curiosity

[Guest guest]

Do people of the Hindu faith believe that everyone lives forever and is reborn? If so, what comes of people who do not believe?

please excuse my ignorance of the subject:)

[madanvrao 0]

It is not a question of belief, it is a science and therefore, a fact. If you require scientific evidence, please read Chapter 4 of the Bhagvad Gita and also the book 'Coming Back' by Srila Prabhupada.

 

It does not matter whether you are a Hindu, Muslim or a Christian, the existence of the soul is a fact.

 

Whether a person believes or does not believe, it dosen't matter.

[Guest guest]

here is a common question that comes mostly from christians.

 

some how they think that truth and facts do not matter, only a set of belief matters. if a set of beliefs from a religion x suits them, then they would choose religion x over any other. in contrast, a hindu does not look for a set of beliefs in a religion, he/she rather seeks truth in religion and every where. hinduism is a pursuit of truth and absolute truth. a hindu very well knows that one's beief cannot change facts and the truth of the universe.

therefore he wants to know the truth and then live by it.

 

one's belief only influences one's view of the world and one's behaviour. e.g., the jeehadis believe they will get sex with 72 virgins in haven if they do jeehaad. this belief contributes jeehad to the world. many xians believe that truth is given onlyin bible, and any other scriputer is devil's work. this belief causes them to destroy other religions and cultures.

 

the answer to the curious questeion is given very nicely by madanrao ji.

 

jai sri krishna! -madhav

 

[Tirisilex 0]

I'm sorry I'm not trying to deny you of your beliefs here.

But in the way I see you saying that your views are fact because it is truth is honestly a weak arguement.

A Christian will unshakably declare that their view is fact and it is truth.

A Muslim will unshakably declare that their view is fact and it is truth.

A Taoist will unshakably declare that their view is fact and it is truth.

A Buddhist will unshakably declare that their view is fact and it is truth.

Just because you say it is truth doesnt really mean that it is. Can you provide proof in texts outside your own path? Like, say, a reputable science book. Philosophy can be a very subjective subject and to say something is fact without providing facts is "junk science."

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

This is a very complex issue.

 

Is there a Jiva(Soul) apart from body and psyche ?

 

One thing in Hinduism is that the Sages experienced this truth and they have taught others the same and implore to search and find the truth by giving guidelines. This is what several Hindus of this century and before did(like Ramana maharishi, Aurobindo etc).

 

Now how to prove this whether there is a soul or not ? I cannot show this to you. Experiment and see whether Hinduism works for you. This is all I can say.

 

As for soul and its existence, Since I am "AWARE"(of my existence etc.) I think I am.

 

Now you may say all this is a phenomenon rising out of mental contructs which again rises out of brain and matter and particular structure of matter and brain.

 

My question is such a thing as AWARENESS cannot arise from matter itself ?

 

The very state of matter is distinguished by abscense of AWARENESS.

 

If you want to refute this then you have to prove your point as it is EVIDENT through observation that matter is essentially DEAD or UNAWARE.

 

This however does not prove reincarnation but surely points to you that based on above knowledge that reincarnation is plausible or atleast not implausible.

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

Another subject which I am also confused is sleep. When we sleep we lose awareness. Here I am talking of sleep with no dreams. Matter is still there, brain is there, the structure is constant. May be there is or there is not some electrical activity firing inside the brain.

 

How can we view this phenomenon ?

 

When I consciously decide to sleep I sleep. How do I wake up ?

 

How do you define the PAINESS, SORROWNESS, HAPPINESS etc. we feel. It is surely more than mere electrical activity. There is not necessarily physical torments involved here.

 

There were and are medical cases where patients experience pain in non-existent parts of their bodies.

 

This is all a mystery to scientists and science has no solution to everything.

 

Science does not understand what EXISTENCE is ? None the less we take for granted our own EXISTENCE through observation.

 

Some things cannot be explained but can be taken for granted through experience and observation only ?

 

This is also the case for JIVA or SOUL.

 

A blind man can be given an idea what having an eye sight fells like, bit he can never experience what eye sight is unless a doctor operates him and gives him a new pair of eyes.

 

Similarly Vedas can guide you and transform you to see the TRUTH. We Hindus believe so because time and again there were many great sages born and being born in India who proved through their lives the TRUTH of Vedas.

[Guest guest]

<< to say something is fact without providing facts is "junk science." >>

 

we are talking religions - dhamra here, not science.

 

krishna says:

shraddhaavaaan labhate gyaanam.

 

knowledge of truth cannot be acquied without some faith.

 

scientific method is just one of a few ways to know the truth. when you get sick and need medicine, you put faith in your doctor and pharmacist. else, you either stay sick without the medicine, or sceitificlly prove yourself that the medicine dr. gave is right. to do this you need to understand the desease and the chemistry of the medicine how it will cure you. just as you put faith in money loving doctor and pharmacist, we put faith in those who care less about money and material but live and die for god only.

 

when your mother introduced you to your father,

you accepted it as truth. you did not ask her to prove he is your father. this is faith.

 

similarly, hindus put faith in the vedic scriptures and yogis and saints and aacharyas, and sadhus who have lived by hinduism and have attained most exalted spiritual state.

 

now, we are not expecting all the world to do the same as we do, because we know that every one has freedom of choice - right or wrong.

 

we know that of all the religions, hinduism is most scieitific, but not totally scientific (or it is, but most cannnot comprehend it totally), becaue faith is needed even to begin in hinduism.

 

we share hinduism to those who have friendly interest to know, and not envious ones. unlike islam, we do not enforce hinduism upon non hindus, and we do not conduct massive programs of conversions as xians do.

 

you may say hinduism is devil's work, and we will say fine. we know what it is, and we have freedom to live by it, and protect it.

 

jai sri krishna! -madhav

 

[Tirisilex 0]

<< knowledge of truth cannot be acquied without some faith. >>

 

I agree.. I am a Buddhist and my beliefs are different than yours. If I were to proclaim to you that there is no soul and this is a fact. Would you agree?

Although I may agree with this Buddhist idea I would never proclaim it to be a fact. And this is Buddha Dharma not science. What I am trying to say is that you are proclaiming things as a fact when in actuality it is something you believe to be true. I'm not saying that you are wrong nor am I telling you that you are right in your beliefs. What I'm trying to point out to you is that you say things are fact when they are truely just what you choose to believe in.

[Guest guest]

madhav is not exactly our most competent representative, be patient