Questions about HInduism answered by a Hindu

[Sarada]

(deleted duplicate)

 

[Sarada]

Are there differences of Hindu rituals between North Indians and South Indians?

There are as many differences in rituals across India as there are curry masala ingredients. But like curry masala, the rituals are still recognizable, and contain the same basic elements. It's more a matter of style.

 

[snakelegs]

I apologize if you got the impression that I was giving you personally instructions on finding a guru. I meant it as a general comment only.
no problem.
We do not necessarily require a living guru. The words of a guru who during his lifetime was knowledgeable, lived the life, and had the wisdom, are more powerful than that of an inadequate living guru. The Sikhs, for example, have Guru Granth Sahib.

makes sense!

As for Hindu music, I like the traditional bhajans that use the ragas of North India. Bengali music is also nice, but a little different. I don't have much use for many of the New Age interpretations, although there are a couple of Western artists who remain true to tradition.

i don't like any new age stuff.
but you're right - there are a few westerners who are pretty good.
hindustani classical music is my favourite music and my mostest favouritest is qawwali. (all of nusrat fateh ali khan's qawwalis are based on classical raags.)
as for sikh devotional music (gurbani), sikhnet.com is a good source to listen. they have both traditional and new age.
the sikh music is different than bhajans and different from qawwali. i find it is also very spiritual and grounding. music is extremely important in sikhism.
bhajans i only really like if i'm there in person.
well, i've gone on quite a bit! probably everyone's falling asleep.

 

[Sarada]

As Salaam Aleikum and Namaste Sisters and Brothers.

You may have started to notice some basic differences between Hinduism and the approach of Abrahamic religions.

I'm going to do a little point-counter-point to outline some of them:


1. Abrahamic religions believe in the concept of One God, formless, and indivisible,

1. Hinduism, believes in One God, many aspects and forms, including the indivisible,formless aspect.

2. Abrahamic religions believe that their specific belief is the only one that will grant you salvation (whilst having varying degrees of respect for their sister religions)

2. Hindus believe in One God, many paths. That all religions will eventually lead to to salvation.

3. Abrahamic religions are legalistic in nature, setting up a code of thou shalts and thou shalts not.

3. Hinduism leads by example, and has guidelines for people to follow. For example, the Ramayan is an epic poem, one of the purposes of which is for Ram and Sita to set an example of the ideal behaviour of men and women.

4. In Abrahamic religions, everything belongs to God.

4. In Hinduism, everything is God.

5. In general, Abrahamic religions believe in one physical existence here on earth, and then an after life based on the moral behaviour of the individual, except of course, Christianity, which also believes in salvation through Christ.

5. Hinduism believes in reincarnation and karma. That the soul must constantly be reborn until it has erased all of its bad actions by doing good actions. At that point it no longer has to be reborn, but has the option of merging with God, or taking a physical birth again to continue practicing devotion to God. (this is similar to Buddhism, but there are differences, which I believe Trumble has already addressed in his thread).

6. In general Abrahamic religions believe that humans HAVE a soul.

6. Hindus believe that I AM the soul.

7. Abrahamic religions believe in the reality of the physical world.

7. Hindus believe that the material world is not always what it appears to be.
We equate reality with permanance. What is permanent is real, what is not permanent is unreal. The atma or soul is real, the Paramatma, or Supreme Soul is real. Everything else changes, therefore cannot be relied upon as real.

For example, we come into this world as babies, then our bodies start to age, and eventually, the (unreal) physical body decays and is destroyed.
The (real) atma remains the same from birth to death to birth.

The concept of the unreality of the physical world is called Maya, or illusion, because nothing remains the same, and often what we percieve is clouded by our own biases and perspective in addition to the limitations of our senses.

( This does not mean, that when we stub our toe against a rock, we don't feel the pain :giggling: )


8. Abrahamic religions are "dual" in nature. There is good and evil. God is good, Satan is evil. This leads to the conclusion that something must be "either this or that".

8. Hinduism is "non-dual" or "monistic" in nature (all though there is a school of thought which embraces a form of dualism) Since everything is God, that includes the pairs of opposites. To illustrate my point, here is the famous Taoist symbol representing Yin and Yang. Taoism and Hinduism embrace the concept of "both" "and" as well as "either" "or"

 

[Muslim Woman]

I seek refuge in Allah (The One God) from the Satan (devil) the cursed, the rejected

With the name of ALLAH (swt) -The Bestower Of Unlimited Mercy, The Continously Merciful


Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh


(May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you)

how is it that you know so much about Hinduism?

Lol ….boasting



kay:



In my country , a Hindu Bhramman became Muslim & wrote a book …why I embraced Islam?





If u want , I can translate few lines where he described what he found disturbing in his previous religion.


I read that book & naturally many questions came in to mind .






That’s why I request u to have patience & pl. don’t think I have any intention to hurt ur feelings .

I found that book very informative about hindu religion .



It is written by not only a higher class hindu who had permission to read his holy books in Sanskrit that lower class hindus were deprived from …he, his dad ,uncle were also purohits ( don’t know the Eng . word…who leads the puja/ worship )



While reading the book , One question came in to mind : do Hindus know the stories of Hindu deities / history behind the rituals ?

…..a very informative book called, "Kali, the Black Goddess of Dakshineshwar

--An Indian Hindu writer most probably Sunil Ganguly wrote in his book that Ma Kali does not wear any dress .…
why is that ?

There are many circumstances under which a woman may divorce her husband, among them cruelty, desertion, etc.

Are u talking about Hindu religious law or today’s men made law ?





If Hindu religion allows divorce , then why in the past ( say even under British rule ) in India subcontinent , women were not allowed to divorce ?

I m almost 100 % sure that in Bangladesh where Hindus are about 10 % , still Hindus women can’t divorce ….most probably men also can’t as it’s now allowed in religion….as least that what I heard.





In India , I think divorce law introduced only 15 to 2o yrs back.

The Indian Government is preparing a legal code to establish equal property and inheritance rights among men and women.

I think , about 5 yrs back , India has introduced equal rights of sons & daughters in dad’s property.





But if hindus holy books don’t give equal rights to daughter , will it be ok for a religious hindu woman get the property ???




What’s ur opinion as a devoted Hindu ?

you are bound together for 7 lifetimes.

---does it mean Hindus believe in 7 lives in this world ?

Hindus are monogamous. Each man can only have one wife

---but is there any verse in Hindu scripture that says so ?





I read in some novels of Indian writer …Sharot chandro Chatterjee . He mentioned that Brhamman normally married as many as they wished . They needed to keep diary to remember where their in-laws houses are ?





Most probably it was Dad of Lord Rama who had minimum 10 , ooo wives .





Eshwar Chandro Biddha Sagar’s Guru had many wives including very young one.







At that time , Hindus believe if a girl becomes woman at her father’s res , the whole family including dead relatives will go to hell. Is that really mentioned in ur holy book ?





If yes , how come young marriage is prohibited by man made law now ?





Do Hindus believe laws described in holy books can change from time to time ????



Hope I have not irritated u much :hiding:





U wrote about the Quranic verse that : I interpret this to mean that every creature, human, or otherwise, that worships, extols and glorifies God according to his/her own understanding is acceptable to God.


Most probably , God showed /taught all creatures how to pray .



If u are interested , then I will InshaAllah try to find the explanation & will post that in things in Islam I m curious about thread.

Best wishes to u .


Verses all need ..specially for the life hereafter :happy:









Behold, We have willed that all beauty on earth be a means by which We put men to a test,


which of them are best in conduct;



and, verily, We shall reduce all that is on it to barren dust!

-Quran (18:7-8)

 

[Sarada]

Salaam and Namaste, Muslim Woman,

I am happy that you have found what you are looking for in Islam. May Bhagwan continue to shower you with his choicest blessings. May Bhagwan also continue to bless the Brahmin who chose to revert to Islam.


I do not, however, care to read any excerpts of his book.

This thread is called "Questions about Hinduism answered by a Hindu"


Hinduism is not Islam. It is only natural, that as a Muslim believer, you will find some Hindu beliefs and traditions that you do not agree with, and perhaps even find objectionable. If you wish a comparison of Hinduism and Islam from an Islamic perspective, I would respectfully advise you to refer to Dr. Zakir Naik's dvd of the debate between him and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, or check out this link.

http://www.worldmuslimmedia.com/readislam/zakir/

 

[Sarada]

Here is another link from Dr Zakir Naik

Similarities between Hinduism and Islam.

http://www.islamawareness.net/Hinduism/ZakirNaik/part1.html

 

[Sarada]

Regarding Monogamy, polygamy was a cultural expression. I know of no living Hindus who have more than one wife or husband.

As I explained in a previous post, Ram promised Sita that he would only have one wife. At the moment, I cannot find the specific verse.

 

[Sarada]

As Salaam Alleikum and Namaste Sisters and Brothers,


As I am a Hindu lay person and not a scholar, there are some questions which I am not qualified to answer. Many of these are answered by Subash C. Sharma, at

http://www.geocities.com/lamberdar/author.html

I believe that those of you who would like answers to questions from a Hindu perspective beyond those that I can provide will find his website very informative.

 

[JustinHesychast]

About reincarnation. You mentioned dogs having different temperaments and whatnot. Well, everything and all the studies (and common sense) shows that the dog behaves that way due to their human owner. Our neighbors have a mean dog because they are mean to it, and it is really sad. Our dog is generally nice and loving, because we did not raise her to be mean. So... I am not understanding how the temperament of a dog or whatever other animal can effect it being reborn into a human.

Does that mean that my dog is a human soul? ;;

And how can inanimate objects such as a tree become human again?

What of inanimate object such as trees that are made into logs. Is that soul then split between the logs until it burns or decays? What of edible fruits and vegetables?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Sarada]

About reincarnation. You mentioned dogs having different temperaments and whatnot. Well, everything and all the studies (and common sense) shows that the dog behaves that way due to their human owner. Our neighbors have a mean dog because they are mean to it, and it is really sad. Our dog is generally nice and loving, because we did not raise her to be mean. So... I am not understanding how the temperament of a dog or whatever other animal can effect it being reborn into a human.

Does that mean that my dog is a human soul? ;;

And how can inanimate objects such as a tree become human again?

What of inanimate object such as trees that are made into logs. Is that soul then split between the logs until it burns or decays? What of edible fruits and vegetables?

Thanks for all the help!

Namaste and Salaam,

Some things will remain a mystery.


(But, about the dog's temperament, I have two dogs, both are friendly. One is very shy and withdrawn, and the other is tenacious and boisterous.

Go figure.)

 

[deen_2007]

hmm.....if namaste means...."i bow to god within you" ...then i think i'll be offended if one said that to me....no offense to your religion....but mainly because i do not believe there is god within me.

so had i come accross some1 who said that to me, i wonder if i can say i don't want them to greet me like that....

 

[Muslim Woman]

Salaam/peace;

If you wish a comparison of Hinduism and Islam ...

nope .......my 2 main questions are now :


1. do hindus know about the stories of god & goddess / reasons behind the rituals ?


2. Do hindus believe God's laws can change from time to time ?

my apology if u find these questions offensive .

 

[Sarada]

hmm.....if namaste means...."i bow to god within you" ...then i think i'll be offended if one said that to me....no offense to your religion....but mainly because i do not believe there is god within me.

so had i come accross some1 who said that to me, i wonder if i can say i don't want them to greet me like that....

I will stick to "Salaam" as a greeting on this forum.

 

[Sarada]

Salaam Muslim Woman,

Salaam/peace;

1. do hindus know about the stories of god & goddess / reasons behind the rituals ?

Every Hindu knows the stories and the reasons behind them according to how much they have studied, and their own level of understanding.

2. Do hindus believe God's laws can change from time to time ?

"God's laws" (your terminology) do not change over time, but human's understanding, interpretation, and implementation of those laws do change, as do cultural/societal practices

 

[Sarada]

Salaam, Sisters and Brothers,

It seems that by saying "namaste" which means "I bow to God within you" I have offended the sensibilities of some members of this forum. Please accept my apologies for any offense which I may have inadvertantly caused.
Henceforth, I will simply say "Salaam"


I was also not aware that posting pictures of people (myself) and deities (my avatar) was not permissible. These have been removed by the moderator. I have replaced them with pictures of lotuses, which I hope will not offend.

As a Hindu, I am here as a guest on this Islamic Forum. A gracious guest respects the traditions of the host.

I must say that posting on an Islamic forum has been somewhat of a culture shock for me. I am familiar with Christian, secular and Hindu society, but I have a lot to learn about the laws that govern every aspect of a Muslim's life, and how they are translated into action.

But I have been given the rare honour and privilege of observing the Muslim point of view from very close quarters, and I am grateful for the opportunity to answer some of your questions about my (Hindu) point of view.

I hope that we can celebrate the many similarities that we share and not let our differences divide us .

 

[mujahideenryder]

What do you think about the massacre of Gujarat in the name of Hindusim?
See this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_Bkqwzl_Yg

 

[Woodrow]

Your rep count has just increased for being an understanding and peaceful member.

Disagreements and differences of opinion will exist between people of different faiths, but these differences can be discussed with mutual respect and in peace.

 

[snakelegs]

Salaam, Sisters and Brothers,

It seems that by saying "namaste" which means "I bow to God within you" I have offended the sensibilities of some members of this forum. Please accept my apologies for any offense which I may have inadvertantly caused.
Henceforth, I will simply say "Salaam"


I was also not aware that posting pictures of people (myself) and deities (my avatar) was not permissible. These have been removed by the moderator. I have replaced them with pictures of lotuses, which I hope will not offend.

As a Hindu, I am here as a guest on this Islamic Forum. A gracious guest respects the traditions of the host.

I must say that posting on an Islamic forum has been somewhat of a culture shock for me. I am familiar with Christian, secular and Hindu society, but I have a lot to learn about the laws that govern every aspect of a Muslim's life, and how they are translated into action.

But I have been given the rare honour and privilege of observing the Muslim point of view from very close quarters, and I am grateful for the opportunity to answer some of your questions about my (Hindu) point of view.

I hope that we can celebrate the many similarities that we share and not let our differences divide us .

:bravo: :thumbs_up

 

[north_malaysian]

Salaam, Sisters and Brothers,

It seems that by saying "namaste" which means "I bow to God within you" I have offended the sensibilities of some members of this forum. Please accept my apologies for any offense which I may have inadvertantly caused.
Henceforth, I will simply say "Salaam"


I was also not aware that posting pictures of people (myself) and deities (my avatar) was not permissible. These have been removed by the moderator. I have replaced them with pictures of lotuses, which I hope will not offend.

As a Hindu, I am here as a guest on this Islamic Forum. A gracious guest respects the traditions of the host.

I must say that posting on an Islamic forum has been somewhat of a culture shock for me. I am familiar with Christian, secular and Hindu society, but I have a lot to learn about the laws that govern every aspect of a Muslim's life, and how they are translated into action.

But I have been given the rare honour and privilege of observing the Muslim point of view from very close quarters, and I am grateful for the opportunity to answer some of your questions about my (Hindu) point of view.

I hope that we can celebrate the many similarities that we share and not let our differences divide us .

I have to give you reps for this....