in our possession to be handed over when the right person comes). When a daughter of a daughter is married, gifts are given from her father's house even when the father may be dead. You might have read about 'mairo' (Narsi ji ro mairo) in one of my posts. Among Kashmiris, it is known as 'dapna'. Gifts and feast from the family of the daughter. This transgresses generations. Conversely, the daughter's family is entitled to a share of gifts received when her son marries. After all, they contributed to the birth of the son through their daughter.

Kanya-dana, is one act which is supposed to bring lots of merit to a person. If a person is not fortunate to have a daughter of his own, then sometimes, he will undertake the responsibility of a girl's marriage expenses. This is considered a great dana, (kanya-dana, maha-dana). And the person who accepts the dana (the husband) should, throughout his life, be grateful for it because it allows the name of his family to continue.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Perhaps. But do we know if that was because of contentment or fear? (Fear of retribution for, "stepping outside the lines"?)

At least, from where I come (Rajasthan), there was no fear of retribution. If a person was a potter or a shoe-maker, it did not matter much. Because he was still a necessary member of the society. Of course, the higher caste people will not drink water or take food from him. We had many people of lower castes who worked for our family. They were close to us. But when my grandfather was taking his meals, none would enter the house. If somebody did that, my grandfather would leave the meal at that time. He never said anything to anybody, but the person would feel guilty by him/herself. So if it was time for meals, they would first peep and see if my grandfather was taking his meal. If not they would enter the house. It was just respect for whatever traditions my grandfather was following.

 

[nameless]

In olden days, castes existed without any friction.

Caste system takes away ones freedom to chose his way of life, hence it cannot be justified in any circumstances. Lack of friction could be also because of fear, as the lower castes were much powerless.

 

[Vinayaka]

Caste system takes away ones freedom to chose his way of life,

And herein lies the myth.