Questions about Hinduism

[Deosai]

I got some questions about Hinduism for our Hindu members here, i'll list them below.

1.What is Hinduism?Is it a religion?

2.What's the actual name of Hinduism cause "Hinduism" is a foreign name?

3.Do Hindus believe in the concept of heaven & hell?Do Hindus have prophets.

4.How many dieties do Hindus believe in and which is the main one?

5.How many different sects of Hinduism are there and what's their geographic distribution?

6.Are all Hindus forbidden from drinking alochol,fornicating and eating beef?

7.What's the most important book in Hinduism and do ordinary Hindus read it?and do Hindus fast like Muslims, if they do, how different is it?

8.Do Hindus that follow different sects and worship different dieties believe they follow the same religion and believe in a body of "Hindu people", or do they see themselves independtly?

9.What are some of the biggest sins in Hinduism, what are the punishments for them?

10.What are non Hindus called?

11.What are the other major holidays in hinduism apart from diwali & holi?

These are the questions I can think of right now, i'll add more later

 

[Justcrazy]

Brother , you probably will find most answers inVedas.

 

[cricketjoshila]

1.Hindusism is a way of life.

2.The real name of Hinduism is Sanatan Dharma.The Timeless Religion.

3.Hindus have the concept of Hell and heaven and is known as Swarag and Narak respectively.Hindus dont have prophets we have avatars.They are manisfestation of the almighty himself who has incarnated in human form to stop decandency of Dharma upliftment of mankind and to show people the correct path.

The rest need detailed answers and i will be answering them when time permits.

 

[Deosai]

1.Hindusism is a way of life.

2.The real name of Hinduism is Sanatan Dharma.The Timeless Religion.

3.Hindus have the concept of Hell and heaven and is known as Swarag and Narak respectively.Hindus dont have prophets we have avatars.They are manisfestation of the almighty himself who has incarnated in human form to stop decandency of Dharma upliftment of mankind and to show people the correct path.

The rest need detailed answers and i will be answering them when time permits.

Thanks for the answer

Regarding #1, I'm not sure if I agree cause everybody calls their religion a "way of life", I've heard Muslims,Christains,Jews,Buddhists,Sikhs etc all describe their faiths as a "way of life" since religion is seen as a "bad word", I think it's a new age thing...

3# What is Swarag and Narag?Do the souls go their after completing Karma and rebirth multiple times?Is their a Hindu a "dooms day" aka qayamat, or a Hindu day of judgement?

 

[RWAC]

I'll answer the ones that don't require me to type multiple paragraphs for now

I got some questions about Hinduism for our Hindu members here, i'll list them below.


2.What's the actual name of Hinduism cause "Hinduism" is a foreign name?

Sanathan Dharma (that translates to Eternal Religion, although Religion is only one of the many interpretations of the word Dharma - which can also mean way of life, duty, etc.) Hence I did not delve into 1. right now because it requires defining "religion".

3.Do Hindus believe in the concept of heaven & hell?Do Hindus have prophets.

Yes. The concept of Karma is tied to the concept of heaven and hell. If you do good deeds, you may be reborn as a higher being up to the level of humans. If you keep doing good still, you can be granted entry into heaven. If you keep doing good still, you are free from the cycle of re-birth and attain moksha, which the Buddhists calls Nirvana. Similarly for hell, depending on the monstrosity of your deeds, you can be reborn as lower forms of life, or go to hell and face punishment for it.

Although there are different personalities who discover God and preach their findings (rishis), there is also the belief that God himself incarnates in human form and comes to Earth whenever there is too much evil all around, to show us the light. Lord Ram and Lord Krishna are considered incarnates.

6.Are all Hindus forbidden from drinking alochol,fornicating and eating beef?

Short answer - no. These are progressive steps you take as you proceed towards being closer to God. If you decide to walk on the path of God, you will make changes to lifestyle and some of these involve not drinking, not eat ANY meat (to not harm fellow creatures) and abstain from sex (as alcohol and sex will distract you and pull you towards the allure of worldly desires, and away from focussing on God).

It is roughly akin to the situation where Christians can have sex, but if you decide to go one-up and become a nun or a priest, you take a vow of celibacy.

 

[speed]

How does one attain salvation according to Hindu scripture?

 

[speed]

Another question

There are so many scriptures in Hinduism but which scriptures are consider as the Word of God in Hinduism?

 

[cricketjoshila]

1.That has been the case for Hinduism since ancient times.

2.Swarg is Heaven Narak is hell.Souls enjoy their fruits of karma in either place before being cast down to have rebirth and work out their salvation.

3.The judgement happens when a being dies and reaches the doors of death and he is then judged according to his karma.

 

[Lurker_Ind]

1) There is no Hinduism. It is not a religion. It is a culture.

2) Sanatana Dharma. Age old traditions.

3) Yes. Heaven and Hell exist. Hindus do not have Prophets. They have Avatar's of Gods who come to our world as living humans and solve our issues. Ram, Krishna etc are all Avatars.

4) Original Gods of Sanatana Dharma as per Vedas were - Indra, Surya, Agni, Vayu, Varuna, Mitra, Aditi, Yama, Soma, Sarasvati, Prithvi, and Rudra. After Vedas, Puranas were added where the Vedic Gods were given back seat and a new trinity of Gods (Brahma/Vishnu/Maheshwara) were given prominence. So basically as per modern Sanatana Dharma, Its 3 Gods with many of their avatars and tons of local dieties which are aryanized.

5) 2 Main sects. Vaishnavites & Shivites. Worshippers of Vishnu and Shiva. Used to be a big deal a 1000 years ago. Now nobody cares. People do not even know that these 2 sects exist.

6) There is no restriction on fornication. But before marriage, it is discouraged. Alcohol is not forbidden as far as I know. Some low caste Hindus are known to eat beef. Especially the Dalits who only got integrated into Hindu fold very late.

7) I think it is Bhagavad Gita. But Vedas are also very important. Every big ceremony starts with the reading of Vedas.

8) Sects do not have any significance in 21st century among Hindus. Very few people follow sects strictly. Most are not very religious. But people cling on to traditions and culture a lot. But they make exceptions to it whenever possible. Hinduism is very flexible. You can do anything in the name of Hinduism.

9)There is no biggest sin. Eating beef was not practiced as part of culture. RSS & VHP had made a big deal out of it. There are enough people to buy their propoganda.
Sisu Hatya (Infanticide), Stree Hatya (Women killing) and Gau Hatya (Cow killing) is considered big sins. Thats what I heard from Grandmas and Grandpas.

10)Non Hindus are called by their religion name. Musalmaan, Isayi etc. There are no special words for Abrahamic faiths in Hinduism.

11) Dushehra, Ram Navami (Birth of Lord Ram), Makar Sankranti. It depends on the region. Each state and region have their own Gods given more prominence.

 

[Deosai]

Yes. The concept of Karma is tied to the concept of heaven and hell. If you do good deeds, you may be reborn as a higher being up to the level of humans. If you keep doing good still, you can be granted entry into heaven. If you keep doing good still, you are free from the cycle of re-birth and attain moksha, which the Buddhists calls Nirvana. Similarly for hell, depending on the monstrosity of your deeds, you can be reborn as lower forms of life, or go to hell and face punishment for it.

So once you're in heaven you're there for good?And heaven in hinduism is similar to the ones in Abrahamic faiths?
How many times do people get reborn, is it unlimited?What's Mokhsha/Nirvana, what's it like being in that state?do you still exist?

Do Hindus believe that this world and universe has a time limit and will end someday?Also do you get to reunite with your family & friends in the next life or in "Swarag" and "Moksha".

 

[brute]

So once you're in heaven you're there for good?And heaven in hinduism is similar to the ones in Abrahamic faiths?
How many times do people get reborn, is it unlimited?What's Mokhsha/Nirvana, what's it like being in that state?do you still exist?

Do Hindus believe that this world and universe has a time limit and will end someday?Also do you get to reunite with your family & friends in the next life or in "Swarag" and "Moksha".

According to Hindu religion Lord Brahma is the creator of the universe and Lord Shiva is the destroyer.

Lord Brahma creates the universe in the day and by the end of night Shiva destroys it.

This cycle continues for 100 years. After 100 years another Brahma replaces the old Brahma and the process continues.


All the good people go to Swarga but you can be reborn again till you attain salvation. So by the time you die and reach heaven your friends might have reborn again.

 

[JaDed]

I didn't know even this much about my religion eventhough my father kept narrating it to me,thanks at posters

 

[Deosai]

According to Hindu religion Lord Brahma is the creator of the universe and Lord Shiva is the destroyer.

Lord Brahma creates the universe in the day and by the end of night Shiva destroys it.

This cycle continues for 100 years. After 100 years another Brahma replaces the old Brahma and the process continues.


All the good people go to Swarga but you can be reborn again till you attain salvation. So by the time you die and reach heaven your friends might have reborn again.

Does this cycle ever end?Why do Hindus worship Shiva and he even has a sect named after him, even though he's a destroyer?
So Hindus don't believe they'll ever meet their family and friends after this life?That kinda sucks..

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

To be honest, its much more complicated so if you ask different people, you will get different answers (based on interpretation).

I will make it simple for you. Sorry for my shorter response due to lack of time and to be honest, this topic is too big for online discussions.

Disclaimer: I am a Vaishnavite Brahmin Vadakalai Iyengar so my views are a reflection of that.

1. There is a cycle of births and deaths (based on past karma). Your future depends on your present actions + past karma combo.

2. The main heaven is called as Vaikunta (ultimate heaven). Swargaloka (temporary heaven) and Naraka loga (hell) are temporary destinations of a soul based on their karma.

3. To find ultimate salvation, you need to go for Bhakti Yoga penance (what rishis do). But those who are incapable of that (and all in this Kali Yuga are incapable of it), you have an official religious event for that. Any person (regardless of caste, colour, religion) can break away from this cycle of birth and death. This religious event is even done for animals by their owners (most likely in case of temple elephant or cow or stuff).

4. Shiva, Brahma, Ganesha are considered demi gods but not God. Vaishnavites acknowledge them and their powers (for a celestial body) but won't pray to them cos they are not considered God.

5. Also strictly speaking, praying for materialistic desires is not ideal (they say true devotion goes beyond materialistic desires).

6. Yes, there are prophets for Vaishnavites from South India. Ramanuja, Desika, etc are considered as prophets (who did great work in explaining religious texts). But avatars (Rama, Krishna, Kalki, Narasimha) are the main well known entities.

I will just end my post with a simple point of what God says:

"1 in a 1000 will know the existence of the true Lord of the Universe and 1 amongst 1000 of them will know the path to attain Him. Things are complicated cos its designed that way. The greatest punishment given to a soul is lack of knowledge of God. He is made to move the farthest from God. The world which you are in IS NOT FAIR. Things didn't start when you took birth, it goes way beyond what is happening in your current life"

Now don't jump on me. Just presenting what one segment believes in.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Does this cycle ever end?Why do Hindus worship Shiva and he even has a sect named after him, even though he's a destroyer? So Hindus don't believe they'll ever meet their family and friends after this life?That kinda sucks..

Yes, it ends.

There is a cycle of birth and death. So you will have 1000s of dads, moms and there is no attachment to any soul (I mean family attachment) once your life is over.

 

[Yatoo]

Hinduism doesn't have a uniform theology. Even to some basic fundamental questions you will get different answers. The four Vedas are not in harmony to each other. You will find different gods having importance in Rig Veda than those in Yajur Veda. Then Athar Veda even has assimilated ideas from tribal religions.
Then 12 out of 108Upanishads are also considered divine.
There are 6 different schools of thought (classical) when it comes to transmigration of soul and how to achieve moksha.


Overall questions you have asked, nearly every Hindu will give you a different kinda answer.

 

[brute]

Does this cycle ever end?Why do Hindus worship Shiva and he even has a sect named after him, even though he's a destroyer?
So Hindus don't believe they'll ever meet their family and friends after this life?That kinda sucks..

Lord Shiva is also the destroyer of evil. He is known to be just, kind and innocent. That's why he is also called Bhole Nath.

He has a third eye which when opened causes pralay or qayamat. When lord Shiva decides that evil has reached its peak and earth can't be saved he opens his third eye.

According to Hindu religion a soul uses a body just like we use clothes. All the bonds and relations which we create on earth end when we die. The soul is reborn as a different life form be it an animal, an insect or as a human.

The purpose of a soul is to be with its creator. If the soul keeps on doing good deeds one day it will attain moksha and reunited with the god.

 

[Deosai]

Lord Shiva is also the destroyer of evil. He is known to be just, kind and innocent. That's why he is also called Bhole Nath.

He has a third eye which when opened causes pralay or qayamat. When lord Shiva decides that evil has reached its peak and earth can't be saved he opens his third eye.

According to Hindu religion a soul uses a body just like we use clothes. All the bonds and relations which we create on earth end when we die. The soul is reborn as a different life form be it an animal, an insect or as a human.

The purpose of a soul is to be with its creator. If the soul keeps on doing good deeds one day it will attain moksha and reunited with the god.

And what is this moksha I keep hearing about?what is this state?do you stay as a physical being and what are the perks you get to enjoy? Or is it just non existence?

 

[brute]

And what is this moksha I keep hearing about?what is this state?do you stay as a physical being and what are the perks you get to enjoy? Or is it just non existence?

Soul is called Aatma and god is called Parmatma.

Moksha is the state where the soul ceases to exist and becomes part of the god.

 

[Deosai]

Soul is called Aatma and god is called Parmatma.

Moksha is the state where the soul ceases to exist and becomes part of the god.

So you become part of God(s)?there are many gods in Hinduism if I'm not wrong, so which god?do you have a sense of consciousnesses in that state and do you enjoy the powers that God has?

 

[Yatoo]

So you become part of God(s)?there are many gods in Hinduism if I'm not wrong, so which god?do you have a sense of consciousnesses in that state and do you enjoy the powers that God has?

Part of Brahma if I'm not mistaken.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

So you become part of God(s)?there are many gods in Hinduism if I'm not wrong, so which god?do you have a sense of consciousnesses in that state and do you enjoy the powers that God has?

I knew you would ask this so just chiming in.

This topic is a matter of big debate. I don't know brute's context but I am speaking in general.

One segment say soul and God will become one. Others dont have the view.

I think by God, they are referring to ultimate consciousness.

Other segments have a different view. They say all souls are part of God but that doesn't mean the soul is God.

For example, you will refer to your hand as YOUR HAND and say its part of you but your hand doesn't define YOU in general.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Part of Brahma if I'm not mistaken.

I think its Brahman.

 

[Deosai]

To be honest, its much more complicated so if you ask different people, you will get different answers (based on interpretation).

I will make it simple for you. Sorry for my shorter response due to lack of time and to be honest, this topic is too big for online discussions.

Disclaimer: I am a Vaishnavite Brahmin Vadakalai Iyengar so my views are a reflection of that.

1. There is a cycle of births and deaths (based on past karma). Your future depends on your present actions + past karma combo.

2. The main heaven is called as Vaikunta (ultimate heaven). Swargaloka (temporary heaven) and Naraka loga (hell) are temporary destinations of a soul based on their karma.

3. To find ultimate salvation, you need to go for Bhakti Yoga penance (what rishis do). But those who are incapable of that (and all in this Kali Yuga are incapable of it), you have an official religious event for that. Any person (regardless of caste, colour, religion) can break away from this cycle of birth and death. This religious event is even done for animals by their owners (most likely in case of temple elephant or cow or stuff).

4. Shiva, Brahma, Ganesha are considered demi gods but not God. Vaishnavites acknowledge them and their powers (for a celestial body) but won't pray to them cos they are not considered God.

5. Also strictly speaking, praying for materialistic desires is not ideal (they say true devotion goes beyond materialistic desires).

6. Yes, there are prophets for Vaishnavites from South India. Ramanuja, Desika, etc are considered as prophets (who did great work in explaining religious texts). But avatars (Rama, Krishna, Kalki, Narasimha) are the main well known entities.

I will just end my post with a simple point of what God says:

"1 in a 1000 will know the existence of the true Lord of the Universe and 1 amongst 1000 of them will know the path to attain Him. Things are complicated cos its designed that way. The greatest punishment given to a soul is lack of knowledge of God. He is made to move the farthest from God. The world which you are in IS NOT FAIR. Things didn't start when you took birth, it goes way beyond what is happening in your current life"

Now don't jump on me. Just presenting what one segment believes in.

Thanks for your answer.

So you're a worshipper of Vishnu?is he a God?

Is that saying you quoted from Hindu scripture?

 

[Abhilash93]

I got some questions about Hinduism for our Hindu members here, i'll list them below.

1.What is Hinduism?Is it a religion?

2.What's the actual name of Hinduism cause "Hinduism" is a foreign name?

3.Do Hindus believe in the concept of heaven & hell?Do Hindus have prophets.

4.How many dieties do Hindus believe in and which is the main one?

5.How many different sects of Hinduism are there and what's their geographic distribution?

6.Are all Hindus forbidden from drinking alcohol,fornicating and eating beef?

7.What's the most important book in Hinduism and do ordinary Hindus read it?and do Hindus fast like Muslims, if they do, how different is it?

8.Do Hindus that follow different sects and worship different dieties believe they follow the same religion and believe in a body of "Hindu people", or do they see themselves independtly?

9.What are some of the biggest sins in Hinduism, what are the punishments for them?

10.What are non Hindus called?

11.What are the other major holidays in hinduism apart from diwali & holi?

These are the questions I can think of right now, i'll add more later

1. People living south of the river Indus (Sindhu in Sanskrit) were called Hindus. It was a generic term. The customs, rituals, beliefs followed by people of this region over the years became Hindusim. So, it is a way of life.

6. Don't know for sure, but people in Goa & Kerala eat beef.

7. Bhagwad Geeta is the most important I guess. Then there are others like the Vedas, Upanishads etc. It is not binding to read & most don't. Atleast, I am not very religious. So, I haven't read any of the religious texts. Yes, there are fasts, vary from region to region.

10. I don't think there is any specific term equivalent to Pagan etc

12. Major holidays that are pan-Indian are Dussehra, Diwali, Holi, Raksha Bandhan. Then there are harvest festivals (Pongal, Ugadi down south, Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Lohri in Punjab etc) & new years (according to regional calendars). Then theres Durga Puja in Bengal, Bihu in Assam, Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra/Karnataka.

 

[Lurker_Ind]

OP will never get a uniform answer to Religion & God in Hinduism like you get Islam or Christianity.

The present day Hindu religion is just an amalgamation of various schools of thoughts that existed all over subcontinent.

Hinduism is an inclusive religion. There is no Us vs Them. Everything is good and accepted. That is the reason why it survived for so long.

Christians and Muslims will laugh at this, but given a chance, Hinduism will include Prophets Jesus and Mohammed as Avatars of Vishnu. I am sure some people might have tried this and Muslim rulers in the past must have butchered them for attempting it.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Thanks for your answer.

So you're a worshipper of Vishnu?is he a God?

Is that saying you quoted from Hindu scripture?

Yes. Vaishnavites consider Vishnu as the one and only God (along with Laxmi but to put it simply its belief in one God).

Rama, Krishna, Narasimha, Kalki, etc are avatars of Vishnu.

 

[Abhilash93]

Buddhism has some similar concepts to Hinduism as it sort of an offshoot, emerging from the same the Indian subcontinent. So, Nirvana is a bit similar to Moksha.

 

[Abhilash93]

OP will never get a uniform answer to Religion & God in Hinduism like you get Islam or Christianity.

The present day Hindu religion is just an amalgamation of various schools of thoughts that existed all over subcontinent.

Hinduism is an inclusive religion. There is no Us vs Them. Everything is good and accepted. That is the reason why it survived for so long.

Christians and Muslims will laugh at this, but given a chance, Hinduism will include Prophets Jesus and Mohammed as Avatars of Vishnu. I am sure some people might have tried this and Muslim rulers in the past must have butchered them for attempting it.

Yes, Gautama Buddha is considered to be an avatar of Vishnu.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

OP will never get a uniform answer to Religion & God in Hinduism like you get Islam or Christianity.

The present day Hindu religion is just an amalgamation of various schools of thoughts that existed all over subcontinent.

Hinduism is an inclusive religion. There is no Us vs Them. Everything is good and accepted. That is the reason why it survived for so long.

Christians and Muslims will laugh at this, but given a chance, Hinduism will include Prophets Jesus and Mohammed as Avatars of Vishnu. I am sure some people might have tried this and Muslim rulers in the past must have butchered them for attempting it.

You are right about non uniform views bro.

With all due respects....strict Hindus (regardless of their sect) won't consider other Prophets as their own.

Every religion has its own rules and regulations. Mixing them doesn't really work.

Just cos something is complicated or widely debated doesn't mean everything is accepted (I agree there is a segment who do accept everything but its not a majority or a mainstream view). Its just that Hinduism is more explained as an overall concept to outsiders.

 

[brute]

So you become part of God(s)?there are many gods in Hinduism if I'm not wrong, so which god?do you have a sense of consciousnesses in that state and do you enjoy the powers that God has?

Part of Brahma if I'm not mistaken.

Vaishnavites believe Vishnu is the supreme god whereas Shivites believe Shiva is the supreme god.

So its either Vishnu or Shiva.

Although another school of thought believes that Shakti is the true god who created everything ( including Vishnu and Shiva).

Goddess Lakshmi, Parvati, Mata Vaishno are considered as reincarnation of Shakti.


PS: Not 100℅ sure about what I have written so anybody with more knowledge can correct me

 

[Deosai]

OP will never get a uniform answer to Religion & God in Hinduism like you get Islam or Christianity.

The present day Hindu religion is just an amalgamation of various schools of thoughts that existed all over subcontinent.

Hinduism is an inclusive religion. There is no Us vs Them. Everything is good and accepted. That is the reason why it survived for so long.

Christians and Muslims will laugh at this, but given a chance, Hinduism will include Prophets Jesus and Mohammed as Avatars of Vishnu. I am sure some people might have tried this and Muslim rulers in the past must have butchered them for attempting it.

Is there map of of the different school of thoughts of Hinduism, like each state/geographic region or ethnicity with it's predominant sect?what sect did people in ancient Pakistan and Afghanistan follow?

 

[speed]

What are the laws of Manu, is it a scripture? do Hindus have to follow it?.

 

[Lurker_Ind]

Is there map of of the different school of thoughts of Hinduism, like each state/geographic region or ethnicity with it's predominant sect?what sect did people in ancient Pakistan and Afghanistan follow?

There is no such map. Vishnu and Maheshwara have temples all over India. Although, it appears Marathis seem to prefer Lord Shiva more.

 

[endymion248]

OP will never get a uniform answer to Religion & God in Hinduism like you get Islam or Christianity.

The present day Hindu religion is just an amalgamation of various schools of thoughts that existed all over subcontinent.

Hinduism is an inclusive religion. There is no Us vs Them. Everything is good and accepted. That is the reason why it survived for so long.

Christians and Muslims will laugh at this, but given a chance, Hinduism will include Prophets Jesus and Mohammed as Avatars of Vishnu. I am sure some people might have tried this and Muslim rulers in the past must have butchered them for attempting it.

Iirc, when Sindh became muslim, there was a ban against hindus traveling to sindh for fear that they would convert. Hinduism is definitely a syncretic religion but only in so far as the core structure, the casteism and social hierarchisation, is maintained. It's like the roman cult and christianity, they did accept foreign religions (example the cult of Isis) but they couldn't integrate christianity because it would not recognize the emperor as a divine figure. I think that one of the reasons hinduism has survived this long is that they don't have a single emperor but a vast array of religious figures that have an interest in integrating different religions into hinduism which means that it's a very syncretic religion. But there is a limit to it, they would never integrate religions like christianity or islam where one of the core tenants is that all men inside the religion are equals.

 

[11ShadyBrothers]

Lord Shiva is also the destroyer of evil. He is known to be just, kind and innocent. That's why he is also called Bhole Nath.

He has a third eye which when opened causes pralay or qayamat. When lord Shiva decides that evil has reached its peak and earth can't be saved he opens his third eye.

According to Hindu religion a soul uses a body just like we use clothes. All the bonds and relations which we create on earth end when we die. The soul is reborn as a different life form be it an animal, an insect or as a human.

The purpose of a soul is to be with its creator. If the soul keeps on doing good deeds one day it will attain moksha and reunited with the god.

The third eye concept is interesting. Reminds me of the anti christ belief in christanity and islam.

 

[Yatoo]

The third eye concept is interesting. Reminds me of the anti christ belief in christanity and islam.

Dajjal has only two eyes. Both defective.

No mention of 3rd eye.

 

[11ShadyBrothers]

Dajjal has only two eyes. Both defective.

No mention of 3rd eye.

Nope. Dajal has three eyes. On cellphone right now so cant post ref. And he will be blind in only one eye. I think its the left one iirc. sorry but whatever you are saying is wrong.

 

[Yatoo]

Nope. Dajal has three eyes. On cellphone right now so cant post ref. And he will be blind in only one eye. I think its the left one iirc. sorry but whatever you are saying is wrong.

Narrated by Muslim (no. 5221) from Anas ibn
Maalik, who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The Dajjaal will be
blind (mamsooh ) in one eye, and between his eyes will be
written ‘kaafir’…’”.

 

[cricketjoshila]

So once you're in heaven you're there for good?And heaven in hinduism is similar to the ones in Abrahamic faiths?
How many times do people get reborn, is it unlimited?What's Mokhsha/Nirvana, what's it like being in that state?do you still exist?

Do Hindus believe that this world and universe has a time limit and will end someday?Also do you get to reunite with your family & friends in the next life or in "Swarag" and "Moksha".

You will be in heaven or hell according to your actions.Once the fruit of those actions is over you will be reborn.But if you manage to attain moksha or salvation your soul will attain oneness with the almighty and wont reborn.

 

[cricketjoshila]

According to Hindu religion Lord Brahma is the creator of the universe and Lord Shiva is the destroyer.

Lord Brahma creates the universe in the day and by the end of night Shiva destroys it.

This cycle continues for 100 years. After 100 years another Brahma replaces the old Brahma and the process continues.


All the good people go to Swarga but you can be reborn again till you attain salvation. So by the time you die and reach heaven your friends might have reborn again.

Not 100 years.The term is one manvantara.One manvantara has 4 yugas and every yuga has 100000 years.

And no Brahma is not changed the trinity remains rest are changed.

 

[cricketjoshila]

So you become part of God(s)?there are many gods in Hinduism if I'm not wrong, so which god?do you have a sense of consciousnesses in that state and do you enjoy the powers that God has?

There is only one god.The supreme parambrahman.Everyone else is a manifestation of each one of his limitless qualities.

Brahma represents his creative quality
Vishnu his preserving quality
Shiva his destructive quality
Ganesh his quality to remove the obstacles of his followers
Lakshmi his quality to bestow wealth

So on and so forth.

The power of Parambrahman the energy that runs this show of the universe is represented as Shakti.

 

[Lurker_Ind]

There is only one god.The supreme parambrahman.Everyone else is a manifestation of each one of his limitless qualities.

Brahma represents his creative quality
Vishnu his preserving quality
Shiva his destructive quality
Ganesh his quality to remove the obstacles of his followers
Lakshmi his quality to bestow wealth

So on and so forth.

The power of Parambrahman the energy that runs this show of the universe is represented as Shakti.

Good post.

Hindus pray to the various qualities of the God which are given names like Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Not 100 years.The term is one manvantara.One manvantara has 4 yugas and every yuga has 100000 years.

And no Brahma is not changed the trinity remains rest are changed.

That's one set of view bro.

Brahma's 100 years thing is a quite famous Vedic calculation.

1 day of Brahma = 1000 cycles of Yugas (4.32 billion years)
1 night of Brahma = 1000 cycles of Yugas (4.32 billion years)

Like that Brahma lives for 100 years.

Many do consider this to be Brahma's 51st year in existence.

Not finding a nice link with all calculations to post. It was there a few months back but dunno where it went. But in Google there are many results.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_cosmology

 

[Stewie]

OP will never get a uniform answer to Religion & God in Hinduism like you get Islam or Christianity.

The present day Hindu religion is just an amalgamation of various schools of thoughts that existed all over subcontinent.

Hinduism is an inclusive religion. There is no Us vs Them. Everything is good and accepted. That is the reason why it survived for so long.

Christians and Muslims will laugh at this, but given a chance, Hinduism will include Prophets Jesus and Mohammed as Avatars of Vishnu. I am sure some people might have tried this and Muslim rulers in the past must have butchered them for attempting it.

This is interesting. I was reading a Muslim scholar's view on something similar years ago and it is not really a very well accepted view but he posited that in the Quran there is a mention of 1,24,000 prophets that God sent on humankind yet very few of them are known and according to his theory some of the non Abrahamic faith dieties Hindus and Buddhists, etc worship were quite possibly some of the 1,24,000 prophets that Muslims believe were sent on mankind.

I tend to actually believe his theory because most of these Gods and dieties are ancient and if they happen to be real, they predate Christianity and Islam and could have been the prophets mentioned in our Holy Book.

 

[Syed1]

There is only one god.The supreme parambrahman.Everyone else is a manifestation of each one of his limitless qualities.

Brahma represents his creative quality
Vishnu his preserving quality
Shiva his destructive quality
Ganesh his quality to remove the obstacles of his followers
Lakshmi his quality to bestow wealth

So on and so forth.

The power of Parambrahman the energy that runs this show of the universe is represented as Shakti.

Interesting, so the sculptures we see being prayed to in Bollywood movies is one of these representations?

How does a family decide which representation to worship or to adhere to, and if a person worships Brahma and another worships Shiva are they considered belonging to different sects?


P.S: My post might appear as very ignorant and any disrespect caused is purely due to my lack of knowledge and was not my intention.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Interesting, so the sculptures we see being prayed to in Bollywood movies is one of these representations?

How does a family decide which representation to worship or to adhere to, and if a person worships Brahma and another worships Shiva are they considered belonging to different sects?


P.S: My post might appear as very ignorant and any disrespect caused is purely due to my lack of knowledge and was not my intention.

Hinduism gives you the freedom to decide which form you want to worship.

There are hindus who dont worship god with any form rather they worship god without any form(Nirgun worship) and that is also perfectly acceptable.

 

[cricketjoshila]

This is interesting. I was reading a Muslim scholar's view on something similar years ago and it is not really a very well accepted view but he posited that in the Quran there is a mention of 1,24,000 prophets that God sent on humankind yet very few of them are known and according to his theory some of the non Abrahamic faith dieties Hindus and Buddhists, etc worship were quite possibly some of the 1,24,000 prophets that Muslims believe were sent on mankind.

I tend to actually believe his theory because most of these Gods and dieties are ancient and if they happen to be real, they predate Christianity and Islam and could have been the prophets mentioned in our Holy Book.

Yes i too find this interesting and some what acceptable.That the avatars hindus talk about may be the Prophets(PBUT) the Quran talks about.

 

[Lurker_Ind]

Interesting, so the sculptures we see being prayed to in Bollywood movies is one of these representations?

How does a family decide which representation to worship or to adhere to, and if a person worships Brahma and another worships Shiva are they considered belonging to different sects?


P.S: My post might appear as very ignorant and any disrespect caused is purely due to my lack of knowledge and was not my intention.

It appears Hindus cannot pray to something that they cannot see. They just cannot pray to thin air. They need an object which symbolizes the God and they can concentrate on it. It makes sense to me. If I have to sit an concentrate on God, its better to see an object that symbolizes God. Looking in the thin air can disrupt my concentration.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

Fascinating thread and equally confusing....

Lets start from the beginning.......Who is the ultimate creator?

 

[Stewie]

Fascinating thread and equally confusing....

Lets start from the beginning.......Who is the ultimate creator?

If I am right (which I will never claim to be in this regard 100%) but I have read that Hinduism believes in three facets of God. One is the creator, one is the preserver and one, which I believe is Shiva is the destroyer.
So I believe they believe the creator to be a single entity as we do, but they just worship the three dieties that represent Gods facets and in some cases there are more than three facets.
So the word Bhagwan may translate to the Almighty God or one of His facets based on Hindu belief system.

Hindu posters, please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Stewie]

Just looked it up and I think I was close:

The "Trimūrti" (/trɪˈmʊərti/;[1] Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्तिः trimūrti, "three forms") is a concept in Hinduism "in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer or transformer."[2][3] These three gods have been called "the Hindu triad"[4] or the "Great Trinity",[5] often addressed as "Brahma-Vishnu-Maheswara."They are actually manifestation of One person in three forms who is called Svayam Bhagavan.

 

[PCP_1]

Dajjal has only two eyes. Both defective.

No mention of 3rd eye.

Dajjal has only two eyes. Both defective.

No mention of 3rd eye.

From what I heard he's blind in the right eye, has kafir written on his head and like all evil entities drives a Ford Tempo at 50 on the fast lane.

Lolz [MENTION=139056]Deosai[/MENTION] on turning the tables.

I just skimmed through the posts as I am currently short of time but many similar concepts like Ulimate Heaven (Jannat il Firdous) etc are common with Islam. Will read in detail later.

 

[Lurker_Ind]

Narrated by Muslim (no. 5221) from Anas ibn
Maalik, who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The Dajjaal will be
blind (mamsooh ) in one eye, and between his eyes will be
written ‘kaafir’…’”.

What language it will be written in? Arabic?

 

[speed]

What language it will be written in? Arabic?

There's more to it than just that, Every mu'min(true believer) will be able to read it even if he is an illiterate this suggest that it is not with the eyes with which the mu'min will read but with the spiritual insight which Allah gives to the mu'min and it reminds me of this hadith.

Beware of the Firasat (insight) of the Mu`min, for verily, he sees with the Noor of Allah.”

 

[brute]

There is no such map. Vishnu and Maheshwara have temples all over India. Although, it appears Marathis seem to prefer Lord Shiva more.

Marathis worship Lord Ganesha

 

[brute]

Interesting, so the sculptures we see being prayed to in Bollywood movies is one of these representations?

How does a family decide which representation to worship or to adhere to, and if a person worships Brahma and another worships Shiva are they considered belonging to different sects?


P.S: My post might appear as very ignorant and any disrespect caused is purely due to my lack of knowledge and was not my intention.

While people may have disagreement about who is the supreme god it doesn't stop them from worshipping other gods. For eg. some consider Vishnu as the supreme god but most of the temples are dedicated to his avatars ( Lord Rama, Krishna). Rama defeated Ravana with the help of Lord Hanuman ( who is considered the avatar of Shiva).

So you can worship any god and hardly anyone is bothered about it. Most of the people start their day by offering water to Sun who is also considered as god.

In Uttar Pradesh (UP) Krishna is worshipped by most of the people, in Maharashtra Lord Ganesha is worshipped and in north India you will find many worshippers of Vaishno mata.

 

[Vayuu]

I got some questions about Hinduism for our Hindu members here, i'll list them below.

1.What is Hinduism?Is it a religion?

2.What's the actual name of Hinduism cause "Hinduism" is a foreign name?

3.Do Hindus believe in the concept of heaven & hell?Do Hindus have prophets.

4.How many dieties do Hindus believe in and which is the main one?

5.How many different sects of Hinduism are there and what's their geographic distribution?

6.Are all Hindus forbidden from drinking alochol,fornicating and eating beef?

7.What's the most important book in Hinduism and do ordinary Hindus read it?and do Hindus fast like Muslims, if they do, how different is it?

8.Do Hindus that follow different sects and worship different dieties believe they follow the same religion and believe in a body of "Hindu people", or do they see themselves independtly?

9.What are some of the biggest sins in Hinduism, what are the punishments for them?

10.What are non Hindus called?

11.What are the other major holidays in hinduism apart from diwali & holi?

These are the questions I can think of right now, i'll add more later

Hinduism is an art of living, that believes in getting the best out of you, aims to make you shreshta(best),sabhya(disciplined),viveki (with patience),satyamargi(on right path),jitendriya(have control over your emotions),karmath(hard working)sahyogi (cooperative),sarvahitaishi(wants good of everyone),bhaktimargi(the one on the path of bhakti)and sanyami(the one with self control).

2)it was called santana dharma(eternal religion).
3 )yes, infact there are 27 maha narakas(hell)and 108 small narakas, plus dakshini samyamini puri and swarga.vaikuntha,shivalok and brahmalok are the abodes of trinity .

4)There are six main deities in hinduism.
Ganesha, shakti(durga ), Shiva and his incarnations, vishnu and his incarnations, Brahma and surya, also demigods are Indra, varun, Vayu, agni, navagraha, Mitra varun,Skanda, Yama etc.

5)two branches of hinduism, sagun margi(the one who believes in visible form), nirgun margi (the one who believes in invisible form )
Sagun margi basically has 3 main sects, shaiva(shiva worshippers),vaishnav(vishnu worshippers)and daiv(Goddess worshippers).

6)although drinking and other stuff is banned buy who cares, besides ancient aryans were called gou hanta.

7)Vedas is the most important book, then comes 18 puranas, ramayan, bhagvad geeta, mahabharat, then 108 uppuranas,108 upnishads, then manusmriti.
8)well sects and things are followed b sanyasis not people anymore, even they believe that every god and path will lead them to same fate moksha.

9)bhrun hatya, foiticide ,attacking pregnant women, Shishu hatya (child killing),cow killing, homicide etc are big sins.

10)nothing they are referred as their religion.

11)dushehra, makar sakranti, janamashtami, ram navami etc.

 

[Vayuu]

If I am right (which I will never claim to be in this regard 100%) but I have read that Hinduism believes in three facets of God. One is the creator, one is the preserver and one, which I believe is Shiva is the destroyer.
So I believe they believe the creator to be a single entity as we do, but they just worship the three dieties that represent Gods facets and in some cases there are more than three facets.
So the word Bhagwan may translate to the Almighty God or one of His facets based on Hindu belief system.

Hindu posters, please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

Om is the ultimate god(invisible form), om comprises of three words aa-uu--ma, aa represents aakaar the one who creates(Brahma),uu represents uukaar the one who preserves (vishnu) and makaar the one who destroys ( shiva ), the Ardha Chandra, represents Shakti in om.

 

[junaid.ahmed]

shaheed in hinduism?? can someone plz explain this

10-15 years ago this wasnt even in their dictionaries & now its common in hiduism

 

[Raw deal]

It appears Hindus cannot pray to something that they cannot see. They just cannot pray to thin air. They need an object which symbolizes the God and they can concentrate on it. It makes sense to me. If I have to sit an concentrate on God, its better to see an object that symbolizes God. Looking in the thin air can disrupt my concentration.

Even when I pray to Allah, something, some object comes into my mind. Something,... Like a cloud, light, etc.. One can't pray to god without materializing it. Its human tendency to do so... It makes perfect sense that you Hindus pray to some object that looks like a god. Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[Madplayer]

Even when I pray to Allah, something, some object comes into my mind. Something,... Like a cloud, light, etc.. One can't pray to god without materializing it. Its human tendency to do so... It makes perfect sense that you Hindus pray to some object that looks like a god. Makes perfect sense to me.

If you as a muslim deliberately think of an object while praying then you are doing it wrong because when i pray no such object comes to my mind to which i pray. I am sure many fellow muslims would agree with me here. Although i must admit that when i am tired i am not able to concentrate fully during salah.
As a muslim ask yourself if you are actually praying to these clouds or is it something that just pops up in your mind and you arent praying to them.
if you cannot control your mind but aren't doing it deliberately, its fine. Its one thing not being able to control your mind and another thing to deliberately do it.

 

[Madplayer]

shaheed in hinduism?? can someone plz explain this

10-15 years ago this wasnt even in their dictionaries & now its common in hiduism

I think it has more to do with military/ police rather than hinduism. Although sacrificing ones life for greater good of the community is there is all religions i guess.

 

[Yatoo]

What language it will be written in? Arabic?

English and Arabic in Roman script.

 

[junaid.ahmed]

I think it has more to do with military/ police rather than hinduism. Although sacrificing ones life for greater good of the community is there is all religions i guess.

no shaheed/shahadat is purely a muslim belief & nothing to do with military/police

 

[Raw deal]

If you as a muslim deliberately think of an object while praying then you are doing it wrong because when i pray no such object comes to my mind to which i pray. I am sure many fellow muslims would agree with me here. Although i must admit that when i am tired i am not able to concentrate fully during salah.


As a muslim ask yourself if you are actually praying to these clouds or is it something that just pops up in your mind and you arent praying to them.


if you cannot control your mind but aren't doing it deliberately, its fine. Its one thing not being able to control your mind and another thing to deliberately do it.

No, I don't think of any object deliberately. But, when I close my eyes to pray, I just simply can't pray without some object in my mind. I can't control my mind. Many Muslims do have some object in their mind but they just don't admit it. I have asked this to my close friends and they too agree that when they pray, some object comes to mind.



Also, I don't like people when we make fun of Hindus that they pray to some objects, statues, pictures etc.

Well, if don't accept to materialism, can we write " Allah" in a paper and spit on it since its just words and Allah has no form? One of my Hindu friend asked this question to me and I couldn't answer him.

The deeper you think about it, it makes complete sense that Hindus pray to some sort of form.

 

[brute]

Fascinating thread and equally confusing....

Lets start from the beginning.......Who is the ultimate creator?

This might clear some of your doubts

 

[adit_sh]

According to vedas there is only one god. However God cannot be so mean not to allow himself to have interpreted with different forms. If that is the case then he better takes back our mind. One interpretation lead to categorize based on roles so the 3 most significant role a God can play is of creating, preserving and destroying and these roles have been given names as mentioned in many posts above. Now based on further roles, more categorization happened and further names are given. Education, wealth, weapons,music, arts, agriculture, including even sex. Nothing wrong in it. If he is the God or almighty he must understand how human mind works since he is the one who created it and He should not reject any form of ethical prayers( I mean not praying by killing animals and eating it - many does after Kali puja) He should also accept NO prayers or non believers too.

Having said that I dont think God will interfere to any of 6 billion prayers, not sure if animal too prays else the count will move up. Otherwise there is an absolute imbalance so he probably observes his creation. We are here in this world to do certain work/Karma but 99.9999% of the people dont know why are we here for? No religious books can give any answer to this. We have to search ourselves why are we here for, what are we supposed to do. All we do should result in upliftment of society/humanity I think.

 

[Madplayer]

No, I don't think of any object deliberately. But, when I close my eyes to pray, I just simply can't pray without some object in my mind. I can't control my mind. Many Muslims do have some object in their mind but they just don't admit it. I have asked this to my close friends and they too agree that when they pray, some object comes to mind.

Like i said its about whether you pray to that object that comes to your mind or not. Whether you believe that object is Allah or not. For muslims, even if something pops in our mind we know that is not Allah but just out inability to control our mind. The problem ends there for muslims.

Also, I don't like people when we make fun of Hindus that they pray to some objects, statues, pictures etc.

Me niether. I dont like making fun of any belief but if its a healthy discussion i wont mind that.

Well, if don't accept to materialism, can we write " Allah" in a paper and spit on it since its just words and Allah has no form? One of my Hindu friend asked this question to me and I couldn't answer him.

The example your friend gave you doesnt make sense. Writing Allah on paper doesnt give Allah a form. Spitting on it would be disrespectful and thats the only reason why a muslim would be upset with it. Its simple. no rocket science.

The deeper you think about it, it makes complete sense that Hindus pray to some sort of form.

If it makes sense to them or you, its their opinion and yours. The deeper i think about it, it doesnt make sense to me.

 

[Raw deal]

Like i said its about whether you pray to that object that comes to your mind or not. Whether you believe that object is Allah or not. For muslims, even if something pops in our mind we know that is not Allah but just out inability to control our mind. The problem ends there for muslims.







Me niether. I dont like making fun of any belief but if its a healthy discussion i wont mind that.





The example your friend gave you doesnt make sense. Writing Allah on paper doesnt give Allah a form. Spitting on it would be disrespectful and thats the only reason why a muslim would be upset with it. Its simple. no rocket science.







If it makes sense to them or you, its their opinion and yours. The deeper i think about it, it doesnt make sense to me.

I know Allah has no form, but the question is can human beings pray to him without materializing him? Do we have the ability to do it? No, we can't. Think about it and you will agree with me that human beings can't pray without some object in their mind. You reach the highest form of prayer if you can pray without materializing him. But, how many of us that ability?
Why would you feel distrustful spitting on Just words since Allah has no form? Those are just words, isn't? Not Allah himself. If you can't do it, do you accept materialism?
Tbh, even Hindus do the same and find it insulting when you disrespect statues, pictures etc since its just a form and not the real god himself.

 

[hamzie]

Hinduism actually has a similar concept to God as muslims, its just that they have deviated from their own book

"There is no image of Him."
[Yajurveda 32:3]5

"He is bodyless and pure."
[Yajurveda 40:8]6

"They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti."
[Yajurveda 40:9]7

"Lead us to the good path and remove the sin that makes us stray and wander."
[Yajurveda 40:16]8

"His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye."

 

[Indiafan]

Hinduism actually has a similar concept to God as muslims, its just that they have deviated from their own book

"There is no image of Him."
[Yajurveda 32:3]5

"He is bodyless and pure."
[Yajurveda 40:8]6

"They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti."
[Yajurveda 40:9]7

"Lead us to the good path and remove the sin that makes us stray and wander."
[Yajurveda 40:16]8

"His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye."

The thing is, Hinduism put hardly any restriction on human beings and leaves it to their intelligence. So it doesn't matter if you are worshiping a stone, that is never a taboo. Doesn't matter if you are worshiping a human being. That is not restricted

It is your intent which counts in Hinduism unlike other religions. If you are acting from a good heart, even worshiping stones is good. As God is all knowing, he knows what is in your heart. If you have an evil heart, even worshiping ten times a day with all rituals will not provide any results

Hinduism puts a lot of emphasis of deed over rituals and prayers. So even an atheist who does not believe in God, never prays but is alsways good and helps his fellow men/animals will be saved

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Hinduism actually has a similar concept to God as muslims, its just that they have deviated from their own book

"There is no image of Him."
[Yajurveda 32:3]5

"He is bodyless and pure."
[Yajurveda 40:8]6

"They enter darkness, those who worship the natural elements" (Air, Water, Fire, etc.). "They sink deeper in darkness, those who worship sambhuti."
[Yajurveda 40:9]7

"Lead us to the good path and remove the sin that makes us stray and wander."
[Yajurveda 40:16]8

"His form is not to be seen; no one sees Him with the eye."

Not really bro.

I dunno about the verses...it may be true but thing is that when you take religious texts, you have to take all verses and find the common meaning.

God is considered both formless and having form for he is all knowing, all powerful and ever present.

If God is just formless as said in one part of the Vedic texts, then Rama, Krishna, Kalki and the whole avatar concept won't exist.

 

[Indiafan]

Few of the biggest strengthens in Hinduism in my opinion

1) Hinduism recognizes that there can be other religions. It does not say it is the one true path. it does not say all other religions are wrong. It says there are multiple paths to God, some through rituals, some through prayers, and some through good work and doing your duty. Because of this, it is easy for Hindus to integrate wherever they go and they can be comfortable in a church, gurudwara or a mosque without thinking they are breaking any rules of Hinduism. They can celebrate all festivals

2) There is no pressure or need to convert others to Hinduism. Some religion needs their followers to actively convert, Hinduism doesn't

3) The ways of thanking and worshiping Gods are open and left to human beings. You can choose from many ways. For example, you can be thankful to cows and consider them holy. However, in need you can also be practical and not do it. You can visit temples, or worship a stone or a tree. Or you can not think of God for years. You can also just do your duties as a human being and still be good in Hinduism

Some of the above thinking is very important in today's society where we meet, interact and work with people from different religions, cultures, orientation, races. Not having a made up mind about who is right and who is wrong and what is taboo goes a long way in integrating and working together despite our differences

Now there are a million things which are taboos with some Indians, like eating beef, or eating non-veg or alcohol. Racism and discrimination abound. Female discrimination and abuse is a big problem. But all of these are cultural and nothing to do with Hinduism

 

[speed]

Is it true that only brahmins are allowed to read the religious scriptures?

 

[akki]

Is it true that only brahmins are allowed to read the religious scriptures?

Loll hell no.....these days even calling low caste people low caste comes under criminal act and is punishable and still govt gives quotas to low caste tribes in everything
anyway u knw what brahmin means...brahmin means knowledgeable person who knows about dharma and have many kind of knowledge...so knowledgeable person can be called brahmin....and hinduism is i think oldest religion kind of 5 thousand years old so there were many interpretations came in to it with time to time but its not right that only brahmin can read and only rajputs are warriors ,others cant fight ..and other caste can only do business no one else etc etc

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Is it true that only brahmins are allowed to read the religious scriptures?

Dunno for sure. Have to confirm before giving a definite answer.

But yes, some segments do believe this to be true.

Lower castes aren't allowed to read certain Vedic texts.

Itihas (Ramayana, Mahabharatha), normal songs of God and other stuff are allowed for all.

One of the darker aspects of our religion. Its not all hunky dory.

Higher castes have more rights but more responsibilities (to please God). Lower castes have lesser rights but lower responsiblities (to please God). Castes are based on actions of past births and stuff.

Since this is a genuine thread, I think non Hindus would appreciate knowing all versions and viewpoints. Other Indian posters will post others viewpoints which will lead to a better picture than just one viewpoint.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Lower castes aren't allowed to read certain Vedic texts.

Have to clarify. I have to check whether only Brahmins can or Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishyas can.

But this is definitely a view among certain segments and its there in texts.

 

[sensible-indian-fan]

Bhagavad Gita comes under Mahabharata and is allowed for all.

Knowledge about God is allowed for all.

My bua is a scholar and yes there are some people from lower caste who do attend her classes. Its allowed.

The reply was about reading Vedic texts.

 

[Madplayer]

I know Allah has no form, but the question is can human beings pray to him without materializing him? Do we have the ability to do it? No, we can't. Think about it and you will agree with me that human beings can't pray without some object in their mind. You reach the highest form of prayer if you can pray without materializing him. But, how many of us that ability?

Your entire argument is coming back to the same thing even when i have talked about it in last posts. Most Humans do not have the ability to control their minds completely, muslims are no different but what makes muslims monotheists???? Its the fact that even if some image pops up in their minds when they are praying, they simply reject that its Allah and accept that its just their inability to control their minds. You dont need an object in your mind to pray to. For instance when the imam is reciting surah fatiha out loud in salah, i sometimes think of the pages of Quran and the same verses as they are written in it. Does that mean i am praying to the book of Quran? Nauzubillah. Ofcourse not. I am just remembering the verses of surah fatiha as they are in the Quran.

Why would you feel distrustful spitting on Just words since Allah has no form? Those are just words, isn't? Not Allah himself. If you can't do it, do you accept materialism?

I dont feel distrustful. I said disrespectful. And Ofcourse i would feel its disrespectful. if i love someone and somebody spits on his picture or even a name on a piece of paper, i would feel he is disrespecting them. It has nothing to do with giving Allah a form. somebody spits on a picture or even name of your father, you will get upset and feel disrespected even when you know its not your father and its just his picture.

Tbh, even Hindus do the same and find it insulting when you disrespect statues, pictures etc since its just a form and not the real god himself.

1) i dont insult anybody's statues or beliefs and if i do, they have the right to feel angry.

2) again you are comparing apples and oranges. the statues/ forms that hindus give Gods and Allah's name on a piece of paper are different things. I repeat for the zillionth time ,Allah's name on a piece of paper is not his Form or something and muslims dont pray to a piece of paper which has Allah's name written on it.

If u r planning to reply to it, please ensure we dont go back into the circle.