imranhasan

Interesting thought, narayanadasa How do we know that plants do not experience pain (manas)? Thank you.

Ok. I see. Is this because plants do not have the freedom to do good and bad? Ok. I see. So would I be correct to derive that being born as a plant is a kind of a pay back for any bad deeds? Got it. Thank you very much. Would this also be true for animals? I will. Thank you.

Hello Narayanadasa, I request some clarification on the following: Don't the souls advance from lower forms to higher forms on the basis of their good behavior, by choice? What is a good behavior that a plant has choice in? What is a bad one? When you say that plants do not acquire new karma, does that mean that plants do not do good deeds, by choice? How does a plant exhaust a specific past karma? I would really appreciate some elaboration on this. Thank you.

Thank you, SM744 for your elaboration, Please correct me if I am wrong. I feel that for human being, especially, actions and expriences must be preceded by understanding. That was the only reason that I asked this question. If we are not even certain of the purpose, how would we even judge what to do or what might we aspire to experience and achieve? Would you not agree? From your answer, would I be correct to derive that the purpose of life is, for instance, to be aware of the permanent and the non-permanent and the moving and the unmoving? Or is that too just a means to the end? Would you consider this to be irrelevant?

Thank you very much, all brothers for your contributions. Avinash, firstly, as you would see there are some differences of opinion in this regards. Are all these differences within the framework of allowable differences and can be termed as differences of understanding, in your view? Secondly, you write: I understand that each species has limitations within the framework of which it would operate. However, what choice of good and evil does, for instance, a tree possess? Because of my earlier question, I would not be able to understand the concept of good and evil in other species, for now. However, as far as this concept in the humans is concerned, when you say that it changes, depending upon the situation, I presume that you do not imply that there is a difference of opinion regarding the basic moral values in human beings. All human beings know that truth is right falsehood wrong, justice is right and injustice wrong. However, there can be situations where one person may have to resort to something that he considers 'wrong', for instance, to avoid what in his eyes is a greater wrong. Am I correct in this understanding? Thank you.

Thank you Avinash, You write: Would I be correct in deriving from this: 'Hindus believe that the creator of all things (including ourselves and the demigods) is the One Sumpreme God only. The demigods have not created anything in this whole material (and all other forms of) existence'. Please correct me, if I am wrong. You write: Your analogy is quite beautiful. It does give a concept of how the supreme God may be running the affairs in a delegated manner. Am I correct, in deriving this? However, it raises a few questions in my mind. Continuing with the analogy of government: is the style of this overall government autocratic or democratic among the Supreme God and the demigods? Does the supreme God still have complete control over the affairs of the department over which a demigod is appointed or has this control now permanently been transfered to that demigod? For instance, can the supreme God remove one demigod from heading a particular ministry? Do the demigods take their own independent decisions with reference to their particular departments or do they simply carry out the directives given by the Supreme God? Is the Supreme God alone the one who is Omnipotent and Omniscient. What exactly does your sentence "But none of them is really omnipotent and omniscient the way supreme is", mean? Do you mean that the demigods are omnipotent and omniscient relative to their sphere of authority and responsibility? Thank you very much.

Thank you all, for your help. Thank you avinash for the response. I am sorry for the delayed in my response. I was kept busy with some work. I will request clarification of your first point, here. You write: What exactly does demigods and demigoddesses mean? Are these a creation of the one Supreme God? Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you very much Avinash. I greatly appreciate your contribution. God bless you. Before I send you any question on your reply, I would bring to attention an important point. You mention rebirth as an essential belief of Hinduism. However, in the reply posted by our friend Gaea, he writes: This obviously implies that a person may not believe in rebirth and still be a Hindu. Subsequently implying that rebirth is not an essential belief of Hinduism. Would that be correct? Thank you very much

Thank you very much, Avinash. Your answers are very clear. Thank you, indeed. You write: What I understand is that all species have the choice of taking to good and bad behavior? Does this mean a tree (and all insects, animals and all imaginable life forms) can perform good actions and also bad ones? For the sake of conveinence of understanding, please allow me to defer the questions on the remaining part of your reply till this point is clarified. Thank you very much, indeed.

Thank you, Ravindran R. Your statement is clearly a very attractive one. If it is as true as it is attractive, it can lead humanity to an extremely blissful situation. I congratulate you for that. However, I request some clarification, please. 1- One of the essential beliefs of Christianity and Islam is the Day of Resurrection of the Dead and the Day of Judgment. Does Hinduism too ascribe to that belief? 2- One of the essential beliefs of Christianity is that Jesus Christ was the son of God. Does Hinduism ascribe to this belief? 3- One of the essential beliefs of Islam is that God is absolutely unique and was never born to any parents, nor has or requires any children. Does Hinduism hold this as true? 4- If what you have mentioned is true, then Hinduism would comprise of the belief that Jesus was the son of God (from Christianity) and also that God has no children (from Islam). Would that not be mutually exclusive? To keep this exchange fruitful and possible, I would restrict myself to these points only. I will defer my questions on the remaining part of your response, till later. Thank you very much indeed, for your time.

Thank you very much gHari, I request some clarification on the following points: You write: What I understand from this is that each and every human being, as he is today, has been every plant, every insect, every animal in the past. Is that correct? 1- If that is so, was that soul not happy in its plant, insect or animal body? 2- Were there any criteria on the basis of which the soul was given a different body? 3- I also see, that your statement implies that a soul can fall to a lower form of life, on the basis of what its soul requires. Why was this soul given a human body, in the first place? Was it something different that it required then? 4- After being put in an animal body, on what basis can the soul again progress to a human form? One more question that comes to mind is that, according to this view of life, would it also mean that the combined number of humans, trees, weeds, insects, birds and other animals have always remained the same in this world? I greatly appreciate your time and thank you for it. In the referred article, it reads: What exactly does "Temporary Enjoyment of the material world via other media" mean? Can anyone please elaborate?

Thank you gHari How do animals and other creatures advance into the form of a human being? What is the ultimate perfection of life?

I would appreciate, if someone would kindly enlighten me on what are the essential beliefs ascribing to which, a person becomes a Hindu. Serious answers only, please. Thanks.

Excuse my posting this here. I have posted it on the audarya fellowship forum too, but have not received a clear response. My question is: I would appreciate if someone would kindly help me understand the purpose of life (human as well as other forms), according to Hindu teachings. Serious answers only, please. Regards,

Thank you Bhimasena, I am sorry for my ignorance. What exactly do we mean by 'reaching Bhagwan hari'? Who is 'Bhagwan Hari'? Thanks and regards,

Thank you rand0M aXiS I am sorry, I cannot see the relevance of your post to my request. I had asked: In response you post the constitution of association of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness. Please do note that I am not asking about any society, but about Hinduism. And please give your answers keeping in mind that I am new to this study. Thank you & Regards, <!-- v3 Arcade --><!-- /v3 Arcade -->******** type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_309919", true); *********>

Thank you, Gaea for your response. I really would appreciate if you can give a little more elaboration on this. Do you mean that the vedas have differences in their teachings? One who ascribes to any of these different teachings will be a hindu? Can you please give a brief example of how significant these difference can go up to? For example, can one be a hindu and not worship any idols? can one be a hindu and not believe in reincarnation? Thank you again, for your time. Regards,

I am completely new to the study of Hinduism. I would appreciate, if someone would kindly enlighten me on what are the essential beliefs ascribing to which, a person becomes a Hindu. Serious answers only, please. Thanks.

I would appreciate if someone would kindly help me understand the purpose of life (human as well as other forms), according to Hindu teachings.

We can love, respect and pay homage to our country, yet not necessarily, worship it. I can love a woman, yet not worship (in the literal sense, that is) her. I can respect my parents, yet do not worship them. I pay homage to martyrs in the way of humanity, yet not worship them. Do you think it is ultimately our concept regarding the object of worship that renders one act 'worship' and a similar act 'not worship'? Barring any rituals, I always felt that worship actually implies to completely humble oneself in front of a being as a show of extreme love, extreme fear, extreme reverence and extreme hope, while we hold that being to be all-powerful, all-knowing, all-controlling (and all the other necessary attributes) and also when we hold that being as having the capability of acting beyond the scope of the ordinary cause and effect laws. Would you agree with this point. Please make all the amendments to my statement that you may consider necessary. Thank you.. Hare Krishna... /images/graemlins/smile.gif

My dear friend, Yasodanandana, God bless you and further augment your wisdom First of all, please do tell me what does the phrase "Hare Krsna" mean. I have heard it a lot, but, unfortunately, am not aware of what it implies. (Please excuse this smal diversion from our topic). There is a small confusion in my mind, probably becasue of the examples that you have given. I would request you to clarify this point. a) What does worship mean in your mind? b) Is worship synonymous with love, respect or paying homage? c) In my mind, we can love someone, respect someone, pay homage to someone and yet all this does not necessarily mean that we worship that someone. Do you comply with my stance? If not, please elaborate. Fond regards and gratitude.

Greetings & Peace, my friend I must confess that I am not aware of the apparent epics that you have referred to. Please accept my apologies for that. However, you write: "but these are little exceptions... the krsna+devas system works wery well .. and well syncronized !!" Are we saying - even if only as a theoretical possibility - that the 'devas' can go against God? Does this mean that - even if temporarily - God can lose control over the devas as well as over what they control?

Greetings & peace, my friend You write: "devas are currently worshipped to obtain material advantages.. " If, for the time being, we just put aside the concept of whether or not material benefits are, in fact, useless or not, I would like to know whether the devas can grant any material benefits against the will of God or not? Can God grant any material advantages? You write: "if we ask to shiva or laksmi to help us to love krsna there's nothing bad... " What is the use of asking anyone for help? Do we believe in a God who cannot help us on his own? You write: "so.. pleasing devas and all the creatures it is not our main goal, but it is a sub-product of our devotion to krsna" "it is not our main goal", you say. But is it even a subsidiary or a non-main goal? If it is a sub-product of our devotion to 'krsna', they would I be correct to perceive that 'pleasing devas' is not even a subsidiary goal, as it would automatically be achieved, if we succeed in pleasing God? Thank you for bearing with my questions. I greatly appreciate it.

Respectfully, your stipulation has pushed us a little back. I had asked earlier: "Are the devatas subordinate to God in controlling the material world. That is, do the devatas control the material world according to the directives of God?" To this, 'Guest' replied 'yes' and Yasodananda did not refute Guest, which apparently means that he agreed with him. Now you write: "you can have powerful Devas who are controllers of various levels, who do not conform to the will of God." Please let me know if there is a difference of opinion among the Hindus in this regards.

Greetings & peace, my friend You write: "it is almost useless to worship devas separately from god" Then you write: "He's the only source of their power so better to worship him." Please excuse my being so naive, but can you please elaborate on 'almost useless'. Do you mean 'useless'? Secondly, should I interpret your statement to imply that you hold it incorrect to worship devas separately? Thirdly, does this mean that worshipping devas with God (not separately) is correct? Fourthly, do you consider it, at least, permissible - even if useless and even if you consider it 'better' to worship Him - to worship anyone besides God? You write: "In this way, the devas , who are devotees and servants of the lord, are more happy and pleased" Why is it considered important to please and to win the happiness of the devas? I truly appreciate your kind attention and hope to continue to benefit from it. Fond regards.