IVE CONVERTED TO HINDUISM:)

[godsent]

You may have seen me around the boards before,i was once catholic.

 

But now i have converted to hinduism and i am soo excited about my affterlife...so so so excited.

 

I just cnt wait to get the statues of all the gods i ordered so i can worship them and idoloise them!

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

All glories to Lord Krishna!

 

"But now i have converted to hinduism and i am soo excited about my affterlife...so so so excited."

 

Does that mean you are now to practice the principles in the Bhagavad-Gita? If so, then I am very happy for you.

 

"I just cnt wait to get the statues of all the gods i ordered so i can worship them and idoloise them!"

 

(1) Only worship the deities that are written in the Vedas and Puranas. DO NOT worship any god-men like Sai Baba.

 

(2) Worship the Vishnu-tattva deities (such as Krishna, Vishnu, Rama etc) as Supreme Lord - they are all different forms of the same Lord.

 

(3) Worship the remaining demigods as exalted devotees of the Lord.

 

Then you will make spiritual progress.

 

Your aspiring servant,

******

[Guest guest]

Dear new Hindu person,

 

know Truth.

know the Self.

 

you are That.

you are That Consciousness by which all your experiences are known. You are SatChitAnanda. as a Hindu you cannot identify with body, mind or ego. These things are finite and bring suffering. You are the Eternal Self, shining, the source of all happiness.

 

repeat this mantra: "So-Ham"

[Guest guest]

Hari OM

 

1) Santhana Dharama (commonly called as Hinduism) is God given

 

2) All other religions are man made

 

Arguments in favour of the above

 

1) God would not give more than one Dharama, because

 

1.1) Dharma should be uniform and consistent to all people, can't have different for different sets

 

1.2) Would create confusion and chaos for which He becomes directly responisble

 

2) Gould should have given atleast one Dharama

2.1) Otherwise people would not know what is moral and immoral and they can't be held responsible for their actions

 

3) Why it is Santhana Dharama and why not others?

 

3.1) We know all other religions having a fixed creation date, if we accept any other religion as god given , it implies god has created first, but failed to give Dharama to His creation and suddenly woke up one day and send Dharama to the people

 

3.2) All people who lived before that day didn't know about Dharama so were not responsible for their actions

 

3.3) Both the above points does not look valid

 

4) For the extra-intelligent person who say like Hinduism there were other older religions without a ceration creation date which does not exist anymore--so that could be god given and Hinduism Man=made

 

4.1) If God-given it can not become extinct, then people would not know Dharama. At least one person should follow that Dharma in this world and every one should have the knowledge about that Dharma (even if they dont follow it)

 

4.2) So other older religions fail to satisify the above criteria

 

Now if any body has some , valid and rational, argumets , "against" the above ,would like to hear it. note: only valid arguments not emotional arguments like my god strongest type

 

As a corollary, all (or may be most) of the religions are created by great men with noble intentions, however unfortunately either due to their shortcommings itself or their followers' these religions had ended up in direct opposite to Dharma (which i think was not the intended purpose of its founders) and pulling their followers towards sin.

 

Now due you to good karma you were shown again the true Dharma, congrulations for that and try to increase your good karma still further.

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

(1) Sanatana Dharma is the correct following of the Vedic scriptures.

 

(2) The Vedic scriptures include the Puranas. The Bhavishya Purana predicts Muhammed, Jesus and Moses.

 

(3) Therefore sincere followers of Muhammed, Jesus and Moses are also sanatana-dharmis, because their teachings will lead to acceptance of sanatana-dharma.

 

(4) So, the followers of other religions that have gone against the teachings are not to be regarded as sanatana-dharmis.

 

(5) And those who follow Hinduism but not the rules and regulations are also not to be considered Sanatana-dharmis, because Sanatana-dharma is not an inherited thing i.e. you can't call yourself a true follower of sanatana-dharma and then go and eat meat and drink alcohol.

 

Your aspiring servant,

******

[Guest guest]

hello, may I ask you if you are European or Asian? just out of curiosity. all the best!

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

I'm asian. (my material body is!!!)

 

Your aspiring servant,

******

[Guest guest]

You may call the Vedas Hindu, but "Hindu" is a foreign name. WE ARE NOT HINDUS. (Sri Isopanisad Introduction)

 

Simply we are teaching that “Become God conscious.” God is neither Hindu nor Muslim nor Christian. He’s God. And WE ARE ALSO NOT HINDU or Muslim or Christian. This is our bodily designation. We are all pure, part and parcel of the Supreme. (BG Lecture NY 23/11/66)

 

Bhakti, devotional service is not dependent on any material condition. Because one man is very rich, he can get Krsna? No. Because one man is very poor, he cannot get Krsna? No. That’s not right. Because one is Hindu or Indian, he can get Krsna, not others? No. That is also not. Krsna is unconditionally for everyone. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: sarva yonisu kaunteya [bg. 14.4]. Otherwise, how He can be God? If He is a Hindu God, just like they describe in the dictionary that Krsna, a Hindu God—that is nonsense. Krsna is for everyone. Krsna does not say that “I am a Hindu God.’’ But these rascals say Krsna is Hindu God. This is going on. You see in the Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says, sarva yonisu kaunteya [bg. 14.4]. “In all species of life.’’ Sambhavanti murtayah. There are as many different forms of life. Tasam mahad yoni, brahma: “Their mother is this material nature, and I am their seed-giving father.’’ Krsna says that. So how can Krsna be Indian or Hindu or this or that? No. Krsna is for everyone. And the proof is that five years ago in the Western countries nobody knew what is Krsna. How they’re taking Krsna in so loving attitude? This is the proof that Krsna is for everyone, and everyone is for Krsna.

Try to understand this philosophy. Don’t be mislead. IT IS NOT A SECTARIAN RELIGION. IT IS THE FACT. (Arrival Lecture - Gainsville 29/7/71)

 

So that activity and karmis’ activity, there is difference. The karmi’s activity is on upadhi. “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am Christian.” With this upadhi, we are acting. But bhakti means without upadhi. Sarvopadhi-virnirmuktam. Activity without upadhi. Working not as American. Working not as Indian. Working not as Hindu. Working not as Muslim. That is sarvopadhi-vinirmuktah tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]. If we think that “I am Christian,” “I am Hindu,” “I am American,” that is with upädhi. When we purely think that “We are...,” or “I am servant of Krsna. My only business is to satisfy Krsna,” that activity is called bhakti. If I become interested in some party, that is not... Sometimes people criticize these American and European devotees, that they think that “They are American devotee; we are Hindu devotee. There is difference.” This is not bhakti-marga. This is upadhi. Why you should think yourself as Hindu? Why you should think of others who have come from America as American? That is less intelligent. Krsna-bhakta... Vaisnave jati-buddhih. If one thinks of Vaisnava as belonging to this class, this nation, he has no vision. Naraki. That is called naraki-buddhih. Vaisnave jati-buddhih arcye siladhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih. If we think the Deity as made of stone and made of wood, arcye sila-dhir; guruhu, nara-matih, if we accept spiritual master as ordinary human being; vaisnave jati-buddhih, and if we take a Vaisnava as belonging to America or Europe or India... No. They are transcendental. Neither the Deity in the temple is stone, NEITHER THE SPIRITUAL MASTER IS ORDINARY HUMAN BEING, NOR THE VAISNAVA BELONGS TO ANY CASTE. This vision is perfect vision. When you come to this vision, that is bhakti. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. A bhakta has to become purified. Tat-paratvena, being dovetailed with the service of tat, om tat sat. Tat-param. This is the process of devotional service. One should not be designated “I am this,” “I am that,” “I am that.” No. The world should unite. This Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that one should forget that he’s Indian or Hindu or Christian or American. Everything should unite as servant of Krsna. That is bhakti-marga. (NOD Class - Vrindavan 1/11/72)

 

Gopala Krsna: They are saying, they are saying we are not Hindus.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Gopala Krsna: They are saying this is not Hinduism.

Prabhupada: Hindus?, we are Krsnian. It they, if...

Hansaduta: Krsnans.

Prabhupada: Krsna, in the dictionary it is said, that Hindu God but we are claiming, that Krsnian, Krsna. Krsna conscious. Krsna conscious means “Godder than the Hindus.” When you say we are not Hindu that we are not restricted with the Hindi community. That is the meaning. Because Krsna says, “I am for everyone.” So why should we be restricted to the Hindi community. Krsna says sarva yonisu, “In all forms of life, I am the seed giving father.” Why he should be simply Hindu? This point should be stressed. Sarva yoni means eighty four million..., eighty, eighty, eight million four hundred thousands, all forms. Krsna is for all of them. We therefore, why Krsna should be restricted to the Hindu community? Hindus are included but Krsna is not restricted to Hindus. Krsna’s picture, that Bal Gopal. He’s embracing the calves. Krsna does not embrace only the gopis, He’s embracing the calves also. That is Krsna. He’s equal to everyone. Mah hi partha vyapasritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah. Papa-yonayah, so many low-grade forms of life, they’re also His.... Devotees are part and parcel. Mamaivamso ji... Quote this: Krsna is not restricted to the Hindu. We say, “We are not Hindu,” means we are not.... We embrace everyone. We are not restricted to the Hindus. The so-called Christians, so-called Mohammedans, they.... We embrace everyone, and actually we are doing that. Why should we simply be compact within the limitation of Hindus. That is not our purpose. Then we would not have come to western countries. We actually spreading universal brotherhood. Krsna is the father and everyone our brother. We are claiming, all our fallen brothers to become Krsna conscious. This is our movement. Caitanya Mahaprabhu (said) prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama, this is our movement. Why you should be restricted, to the India, and amongst the Hindus. (Room Conv. - Vrindavana 2/11/76)

 

So sad-dharma required. The, in this material world the so-called dharmas, this Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma and Christian dharma and Buddhist dharma and so many... They are not sad-dharma. They are asad-dharma. “Because I am born in the family of a Christian, I am Christian.” “Because I am born in the family of Hindu, I am Hindu.” And next time I may (be) born in the family of a dog. There is no dharma. So these are not sad-dharma. These are all asad-dharma, for the time being. Asad means “that will not stay.” You are Hindu. How long you are Hindu? Say, fifty years. Or you are Indian. How long you are Indian? Say, fifty, sixty, hundred years. But again you have to become something else. That we do not know. We are working very hard, “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am Indian,” “I am American.” These upadhi. But the upadhi may be changed next moment. At any moment. So what is your real dharma? This is temporary dharma for the body. What is your real dharma? Real dharma is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [bg. 18.66]. That is sad-dharma. That is sad-dharma. That will continue eternally. (SB Lect - Bombay 11/11/74)

 

This is the position. We are many, and God is one. So if we accept one God, then where is the chance of different religious system? God is one. God is neither Christian nor Hindu or Muslim or... No. God is God. Just like gold. Gold is gold. Either in the Hindu community, or Muslim community, gold is gold. Because gold is there in some Hindu community, nobody says “Hindu gold.” Does anybody say, “It is Hindu gold” or “It is Christian gold”? No. Gold is gold. Similarly, God is one. There is no “Hindu God” or “Muslim God” or “Christian God.” This is mistake. “We believe God in this way...,” that is nonsense. No. God is one, and you have to see what is the characteristic of God. Just like when it is gold, everyone wants to see whether it is actually gold or imitation gold. That we have to see. There cannot be Hindu gold, Muslim gold, Christian gold. No. Simply you have to see whether it is actually gold, acceptable. That should be the subject matter of theology, to know actually what is God and to understand what is our relationship with God.

(SB Lecture - LA 26/6/75)

 

Prabhupada: Everyone should understand God and the relationship with God and act accordingly. Then it is perfect religion. And if there is no conception of God, no carrying out order of the God, that is not religion. That is cheating. But generally they do not accept God—still, he is stamping himself that “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am Christian.” He has no idea what is God, how to abide by His order, and they are fighting that “I am Christian and you are Hindu. Therefore we must fight.” This is going on. Nobody understands what is God. Pseudo religion. Practically there is no religion. If there is no government—you make your law; I make my law—then how there will be peace? That is the position. They do not understand what is God, and “I am Christian” or “Hindu” or “Mohammedan, so let us fight.” That’s all.

Dr. Kneupper: Do you think that there is a special way that Hinduism looks upon man’s place in the universe?

Prabhupada: The Hindu religion is a vague term. It is a vague term. It is not clear. It is not clear. Real term is, it is called, Vedic principle. Vedic principle. And in the Bhagavad-gita it is said: Vedic knowledge means to understand God. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [bg. 15.15]. So anyone who tries to understand God, he is in the Vedic line. Veda means knowledge, so as you get the stock of knowledge, that is called Vedas. But as soon as we say Vedas, they think it is Hindu. Mathematics is a science. So any scientific man will accept mathematics. Where is the question of Hindu mathematics? Gold is gold. If it is in the hand of Hindu, it is Hindu gold? Hindu, Muslim gold? Gold is gold. When we give the Vedic knowledge, they think it is Hindu idea. (Room Conv. –Vrindavana 6/11/76)

 

So at the present moment, being entrapped by the material nature, we have accepted different types of dharmas. That is artificial. That is artificial. “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am Christian,” “I am Buddhist,” “I am this,” “I am that.” These are all in relationship with this body. Accidentally if I am born in a Hindu family, or Muslim family, or Christian family, I identify myself, “I am Hindu,” “I am Muslim,” “I am Christian.” But real identification is, as I have already explained to you, aham brahmasmi, I am Brahman. I am the spirit soul. (SB Lect. – Hyderebad 26/11/72)

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Guest.

Re. your comment---'you can't call yourself a true follower of sanatana-dharma and then go and eat meat and drink alcohol.'

Where exactly it is written in vedas, puranas that one may not eat meat?all vedic yagnya were animal sacrifice.Manusmriti even lays down a table of what meat BRAHMINS should be fed during a shradha. Other castes were always eating meat. Alcohol was always consumed. Refer uttarkanda in Ramayan which talks about lord Rama consuming alcohol.Mahabharata is replete with references of meat and alcohol.Re. rajsuya yagnya feast description,arjun spending time with lord Krisna in & both cosuming alcohol.

I am not justifying either but sanatan dharma has no edict not to consume meat & alcohol. both these were shunned after the advent of budhism.Get your facts right.

No offence please . this is an open forum.

 

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

"Where exactly it is written in vedas, puranas that one may not eat meat?"

 

SB 6.10.9: If one is unhappy to see the distress of other living beings and happy to see their happiness, his religious principles are appreciated as imperishable by exalted persons who are considered pious and benevolent.

 

In other words, a spiritual person is unhappy to see the distress of other living beings. Therefore, he would be unhappy by eating meat. Therefore he won't eat meat.

 

"all vedic yagnya were animal sacrifice."

 

Some were.

 

"Manusmriti even lays down a table of what meat BRAHMINS should be fed during a shradha"

 

There is plenty of evidence that the Manu samhita has gone through many corruptions over the last 200 years. If this quote is from a secondary source of Manu samhita (i.e. translation), it cannot be considered bona fide.

 

"Refer uttarkanda in Ramayan which talks about lord Rama consuming alcohol."

 

This is not true. Please quote actual verse.

 

"Re. rajsuya yagnya feast description,arjun spending time with lord Krisna in & both cosuming alcohol."

 

This is not true. Please quote actual verse.

 

"I am not justifying either but sanatan dharma has no edict not to consume meat & alcohol."

 

Santana dharma develops individuals that are unhappy at seeing the distress of other living beings (Srimad-Bhagavatam) - therefore such individuals would refrain from the eating of meat. Also, Sanatana-dharma tells us to approach a bona fide spiritual master coming in a disciplic succession. There are five disciplic successions - 4 Vaishnava and one Sankaracarya - all adherents of the faith refrain from meat-eating.

 

"both these were shunned after the advent of budhism"

 

They were shunned even more after buddhism, because people were misusing animal sacrifices in order to justify meat-eating.

 

Your aspiring servant.