Hindu Religion

Are any members of ATS members of the Hindu Religion? I've been to some "official" websites online about it's core beliefs butI am looking for some general information on your belief systems and how it relates to day to day living for you. I have a natural curiosity for it. Anything I can learn from you will serve to help me understand it better and would be greatly appreciated by me.

its an evil religion.they worship idols and half human gods.i urge you to read gnostic texts.hinduism is the worship of devil.

reply to post by Wally Conley

I am not a Hindu, but I have plenty of Hindu friends who will be only too pleased to answer any questions I ask them on your behalf.

But I must warn you, before you ask:

There are more different kinds of Hindusim than there are Christian sects, and that's saying a heck of a lot.

Hinduism is naturally syncretistic, which means that it contains a multitude of gods (or, some will say, a multituge of names for God), lots of mutually contradictory statements and arguments and no philosophical consistency whatsoever.

Hindu ritual is just as varied. I have been to three or four Hindu weddings, and in each case the ritual was completely different. Most pujas I've seen looked different too. Sometimes I think the Brahmins just make it up as they go along.

You will almost certainly end up more confused than before you started asking questions.

Still, ask away, and I'll try to find some answers for you.

Astyanax put it well though. Hinduism is either the most logical and philosophical religion in the world or the most idiotic and illogical depending on how well you can grasp the concepts.

There is a huge, huge variety in Hinduism so finding exactly what you are looking for takes a hell of a long time. There is no unified set of laws, there is no single book that takes precedence and there is no coherent structure to the rituals.

I will try my best to explain it, but sometimes it takes a few years for a person to understand the concepts. I know it took me about 8 years to fully grasp it, and even then my interpretation is unusual.

Anyway I'll be happy to help you. Fire away

I have worked for a Hindu family for several years now, as does my hubby, and I cannot grasp exactly what they 'believe' in, however I do know that there are many many gods to 'chose' from. The one thing that stands out the most to me, is their loving ways, their sense of family and adherance to the religion, they are the most forgiving and gentle people I know, and will not eat meat, under any circumstance. At a Christmas party they participated in with the employees, their young son had grabbed a cocktail sausage and put it in his mouth, and they flipped out! The mother was crying and washing his mouth out, they were all visibly shaken. Another son told me one day that his eyeglasses were too small, I asked him why he didn't get new ones yet, he said his grandfather tells him the only reason he needs glasses anyway is because he does not run in the grass while the dew is still on it. The kid really really believes this, the power of suggestion will probably 'see' him throught this! Pardon the pun. The grandfather has diabetes, and sees a traditional doctor, but does not take insulin, he eats some kind of leaves on a flowering plant out back. He grows them just for this treatment, and it works. My hubby works for a Hindu family as well, but they eat meat, so I don't understand, the family I know says that not eating meat is a Hindu 'rule'.

reply to post by space cadet

My hubby works for a Hindu family as well, but they eat meat, so I don't understand, the family I know says that not eating meat is a Hindu 'rule'.

Don't say I didn't warn you...

Maybe this will further confuse - sorry, I meant further clarify matters.

Brahmins, the Hindu priestly caste, are forbidden meat. For the other castes, it's pretty much whatever goes in the local community.

reply to post by Astyanax


There are even more exceptions!

The ideological flank which I most identify with is known as "Advaita Vedanta", which is a monistic, ultra-orthodox yet reformist scheme of philosophy. The philosophy was embodied in Vivekananda, who was simultaneously ultra-orthodox (in that he followed scripture exactly) but yet entirely reformist as he dismissed the ritualistic worship of idols etc.

Hinduism is rather a misnomer actually. There is no such coherent religion. Each person chooses his or her own path based on their family traditions and their own beliefs.

For example on the meat eating issue, there is a social stigma attached to eating certain meat (beef), but there is not definite answer about whether it is correct or not. This stigma was used to protect cattle, so that a dairy-based farming society could exist without the animal stock being wiped out. In today's world, this bears no importance and so many reformists (myself included) will eat beef. Yet the Rig Veda, which is the most ancient of the Aryan texts, even mentions beef consumption amongst the Brahmins as a ritual sacrifice (incidentally very similar to the Atlantean bull sacrifice ceremony).

As such, even orthodox and reformist are not contradictory in Hinduism. I am a Brahmin, yet I eat any meat. However you should know, I am very much in the minority. The majority of so called Hindus today are mindless automatons that have been subjugated by religious leaders and hardly any have read, much less tried to understand the ancient Vedas.

Originally posted by 44soulslayer
For example on the meat eating issue, there is a social stigma attached to eating certain meat (beef), but there is not definite answer about whether it is correct or not. This stigma was used to protect cattle, so that a dairy-based farming society could exist without the animal stock being wiped out. In today's world, this bears no importance and so many reformists (myself included) will eat beef. Yet the Rig Veda, which is the most ancient of the Aryan texts, even mentions beef consumption amongst the Brahmins as a ritual sacrifice.

A lot of modern Indians are lactose-intolerant. This is particularly true in the south (here's a study). So, for most Deccan Indians, keeping dairy herds doesn't make much sense; they can't stomach milk except as ghee or yoghurt. And of course, keeping herds of beef cattle is a luxury only rich or very thinly-populated nations can afford. In India, where the endless plains of red dust bear witness to thousands of years of deforestation, settlement and cultivation, arable land is too scarce and valuable to be wasted grwoing grass. Keeping cattle for meat is an option for very few Indian farmers.

The Aryans are thought to have originated on the Central Asian steppe, where their economy was probably based on cattle and their diet on milk and meat. Their religion reflected their social customs: cattle are prized, milk and meat are the preferred foods, and the rituals are basically those associated with a nomadic people much given to war and plunder.

When the Aryans conquered India they not only mingled their genes with those of the natives but (wisely, or perhaps inevitably) adopted the local customs and diet as well. The religion they brought to India got mixed up with a myriad local beliefs and customs; the result was Hinduism in all its profuse variety. The rituals now have a much more agrarian character - many relate to the cycle of sowing and harvest, to the hearth and home - but you can still catch a distorted glimplse, now and then, of the old Aryan rites with their bloodlettings and animal sacrifices.

You're right that in pre-Vedic times, Brahmins participated in animal sacrifices and ate the flesh of their victims. In this they would have been no different from their colleagues elsewhere in the ancient world; for the ancient Aryan religion retained more of its character in the West. The priests of Yahweh and Zeus clove more faithfully, I believe, to the old Aryan rites than did the priests of Krishna and Shiva.

A discussion on Hinduism, hmmmm this cud pretty much take up all the space available on ATS.

Nevertheless, i suggest that you ask sepecific questions, things that interest, intrigue or simply confound you and members like me would be happy to answer.

Ciao
Punit

reply to post by Astyanax


Thats a pretty succinct summary of the AIT

The only bit I would emphasise is that the nature of the Aryan culture(ie derivative of the Proto Indo-European culture) changed as a result of their change in habits.

The historical account in the Vedas is that the Aryans existed as a warrior tribe somewhere around the Aryan homelands (Aryavarta). Nobody knows where exactly this is, but the most likely contenders are around the Caspian sea, though some have mentioned the arctic circle as a possibility (unlikely in my opinion). So the nature of the tribe was essentially rooted in impermanence and war, and they were semi-nomadic. I suppose this is understandable considering the tough conditions of the lower Eurasian steppe.

The account contends that when the Aryan tribes migrated south (ostensibly something to do with the Ice Age), they found the Sapta Sindh region, which is the seven deltas of the now-underground Saraswati river. This land was unlike anything which they had encountered... it was fertile and temperate. So they chose to stay forever. Once they had stopped their nomadic ways, they couldn't hunt any more and so farming sprung up, particularly dairy farming.

I guess the best protection that could be invoked against the destruction of the initial domestic cow herd would have been a religious dictate.

This is no longer applicable of course, but the social stigma remains powerfully rooted amongst the hindu community.

I've always avoided stating that all religion is bad, preferring to more accurately say "all the Abrahamic religions are bad" - the big three - Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Hinduism I find more interesting, particularly because of how ancient it is. Perhaps someone can correct me, but wasn't Buddhism an ancient off-shoot of Hinduism (or a form of it)? Nevertheless, if all Asian immigrants to Britain were Hindu, I'd be happier. Obviously, it's still an alien culture to these Isles, but more closely related to indigenous British spirituality than any of the Abrahamic faiths, and I've always found Hindus to be pleasant people. The fact that many don't eat meat puts them further into my good books.

reply to post by Cythraul


Buddhism is an offshoot which focuses on non-violence and meditation. Personally I dont see it as a different religion, just a more focused sub-set of Hinduism.

As for immigrants... well, despite being one myself, I have to say that Hindu immigrants are a mixed bag. Some integrate very well and succeed, while others emulate alien "cultures" (ie urban hip hop). To put it mildly, I dislike the latter immensely.

Britain would be a better place if most immigrants were Buddhist. I find Buddhists to be the most gentle and peaceful people in general.

And yup, Hinduism is a very ancient religion. In fact the Hindu word for "hinduism" is "Sanatana Dharma", which translates roughly to "Eternal Law". The oral tradition meant that the scripts weren't written down until about 4,000 years ago so dating the original becomes very difficult. The best scholarly estimates and the scripts themselves point to at least 7,000 years ago. As the philosophical basis of Hinduism comes from the Proto Indo-European culture (in particular Pantheonic Paganism), Hinduism is at least a little bit closer to the natural state of European sprituality, as you said yourself.

It makes for interesting conjecture to think about what Britain and the British Empire would have been like without the influence of Christianity. Undoubtedly Britain came on leaps and bounds under Christianity, but I wonder if its a question of "despite" rather than "because of".

Christianity may have caused problems in the past, as have most religions. But in the modern era, I believe the Christianity is a force for good. I can't really condemn all Abrahamic faiths when there are morons killing Christians in Indian states out of religious hatred. I think it would be more accurate to say that impartial knowledge and understanding is a very, very dangerous thing. Zealotry comes out of impartial knowledge of the religions, combined with immoral preaching by leaders. This is why I hate establishmentarianism in religion. I feel that if people were free to choose what/ whether to follow a religion of their own will, there would be very little bloodshed. It is only coercion by law or society that leads to herd mentality and fanaticism without any true belief.

I am sure it is really confusing when you try to compare with any religion you may know eg., Christianity, Islam etc.. Hinduism can be defined as a way of life rather than religion. It is basically a nature worshiping community and when it evolved it gave a personality to every force of nature and thats why so many Gods. Hinduism is very flexible doesn't follow one hard and fast rule. As I mentioned earlier it as a way of life people made their own way of rituals and worshiping. This changes more with their geography. The reason why every other Hindu wedding is different but there is always a common base for all these rituals. Said that I really dont know where to start to explain things. If you have any doubts in specific I can help. If you want an over all idea try googling 'Hinduism' and ' Sanātana Dharma' .

Cheers!

Originally posted by Cythraul
I've always avoided stating that all religion is bad, preferring to more accurately say "all the Abrahamic religions are bad" - the big three - Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

I could never understand quite why everyone seems to think the ancient Jews got it right. Not that they are more likely than anyone else to have got it wrong, but that's kind of my point...

Thanks for your insightful response 44soulslayer.

Originally posted by 44soulslayer
It makes for interesting conjecture to think about what Britain and the British Empire would have been like without the influence of Christianity. Undoubtedly Britain came on leaps and bounds under Christianity, but I wonder if its a question of "despite" rather than "because of".

And also, a question of whether those leaps and bounds cost Britain its soul or not . I'm biased, being somewhat of a Pagan and primitivist myself. Ultimately, I will never accept that the arrival of monotheism in Britain has been positive overall. All that art, culture and wisdom lost forever thanks to 'conversion'. This is why I have a soft spot for Hinduism. As a whole, it does not teach conversion, and in some ways seems more ethnocentric (which I actually believe is a positive thing). It appears to me, essentially - and I hope I don't offend you by saying this - that Hinduism is merely the manifestation of Aryan Paganism. I know there are strong connections between the Germanic, Celtic, Slavic, Mesopotamian and Hindu traditions.

It is a shame that Hindus have turned on Christians, but in a way I can empathize. I'm sure they are just desperate to preserve their Hindu homelands. They have seen what the Abrahamic faiths have done to the rest of the world and they are fighting for their identity. I may have my facts wrong, but if this is the case, I can but admire them.

reply to post by Cythraul


I'd say that Hinduism is a derivation of some sort of common Indo-European paganism. I dont know what that would be like, but ostensibly the common root of Asatru, Hinduism, Greek and Roman pantheonism, German and Norse pantheonism etc was a proto-aryan civilization and religion.

Hinduism is slightly different to the pagan religions, because its nature has been modified by the act of settlement. According to some scholars, the predecessor of Hinduism would have been pretty similar to the pagan religions of Europe today, but when combined with the meditation and empiricism of the sages of the time (the seven rishis), Hinduism delved deeper into the philosophical side of things.

Probably 95% of Hindus today follow rituals and beliefs that are in line with the pagan religions indigenous to Europe. However 5% or thereabouts believe that the multitude of gods and nature spirits etc are allegories and metaphors for the true nature of god and reality (since the reality is so complex it cannot be explained in human terms).

Interesting to hear that there are some folks still practicing the ancient ways

Yes, I am a hindu, please do put forward your questions, I would be pleased to answer them.

I can try to answer some of your questions.

First, Hinduism is not a religion like say Christianity or Judaism or Islam.
There is no one holy book or scripture or prophet.
There is no mention of word Hindu or Hinduism in any scriptures.

Nowhere it is written in scriptures not to eat meat. It also does not say 'Do this, Don't do that'. It only tells of the consequences of our actions and we have the choice to make the decisions always.

sorry I'm late, but I'm also one of resident "half practicing" Hindus here. I was born into the religion of Hinduism and raised with it practices and rituals, however I was also exposed to many other religions and was given the opportunity to find my own way. I practice some of the rituals mainly as a preservation of the culture of my family, but I also have deep spiritual belief in some of the aspects of the religion. I believe very strongly in the power of OM/AUM, recitation of mantras, practice of yoga, and the power of some rituals, however in the other hand, I'm not a strict vegetarian, nor do I live the life of a yogi or participate in every ritual or belief. I also have several issues with many of practices of the religion too and therefore I choose to not follow the word of "man" but my own interpretation of what the religion's true message is.

True Hinduism states there are many paths to God, and because of that basic premise I believe we are each free to find GOD in our own way because eventually we'll get to the same destination, just that some may take longer than others. Hence for the same reason, you'll find numerous variations of the Hindu religion based on region, families, class, gender, etc.

Hinduism basically says that our life on this earth is because of the sins we have commited in the previous generations and we are born to wash out our past life karma(sins) in our current life.

And all the vedas are rooted in the explanation of life, the five vedas namely rig veda, yajur veda, sama veda and atharvana veda basically explain the life on earth and the working of nature.