Questions about HInduism answered by a Hindu

[Sarada]

Salaam/ peace ;

Is it true that Hindus believe if u sin in this life, u will born again in the world as cat , dog or
rat ?????

Salaam Muslim Woman, and Namaste,

We Hindus believe that you can be reborn as any living thing, including a tree. A human birth is said to be an honour that takes many lifetimes to achieve. It is only when the soul takes a human form, that it can achieve moksha, or liberation and union with God. So, if one insists on behaving like an animal, then it is likely that he/she will be reborn as one. If we behave in a virtuous manner, then, it is likely that we will be reborn in a virtuous family. However, we could also be reborn in a place devoid of virtue, where our previous good actions and the merit we have achieved, will help us to show others the way.

If we wish to achieve moksha, one of the best ways to do it is to constantly repeat the name of God. For when you are constantly thinking of God, how can you do anything but good? Also, we believe, your last words and thoughts influence your next birth. Mahatma Gandhi-ji's last words were: "he Ram" we believe that because of his life's work and that his last thoughts were of Rama, he has now achieved union or yoga with God, and does not have to be reborn again.

Salaam,
and All the best,

Sarada

 

[Sarada]

Salaam Aleikum and Namaste to All.

I want to make one thing perfectly clear: that is I have no intention whatsoever to persuade any one to become a Hindu.

Many Hindu leaders as well as Mother Theresa have said:>

" If you are a Christian, be a good Christian, if you are a Hindu, be a good Hindu, if you are a Muslim, be a good Muslim, if your are a Sikh, be a good Sikh... etc."

The important thing is to have faith in God, whether you call him Jesus, Ram, Jehovah, or Allah he is the One called by many different names.
Follow your own faith sincerely to the best of your ability and devotion, and you will achieve liberation.

The constant proselytizing practiced by Christians is one of the big reasons why no longer believe in that faith. That being said, I have been generously given a copy of the Qur'an by a Muslim man, and I was deeply honoured. He gave it to me respectfully for my consideration, knowing that I am a Hindu. He did not pressure me, he just made me promise that I would read it. I already had a copy, which I have read a long time ago.

Would someone please let me know the best way to read to Qur'an? Should I start from the beginning and just keep going? Or, are there certain surahs, that I should read first?

Salaam,

Sarada

 

[snakelegs]

the fact that it does not proselytize is something i like about hinduism. actually i think only islam and christianity proselytize. and generally speaking, muslims are much less aggressive in their approach than christians.
as for your question on how best to read the qur'an, i'll leave that to a muslim.

 

[silkworm]

Sarada, While I was living in Houston a buddy on mine asked me to accompany him to meet his "Mother" ofcourse I knew that this was not his real mother cause he was from Karachi too, anyways we met this wonderful lady along with her soft spoken husband.

Being an offspring of parents of Indian origin, I was attracted to that elderly couple. They later told me they are "Jains" and they do not eat anything that is grown underneath the earth. So eating the food that was without garlic/ginger was aweful and the discussions we had was faboulous and we still are intouch with each other even though I moved to Chicago about three years ago.

 

[thirdwatch512]

Hello.. What a great thread. I have read every post so far, and must say, Hinduism sounds like a VERY beautiful religion. It is also the oldest religion, which is amazing lol

I have met 6 converts to Hinduism.. And every one of these converts have become such great people!

Ok, so here are a few questions..

1. When did the last Hindu G-d come, that is universally recognized? I know that someone told me that it was the 14th century. Is that true?

2. In Hindu Scriptures, could these people perform miracles and all?

 

[Muslim Woman]

Salaam/peace;

I have no intention whatsoever to persuade any one to become a Hindu.

i heard that if one wants to be a Hindu , s/he won't be allowed be a
Bhraman ( the highest class ) .

S/he will have to be a lower class hindu . Is that true ??



after becoming a tree or cat / dog , how one can again be born as a human being ?

Would someone please let me know the best way to read to Qur'an?

u may read the 1st Sura/ chapter , then can go to Para 30 ( don't know exact Eng word.....later part of the Quran ) as there are many small chapters ....easy to read.

or u may read as it is ...up to u

u may read with commentary so that verses on war , polygamy may not create confusion.

Have u heard of Dr. Zakir Naik ? He gave a lecture on similarities between HInduism & Islam......wonderful talk. If possible try to listen

it must be hard for u to ans all alone...why not invite ur other friends , too ??

 

[Sarada]

Namaste, and Salaam Aleikum, Muslim Woman,

Your questions are very thoughtful, and I appreciate your concern for me very much. It is always gratifying to experience the compassion of others.
I have had a very busy day, and I'm exhausted. But, I will answer you questions tomorrow.

I am familiar with Dr. Naik's work. In fact, I have a copy of the DVD where he had discussion with Shree Shree Ravi Shankar on the merits of Islam versus Hinduism. It is well worhth seeing.

Salaam,

Sarada

 

[Muslim Woman]

Salaam/peace;

I will answer you questions tomorrow.

no hurry , take ur time pl.

I have a copy of the DVD where he had discussion with Shree Shree Ravi Shankar

I have statred watching Peace TV ( it's channel of Dr. Zakir's ). I saw few scenes there of the debate.



Dr. Zakir gave references from ur holy books --- of that God , there is no image , they are entering in darkness who worship …. Idols ?? etc ...i guess u remembered ?



These were from Geeta , chaper 7 , verse 20 , Alloporishod etc.



I think , making statue , idol worshipping is prohibited in ur religion . So , why Hindus make statues ? Ganesh , Lakhmi , Ma kaali ---- ur holy books tell u to make their statues & bow down to them ? Where are those verses ??



I know u r under pressure ....don't bother to ans all at a time ......random questions are coming in to mind & i just want to ask before i forget :sunny:


How u can be sure that Lord Buddha was god in human form ? He claimed so ??





In other thread , a Buddhist told us most of them are atheists .

If Hindus believe Buddha was god , how come his followers are called Buddhist but not Hindus? Do they ( Buddhists) agree with Hindu’s view about this matter ?



Lord Krishna killed a tyrant king , Buddha killed whom ?

 

[Trumble]

How u can be sure that Lord Buddha was god in human form ? He claimed so ??

No. He was a human being, pure and simple, and never claimed otherwise. What he achieved is attainable by everybody. Eventually!

In other thread , a Buddhist told us most of them are atheists

If Hindus believe Buddha was god , how come his followers are called Buddhist but not Hindus? Do they ( Buddhists) agree with Hindu’s view about this matter ?.

No, we don't. As to 'atheism', as I've said elsewhere you need to be very sensitive to particular cultures and cultural mixes in using such terms. Buddhists deny the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, primordial creator God (i.e the God of Islam, Judaism and Christianity). Many Buddhists, particularly in Asia (rarely in the West) do believe in 'gods' of some sort or another, and even 'worship' them to request favors, good luck, and such. You will therefore have Nepalese and Indian Buddhists who share some beliefs associated with Hinduism, Japanese who share those associated with Shinto, and so on. The essential distinction is that those gods are subject to the same laws of cause and effect; the same workings of the Universe and Reality as everything else, including people.

Lord Krishna killed a tyrant king , Buddha killed whom ?

Nobody, so far as we know. Apart from Mara, the tempter - essentially the dark and unenlightened side of himself and, indeed, all of us. Not the same thing at all, but not insignificant - as I suspect the Hindu references are primarily metaphorical as well. Most Indian and indeed Eastern religious writing is like that - it is not intended to be a factual description of historic events, not least because the historic events are not important. Is the teachings of they way things are, the Dharma, that is important - and that exists whatever the history might be. The stories of the Buddha's life are full of events that illustrate particular points of his teachings, but many probably never actually happened, and some are obviously purely metaphorical.

 

[Ebtisweetsam]

Hi
my question is what is the significance of the Cow and is it worshipped?

Also, did Buddha ask to be worshipped as a God, or did people just choose to do that?

Thankyou

 

[Sarada]

Thank-you, Trumble for answering the questions regarding Buddha. To put a Hindu perspective on Gautama Buddha, although we regard him as an avatar along with Shri Ram and Shri Krishna, as far as I know, actual worship of him is not common.

All the Best,

Sarada

 

[Abdul-Raouf]

Check these verses :

http://www.islamicboard.com/general/42508-vedas.html

 

[Sarada]

Hi
my question is what is the significance of the Cow and is it worshipped?

We do not worship the cow, but we give it special honours. We do not eat beef. The reason for this is historical, and it continues to this day. Cows provide us with milk to drink. Milk is a very nourishing, almost perfect food for humans, second only to our own mother's milk. Because of this, we believe that the cow is equal to our mother, and we treat that species of animal accordingly, giving the cow greater respect than all other animals.

Also, did Buddha ask to be worshipped as a God, or did people just choose to do that?

Thankyou

Buddha never claimed to be God. Trumble answered this question in greater detail, in his post, (above).

Buddha is not generally worshipped by Hindus, all though there may be a few exceptions.


All the Best,

Sarada

 

[Sarada]

Muslim Woman asked me:

heard that if one wants to be a Hindu , s/he won't be allowed be a
Bhraman ( the highest class ) .

S/he will have to be a lower class hindu . Is that true ?

As I said in a previous post, and I also provided a link to scholarly explanation of the caste system, the hereditary caste system is a cultural phenomenon.

Varnas are mentioned in the scriptures, and they depend on your function. According to our scriptures, if you have the education and skill, and are living the life, and performing the function, then you are a brahmin, the same goes for kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra.

 

[Sarada]

Dr. Zakir gave references from ur holy books --- of that God , there is no image , they are entering in darkness who worship …. Idols ?? etc ...i guess u remembered ?



These were from Geeta , chaper 7 , verse 20 , Alloporishod etc.

Salam, Muslim Woman,

Here is the translation and explanation of the verse from the "The Bhagavad Gita As It Is"

"Those whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.
PURPORT
Those who are freed from all material contaminations surrender unto the Supreme Lord and engage in His devotional service. As long as the material contamination is not completely washed off, they are by nature nondevotees. But even those who have material desires and who resort to the Supreme Lord are not so much attracted by external nature; because of approaching the right goal, they soon become free from all material lust. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is recommended that whether one is free from all material desires, or is full of material desires, or desires liberation from material contamination, or is a pure devotee and has no desire for material sense gratification, he should in all cases surrender to Vasudeva and worship Him.
It is said in the Bhagavatam that less intelligent people who have lost their spiritual sense take shelter of demigods for immediate fulfillment of material desires. Generally, such people do not go to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because they are in particular modes of nature (ignorance and passion) and therefore worship various demigods. Following the rules and regulations of worship, they are satisfied. The worshipers of demigods are motivated by small desires and do not know how to reach the supreme goal, but a devotee of the Supreme Lord is not misguided. Because in Vedic literature there are recommendations for worshiping different gods for different purposes (e.g., a diseased man is recommended to worship the sun), those who are not devotees of the Lord think that for certain purposes demigods are better than the Supreme Lord. But a pure devotee knows that the Supreme Lord Krsna is the master of all. In the Caitanya-caritamrta it is said that only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is master and all others are servants. Therefore a pure devotee never goes to demigods for satisfaction of his material needs. He depends on the Supreme Lord. And the pure devotee is satisfied with whatever He gives. "

I think , making statue , idol worshipping is prohibited in ur religion .

So , why Hindus make statues ? Ganesh , Lakhmi , Ma kaali ---- ur holy books tell u to make their statues & bow down to them ? Where are those verses ?

Yes indeed, Islam prohibits statues and idol worshipping. But those are the rules for your beliefs. Hindus have a different perspective, and I repeat myself again and again:

HINDUS DO NOT WORSHIP IDOLS.

We use pictures and statues to help us focus on a particular aspect of God. Give us a little credit: we Hindus can understand the difference between a manufactured object and God. Every religion has its own rituals and methods of worship, Hindu methods of worship are different from Islam.

You are as entitled to worship God in your way as I am in mine. I am here to explain about Hinduism, not justify it. We need no one from outside to validate our beliefs and practices, just as Islam does not need any outside religion to confirm that your beliefs are true.

 

[Sarada]

As Salaam Aleikum Sisters and Brothers,

I joined this forum because I had some specific questions about Islam, which have been answered to my satisfaction.

I was asked if I would participate in a thread about Hinduism, and I gladly accepted. My purpose on this thread is to answer legitimate questions about Hinduism, not to justify it from an Islamic or other perspective.

I have repeatedly answered questions about idol worship and so-called many gods and goddesses. If you have any more questions along those lines, please refer to my earlier posts.

I also do not appreciate any one trying to convince me to change my religion. I am not here to ask you to change yours.

I repeat a quote from one of my earlier posts with which I strongly agree:
" If you are Christian, be a good Christian, if you are a Hindu, be a good Hindu, if you are a Muslim, be a good Muslim," even if you are an atheist, be a good atheist...etc.

I will be very happy to answer any legitimate questions you may have. Those questions which I think are inappropriate, I will ignore.

I wish you all the very best, and may you all find absolute peace and contentment, whatever your path.

Sarada

 

[Muslim Woman]

Salaam/peace;

Sarada : we regard him as an avatar along with Shri Ram and Shri Krishna,



---who decided & when that Gautam Budhha is god in human form ?

 

[snakelegs]

As Salaam Aleikum Sisters and Brothers,

I joined this forum because I had some specific questions about Islam, which have been answered to my satisfaction.

I was asked if I would participate in a thread about Hinduism, and I gladly accepted. My purpose on this thread is to answer legitimate questions about Hinduism, not to justify it from an Islamic or other perspective.

I have repeatedly answered questions about idol worship and so-called many gods and goddesses. If you have any more questions along those lines, please refer to my earlier posts.

I also do not appreciate any one trying to convince me to change my religion. I am not here to ask you to change yours.

I repeat a quote from one of my earlier posts with which I strongly agree:
" If you are Christian, be a good Christian, if you are a Hindu, be a good Hindu, if you are a Muslim, be a good Muslim," even if you are an atheist, be a good atheist...etc.

I will be very happy to answer any legitimate questions you may have. Those questions which I think are inappropriate, I will ignore.

I wish you all the very best, and may you all find absolute peace and contentment, whatever your path.

Sarada

sounds fair enough to me. though you realize that both islam and christianity are proselytizing religions, and so you are bound to run in to people who will try to change you.
interestingly, they don't have a monopoly on this - atheists and some agnostics will also try to change people's beliefs, just as much as muslims and christians, and i don't know what their excuse is. ;D
i actually didn't know that one could become a hindu - formally convert to hinduism. can you describe what that ritual is like? since hinduism generally does not proselytize (except for hare krishnas), i assumed that it didn't have anything like formal conversion.

 

[Sarada]

sounds fair enough to me. though you realize that both islam and christianity are proselytizing religions, and so you are bound to run in to people who will try to change you.
interestingly, they don't have a monopoly on this - atheists and some agnostics will also try to change people's beliefs, just as much as muslims and christians, and i don't know what their excuse is. ;D

Thanks for your support, Snakelegs.

i actually didn't know that one could become a hindu - formally convert to hinduism. can you describe what that ritual is like? since hinduism generally does not proselytize (except for hare krishnas), i assumed that it didn't have anything like formal conversion.

You are right, there is not a formal conversion ritual to become a Hindu. Many Hindus believe that everyone is already born a Hindu, so there is no need for a formal conversion. We also believe that you can be a Hindu and still worship God in the manner of any other religion, be it Jewish, B'ahai, or whatever, because all paths lead to God.

There are two rituals that are practiced which can be used to formally induct someone into Hinduism. One is the naming ceremony, where one is given a Hindu name, and the other is Guru Diksha, where the relationship between Guru and student is established.

The rituals can be combined, as they were in my case. First, offerings of water, flowers, spices, fragrance, light, incense and food (fruits, nuts and sweets) are made to the various aspects of God while various mantras are spoken, praising the individual aspect, and describing what is happening.

The usual aspects are The Remover of Obstacles, The Granter of Prosperity and Harmony, Wisdom and Knowledge, The Sustainer of Life and Protector of Righteousness, The Destroyer of Evil, and The Granter of Intelligence, These offerings are presented first on an altar, which is usually at ground level. People sit on the floor, the facing the altar.

Then, similar offerings are placed in a small fire that is lit in a metal container specifically for that purpose. Appropriate mantras and commentary are then recited.

When these things have been done, the pujari or officiating priest will announce the new name of the devotee in front of God. Then the Guru and the devotee are covered by a white sheet. Under the sheet, the Guru whispers a secret into the devotee's ear. This secret must never be divulged.

The sheet is lifted, and the ritual is completed with everyone standing up to sing a hymn of praise to God.

The devotee involved in the ritual will wave a small lamp (or diya which contains ghee and a wick) in front of the altar.

The final mantras are spoken, and everyone present is given some of the food that has been offered to God, as symbol of God's Grace.

All the Best,

Sarada

 

[Sarada]

Salaam/peace;

Sarada : we regard him as an avatar along with Shri Ram and Shri Krishna,



---who decided & when that Gautam Budhha is god in human form ?

Namaste Muslim Woman,

There is no ruling council which makes decisions or pronouncements for Hindus. These decisions evolve over time by consensus. In the end there may still be people who disagree with a certain outcome. That is their right. We simply agree to disagree.