Post by admin on Feb 29, 2004 15:41:00 GMT -5
WHAT IS THE LAW OF KARMA?
Hindus believe in LIFE AFTER DEATH. They also believe in the Biblical concept WHATEVER A MAN SOWETH, THAT SHALL HE REAP. That is the basis of karmic law. Every action and every thought has a result. Hindus believe that every thought and every action is weighed on the scale of eternal justice. The law of karma is one of CAUSE AND EFFECT. Nobody can escape from the KARMIC DEBT. I believe Christ took care of the KARMIC DEBT of all the apostles so that he can make them FISHERMEN OF MEN.
WHAT HAPPENS TO US WHEN WE DIE?
According to Hinduism, the body alone dies. the soul within the body never dies, But the path the soul takes is decided upon the past actions which are known as karmas. So the actions of former body does not die with the body. past actions are attached to the body and they decide WHAT KIND OF BODY THE SOUL TAKES IN THE NEXT LIFE. WHAT IS SALVATION IN HINDUISM? When an individual soul exhausts all its karmas and merges with GOD then Hindus say that soul has attained salvation.
DOES THAT MEAN ONE HAS TO TAKE MILLIONS OF LIVES TO ACHIEVE SALVATION?
NO, absolutely not. That question is the question many ask. Hindu scriptures, especially the Bhagavad Gita very clearly says that one can attain salvation in one life, provided one surrender his will to the will of God 100%. Lord Krishna said: THOSE WHO SURRENDER ALL ACTIONS TO ME AND REGARD ME AS THE SUPREME GOAL AND WORSHIP ME WITH WHOLE HEARTED DEVOTION WILL BE SAVED BY ME FROM REPEATED BIRTHS AND DEATHS."
In another verse, Lord Krishna said: GIVE UP ALL YOUR RIGHTEOUS AND NON-RIGHTEOUS ACTIONS AND COME TO ME; TAKE REFUGE IN ME. THEN I SHALL FREE YOU FROM ALL SINS; GRIEVE NOT. That ME who is mentioned is not the Lord Krishna but the ABSOLUTE SOUL or GOD. Krishna is one of the representations of that God. That GOD can appear in another form like Christ or without any form or name at all.
HOW CAN ONE ATTAIN SALVATION?
Through four paths
1 JNANA YOGA----- PATH OF KNOWLEDGE
2 KARMA YOGA----- PATH OF SELFLESS ACTIONS
3 BHAKTI YOGA---- PATH OF DEVOTION
4 RAJA YOGA------PATH OF BREATH CONTROL AND PRANAYAMA
Most of all religious devotees of all religions are BHAKTI YOGIES whether they believe in Hinduism or not. Very good Christians go to church everyday and surrender themselves to the deity of Christ are SHAKTI YOGIS. So too Moslems. Hinduism is the only religion explains the FOUR PATHS very well
WHAT IS AUM [OM]?
It is the HINDU WORD. It is a syllable that stands for ABSOLUTE. It is uttered in the beginning as well as at the end of all Hindu prayers. To some extent it is the LOGOS of the Holy Bible.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JOHN 1:1 CAME FROM HINDU SCRIPTURES?
YES, I think so. Long before JOHN 1:1 [70 AD] was written, Hindu Vedas [ at least 5000 BC] wrote the same thing "prajapathi vai agre asset" IN THE BEGINNING WAS PRAJAPTHI, THE BRAHMAN-THE GOD, "Tasya Vag dvitiya Aseet" WITH WHOM WAS THE WORD; "Vag vai parama Brahman" AND THE WORD WAS VERILY THE SUPREME BRAHMAN - THE GOD John 1:1 states: IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD.
WHY DO WOMEN WEAR A DOT ON THEIR FOREHEAD?
That dot is supposed to be the meeting point of eye brows. That important point is called ANGINA CHARA or spiritual eye. Everyone is supposed to protect that. In fact all saints protect that point with sandalwood paste..But later women alone started protecting that area.
WHAT IS NAMASTHE? It is the popular Hindu greeting performed by pressing two hands together and holding them near the heart. the whole act communicate to the world ' YOU AND I ARE ONE...I SALUTE AND WORSHIP THE GOD WITHIN YOU, WHICH IS A MIRROR IMAGE OF MYSELF'
DO HINDUS PRACTICE MONOGAMY?
Hindus practice monogamy and Hindus have stopped "child marriages in India by SAADA ACT [1929] under the British. It is the Moslems in India who are allowed to marry four wives and Moslem Sariyath law allows child marriages for Moslems in India.
DO HINDU SCRIPTURES FORBID ABORTION?
Yes they do. Hindu scriptures forbid abortion. From time immemorial, Hindus consider children as gifts from God. In the code of Manu, Manu forbids abortion. One of the worst acts described in the scriptures is SIS-HATYA meaning destruction of the unborn fetus. There are prayers in the Rig Veda to guard a growing embryo. Only time abortion is allowed is when the fetus is known to be defective as per SUSRUTA SAMHITA, the Hindu Aurvedic book.
WHAT IS CASTE SYSTEM?
There is nothing in Hinduism as complex as CASTE SYSTEM. It emerged as a part of division of labor among people during the days of Rig Veda..The Rig Vedic Hymn, known as PURUSHA-SUKTA (Mandala-x, 19th hymn, 12th verse) states: THE BRAHMIN WAS PURUSHA'S (cosmic man - the first principle of SANKYA PHILOSOPHY in Hinduism) MOUTH, THE KSHATRIYA HIS ARMS, THE VAISYA HIS THIGHS, AND SHUDRA HIS FEET...The greatest apostle of CASTE SYSTEM, was Sage Manu. He laid down all provisions governing caste system in Manu-Smriti.
BRAHMINS -- Priests
KSHATRIYAS-- Fighters and warriors
VAISYA--- Business men
SHUDRAS -- helpers of every one
Unlike in the Holy Bible, where Slavery is discussed & accepted even by St. Paul [ [Holy Bible verses Col. 4:11; Exodus 21:21 1: Lev. XXV:44- 55 Thessalonians 3:22], THERE IS NO STATEMENT IN THE ENTIRE HINDU SCRIPTURES TO ILL-TREAT LOWER CASTES, except Sage Manu's Code, where punishements of lower castes are severe comparing to punishments for the higher castes for the same offense.----THERE IS NO WORD UNTOUCHABLE IN THE ENTIRE HINDU SCRIPTURES.
Still caste system degenerated in India. It is indeed the GREATEST CURSE on Hinduism. It attacks the core of Hinduism. It resulted in large scale conversion of Hindus to other religions. I sincerely pray and hope, caste system eventually will go away, making a relic of the history.
Hindus should do what Christians did. Even though slavery is mentioned and accepted as a practice in the Holy Bible, even though during Civil war many such as Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America quoted from the Bible to support slavery, Christians took it upon their chin and eliminated slavery completely.
Once upon a time, India had 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes. Even there were 1,800 Brahmin castes in India. Even different Brahmin castes did not mingle themselves socially or otherwise, in ancient times. Last of all, ancient India, persecuted a large group of people called UNTOUCHABLES. Mahatma Gandhi said: UNTOUCHABILITY IS A CRIME AGAINST GOD AND MEN. Ambedkar once wrote out of his own experience, TO THE UNTOUCHABLES, HINDUISM IS A VERITABLE CHAMBER OF HORRORS".
WHY HINDUS PRACTICE SUTTEE [ SATI]?
None of the Hindu scriptures mention about Sati. Suicide of the consort of Lord Siva, Sati, has nothing to do with Sati or Suttee. Suicide of queen Madri in the epic Mahabharata has nothing to do with Sati. Sucide of 16000 wives of Lord Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavatam has nothing to do with Sati. At the same time Suttee is the most horrendous way of widows jumping into the funeral pyre of their fallen husbands. It is an ancient ritual practiced by a warrior race of India called Rajputs. Nobody else in India, practiced Suttee. Once again, Suttee is never mentioned in any Hindu religious scripture. There is not even ONE episode of Suttee in the vast Hindu mythology.
MANY STATE HINDUISM IS VERY COMPLEX AND CONTRADICTORY!
All religions are the result of the works of thousands of thinkers. Hinduism and Judaism are cultures and they are the mothers of all religions. New religions like Christianity and Islam took the best aspects of Judaism and made part of them. So too Buddhism and Jainism took the best aspects of Hinduism and made part of them. In Christianity, there were several housecleaning in its 2000 years of history. Hinduism on its part, NEVER had any HOUSE CLEANING in its history. Since Hinduism never tossed anything away, in it you will see in it primitive religion as well as very advanced thoughts. There was never a SALMAN RUSHDIE [author of Satanic Verses] in Hinduism and never will be there one.
I have repeatedly state that Hinduism has the GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY aspects in it like any other culture or religion in the world. WE have to boldly face facts and eradicate the BAD & the UGLY aspects, to better the lives of millions of Hindus, years to come.
NOBODY EVER WAS EXCOMMUNICATED FROM HINDUISM. NOT EVEN ONE HINDU DIED BECAUSE HE/SHE WROTE A WRONG SCRIPTURE. .The greatness of Hinduism can be summerised in few words. "FREEDOM OF THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS." That what Hinduism stands for.
Ed Viswanathan
edvis9@hotmail.com edvis9@yahoo.com
AM I A HINDU? [ http://www.amazon.com]
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879904063/u/002-9144287-3121453
one of the most popular book on Hinduism as per THE AMAZON BOOK DISTRIBUTORS
Hindus believe in LIFE AFTER DEATH. They also believe in the Biblical concept WHATEVER A MAN SOWETH, THAT SHALL HE REAP. That is the basis of karmic law. Every action and every thought has a result. Hindus believe that every thought and every action is weighed on the scale of eternal justice. The law of karma is one of CAUSE AND EFFECT. Nobody can escape from the KARMIC DEBT. I believe Christ took care of the KARMIC DEBT of all the apostles so that he can make them FISHERMEN OF MEN.
WHAT HAPPENS TO US WHEN WE DIE?
According to Hinduism, the body alone dies. the soul within the body never dies, But the path the soul takes is decided upon the past actions which are known as karmas. So the actions of former body does not die with the body. past actions are attached to the body and they decide WHAT KIND OF BODY THE SOUL TAKES IN THE NEXT LIFE. WHAT IS SALVATION IN HINDUISM? When an individual soul exhausts all its karmas and merges with GOD then Hindus say that soul has attained salvation.
DOES THAT MEAN ONE HAS TO TAKE MILLIONS OF LIVES TO ACHIEVE SALVATION?
NO, absolutely not. That question is the question many ask. Hindu scriptures, especially the Bhagavad Gita very clearly says that one can attain salvation in one life, provided one surrender his will to the will of God 100%. Lord Krishna said: THOSE WHO SURRENDER ALL ACTIONS TO ME AND REGARD ME AS THE SUPREME GOAL AND WORSHIP ME WITH WHOLE HEARTED DEVOTION WILL BE SAVED BY ME FROM REPEATED BIRTHS AND DEATHS."
In another verse, Lord Krishna said: GIVE UP ALL YOUR RIGHTEOUS AND NON-RIGHTEOUS ACTIONS AND COME TO ME; TAKE REFUGE IN ME. THEN I SHALL FREE YOU FROM ALL SINS; GRIEVE NOT. That ME who is mentioned is not the Lord Krishna but the ABSOLUTE SOUL or GOD. Krishna is one of the representations of that God. That GOD can appear in another form like Christ or without any form or name at all.
HOW CAN ONE ATTAIN SALVATION?
Through four paths
1 JNANA YOGA----- PATH OF KNOWLEDGE
2 KARMA YOGA----- PATH OF SELFLESS ACTIONS
3 BHAKTI YOGA---- PATH OF DEVOTION
4 RAJA YOGA------PATH OF BREATH CONTROL AND PRANAYAMA
Most of all religious devotees of all religions are BHAKTI YOGIES whether they believe in Hinduism or not. Very good Christians go to church everyday and surrender themselves to the deity of Christ are SHAKTI YOGIS. So too Moslems. Hinduism is the only religion explains the FOUR PATHS very well
WHAT IS AUM [OM]?
It is the HINDU WORD. It is a syllable that stands for ABSOLUTE. It is uttered in the beginning as well as at the end of all Hindu prayers. To some extent it is the LOGOS of the Holy Bible.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JOHN 1:1 CAME FROM HINDU SCRIPTURES?
YES, I think so. Long before JOHN 1:1 [70 AD] was written, Hindu Vedas [ at least 5000 BC] wrote the same thing "prajapathi vai agre asset" IN THE BEGINNING WAS PRAJAPTHI, THE BRAHMAN-THE GOD, "Tasya Vag dvitiya Aseet" WITH WHOM WAS THE WORD; "Vag vai parama Brahman" AND THE WORD WAS VERILY THE SUPREME BRAHMAN - THE GOD John 1:1 states: IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOD.
WHY DO WOMEN WEAR A DOT ON THEIR FOREHEAD?
That dot is supposed to be the meeting point of eye brows. That important point is called ANGINA CHARA or spiritual eye. Everyone is supposed to protect that. In fact all saints protect that point with sandalwood paste..But later women alone started protecting that area.
WHAT IS NAMASTHE? It is the popular Hindu greeting performed by pressing two hands together and holding them near the heart. the whole act communicate to the world ' YOU AND I ARE ONE...I SALUTE AND WORSHIP THE GOD WITHIN YOU, WHICH IS A MIRROR IMAGE OF MYSELF'
DO HINDUS PRACTICE MONOGAMY?
Hindus practice monogamy and Hindus have stopped "child marriages in India by SAADA ACT [1929] under the British. It is the Moslems in India who are allowed to marry four wives and Moslem Sariyath law allows child marriages for Moslems in India.
DO HINDU SCRIPTURES FORBID ABORTION?
Yes they do. Hindu scriptures forbid abortion. From time immemorial, Hindus consider children as gifts from God. In the code of Manu, Manu forbids abortion. One of the worst acts described in the scriptures is SIS-HATYA meaning destruction of the unborn fetus. There are prayers in the Rig Veda to guard a growing embryo. Only time abortion is allowed is when the fetus is known to be defective as per SUSRUTA SAMHITA, the Hindu Aurvedic book.
WHAT IS CASTE SYSTEM?
There is nothing in Hinduism as complex as CASTE SYSTEM. It emerged as a part of division of labor among people during the days of Rig Veda..The Rig Vedic Hymn, known as PURUSHA-SUKTA (Mandala-x, 19th hymn, 12th verse) states: THE BRAHMIN WAS PURUSHA'S (cosmic man - the first principle of SANKYA PHILOSOPHY in Hinduism) MOUTH, THE KSHATRIYA HIS ARMS, THE VAISYA HIS THIGHS, AND SHUDRA HIS FEET...The greatest apostle of CASTE SYSTEM, was Sage Manu. He laid down all provisions governing caste system in Manu-Smriti.
BRAHMINS -- Priests
KSHATRIYAS-- Fighters and warriors
VAISYA--- Business men
SHUDRAS -- helpers of every one
Unlike in the Holy Bible, where Slavery is discussed & accepted even by St. Paul [ [Holy Bible verses Col. 4:11; Exodus 21:21 1: Lev. XXV:44- 55 Thessalonians 3:22], THERE IS NO STATEMENT IN THE ENTIRE HINDU SCRIPTURES TO ILL-TREAT LOWER CASTES, except Sage Manu's Code, where punishements of lower castes are severe comparing to punishments for the higher castes for the same offense.----THERE IS NO WORD UNTOUCHABLE IN THE ENTIRE HINDU SCRIPTURES.
Still caste system degenerated in India. It is indeed the GREATEST CURSE on Hinduism. It attacks the core of Hinduism. It resulted in large scale conversion of Hindus to other religions. I sincerely pray and hope, caste system eventually will go away, making a relic of the history.
Hindus should do what Christians did. Even though slavery is mentioned and accepted as a practice in the Holy Bible, even though during Civil war many such as Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America quoted from the Bible to support slavery, Christians took it upon their chin and eliminated slavery completely.
Once upon a time, India had 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes. Even there were 1,800 Brahmin castes in India. Even different Brahmin castes did not mingle themselves socially or otherwise, in ancient times. Last of all, ancient India, persecuted a large group of people called UNTOUCHABLES. Mahatma Gandhi said: UNTOUCHABILITY IS A CRIME AGAINST GOD AND MEN. Ambedkar once wrote out of his own experience, TO THE UNTOUCHABLES, HINDUISM IS A VERITABLE CHAMBER OF HORRORS".
WHY HINDUS PRACTICE SUTTEE [ SATI]?
None of the Hindu scriptures mention about Sati. Suicide of the consort of Lord Siva, Sati, has nothing to do with Sati or Suttee. Suicide of queen Madri in the epic Mahabharata has nothing to do with Sati. Sucide of 16000 wives of Lord Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavatam has nothing to do with Sati. At the same time Suttee is the most horrendous way of widows jumping into the funeral pyre of their fallen husbands. It is an ancient ritual practiced by a warrior race of India called Rajputs. Nobody else in India, practiced Suttee. Once again, Suttee is never mentioned in any Hindu religious scripture. There is not even ONE episode of Suttee in the vast Hindu mythology.
MANY STATE HINDUISM IS VERY COMPLEX AND CONTRADICTORY!
All religions are the result of the works of thousands of thinkers. Hinduism and Judaism are cultures and they are the mothers of all religions. New religions like Christianity and Islam took the best aspects of Judaism and made part of them. So too Buddhism and Jainism took the best aspects of Hinduism and made part of them. In Christianity, there were several housecleaning in its 2000 years of history. Hinduism on its part, NEVER had any HOUSE CLEANING in its history. Since Hinduism never tossed anything away, in it you will see in it primitive religion as well as very advanced thoughts. There was never a SALMAN RUSHDIE [author of Satanic Verses] in Hinduism and never will be there one.
I have repeatedly state that Hinduism has the GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY aspects in it like any other culture or religion in the world. WE have to boldly face facts and eradicate the BAD & the UGLY aspects, to better the lives of millions of Hindus, years to come.
NOBODY EVER WAS EXCOMMUNICATED FROM HINDUISM. NOT EVEN ONE HINDU DIED BECAUSE HE/SHE WROTE A WRONG SCRIPTURE. .The greatness of Hinduism can be summerised in few words. "FREEDOM OF THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS." That what Hinduism stands for.
Ed Viswanathan
edvis9@hotmail.com edvis9@yahoo.com
AM I A HINDU? [ http://www.amazon.com]
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879904063/u/002-9144287-3121453
one of the most popular book on Hinduism as per THE AMAZON BOOK DISTRIBUTORS