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Hello... I'm a college student in a world religions class, and I'm studying Hinduism right now for my final project. I've read up on a few things about it but part of our requirements is to interview a member of the Hindu faith. So if someone would answer the following questions as fully as they can, it would be a wonderfully huge help to me! Some of them I'm confused about, and some of them I just want to get a human perspective of (straight from the horse's mouth). You don't have to answer all of them, and if someone wants to answer a few and someone wants to answer a few others, that would work too... I'd just like to get an insider's opinion and thoughts and feelings on these things.

 

So here are the questions:

 

What exactly is Varna? Is it the same as the caste system in India, and what determines a person's Varna?

 

What is the Hindu view of people like Shankara and Ramajuna and others who challenged the way Hinduism had always been? Are they revered or thought of as radicals? or are Hindus indifferent to them?

 

How many Hindus do you think do a daily puja?

 

What do you think is the most popular "face" of Brahman and why?

 

How do you understand Brahman? How do you think one achieves liberation?

 

What is the role of the holy texts in your life?

 

What is your view (or optionally the Hindu view in general) of women and their role in society, and how they should be treated?

 

What defining rules or ethics do you think set Hinduism apart from other religions or cultures?

 

What do you think of other religions, from a Hindu standpoint?

 

What do you think are the most important things a Hindu can do in his/her life?

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Hello... I'm a college student in a world religions class, and I'm studying Hinduism right now for my final project. I've read up on a few things about it but part of our requirements is to interview a member of the Hindu faith. So if someone would answer the following questions as fully as they can, it would be a wonderfully huge help to me! Some of them I'm confused about, and some of them I just want to get a human perspective of (straight from the horse's mouth). You don't have to answer all of them, and if someone wants to answer a few and someone wants to answer a few others, that would work too... I'd just like to get an insider's opinion and thoughts and feelings on these things.

 

So here are the questions:

 

What exactly is Varna? Is it the same as the caste system in India, and what determines a person's Varna?

 

What is the Hindu view of people like Shankara and Ramajuna and others who challenged the way Hinduism had always been? Are they revered or thought of as radicals? or are Hindus indifferent to them?

 

How many Hindus do you think do a daily puja?

 

What do you think is the most popular "face" of Brahman and why?

 

How do you understand Brahman? How do you think one achieves liberation?

 

What is the role of the holy texts in your life?

 

What is your view (or optionally the Hindu view in general) of women and their role in society, and how they should be treated?

 

What defining rules or ethics do you think set Hinduism apart from other religions or cultures?

 

What do you think of other religions, from a Hindu standpoint?

 

What do you think are the most important things a Hindu can do in his/her life?

I hope this helps:

Q: What is the Hindu view of people like Shankara and Ramajuna and others who challenged the way Hinduism had always been? Are they revered or thought of as radicals? or are Hindus indifferent to them?

A: It depends on which school of thought the person follows. If someone is a member of the Advaita Vedanta sect, they revere Shakaracharya to a rather extreme extent… many considering him an incarnation of God. I believe that Sri Vaishnavas think that Sri Ramanuja was just ‘polishing the diamond’ (so-to-speak) of Hinduism, and bringing it back to it’s beginnings. I, personally, am more devoted to Lord Chaitanya, and consider Him the incarnation of Radha and Krishna. I think that He helped to kick off the great Bhakti revolution along with other radical devotees such as Mira Bai.

 

Q: How many Hindus do you think do a daily puja?

A: I tend to perform some sort of deity worship each morning, but I know other Hindus who don’t/can’t because they either don’t have time or are lazy :P

 

Q: What do you think is the most popular "face" of Brahman and why?

A: I would say that the most popular form is Krishna, since nearly everyone at least knows the name ‘Krishna’. They may not know what His name means, but they at least know of Him. While some other avatars/deities, such as Varaha, are virtually unknown to the non-Hindu public. Of course, Krishna is also a large center of devotion to many Hindus as well, with Vaishnavism (the worship of Vishnu/Krishna and His avatars) comprising around 70% of Hindus.

 

Q: How do you understand Brahman? How do you think one achieves liberation?

A: I understand Brahman as being a personal force in the form of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna, as I’m a Gaudiya Vaishnava. I think one achieves liberation by loving God (in whatever form they wish to worship Him in… it all goes to Krishna anyway) and treating the creatures around them with respect, love, and dignity.

 

Q: What is the role of the holy texts in your life?

A: The Vedas don’t play a large role in my life, as well as the law books (such as Manu Samhita, since I view it as belonging to a different time), but books such as Srimad Bhagavata Purana, Chaitanya Charitamrita, and the Ramayana all play large roles in my meditations.

 

Q: What is your view (or optionally the Hindu view in general) of women and their role in society, and how they should be treated?

A: Since every Hindu is different, and diversity and dissent is allowed to some extent in Hinduism, I can’t answer for all Hindus. But, I personally think that if one is in the body or the body of a man, there’s no difference other than the outside. I think the rules that some temples have, such as not allowing women to enter during their menstrual cycles, should be abolished, since sanitation has become much more advanced and it no longer causes a threat to others’ health.

I think that women should be treated with utmost respect, since it is women who carry on the human race. They should be viewed as incarnations of Sri Devi on earth, since they bring all prosperity and fortune to the household.

 

Q: What defining rules or ethics do you think set Hinduism apart from other religions or cultures?

A: There’s a large emphasis on ahimsa, or non-violence, which many other religions (esp. Western religions) don’t have. Other than that, I’d say that Hinduism basically shares the same core values that many other religions have.

 

Q: What do you think of other religions, from a Hindu standpoint?

A: Some religions are better for self-realization, and some aren’t. But, ultimately, they all lead to the same destination.

 

Q: What do you think are the most important things a Hindu can do in his/her life?

A: Treat all other beings equally and with mercy and center your life around your Ishta-Devata, your chosen form of God.

 

Jai Nitai-Gauranga! Radhey Radhey! :)

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I am a Christian but I very much admire the Hindu way and believe that God accepts all who seek him truly, even if their path isn't through the Christian Jesus... so I believe that those who truly follow Krishna and so on are definitely valid in their beliefs.

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I am a Christian but I very much admire the Hindu way and believe that God accepts all who seek him truly, even if their path isn't through the Christian Jesus... so I believe that those who truly follow Krishna and so on are definitely valid in their beliefs.

That's cool. I really admire Jesus' teachings and message. He was a great moral and religious teacher, and I'd even go as far as saying he was probably an avatar of some sort.

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Yeah. Coming from a Christian perspective I can see why Krishna is the most popular among Hindus... since he possesses the same sort of inviting spirit that drew me to Jesus. If I were Hindu, I'd probably be all for Krishna!

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Yeah. Coming from a Christian perspective I can see why Krishna is the most popular among Hindus... since he possesses the same sort of inviting spirit that drew me to Jesus. If I were Hindu, I'd probably be all for Krishna!

Indeed. Krishna Lila is one of the most spiritually uplifting of the Lord's many pastimes :)

1809326_c020104b32_m.jpg:D

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Krishna Lila? Sorry, I'm still struggling a little with all the Hindu terminology.... there's so much of it... it makes me appreciate how easy it is for one to take for granted what one is used to.

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Krishna Lila? Sorry, I'm still struggling a little with all the Hindu terminology.... there's so much of it... it makes me appreciate how easy it is for one to take for granted what one is used to.

Oh! I'm so sorry... I feel a little embarassed! 'Lila' means 'Play'. It's basically saying that although the Lord may appear to have hardships and good times as well, it's really all just a play on the stage of the world as He is really always blissful within Himself. It's a bit of a message for the individual soul as well. :)

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ohhh I see. Interesting. Kind of a "the sun is always shining behind the clouds" sort of thing, hmm?

 

I was also wondering what " Jai Nitai-Gauranga! Radhey Radhey!" meant xD

Yea, it is like that :)

Jai Nitai-Gauranga means Praise be unto Lord Nityananda (Nitai) and Lord Chaitanya (Gauranga). They are the two saints (I consider Them incarnations) who first set off the Krishna devotional movement in Bengal and Bangladesh. :) Radhey-Radhey! is calling out to Radha (Krishna's consort) in the invocative form. It's like begging Her to grant you divine realization. :)

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I am glad you came here, instead of to a book. Specifically, just one book. Because no two books on Hinduism say exactly the same thing! Same goes for Hindus themselves, really. I've just become Hindu and one of the things I love about it is its open-mindedness.

 

As said above when it comes to teachers it really depends on the person and what they believe is true.

 

Hindus doing a daily puja: I try to do mine when I can. I enjoy it immensely but I can't honestly say I do mine every day, just as I can't say I always did my homework every night!

 

Most popular "face" of Brahman is as said above Krishna but he is of course not the only one.

 

Achieving liberation: Being as full of love and compassion and righteousness as possible. To me it's not restricted to a certain class or profession or anything like that. Does a Christian believe that in order to go to heaven, he has to be a minister? No, and I don't think you have to be a renowned religious master with a following to be liberated.

 

Holy texts: Useful but not like the Christian Bible. They are holy, of course, but I think personal thought and conclusion is just as if not more important.

 

Women: I'm a woman. I am equal with men. That's all there really is to say about it as far as I'm concerned.

 

Culturally, I think Hinduism is very tolerant and open-minded. There is no set Hindu creed that every Hindu MUST ascribe to, at least not in the sense of the Christian Nicene Creed or the Muslim Shahada, so there's a lot of freedom within it, both religiously and socially. Indian civilization was/is one of the most intelligent on earth, because it generally does not restrict itself.

 

Other religions: To me, there are two approaches to everything: One of love and one of fear. Some people are religious because they love God; others are because they are afraid of Him. I would say Francis of Asissi loved God and Osama bin Laden and the Taliban are afraid of Him. So really the religion itself is not as important as the personal approach to God.

 

What are the most important things a Hindu can do? Be kind and compassionate, preserve their culture and identity, work for peace and tolerance among others, and respect for all living things, including animals.

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Wow, another set of answers... thank you! It's always good to get a second witness/voice/opinion. Thank you for sharing it with me! I really can't believe I was lucky enough to get replied to so quickly...

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The Sage Nabooru believes in Advaita philosophy and therefore he says Krishna is just one face of Brahman. Advaita philosophy is only one of the sects of Hinduism. If you look at Shaivism (another sect of Hinduism) they will say Lord Shiva is the best, even higher than the impersonal Brahman. Likewise, if you look at Vaishnavism they will say Krishna is the highest.

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oh I have another question... ... my religions teacher tried to explain dharma to us, but I'm kind of lost as to what it actually is. I know it roughly means a person's duty, but what is that determined by?

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oh I have another question... ... my religions teacher tried to explain dharma to us, but I'm kind of lost as to what it actually is. I know it roughly means a person's duty, but what is that determined by?

Dharma is very hard to explain. It means many things to many people. Dharma can be a person's duty, but it can also be a teaching. It can be a person's religious duty as well. I suppose wikipedia would be the place to go for different definitions.

I suppose you could use the dictionary definition if nothing else (although I don't really think it grasps the full meaning of Dharma, which includes devotion to God, which is totally out of the bounds of religious or social codes):

1. performing of duties of Hinduism: in Hinduism, a person’s duty to behave according to strict religious and social codes, or the righteousness earned by performing religious and social duties. Also called dhamma

2. eternal truth in Buddhism: in Buddhism, the truth about the way things are, and will always be, in the universe or in nature, especially when contained in scripture

Sorry I couldn't be of more help :confused: ... hopefully wikipedia can help on the issue:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma

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oh I have another question... ... my religions teacher tried to explain dharma to us, but I'm kind of lost as to what it actually is. I know it roughly means a person's duty, but what is that determined by?

 

<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600">" Sanatan Dharm is the universal religion of the Upnishads, Gita and the

Bhagwatam which Bharatvarsh has introduced for the whole world."</v:shapetype>

<v:shapetype stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600">The religion which eternally exists in God, which is revealed by God, which describes the names, forms, virtues and the abodes of God, and which reveals the true path of God realization for all the souls is called Sanatan Dharm, the universal religion for the whole world.

The word dharm is formed from the root word dhryan (dhryan dharne); it means such actions and such spiritual or religious practices that finally result in all-good for a soul.</v:shapetype>

<v:shapetype stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"></v:shapetype>

<v:shapetype stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600">This abstract I have taken from writings of Jagadguru Kripaluji Maharaj.</v:shapetype>

<v:shapetype stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"></v:shapetype>

<v:shapetype stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600">Pranaam</v:shapetype>

<v:shapetype stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"></v:shapetype>

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Hey! I'd like to thank everyone who responded to my interview questions post a few weeks ago... it really really helped with my presentation and I got an A on it! I also learned some great stuff in the process. Thanks for being so willing to help and share your beliefs with me. I've definitely gained a huge respect for Hinduism from this project and it was a pleasure to meet you.

 

I would try to use some sort of Hindu saying to close this message but I wouldn't know what I was doing so I won't make a fool of myself xD

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