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
If the Hindus really believe in one God, why do they worship a variety of gods like Shiva, Devi, Vishnu or Ganapati? Is it not tantamount to accepting many gods and goddesses?
Although Hinduism concedes the existence of several gods or deities, it accepts only one God, the Supreme. Out of these deities, Indra and others are actually ordinary souls like us, who rose to those positions in the cosmic scheme as a result of the
What steps have been taken by the Hindu reformers to eradicate untouchability?
There are no two opinions about the urgent need for eradication of untouchability which is universally considered as a blot on the Hindu society. Neither in the Vedas nor in the Dharmasastras do we find any sanction for this abominable practice. While
The caste system has taken roots firmly and deeply in the Hindu society. How did the caste system originate and what is its nature?
The early Vedic society seems to have been divided into two broad groups: the ‘Dvijas’ (‘twice-born’) who were capable of thinking and acting independently, and the Non-Dvijas, also called Sudras, who could not do so. In course of time, as the society
What has Hinduism to say about the nature of man and the purpose of human life?
Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy – by one or more or all of these-and be free.
Does the Tantra prescribe spiritual discipline in the company of woman?
That is not desirable. It is a very difficult path and often causes the aspirant's downfall. There are three such kinds of discipline. One may regard woman as one's mistress or look on oneself as her handmaid or as her child. I look on woman as my mother. To
What is the basic scripture of Hinduism? Would you epitomize its contents?
The Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all the scriptures.
What has Hinduism to say about the nature of man and the purpose of human life?
He is born to no purpose who, having the rare privilege of being born a man, is unable to realise God in this life.
What is the nature of God according to Hinduism?
God is one only, one without a second. His nature is Sat-chit-ananda, that is, eternal Existence-Consciousness Bliss. He is the creator of this universe.He creates it by His power out of Him self, sustains it and then withdraws it into Himself, once its
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
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
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
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
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 should be the attitude of a Hindu towards other religions?
An ideal Hindu believes that different religions are like the different radii of a circle, each leading to the selfsame centre, the centre being God-experience. Sri Ramakrishna stretches it still further in his unique saying, Jato mat, tato path ‘(As
What is the significance of a hindu temple and image worship?
God exists. He is the creator and controller. His grace gives us happiness and peace. His wrath brings about sorrow and suffering. Mankind all over the world has cherished this belief in some form or other. Once it is conceded that such a God exists,
Why should not the ordinary spoken language be used in worship instead of Sanskrit? Will this not enable us to understand and follow these rites better?
Puja (worship), Homa (sacrifice) and other similar religious rites are considered as sacred and holy acts. It is the Rishis (sages), the originators of our religious traditions, who have given us these rites including the procedure and the mantras to
It is the bitter experience of Hindu pilgrims that they are exploited and harassed by unscrupulous Pandas and priests in the pilgrim centres. How can this be eradicated?
This is a fundamental problem. Or rather, it is the symptom of a fundamental problem. Hence, one should go to its root to be able to solve it. The Pandas and priests exploit and harass the pilgrims for the sake of money. Its cause is poverty. Lack of
What is the status accorded to woman in Hindu Society? Does she have equality with man? How much freedom does she enjoy?
Hinduism has looked at the status and position of woman from two standpoints. As a soul in bondage, the goal of her life also, like man’s, is Moksha. Hence all the moral and spiritual disciplines like purity of mind, self-control, devotion to God and
How do we Hindus explain suffering in life?
In the Hindu religion there is no Devil. So he cannot be blamed for causing suffering. Hindus say that we are essentially spiritual beings (Atman); when we try and express ourselves in a physical manner (through the body) we pay a price for it. The price
What were these principal reform movements (of Hinduism)?
The sages of the Upanishadic age were the forerunners of all the reform movements. The religion of the Rigveda which was simple and elegant had by the period of the Brahmanas deteriorated into a bewildering maze of sacrifices, which the common people
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
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
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,
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
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
What should we do if someone tries to hurt us?
Once upon a time there lived a very poisonous snake. This snake lived near a small village and used to bite and kill people of the village. Everyone in the village was frightened of the snake. One day, a holy man passed by. He saw how everyone was scared
Should we stand up against injustice?
The law of karma teaches that if we ignore doing something that needs doing, then we have acquired bad karma and will have to bear the consequences of 'not doing something'. If we see injustice and do not stand up against it, then we acquire bad karma.
People moan, 'This is my Karma' when something wrong happens to them unexpectedly. What does karma really mean?
The Law of Karma [An] important thing Hindus believe in is called the law of karma. This law says that everything we do will produce certain results. For example, if we work hard at school, we get good results. If we do not work hard, we get poor results.
What do Sri Ram and Sri Sita teach us?
Rama and Sita teach us how to lead good life Rama was born thousands of years ago as an avatar of Vishnu. Rama was honest, upright and perfect in every way. He lived noble life helping others. Sita, his wife, was loyal, kind and gentle. Every Hindu girl
What does Sri Hanuman teach us?
Hanuman teaches us how to be brave and strong like him Hanuman is the monkey God. He is the God of strength. He is very strong and clever. He can lift mountains. Sometimes Hanuman can be a bit naughty. Hindu children love to listen to the stories of Hanuman.
What is the significance of Puja (or prayers) done at home?
Hindus can worship God in many different forms. Some worship Vishnu, some Shiva, some Rama, some Krishna and some worship God as the Mother Goddess. Worship is carried out in front of an image (called Murti) of their chosen form of God, called the deity.
What is the significance of Puja (or prayers) done at the temple?
Hindus think of the temple or mandir as the home of God on earth. People go to the temple so that they can see the image of God. This is called darshan. An offering of flowers or fruits may be taken to the temple. Shoes are left at the entrance to keep
Why should we share what we have with others?
Hinduism teaches that we must look after our families and members of our community and society. God is in us as well as in everyone, so helping others is the same as helping ourselves. We must not ignore the poor people of the world. We have to do our
Has anyone found God in recent times? If so what was his teaching to us?
The Story of a young man who found God in our times About a hundred years ago lived a young man called Naren. Ever since he was a little boy, he loved to listen to stories about God. When he was a bit older he began to realise that most of the stories
What does Lord Ganesha teach us?
Ganesh is the elephant-headed God who removes obstacles and brings good luck Ganesh is the son of the Mother Goddess Parvati. While protecting his mummy, young Ganesh had to go into battle where his head was chopped off. To quickly save his life, the
What are the Vedas?
The Vedas are considered very important in Hinduism because they tell us how the rishis felt when they experienced God. The Vedas tell us how we can experience God for ourselves. The Vedas were first written in a very ancient language called Sanskrit.
Who is Ramakrishna and what does he teach us?
The story of Ramakrishna About a hundred years ago in India, lived a man called Ramakrishna. Ever since he was a little boy, he was able to experience God. If he saw something beautiful in nature, he would feel a thrill. He would feel connected with the
Who are we, and how are we linked with God?
When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we may think that we are the body we can see. We sometimes think that we are what our minds tell us we are. The mind offers us all sorts of thoughts about what we are: happy or sad, clever or not so clever, kind
Why should we be Good and moral?
Most people are frightened off by the suggestion that our essential Self is God. Some people fear that such ideas may make us big-headed. But that is not true because we also learn that everyone else is essentially God too. In a way this idea, that we
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