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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

What is Hinduism?

This is something that was sent to me by a friend.

Makes a good read for those with vague knowledge of what Hinduism
is all about.

Here is is...

What is Hinduism?

It is the true culture of Indians in India. Many call it "A way of
life." It is not an organized religion like Christianity or Islam.
It has no founder. It has no Pope. It has no hierarchy. Just a lot
of scriptures. In Hindu scriptures, you are actually studying about
the history and culture of India, like in 66 books of the Holy Bible
you are actually studying about the culture and history of the Jews.

Hinduism and Judaism are mothers of all modern religions in the
world. Buddhism, Sikhism and to some extent Jainism and
Zoroastrianism came from Hinduism. Of course, Jainism existed during
Rig Vedic Period. Statues of Rishabha, the first Thirthankara and
founder of Jainism was found in the Mohenjadaro, Harappa
excavations. Islam and Christianity came from Judaism. Judaism,
Islam and Christianity have Abraham as the common father figure. All
three have many common prophets. There is even mention about Jesus
Christ many times in the Holy Koran.

Coming back to Hinduism, C.S. Lewis, the great author and theologist
wrote, finally it will come to two religions. Hinduism and
Christianity. The first [Hinduism] will grow absorbing ideas and
concepts from everywhere and latter [Christianity] will keep away
from everything that is foreign to it. What C.S. Lewis wrote is very
true.

Hinduism cannot be destroyed, even if we burn every Hindu scripture
and kill every Hindu theologian on earth. Hinduism or Hindu Culture
is a very dynamic living, breathing Reality. Strength of Hinduism
lies in its most amazing ability to adapt to different circumstances
and different ages while maintaining its very strong continuity with
the past. How does it do that? That is a billion dollar question.

Who is the founder of Hinduism?

No body in particular. It is the research output of countless
learned men called Rishis who were Christ like masters, through
centuries.

Who is a Hindu?

I believe anyone who search after truth is a Hindu. There is One and
only God and One Truth. The very first book of Hindus named Rig Veda
proclaim, "Ekam Sat, Viprah Bahudha Vadanti". (There is only one
truth, only men describe it in different ways). So a Jew or a
Christian or a Moslem who is in search after truth is automatically
a Hindu. There are about 800 million Hindus in the world. There are
more than 800,000 Hindus in the U.S., and about 160,000 in Canada.

What Attracts One to Hinduism?

The concepts of utmost freedom of thoughts and actions. That's what
attracts many to Hinduism. Hinduism never forbids any one to
question its fundamentals. On one side, in Hinduism, you may come
across people worshiping pests like rats, and still on other side
you will come across concepts parallel to Quantum Physics and Neil's
Bohr Theory of nuclear structure and reactions. On one side Advaita
(There is only one) philosophy is discussed and promoted, still on
other side Dvaita (Two - duality) philosophy is discussed and
promoted. Hinduism never ever banished any one, since he or she
wrote a wrong scripture or did not observe a particular ritual.

There was never a Salman Rushdie (author of Satanic Verses) in
Hinduism and never will be there one. Mahatma Gandhi wrote, even
atheists can call themselves as Hindus. That is very true. In fact
the Charvaka philosophy or Nastika philosophy, (existed during the
Vedic period) founded by Charvaka rejected the existence of God and
considered religion as an aberration. Voltaire in Essay on Tolerance
wrote: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the
death, your right to say it." Hinduism is the symbol of what
Voltaire wrote.

When did Hinduism Take Birth?

Nobody knows. If you go by Hindu mythological stories, Hinduism is
millions of years old. If you go by Max Muller, the German
philosopher, it is at least 8000 to 9000 years old. Hinduism might
have started as Dravidian civilization and later merged with Aryan
civilization. Of course, my friend David Frawley has written a
wonderful
book, explaining that Aryan Invasion of India never
happened and it is a myth.

However studying the relics of Mohenjadaro and Harappa excavations,
I conclude, relics of the Indus civilization shows merging of many
cultures and concepts. The Indus Valley was home to the largest of
the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India
and China. Harappa and Mohenjodaro were cities in the Indus Valley
civilization that flourished around 2,500 B.C. in the western part
of South Asia. The roots of Hinduism can be traced to this
civilization. The language spoken here is believed to be from
Dravidian family, which includes Tamil.

Hinduism has the strange capability to absorb and grow from all
quarters and that is why in it you can see relics of all other
civilizations like Egyptian, Celtic, Mayan, Greek, Roman etc. To me
it does not matter the exact date it was born, since nobody can
prove or disprove the exact date. I am more concerned about what
it has to give to the world.

What was the original name of Hinduism?

Sanatana Dharma or Righteousness Forever was the original name of
Hinduism. It was Persians who invaded India during 6th century B.C.
who gave the name Hinduism meaning the religion of people living
near the Indus river. In Persian the letter H and S are pronounced
almost the same so they mistook the word Sindhu (Sanskrit name for
Indus) to H and then started calling Hindus and Hinduism.

What is the language in which the Hindu scriptures were written?

Sanskrit older than Hebrew and Latin. The first words in English
language came from Sanskrit. The word mother came from Sanskrit word
mata and father came from Sanskrit word pita as per the PBS
video "The Story of English". Believe it or not the word geometry
came from a Sanskrit word named Gyaamiti meaning 'measuring the
earth'. The word trigonometry came from the word Trikonamiti
meaning 'measuring triangular forms'. Sanskrit, which literally
means "cultured or refined" was the classical language of India and
is the oldest and the most systematic language in the world. Forbes
Magazine, (July, 1987) wrote: "Sanskrit is the mother of all the
European languages and is the most suitable language for the
computer software."

How was Hinduism Started?

According to Hindu scriptures it started as Shruti - that which is
heard. The great seers of ancient times called Rishis who had
perfected themselves have heard in their hearts, eternal truths and
they taught those truths to disciples by telepathy and later they
wrote them in books. Vedas and Upanishads are known as Shruti
literature rest is called Smriti - that which is remembered -
literature.

All Hindu scriptures were considered as revealed truths of God. In
fact Hindu scriptures say that all Hindu Scriptures were written by
God. According Christian theologians Holy Bible is considered to be
Holy Spirit inspired book. According to Mimamsa school of thought,
all Shruti literature existed all through eternity in the form of
sounds. Therefore those sounds of words of Vedas and Upanishads are
very important to Hindus.

What are the Sacred Books of Hinduism?

The very first sacred books of Hinduism are called Vedas. Vedas
means knowledge. There are four Vedas and they claim to teach men
the highest aspects of truths which can lead them to God. Vedas and
Upanishads are Shruti scriptures. The word Veda came from the root
word "vid" meaning "to know". Vedas are the very first scriptures of
Hinduism. Vedas as per scriptures was written by God. Vedas
state "Self Ralization" is one and the goal of human life. Vedas
also discuss in detail rituals and ceremonies to attain self-
realization. There are 4 Vedas. They are:

Rig Veda - Knowledge of Hymns - 10589 verses

The Hindu Rig Veda is the foremost book of Hindus. It is the oldest
book in the world. Nobody knows when Rig Veda was written. According
to Bal Gangadhar Tilak it was written in 5000 BC. German philosopher
Max Muller dates 1500 BC. According to some it took centuries to
write this book from 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C. Rig Veda is older than
Gilgamesh (2500 B.C) and the Old Testament.

The very first Veda, Rig Veda very clearly shows that it was
written, when nomad man first settled down on the banks of rivers
like Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus etc. That is the reason why, in Rig
Veda, you see, people are worshiping natural powers like lighting,
rain, Sun, fire (Agni); water; air, that effects cultivation. It
consists of 1028 hymns, comprising of 10,589 verses in 10 chapters
known as Mandalas. 33 gods are worshiped in Rig Veda. There are 100
hymns addressed to Soma; 250 addressed to Indra; 200 hymns addressed
to Agni; Many addressed to Surya. Few addressed to Ushas, Aditi,
Saraswati,
Varuna and Asvins. Lord Vishnu is a minor god in Rig Veda.
One of the most important statement came from the Rig Veda is "Ekam
Sat,
Viprah Bahudha Vadanti" -meaning "Truth is one but men describe it
differently". Lord Vishnu has minor importance in Rig Veda. Name of
Lord
Siva is mentioned as Rudra. Soma in Rig Veda is intoxicating drink
to gods.
The word Sura came those who drink an intoxicating drink which I
think is
Soma. The word Asura came from those who do not drink that drink.
Another word that caught my attention in Rig Veda is the word
Rta which means some kind of cosmic order. I think the word Dharma
originated from the word Rta.
One of the most prominent hymns of Rig Veda "Purusa-Sukta
- Purusha (man) and the Primordial sacrifice of Purusha for
the betterment of man and the world". Another one is "Creation Hymn.

Caste system started in Rig Vedic period. The Rig Vedic Hymn,
known as Purusha-Sukta (Mandala-x, 19th hymn, 12th verse) states:
"The Brahmin was Purusha's (cosmic man - the first principle
of Sankhya Philosophy in Hinduism) mouth, the Kshatriya his arms,
the Vaisya his thighs and Shudra his feet.

Yajur Veda - Knowledge of Liturgy - 3988 verses

Yajur Veda deals with knowledge of rites. This Veda is based on Rig
Veda.
It contains rules and regulations explaining how to conduct rituals.
It consists of prose as well verse. This Veda is indeed a priestly
handbook, even describing the details of how to make an alter.
Sacrifice is one of the most important aspect of this Veda.

Sama Veda - Knowledge of Music - 1549 verses

Sama Veda deals with the knowledge of chants. Sama means "melody".
The classical Indian music originated from this Veda. This Veda is
also based on Rig Veda. Verses from this Veda is sung when
"Soma Sacrifice" is performed. Sama Veda is similar to Psalms
in Christianity. To some extent much of this Veda is a repetition
of the Rig Veda sung in melodious format. Invocations of this Veda
is addressed to Soma (moon or the narcotic drink Soma); Agni (fire);
Indra (god of heaven). One of the Upanishads that came out of this

Veda is Chandogya Upanishad.

Atharva Veda - Knowledge given by Sage Athrvana - 6000 Verses
Atharva Veda contains the knowledge given by sage Athrvana.
Some state that sage Athrvana did not formulate this Veda but was
the chief priest in the ceremonies associated with it. Atharvana
who is mentioned in the Rig Veda was considered as the eldest
son of Lord Brahma (God of creation). Atharva Veda is also known
as Brahma Veda, because it is still used as a manual by Hindu
priests
and Brahmins. Ayurveda is a part of Atharva Veda.
A large number of Upanishads came from Atharva Veda. Believe it or
not, much of Hindu exorcism of devils came from this Veda. At the
same time, the oldest records on Veda do not talk about this Veda.
There is absolutely no reference about this Veda in the Chandogya
Upanishad or in the Brahmana tests or in the Jatakas or in the
Bhagavad Gita. That very clearly shows Atharva Veda was non-existent
when other 3 Vedas were composed.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda - The Hindu Medicine Scripture - consists of more than
100,000 verses initially. Still it is considered as a upa Veda of
Atharva Veda.

More Books of Hinduism

Samhitas - basic texts for hymns to deities, formulas and chants.
The Sanskrit word Samhita means "put together".

Brahmanas - description as well as directions for performance of
rituals.
The word originated from the word Brahmins. Brahmins are the
original
Hindu priests and they follow Brahmans to conduct rituals.

Aryanakasb contain Mantras and interpretations of rituals.
This book also known as "the forest books" since book is used
by saints who meditate in the forests.

Upanishads - texts revealing ultimate truths by different saints.
Upanishads teach men that there is One and Only thing and that is
BRAHMAN. You and I are just reflections of Brahman. Or we are indeed
God... Upanishads teach us "Tat Tvam Asi" - That Thou Art.
In fact, the word Upanishad can be broken down as upa (near)
ni (down) shad (sit) meaning that teachings of Upanishads were
conveyed from masters to students when students sat very next
to masters and nobody overheard those teachings.

There are a total of 108 Upanishads. Principle ones 13.
Some of the Upanishads are named after the sages who answered
all questions. Some as per the first word in the Upanishad.

1. Isa Upanishad,
2. Kena Upanishad,
3. Katha Unpanishad,
4. Prasna Upanishad,
5. Mundaka Upanishad,
6. Mandukya Upanishad,
7. Aitareya Upanishad,
8. Taittirya Upanishad,
9. Chandogya Upanishad,
10. Brihad-Aranyaka Upanishad,
11. Kaushitaki Upanishad,
12. Shvetashvatara Upanishad,
13. Maitri Upanishad.

Smriti Literature consists of large number of books.

Vedangas - scriptures attached to Vedas.

1. Dharma Sutras - Codes of Manu, Yatnyavalkya etc
2. Jyotisha - Astrology and Astronomy
3. Kalpa - rituals and legal matters
4. Siksha - phonetics
5. Chhandas - measurements
6. Nirukta - Etymology
7. Vyakarana - Sanskrit grammar

Upa Vedas

1. Ayurveda - Hindu science of health and longevity
2. Dharnur Veda - Hindu science of archery and war
3. Gandharva Veda - Hindu science of Music
4. Artha Shastra - Hindu science of governing by Kings
Darsanans - Hindu Jnana Yoga - Path of Knowledge
1. Nyasa - Sage Gautama wrote Nyaya sutras
2. Vaisheshika - Sage Kanada wrote Vaisheshika sutra
3. Samkhya - Sage Kapila - Gita starts with this philosophy
4. Yoga - Sage Patanjali wrote Patanjali Yogasutra
5. Mimamsa - Sage Jaimini wrote Mimamsa Sutra
6. Vedanta - Sage Veda Vyasa

Vedanta (At the End of the Vedas) meaning it started at the end of
Vedic age, has two parts : 1. Advaita Philosophy - One Only - great
exponent Adi Sankara and 2. Dvaita Philosophy - Two - almost all
Vaishnava Saints.

Itihasas or Epics : Mythological Scriptures

1. Ramayana - story of Rama, written by Valmiki. Ramayana is the
story of Rama and princess Sita. Valmiki wrote the whole Ramayana as
the narration of a crying dove (who just lost her lover to a
hunter's
wicked arrow) to him. This beautiful poem consists of 24,000
couplets.
Lord Rama is one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu and Ramayana is a
story
which projects Hindu ideals of life. There are many versions of
Ramayana.
The Hindi version was written by sage Tulsi Das The Malayalam
version
(Kerala state) was written by Thuncheth Ezuthachan. The original
text
was written in very stylish Sanskrit language
2. Mahabharata - story of Pandvas and Kauravas 220,000 verses,
18 chapters Bhagavad Gita is part of this scripture. It is lengthier
than Homer's ODYSSEY. It consists of episodes, dialogues, stories,
discourses and sermons. It contains 110,000 couplets or 220,000
lines
in 18 Parvas or sections or chapters.

Apart from 18 parvas there is a section of poems in the form of an
appendix with 16,375 verses which is known as Harivamsa Parva.
So in total there are 19 Parvas, even though many saints do not
consider the last Parva as an important parva. The Bhagavad Gita
is part and parcel of Mahabharata.
Is Bhagavad Gita the Hindu Holy Bible?
Bhagavad Gita is a part of the epic Mahabharata, appearing in the
middle of the great epic. Many consider Bhagavad Gita as the most
important scripture of Hindus. If the entire Upanishads can be
considered as cows, then the Bhagavad Gita can be considered as
milk.
It is the essence of the Vedas.
Bhagavad Gita consists of 18 chapters and 700 verses.
t deals with all type of Yogas, means of self-realization.
It is in the form of a very lively conversation between the
warrior-prince Arjuna and his friend and charioteer Lord Krishna,
at the outset of the great Mahabharata war, in the middle of the
battle field. Just before the beginning of the war, Arjuna refused
to fight, when he found he had to kill thousands of his own kinsmen
to be victorious in the war. Lord Krishna advised him on a very
large variety of subjects in a question and answer format. At the
end, Arjuna took Lord Krishna's advice and fought and won a very
fierce war. Gita has an answer to every problem a man may face in
his life. It never commands anyone what to do; Instead it discusses
pros and cons of every action and thought. Throughout Gita you will
not come across any line starting or ending with Thou Shalt Not.
That is the reason why Gita is the darling of millions of seekers of
truth throughout the world.
Versions of Gita
The very first English translation of Gita was done by Charles
Wilkins in 1785, with an introduction by Warren Hastings, the
British Governor General of India. One of the most popular
translation was done by Sir Edwin Arnold, under the title The
Song Celestial. There are many translations of the Gita and one
of most descriptive translation on Gita was done by Swami Sri
Prapupada of International Krishna consciousness. Almost all
saints in India have published their versions of the Bhagavad Gita.
Recently the Self Realization Fellowship, California have published
an excellent translation of the Bhagavad Gita. Most intellectuals in
the world go through Gita at least once in their life time.
Aldous Huxley wrote: The Bhagavad Gita is perhaps the most
systematic scriptural statement of the perennial philosophy" in his
introduction of the The Song of the God by Swami Prabhavananda and
Christopher Isherwood. Gita won the interest and admiration of great
intellectuals such as Von Humboldt of Germany and Emerson of
America.
It has influenced thinkers like Hagel and Schopenhauer.

Father of Atom Bomb and Bhagavad Gita

Robert Oppenheimer, the very first Chairman of Atomic Energy
Commission and father of Atom bomb was a great admirer of the
Bhagavad Gita. He learnt Sanskrit during Manhattan Project to
understand the true meaning of Gita. He really shocked the world,
when he quoted a couplet from Gita (Chapter 11:12) after witnessing
the first Atomic Explosion in the state of New Mexico. Later when he
addressed congress regarding Atom Bomb he said Atom Bomb remind him
of Lord Krishna who said in the Bhagavad Gita,
"I am death devourer of all".

Puranas -18 are most important

Mahabhagavatam is the most read important scripture of ISKCON
(Hare Krishan). Puranas are religious stories which expound truths.
Just like the parables told by Jesus Christ, these stories are told
to common folk to make them understand the higher truths of life.
According to Jesus Christ "Mysteries of the universe are revealed
to those who are spiritually awake, but to others those mysteries
have to be explained in parables". On that Puranas are called the
Vedas of the Common folk, for they present the mysteries through
myth and legend. Six puranas addressed to Lord Vishnu are
1-Vishnu Purana
2-Narada Purana
3-Srimad Bhavata Purana
4-Garuda Purna 5-Padma Purana
6-Varaha Purana.
Six Puranas --addressed to Lord Siva are
1-Matsya Purana
2-Kurma Purana
3-Linga Purana
4-Vayu Purana
5-Skanda Purana 6-Agni Purana.
SIX Puranas addressed to Lord Brahma are
1-Brahma Purana
2-Brahanda Purana
3-Brahma-Vaivasvata Puranaor Brahma-Vaivarta Purana
4-Markandeya Purana 5-Bhavishya Purana 6-Vamana Purana .
Apart from that we have 22 minor Puranas

Agamas - Sectarian Scriptures

They are a group scriptures worshipping God in particular form and
they describe detailed courses of disciple for the devotee. Like
Upanishads there are many Agamas. They can be broadly divided into
three sets of Agamas.
Vaishnava Agamas - worship God as Lord Vishnu
Saiva Agamas - worship God as Lord Siva
Sakti Agamas - worship God as Mother Goddess.
Believe it or not there is no Agamas for Lord Brahma (God of
creation). Saivates have 28 Agamas and 108 Upa Agamas (minor
agamas). Saktiates recoganizes 77 agamas. I am not sure about the
actual number of the Vaishna Agamas. Vaishanavates consider Pancha
Ratra Agamas as one of the most important agamas. Each Agama
consists of Philosophy, mental discipline, Rules for constructing
temples and Religious practices.
Tantras

Started during Vedic age, Tantras consists of cosmology,
erotic exercises etc. Tantra is very important and very vast.
Sanskrit word Tantras means to expand. Tantrism researched into
Astronomy, Astrology, Palmistry, Cosmology. Chakras and Kundalini
power etc are the contributions of Tantras to the world.
Of course Tantras also states salvation through sex.
In any other religion scriptures like Tantra literature
will not be tolerated. In Christianity, the first person
William Tyndall who translated Holy Bible into English was
mercilessly burnt at stake, and copies of his Bible burnt,
since church did not like his version of the Holy Bible!
That is why I take my hats off to Hinduism.
Charvaka - Hindu Materialism
Just like Tantras, Hinduism tolerated Chrvaka philosophy.
Its founder was Charvaka. The most important book was Brihaspati
Sutra.
I am stating things in past tense since I am not aware
if copies of this book are available in India. According to
Charvaka, "Material world alone exists and our knowledge comes
from sense perception". This philosophy openly propagated that
there is no God, the Law of Karma has no basis and that the
Vedas were written by clowns. It adds " Enjoy life while you can,
for once cremated, you will never return to earth."
There are still a lot more scriptures in Hinduism. I should say
that there are more than 1000 scriptures in Hinduism.......
We will now start discussing about each individual scripture....
What is the Hindu Concept of God?
Hindus believe in One and Only God - Brahman which expresses
itself in trillions of forms. Hindus do not believe God has
human form or any other form. God is nameless and timeless.
But there is nothing wrong to worship a God with name and form
(nama-roopa), since man cannot conceive anything without any
name and form. In fact, in the Shruti scriptures of Hinduism,
God or Brahman has been described as Saguna Brahman
(God-Brahman with attributes) as well as Nirguna Brahman
(God-without attributes. In the Upanishads, God is described as
Neti-Neti (not this-not that) method. So first Hindus worshiped
33 natural gods in the Rig Veda. Then Hinduism came to the
realization that there is one and only God - Brahman. Just
like one and only Sun shines over the mountains of Afghanistan,
dry deserts of Saudi Arabia; Penthouse of New York, there is one
and only God which is present in the Hindu temple, Christian church,
Moslem Mosque, Jewish synagogue, Buddha Vihars and Sikh Gurudwara.

If there is only One God, Why Hindus worship many God forms?
During the time of Upanishads, when the Hindu Rishis
(scientists of that day) said there is only One God - Brahman,
they found out that laymen could not understand that concept.
So they wrote Itihasas (epics) and Puranas [mythological stories]
filled with many gods, with the concept that when you worship
any God form, you are actually worshiping one and only God Brahman.
Lord Krishna reiterated that point by saying, "Call me by what
ever name you like; Worship me in any form you like; All that goes
to One and Only Supreme Reality." So a Hindu when worshiping any God
form is actually worshiping One and Only God Brahman. In
Christianity
One God expresses himself in three forms, Father, Son and the Holy
Ghost.
In Hinduism One God Expresses itself in trillions of forms.
That is the reason why Hindus have no problem in calling Jesus and
Buddha avatars (incarnations) of God, even though Buddha did not
reorganize the authority of Vedas or belief in Brahman.
Believe it or not there is no word Trinity in the entire Holy Bible
and it originated only after emperor Constantine became a Christian.
He did that to fuse pagan Rome to Christianity. Only mention of
Trinity
concept of God in the Bible, is in the St. Matthew's account of
Christ's
last command to the apostles, "Go therefore, and make disciples of
all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the son and
of
the Holy Spirit" [MAT 28:19.] According to Schaff-Herzog
Encyclopedia
the Trinity doctrine was not established until 363 A.D. It says that
Trinity is the result of three or four centuries of theological
development. The New Catholic Encyclopedia also states that devotion
to Trinity had begun in monasteries at Aniane and Tours, during 8th
century.

Why Hindus Workshop Idols?

Show me any person [except may be Jews], who does not believe
in an idol, image, or symbol and I will show you the greatest
liar on earth. All religions have some concept of God with name
and form, but Hindus alone have the courage to admit that fact.
The Cross in the Christian church, the picture of Jesus Christ,
the statue of Mary, statues of patron saints, even the black stone
in Kabba are all idols. If anyone bow in front of any of them, they
are breaking laws of Old Testament [LED . . . 26:1, and EX 20:2-5.]
Idol worship is every where and I never ever met a man who does
not worship something or someone. In fact, the first sculpture of
Christ was in the form of a small boy holding on to a sheep. Now,
everywhere in the world, people have pictures of Christ according
to their culture. A loving young white man in USA, a tough man
looking like a judge in Russia, a nice black man in Africa and a
man looking like a typical man from China with a sheepish beard
in China.

I respect all those pictures. Believe it or not, all of them are
idol worships. Once again, God is spirit...No word or image can
describe or depict God or can encompass the greatness of God.
God is neither the father nor the mother. Since man cannot conceive
anything without name and form, man has the right to worship God
with a form. At the same time, every worship leads to a God without
any name and form in course of the development of the seeker in
spirituality.

What are the Hindu Moral Codes?

Hindu moral codes are written a collection of books called Dharma
Sutras.
Hindu moral Codes are the integral part of Hinduism and they come
under the big umbrella called Dharma. It is very difficult to
translate the word Dharma. Some of the codes are Ahimsa (non-
killing),
Satya (truth), Dharma (duty), Karuna (compassion), Virya
(fortitude),
Dama (self-restraint), Saucha (Purity).

What is an Avatar?

An Avatar is an incarnation of God. Whenever God come down to
earth in any form then Hindus call that an Avatar. According to
that definition, Christ can be considered as an Avatar, even though
there is no mention about Jesus Christ in any of the Hindu
scriptures.

What is Salvation according to Hinduism?

Hindu salvation concept is different from Christian salvation
concept.
Hindu salvation is known as Self Realization. In Hindu salvation a
person realizes that he is not the body, but the immortal soul
(Adman) within. That is the reason why Hindu salvation is known as
self realization or "Realizing that he is the Immortal self and not
the perishable body. In Hindu salvation the identity of the soul is
lost when it attains salvation. Hindu salvation can be compared to a
pinch of salt trying to find the bottom of the ocean. The moment the
pinch of salt touches the surface of the mighty ocean, it becomes
part
and parcel of the Ocean. Similarly, when a person seeks after God
according to Hinduism, becomes One with God when he attains
salvation.
Hinduism never ever boasts monopoly on salvation. In fact, as per
Hinduism, any one even an atheist can attain salvation. A Jew,
Christian and Moslem can attain salvation, irrespective of whether
they read any Hindu scriptural book.
What is the Law of Karma?
Hindus believe in life after death. They also believe in the
Biblical
concept "Whatever a man soweth, that shall he reap". That is the
basis of
karmic law. Every action and every thought has a result. Hindus
believe that every thought and every action is weighed on the scale
of eternal justice. The law of karma is one of cause and effect.
Nobody can escape from the Karmic debt. I believe Christ took care
of the Karmic debt of all the apostles so that he can make them
fishermen of men.

What happens to us when we die?

According to Hinduism, the body alone dies. the soul within
the body never dies, But the path the soul takes is decided upon
the past actions which are known as karmas. So the actions of former
body does not die with the body. Past actions are attached to the
body and they decide what kind of body the soul takes in the next
life.
When an individual soul exhausts all its karmas and merges with God
then
Hindus say that soul has attained salvation.

Does that mean one has to take millions of lives to achieve
salvation?

No, absolutely not. That question is the question many ask.
Hindu scriptures, especially the Bhagavad Gita very clearly says
that one can attain salvation in one life, provided one surrender
his will to the will of God 100%. Lord Krishna said:
"Those who surrender all actions to me and regard me as the supreme
goal and worship me with whole hearted devotion, will be saved by me
from repeated births and deaths." In another verse, Lord Krishna
said:
"Give up all your righteous and non-righteous actions and come to
me;
take refuge in me. Then I shall free you from all sins; grieve not."
That me who is mentioned is not the Lord Krishna but the absolute
soul or God. Krishna is one of the representations of that God.
That God can appear in another form like Christ or without any
form or name at all.

How can one attain Salvation?

Through four paths

1 Jnana Yoga - Path of Knowledge
2 Karma Yoga - Path of Selfless Actions
3 Bhakti Yoga - Path of Devotion
4 Raja Yoga - Path of Breath Control and Pranayama

Most of all religious devotees of all religions are Bhakti
yogies whether they believe in Hinduism or not. Very good
Christians go to church everyday and surrender themselves
to the deity of Christ are Bhakti Yogis. So too Moslems.
Hinduism is the only religion that explains the four paths very
well.

What is Aum (Om)?

It is the Hindu word. It is a syllable that stands for absolute.
It is uttered in the beginning as well as at the end of all Hindu
prayers. To some extent it is the logos of the Holy Bible.
Do you believe that John 1:1 came from the Hindu Scriptures?

Yes, I think so. Long before JOHN 1:1 [70 AD] was written, Hindu
Vedas
[ at least 5000 BC] wrote the same thing "Prajapathi Vai Agre Aseet"
In the beginning was Prajapati, The Brahman, The God "Tasya Vag
dvitiya
Aseet" with whom was the word: "Vag Vai Oarama Brahman" and the word
was
verily the Supreme Brahman - The God. John 1:1 states: In the
beginning
was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God."

Why do women wear a dot on their forehead?

That dot is supposed to be the meeting point of eye brows. That
important
point is called Angina Chara or spiritual eye. Everyone is supposed
to
protect that. In fact all saints protect that point with sandalwood
paste.
But later women alone started protecting that area.

What is Namaste'?

It is the popular Hindu greeting performed by pressing two hands
together and holding them near the heart. The whole act communicate
to the world 'You and I are one. I salute and worship the God within
you,
which is a mirror image of myself".
Do Hindus Practice Monogamy?

Hindus practice monogamy and Hindus have stopped "child marriages in
India by SAADA Act (1929) under the British. It is the Moslems in
India
who are allowed to marry four wives and Moslem Sharia law allows
child
marriages for Moslems in India.

Do Hindu Scriptures Forbid Abortion?

Yes they do. Hindu scriptures forbid abortion. From time immemorial,
Hindus consider children as gifts from God. In the code of Manu,
Manu
forbids abortion. One of the worst acts described in the scriptures
is
Sis-Hatya meaning destruction of the unborn fetus. There are prayers
in the Rig Veda to guard a growing embryo. Only time abortion is
allowed
is when the fetus is known to be defective as per Susruta Samhita,
the Hindu Ayurvedic book.

What is Caste System?

There is nothing in Hinduism as complex as caste system. It emerged
as a part of division of labor among people during the days of Rig
Veda.
The greatest apostle of caste system, was Sage Manu. He laid down
all
provisions governing caste system in Manu-Smriti.

Brahmins - Priests
Kshatriyas - Fighters and warriors
Vaisya - Business men
Shudras - helpers of every one
Unlike in the Holy Bible, where Slavery is discussed and accepted
even by
St. Paul (Holy Bible verses Col. 4:11; Exodus 21:21 1: Lev. XXV:44-
55
Thessalonians 3:22), there is no statement in the entire Hindu
scriptures to ill-treat lower castes, except Sage Manu's Code,
where punishments of lower castes are severe comparing to
punishments
for the higher castes for the same offense. There is no
word "untouchable"
in the entire Hindu scriptures. Still caste system degenerated in
India.
It is indeed the greatest curse on Hinduism. It attacks the core of
Hinduism. It resulted in large scale conversion of Hindus to other
religions. I sincerely pray and hope, caste system eventually will
go away, making it a relic of the history. Hindus should do what
Christians did. Even though slavery is mentioned and accepted as a
practice in the Holy Bible, even though during Civil war many such
as Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America
quoted from the Bible to support slavery, Christians took it upon
their chin and eliminated slavery completely.
Once upon a time, India had 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes.
Even there were 1,800 Brahmin castes in India. Even different
Brahmin castes did not mingle themselves socially or otherwise,
in ancient times. Last of all, ancient India, persecuted a large
group of people called untouchables. Mahatma Gandhi
said: "Untouchability
is a crime against God and men." Ambedkar once wrote out of his own
experience, "To the untouchables, Hinduism is a veritable chamber of
horrors."

Why Hindus Practice Suttee (Sati)?

None of the Hindu scriptures mention about Sati. Suicide of the
consort of
Lord Siva, Sati, has nothing to do with Sati or Suttee. Suicide of
queen Madri in the epic Mahabharata has nothing to do with Sati.
Suicide of 16000 wives of Lord Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavatam
has nothing to do with Sati. At the same time Suttee is the most
horrendous way of widows jumping into the funeral pyre of their
fallen husbands. It is an ancient ritual practiced by a warrior
race of India called Rajputs. Nobody else in India, practiced
Suttee.
Once again, Suttee is never mentioned in any Hindu religious
scripture.
There is not even one episode of Suttee in the vast Hindu mythology.

Many state Hinduism is very Complex and Contradictory!

All religions are the result of the works of thousands of thinkers.
Hinduism and Judaism are cultures and they are the mothers of all
religions.
New religions like Christianity and Islam took the best aspects of
Judaism and made part of them. So too Buddhism and Jainism took the
best aspects of Hinduism and made part of them. In Christianity,
there were several housecleaning in its 2000 years of history.
Hinduism on its part, never had any house cleaning in its history.
Since Hinduism never tossed anything away, in it you will see in it
primitive religion as well as very advanced thoughts.

I have repeatedly stated that Hinduism has the good, the bad and
also
the ugly aspects in it like any other culture or religion in the
world.
We have to boldly face facts and eradicate the bad and the ugly
aspects,
to better the lives of millions of Hindus, for years to come.
The greatness of Hinduism can be summerized in few words.
"Freedom of Thoughts and Actions." That is what Hinduism stands for.

- Ed Viswanathan

June 2, 2002

Ed Viswanathan is the author of the international bestseller "Am I a
Hindu"?

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