How do Hindus relate themselves to God?
Even though there can be only one God, different people think of God in different ways. Many Hindus like to think of God as a father in heaven. Some Hindus like to think of God as a mother in heaven. Hinduism says that there are hundreds of different
Why do we Hindus worship so many Gods while the other religions worship only one God?
Story to explain how the same God can take on different and forms names A student asked his teacher, "How can the same God sometimes be Vishnu or Shiva or the Mother Goddess, or a God in another religion?" The teacher asked the student to come to his
Is it safe to think of oneself as the servant or devotee of God?
The 'servant I' - that is, the feeling, 'I am the servant of God, I am the devotee of God' - does not injure one. On the contrary, it helps one to realize God. Reference: The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (7.1 The Master And Vijay Goswami)
What should be the ideal daily routine for a Hindu?
An ideal daily routine for a Hindu could perhaps be suggested as follows: Rising from bed before sunrise, obeisance to the family deity and to the Ishtadevata, ablutions and bath, personal prayers, meditation and recitation from scriptures, breakfast
What is the purpose of meditation?
The purpose of meditation is to help man attain a direct and immediate experience of his basic nature as Sat-chid-ananda. In our ordinary waking moments the mind is outward-going, through the portals of the senses and it gets a direct knowledge of external
What is a healthy society?
A healthy society is one that brings the awareness of this divine nature to more and more of its young and old. There are two major problems plaguing modern civilization. One is the problem of old age, the other is the problem of leisure. Vedanta, with
Who is a Swami according to Hindu tradition?
Holy people are called Swamis Swamis are monks. Swamis wear orange clothes. They leave their homes and families and stay in monasteries. They wish to find God by helping others. One swami who became very famous and found God by serving others was Swami
What happens to a person after God-Realization?
[...] He has only the semblance of lust, anger, and the like. If, after attaining God, he looks on himself as the servant or the devotee of God, then he cannot injure anyone. By touching the philosopher's stone a sword is turned into gold. It keeps the
What is the ideal of Vedanta?
The ideal aimed at in Vedanta is to attain to a state that is beyond all birth and death, from which there is no falling off, a state of freedom. Freedom or liberation can come only by dissociating ourselves from our body and mind, in other words, from
Why should we not hurt or harm anything?
Hinduism teaches that God (or spirit) shines in the eyes of every living thing including our own, so when we hurt anyone we are actually hurting ourselves. This is why it is very foolish to needlessly hurt other living beings. Instead of hurting other
What has Hinduism to say about the nature of man and the purpose of human life?
Although this question appears to be short and simple, it concerns a very profound subject discussed in our philosophical works.According to the Upanishads, which have been accepted as the supreme authority by all sections of Hinduism, man is essentially
How can I know that I am making any progress in the path of spirituality?
Progress in most cases is very gradual and anything very gradual will be difficult to notice, say, like the slow movement of the hand of a clock of huge circumference. Even when we study a language as infants, it is very difficult for us to observe our
What is the highest pinnacle of human wisdom?
The Isha Upanisad raises us to the highest pinnacle of human wisdom: यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मन्येवानुपश्यति । सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते ।।६।। (Yastu sarvani bhutanyatmanyevanupasyati; Sarvabhutesu catmanam tato na vijugupsate.) 6 'The wise
Who is a Guru according to Hindu tradition?
Hindu Teachers are called Gurus Teachers who help Hindus learn about their religion are called gurus. They answer our questions about who God is, and how we may find God. Reference: Primary Hinduism by Seeta Lakhani (Ch.1, 'What Is Hinduism', p.9)
How does idol worship help?
As you recall your father by his photograph, so likewise the worship of the image reveals in a flash the nature of Reality. Do you know what God with form is like? Like bubbles rising on an expanse of water, various divine forms are seen to rise out of
I am fully convinced of the evil effects of desires, but still unable to rid myself completely of them. What am i to do? How can i rise above them?
One way is to control them using will power. Another is to cultivate the witness attitude towards them. Neither of these is easy and in the beginning of one's spiritual life, well nigh impossible. What then is the way for a spiritual aspirant? He should
From whom did Hinduism originate and when?
Unlike the other religions of the world, Hinduism did not originate with any single prophet or at a particular period of human history. Its uniqueness lies in its being based on the superconscious experiences and spiritual realizations of a galaxy of
Does there exist any beautiful poetic illustration of the spiritual journey of man?
The Mundaka Upanishad paints this spiritual journey of man from helplessness to fulfilment in a passage of surpassing poetic and spiritual charm (III. 1. 1-3) द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परिषस्वजाते । तयोरन्य: पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्य नश्नन्नन्यो
Why do some Hindus put a mark (tilak) on their forehead? What does it signify?
Tilaks are Special Marks on the Forehead Some Hindus put a mark on their forehead; this mark is called a tilak. Different Hindus may use different markings. Some put a round red dot on their foreheads. Some Hindus mark their foreheads with three horizontal
Is it possible to see God as a real person?
About a hundred years ago in India, lived an old lady called Gopal- Ma. She liked to think of God as baby Krishna. She had a little statue of young Krishna. She prayed in front of the statue every day. She was not happy just seeing the statue of Krishna,
How to transform I-Consiousness?
The Vedantist says, 'I am He.' Brahman is real and the world illusory. Even the 'I' is illusory. Only the Supreme Brahman exists. But the 'I' cannot be got rid of. Therefore it is good to have the feeling, 'I am the servant of God, His son, His devotee.
What is the basic scripture of Hinduism? Would you epitomize its contents?
The Vedas are the basic scriptures of Hinduism. Literally 'Veda' means knowledge or wisdom. Shruti (that which is revealed), Agama (that which has been handed down as a tradition) and Nigama (that which gives us definite and decisive answers to the ultimate
I consider myself as a follower of the great Advaita Vedanta philosophy. Do i still need to follow moral virtues ?
Nowadays there is an attempt in the West to popularize Vedanta without stressing purity of mind. Many people in the West feel drawn to Advaita because of its loftiness and logical beauty. But intellectual appreciation alone is not enough. Many people
What do the Upanishads declare about a samsari or a man immersed in worldliness?
The Isha Upanishad deems it necessary to utter a note of warning in its third verse, which reads: असुर्या नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसाऽऽवृता: । 3 ‘Into the worlds of the asuras, enveloped in blinding darkness, verily do they repair after death who are slayers
A regular and systematic spiritual seeker often lacks peace of mind. Why? What is the way to attain peace?
The Bhagavad Gita says: ‘For one without self-control (Ayukta) and therefore without spiritual perception (Buddhi) there is no meditation (Bhavana). And for one without meditation there is no peace (Santi). And for one without peace, where is happiness?’
What does the Lotus flower signify?
Lotus is a symbol of purity Even though the lotus flower grows out of muddy water, it emerges pure, beautiful and detached. In the same way, Hindus are encouraged to lead pure lives. Reference: Primary Hinduism by Seeta Lakhani (Ch.1, 'What Is Hinduism',
Which is the best religion in the world?
Even though there can be only one God, different people think of God different ways. Many Hindus like to think of God as a father in heaven. Some Hindus like to think of God as a mother in heaven. Hinduism says that there are hundreds of different ways
What is the role of the Guru in a spiritual aspirant's life?
Satchidananda Himself is the Guru. [...] when the vision of the Ishta is about to take place, the guru appears before the aspirant and says to him, 'Behold! There is your Ishta.' Saying this, the guru merges in the Ishta. He who is the guru is also the
Does divine grace remove all our miseries and confer peace?
Divine Grace may not necessarily remove all our physical miseries and sorrows, but if we have the Grace, we can pass through the fiery ordeal of life successfully, burning the dross in us the process. This increases our inner purity and spirit of surrender.
Man just seeks pleasure, comfort and security. Is there a more glorious view of him?
The katha upanishad says, श्वोभावा मर्त्यस्य यदन्तकैतत् सर्वेंन्द्रियाणां जरयन्ति तेज: । अपि सर्वं जीवितमल्पमेव तवैव वाहास्तव नृत्यगीते ।।२६।। (Svobhava martyasya yadantakaitat sarvendriyanam jarayanti tejah; Api sarvam jīvitamalpameva tavaiva vahastava
Suppose a man is happy and is contentedly leading a good life, is it necessary for him to try to develop Vairagya? Or will it come by itself to such a person?
What is meant by a man leading a good life? We ordinarily mean doing one’s duties, earning a decent income in correct ways, being free from many problems, having good health, and having a peaceful family life. All such conditions are desirable, but if
Who is a rishi and how to become one?
To ilustrate this, let me tell you the story of a young girl called Vak who became a rishi. A long time ago, in ancient India, lived a little girl called Vak. She was a real chatterbox. She would just not stop talking. One day, Vak was trying to talk
Why has God put us in the world?
The world is the field of action. Through action one acquires knowledge. The guru instructs the disciple to perform certain works and refrain from others. Again, he advises the pupil to perform action without desiring the result. The impurity of the mind
How does one handle situations of uncertainity in life?
From a spiritual point of view it is good to remain amidst great uncertainty. It is often good if everything you relied upon is taken away from you and you are left without any worldly support. It is good if all old values, friendships and attachments
How do the Upanishads view the human body mind complex?
[In verses three to nine of the second chapter of the Katha Upanishad, chapter three], Yama proceeds to expound to Naciketa the nature of this heroic journey to the summit of character and vision through the field of life and action; in verses three and
What does the Swastika symbol stand for?
Swastika means: 'Let good luck come to us from everywhere' This symbol is meant to bring good luck. It has a shape that points in four directions. It means : Let auspiciousness or good luck come to us from all four corners of the world. Reference: Primary
Why are we born in this world? What is the purpose of creation?
Very difficult questions indeed! They will put even the wise man into confusion. Obviously we did not arrive here out of our choice but in spite of it we are all very reluctant to depart from here. Three possible answers are given to the first question:
What is Hinduism?
Hinduism is the name of a religion that began in ancient India thousands of years ago. Today there are nearly a billion people in the world who practise this religion. These people call themselves Hindus. From Sindhu we got the word Hindu The word Hindu
Is it not the height of foolishness to worship man-made images of stone, clay or metal? Does it not betray utter ignorance and superstition?
This objection, which is very common, has been raised without a proper understanding of the great and sublime principle behind image worship. No Hindu ever worships these images considering them as God Himself. Though they are insentient images it is
How can I develop dispassion for worldly things gradually?
Dispassion is not possible unless there is satiety through enjoyment. You can easily cajole a small child with candies or toys. But after eating the candies and finishing its play, it cries, 'I want to go to my mother.' Unless you take the child to its
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