Questions about HInduism answered by a Hindu

[Michael]

Sarada,

When I was in ISKCON, I read that there are three aspects of God: Brahman, the impersonal God, Paramatma, the God in every living heart, and Bhagavan, the personal God. Is this a view that is held by normal Hindus as well?

 

[Michael]

I found my book, and yes, I did make a few mistakes in the story of Shiva, so I'll write the whole thing out here.

One day Parvati, Shiva's consort, took pity on a group of sages performing severe austerities in their forest dwelling. She asked Shiva to give them realization and release them from their penance. But Shiva refused, saying the sages were still prone to anger. To prove this he appeared in the forest as a handsome yogi and seduced the sages' wives. Incensed, the sages attacked Shiva and castrated him. But as soon as they did this Shiva disappeared and the entire cosmos started to shake. The sages, recognising their impudence, begged Shiva to forgive them and calm the world. Shiva agreed, on the condition that the sages, from that time forward, worship him in the form of his lingam.

I've seen Shiva Linga before that are placed on a stone base representing the yoni or vagina. Is this a reference to sacred sexuality?

 

[Sarada]

Sarada,

When I was in ISKCON, I read that there are three aspects of God: Brahman, the impersonal God, Paramatma, the God in every living heart, and Bhagavan, the personal God. Is this a view that is held by normal Hindus as well?

They are all the same God. Because God is Infinite, and Transcendent we human beings cannot ever totally understand God. Each Hindu sees God and approaches God according to his level of spiritual understanding, his circumstances, his needs, and his temperament.

Consider for a example, a brilliant cut diamond. It is many faceted, and we cannot see all of the facets at the same time. So, we admire that part of the diamond that we see, we turn it, and admire the beauty of some other facets of the diamond. So it is with God, we worship that aspect of God that we can relate to at any given time.

 

[Sarada]

^^ ROFL Some of us were raised surrounded by hindus for first 20 or so years of our life in a hindu majority country and have some firsthand experience and have working knowledge of their deities, terminology and rituals as well as having seen them lynching people suspected of slaughtering gao mata. And wont be taken in by all these fraudulent posts. Then others of us will believe any old rubbish, while some others will just pretend to be all lovey dovey and will let you promote any ole tripe as long as you give them approval and praise them.

wa salam to all

I can see why you call yourself the annoyed one, and I am sorry that you had such terrible experiences. Just as there are Muslims who commit violence in the name of Islam, there are also Hindus who do the same. People are people, no one group of people better than another.

My posts are not rubbish nor are they fraudulent. They are based on my understanding of what Sanatana Dharma is, and my experiences living within the West Indian Hindu community for several decades.

If you truly believe this thread to be rubbish and fraudulent, then ask the moderators to have it removed and have me banned from this forum.

I pray that some day you will overcome the anger that is destroying you from within, and achieve peace within yourself.

If one does not have peace within oneself, how can one experience it in the outside world?

 

[Sarada]

Many people who have replied to this thread are missing the whole point of Hinduism, or Sanatana Dharma. It is not about ancient mythology. The stories in our Hindu Scriptures, as I have said many times, are not meant to be taken literally. They are symbolic of concepts and ideas.

I will not answer and try to explain every myth that you can come up with. There are thousands of myths within Hinduism, I agree; but that is not the essence of our faith.

A friend of mine put it much more eloquently than I ever could.

We offer you and the female quality respect...without such none of us would be on this earth.
In the Rig Veda, some of the best hymns are cognized from females.
Of the 400 (+/-) kavi's ~ 25 are female.

Many know that I am not a big fan of this word Hinduism - I can see how the name came about, yet believe a more accurate, pehaps noble name(s) are:
Sanatana Dharma - eternally that which upholds (Dhr)
Vaidika Dharma - the knoweldge or Dharma ( that which uphold) from the Veda
Arsa ( some write Aarsa) Dharma - the Dharma of the rishi's

If one asked me, of all the things you can discuss of this Sanatana Dharma i.e the lessons of the srutis, smrtis, itihasas, puranas, agmas and darsanas - what is the most practical and useful for modern man?

It would be ( for me) one or two lines of the Bhagavad Gita and if blossomed would change the individual in a nimesha (blink of an eye). Kesava's words to Arjuna: (Chapt 2.46 Gita) Yogastha kuru karmani - Established in yoga ( union) perform actions (karma).
This is the wisdom of the ages - this one thing is the foundation for a successful and balanced being on this earth... for a successful and balanced society. If one accomplishes this 'union' all has been accomplished. One is united with the SELF (Chapt 2.50) established in brahman. The vedas are of no more use (says Krsna) then a small well in a place flooded on every side (2.46).

Why is this of value? one gains skill in action - there no longer is any binding force back to the native. Each action is supported by the laws of creation, they are on your side... you operate from the level of the SELF e.g. balanced intellect, the art of living beyond or untethered from the 3 gunas - skill in action.

A most practical life as the gunas act within the field of the gunas and the native rests in the Universal Self.

And what of a town or society that achieves this balance? the rains come on time, the earth gives its best offers of crops, there is no crime, there is no upheavals. This is the offer of the balance, this is the most practical thing one could consider as the benefit of this Dharma coming to fruition.

The essence of Sanatana Dharma is to achieve union (yoga) with God and perform righteous actions

I am tired of answering petty questions by people who wish to slander my faith.

There is a lot I do not agree with in Islam, and some of it I find to be abhorrent. But out of respect for the faith of others, and out of the humililty that comes from knowing that I do not have a full understanding of Islam, I choose not to insult or pick at the details of your faith.

I had hoped that you would do the same, and ask me intelligent, thoughtful questions. (Which some of you have, Snakelegs, Woodrow and Grace Seeker are some that come to mind.) However, most of you have your minds in the gutter when it comes to asking questions.

I will act on what Swami Vivekananda said around the turn of the 19th century. He was a person who believed that someday there would be an understanding and acceptance of the common ground that is the basis for all religions, when stripped of their cultural and historical baggage.

That is what I was trying to achieve here. To show that people no matter what their belief, have the same yearnings: to be close to God, to have inner peace, to love and be loved not only romantically but by their families and friends (perhaps even transform their enemies into friends). To live in peace and harmony.

If I go by the majority of the questions that I have received on this thread,
Swami-ji and I must be dillusional. I see very little respect for my faith on this forum.

So as Swami-ji said, "Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way. "

I do not condemn you, as most of you are in a state of misunderstanding, but I cannot help you. Therefore, I fold my hands, ask God to bless you, and let you go your own way.

May God grant you all the peace and harmony that you seek.



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