Mixing Hinduism with other religions

[ronki23]

Here are my beliefs:

There is one Supreme God called Waheguru

There are 6 demi-Gods: Brahma (creation), Saraswati (knowledge), Vishnu (preservation), Lakshmi (wealth), Shiva (destruction) and Parvati/Durga (love and courage)

Waheguru and Dattatreya are the same as Dattatreya has the 3 aspects of the 6 demi-Gods

Vishnu and Shiva have avatars; Shiva has Ganesh and Hanuman while Vishnu has 24 including Rama, Krishna and Buddha

Rama had human descendants in the form of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. There are 12 Gurus- the 10 Gurus plus Guru Ravidass and Guru Banda Singh. Gurus were not Gods

There are 29 Buddhas but only Siddharta Gautama is an incarnation of Vishnu so only he is a God-Buddha

Shirdi Sai Baba is a human but a great sage capable of miracles

Kalki Avatar is the second coming of Jesus

Am I a true Hindu? I'm not the only one who believes in figures from non-Hindu religions being part of Hinduism; plenty of Hindus do (especially in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharastra). A sizeable portion of Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains in India also believe this so are they technically Hindus?

Maybe i'm overanalysing

 

[sayak83]

Here are my beliefs:

There is one Supreme God called Waheguru

There are 6 demi-Gods: Brahma (creation), Saraswati (knowledge), Vishnu (preservation), Lakshmi (wealth), Shiva (destruction) and Parvati/Durga (love and courage)

Waheguru and Dattatreya are the same as Dattatreya has the 3 aspects of the 6 demi-Gods

Vishnu and Shiva have avatars; Shiva has Ganesh and Hanuman while Vishnu has 24 including Rama, Krishna and Buddha

Rama had human descendants in the form of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. There are 12 Gurus- the 10 Gurus plus Guru Ravidass and Guru Banda Singh. Gurus were not Gods

There are 29 Buddhas but only Siddharta Gautama is an incarnation of Vishnu so only he is a God-Buddha

Shirdi Sai Baba is a human but a great sage capable of miracles

Kalki Avatar is the second coming of Jesus

Am I a true Hindu? I'm not the only one who believes in figures from non-Hindu religions being part of Hinduism; plenty of Hindus do (especially in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharastra). A sizeable portion of Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains in India also believe this so are they technically Hindus?

Maybe i'm overanalysing

Very complicated belief you have going here...

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Here are my beliefs:

There is one Supreme God called Waheguru

There are 6 demi-Gods: Brahma (creation), Saraswati (knowledge), Vishnu (preservation), Lakshmi (wealth), Shiva (destruction) and Parvati/Durga (love and courage)

Waheguru and Dattatreya are the same as Dattatreya has the 3 aspects of the 6 demi-Gods

Vishnu and Shiva have avatars; Shiva has Ganesh and Hanuman while Vishnu has 24 including Rama, Krishna and Buddha

Rama had human descendants in the form of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. There are 12 Gurus- the 10 Gurus plus Guru Ravidass and Guru Banda Singh. Gurus were not Gods

There are 29 Buddhas but only Siddharta Gautama is an incarnation of Vishnu so only he is a God-Buddha

Shirdi Sai Baba is a human but a great sage capable of miracles

Kalki Avatar is the second coming of Jesus

Am I a true Hindu? I'm not the only one who believes in figures from non-Hindu religions being part of Hinduism; plenty of Hindus do (especially in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharastra). A sizeable portion of Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains in India also believe this so are they technically Hindus?

Maybe i'm overanalysing

My question is how did you develop all of these beliefs so fast.

Only you know if you're Hindu. I agree with the eclectic view. To me personally, eclectic is eclective not an eclectic Hindu or eclectic Christian. Maybe reflect more about what exactly do you believe about these people and what do you know is true in detail.

Takes a lot of reflection. I don't think Hinduism has a "Sinner's Prayer."

 

[shunyadragon]

It is also possible if not likely that Hinduism (Vedic beliefs) is a mix of older belief systems.

 

[LuisDantas]

I would call you a Hindu with a considerable influence of ecleticism or syncretism, but don't quote me on that.

What I find unusual however is how specific some of your beliefs are.

 

[shunyadragon]

In some Vedic beliefs that I am familiar with Brahman is the ultimate 'Source' or God where other Divinities are aspects of Brahman. and not one of many Gods.

 

[ronki23]

In some Vedic beliefs that I am familiar with Brahman is the ultimate 'Source' or God where other Divinities are aspects of Brahman. and not one of many Gods.

Brahman is Waheguru. But Dattatreya is the personification of Brahman/Waheguru as Dattatreya is the combined Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

 

[ronki23]

I would call you a Hindu with a considerable influence of ecleticism or syncretism, but don't quote me on that.

What I find unusual however is how specific some of your beliefs are.

The thing is, a high percentage if not the majority of Indians share these beliefs:

North Indians go to Gurdwara and revere Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Central Indians revere Shirdi Sai Baba
Majority of Indians think Siddhartha Gautama is an avatar of Vishnu even though there are many Buddha
Hindus in Western countries believe in Jesus

 

[sayak83]

Here are my beliefs:

There is one Supreme God called Waheguru

There are 6 demi-Gods: Brahma (creation), Saraswati (knowledge), Vishnu (preservation), Lakshmi (wealth), Shiva (destruction) and Parvati/Durga (love and courage)

Waheguru and Dattatreya are the same as Dattatreya has the 3 aspects of the 6 demi-Gods

Vishnu and Shiva have avatars; Shiva has Ganesh and Hanuman while Vishnu has 24 including Rama, Krishna and Buddha

Rama had human descendants in the form of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. There are 12 Gurus- the 10 Gurus plus Guru Ravidass and Guru Banda Singh. Gurus were not Gods

There are 29 Buddhas but only Siddharta Gautama is an incarnation of Vishnu so only he is a God-Buddha

Shirdi Sai Baba is a human but a great sage capable of miracles

Kalki Avatar is the second coming of Jesus

Am I a true Hindu? I'm not the only one who believes in figures from non-Hindu religions being part of Hinduism; plenty of Hindus do (especially in Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharastra). A sizeable portion of Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains in India also believe this so are they technically Hindus?

Maybe i'm overanalysing

How do you practice your religion/spirituality?

 

[LuisDantas]

The thing is, a high percentage if not the majority of Indians share these beliefs:

North Indians go to Gurdwara and revere Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Central Indians revere Shirdi Sai Baba
Majority of Indians think Siddhartha Gautama is an avatar of Vishnu even though there are many Buddha
Hindus in Western countries believe in Jesus

I may easily be projecting, but I assume that in most of those situations the people involved do not feel much of a need to categorize the various entities involved or even to decide whether they "believe" in them.

Or maybe I just hope that they lack such a need.

 

[sayak83]

I may easily be projecting, but I assume that in most of those situations the people involved do not feel much of a need to categorize the various entities involved or even to decide whether they "believe" in them.

Or maybe I just hope that they lack such a need.

You are correct of course.

 

[Vinayaka]

The thing is, a high percentage if not the majority of Indians share these beliefs:

North Indians go to Gurdwara and revere Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Central Indians revere Shirdi Sai Baba
Majority of Indians think Siddhartha Gautama is an avatar of Vishnu even though there are many Buddha
Hindus in Western countries believe in Jesus

Just where are you getting this kind of information?

 

[ronki23]

Just where are you getting this kind of information?

I may easily be projecting, but I assume that in most of those situations the people involved do not feel much of a need to categorize the various entities involved or even to decide whether they "believe" in them.

Or maybe I just hope that they lack such a need.

I meant North Indian HINDUS go to Gurdwara and bow down to Sri Guru Grant Sahib even though Sikhs don't believe in praying to idols or demiGods

Plenty of Hindus and Parsis believe in Shirdi Sai Baba in Maharashtra, Gujarat,etc.

Western Hindus believe in Jesus

I'm not all that different

 

[Vinayaka]

I meant North Indian HINDUS go to Gurdwara and bow down to Sri Guru Grant Sahib even though Sikhs don't believe in praying to idols or demiGods

Plenty of Hindus and Parsis believe in Shirdi Sai Baba in Maharashtra, Gujarat,etc.

Western Hindus believe in Jesus

I'm not all that different

These are sweeping generalisations. We have a Sikh who regularly comes to our South Indian Hindu temple here. I'm a western Hindu, and most certainly do not believe in Jesus. There are many of us. Besides,

just what do you mean 'believe in Jesus'? That he existed? That we was the son of God? That he was a wise man? That he is the only way to salvation? It can mean a lot of different things.

Do you have some statistical research do back up these claims?

 

[LuisDantas]

I meant North Indian HINDUS go to Gurdwara and bow down to Sri Guru Grant Sahib even though Sikhs don't believe in praying to idols or demiGods

I don't doubt it for a second. But I would not conclude from that that most of them went through the trouble of deciding on a specific theological stance towards Sikh concepts and entities.

Plenty of Hindus and Parsis believe in Shirdi Sai Baba in Maharashtra, Gujarat,etc.

No argument there.

Western Hindus believe in Jesus

Vinayaka's stance on this coincides with mine. Many Hindus find a place for Jesus in their practice, but it is dangerous and IMO misleading to generalize from that.

I'm not all that different

Of course, it is not like it would be a problem if you were. Every Hindu is different from other Hindus.

 

[Stormcry]

@ronki23 And I don't think you have to mix up Hinduism with other Indic religions. They're all already mixed up for Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism are derived from Hinduism.

 

[Stormcry]

There are 6 demi-Gods: Brahma (creation), Saraswati (knowledge), Vishnu

You've got to be kidding me. Demigod concept is unknown to Indian religions. And for sure Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva are not demigods in any Eastern religion.

In fact, Vishnu is the supreme lord in Sikhism.


ਧਨਿ ਧਨਿ ਬਨ ਖੰਡ ਬਿੰਦ੍ਰਾਬਨਾ ॥
Blessed, blessed are the forests of Brindaaban;

ਜਹ ਖੇਲੈ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਨਾਰਾਇਨਾ ॥੩॥
The Supreme Lord plays there. ||3||

 

[ronki23]

You've got to be kidding me. Demigod concept is unknown to Indian religions. And for sure Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva are not demigods in any Eastern religion.

In fact, Vishnu is the supreme lord in Sikhism.


ਧਨਿ ਧਨਿ ਬਨ ਖੰਡ ਬਿੰਦ੍ਰਾਬਨਾ ॥
Blessed, blessed are the forests of Brindaaban;

ਜਹ ਖੇਲੈ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਨਾਰਾਇਨਾ ॥੩॥
The Supreme Lord plays there. ||3||

Most Hindus believe the Supreme God is Brahman and beneath him are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. These are the demi-Gods as they aren't the same as Brahman. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva have consorts. So how can we say there are no demi Gods in Hinduism?

As for Sikhism, they believe Hindu Gods are non-human beings and/or were Kings and Queens but through time their stories became legend and they were known as Gods

“He created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who act according to His Will” (Guru Granth Sahib, 948).

“Everyone must serve the One Lord, who created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. O Nanak, the One True Lord is permanent and stable. He does not die, and He is not born” (Guru Granth Sahib, 1130).

"By the order of God, Brahma obtained a body. By the order of God, Shiva was born. By the order of God, Vishnu was born. Everything is created by God. God, who made Shiva a yogi. God, who gave Brahma the kingdom of Vedas. God, who has shaped the entire universe. Is the one we salute. They consider that Shiva is God. They are unaware of the Supreme Primal Lord." (Benti Chaupee Sahib).

 

[Stormcry]

Most Hindus believe the Supreme God is Brahman and beneath him are Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. These are the demi-Gods as they aren't the same as Brahman. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva have consorts. So how can we say there are no demi Gods in Hinduism?

As for Sikhism, they believe Hindu Gods are non-human beings and/or were Kings and Queens but through time their stories became legend and they were known as Gods

“He created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who act according to His Will” (Guru Granth Sahib, 948).

“Everyone must serve the One Lord, who created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. O Nanak, the One True Lord is permanent and stable. He does not die, and He is not born” (Guru Granth Sahib, 1130).

"By the order of God, Brahma obtained a body. By the order of God, Shiva was born. By the order of God, Vishnu was born. Everything is created by God. God, who made Shiva a yogi. God, who gave Brahma the kingdom of Vedas. God, who has shaped the entire universe. Is the one we salute. They consider that Shiva is God. They are unaware of the Supreme Primal Lord." (Benti Chaupee Sahib).

You're more confused than Buddhists.

 

[Stormcry]

“He created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who act according to His Will” (Guru Granth Sahib, 948).

“Everyone must serve the One Lord, who created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. O Nanak, the One True Lord is permanent and stable. He does not die, and He is not born” (Guru Granth Sahib, 1130).

"By the order of God, Brahma obtained a body. By the order of God, Shiva was born. By the order of God, Vishnu was born. Everything is created by God. God, who made Shiva a yogi. God, who gave Brahma the kingdom of Vedas. God, who has shaped the entire universe. Is the one we salute. They consider that Shiva is God. They are unaware of the Supreme Primal Lord." (Benti Chaupee Sahib).

These all verses don't indicate that Vishnu or Shiva are demigods. I think you know Brahman/Onkar is not god or any personal figure for it's been unknown and inconceivable. Comparing abstract thing with godly figures doesn't make any sense.