Answers to nine questions Rudraksha Mantra in Hindi Hawaii

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Answers to nine questions Rudraksha Mantra in Hindi Hawaii

 

 

 

 

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The nine answers below are organized with a one-line response, followed

by a longer answer, then a more detailed explanation. You may be

surprised to find how many people are content with the most simple and

short answer, so start with that first. You may use the explanation as

background information for yourself, or as a contingency response in

case you end up in a deeper philosophical discussion.

Question One: Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?

A: While acknowledging many Gods, all Hindus believe in a one Supreme God who creates and sustains the universe.

Longer answer: Hindus believe in one God, one humanity and one

world. We believe that there is one Supreme God who created the

universe and who is worshiped as Light, Love and Consciousness. People

with different languages and cultures have understood the one God in

their own distinct way. This is why we are very tolerant of all

religions, as each has its own pathway to the one God. One of the

unique understandings in Hinduism is that God is not far away, living

in a remote heaven, but is inside each and every soul, in the heart and

consciousness, waiting to be discovered. This knowing that God is

always with us gives us hope and courage. Knowing the One Great God in

this intimate and experiential way is the goal of Hindu spirituality.

Explanation: Hinduism is both monotheistic and henotheistic.

Hindus were never polytheistic, in the sense that there are many equal

Gods. Henotheism better defines the Hindu view of a single Supreme God

with many other divinities. We Hindus believe there is one

all-pervasive God who energizes the entire universe. We can see Him in

the life shining out of the eyes of humans and all creatures. This view

of God as existing in and giving life to all things is called

"panentheism." It is different from pantheism, which is the belief that

God is the natural universe and nothing more. It is also different from

strict theism which says God is only above the world, apart and

transcendent. Panentheism is a beautiful concept. It says that God is

both in the world and beyond it, both immanent and transcendent. That

is the Hindu view. Hindus also believe in many devas or Gods who

perform various functions, like executives in a large corporation.

These should not be confused with God. There is one Supreme God only.

What is sometimes confusing to non-Hindus is that Hindus of various

sects may call the one God by many different names, according to their

regional tradition. Truth for the Hindu has many names, but that does

not make for many truths. Hinduism gives us the freedom to approach God

in our own way, without demanding conformity to any dogma.

Advice: There is much confusion about this subject, not only

among Hindus but among those on the outside looking in. Learn the right

terms and the subtle differences in them, and you can explain the

profound ways that Hindus look at Divinity. Others will be delighted

with the richness of the ancient Indian concepts of God. You may wish

to tell inquiring minds that some Hindus believe only in the formless

Absolute Reality as God; others believe in God as personal Lord and

Creator. This freedom makes the concept of God in Hinduism, the oldest

living religion, the richest in all of Earth's existing faiths.

Question Two: Why do Hindus believe in reincarnation?

A: We Hindus believe the soul is immortal and reenters

a fleshy body time and time again in order to resolve experiences and

learn all the lessons that life in the material world has to offer.

Longer Answer: Carnate means "of flesh." And reincarnate means

to "reenter the flesh." Yes, Hindus believe in reincarnation. To us, it

explains the natural way the soul evolves from immaturity to spiritual

illumination. I myself have had many lives before this one and expect

to have more. finally, when I have it all worked out and all the

lessons have been learned, I will attain enlightenment and moksha,

liberation. This means I will still exist, but will no longer be pulled

back to be born in a physical body. Even science is discovering

reincarnation. There have been many cases of individuals remembering

their past lives. These have been researched by scientists,

psychiatrists and parapsychologists during the past decades and

documented in very good books and videos.

Explanation: At death the soul leaves the physical body. But the

soul does not die. It lives on in a subtle body called the astral body.

The astral body exists in the nonphysical dimension called the astral

plane. Here we continue to have experiences until we are reborn again

in another physical body as a baby. Each reincarnating soul chooses a

home and a family which can best fulfill its next step of maturation.

After enlightenment we do not have to reexperience the baseness of

Earthly existence, but continue to evolve in our inner bodies.

Similarly, after we graduate from school we never have to go back to

the fifth grade. We have gone beyond that level in understanding. Young

children speak of vivid past-life memories, which fade as they grow

older, as the veils of individuality shroud the soul's intuitive

understanding. Great mystics speak of their past lives as well.

Reincarnation is believed in by the Jains and the Sikhs, by the Indians

of the Americas, and by the Buddhists, certain Jewish sects, the Pagans

and the many indigenous faiths. Even Christianity originally taught

reincarnation, but formally renounced it in the twelfth century. It is,

in fact, one of the widest held articles of faith on planet Earth.

Question Three: What is karma?

A: Karma is the universal principle of cause and effect, action and reaction which governs all life.

Longer Answer: Karma is one of the natural laws of the mind,

just as gravity is a law of matter. It simply means "cause and effect."

What happens to us that is apparently unfortunate or unjust is not God

punishing us. It is the result of our own past actions. The Vedas,

Hinduism's revealed scripture, tell us if we sow goodness, we will reap

goodness; if we sow evil, we will reap evil. The divine law is:

whatever karma we are experiencing in our life is just what we need at

the moment, and nothing can happen but that we have the strength to

meet it. Even harsh karma, when faced in wisdom, can be the greatest

catalyst for spiritual unfoldment.

Explanation: We cannot give anything away but that it comes back

to us. A few years ago in Chennai an American devotee said to me,

"Shall I give money to the beggar?" I said, "Give him ten rupees. You

may need the fifty rupees when karma pays you back, just as he needs

the ten rupees now." The karmic law pays higher interest than any bank

when you give freely with no strings attached. Karma is basically

energy. I throw energy out through thoughts, words and deeds, and it

comes back to me, in time, through other people. We Hindus look at time

as a circle, as things cycle around again. Professor Einstein came to

the same conclusion. He saw time as a curved thing and space as well.

This would eventually make a circle. Karma is a very just law. Karma,

like gravity, treats everyone the same. Because we Hindus understand

karma, we do not hate or resent people who do us harm. We understand

they are giving back the effects of the causes we set in motion at an

earlier time. At least we try not to hate them or hold hard feelings.

The Hindu law of karma puts man at the center of responsibility for

everything he does and everything that is done to him.

Karma is a word we hear quite often on television. "This is my karma,"

or "It must have been something I did in a past life to bring such good

karma to me." In some schools of Hinduism karma is looked upon as

something bad. A Hindu guest from Guyana, South America, visited us in

Hawaii and mentioned that karma means "sin," and that this is what the

Christians in his country are preaching that it means. Some non-Hindus

also preach that karma means "fate," which we know is untrue. The idea

of inexorable fate, or a preordained destiny over which one has no

control, has nothing to do with Sanatana Dharma. Karma actually means

"cause and effect."

The process of action and reaction on all levels -- physical, mental

and spiritual -- is karma. Here is an example: I have a glass of water

in front of me on a table. Because the table is not moving, the water

is calm. Shake the table; the water ripples. This is action and

reaction, the basic law of nature. Another example: I say kind words to

you; you feel peaceful and happy. I say harsh words to you, and you

become ruffled and upset. The kindness and the harshness will return to

me, through others, at a later time. This is karma. It names the basic

law of the motion of energy. An architect thinks creative, productive

thoughts while drawing plans for a new building. But were he to think

destructive, unproductive thoughts, he would soon not be able to

accomplish any kind of positive task even if he desired to do so. This

is karma, a natural law of the mind. We must also be very careful about

our thoughts, because thought creates, and thoughts make karmas --

good, bad and mixed.

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Question Four: Why do Hindus regard the cow as sacred?

A: The cow represents the giving nature of life to every Hindu.

Honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor

all creatures.

Longer Answer: Hindus regard all living creatures as sacred --

mammals, fishes, birds and more. To the Hindu, the cow symbolizes all

other creatures. The cow represents life and the sustenance of life. It

also represents our soul, our obstinate intellect and unruly emotions.

But the cow supersedes us because it is so giving, taking nothing but

grass and grain. It gives and gives and gives, as does the liberated

soul give and give and give. The cow is so vital to life, the virtual

sustainer of life for humans. If you lived in a village and had only

cows and no other domestic animals or agricultural pursuits, you and

your family could survive with the butter, the cream, yogurt, ghee and

milk. The cow is a complete ecology, a gentle creature and a symbol of

abundance.

Explanation: Who is the greatest giver on planet Earth today?

Who do we see on every table in every country of the world --

breakfast, lunch and dinner? It is the cow. The golden arches and their

rivals have made fortunes on the humble cow. When we were in Moscow in

March, 1990, we learned that McDonald's had opened eleven of its

cow-vending outlets there. The generous cow gives milk and cream,

yogurt and cheese, butter and ice cream, ghee and buttermilk. It gives

entirely of itself through sirloin, ribs, rump, porterhouse and beef

stew. Its bones are the base for soup broths. It gives the world

leather belts, leather seats, leather coats and shoes, beef jerky,

cowboy hats -- you name it. The cow is the most prominent giving animal

in the world today. The only cow-question for Hindus is, "Why don't

more people respect and protect this remarkable creature?"

Question five: Are Hindus idol worshipers?

A: No, Hindus are not idle worshipers. They worship with great vigor and devotion!

Longer Answer: Seriously, Hindus are not idol worshipers in the

sense implied. We Hindus invoke the presence of God, or the Gods, from

the higher, unseen worlds, into stone images so that we can experience

His divine presence, commune with Him and receive His blessings. But

the stone or metal Deity images are not mere symbols of the Gods. They

are the form through which their love, power and blessings flood forth

into this world. We may liken this mystery to our ability to

communicate with others through the telephone. We do not talk to the

telephone; rather we use it as a means of communication with another

person. Without the telephone, we could not converse across long

distances; and without the sanctified icon in the temple we cannot

easily commune with the Deity. Divinity can also be invoked and felt in

a sacred fire, or in a tree, or in the enlightened person of a satguru.

In our temples, God is invoked in the sanctum by highly trained

priests. Through the practice of yoga, or meditation, we invoke God

inside ourself. Yoga means to yoke oneself to God within. The image or

icon of worship is a focus for our prayers and devotions. Another way

to explain icon worship is to acknowledge that Hindus believe God is

everywhere, in all things, whether stone, wood, creatures or people.

So, it is not surprising that they feel comfortable worshiping the

divine in His material manifestation. The Hindu can see God in stone

and water, air and ether, and inside his own soul.

Explanation: Humorously speaking, Hindus are not idle

worshipers. I have never seen a Hindu worship in a lazy or idle way.

They worship with great vigor and devotion, with unstinting regularity

and constancy. There's nothing idle about our ways of worship! (A

little humor never hurts.) But, of course, the question is about

"graven images." All religions have their symbols of holiness through

which the sacred flows into the mundane. To name a few: the Christian

cross, or statues of Mother Mary and Saint Theresa, the holy Kaaba in

Mecca, the Sikh Adi Granth enshrined in the Golden Temple in Amritsar,

the Arc and Torah of the Jews, the image of a meditating Buddha, the

totems of indigenous and Pagan faiths, and the artifacts of the many

holy men and women of all religions. Such icons, or graven images, are

held in awe by the followers of the respective faiths. The tooth of the

Buddha in Sri Lanka's town of Kandy is another loved and respected

image. The question is, does this make all such religionists

idol-worshipers? The answer is, yes and no. From our perspective, idol

worship is an intelligent, mystical practice shared by all of the

world's great faiths.

The human mind releases itself from suffering through the use of forms

and symbols that awaken reverence, evoke sanctity and spiritual wisdom.

Even a fundamentalist Christian who rejects all forms of idol worship,

including those of the Catholic and Episcopal churches, would resent

someone who showed disrespect for his Bible. This is because he

considers it sacred. In Hinduism one of the ultimate attainments is

when the seeker transcends the need of all form and symbol. This is the

yogi's goal. In this way Hinduism is the least idol-oriented of all the

religions of the world. There is no religion that is more aware of the

transcendent, timeless, formless, causeless Truth. Nor is there any

religion which uses more symbols to represent Truth in preparation for

that realization.

Question Six: Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?

A: Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to live with minimum of

hurt to other beings. But in today's world not all Hindus are

vegetarian.

Longer Answer: Vegetarians are more numerous in the South of

India than in the North. This is because of the North's cooler

climactic conditions and past Islamic influence. Our religion does not

lay down rigid "do's and don'ts." There are no commandments. Hinduism

gives us the wisdom to make up our own mind on what we put in our body,

for it is the only one we have -- in this life, at least. Priests and

religious leaders are definitely vegetarian, so as to maintain a high

level of purity and spiritual consciousness to fulfill their

responsibilities, and to awaken the more refined areas of their nature.

Soldiers and law-enforcement officers are generally not vegetarians,

because they have to keep alive their aggressive forces in order to

perform their work. To practice yoga and be successful in meditation,

it is mandatory to be vegetarian. It is a matter of wisdom -- the

application of knowledge at any given moment. Today, about twenty or

thirty percent of all Hindus are vegetarians.

Explanation: This can be a very touchy subject. When you are

asked this question, there are several ways that you can go, depending

on who is asking and the background in which they were raised. But

there is an overlying principle which gives the Hindu answer to this

query. It is called ahimsa, refraining from injuring, physically,

mentally or emotionally, anyone or any living creature. The Hindu who

wishes to strictly follow the path of noninjury to all creatures

naturally adopts a vegetarian diet. It's really a matter of conscience

more than anything else.

When we eat meat, fish, fowl and eggs, we absorb the vibration of the

instinctive creatures into our nerve system. This chemically alters our

consciousness and amplifies our lower nature, which is prone to fear,

anger, jealousy, confusion, resentment and the like. Many Hindu swamis

advise followers to be well-established vegetarians prior to initiation

into mantra, and then to remain vegetarian thereafter. But most do not

insist upon vegetarianism for those not seeking initiation. Swamis have

learned that families who are vegetarian have fewer problems than those

who are not.

There are many scriptural citations that counsel not eating meat, such

as in the Vedas, Tirukural and Manu Dharma Shastras. For guidance in

this and all matters, Hindus also rely on their own guru, community

elders, their own conscience and their knowledge of the benefits of

abstaining from meat and enjoying a wholesome vegetarian diet. Of

course, there are good Hindus who eat meat, and there are not-so-good

Hindus who are vegetarians.

Today in America and Europe there are millions of people who are

vegetarians simply because they want to live a long time and be

healthy. Many feel a moral obligation to shun the mentality of violence

to which meat-eating gives rise. There are some good books on

vegetarianism, such as Diet for a New America by John Robbins. There is

also a fine magazine dedicated to the subject, called Vegetarian Times.

Question Seven: Do Hindus have a Bible?

A: Our "Bible" is called the Veda. The Veda is comprised of four ancient and holy scriptures which all Hindus revere.

Longer Answer: Like the Taoist Tao te Ching, the Buddhist

Dhammapada, the Sikh Adi Granth, the Jewish Torah, the Christian Bible

and the Muslim Koran -- the Veda is the Hindu holy book. The Veda is

the ultimate scriptural authority for Hindus. Its words and wisdom

permeate Hindu thought, ritual and meditation. They open a rare window

into ancient Indian society, proclaiming life's sacredness and the way

to oneness with God.

Explanation: For untold centuries unto today, the Veda has

remained the sustaining force and authoritative doctrine, guiding

followers in ways of worship, duty and enlightenment. The Veda is the

meditative and philosophical focus for millions of monks and a billion

seekers. Its stanzas are chanted from memory by priests and laymen

daily as liturgy in temple worship and domestic ritual. All Hindus

wholeheartedly accept the Veda, yet each draws selectively, interprets

freely and amplifies abundantly. Over time, this tolerant allegiance

has woven the varied tapestry of Indian Hindu Dharma. Today, the Veda

is published in Sanskrit, English, French, German and other languages.

But it is the metaphysical and popular Upanishads, the fourth section

of the Veda, which have been most amply and ably translated.

Question Eight: Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead?

A: The dot worn on the forehead is a religious symbol. It is also a beauty mark.

Longer Answer: The dot worn on the forehead is a sign that one

is a Hindu. It is called the bindi in the Hindi language, bindu in

Sanskrit and pottu in Tamil. In olden days, all Hindu men and women

wore these marks, and they both also wore earrings. Today it is the

women who are most faithful in wearing the bindi. The dot has a

mystical meaning. It represents the third eye of spiritual sight, which

sees things the physical eyes cannot see. Hindus seek to awaken their

inner sight through yoga. The forehead dot is a reminder to use and

this spiritual vision to perceive and better understand life's inner

workings, to see things not just physically, but with the "mind's eye"

as well. There are many types of forehead marks, or tilaka, in addition

to the simple dot. Each mark represents a particular sect or

denomination of our vast religion. We have four major sects: Saivism,

Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism. Vaishnava Hindus, for example, wear

a v-shaped tilaka made of clay. Elaborate tilakas are worn by Hindus

mainly at religious events, though many wear the simple bindi,

indicating they are Hindu, even in the general public. By these marks

we know what a person believes, and therefore know how to begin

conversations.

For Hindu women, the forehead dot is also a beauty mark, not unlike the

black mark European and American women once wore on the cheek. The red

bindi is generally a sign of marriage. A black bindi is often worn

before marriage to ward off the evil eye. As an exotic fashion

statement, the dot's color complements the color of a lady's sari.

Ornate bindis are worn by actresses in popular American TV shows.

Explanation: Men and women of a particular faith wishing to

identify themselves to one another often do so by wearing distinctive

religious symbols. Often these are blessed in their temples, churches

or synagogues. In some countries Muslim girls cover their face with a

veil. Christians wear a cross on a necklace. Jewish boys wear small

leather cases that hold scriptural passages, and the round cap called

yalmuka.

Do not be ashamed to wear the bindi on your forehead in the United

States, Canada, Europe or any country of the world. It will distinguish

you from all other people as a very special person, a Hindu, a knower

of eternal truths. You will never be mistaken as belonging to another

nationality or religion. For both boys and girls, men and women, the

dot can be small or large depending on the circumstance, but should

always be there in appropriate circumstances. Naturally, we don't want

to flaunt our religion in the face of others. We observe that Christian

boys and girls take off or conceal their crosses in the corporate

business world. Recently a Canadian TV documentary distinguished the

bindi by calling it a "Cool Dot." Times are changing, and to proudly

wear the symbols that distinguish and define us is totally cool.

Question Nine: Are the Gods of Hinduism really married?

A: To the more uneducated people who are not able to understand

high philosophy, Hinduism is taught in story form. Those of the higher

philosophy know that each God is complete within Himself, neither male

nor female.

Longer Answer: Hinduism is taught on many different levels to

many different people, and to the more uneducated people who are not

able to understand the high philosophy, Hinduism is taught in story

form. These stories, called Puranas, are the basis of dance, plays,

storytelling around the fire in the homes to children as they are

growing up to amplify how they should live. Because the temple is the

center of every Hindu community, and everyone is focused on the temple

and the Gods within the temple, the Gods are the major players in these

stories. Hindus who understand the higher philosophy seek to find God

on the inside while also worshiping God in the temples. Simple folk

strive to be like a God, or like a Goddess. The stories illustrate how

a family should live, how they should raise their children, and much,

much more.

Explanation: Those who are privileged to the higher philosophies

know that Gods are neither male nor female, which is the yoga of ida

and pingala blending into sushumna within each individual. They know

that Gods do not marry, that they are complete within themselves. This

unity is depicted by Ardhanarishvara, Siva as half man and half woman

and in the teaching that Siva and Shakti are one, that Shakti is Siva's

energy. Hindus are very peaceful people, they believe in ahimsa, not

hurting physically, mentally or emotionally, but in times of war, the

stories become violent, stimulating young men to get out and fight,

showing how the Gods killed the demons, and how battles were won.

Before the printing press, there were few books and these were owned

only by a few families. Hinduism was conveyed through stories and

parables. Therefore, Hindus are a visual community, holding pictures in

their mind on how they should behave in peacetime, how they should

behave in wartime. Some modern swamis now urge devotees not to pay any

attention to the Puranic stories, saying that they have no relationship

with the world today -- that they are misleading and confusing.

Instead, they encourage followers to deepen themselves with the higher

philosophies of the Vedic Upanishads and the realizations of Hindu

seers.

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