What do you believe?

[Atman]

Throughout this subforum there's been a lot of discussion as to what makes one a Hindu, what the various traditions believe in etc. But I'd be curious to know what those who post in this forum believe in?

In the past I've bounced back and forth between many different traditions,but currently I have very strong Shaiva/Shakti and Tantric learnings, but I don't follow any particular sect, and I'm somewhat torn between the ideas of absolute non-dualism (Advaita) , and partial duality/non-duality (Vishishtadvaita or bhedabedha). Recently too I've begun to take more of an agnostic stance on the whole issue of God's existence at all.

 

[Surya Deva]

I see myself as an Arya of Vedic dharma and I consider Vedic dharma to be Vedic dharma as it was originally before the the rise of Kaliyuga(and the subsequent corruption, fragmentation, rise of bhakti/idolatory and invasions) As very little trace of what the original Arya Vedic dharma was like remains, I have had to reconstuct it by referencing the shastras and Vedas, with some supplementary help from the Gita and Yoga Vasistha. I have come to the conclusion after a decade of study, that Vedic dharma was a purely scientific religion of a scientific people that have been lost to antiquity. They had no gods or goddesses, but rather had a natural scientific religion which held a highly sacred attitude to the world and life. I find very strong evidence of this in the Rig Veda, which when read properly using the vyakarana method, shows an understanding of reality that is abstract and spiritual. It is understood that various powers(devas) operate in the cosmos which govern its spiritual, mental and physical aspects.

The Vedic Arya way of living was to live in harmony with these various powers and such a way of living was known as living according to dharma(known as Rta) Everything had a dharma, meaning that everything had a natural order and was governed by laws and principles, that could be investigated and discovered(the scientific ethic). The dharma of something also prescribes which actions are in harmony with it and which actions are not. Human dharma is the most important dharma - for human dharma is really divine dharma. The purpose of humans living on this Earth is to become more human(Prabhat Sarkar called this Neo-humanism). What this really means is the human must become divine through their actions, speech and thought. They must become totally transformed through the divine science of Yoga.

However, the human must also pay their debts to the other dharmas they are born into. This is their debt to nature, to their parents, to their teachers, to animals, to the forefathers. This is again done by living according to dharma. They pay their debt to the elements by looking after the environment, they pay their debt to their parents by looking after them in their old age and producing progency to continue the family name, they pay their debt to their teachers by keeping the torch of knowlege lit and passing it on, the pay their debt to the animals by looking after them, and they pay their debt to the forefathers by contributing to their work in the field one is able to contribute to.

For me the human is at the centre of the world and life and not some god or goddess. It is the human who is the divine reality. I am therefore thoroughly a humanist. The human must fulfill all their needs: material, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Therefore the human should think, speak and act freely, provided they do not harm others. They have the right to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. After all, life is all about the development of the individual human and humanity.

My mission is to make this world Arya and dharmic. It is currently the complete opposite.

 

[Riverwolf]

Well, I'm still trying to find my beliefs, which are constantly evolving, but a few days ago, after meditating, I did come up with this as a basic set up for my theistic beliefs:


Siva is stillness. Sakti is action. These two are forever intertwined, and together form a Whole.
Therefore, learn of this Wholeness and remember it every day through meditation and activity.

Stillness without action is laziness. Action without stillness is stress.
Therefore, supplement stillness with action, and action with stillness, and Unity shall be achieved.

There was a woman who constantly was working, never knowing a moment's rest. Thus she felt the great pressure of stress, and was angry all of the time.

There was a man who never worked at all, never working even for a moment. Thus he felt the terrible roar of fear at the smallest of things, and did not know how to bring himself to work.

Both the man and woman went to a Sage. He told the man to work as the woman does, and he told the woman to rest as the man does. Thus the man learned how to work alongside his rest, and was no longer afraid; the woman learned how to rest amidst much work, and learned how to control her anger.

Siva is darkness; Sakti is light.
Light is introduced into darkness: darkness is the absence of light.
Siva is cold; Sakti is heat.
Heat is introduced into the cold: cold is the absence of heat.
Siva is stillness; Sakti is motion.
Motion is introduced to stillness: stillness is the absence of motion.
Siva is passiveness; Sakti is action.
Action is introduced to passiveness: passiveness is the absence of action.
Siva is rest; Sakti is work.
Work is introduced to rest: rest is the absence of work.
Siva is sleep; Sakti is wake.
Wake is introduced to sleep; sleep is the absence of wake.
Siva is death; Sakti is life.
Life is introduced to death: death is the absence of life.

Sakti is the acquiring of knowledge: Siva is the knowledge acquired.
Sakti is the burning made by fire: Siva is the fire which is burning.


Siva and Sakti come together, and form Oneness.
That Oneness is the Primordial Cause of all things
And the Ultimate Fate of all things.

Before there was Time, was Oneness: neither dark nor light; neither heat nor cold.
Then the One became Two, and there was a great darkness, and a small light.
In the great darkness we all live, and from the small light do all things come.
Darkness is Siva, light is Sakti.
Thus do we live in Siva, and are born from Sakti.


Yet this will likely still be refined as I gain further insights.

 

[sentry]

I think "hinduism" has completetly deteriorated.
People blindly doing so called "religious things" like visiting temples and creating a ruckus, performing rituals which makes no sense to them - they just do it because they've been told to do so,
people ignoring their own inherent wisdom, have become superstitious
the cow is sacred, other animals are not - one example of blindly believing things
another example, during diwali, people burn crackers for a so-called religious reason. Poor birds, dogs and other animals are absolutely terrified during this. Another example of foolishness in my opinion.

I've noticed that religious people are very very different from spiritual people

so many gods and goddesses, people devouring book knowledge, like studying for an exam. Just pathetic, in my opinion.

you can find spiritual people all over the world (thought there are very few of them), living quietly, doing their own thing. They're just naturally spiritual. Leading simple and quiet lives. Naturally peaceful people.

The way that animals live with the earth, in harmony. I think humans once knew how to live harminously, in a similar fashion.
A mental picture which I'd like to describe - A sage sitting quietly in a forest, and his aura attracts animals to him, and they come to sit by his side, because he radiates peace. But today animals tend to avoid humans for good reason.

This peaceful way which I described, I imagine that this is what the real "hinduism" was like. But I could be wrong and the hinduism of today is the real hinduism. Because of this doubt, I don't call myself a hindu.

when i see hindus today, I see a noisy lot, wildly superstitious, obnoxious, arrogant because they're completely ignorant of the sacredness of nature, it's more like a social gathering. Makes me sick.

I said that hinduism has deteriorated meaning that it was once positive. But I think some other religions ( I don't want to name them) are utterly negative to begin with.

p.s. - I like that quote in your signature. Very cool.
"The Shastras (holy texts) have brainwashed you. Ignore them,"

also, no offence to anyone, It's a negative opinion, but it's also just a personal opinion.

 

[Onkara]

Namasté Atman
I am of no sect and I have not found a way to comfortably describe my religion to my satisfaction.

Truth for me is non-dual consciousness. I cannot claim there is a God (Brahman) or not without first acknowledging my being and consciousness: Caitanyamātmā. "God" then is consciousness, even if Sri Krishna were to grace us with His appearance it would require consciousness to witness Him. When we realise our being and consciousness there comes bliss (ananda): satchitananda.

All religion and dharma is a way to arrive at that state of being. Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism are my core philosophy. I also embrace Sikh Dharma (Sri Guru Granth Sahib).

All exploration and change, as you report you go through, and change in and around us is just an expression of Shaki, Spanda and for the sake of the divine (Shaivism). It is the Gunas and prakriti of the Bhagavad Gita (Samkhya).

 

[Satsangi]

Namaste everyone,

I have just posted about my beliefs in one of the posts and hence will only say what appears to be totally opposite of what Surya Deva said. I think it is erroneous to explain spirituality with the help of science. I believe that spirituality begins with Shraddha (faith) and ends in TRUE Jnana. I believe that the Supreme God is with a DIVINE form that can be felt in the Atman only (and can be known when present as an Avatar) and the all pervading formless consciousness is his BrahmJyoti. The Atman is also the same in quality as the BrahmJyoti- which is without quality. To become devoid of all Maya i.e. to become Atmaroopa and then to serve the Paramatma is Mukti for me.

Regards,

 

[Onkara]

Namaste everyone,

I have just posted about my beliefs in one of the posts and hence will only say what appears to be totally opposite of what Surya Deva said. I think it is erroneous to explain spirituality with the help of science. I believe that spirituality begins with Shraddha (faith) and ends in TRUE Jnana. I believe that the Supreme God is with a DIVINE form that can be felt in the Atman only (and can be known when present as an Avatar) and the all pervading formless consciousness is his BrahmJyoti. The Atman is also the same in quality as the BrahmJyoti- which is without quality. To become devoid of all Maya i.e. to become Atmaroopa and then to serve the Paramatma is Mukti for me.

Regards,

On that topic, I feel that science is within the divine, consciousness comes first, so science is not beside or outside of it. Rather the arena of science, for me, depends on God and not the other way around.

We can approach our spiritual needs as we feel fit of course, and I wish Surya Deva my best wishes. None the less, I invested my faith (Shraddha) to the logic of the Vedantins and scriptures and found that to of great satisfaction.

 

[kaisersose]

Here is my definition of Hindu. If a person satisifies the conditions under either 1 or 2 (all sub-conditions should apply), then he/she is a Hindu. To the best of my knowledge, this counts everyone who would call themselves Hindu and also clarifies the classification to foreigners who are sometimes unsure if they are Hindu or not.

1
Born into a Hindu family (No specific Hindu beliefs are necessary) and
Has not switched to a different religion.

or

2
Not born into a Hindu family, but has accepted one or more of the several different Hindu beliefs and
Does not disagree with being classified as a Hindu and
Does not claim to be part of any other religion.

 

[Wannabe Yogi]

Throughout this subforum there's been a lot of discussion as to what makes one a Hindu, what the various traditions believe in etc. But I'd be curious to know what those who post in this forum believe in?

I believe the following :

-Life is full of suffering and all most all human minds have fallen pray to Neurosis and in the worse cases Psychosis. This is more prevalent today in modern society then it was in the past.
-That the human mind is like a drunk monkey stung by a scorpion. One can never be sure about its conclusions.
-It is the scriptures and Enlightened teachers that have laid down many paths to the truth by the transcendence of the neurosis of our minds.
-There are many paths to the truth for many different types of people.
-Through practice of control of the mind that can be through love (bhakti), knowledge (Jnana), Karma, or Internal manipulations of the body mind complex (Raja).
-Meditation,Japa,Puja,pranayama,fire worship, self inquiry, serving others (Seva) are all valued methods to purify the mind.

My person view (which is changing as I grow) is as follows:

-I call God Mother, SHE is the form I see all around me. She is everything, in all and through all. It is SHE who exposes consciousness or Siva.
-Worshiping a Murti or Yantra are just a few of the ways to develop love for my Mother that is in all and through all.
-I serve Mother by trying to give more then I take in my day to day life.
-Treating people in my life with respect.
-Serving the aspects of MOTHER that are suffering.
-Studying scriptures and hanging out with people who can teach me how to be a better devotee to serve my MOTHER.
-To stop worrying about Enlightenment give up on the concept. Just try to be a better person and add as much value to the world that I live in. Mother knows best she will give me what I need.

This is my form Hinduism.

 

[Satsangi]

WY,

I applaud your set of beliefs. Giving up on enlightenment is the BEST thing I have ever heard; that is what I call a total Nishkaam Bhakti. Frubals to you.

Regards,

 

[Gaura Priya]

I still do not know what I believe anymore... along with the kerfuffle of a Christian boyfriend, a Christian background that has strongly influenced my personal perceptions and world view, and living in a Western society has made it somewhat difficult to perceive with Dharmic spectacles.

Simultaneously, I can not give up the Hare Krishna influences that have ingrained in me for four years, neither can I give up my being a Baha'i for one year. I grew as a teenager with a gaggle of Sikh and Muslim friends who have brought me to the gurudwara and mosque, and have given me a taste of the Oneness of God (thank God I live in beautiful British Columbia)!

I realise that God is One, and that He has influenced all people, regardless of religion. I could claim that I take a more Vedic perspective, that ultimately, in this jungle of gods and goddesses, and all sorts of Scriptures, the reality of God is One. He is Adi-Purusha, Brahman, and most definitely Ishvara, who is a personal Being, and yet is ineffable by any murti or any other representation. (Still, I still enjoy my former Vaishnava-ness... and I can NEVER go wrong with Krishna-prasadam! Yum!)

One thing is for sure: every Scripture is Vedic to me, and they all ultimately come to the Vedic knowledge that God is all powerful, and all wonderful.

(If Arya Samaj wasn't so hindi-ised, as well as pro-India jingoistic and intolerant, I would be Samaji right away!)

 

[Breathe]

If Arya Samaj wasn't so hindi-ised, as well as pro-India jingoistic and intolerant, I would be Samaji right away!

Then why not follow Arya Samaj, but keep the politics and religion separate?




I don't think I can offer a good answer to the OP. It's still a work in progress. The fundamentals only.

 

[Gaura Priya]

Then why not follow Arya Samaj, but keep the politics and religion separate?

It sounds like a good idea.

Ever since a few weeks ago, I have been honestly asking myself, 'what do I believe now?' and have been confused. I want to be honest with myself.

I think the main thing that I am dealing with is how do I interpret Prophethood. In Arya Samaj, there is no need for God to send out prophets, nor miracles, nor any human to help us worship God. The Veda was revealed to all humankind to follow, and so such claims to be an intermediary between man and God is moreso a power thing.

I let go (not entirely) of my devotional life as a Vaishnava and took it all without really questioning it. Being part of the temple for a long time also got to me. I still love prasadam, and I do not mind Deity worship... however, I just do not feel that Deity worship is for me anymore, along with a very literal interpretation of Vaishnava texts.

On the other side, I have somewhat come back to my Baha'i past... or at least it came up to me. Baha'u'llah claims to be the Messenger of God for this age. And I can see that from such principles that Baha'u'llah has given, he could as very well be the Manifestation for this age. His idea of uniting the world, of one universal religion having described itself in differing modes throughout time, etc. is very attractive.

And sometimes, I just want to say, "Screw it!" and just join the Unitarian Universalist Congregation and call myself a Unitarian Universalist (Baha'i) and be syncretic, also adding the Principles of Arya Samaj.

I could as very well just learn how to do Sandhya, Agnihotra, and practice the ten principles, and very well call myself a Samaji!

All in all, I do not know for now. Everything is up in the air!

Only GOD knows best. Plus, all the religions are AMAZING; I do not know why people have to close themselves to see that all religions are in essence, the very same Dharma in the end!

(Maybe I'm a schitzophrenic religionist...)

 

[Breathe]

Let me know how it goes.

 

[Gaura Priya]

Let me know how it goes.

I'll let you know.

I've switched around for so long... I am so tired, LOL.

Hari Om Tat Sat...

 

[Breathe]

I've switched around for so long... I am so tired, LOL.

It will come to you, in time.

Ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti, after all.

 

[Gaura Priya]

It will come to you, in time.

Ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti, after all.

Haribooool!!!!

Or as the key Vaishnava verse goes:

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam sharanam vraja
aham tvam sarva papebhyo
mokshayishyami ma shuchah

Always in my heart!

 

[bhaktajan]

I was born and raised amongst a varied spectrum of ethnic types, in the western world, during a time of transition from the guaranteed factory job culture toward pop-modern age.

My interpersonal experiences fully informed me of the “Human Condition” in all its permutations.
With mature clarity I recognised the mental-psychi & societal “Conditioning” that shaped my ego during my growing years that I was, in reality, “An individual living entity enjoying (via my 5-Senses) in the Field of Activities”.

During my growing years I transitioned through five consecutive stratums of education,
that formed the foundation of my intelligence along with my spiritual passage toward enlightenment:
1 anna-maya –Food for existence.
2 prana-maya –(lit., living symptoms & life forms) interpersonal skills.
3 gyana-maya –(lit., thinking, feeling & willing) schooling, ambitions & working.

And then later,
4 vigyana-maya –(Lit., mind & life seen different from the soul) recognition of the definition of “Brahman”.
5 ananda-maya –(Lit., the all-blissful nature) recognition of the definition of “Krsnas tu Bhagavan svayam”
and especially, the Supreme Personality of Godhead as that persona who is known as:

Hrshikesha –the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities,
Maha-Ishvaram –the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and
su-hridam-sarva-bhutanam –the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities.


And then after all that, I return to my daily occupational duties, non-stop without end, but with respites and diversions aplenty.

 

[Satsangi]

Here is my definition of Hindu. If a person satisifies the conditions under either 1 or 2 (all sub-conditions should apply), then he/she is a Hindu. To the best of my knowledge, this counts everyone who would call themselves Hindu and also clarifies the classification to foreigners who are sometimes unsure if they are Hindu or not.

1
Born into a Hindu family (No specific Hindu beliefs are necessary) and
Has not switched to a different religion.

or

2
Not born into a Hindu family, but has accepted one or more of the several different Hindu beliefs and
Does not disagree with being classified as a Hindu and
Does not claim to be part of any other religion.

Can you post what do YOU believe in spiritually (or not)? And not the definition of Hindus.

Regards,

 

[kaisersose]

Can you post what do YOU believe in spiritually (or not)? And not the definition of Hindus.

Regards,

Per my definition, I am a Hindu as I satisfy condition 1.

Spiritually - I do not believe in spirits as there is no evidence - paralokasiddhau pramânâbhâvât