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Question about Brahman

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
This is a serious question about Hinduism. If God is everything that God is doing everything, all the good and all the evil.
There is no evil (as a concept, in Hinduism) , and I already said that. It's not a legitimate question at all. It's an attempt at mockery, and not a very good one at that.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Brahman is us and beyond us, in my mind. So if I broke the law, does that mean Brahman also broke the law? Or rather, can we not really think in any of those terms in regards to Hinduism?
Brahman isn't a 'doer', it's an exister. Brahman exists. What is the sky doing?
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
Brahman is us and beyond us, in my mind. So if I broke the law, does that mean Brahman also broke the law? Or rather, can we not really think in any of those terms in regards to Hinduism?

I don't know.
As I say, if all is God then God is doing it all even if it may be covered with the idea that God is not my ego or that there is no such a thing as good and evil.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
All I will say, is that "evil" is kind of more of a Christian idea. In Hinduism, some even follow Left Hand Path, and can still achieve enlightenment. In my own view, the gods often don't meddle in world affairs, to which they aren't usually responsible. Also, I do take the view that if Shiva destroyed the Earth, that he could still do so in a just way, but you have to get a bit beyond the surface to understand something like that.
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
There is no evil (as a concept, in Hinduism) , and I already said that. It's not a legitimate question at all. It's an attempt at mockery, and not a very good one at that.

I don't know what a legitimate question is and even when I get an answer, if it does not make sense to me then I need to ask more.
If there is no evil then there is no good.
Who is responsible for evil in Hinduism? Karma puts the blame onto us , but at the end of the day we are God.
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
All I will say, is that "evil" is kind of more of a Christian idea. In Hinduism, some even follow Left Hand Path, and can still achieve enlightenment. In my own view, the gods often don't meddle in world affairs, to which they aren't usually responsible. Also, I do take the view that if Shiva destroyed the Earth, that he could still do so in a just way, but you have to get a bit beyond the surface to understand something like that.

I agree that God can be just in destroying the earth and us, His creation, but if there is no evil then there is no reason to justly destroy the earth, and if it is destroyed then God is just judging Himself and goes on being Himself anyway even after things are destroyed.
It certainly is deeper than what I see as a surface crawler.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
I agree that God can be just in destroying the earth and us, His creation, but if there is no evil then there is no reason to justly destroy the earth, and if it is destroyed then God is just judging Himself and goes on being Himself anyway even after things are destroyed.
It certainly is deeper than what I see as a surface crawler.

I posted a link above this post that tries to explain all. Make sure you click through all the pages and categories, as they're all kind of important to understanding. :)
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
All I will say, is that "evil" is kind of more of a Christian idea. In Hinduism, some even follow Left Hand Path, and can still achieve enlightenment. In my own view, the gods often don't meddle in world affairs, to which they aren't usually responsible. Also, I do take the view that if Shiva destroyed the Earth, that he could still do so in a just way, but you have to get a bit beyond the surface to understand something like that.

In my view, Siva isn't about destruction, but dissolution. Is the slow erosion of a mountain destruction?
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I don't know what a legitimate question is and even when I get an answer, if it does not make sense to me then I need to ask more.
If there is no evil then there is no good.
Who is responsible for evil in Hinduism? Karma puts the blame onto us , but at the end of the day we are God.
I repeat, for the third time ... there is no evil as a concept in Hinduism. Asking about evil is a moot point. You can't analyse or hardly even discuss Hinduism from the Abrahamic POV. It's like asking what kind of leaves are growing out of that dog?
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
In my view, Siva isn't about destruction, but dissolution. Is the slow erosion of a mountain destruction?

That makes sense. I see him as "creator, preserver, destroyer" which is why he wields a trident. Though, my beliefs may be Western, and even if they are neither here nor there, they may still be okay when you're talking a Left Hand Path Hindu like myself. ;)
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
I repeat, for the third time ... there is no evil as a concept in Hinduism. Asking about evil is a moot point. You can't analyse or hardly even discuss Hinduism from the Abrahamic POV. It's like asking what kind of leaves are growing out of that dog?

I like the analogy. Thanks, maybe next time I will be able to mock in a more learned way.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
That makes sense. I see him as "creator, preserver, destroyer" which is why he wields a trident. Though, my beliefs may be Western, and even if they are neither here nor there, they may still be okay when you're talking a Left Hand Path Hindu like myself. ;)
In Nataraja, the drum represents emanation, the fire in the upright left hand dissolution, the upheld right hand sustaining, and he has two more powers, that of revealing, and concealing grace. If you google symbolism of Nataraja, you'll see more. Besides being the eternal dancer, a beautiful form in and of itself, He's also so much more. Nataraja is my favorite form for God, the lingam representing unmanifest Reality being close. Traditionally the trident represents the triple bondage of anva Karma and maya, and He 'destroys' these three to bring on enlightenment, moksha, whatever.

On a side note, at the annual festival (brahmotsavam) this morning, I meditated on a personal topic, and prayed for quite a while in front of the lingam, leaving it with 'It's in your hands now'. Three minutes or less after I got up to go back to where the main ceremony was happening, a friend beckoned me over, and totally answered the topic for me. Such are the mysterious ways of our great God Siva. Love of Siva will change your life.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
In Nataraja, the drum represents emanation, the fire in the upright left hand dissolution, the upheld right hand sustaining, and he has two more powers, that of revealing, and concealing grace. If you google symbolism of Nataraja, you'll see more. Besides being the eternal dancer, a beautiful form in and of itself, He's also so much more. Nataraja is my favorite form for God, the lingam representing unmanifest Reality being close. Traditionally the trident represents the triple bondage of anva Karma and maya, and He 'destroys' these three to bring on enlightenment, moksha, whatever.

On a side note, at the annual festival (brahmotsavam) this morning, I meditated on a personal topic, and prayed for quite a while in front of the lingam, leaving it with 'It's in your hands now'. Three minutes or less after I got up to go back to where the main ceremony was happening, a friend beckoned me over, and totally answered the topic for me. Such are the mysterious ways of our great God Siva. Love of Siva will change your life.

I love this thoughtful reply. I'm just kind of soaking it in right now. The reply.
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
I don't know.
As I say, if all is God then God is doing it all even if it may be covered with the idea that God is not my ego or that there is no such a thing as good and evil.

No, God doesn’t “do”. God “is”. The confusion arises because believers in the Abrahamic God have painted themselves into a corner, immured themselves, because they made him a creator and controller. That is not a Hindu concept. You might want to have a look at this. Problem of Evil in Hinduism.

Excerpt: “The standard problem of evil found in monotheistic religions does not apply to almost all traditions of Hinduism because it does not posit an omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent creator.”
 

Jainarayan

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Staff member
Premium Member
If we as humans are doing and we are God then................

You’re still stuck on God being a doer, a controller. That’s not the Hindu position. One of the scriptures, the Chandogyopanishad, says sarvam khalvidam brahma, meaning “all this [we see and experience] is Brahman”. Brahman is not “God”. God is what we see/imagine when Brahman is viewed or thought of through māyā, the illusion that the universe is.
 
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