barney

I do not see as such. The writer has given his views about Hnduism according to what he perceives. The four Vedas Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva were written by diffeent sages and have different views about God. So no one person as the same view about Hinduism as the other. So, spiting the writer shows your lack of understanding that is all. You are not the only one but there are a few in this forum who think they are smarter than the other by their criticism. I'm not moved by your view but just laughing at your lack of comprehension that's all. Good day.

I do not see as such. The writer has given his views about Hnduism according to what he perceives. The four Vedas Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva were written by diffeent sages and have different views about God. So no one person as the same view about Hinduism as the other. So, spiting the writer shows your lack of understanding that is all. You are not the only one but there are a few in this forum who think they are smarter than the other by their criticism. I'm not moved by your view but just laughing at your lack of comprehension that's all. Good day.

What is Hinduism? It is the true culture of Indians in India. Many call it "A way of life." It is not an organized religion like Christianity or Islam. It has no founder. It has no Pope. It has no hierarchy. Just a lot of scriptures. In Hindu scriptures, you are actually studying about the history and culture of India, like in 66 books of the Holy Bible you are actually studying about the culture and history of the Jews. Hinduism and Judaism are mothers of all modern religions in the world. Buddhism, Sikhism and to some extent Jainism and Zoroastrianism came from Hinduism. Of course, Jainism existed during Rig Vedic Period. Statues of Rishabha, the first Thirthankara and founder of Jainism was found in the Mohenjadaro, Harappa excavations. Islam and Christianity came from Judaism. Judaism, Islam and Christianity have Abraham as the common father figure. All three have many common prophets. There is even mention about Jesus Christ many times in the Holy Koran. Coming back to Hinduism, C.S. Lewis, the great author and theologist wrote, finally it will come to two religions. Hinduism and Christianity. The first [Hinduism] will grow absorbing ideas and concepts from everywhere and later [Christianity] will keep away from everything that is foreign to it. What C.S. Lewis wrote is very true. Hinduism cannot be destroyed, even if we burn every Hindu scripture and kill every Hindu theologian on earth. Hinduism or Hindu Culture is a very dynamic living, breathing Reality. Strength of Hinduism lies in its most amazing ability to adapt to different circumstances and different ages while maintaining its very strong continuity with the past. How does it do that? That is a billion dollar question. Who is the founder of Hinduism? No body in particular. It is the research output of countless learned men called Rishis who were Christ like masters, through centuries. Who is a Hindu? I believe anyone who search after truth is a Hindu. There is One and only God and One Truth. The very first book of Hindus named Rig Veda proclaim, "Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti". (There is only one truth, only men describe it in different ways). So a Jew or a Christian or a Moslem who is in search after truth is automatically a Hindu. There are about 800 million Hindus in the world. There are more than 800,000 Hindus in the U.S., and about 160,000 in Canada. What Attracts One to Hinduism? The concepts of utmost freedom of thoughts and actions. That's what attracts many to Hinduism. Hinduism never forbids any one to question its fundamentals. On one side, in Hinduism, you may come across people worshiping pests like rats, and still on other side you will come across concepts parallel to Quantum Physics and Neil's Bohr Theory of nuclear structure and reactions. On one side Advaita (There is only one) philosophy is discussed and promoted, still on other side Dvaita (Two – duality) philosophy is discussed and promoted. Hinduism never ever banished any one, since he or she wrote a wrong scripture or did not observe a particular ritual. There was never a Salman Rushdie (author of Satanic Verses) in Hinduism and never will be there one. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, even atheists can call themselves as Hindus. That is very true. In fact the Charvaka philosophy or Nastika philosophy, (existed during the Vedic period) founded by Charvaka rejected the existence of God and considered religion as an aberration. Voltaire in Essay on Tolerance wrote: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it." Hinduism is the symbol of what Voltaire wrote. When did Hinduism Take Birth? Nobody knows. If you go by Hindu mythological stories, Hinduism is trillions of years old. If you go by Max Muller, the German philosopher, it is at least 8000 to 9000 years old. Hinduism might have started as Dravidian civilization and later merged with Aryan civilization. Of course, my friend David Frawley has written a wonderful book, explaining that Aryan Invasion of India never happened and it is a myth. However studying the relics of Mohenjadaro and Harappa excavations, I conclude, relics of the Indus civilization shows merging of many cultures and concepts. The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India and China. Harappa and Mohenjodaro were cities in the Indus Valley civilization that flourished around 2,500 B.C. in the western part of South Asia. The roots of Hinduism can be traced to this civilization. The language spoken here is believed to be from Dravidian family, which includes Tamil. Hinduism has the strange capability to absorb and grow from all quarters and that is why in it you can see relics of all other civilizations like Egyptian, Celtic, Mayan, Greek, Roman etc. To me it does not matter the exact date it was born, since nobody can prove or disprove the exact date. I am more concerned about what it has to give to the world. What was the original name of Hinduism? Sanatana Dharma or Righteousness Forever was the original name of Hinduism. It was Persians who invaded India during 6th century B.C. who gave the name Hinduism meaning the religion of people living near the Indus river. In Persian the letter H and S are pronounced almost the same so they mistook the word Sindhu (Sanskrit name for Indus) to H and then started calling Hindus and Hinduism. What is the language in which the Hindu scriptures were written? Sanskrit older than Hebrew and Latin. The first words in English language came from Sanskrit. The word mother came from Sanskrit word mata and father came from Sanskrit word pita as per the PBS video "The Story of English". Believe it or not the word geometry came from a Sanskrit word named Gyaamiti meaning 'measuring the earth'. The word trigonometry came from the word Trikonamiti meaning 'measuring triangular forms'. Sanskrit, which literally means "cultured or refined" was the classical language of India and is the oldest and the most systematic language in the world. Forbes Magazine, (July, 1987) wrote: "Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages and is the most suitable language for the computer software." How was Hinduism Started? According to Hindu scriptures it started as Shruti – that which is heard. The great seers of ancient times called Rishis who had perfected themselves have heard in their hearts, eternal truths and they taught those truths to disciples by telepathy and later they wrote them in books. Vedas and Upanishads are known as Shruti literature rest is called Smriti – that which is remembered – literature. All Hindu scriptures were considered as revealed truths of God. In fact Hindu scriptures say that all Hindu Scriptures were written by God. According Christian theologians Holy Bible is considered to be Holy Spirit inspired book. According to Mimamsa school of thought, all Shruti literature existed all through eternity in the form of sounds. Therefore those sounds of words of Vedas and Upanishads are very important to Hindus. What are the Sacred Books of Hinduism? The very first sacred books of Hinduism are called Vedas. Vedas means knowledge. There are four Vedas and they claim to teach men the highest aspects of truths which can lead them to God. Vedas and Upanishads are Shruti scriptures. The word Veda came from the root word "vid" meaning "to know". Vedas are the very first scriptures of Hinduism. Vedas as per scriptures was written by God. Vedas state "Self Ralization" is one and the goal of human life. Vedas also discuss in detail rituals and ceremonies to attain self-realization. There are 4 Vedas. They are: Rig Veda – Knowledge of Hymns – 10589 verses The Hindu Rig Veda is the foremost book of Hindus. It is the oldest book in the world. Nobody knows when Rig Veda was written. According to Bal Gangadhar Tilak it was written in 5000 BC. German philosopher Max Muller dates 1500 BC. According to some it took centuries to write this book from 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. Rig Veda is older than Gilgamesh (2500 B.C) and the Old Testament. The very first Veda, Rig Veda very clearly shows that it was written, when nomad man first settled down on the banks of rivers like Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus etc. That is the reason why, in Rig Veda, you see, people are worshiping natural powers like lighting, rain, Sun, fire (Agni); water; air, that effects cultivation. It consists of 1028 hymns, comprising of 10,589 verses in 10 chapters known as Mandalas. 33 gods are worshiped in Rig Veda. There are 100 hymns addressed to Soma; 250 addressed to Indra; 200 hymns addressed to Agni; Many addressed to Surya. Few addressed to Ushas, Aditi, Saraswati, Varuna and Asvins. Lord Vishnu is a minor god in Rig Veda. One of the most important statement came from the Rig Veda is "Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti" –meaning "Truth is one but men describe it differently". Lord Vishnu has minor importance in Rig Veda. Name of Lord Siva is mentioned as Rudra. Soma in Rig Veda is intoxicating drink to gods. The word Sura came those who drink an intoxicating drink which I think is Soma. The word Asura came from those who do not drink that drink. Another word that caught my attention in Rig Veda is the word Rta which means some kind of cosmic order. I think the word Dharma originated from the word Rta. One of the most prominent hymns of Rig Veda "Purusa-Sukta – Purusha (man) and the Primordial sacrifice of Purusha for the betterment of man and the world". Another one is "Creation Hymn. Caste system started in Rig Vedic period. The Rig Vedic Hymn, known as Purusha-Sukta (Mandala-x, 19th hymn, 12th verse) states: "The Brahmin was Purusha's (cosmic man - the first principle of Sankhya Philosophy in Hinduism) mouth, the Kshatriya his arms, the Vaisya his thighs and Shudra his feet. Yajur Veda – Knowledge of Liturgy – 3988 verses Yajur Veda deals with knowledge of rites. This Veda is based on Rig Veda. It contains rules and regulations explaining how to conduct rituals. It consists of prose as well verse. This Veda is indeed a priestly handbook, even describing the details of how to make an alter. Sacrifice is one of the most important aspect of this Veda. Sama Veda – Knowledge of Music – 1549 verses Sama Veda deals with the knowledge of chants. Sama means "melody". The classical Indian music originated from this Veda. This Veda is also based on Rig Veda. Verses from this Veda is sung when "Soma Sacrifice" is performed. Sama Veda is similar to Psalms in Christianity. To some extent much of this Veda is a repetition of the Rig Veda sung in melodious format. Invocations of this Veda is addressed to Soma (moon or the narcotic drink Soma); Agni (fire); Indra (god of heaven). One of the Upanishads that came out of this Veda is Chandogya Upanishad. Atharva Veda – Knowledge given by Sage Athrvana – 6000 Verses Atharva Veda contains the knowledge given by sage Athrvana. Some state that sage Athrvana did not formulate this Veda but was the chief priest in the ceremonies associated with it. Atharvana who is mentioned in the Rig Veda was considered as the eldest son of Lord Brahma (God of creation). Atharva Veda is also known as Brahma Veda, because it is still used as a manual by Hindu priests and Brahmins. Ayurveda is a part of Atharva Veda. A large number of Upanishads came from Atharva Veda. Belief it or not, much of Hindu exorcism of devils came from this Veda. At the same time, the oldest records on Veda do not talk about this Veda. There is absolutely no reference about this Veda in the Chandogya Upanishad or in the Brahmana tests or in the Jatakas or in the Bhagavad Gita. That very clearly shows Atharva Veda was non-existent when other 3 Vedas were composed. Ayurveda Ayurveda – The Hindu Medicine Scripture – consists of more than 100,000 verses initially. Still it is considered as a upa Veda of Atharva Veda. More Books of Hinduism Samhitas – basic texts for hymns to deities, formulas and chants. The Sanskrit word Samhita means "put together". Brahmanas – description as well as directions for performance of rituals. The word originated from the word Brahmins. Brahmins are the original Hindu priests and they follow Brahmans to conduct rituals. Aryanakasb – contain Mantras and interpretations of rituals. This book also known as "the forest books" since book is used by saints who meditate in the forests. Upanishads – texts revealing ultimate truths by different saints. Upanishads teach men that there is One and Only thing and that is BRAHMAN. You and I are just reflections of Brahman. Or we are indeed God... Upanishads teach us "Tat Tvam Asi" – That Thou Art. In fact, the word Upanishad can be broken down as upa (near) ni (down) shad (sit) meaning that teachings of Upanishads were conveyed from masters to students when students sat very next to masters and nobody overheard those teachings. There are a total of 108 Upanishads. Principle ones 13. Some of the Upanishads are named after the sages who answered all questions. Some as per the first word in the Upanishad. 1. Isa Upanishad, 2. Kena Upanishad, 3. Katha Unpanishad, 4. Prasna Upanishad, 5. Mundaka Upanishad, 6. Mandukya Upanishad, 7. Aitareya Upanishad, 8. Taittirya Upanishad, 9. Chandogya Upanishad, 10. Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad, 11. Kaushitaki Upanishad, 12. Shvetashvatara Upanishad, 13. Maitri Upanishad. Smriti Literature consists of large number of books. Vedangas – scriptures attached to Vedas. 1. Dharma Sutras – Codes of Manu, Yatnyavalkya etc 2. Jyotisha – Astrology and Astronomy 3. Kalpa – rituals and legal matters 4. Siksha – phonetics 5. Chhandas – measurements 6. Nirukta – Etymology 7. Vyakarana – Sanskrit grammar Upa Vedas 1. Ayurveda – Hindu science of health and longevity 2. Dharnur Veda – Hindu science of archery and war 3. Gandharva Veda – Hindu science of Music 4. Artha Shastra – Hindu science of governing by Kings Darsanans – Hindu Jnana Yoga – Path of Knowledge 1. Nyasa – Sage Gautama wrote Nyaya sutras 2. Vaisheshika – Sage Kanada wrote Vaisheshika sutra 3. Samkhya – Sage Kapila - Gita starts with this philosophy 4. Yoga – Sage Patanjali wrote Patanjali Yogasutra 5. Mimamsa – Sage Jaimini wrote Mimamsa Sutra 6. Vedanta – Sage Veda Vyasa Vedanta (At the End of the Vedas) meaning it started at the end of Vedic age, has two parts : 1. Advaita Philosophy - One Only - great exponent Adi Sankara and 2. Dvaita Philosophy - Two - almost all Vaishnava Saints. Itihasas or Epics : Mythological Scriptures Ramayana – story of Rama, written by Valmiki. Ramayana is the story of Rama and princess Sita. Valmiki wrote the whole Ramayana as the narration of a crying dove (who just lost her lover to a hunter's wicked arrow) to him. This beautiful poem consists of 24,000 couplets. Lord Rama is one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu and Ramayana is a story which projects Hindu ideals of life. There are many versions of Ramayana. The Hindi version was written by sage Tulsi Das The Malayalam version (Kerala state) was written by Thuncheth Ezuthachan. The original text was written in very stylish Sanskrit language Mahabharata – story of Pandvas and Kauravas 220,000 verses, 18 chapters Bhagavad Gita is part of this scripture. It is lengthier than Homer's ODYSSEY. It consists of episodes, dialogues, stories, discourses and sermons. It contains 110,000 couplets or 220,000 lines in 18 Parvas or sections or chapters. Apart from 18 parvas there is a section of poems in the form of an appendix with 16,375 verses which is known as Harivamsa Parva. So in total there are 19 Parvas, even though many saints do not consider the last Parva as an important parva. The Bhagavad Gita is part and parcel of Mahabharata. Is Bhagavad Gita the Hindu Holy Bible? Bhagavad Gita is a part of the epic Mahabharata, appearing in the middle of the great epic. Many consider Bhagavad Gita as the most important scripture of Hindus. If the entire Upanishads can be considered as cows, then the Bhagavad Gita can be considered as milk. It is the essence of the Vedas. Bhagavad Gita consists of 18 chapters and 700 verses. It deals with all type of Yogas, means of self-realization. It is in the form of a very lively conversation between the warrior-prince Arjuna and his friend and charioteer Lord Krishna, at the outset of the great Mahabharata war, in the middle of the battle field. Just before the beginning of the war, Arjuna refused to fight, when he found he had to kill thousands of his own kinsmen to be victorious in the war. Lord Krishna advised him on a very large variety of subjects in a question and answer format. At the end, Arjuna took Lord Krishna's advice and fought and won a very fierce war. Gita has an answer to every problem a man may face in his life. It never commands anyone what to do; Instead it discusses pros and cons of every action and thought. Throughout Gita you will not come across any line starting or ending with Thou Shalt Not. That is the reason why Gita is the darling of millions of seekers of truth throughout the world. Versions of Gita The very first English translation of Gita was done by Charles Wilkins in 1785, with an introduction by Warren Hastings, the British Governor General of India. One of the most popular translation was done by Sir Edwin Arnold, under the title The Song Celestial. There are many translations of the Gita and one of most descriptive translation on Gita was done by Swami Sri Prapupada of International Krishna consciousness. Almost all saints in India have published their versions of the Bhagavad Gita. Recently the Self Realization Fellowship, California have published an excellent translation of the Bhagavad Gita. Most intellectuals in the world go through Gita at least once in their life time. Aldous Huxley wrote: The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most systematic scriptural statement of the perennial philosophy" in his introduction of the The Song of the God by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood. Gita won the interest and admiration of great intellectuals such as Von Humboldt of Germany and Emerson of America. It has influenced thinkers like Hagel and Schopenhauer. Father of Atom Bomb and Bhagavad Gita Robert Oppenheimer, the very first Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission and father of Atom bomb was a great admirer of the Bhagavad Gita. He learnt Sanskrit during Manhattan Project to understand the true meaning of Gita. He really shocked the world, when he quoted a couplet from Gita (Chapter 11:12) after witnessing the first Atomic Explosion in the state of New Mexico. Later when he addressed congress regarding Atom Bomb he said Atom Bomb remind him of Lord Krishna who said in the Bhagavad Gita, "I am death devourer of all". Puranas –18 are most important Mahabhagavatam is the most read important scripture of ISKCON (Hare Krishan). Puranas are religious stories which expound truths. Just like the parables told by Jesus Christ, these stories are told to common folk to make them understand the higher truths of life. According to Jesus Christ "Mysteries of the universe are revealed to those who are spiritually awake, but to others those mysteries have to be explained in parables". On that Puranas are called the Vedas of the Common folk, for they present the mysteries through myth and legend. Six puranas addressed to Lord Vishnu are 1-Vishnu Purana 2-Narada Purana 3-Srimad Bhavata Purana 4-Garuda Purna 5-Padma Purana 6-Varaha Purana. Six Puranas --addressed to Lord Siva are 1-Matsya Purana 2-Kurma Purana 3-Linga Purana 4-Vayu Purana 5-Skanda Purana 6-Agni Purana. SIX Puranas addressed to Lord Brahma are 1-Brahma Purana 2-Brahanda Purana 3-Brahma-Vaivasvata Puranaor Brahma-Vaivarta Purana 4-Markandeya Purana 5-Bhavishya Purana 6-Vamana Purana . Apart from that we have 22 minor Puranas Agamas – Sectarian Scriptures They are a group scriptures worshipping God in particular form and they describe detailed courses of disciple for the devotee. Like Upanishads there are many Agamas. They can be broadly divided into three sets of Agamas. Vaishnava Agamas – worship God as Lord Vishnu Saiva Agamas – worship God as Lord Siva Sakti Agamas – worship God as Mother Goddess. Believe it or not there is no Agamas for Lord Brahma (God of creation). Saivates have 28 Agamas and 108 Upa Agamas (minor agamas). Saktiates recoganizes 77 agamas. I am not sure about the actual number of the Vaishna Agamas. Vaishanavates consider Pancha Ratra Agamas as one of the most important agamas. Each Agama consists of Philosophy, mental discipline, Rules for constructing temples and Religious practices. Tantras Started during Vedic age, Tantras consists of cosmology, erotic exercises etc. Tantra is very important and very vast. Sanskrit word Tantras means to expand. Tantrism researched into Astronomy, Astrology, Palmistry, Cosmology. Chakras and Kundalini power etc are the contributions of Tantras to the world. Of course Tantras also states salvation through sex. In any other religion scriptures like Tantra literature will not be tolerated. In Christianity, the first person William Tyndall who translated Holy Bible into English was mercilessly burnt at stake, and copies of his Bible burnt, since church did not like his version of the Holy Bible! That is why I take my hats off to Hinduism. Charvaka – Hindu Materialism Just like Tantras, Hinduism tolerated Chrvaka philosophy. Its founder was Charvaka. The most important book was Brihaspati Sutra. I am stating things in past tense since I am not aware if copies of this book are available in India. According to Charvaka, "Material world alone exists and our knowledge comes from sense perception". This philosophy openly propagated that there is no God, the Law of Karma has no basis and that the Vedas were written by clowns. It adds " Enjoy life while you can, for once cremated, you will never return to earth." There are still a lot more scriptures in Hinduism. I should say that there are more than 1000 scriptures in Hinduism.......We will now start discussing about each individual scripture.... What is the Hindu Concept of God? Hindus believe in One and Only God – Brahman which expresses itself in trillions of forms. Hindus do not believe God has human form or any other form. God is nameless and timeless. But there is nothing wrong to worship a God with name and form (nama-roopa), since man cannot conceive anything without any name and form. In fact, in the Shruti scriptures of Hinduism, God or Brahman has been described as Saguna Brahman (God-Brahman with attributes) as well as Nirguna Brahman (God-without attributes. In the Upanishads, God is described as Neti–Neti (not this-not that) method. So first Hindus worshiped 33 natural gods in the Rig Veda. Then Hinduism came to the realization that there is one and only God - Brahman. Just like one and only Sun shines over the mountains of Afghanistan, dry deserts of Saudi Arabia; Penthouse of New York, there is one and only God which is present in the Hindu temple, Christian church, Moslem Mosque, Jewish synagogue, Buddha Vihars and Sikh Gurudwara. If there is only One God, Why Hindus worship many God forms? During the time of Upanishads, when the Hindu Rishis (scientists of that day) said there is only One God – Brahman, they found out that laymen could not understand that concept. So they wrote Itihasas (epics) and Puranas [mythological stories] filled with many gods, with the concept that when you worship any God form, you are actually worshiping one and only God Brahman. Lord Krishna reiterated that point by saying, "Call me by what ever name you like; Worship me in any form you like; All that goes to One and Only Supreme Reality." So a Hindu when worshiping any God form is actually worshiping One and Only God Brahman. In Christianity One God expresses himself in three forms, Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. In Hinduism One God Expresses itself in trillions of forms. That is the reason why Hindus have no problem in calling Jesus and Buddha avatars (incarnations) of God, even though Buddha did not reorganize the authority of Vedas or belief in Brahman. Believe it or not there is no word Trinity in the entire Holy Bible and it originated only after emperor Constantine became a Christian. He did that to fuse pagan Rome to Christianity. Only mention of Trinity concept of God in the Bible, is in the St. Matthew's account of Christ's last command to the apostles, "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the son and of the Holy Spirit" [MAT 28:19.] According to Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia the Trinity doctrine was not established until 363 A.D. It says that Trinity is the result of three or four centuries of theological development. The New Catholic Encyclopedia also states that devotion to Trinity had begun in monasteries at Aniane and Tours, during 8th century. Why Hindus Workship Idols? Show me any person [except may be Jews], who does not believe in an idol, image, or symbol and I will show you the greatest liar on earth. All religions have some concept of God with name and form, but Hindus alone have the courage to admit that fact. The Cross in the Christian church, the picture of Jesus Christ, the statue of Mary, statues of patron saints, even the black stone in Kabba are all idols. If anyone bow in front of any of them, they are breaking laws of Old Testament [LED . . . 26:1, and EX 20:2-5.] Idol worship is every where and I never ever met a man who does not worship something or someone. In fact, the first sculpture of Christ was in the form of a small boy holding on to a sheep. Now, everywhere in the world, people have pictures of Christ according to their culture. A loving young white man in USA, a tough man looking like a judge in Russia, a nice black man in Africa and a man looking like a typical man from China with a sheepish beard in China. I respect all those pictures. Believe it or not, all of them are idol worships. Once again, God is spirit...No word or image can describe or depict God or can encompass the greatness of God. God is neither the father nor the mother. Since man cannot conceive anything without name and form, man has the right to worship God with a form. At the same time, every worship leads to a God without any name and form in course of the development of the seeker in spirituality. What are the Hindu Moral Codes? Hindu moral codes are written a collection of books called Dharma Sutras. Hindu moral Codes are the integral part of Hinduism and they come under the big umbrella called Dharma. It is very difficult to translate the word Dharma. Some of the codes are Ahimsa (non-killing), Satya (truth), Dharma (duty), Karuna (compassion), Virya (fortitude), Dama (self-restraint), Saucha (Purity). What is an Avatar? An Avatar is an incarnation of God. Whenever God come down to earth in any form then Hindus call that an Avatar. According to that definition, Christ can be considered as an Avatar, even though there is no mention about Jesus Christ in any of the Hindu scriptures. What is Salvation according to Hinduism? Hindu salvation concept is different from Christian salvation concept. Hindu salvation is known as Self Realization. In Hindu salvation a person realizes that he is not the body, but the immortal soul (Adman) within. That is the reason why Hindu salvation is known as self realization or "Realizing that he is the Immortal self and not the perishable body. In Hindu salvation the identity of the soul is lost when it attains salvation. Hindu salvation can be compared to a pinch of salt trying to find the bottom of the ocean. The moment the pinch of salt touches the surface of the mighty ocean, it becomes part and parcel of the Ocean. Similarly, when a person seeks after God according to Hinduism, becomes One with God when he attains salvation. Hinduism never ever boasts monopoly on salvation. In fact, as per Hinduism, any one even an atheist can attain salvation. A Jew, Christian and Moslem can attain salvation, irrespective of whether they read any Hindu scriptural book. What is the Law of Karma? Hindus believe in life after death. They also believe in the Biblical concept "Whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap". That is the basis of karmic law. Every action and every thought has a result. Hindus believe that every thought and every action is weighed on the scale of eternal justice. The law of karma is one of cause and effect. Nobody can escape from the Karmic debt. I believe Christ took care of the Karmic debt of all the apostles so that he can make them fishermen of men. What happens to us when we die? According to Hinduism, the body alone dies. the soul within the body never dies, But the path the soul takes is decided upon the past actions which are known as karmas. So the actions of former body does not die with the body. Past actions are attached to the body and they decide what kind of body the soul takes in the next life. When an individual soul exhausts all its karmas and merges with God then Hindus say that soul has attained salvation. Does that mean one has to take millions of lives to achieve salvation? No, absolutely not. That question is the question many ask. Hindu scriptures, especially the Bhagavad Gita very clearly says that one can attain salvation in one life, provided one surrender his will to the will of God 100%. Lord Krishna said: "Those who surrender all actions to me and regard me as the supreme goal and worship me with whole hearted devotion, will be saved by me from repeated births and deaths." In another verse, Lord Krishna said: "Give up all your righteous and non-righteous actions and come to me; take refuge in me. Then I shall free you from all sins; grieve not." That me who is mentioned is not the Lord Krishna but the absolute soul or God. Krishna is one of the representations of that God. That God can appear in another form like Christ or without any form or name at all. How can one attain Salvation? Through four paths 1 Jnana Yoga – Path of Knowledge 2 Karma Yoga – Path of Selfless Actions 3 Bhakti Yoga – Path of Devotion 4 Raja Yoga – Path of Breath Control and Pranayama Most of all religious devotees of all religions are Bhakti yogies whether they believe in Hinduism or not. Very good Christians go to church everyday and surrender themselves to the deity of Christ are Bhakti Yogis. So too Moslems. Hinduism is the only religion that explains the four paths very well. What is Aum (Om)? It is the Hindu word. It is a syllable that stands for absolute. It is uttered in the beginning as well as at the end of all Hindu prayers. To some extent it is the logos of the Holy Bible. Do you believe that John 1:1 came from the Hindu Scriptures? Yes, I think so. Long before JOHN 1:1 [70 AD] was written, Hindu Vedas [ at least 5000 BC] wrote the same thing "Prajapathi Vai Agre Aseet" In the beginning was Prajapati, The Brahman, The God "Tasya Vag dvitiya Aseet" with whom was the word: "Vag Vai Oarama Brahman" and the word was verily the Supreme Brahman - The God. John 1:1 states: In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God." Why do women wear a dot on their forehead? That dot is supposed to be the meeting point of eye brows. That important point is called Angina Chara or spiritual eye. Everyone is supposed to protect that. In fact all saints protect that point with sandalwood paste. But later women alone started protecting that area. What is Namaste'? It is the popular Hindu greeting performed by pressing two hands together and holding them near the heart. The whole act communicate to the world 'You and I are one. I salute and worship the God within you, which is a mirror image of myself". Do Hindus Practice Monogamy? Hindus practice monogamy and Hindus have stopped "child marriages in India by SAADA Act (1929) under the British. It is the Moslems in India who are allowed to marry four wives and Moslem Sharia law allows child marriages for Moslems in India. Do Hindu Scriptures Forbid Abortion? Yes they do. Hindu scriptures forbid abortion. From time immemorial, Hindus consider children as gifts from God. In the code of Manu, Manu forbids abortion. One of the worst acts described in the scriptures is Sis-Hatya meaning destruction of the unborn fetus. There are prayers in the Rig Veda to guard a growing embryo. Only time abortion is allowed is when the fetus is known to be defective as per Susruta Samhita, the Hindu Ayurvedic book. What is Caste System? There is nothing in Hinduism as complex as caste system. It emerged as a part of division of labor among people during the days of Rig Veda. The greatest apostle of caste system, was Sage Manu. He laid down all provisions governing caste system in Manu-Smriti. Brahmins – Priests Kshatriyas – Fighters and warriors Vaisya – Business men Shudras – helpers of every one Unlike in the Holy Bible, where Slavery is discussed and accepted even by St. Paul (Holy Bible verses Col. 4:11; Exodus 21:21 1: Lev. XXV:44- 55 Thessalonians 3:22), there is no statement in the entire Hindu scriptures to ill-treat lower castes, except Sage Manu's Code, where punishments of lower castes are severe comparing to punishments for the higher castes for the same offense. There is no word "untouchable" in the entire Hindu scriptures. Still caste system degenerated in India. It is indeed the greatest curse on Hinduism. It attacks the core of Hinduism. It resulted in large scale conversion of Hindus to other religions. I sincerely pray and hope, caste system eventually will go away, making it a relic of the history. Hindus should do what Christians did. Even though slavery is mentioned and accepted as a practice in the Holy Bible, even though during Civil war many such as Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America quoted from the Bible to support slavery, Christians took it upon their chin and eliminated slavery completely. Once upon a time, India had 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes. Even there were 1,800 Brahmin castes in India. Even different Brahmin castes did not mingle themselves socially or otherwise, in ancient times. Last of all, ancient India, persecuted a large group of people called untouchables. Mahatma Gandhi said: "Untouchability is a crime against God and men." Ambedkar once wrote out of his own experience, "To the untouchables, Hinduism is a veritable chamber of horrors." Why Hindus Practice Suttee (Sati)? None of the Hindu scriptures mention about Sati. Suicide of the consort of Lord Siva, Sati, has nothing to do with Sati or Suttee. Suicide of queen Madri in the epic Mahabharata has nothing to do with Sati. Suicide of 16000 wives of Lord Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavatam has nothing to do with Sati. At the same time Suttee is the most horrendous way of widows jumping into the funeral pyre of their fallen husbands. It is an ancient ritual practiced by a warrior race of India called Rajputs. Nobody else in India, practiced Suttee. Once again, Suttee is never mentioned in any Hindu religious scripture. There is not even one episode of Suttee in the vast Hindu mythology. Many state Hinduism is very Complex and Contradictory! All religions are the result of the works of thousands of thinkers. Hinduism and Judaism are cultures and they are the mothers of all religions. New religions like Christianity and Islam took the best aspects of Judaism and made part of them. So too Buddhism and Jainism took the best aspects of Hinduism and made part of them. In Christianity, there were several housecleaning in its 2000 years of history. Hinduism on its part, never had any house cleaning in its history. Since Hinduism never tossed anything away, in it you will see in it primitive religion as well as very advanced thoughts. I have repeatedly stated that Hinduism has the good, the bad and also the ugly aspects in it like any other culture or religion in the world. We have to boldly face facts and eradicate the bad and the ugly aspects, to better the lives of millions of Hindus, for years to come. The greatness of Hinduism can be summerized in few words. "Freedom of Thoughts and Actions." That is what Hinduism stands for. – Ed Viswanathan June 2, 2002

<<< I am curious. Who is this mother ? Are you talking about Devi Bhagavatam mother or are you hallucinating stuff ? >>>>>>> It is his ability to communicate whereas you have not reach the stage. Ramakrihna did it, was he hallucinating? Why do you think you know more than anybody else? Just by reading the scriptures would not give you direct passport to whoever you believe is GOD. The divine inspiration comes from within you and only with true devotion. Just trying to show you have studied all and that you are an expert would not make one a self realize person. Bear it mind that being sarcastic is a sin too and you have just lost 60 pints for grace.

<<<< Few or may be hand countable are those who could be called as Sattwik Vaishnawas or Sattwik Shaivas...For they are not put into any confusion nor they put others into confusion. when they speak they speak only truth and just the truth and nothing else ......>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes, "TRUTH" comes in manay faces. Adhi Shankara, Sri Ramalinga swami[ Vallalar], Sri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa and Sri Satya Sai Baba and more will come i their near future. Extremeism in religion leads to conflicts and disorder among devotees of same denomination. Where would it end? Hinduism is a way discribing several paths to GOD. Having chosen, one may differ from the other but the aim is the same as the other. But some of them do not accept as such and dispute to show their superiority over the other. If we Hindus keep up with such attitude than we are allowing others to play in our mind and in no time we are questioning our own faith. I have noticed that in this forum when some of us praise Mother Durga, Lord Shiva or Murugan the Krishnavites start their backlash condemning our belief by saying all others are demigods and that we are stupid fools to follow dieties of low quality. But these people do not realize the real truth behind and I feel sorry for them. OM NAMA SHIVAYA.

narayanadasa said: Fate is something predestined or something that is not under your control whatsoever. Although certain things are not under our control in this life, we definitely can make our future (next life) better by living good today. We just need to accumulate good Karma. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& You are here and it is you fate to be here. Like it or not this is your life. You would not know what you were before so it is now that you realize there was another life before this but otherwise how would you know you exist. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& narayanadasa said: Thinking back on the same lines to the extent we went back our lives to our very first birth can we say it was our fate that we are still here today? No, fate, because nobody pre-destined anything for us to be here.... it was our own decision to get in touch with material nature and in the process accumulate karma and continue to be here.. God gave us what WE desired. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& No, the predestine is determind by the Lord before we were cast out inot this world. Before that we were all in the spritual world. You must remember out atman is imortal, there is no birth no end. So the birth of our life here was first determind bu the Lord due to our misbehaviour or desire to experience a mortal life. From than on we experinece birth and death until we exhaust our karma. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& narayanadasa said: When we say "Fate" we tend to leave the responsibility for that with God. This is wrong because we are responsible for what we do, not God. We need the support of God to do Karma too (both Good and Bad as we desire) and God will provide support for both.. we have the choice. Again, it is our responsibility to choose, not our fate. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& No, that is wrong. God does not predestine our life. It is we who through our action and thought which determine our next birth. Ftae is something that you only realize when it has happened otherwise we would not know. Something like I wish to see my children grow up and get married so that I can see my grandchildren. But that desire is shortlived so what happens than, my kis folks wout say he is not fated to live to see his grandchildren. Now how does fate play here. If I had lived to see my grand children than is was predestined by my past karma that I would otherwise fate had desided to end my desire. This is something one need to ponder. Ofcourse there are many interpretation about fate and karma but we have to think of logic. Fate is only mentioned when something unwanted had happened otherwise fate would be forgotten. But most do not realize fate is happening every second of our live without us realizing. Meeting someone for the first time is fate and that is happening and it is due to our karma of the past. Otherwise you would not meet that new face. He was interlinked in your past life and was predsetined to meet you again in this present life at a certain period. All life in this planest has a link to our past but we do not realize it. Your mother of father in yur past life could be one of your sons or daughters. Or if you had been a swan in your past life and since you have exhausted your karma there and in this life you take a human birth does not mean the link is over. Some or rather you would take a liking to the swans in this life and that is the intution of your past link. This is a very broad subject to dwell with but an intersting one. As for GOD he only observes all this and would wait for your return only. We would not know after how many births and deaths. That is why the rishis have show a certain way to return to him earlier than as destined, which is self realization. Those self realized souls have take abode with the Lord earlier than some who wish to dwell on God in search of him and trying to please him in different ways. Now that would take up most of your time and in the process you incure more bad karmas. Such as tell a person he way is wrong and this is how one should go by and if he refuses you way you cures him or make fun of his ways to irritate him and so on. This are all bad karmas. If you had chosen a path live by it in silent and cary on your belief in order not to hurt others. That would be your ticket to reach him otherwise it is back here again as predestined till your karm is exhausted. That is why I said KARMA & FATE works togeter in hand in hand in each and everyones life whithout you realizing it. Only when the action has taken its course that we say it is fate that it had to be this and that. OM NAMA SHIVAYA

####And who are this "true followers" of Koran? What are they called? Where are they? What "Mazhab" do they follow? And more importantly, how do the rest Muslims society feel about them? ############################################### The true followers of Islam are those who only believe in the Koran and not the Hadith. "Among the people, there are those who uphold baseless HADITH (narrations, sayings, words, speech, opinions, statement, utterance, discourse, account, tale........), and thus divert others from the path of God without knowledge, and take it in vain. These have incurred a shameful retribution." 31:6 "The only Sunna to follow shall be God's Sunna. [17:77, 33:62, 48:23, 6:114]" " The Quran informs us that some enemies of the Prophet, described as "human and jinn devils," will fabricate lies and attribute them to the Prophet (6:112, 25:31)." The Hadith literature - the source of the Sunnah, is imposingly believed to be the words of Prophet Muhammad, passed through his companions. While purportedly made in the name of the Prophet, a number of these sayings can actually be traced to Zoroastrian culture, the Christian Bible and even the laws and rituals of the Byzantine. In a manner of speaking, the limited legislation in the Koran, basically the rules in regard to marriage, divorce, inheritances, orphans, food and a few others occupy very little room in the whole canon of Sharia Laws. A vast bulk of it comes from the Sunnah and significantly from Bukhari, concocted and recorded about 200 years after the death of the Prophet. Evidently, deeply merged in it, are the arbitrary laws, induced by the Muslim emperors and kings of their own as they could not successfully invoke to settle questions arising in such diverse categories as systematic and moral theology, ritual, civil and military laws, etc. May be you are still green in this field but believe me when I say Koran is the only true book of Islam and not the Hadith. Go to http://www.submission.org/quran/ but please do not always ask me where is the prove. If I hadn't read I would not post. You must be too lazy to do your research. ###I believe you are LYING. You are lying because according to Muslims, Al Quran is NOT something which appeared before. It is brand new which is NOT given to Man before. ANY statement which stated otherwise is considered an insult to Islam. I know because I have brought a thread in another forum regarding what Muhammad probably did for 15 years (from point he married Khadijah to the point of receiving Wahyu at Cave of Hira) and most of Muslims kept quiet. I suggested that Islam may get someone of its influence from Buddhism (and Hindusm) since it have been spread as far as Afghan before and they took it badly, stating Al Quran never given to Man before.################################# Here again you are calling me a liar without any basis. Have you no manners or your parents failed to educate you on mannerism? This shows you have not read the Koran. The koran is the continuity of the Old Testament and I persume you know what OT means. What is in the OT is in the Koran and so is the NT. That is why the Koran accepts Jesus as a prophet and not son of GOD. Do I need to go further in detail all of this or are you knowledgable enough to comprehend? ###Could not, should not, won't, wouldn't ... all this make no difference. Fact - the Muallah with some fanatics WILL make it their business and WILL enforce it. It could be tomorrow, next month, next year or even next decade. Sooner or later, India WILL have this problem. ########### Do not be paranoid. The mullas would only convert those willingly wishing to become a Muslim. Not by any force and not even in present day Arabia. Why do you assume all this would happen like the Christian preachers always telling the world is going to end. I know the fanatical Muslim terrorist are causing concern not only in India but in Europe, USA, Indonesia, THailand, Sudan, Syria and many other parts of the world and it is now a global concern. So. you can rest assure all non Muslim countries are aware f their activities and soon all their cells would be cut off. "

<Now, can experiencing Karma be called fate?> Yes, you do not experience Karma but fate. KARMA is action caused by every individual be it past or present and FATE is the experience. The result of your action [KARMA] is the experience [FATE] you fo through life. So, my point is there is no FATE without KARMA. You would only come to a conculusion after the experience.

There is a misconception of the above among the Hindus. What I believe is, Karma {action} and Vithi {fate} are associate beause Vithis is the menefistation of Karma. Karma is action and Vithi is the happening. If good action the Vithi would spring good results and if bad action the consequence would be bad. So when someone says it is his Vithi to suffer than his Karma was bad in the past. Most people confuse themsleves with Vithi and Karma by saying the two have different meaning. Any comments?

<the anti -vedics are very active to wipe out hinduism. how you like it?> I hope not and will not happen. There are those fanatical Muslims who are active due to misinterpreted doctrine of Islam. The Koran on the whole does not instruct or disrespect other scriptures. It was the people [the caliphs] after the death of Mohammed wrote the hadis[called the interpretation] which Koran strictly forbids using any other form of interpretation other thano the Koran. These self-centred caliphs had a different agenda for the Muslim followers who were displaced after the death of Islam. I have learned of this through my research of the Koran and from the true followers of the Koran. As far as I know what Mohammad did was assimilated the Tora and Manu smriti inoto the Koran and said it was transmitted to him by Angel Gaberial of which I have doubts. But whatever it is the fanatics are not following the Koran but the hadis. These barbarians would not stop until and unless someone blows up the Kaaba but then what is in the Kaaba is else but SHIVALINGAM [see reference from Chathurvethy in Sword of Truth. The action of Mohammed is still questionable as nothing of that is mentioned in the Koran. Until and unless the later editions were edited or modified to support their action. If you give an option to Muslims in India between Pakistan and India most would still chose India as they do not have ristriction like Pakistan. I'm not an India born nor do I reside in India but my opinion is correct I believe. I have spoken to non Indian Muslims of other race and they agree with me. Religion is personal and none should be compled or ristricted. Hinduism is clear on this. I know even in Hinduism there are fanatics and to add salt to the open wound the HK's are creating a senerio by dividing the Hindus with their misguided Guru. I pray that peace will prevail among the human race once they realize that God is one and can be approached in any manner according to each individual desire.

####No, you're the idiot here. If you see something wrong, you point out and ask. ONLY a fool or a deliberate person who have no interest in promoting Truth will come out with a nonsense and refuse to indulge what is wrong with it. ### Your parents had not thought you manners but I forgive you. My comments does not show any but if that is what you feel than something is really wrong with you. As I have said earlier, please consult a psyciatrist before you loose your grip. ###Right ... someone who have no consideration to re-read his message and edit it when he finds fault in it is calling me inconsiderate. (Sarcasm). #### May be your vision too in blur.....time to see a optician. ### Wrong answer. Like I said before, you cannot prove your words, then I consider you as LIAR. Have a nice day.####### The Vedas were written a few thousand years ago but why do you believe in them? You have faith and so you believe it to be true. Like wise I believe what I have read and i do not worry if you accept it or not and I need not show you form whic source I obtained. But if you're intelligent you can find it too. I'd say I have ssen GOD in person but you would not believe it but it does not worry me coz I know what I saw. So it is all faith and yours is very shallow. ###Whatever they do in India is their right. India IS for Hindus, not Muslims. When independance was given, Muslims suppose to move out, Muslims did not. Their mistake.####### Wrong again and you get an x for history. The Hindus lost India the day the Moghuls invaded. India now belongs to Indians of multi race and religion. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhist, Zorastrians, Jains and Atheist. You cannot change that nor can you future generation, So, stop being paranoid about India for Hindus. The Hindus in India do not like the idea otherwise India would have been a Hindu state way back before you were even born. You should read books like Illustrtated Weekly of India instead of only one that inspires you. In 1893 at the first . of Religions held in Chicago Vivekananda said this " If one religion be true, then all others must be true. Thus the Hindu is your as much as mine." Knowledge is gained only when you open your mind otherwise you become a self-centered egoistic. ### Wrong ... Hindus do not support any terrorism - openly or secretively. WHY? Because their religion (unlike Christianity and Islam) do not encourage such behaviors. If Hindus supported Tamil Elam, Sri Lanka could be under India right now.##### O Yeh? What is Shiva Sena doing in India now? You are lacking in information my boy.....get you facts before making any silly statement. Read the statement below: "In June 1994, Human Rights Watch/Asia conducted its own investigation into the role of the government in the communal riots and to assess the status of government efforts to prosecute those responsible for the violence.In Delhi, Bombay, Ahmedabad, and Surat, a researcher documented attacks on Muslims that took place in December 1992 and the government's failure to prevent the attacks; the use of lethal force by police against Muslim demonstrators; and the murder of men, women and children, the rape of women and girls, and other assaults on Muslims in Bombay in January 1993. The findings are based on interviews with thirty-four victims of communal violence and on interviews with a wide range of other witnesses in cities affected by the violence. The researcher also spoke with other informed sources, including human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, politicians, social workers, academics, and religious leaders. Information gained from these interviews was supplemented by reports from several Indian nongovernmental organizations which had conducted investigations into the violence" You concept of Hinduism being non violence and tolarancy. Don't make me laugh. ### They can but they choose not to. Reason? It is call Tolerance, Co-existence and Love - something which doesn't exist in Christianity, Islam or Atheism for that matter.### The answer is above so not need to repeat. ### Satyam is Truth, Dharma is Righteousness (I think). Both are not the same, they are just two side of the same coin. Knowing the Truth, you will know how to be Righteous. In order to be Righteus, you must seek the Truth. One cannot exist without another. What Hindus doing now - is the same as what Muslims and Christians are doing all over the world - trying to find the Truth (by calling it Love or whatever) but refuse to behave in Righteous way. That is why they are irresponsible in their own duties toward the society and God. ##################################################### True Hindus have foud the TRUTH but I doubt you are one. I have found the TRUTH but I see you are trying to find and that is why you pose question such as the above. ### It's 1940s, not 1040s. Read your own statement once you have posted to make other people's lives less miseable. Yes, War in Kurushektra is APPLICABLE simply because Sri krishna was there. With Gandhi, there was too much tolerance in name of Love and lack of Righteousness in all side except from Gandhi alone. Gandhi was fair to all because he followed Dharma and Satyam. However, he alone was not enough to change the destiny of India. India still split into three portion - India, Bangladesh and Pakistan - against Gandhi's own will by people who was with him (Jannah). In end of the War in Kurushekta, everyone got what they deserve and the future was returned to those who deserved it - the children (in this case, Abimanyu's son) to rule. # Again! I told you earlier what a charactor you are. Comon sense will tell you Gandhi's period and mine was a tryping [1040] error when it should have been 1940 but you being whta you are think that you are very smart by correcting me. But if you enjoy doing so, it's ok as I can understand your weekness. That is the story you believe in but it could be something else and it still leaves a question mark to many others. Can you change their mindset? ### Yes, I live by my sword, and therefore, I'm prepared to die by it. However, I don't think losing one eye will make the world go blind. We always fight with our own shadows - that is always been our true enemies. Any fool who looks for others to blame and fight (like what Christians and Muslims do with Syaitan/Devil) is idiotic. ### So be it...but I doubt you have the gutts as your words. Population of artial blindness would make the India look grim. People who fight their own shadow are lacking is spritual awarness. Seek a qualified Guru to help you. OM NAMA SHIVAYA.

Maadhavji, Let us not get carried away. Reacting to someting that happened a few hundred years looks a bit silly. What is done cannot be undone. The rulers of India were a sleep with their concubines when the Moguls invaded India. All the Kastrias were either flying kite or having a nice time with their concubines too. So whose fault was it for allowing the Mulsim invaders to defeat Indian[Hindu] kastrias. Who is to be blamed, the rulers of the province, the soldiers, the peasants or the mixed race of inhabitans of mother India? It has happened and thats the end of the matter. Now India is a secular country with multi ethenic population which keeps rising every year. The constitution had been drawn and all have equal righs irrespective of race or religion. Asking the Muslim Indians to leave their religion or get out of India is another act of barbarianism. We all feel it, as a Hindu I feel it. Why should India be secular state instead of a Hindu nation like the Muslims state of Saudi Arabia? But do the whole of the Hindu population in India wish so? Surely not. They want India to be a secular nation because they care for fellow citizens who are not Hindus but have been living with them for generations. It is not only the Muslims but the whites too invaded India in the name of trade. They colonize after the Moguls in the pretex of trading and soon they became the rulers and all these happened because some stupid prince of some states need the British and French protection and soon the Hindus became their slaves. But who suffered the most were the peadsants and untouchables. It was the Hindus that divided them and this was used as a trump card by the colonizers. Why blame the Muslims and Christians now? Our forefathers made the blunder and we are made to pay for their sins. But you cannot turn back the clock. It is time that will heal the wound. The Hindus have learned to live with the Muslims for centuries and cooking up a plot to drive them out of India will not be viable but to take complete control of India by Hindus is possible if the whole population of Hidus [some 800,000,000] can overthrow the secular government and establish a Hindu state. If that is to be the fate of India so be it. Good day and be peace with yourself. Do not display you disgust and hatred for Muslims or Christians. In my life I have seen and mixed with good Muslims and Christians who do not wish to touch on any sensitive issues involving religion. But they are a small bunch and we Hindus who have practiced tolorancy for centuries would not want to create another Isreal demanding the exit of Muslims from India. We are children of the same God and should respect each others life and practice. Do do not play the game of terrorist becuase it would only hurt us much. What has been said in the Gita was for that particular period of time when the war was waged because there was no understand and give and take policy. Morever it was a moral lesson for the human that gambling of any sort would ruin a nation. But tere are some who in the foum trying to use it as a tool to wage war against Muslims. This is very wrong and for God skae do not misinterprete the Gita for self satisfaction.

The purpose of religion is certainly to make us a better human being. It helps us manifest the god or goodness within us for the benefit of oneself and the world. 1. Worship the God of your heart. 2. Maintain external cleanliness — Physical and Environmental. 3. Practice straightforwardness in dealing with others. 4. Live a life of self-control with respect to all your sense enjoyments. 5. Avoid acts of injuring others from your emotional and intellectual realms. 6. Speak only to express agreeable ideas of permanent value. When the truth is disagreeable to others, maintain a discreet silence. 7. Maintain pure and serene motives. 8. Maintain a relationship of understanding, tolerance and love with the world at large. People who follow this steadily and with no desire of quick results will attain eternal goodness. This is what the Gita says about goodness: "This threefold austerity practiced by steadfast men with utmost faith desiring no fruit, is called austerity of goodness." (The Gita, Chapter XVII, 17) And the good are those who refuse to worry about the future because they know that the "future is the resultant of the total path modified by the present."

These are caused but nature and man is to be blamed for such disorders in the world. In the name of development and greed for space he destroys the forest, dig deep into the ocean to drain out the oil that sustains mother earth, cuts off natural hills to establish his territory and many other unatural activities. And than cry that this world is cruel..... As I have said this world can be a paradise if you want it otherwise it could be hell. The choice is yours. But how could you understand all this if you only read your scriptures and hold one to it and say paradice will be mine when I die. It shows how shallow is your intellectual ability to understand what we are and our duties as along as we are in this body. Scriptures are for people like you who do not really understand what is man's dharma in this world. Don't teach grandmother to suck eggs. If you want to develope disgust to this world than you ought to commit suicide. Please do not make me laugh. Even bakthi to Shiva, Durga, Murugan, Vinayara or Vengadachalabathi would sufice. Why Krishna alone? Krishna is only the name of God to describe his beauty. GOD has many namas and one of it is Krishna. But I prefer SHIVA and DURGA so it makes me happy and contended and this is my paradise. If you thing otherwise than you must be in HELL. Good for you, as you wished it to be so.

Your opinion is wrong. You cannot despence you duties to God without love. It would be like programing a robot to carry out any task. No feeling but just do your duty as programed. Only sacrifice given with LOVE would be accepted by GOD. You do service to someone just because you are ask to do is a waste. It should be from your on initiative and love for fellow humans that such service would be like serving GOD. Your mind has been confused and you are loosing your grip. Pull yourslef up and look around you. This is a beautiful world God has created for us. It can be a PARADISE or it can be a HELL. Which do you want? The will is yours and GOD has no cause to alter your wish. You are still young and need further knowledge in life which would only come through your journy in life. As a baby you must learn to walk in fours before you can stand upright. Otherwise you would keep on falling.

###And you lack of intelligent. I don't see anything wrong with this verses.######################################### It could be other wya round. ## It is you who are evading (NOT IVADE) the question. As I stated before, I don't need to proof you speak truthfully or not. As far as I consider, IF you cannot prove your own words, then I will proclaim you as a liar. Simple as that.############################################ A typing error that is all but you showed your inconsideration. That shows your lack of understanding. I do not need to prove as I know what my statement is all about. It's you who is lacking in information which show you do not use your brain. ### ask for SOURCE, NOT QOUTE. Read properly.############## Sources are many and to post here is a waste of time. You have the means so look for it. ###Yes, they can control and corrupt by several means : 1. Multiplying like pigs (Muslims are good at this). By doing so, they increase their number and this will force the government to satisfy their needs, which the resources the government could use to do other matters with Hindus. 2. Supporting silently Pakistani Muslims. Many of the financial gains taken from Indian society goes to Pakistan which then used to wage war against India. 3. Attack Hindusm directly or indirectly - preaching, using money as bribe and things like that (including green cards) - Christians are good at this. Muslims and Christians are pros when comes to attacking others directly and indirectly. After all, that was what the Crusade taught them for the past 300 years and both were good at it while using it in India for nearly 500 years.#################################################### 1. And so do the Hindus in India. Go look ofr yourself instead of making asumptions. 2. And so do the Hindus all over the world. They too can do like wise instead of just crying wolf! wolf! wolf! like what you are doing. 3. And so can the Hindus. Now with IT the Hindus too can do likewise. What is stopping them. You can start the ball roling since you brought out the issue. Lame excuse for a fellow who only like to talk but big.... What have you been doing all this while. Sitting and laying eggs? Come on.....show you might like Arjuna. ###He said "Satyam" is my religion. Satyam is NOT Truth alone, it is also Righteousness. In Hindusm, Satyam and Dharma is one and the same - Truth and Righteousness hand in hand. You cannot say you believe in truth while living without Righteousness. Besides, Mahatma Gandhi lived in 1940s - and this is 2000. Time changes and his view of coexisent changes as well when dealing with people who willing to use violent onto you openly without regards of your religion.############### Do not confuse yourself and try to confuse others. Sathiam and TRUTH is the same in which ever way you look at it. Trying to be smart again....uh! Well what Mahatma Gandhi said in 1040's cannot be aplied now but you believe the war fought by the Pandavas some few thousand years ago is applicable. What a moron you are? This cearly shows you are insane like the Muslim fanatics who believe in living in the 6th century and so are the orthodox Christians. "You live by the sword you will die by the sword" and is "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind". After that who would you fight? Your own shadow I persume. As I have said earlier you need the help of a psychiatrist and the sooner the better. You are having attitude problem too and all this must be corrected if you want to live in peace with others. May be you and Nik Aziz can live in the same house and enjoy living the past centuries. Don't make me laugh with your stupid comments.

And so do I and many others like you. Mr.Guest, it is not only me but you too need to learn a lot because it looks like you have yet to know the real TRUTH behind all this concept of religion and GOD. Sometime people like you make me laugh at your petty disputes and imagination. The real TRUTH lies within you but being ignorant you cannot open that one door which is hidden. While I have and seen the real TRUTH. I know it is hard but you must try otherwise you have failed in life and this could cause you to be born again and again and again into this world to suffer more and more....Please do not say you were not warned.

The question should not arise if you knew the real truth about the thirumoorthis. But since it has gone this far let me tell you this. We, we the human beings are the greatest than the unseen Brahma, Vishnu or Shiva for tht matter. We can create or destroy this earth. Our capabalities are unlimited. We can create a paradize in a desert, turn salt water into drinking water, clone babies, fly out of this gravity, destroy a nation or a city with a push of a button. There are those who can walk on water, eat fire, hang in the mid are with just a hook pierced to their skin alone, teach animals to do work for man and many other fits that you can'nt ask GOD to do for you now this very minute, but man can do all this upon request. So here if you ask who is the greatest and my answer would be "MAN" "MAN" Making A Name for himself is called man. Every man has a name otherwise you would not ask for one. You would not even call a stranger "MAN" but Sir, or Ayya. Which means you would want to know his name. That name can mean so much to you becuae he could be a billionaire or a owner of a large company that you need to remember in case you need help from him to secure jobs for your son or daughter. You need to remember him so that later you can approach him for donation to built a temple or needed maoney for medical expenses. There are so many reasons that you need to know or remember someone elses name. So, here today man is so important than your stupid question of which God is greater. Go do some research and see where the next TSUNAMI or EARTH QUACK is going to hit. SHIVA OR VISHNU is not going to come down to tell you that coz you have already been given the brain to figure out. So use your brain for some usefull purpose instead of asking nonsense like this.

However, what I heard from my sister and her group who toured the whole of South Indian temples had very bad remark for Thrupathi. The temple commitee had made the temple more commercialized instead of devotion. My sister was asked to pay 300 rupees if she wants to go near to the mulastanam to pay her homage [she had taken a vow to donate a sum of 1000 dollars if her wishe was fulfiled]. Anyway it was not only her even her friends were approached by the temple members andwere persuaded to pay or otherwise wait untill the next day. Is ths what TV whats his baktha's to do. Puranas says he had borrowed from Kuberan to conduct his wedding and that he is still paying back to Kuberan through the donations form the devotees. I wonder if this was true or are the devotees being taken for a ride. Bakthi is needed but that bakthi is being exploited by some cunnuning fellows to cheat the innocent devotees. The billions of rupees that TT has could have helped the Tsunami victims rebuilt their life. Please tell Reddy not to exploite circumstances and use the temple fund for good use instead of pocketting it among the poloticians.

####Question - WHY it is not applicable? By point of History - India was more advanced for the past 5,000 years than in ALL other countries combined. It's knowledge had become seeds for civilations in China, Japan and even Middle-East and Europe. By point of Social - Indians (back then) are more peaceful, responsible and tolerant than anyone else in the World. By religious standard - Hindusm have been easist to digest, understand and followed by everyone. It doesn't corrupt the on-going political system or change the people's way of life. I don't see a SINGLE reason why Hindusm is not applicable - unless of course you are an atheists who hates religion and wants to live like an animal. That is the ONLY possible answer here. ########################################################### Why? You should know the answer by now if you have studied the laws of Manu/ For example: You are not a qualified Hindu for reasons according to Manu's Law: Chapter 11 161. Let him not, even though in pain, (speak words) cutting (others) to the quick; let him not injure others in thought or deed; let him not utter speeches which make (others) afraid of him, since that will prevent him from gaining heaven.[Here you have been disqualified from going to heaven] 49. An initiated Brahmana should beg, beginning (his request with the word) lady (bhavati); a Kshatriya, placing (the word) lady in the middle, but a Vaisya, placing it at the end (of the formula). 50. Let him first beg food of his mother, or of his sister, or of his own maternal aunt, or of (some other) female who will not disgrace him (by a refusal). 51. Having collected as much food as is required (from several persons), and having announced it without guile to his teacher, let him eat, turning his face towards the east, and having purified himself by sipping water. Chapter VI 2. When a householder sees his (skin) wrinkled, and (his hair) white, and. the sons of his sons, then he may resort to the forest. Chapter IV 3. Her father protects (her) in childhood, her husband protects (her) in youth, and her sons protect (her) in old age; a woman is never fit for independence. 65. In the sacred texts which refer to marriage the appointment (of widows) is nowhere mentioned, nor is the re-marriage of widows prescribed in the rules concerning marriage Age at Marriage The Manu, Mahabharata and the Vishnu Purana decreed that the man should be three times older than the girl, thus a man marrying a ten year old should be thirty, an eight year old girl should marry a man of twenty-four and so on. One pragmatical Hindu reformer suggested that a law be made prohibiting the marriage of a man over the age of 45 with a girl younger than twelve. I do not wish to dwell further on this issue as it is a waste of time. You seem to lack in inofrmation. ###Wrong answer - I have no need to go and proof your words. You claims it, you proof it.######################################################## Lame excuse. Why is it when you're cornered you try to ivade the issue? ""the meeting between the restaurant owner and the High Commission of India over the dispute involving the unsettled wages of Indian nationals ended with more issues unresolved. The employer had earlier agreed to pay the wages for nine months between December 2003 and September last year, but in an about-turn yesterday, the owner had asked for more time to calculate the quantum. The workers said they would accept the full amount of RM49,100 if it was settled soon as they were desperate. (Source: Malay Mail) The above is only the part of several such incidents. So denial is ignorant. Don't act smart coz it only shows your stupidity. ###Who do you know I do not practise it? How do you know that my knowledge is for my career? Don't judge people like you are so smart. Some people actually study for sake of knowledge and understanding, NOT to pass examinations. ########################################################### I need not judge it shows in you writing. ### Wrong ... the concept of the battle of Kurushekta can be used in any field and at any time. Back then, Pandawas fight against their cousins for their rights. Now, we needs to fight Muslims and Christians for our rights as well. Same battle, different time and different field. That is all. ########################################################### Wrong....It cannot be so. The Christians or Muslims had not taken away our Hindu rights. Who the hell thought you that. But may be in Malaysia but not in India. Do you think Muslims and Christians who are on about 30% of the population of India [1.3billion] could just control Hindus who are estimated to be around 800 million? You must be joking..... Morever the battel was over a gambling debt and has nothing to do with non Hindus. You are a misguided fool. ## Don't be a smart a$$.##################################### Whose is now looking like one? ###You are living in delusion############################## And so was Mahatma Gandhi because it was his word. "TRUTH IS MY RELIGION AND GOD IS ONE" and here I thought you had great respect for the Mahatma Gandhi...................... ####No, Marriage, birth and death have similar rituals - so is courting. Dating and trying to get lucky before marriage IS NOT Hindusm (or Asian) way. And we are talking about Marriage, not living with cows. I doubt I can get a cow in an elevator to go to my apartment. ########################################################### Is that so? Hinduism is not a dead religon and we are not vedic people. Gurus and Saints keep appearing from time to time and changes are made according to new millinium. Dwelling is the past would only make one anidiot. I think you are included in that catagory. Living by Dharma is different form vedic period so follow the Hindu Dharma. Not all laws can be accepted in this century. Changes had been made after that yuga and the next ans ao on. Why did Adhi Shankara appeared, because there need changes and so he appeard and so did Ramalingam and Ramakrishna. If you cannot understand this simple example than you ought to stuff your head into you know what.

Lingodbhavamurthy is an iconic representation of Shiva, installed in the rear devakoshta (niche) of the garbagriha (sanctum) of all Shiva temples. The story of Lingodbhavar is based on the attempts of Vishnu and Bhrama to discover the origins (the beginning Aadi and the end Antha) of Shiva. While Vishnu and Brahma were arguing about their superiority over one another, a huge lingam of fire appeared before them. Curious to trace the origins of this column of fire, Bhrama assumed the form of a swan and flew upwards, while Vishnu assumed the form of a boar, and burrowed down into the earth. Days of search in either direction proved futile, and hence the duo surrendered to this column of fire with prayers. Shiva then appeared out of this column of fiery lingam, with a thousand arms and legs, with the sun, moon and fire as his three eyes, bearing the pinaka bow, wearing the hide of an elephant, bearing the trishul, and addressed Vishnu and Bhrama in a thunderous voice, explaining that the two were born out of him, and that the three were then separated out into three different aspects of divinity The manifestation of Shiva in this column of fire in front of Bhrama and Vishnu, is carved in stone, as the Lingodbhavamurthy manifestation of Shiva, and is always enshrined in the rear niche of the sanctum enshrining a Shivalingam. Since most temples face east, Lingodbhavar faces West.

####Indians don't have to sit in stalls and waste their lives IF they followed proper guidance after Independance like what Malaysia did. Instead, Indian government ignored the Vedic Ways as outdated and choose US as a model (that is like choosing one thief over another). In the end, Indians become corrupted and lack of guidance and that is what cause many of the Indians - talented and hard-working to leave India and venture outside. This is failure of the government, not the country or its religion. ########################################################### Verdic ways would not be aplicable to this century. Are you trying to be like the fanatical Muslims who want to go back to the 6 century like what PAS leader [Nik Aziz]in Kelantan wants to do? Hindus need to go forward not backward. Of course certain essence of the vedic period could be assimillated but not all. If you strictly follow manu smirti do you know what will happen to India in this century? About Malaysia please keep your comments to your self. It is all whitewash to hoodwink the non Malays. You are just only 30 years old and yet to know more about Malaysian politics. Do you remember May 13 1969? Surely you will not coz you had not been born so how could you know what had happened. Just reading the government propoganda will not help the Indians. Can you tell me what is the Indian share of the economic cake in Malaysia? Hello! Get real boy/girl. Your Sam Vell is only a puppet in the govenment so lets not bring Malaysian politics here. ###Can you proof such things happened? Because I have NO idea whatsoever it happened and I don't know how you know what happened in MY country without ME knowing it. ########################################################### Proof! Go ask Tenaganita, they have the whole file of this matter. There are some news the would not appear in the news report for diplomatic reasons. You are a green horn so how would you know about all these happenings. Even the programme "ACHAM ILLAI" in Jaya TV had aired this issue and the family members of the murdered boy were appealing to the Malayasian authority to help them nab the culprits. You are blind to all this issues but clever at condemning a famous actor who had contributed more the Tamil cinema over the years. Do you know he started his acting career when even you were not yet destined to be in this world? He has far more experience in acting than you tring to figure out how he should have potrayed. That is his film and story so let the mass audience decide, why are you being green? ###On what field, may I ask? In terms of Religion - I have knowledge on Judaism, Hindusm, Buddhism, Paganism, Christianity, Witchcraft and Magic, Kaballah and working on studying Islam and Shinto now. In term of Human knowledge - I have knowledge in a few field of Science, including Physics and such. I know several languages - B.M, Tamil, English, Japanese, a bit Chinese. I know nearly a dozen softwares and programming languages. And I'm only around my 30s. So ... what your achievement? ########################################################### Your knowledge is in reading not in pratical. The second is, education knowledge for your career. Not your social life. Thirdly knowing several languages is good for communication but would not help you in spiritualism. Spritualism does not just come from reading but within deep inside. Only than you would discover yourself, who you really are and what is your purpose and destiny here. My son too knows about sowftwares and programming languages because he is a System Analyst but being so does not give him or you the passport to freedom of mind and contentment of life. My achievement is nothing to speak of and I'm just a plain old fool trying to learn fromm a 30 year old wonder boy. ###ONLY fools like you could come out with stupid answer like that (or maybe also an atheist like Kamal ) Did God tells you to go and fall in love with the girl? No ... you don't even ask permission from your parents, do you think you ask permission from your God? If you didn't ask permission from God to fall in love, then WHY should He provide an answer for you? ########################################################### If you think my answer is stupid and I'm a fool so be it. But do you know what is "FREEWILL" and "KARMA"? If you do not know the subject please ask your parents or may be a guru somewhere near you. You action are your own freewill and not by GOD. GOD has not part in your action so there is no question of asking permission. It is you herat that speaks and your mind that decides and after that is is termed as KARMA be it good or bad. ####Kyastria's way is to fight. That is what Sri krishna said to Arjuna when He said - Fight for your rights. Kamal's character is not Kyastria in nature, I have no idea what is his nature is - since cowardice is not Hindu nature (or human for that matter). ########################################################### THat was in the battle field of Kurshetra. Not here and not now. Such battle would be fought in some few hundred thousand years later when the clock is turned back. I think this movie had affected you emotionally and somethings remaind you of your own life so that is why you are harping over it over and over again. Forget it and get back to your life. ###Answer - SO WHAT? Parents lived for 20 years on their own and 20 years of their children's life. They probably live another 20 years before dying. However, the children will live at least 40 years with a man or woman who they do not like, have family which many couldn't care for. Furthermore, if the children born from this sort of bond have a good family (because their parents learn to love each other), then fine. BUT as you could see, many families are split up because man and woman couldn't learn to love each other. Children caught in the middle of painful divorce and their own lives becomes a question mark. To satisfy ONE old generation, is it plausible to sacrifice TWO generations which has their whole life to live for? I don't think so. Better if the parents die rather than waste their childrens' and their grandchildrens' lives for their own pathetic and corrupted Varna or beliefs. PS : We ain't talking about you. For all I know, you could be a Christian who was a Hindu. ########################################################### I get the picture now, You are having psychological problem. You are affected directly by some incident in your life and this is the way you are trying to show you discontendment. I'm sorry for you and hope you will recover soon. P.S. I'm a human being and "TRUTH" is my religion and GOD is one "ANBEY SHIVAM' ###If you love a woman, do what is required by Hindu Tradition - which is send your parents to talk to their parents of the girl. NOT go dating with the girl and try to get lucky. That is NOT Hindu Tradition. ########################################################### How much do you know about Hindu tradition. Hindu tradition varies from race to race. If you are a north Indian the tradition differs form south so where do you draw the line? The Malayaleese differ from the Tamilians and the Telengus differ form both Malayaleese and Tamilans. Go see their wedding arrangements and rituals and learn from them. We are in modern times learn to adjust with time. If you are strictly following Hindu tradition than I suppose you are going to office in dothi and jeba? Or do you drink raising the cup away from your mouth? Are you spreading your hoome with cow dung on Tuesdays and Fridays and spraying the whole house with KOMIAM? These are age old traditions which you think sould be followed strictly. So why don't you carry out and call the press to show your love for HIndu tradition so that we could be proud of your achievement in Hindu tradition. And for the rest of your comments I rest my case.

Just as in the Gita, Ramakrishna also states that love is supreme above any and all practice. Asked, 'Sir, what is the way?' he replied, '…love for Him. And secondly, prayer.' But he was pressed further: 'Which one is the way – love or prayer?' – to which he replies, 'First love and then prayer' (Nikhilananda ibid., 193). Many who came to Ramakrishna were learned men, scholars or students, and so he had to be clear in his instruction to these. He acknowledged that all paths lead to God, including the jnani's path of knowledge. 'All paths ultimately lead to the same Truth'. But to this he added, 'But as long as God keeps the feeling of ego in us, it is easier to follow the path of love' (Nikhilananda ibid., 55).

Love is not a necessity, but it is life’s greatest gift and luxury. Love is caring, kind, and patient. Love does not expect anything but love in return. Love knows when to put pride to the side, Because the greatest thing one can be proud of Is a love that is shared. Love is or should be unconditional. Love is giving and selfless. Love is therefore unselfish. Love is not arrogant, or does not insist in its own way, It is a celebration of what is right. True love never ends. For the unperfected will pass upon The coming of that which is perfect, And Perfect love never ends. Love is undying devotion (yes that too). Love is not resentful and does not rejoice in wrong, but celebrates the right Love is the desire to be intimate...physically and emotionally. Love endures all, hopes all, bears all. Love is believing, sharing, dreaming. Love is Honesty. Love is friendship, companionship, and more. Love is completion. Forgiving. Understanding and inspiring. Love is the attainment of life's greatest inspiration. Love is supporting, but not overbearing. Love is the free and complete expression of oneself to/for another. Love is being open to an other's expression... True friends, companion, lover, and mother (or father). Love is faithful and loyal. Love is the one thing in life (true love is), that man (as a whole race) longs for and strives for, and in many cases, more than anything else it can be the hardest to find. Love can be strong, yet so fragile. There are those out there who have not been lucky enough to find it...some never will. (Not all, but some) In addition, what one would call true love...love in its best, purest, truest sense is even rarer and harder to find. Not that no one ever does; Many probably do. It is still the hardest thing that mankind strives to obtain. The dream of finding and marrying for true love exists and Concludes by everything falling into place. Paul E. Barton 11 January 1998

Has he propogated Christianity or Islam in this forum? I do not see him as an enemy but one who is trying to present his thoughts of Hinduism. That does not make him an ebemy of Hinduism. Or foe that matter how do you know I'm a Hindu. Is it because that I post all articles on Hinduism? Do not judge a person because he goes against your thoughts. If you can help him understand what you really mean and not speak evil of him.